Misconception!

 Imagine the investors from a private equity group visiting you. The boss is responsible for a large portfolio worth $30bn in the services industry😈. From Vietnam and moved to Swiss as a kid, studied mechanicals, worked in mechanicals, moved to equity as a complete novice, and worked his way to a portfolio head. The general notion is that a cocky, cutthroat, money-driven, showing-off, asshole who doesn't care. Not that bad but I definitely thought they will be very judging and arm's length away. 😈 I was not sure what to expect from the investing board member's visit to India.

What actually happened was completely different. 3 young fresh looking guys walked in with genuine smiles. They looked 30 kinds, especially the big boss, and later found that he is 47.🤪 They were chatty, asking so many questions, keenly listening, and making notes. Not once confronting or disinterested. They shared stories and listened to us. Ate everything we offered and happily enjoyed it🙏. And at the same time very clever questions to highlight things we need to focus on. They remembered everything we said and brought it up in other conversations just to show they heard us and influence our thoughts😅.

They were unlike other investors who don't get involved with employees and only deal with the board. These guys operate differently, unlike other firms. Normal ones give a 100-day plan to start with and then 6 months and so on. They have quarterly reviews to check progress. These guys deep dive into the company and compare reality to what was sold. In parallel, they also do workshops with leadership to brainstorm ideas. Then they give leadership time to reflect on the ideas and choose the ones to implement. Then help the leaders to progress and review monthly to see if anything needs to change. A supervisory board is created to work with the actual board🙏. They have specialist super people in there like CTOs, CEOs, etc from other companies to assist in specific areas. We have a CTO for tech, CEO for sales, and CPO for operation. A very partnership approach to working together.🤗

I was so impressed with how they gelled with all and absolutely made it easy for us. They were personable, jovial, curious, and paid full attention to detail. The boss was incredible. I'm a fan. He gave some simple insights on how he runs his team and what works better. He works a lot but is fully empathetic to his team. He has empowered them well to decide😈. Felt like a super-efficient team and really want to be with them. And the way they ate everything we offered was impressive. Not many can do a banana leaf South Indian meal and they were all over it and finished it with their hands 🤪

Overall a really good couple of days. It was not tense and I learned a lot I can do quickly to bring in efficiency.🤪 One biggest learning was how to look at numbers and partner with teams instead of just reporting later. I think they liked me too, I was efficient, jovial, knew my shit well, confident, helpful, etc🤪. Really good experience. And yes, help clear any misconception about investors😅. Most of them are as human as others, ashte🤷‍♂️ But these guys were better in many aspects, they connected, they learned our ways of working, they inspired!!!

Meshtru!

 Meshtru, teacher, TBH I haven't had great regard for most of my teachers in school or college. For me, teaching is more than just going through subjects and helping me get better at it. It is about grooming a kid to become a better person. Like making them confident, listening, guiding them about what is right/wrong, and being there during tough times, especially for below-average kids. What happened in my student days was the complete opposite. The below-average kids were looked down on, their confidence was shattered by harsh words and almost encouraged to do stupid things. Even though I was decent at studying (but super lazy to read), I did not find any teacher who could make me curious about the subject. 

Stella gang keep telling me how good some of them were but I have no memories of them, so cant consider them to be good or bad. Middle primary was a nightmare. I came from a 'convent' with better English than my teachers I guess and you know how such kids are treated. Like Posh :( Soon I became a local with proper Kannada slang and that was the end of my decent English. I did not have anyone to guide me about books or novels, our librarian was dumb when it came to the knowledge of books and we hardly had any books available. All we ended up was tinkle with suppandi :D

Then high-school happened where the teachers were really bad. They had no idea about the subject and all they wanted us to do was mug up things and vomit on the answer paper. And I was really bad at that. My brain thought in Math, I needed logic, understanding of things, and breaking things down and none of it was available. A small exception was Kannada in 10th Std which made Hale-gannada interesting to me. It had chandassu which had a pattern of writing, yes it had rules and logic like math👍. 

