The Wise Owl's Lesson on Unity

LLife, dear chums, is a complex puzzle pieced together with contradictions and harmonies. In the heart of a lush forest, resided an owl named Olivia, celebrated far and wide for her wisdom and grace. Olivia had spent countless nights perched high in her tree, contemplating the profound truths of existence. Through her meditative practices, she had come to appreciate the unity of opposites—how seemingly contradictory or opposing forces often complement and complete each other in the bigger picture of life.

Determined to share her insights, Olivia decided to hold nightly lessons on the concept of unity of opposites, hoping to enlighten the land animals. She believed that understanding this principle could lead to greater harmony and balance within the forest community.

As soon as Olivia announced her lessons, skepticism and ridicule arose among the creatures. "What does that nocturnal bird know about our lives?" scoffed the squirrels, who preferred the warmth of the day. The deer, ever cautious, whispered among themselves, "How can we trust an owl who only emerges under the cover of darkness?"

Undeterred, Olivia began her lessons beneath the shimmering moonlight. A few curious animals attended, but many others stayed away, unwilling to disrupt their routines or risk the unknown. Olivia spoke of light and darkness, predator and prey, the sun and the moon—how each held significance and contributed to the balance of their world.

Some animals, like the fox and the badger, listened intently and found value in Olivia’s words. They began to see their adversaries not just as threats but as necessary parts of the ecosystem. The fox, once an arch-enemy of the hare, started to understand the role each played in maintaining the forest's balance.

Yet, many others remained unconvinced. The rabbits mocked Olivia from their burrows, thumping their feet dismissively during her lessons. The hedgehogs, preferring their solitary ways, refused to join the gatherings. Even the wise old tortoise, set in his ways, grumbled that nocturnal creatures had little to offer those who thrived in the daylight.

Despite the mixed reception, Olivia continued her teachings. She shared tales of ancient wisdom, of how opposing forces like fire and water, chaos and order, existed in a delicate dance that sustained life. She spoke of the stars and the earth, of how each creature, no matter how small or great, had a role to play in the intricate web of existence.

A few animals, like the fox and the hare, began to appreciate Olivia’s lessons. They found that understanding and respecting the unity of opposites brought a new perspective to their lives. The fox and the hare, once sworn enemies, found a cautious truce, recognizing that their destinies were intertwined.

Olivia, seeing the slow but steady change, realized that not everyone would grasp the profound wisdom she offered. Some were simply not ready, bound by their natures and routines. She accepted this with a heavy heart but a clear conscience. Her duty was to share her knowledge, not to force it upon those unwilling to receive it.

And so, dear chums, we learn that wisdom and harmony often come from recognizing and embracing the unity of opposites. While not everyone may be ready to understand or accept it, those who do can find a deeper sense of balance and purpose. Olivia continued her nightly vigils, a beacon of wisdom in the darkness, hoping that someday, more would come to appreciate the beauty of the interconnected world they lived in.

-- Pradeep K (Prady)

#LessonsFromNature #HarmonyInContrasts #OwlWisdom #BalanceInLife #NatureLessons #WisdomAndHarmony

Elegance Amidst the Oinkers

Life, dear chums, is sometimes like being a noble horse trapped in the midst of a pigsty. Picture it: our horse, sleek and dignified, stands bewildered in a mire of mud, snouts, and incessant oinking.

Our equine friend, with its gleaming coat and graceful gait, does its best to adapt. “If I must be among pigs,” it thinks, “I shall be the finest pig there ever was.” And so, it attempts the impossible: fitting into a world of snorts and grunts with the decorum of a royal steed.

The horse tries to roll in the mud, but it’s more of an awkward flop than a carefree wallow. It attempts the pigs’ diet of slop with a grimace, longing for fresh hay and crisp apples. Every effort to engage in the pigs’ jovial snuffling and snorting feels like a Shakespearean actor forced into a slapstick comedy – the intent is there, but the mismatch is glaring.

Meanwhile, the pigs, blissfully unaware of the horse’s struggles, continue their merry way. “Why so stiff?” they ask, wallowing deeper into their muddy paradise. “Loosen up, have some fun!” They revel in their mud baths and feast on their unappealing delicacies, completely at ease in their sty.