PU in Seshadripuram was decent TBH. The teachers were very knowledgeable and had over 30 yrs of experience. But there was a prob, the class has over 100 students and most of them were in tuition and did not care for the college teaching. The teachers knew it and did not dig deep into any subject. To be fair to them, they did not have the time to complete everything. They did try for the regular students who could not afford tuition. Yes, shady's had a big part-time working students community as it was a morning college. 

Engerrining was a joke. We had very few lecturers thanks to the govt college scene and no idea about what to read. We were given a xeroxed sheet of syllabus and some nerd used to find 80% of it across 10 books and not share it with us lazy bums. I don't know how I read and managed to do well :)

But during this entire period, there was one teacher who stood out. And stood out like a sun in a very gloomy experience I had. And the best part was that he was not supposed to be my teacher and I have not paid a dime for his teaching. He was my neighbor in Mysore (my maternal grandparent's house where I was born) and was one of the most renowned teachers in Mysore, Mr Gopalakrishna. He was Math and Physics teacher in Marimallapas which is the most renowned school/college in Karnataka with so many rank holders. He has written textbooks and was on the board to set the syllabus. I have always called him uncle and not sir.

Most of my school vacations were in Mysore with my cousins. Uncle had 2 kids, Son was almost the age as my oldest cousin and the daughter was 4 yrs older than me and the same age as 2 of my closest cousins. Most days we would spend time in uncle's house playing together. I have written about the kavade game followed by bacchidodu/kai masiyodu. My dominance of the game monopoly (or business as it was locally called) started there. We also tried chess, but carrom was the most famous. They also had a decent garden space for cricket, kallu mannu, tree climbing, etc. Uncle is from a strict brahmin community and is a pure vegetarian. They knew we ate meat but we never discussed it, like ever. Aunty cooked some of the best bhramin food like puliogre, vangi bath, bisi bele bath, mysore pak, etc, and insisted we eat (now you know why we spent most time there). And in most games, uncle used to play with us. He was good in carrom and was a great sport. Not once did he come across as a super senior lecturer to me, he was just uncle. 

For some reason, he did not like tuition and wanted to teach kids in school/college itself. He used to make exceptions for 2-3 kids at home if they are known to him personally or were lacking behind or could not afford school. When the teaching community was making millions (im not kidding, some of them earnt 50 time their salary😱) in the 90s, uncle was super happy with his salary. I could see the fear in his student's face, they were petrified by his presence as he was strict when it came to teaching and did not take any slack. We used to stay away from that room.

When 10th std came, I decided I do not want any tuition, I hated them and was confident ill be able to do well. I was more interested in cricket and watching basketball. Dad was cool about it, mom did not get a say and I was living a lazy life. During dasara vacations, I went to Mysore as usual for almost 20 days. Dad came up with the idea to ask uncle to help me with my math and he agreed. I did not have any reasons to get out of it (all I did in Mysore was sleep 15 hrs, play 4 hrs, eat 3 hrs and roam around). So I was on a crash course and uncle said he will try to cover as much as we can. 

But you know what, I aced it. My math was super good and we cruised through everything real quick. I think I had a couple of days in the end to revise and uncle was surprised at how good I was. He knew I was decent but not that fast in math. While I was in the dreaded room there were few other students who taught. I remember there was this one guy who just did not get it and used to get smacked. Not for his dumbness but for not being attentive. One day I couldn't stop and giggled when he was being disciplined and I got a smack on my head, the only time uncle hit me :) When the vacations were over, he gifted me a question back to work out. I was so confident that ill get 100 in math that dint bothers reading much. On exam day, I panicked and did really badly. I got 68 I think, my worst math score (all 9th and 10th tests I had out of out). I was so mad at myself, I stopped studying for rest of the exams and 1st PU also. Math was my heart and I had lost it. I somehow picked myself up in 2nd PU and knocked it out of the park ;) I did talk to uncle during Dasara vacation and he said I know it well and he has not much to teach :D

My visits to Mysore were reduced from Engg but whenever I was there I made sure I spent time at his house. His daughter who is very close to us got married and relocated to the US, But still, I had it in my routine to go talk to uncle and aunty and it remains the same even now. Food made by aunty is a added incentive ;) 

After retirement, he did try his stint in tuition and made a big name for himself. He also earned well to refurbish his house but in a few yrs he just felt wrong about it. He and his like-minded lecturer friends opened a PU college to teach students. The biggest rule in the college was no one could attend external tutuion and the teachers made sure they taught well. After running it for few years, he retired in his late 70s (standing and talking for hrs every day for 5 decades can take a toll). They still have loads of plants and uncle spends his time with the plants and taking care of the house chores supporting aunty.

What makes uncle is his simplicity and the respect he gets from everyone. He had a luna (with the long seat) for decades and lived a super simple life. He is jovial and always has a nice smile on his face. The impact he has had on his students is wonderful. So many times when we were walking on a busy street in Mysore, his ex-students used to come to talk to him and thank him for his influence. I dont think there can be any better recognition for a teacher than a successful student and I'm sure most of his students are super successful. Today when the teaching world is money minded, he taught us how teaching could be changed by making it better in college and excluding tuition. His college is still running well and is a model others can follow. Still keeps me grounded and I try to influence students for a better future. 

The reason I am writing this blog is sad. Uncle had heart failure last week and was in critical condition. With his daughter in US and son in another town, there was less support. Strange how someone who has supported thousands of kids does not have any to take care. Luckily he is recovering and his daughter and son are back to take care. He might have to go through open heart surgery but might not be viable given he is 84 now. I was supposed to visit but will do it later. I am trying to get a few doctors 2nd opinions in Bangalore. I will visit during the operation and donate blood to him. He has given me such incredible guidance and been a role model to me, a bottle of blood is the least I can do. 

I just hope and pray for his recovery, the world needs many more teachers like uncle. And yes, he is called 'Meshtru' with great respect in my family, he is a teacher every student needs!

Art & Crafts!

 I have never been artistic in my life and appreciate what it takes to be artistic. It was more of a chore than an interest in school which is reflected in all my so-called artwork. It was bad, mundane, and painfully mediocre.

So much so that I never thought of art as a part of my life for long. In recent times I have started to appreciate others and wish I could do something similar. Trust me it is a great start given where I was (thinking it is an absolute waste of time).

Yesterday was one such time when I was in awe of an artist. He is my boss S, one of the most creative minds I have ever met. Restless most times and frustrated that the rest of the world is not keeping up with his pace. He is a go-getter, a kick-ass salesman, and an awesome business consultant. One thing I had never related to him was art but the last few yrs have changed that mindset.

He is crazy about the Dasara gombe setup (a ritual where dolls are put up for display during the Dasara festival) and has taken it to the next level. He thinks of a theme for his Dasara which is different every year and designs the entire story around it. It is not just a display but complete end-to-end storytelling of our history :)

This year's story was Ramayana with Ayodhya as the centerpiece. He has taken the effort to start with the ancient scripture that defines Ayodhya and painted a picture of the journey.

• It starts with Ravana lifting Kailasa to show his strength and get Lord Shiva's blessing. The 10-headed Ravana had to be custom-made and shipped. He managed to give a 60 yr old movie scene to the artist to replicate NTR's face. Each face had different features which would the attention to detail.
• The gods pray to Vishnu to save them and Dasharatha Maharaj does a homa to get the blessed with children. He is given a payasam which he shares with his 3 queens and is blessed with 4 boys. The boys are trained by Rishi Valmiki in a gurukul. The elegance of the queens and the poise of the boys in gurukul were super.
• Janaka Maharaj finds Sita (I did not know Sita means Plough/negilu) in a field that has a cow with a plow for detailing.
• Sita swayamvar was so clearly shown. There was a small cart to push the Shiva Dhanush to depict that it was very heavy and could only be handled by Sita and the Groom had to be equally strong🙂
• The marriage happens and they are soon exiled to vanavasa. The pain ok Dasharatha's face is clear and the humble stance of Rama shows his respect
• The bullock cart shows all the stuff that Rama, Sita, and Laxmana leave behind.
• The scene where Bharatha takes Rama's paduka to rule was beautiful. It showed respect for each other on the face
• The next scene of the golden deer with Sita almost ordering to hunt was clear
• Next was the scene of Vali fighting Sugreeva and Rama slyly killing him from hiding (Vali had a boon to get half the strength of the opponent, so had to be killed from hiding). Rama's posture showed the slyness and discomfort of this act clearly.
• Next was Hanuman looking to present Rama's ring to Sita in Lanka before the Lanka Dahan. The expression of the demons who guarded Sita was incredible, for me the best piece of the lot.
• The last scene was Ram offering prayers to shiva in Rameshwaram and building Ram Sethu to cross the ocean and reach Lanka. Ending with Rama's fight with Ravana and winning.
• This then moved to the crowning of Rama as the King with his family and friends around him
• All this story shows the significance of Ayodhya in Hinduism and then shows a real-life replica of the temple being built. He has taken a miniature of the temple and got a scaled version done by looking at multiple videos. The attention to detail in a number of pillars, levels, and structures was crazy.
• There were a few other setups like the Thirupathi Bhramostava or Vadirajaru with his book talking depicting the key places in India.
• He had also added European cities in the mix to tell his travel stories with a big toy train.