The horse, though, remains an outsider, its every attempt to integrate only highlighting the absurdity of the situation. It trots and prances, trying to lead by example, to show the pigs there is more to life than this quagmire. But the pigs, content in their piggish ways, merely laugh and continue their frolic, indifferent to the horse’s silent plea for change.

Yet, amid the muck and mire, a strange realization dawns upon our noble steed. It learns to find humor in the absurdity, to chuckle at its own futile attempts to pigify itself. It discovers that sometimes, the best one can do is to maintain one’s own grace and dignity, even when surrounded by chaos.

And so, our horse stands tall, a beacon of elegance in a sea of snouts and mud. It may never truly fit in, but it finds a way to navigate the sty with a sense of humor and a dash of panache. For in the end, it’s not about becoming a pig but embracing the horse within, regardless of the circumstances.

I call out to all the horses in pigsties out there. Stand tall, find the humor in the mud, and trot on with your head held high. The world needs your grace and dignity, even in the most unexpected places.

-- Pradeep K (Prady)

#LifeSatire #LifeHumor #HorseInASty #NavigatingAbsurdity

My Friend is (Un)Thrilled

My friend is unthrilled today. Oh! Do pardon me for that jarring discrepancy. It is one of the curses of being a regular writer. There comes a point when I forget the bindings of a formal dictionary, and start coining new words to record the extremes that I observe or experience around me. With observation and experience as my teachers, and with expressiveness being the only end, I've been known to toss out dictionaries and to go forth with firm faith that my word will fit right in and make sufficient sense to most of my readers. Haven't failed yet.

Well, getting back to the topic at hand, the friend works with a tech startup of sorts. I mean to say, it's a firm that can be called a startup today for mere technicality. At one time it was actually what it quite unabashedly claims to be today: a startup. At that distant time it had an amazing run; those were it's golden days. With a huge share of the market in its basket, it was ruling the tech space it served. It hadn't the ostentatious overheads of the multinationals, nor the associated idiosyncracies. Among non-technical staff, they had a simple, but efficient accounts manager, an amiable young woman for a HR executive, a couple of assistants to the directors, and a couple of housekeeping and tea-making staff. That's the place my friend had started his career at. And I daresay he was happy then.

Until the M&A changed the scene. Well, as they say, when it rains, it pours. This change lead to a series of changes and corporate adjustments. Each sediment brought in another layer of a dirty domain of dominance to bear upon the unsuspecting original employees. The long and short of it is that now my friend is troubled immensely by a brand new Head of HR.

Now, I daresay he was in one of his exalted moods even last month around his pay day. The amount seemed slightly larger than usual. He put it down to the probability that they had released a couple of months' arrears on his increment along with his regular salary. When he told me, it had seemed even to me to be a reasonable supposition. Understandable, he was quite the party host that day. He was thrilled, you see.

But I know you remember the creative word in my first sentence, which was that my friend is unthrilled today. This pay day, he got about thirty per cent less than his regular pay. There were no explanations given. In fact, there was complete radio silence from the Head of HR until he called her and pointed out the discrepancy.

When the explanation did come, it was worse than none. It seems that the previous month's increase wasn't the result of any arrears being released as we had supposed, but was the ill impact of a blunder on the part of HR, where a portion of somebody else's salary was posted into the accounts of my dear friend. And this month, they've silently rectified their blunder by deducting the said amount from his accruals.

Such an event begs us to question the authenticity of the qualifications and of the competence of the said HR Head and her team. Not only about such a blunder, but also, and even more importantly, about the all round silence maintained about it. The lack of even the basic courtesy to communicate this with the affected employee and to apologize for one's mistake. This lack is a gaping hole that raises serious doubts about the integrity and professionalism of the concerned HR personnel.

Well, that, and my friend is quite unthrilled today.

-- Pradeep K (Prady)

#OfficeHumor #CorporateLife #WorkplaceWoes #HRHumor #FunnyStories #Satire #WorkplaceDrama #OfficeAntics #CorporateComedy #FunnyFail

The New Normal

Looking back at this old post today I cannot help noting that it marked the last milestone in my blog before the unthinkable paralyzed human life on earth as we knew it.

It has been made clear, and one has to acknowledge the message and admit to the fact, that what we knew as normal life now stands upgraded by means of the grave challenge we all had to endure, and haven't yet been able to completely surmount. 