What makes me wonder is the time that is spent thinking of the entire story, imagining all the small details, and then working with different artists to bring it to life. S has managed to bring uniqueness to every doll which fits beautifully in the story. Not one doll has the same expression, they are actually living that moment. He then created each scene manually to depict the exact thought process with painstaking detail (trees, animals, jewels, water bodies, etc). And all this has been done while working 14 hrs a day. I don't know when he manages to rest or sleep.

Looking at the scale and the detail, I was so impressed with what is possible if you can put your mind to it. He was like a kid explaining the whole journey to everyone who visits his house to have a look.

I guess art can have that effect on you, you lose track of time and get immersed in the creation. 

My respect for artists shot through the roof😄 I wish I could bring in such energy on something creative🙂I hope I get immersed in creating something I love🙂 

Homes!

 I wanted to write something different as I have been away for so long, but I just reached the office and took out the phone when Google reminded me of the below pic 5 yrs back and every thought vanished.

What is special about this pic? This is Albert docks in Liverpool and my view from home for over 6 yrs. It was my office for 2 yrs and probably the best office I have worked in. And this pic was taken on the day I was moving out of Liverpool just a couple of weeks before I permanently moved to India.

I have always been a Bangalore boy and was very proud of my life here. So much so that I was adamant not to get a passport until 2005 as I did not want to go onsite. I was happy roaming around in India and said no to any onsite opportunity that came by until 2005. I might have settled in the US if I had not been so adamant about it, sigh!!! Little did I know that I will change my nationality in 12 years and become a Brit (I was such a freedom fighter kind, I can't believe I would be a Brit, that is what an open my mind can do).

Eventually, I convinced myself to visit the US in 2005 and got my passport and Visa done. The travel was canceled 1 day before I fly out :)) Story of me and the US😄

After that, I traveled a lot mainly to different cities in UK and Sydney but never felt at home. I had an urge to return and be with family and friends. Even after getting married when we moved to UK, I was so unsettled and wanted to come back. So much so that I and my Mumbai friend (we used to share a house with his family) used to crib every day and he eventually could not handle it and returned to India (another story that he came back after 2 yrs and is settled in UK).

The first time I visited Liverpool it was different, something about the place felt nice. And I had my best friend as my manager and flatmate. The client team was hostile, there were some insane stories about how bad they were (later realised the fault was on our end). I was in my element and turned it around so much that they were in tears when I was returning.

I worked my ass off for 6 months 15-18hrs a day but never felt any stress. I was cool and had a great time with the people around me. After almost a year of being in Liverpool, the miracle of my life happened, kiddo was born. The bond with Liverpool changed overnight, it was HOME❤️

I finally felt settled and fell in love with the city. The people were great, no filter, they liked you or hated you, nothing in between. They cared they fought they mattered. They had time for a chat or an ear to listen. I have had so many incredible memories and such affection for almost every street there.

That place from where I took the above pic had the highest memories. Kiddo used to walk/fall as a toddler on the cobbled street. His first cycle ride was on the same spot which was super to watch. I have spent hrs looking at the kayaks/rowing on the river, the walks with wifey and kid on the river bank, the high street shops, the small places where we sat while kiddo used to run around bumping into people (not once anyone felt bad about it such caring people), the coffee shops, the restaurants, the night out pub hopping, the early morning runs, the movies, the street vendors, so many things. And when I had to leave, it felt like I was leaving home. The family was already back and I was leaving for good. I remember sitting there just after taking this pic and crying. Like proper tears in my eyes but not heavy sobbing😞 It was one of the most emotional days for me (which is very unlike me).

I have visited/lived in Liverpool few times and stayed for over 2 weeks since then and relived some of the memories. But the feeling was different, I did not miss it as much as I was on that day. Initially, I felt the connection with the city is gone but I realized it was not about the city. It was about the people. I found new people, new streets, new restaurants, new hangouts, new gangs, and home was created! Home is where your loved ones are and how you connect. Lucky for me, I have always connected with people and lived fully.

I cant believe it has been 5 yrs since then. I was happy that Liverpool happened, it not only gave me home but opened my mind that other cities can also be home as long as you find the connection 🙂 Liverpool holds a very special place in my heart and will continue to be my second home. That is where I found joy and probably some of the best days of my life thanks to the Kiddo!!!

Cheers to finding more homes!!!

PS: weird that most of my memories are from the outdoors. Probably because I grew up outdoors and hardly remember sitting at home watching TV/playing games/etc. I have always related to open spaces than enclosed areas. 

I Know!!!

 "I know" is such a powerful word isn't it, it shows confidence, knowledge, pride, etc like there is nothing else to improve on. What we do not realize is that there could be a better version of the truth or a different viewpoint which will make you think and reconsider your knowledge.

I want to talk about what I learned after listening to one such podcast called the Trojan Horse Affair. For anyone who is not aware of this, look it up. This incident changed a lot of things in UK education system and also the laws for extremism. It all started with a letter that surfaced in UK talking about how schools have been taken over by certain religious groups (no points for guessing) and radicalizing them using a formula. 2 journalists (Brian from NY times, Hamza a Pakistani Muslim doctor brought up in Birmingham who wanted to become an investigative journalist) dug deep into the story to find what actually happened and made a podcast out of it.

I do not want to go through the entire series as it is best to hear the podcasts. There were a few highlights that I thought were important.

When I heard about the letter, my initial thought was "this could happen". Even though I am considerate to all religions and look at people as individuals than a group, there is an underlying preconceived notion I guess which made me think so. And many world events have influenced our thinking as we have seen what extremism can do. What I failed to look at is facts and then conclude if there was truth in that or not. We do not think much about such bias as it does not impact us a lot. 

The first thing that they discovered was that no one cared about who wrote the letter. The source did not matter and they only focussed on the content. Without knowing the source, you cannot know the intentions behind the act which is very important to understand if the content was true or biased. I have always said to take feedback by looking at what is said than who it comes from (dosnt matter if it is from a CEO or a chaprasi). But many times, you need to see who is telling it to understand the emotions and intention behind it to get the whole picture. The authorities had sidelined the source and went on a witch hunt to take down the ones mentioned in the letter and fire many teachers and make huge changes in the system.

There is one incident when both Brian and Hamza go to interview someone and were threatened to call the police on them. Brian did not understand as they were not doing anything wrong and why someone had criminalized them without even listening to them. Hamza jokingly said 'welcome to my world. Being Muslims, we are criminalized irrespective of who we are and what we think'. The initial reaction 'they could have done it' which is so unfair. Imagine living a life where many already have such bad notions about you.

Almost everyone knew the letter was a hoax but they did not care much and went ahead with the content. So much so, it became a huge issue in the parliament and everyone jumped in to make it as political as possible. Not once did they think of the people it might impact and fuel the huge problem of phobia. It went on to be a total bashing and many people got fired and impacted for life. Being considerate is very important. especially when they are already being beaten up for someone else's fault.

There was no conclusion on who wrote the letter and the consequences. But it did give a good idea of who actually gained from the letter. It helped cover up a different fraud situation in one of the schools. What seemed like a get-out-of-issue letter ended up creating such a major problem for a country. I don't think they realized it could have made such a big problem, if known, they might have written it in the first place. Small things have big impact in the wrong hands.