While taking a moment to acknowledge the new normal that emphasizes masking up and distancing, I also want to record my personal fondness that has grown in favour of avoiding any physical proximity that is not absolutely necessary. Should one venture that such a distancing bug has always been latent in my nature, one may perhaps not be entirely off the mark.

I do hope the new normal is accepted on a larger scale in societies and professions that allow it, so it can stand on more permanent grounds within those segments. 

Movie Review: Bhool Bhulaiya 2

At the start I'll just say 5.5/10. Read on for my reasons.

In any such endeavours that attempt a second part, specially having achieved hands down success on the first, and having little or no continuity with the second, it is always known to need to match up to, if not surpass, the expectations of the original. Hence the review will be comparative. So is this.

I had gone to the theater after watching the official trailer, and even though the first thing I thought I'll miss was Akshay Kumar, it wasn't so. Not too deeply in any case. The lead actor did his best to fill the veteran's shoes. Some of the demeanor of the lead actor were quite reminiscent of the veteran.

The same cannot be said about the lead actress, but not for lack of effort. Kiyara just wasn't given enough material to even have a chance to attempt a remotely close enough rendition to the lead actress in the original. That of course makes sense, as in this case the lead actress was Tabu. Yet, in one musical scene Kiyara does attempt a somewhat similar rendition to Vidya, and I felt it was reasonably close. Although the story didn't really focus on that part, which was sad for her.

There were other differences too, which struck as odd. Unlike the first part, here it isn't just a psychological thriller, but there's a hint of an actual ghost? And in that light, some of the antics of the comedic characters were a tad overkill. No complaints about Sanjay Mishra, he did what he does best. Kalsekar, however, seemed misplaced and underutilized.

Finally, what peeved me most was the mutilation of one of the most identifying characteristic of the movie: the song, Ami je tomar. The tone and pace of the song were so lazily altered, and it was only partly rendered(?) that it sounded almost like a badly made spoof. I'm not a musician, but I think the music director played with the "re" note in part 2, trying to make it sound more bluesy, but in the bargain ended up destroying the real spirit and flavour of the song.

So yes, like I said, I cannot give it more than 5.5 overall.

Review: Wakefit Orthopedic Memory Foam Mattress

Wakefit Orthopedic Memory Foam Mattress (75 x48 x8)

Overall rating: 7.5/10.

It is mostly as advertised. Almost fits the description. My most important observations are:

 1. Cover: The outer cover of the mattress I received is white on both sides (not white on the soft side and dark gray on the hard side as described). So I had to unzip it and look inside to determine which side to place on top.

 2. Foam: For the overall 8" mattress, the 1" memory foam layer is not really all that effective. Also, it seems to be a low density foam. It is soft and comfy when you press your fingers on it, but you can hardly feel it when you sleep. Both sides feel equally firm when you actually lay down on it.

 3. Heat: For the first full week and couple of days more, it did feel a bit hot. Later it felt okay. Whether it equalised to the room temperature, or whether my body just got used to the heat, I'm still not too sure.

 4. I must say I covered it with their waterproof fitted style protector immediately after opening it, since the cover fabric is vulnerable to flying dust particles (such as any cottony dust falling from ceiling fan etc.). On top of that I put my regular bed sheet. And to compensate for the firmness and heat, I also put a microfiber blanket on top of the bed sheet.

Overall not a bad buy. I'd say tolerable. But I did expect a little more. Hence my rating is 7.5/10.

Welcome 2021

This year was a priceless lesson about our illusion of control, and it has gently clarified who's really boss. We must humbly internalise the lesson before it is too late. Let's not go extinct yet. 

Many have lost their loved ones, whether by illness or disappointments or depression or otherwise. The void left behind cannot be filled. But pessimism will only make things worse. Let's strive to hold on to positivity.

Many people and corporates alike have explored and realized the practicalities of novel methods of functioning and surviving. It's a boon in disguise. Let's be open and thankful for that.

Many have grown fonder and closer to some of their friends even through physical separation or trauma or other challenges. That's indeed a blessing. Let's appreciate and be thankful for that.

Finally, let's hope for healthier, happier, brighter and wiser years ahead. May there be peace all around.