The biggest thing that came out of the series is how difficult being a journalist is. Hamza was so passionate about the story and is personally involved given he is from the same community. He gets carried away and writes letters requesting info with personal thoughts and it end ups killing a few strong witness prospects. A true journalist asks for right questions and reviews all options without judging. It is very difficult to leave your personal opinion aside and actually work on all possible options. You just can't pass judgment and leave it to the readers to arrive at their conclusion. Even when you know what is right, you have to be open to other perspectives. And most times it does not end as you expect, you have to accept the fact and carry on. In this case, they could not find the details with facts and bring the culprit to justice. It was left with the hope of changing people's perspectives.

Thinking about it, it is true for everyone isn't it? Leave your ideologies out and look at the facts. The whole thing about 'I know' has to change just to look at other possibilities. There are loads of things that have made us think the way we do and is not easy to leave our opinions out. So much so that we cling on to your opinions in this ever-changing world. A close friend once said 'The world has been too absolute. People pride themselves in holding strong opinions, we should pride ourselves when we change our mind about something we care about'. A lot to ponder over!!!

The less rigid your personality, the more powerful your presence - Sadhguru

Ab(e)le

There are a few stories that are not just for entertainment but also for some soul cleansing and thinking too. I have always believed that the funniest people or stories are the most emotional and come with great learning. I have been watching one such coming-of-age series called Mrs. Maisel. For anyone who does not know who it is, please spend 1000 bucks to get amazon prime and watch it. Trust me, you will not regret it.

The first thing you notice about Mrs. Maisel is her sense of humor, calm nature and obviously her looks, the 1st episode does a lot of justice to it :D But I am not going to talk about her today. I have always been a fan of transformation which shows progress and a way forward or someone quirky who stands out in the crowd. Let it be Tyrion Lannister who went from a drunk whore mongering piece of useless shit to one of the most trustworthy emotional strategic thinkers in GOT. Or it could be Phoebe, who was as quirky as it gets with her stories, songs, ways of thinking/running/living, philosophies, etc, she has inspired an entire generation to embrace themself and enjoy life.

So I am starting this series writeup with Abe, Mrs. Maisel's father, a very strange choice. When I started watching, he was the one I just did not like. He was too stuck in his ways of living from what he eats, to what he reads to the way he talks to people. Imagine a Math lecturer who has his own ways of working, is quirky, strict (biased toward a few students and treats others like shit), and easily irritable prick. A total MSP who wanted his daughter to wear good clothes/makeup to impress the son-in-law who has left her for his secretary. Instead of being angry and supporting his daughter, he tries to work with her father-in-law to fund a house for his useless SIL to return. He was so insensitive to his family, he refused to get an additional TV for the kids as he is not a 2 TV kinda guy (I don't even know what that means). He would fight with many and be a pain for those who work for him.

One of his worse traits was to take people around him for granted. Rose (his wife) has dedicated her life to taking care of the kids and her hubby. No one actually cared for her thoughts and was taken for granted. She is heartbroken when she gets to know that her daughter Midge did not agree to get back to her husband and did not discuss it with Rose. she decided to leave for Paris as she is no longer required. I think Abe had a selective hearing or ignored her completely. So much so, that when Rose says "no one cares for me and I am not needed so I'm booking a ticket to Paris, I have made lamb for dinner", all he heard was the lamb and said 'Lamb is fine!!!'.

When he found out that his wife had left him, he was furious and kind of blames her for it. And when he hears that his maid, Zelda knew about it, he questions her loyalty. "Zelda, we should have a talk about your loyalty, you should be loyal to who signs the cheques than whom you actually like, that is how American loyalty works". It shows how insensitive he could be of a situation.

Abe and Midge travel to Paris to get Rose back. As usual, Abe is a prick who is irritated with the dirty room or does not know French, etc. He would just not understand his wife wanting to live life the way she wants and live in the moment. One of the best lines Rose says is "Stay in the moment, you are in Paris, look around and take it in. Stay in the moment" which resonated with how frustrated she was and wanted to make up for the lost time. 

One of the best scenes: Midge to mom - I have missed you, mama. Rose replies: I missed me too :D

Abe is adamant to stay in Paris until he convinces Rose to return. I was kinda surprised and thought he will make her life miserable. But to my surprise, he completely embraces living in Paris. It is one of the best transformations I have seen in recent TV/movies. He mingles with locals without knowing a word of what they talk about, visits art museums, shows interest in Rose's art classes, wears a hat and a scarf to look completely local, and spends time with Rose with great love. It was kinda strange to see him like that but it was all genuine, not once did I feel he was faking it.

So much so that they end up dancing on the river bank with 'Wonderful world' playing in the background, how crazy is that:)))) There is true love between them and Abe expresses it beautifully. And since then, he is super sensitive about her. The way he convinces her that Pris is not their home and gets her back to NY is awesome, it was not forced at all. He goes above his capability to enroll Rose in art classes at his university and when she screws up with a few students, he has her back without being annoyed. He also signs up for dance lessons as they were not good at dancing on the river bank :D. He was genuinely a changed man and the change was so beautiful.

And then when he returns, he is shocked to see his kids doing different things and were not open to him about it. He doesn't know how to react to his daughter going after the family in a standup gig, absolutely hilarious shit. He is bitter and hurt (almost childish about it) which shows he could be an emotional person also. The best was when he sees Midge on TV and has a smile on his face, It says he is turning it around for the kids also :)

This makes me think there is never too late to change and start living in the moment. If Abe was able to do it, anyone can. You just need to be sensitive to your surroundings, care for your loved ones, genuinely try to be there for them and prioritize yourself also. Of all the characters, I would not have picked up Abe for this but his transformation made him stand out. He still is irritable, quirky, and annoyed, but when the time came, he showed he cared and can be a loving person. What else do you need from a man!!!

PS: there are so many characters and relationships that are worth talking about in this series. I will definitely write as I explore them more.

And I spoke too early. I did not know he had a rebel past and his stint to get back to that by quitting his job :D I am going to add it here as it progresses.

Piece of Shit!!!!

 Yes, I want to talk about shit/poop, the actual one and not something I am comparing to. Yes, I want to talk about bowel movements and if you are disgusted then do not read ahead :))

For the last 3 weeks, I am vegetarian (or Eggetarian if there is something like that) thanks to the holy month of Shravana. Not that I am overly religious about it but have multiple reasons to turn veggie. Firstly meat is not prepared at home as mom wants to keep it away which means I will have to eat outside which is not great. My meat intake has gone through the roof in recent years to almost half of my weekly meals having non veg. Thanks to this my veggie intake have reduced drastically. So this is like a detox break of a month every year. And there are so many festivals, I end up not eating for most days anyways.

Now, you may ask how is it related to bowel movement (If you are still reading it :D). Thanks to being vegetarian my veggie and fruit intake is great. Like yesterday I had musk melon, papaya, guava, pineapple and apple on the same day along with sprouts with palak and nuggekai soppu (moringa which is like a superfood nowadays), curd rice, chapathi with moong, etc. I mean, this is like a pro athlete diet :) This has made my digestive system light and improved my bowel movement a lot. For someone who has struggled with digestion and burping issues for a long time, it is a huge relief. How has this helped me and what should you get out of this??

It has become so good and consistent (I am not talking about texture here :D) that it is my inside alaram. I have to get to the bathroom at 5.45am daily. The best part is that no matter what, I can't snooze it which means I am forced to get out of bed at 5.45am :)) Can you think of a better alarm, nope? And once I am out of bed, the morning plans work out well. Today I was up by 5.45 am, freshen up and was at the baddy court at 6.10, played till 7 and got home and ready by 7.15, had breakfast and dropped kid at school by 7.30, visited a friend on my way to the office at 8 to drop the bike and reached office at 8.25 am. Tell me who can manage this kinda schedule with ease, yes I am superman :D And out of bed at 5.45 am has become the norm for every day, including weekends. Days when I don't play baddy, I cuddle up or lie on the yoga mat pretending to stretch. Both are great TBH :)

I have been reading atomic habits which talks about having cues to make things a habit. Bowel movement is the best cue I have had for my morning plan. I wish I can have a few more like this for the rest of the day to make more rituals without thinking :D

So, please work on your piece of shit, it is worth it!!!