Scouting

Today, as I was cleaning my house and documents, found a certificate/award that I got more than a decade ago...hmmmm.....in my 10th grade...."The Rastrapathi Scout" award.

I have many interesting moments to share which I consider as one of the best moments of my childhood. well why did I join scouts?  Now my wife would hit if I reveal the truth...let me take some courage..."because of Guides :)"...Our school had so many good looking girls in guides..I guess it was a trend then...hence i too joined...well those days these were the means of social networking....but good news to my wife is that I was not much successful in doing any social networking then....ha ha

Well this was a picture that was published in Udayavani paper in 1993 when we got the Rastrapathi Scout award representing our school MJC Manipal. 

Any guesses on my photo among the scouties and dudes of my batch. Couple of them studied with me right from 1st Std. I am still in touch with couple of them (names marked in bold). Let me try to remember the names now..

1)Ashish 2)Deepak 3)Ganesh 4)Gary 5)Jason 6)Keneth 7)Krishna 8)Santhosh Palan9) Santhosh Shetty10)Shridhar11)Sudarshan12)Newton13)14)15)16) Don't know.. sad that i ain't  know any girls :)

Awesome to still remember many names. It was fun participating in the National Jamborate held in Kolar. I still remember names of some pretty girls who came from mangalore and manipal...Seema, Kushnuma, Kshama, Reena..Jahnavi....ha ha...i am sure some names will refresh memories of people reading this...

Anyways, on some serious note...let me tell few things about scout..The tutor who guided us in our school was PG Pandit..he was an awesome person. I still remember his cute little face.

The Boy Scout Movement  took  a start  in the  United Kingdom when   Lord  Baden   Powell    organised a  Scout  Camp  at   Brown sea  Island on 1907 and the 'Scouting for Boys' was published in 1908. Scouting was officially founded in British India in 1909, first starting at the Bishop Cotton's Boys School in Bangalore.

The mission of the scout movement was 

"The mission of Scouting is to contribute to the education of young people, through a value system based on the Scout Promise and Law to help build a better world where people are self-fulfilled as individuals and play a constructive role in society"

I feel great that at an young age I did play a role in contributing to the society (In some small ways). We did some gardening, planting trees, cycling, cooking, trekking, camping, helping people and many more..

I still can remember the scout promise and can tell it without any guide..
                    On my honour I promise that I will do my best

                    To do my duty to God and the my Country

                    To help other people at all times and

                    To obey the Scout Law

The promise by holding the hand upwards like this

I still remember the scout salute..

and Flag song

  

“Bharat Scout Guide Ka Jhanda Uncha Sada Rahega

Uncha Sada Rahega Jhanda Uncha Sada Rahega

Neela Rang Gagan Ka Visrit Bhratru Bhav Phailata

Tridal Kamal Nit Teen Pratignaon Ki Yaad Dilata

Aur Chakra Kehta Hai Pratpal Age Kadam Badega

Uncha Sada Rahega Jhanda Uncha Sada Rahega”

and the various knots we had to tie with the special rope..

• a) Reef Knot
• b) Sheet Bend
• c) Clove hitch
• d) Sheep Shank
• e) Bowline
• f) Fisherman Bend

and Republic day parade    It was fun practicing drills and doing march past on the R day @ 7.30 AM. Last year, I went to my school after about 14 years for a flashback. I was happy that my tutors still remember me. Even today we have a republic day parade done @ 7.30 AM. We used always get the Best Parade award. Many others groups who participate in march past are guides, NCC cadets, bank employees, HM guys, Medical students, Engineering students and many others. Post march past we got sweets to eat (chocolates and ladoos) and coke to drink. We then used have a football or cricket match between colonies like AnanthNagar versus MIt etc as we used have holiday for rest of the day

Camping and certification experience too were awesome. We had to cook ourselves with the woods in the forest. We had to call few guests and would get a grade based on how best we cooked..luckily we had a scout who knew to cook well in 8th grade itself, his name is Deepak Rao and is a good friend of mine.

I am feeling really nice to write this experience...I can go on for pages...It was such a nice experience. I wish all kids get an opportunity to have such a wonderful experience. Thanks to my parents...

www.vinuthan.blogspot.com 

Yugapurusha

I was waiting to write an article on our press called "Yugapursusha". It was tough for me to write "our" press...as my contribution to it is very very minimal...but my parents (Ramakrishna Bhat and Padmakshi Bhat) contribution to it was immense. Not much in terms of articles published but more it terms of making my grandpa's dream come true....

I would mix this article with my childhood memories @Yugapursha and pen down some achievements and history...This is a tough one to write as the achievements are immense...

Yugapurusha was born on  October 15th 1947. Much before I was born..It was founded by my grandpa Late. Mr. Kodathur Anatha Padmanabha Udupa. It is located in Kinnigoli, a town in near Mangalore/Kateel. The Udupa family is a well know family around Mangalore and Udupi. May in the family has a touch of greatness in their own field. Be it in literature,  science and technology and in medicine. Yugapurusha is the magazine name. Yugapurusha Prakatanalaya is the press name. It is a monthly magazine that contains Kannada literary work by writers, poets and many others.

My grandpa was an eminent person in Kinnigoli. He was born on January 5^th of 1925 to Mr. Tammiah and Gangamma. He did his primary studies in Kateel Durgaparameshwari temple and did 5 years of Sanskrit study at Udupi Sanskrit college.  In 1944, 1945 he studied for Kannada “Kava” and “Jana” certification. He earned his Sanskrit Shiromani degree in 1947 and capped it with Kannada Vidwaan degree from Madras University in 1950. By 1954 he had passed Hindi Praveen and Pracharak.

He was a great public speaker, a great teacher and a man who wanted to do something. The way he read the mantra's was pleasant to hear.

I loved to go to my grandpa's house in summer vacation..the reason was that i could play with my cousin's in the  field. We would have the bat made from the coconut leaf. I also loved to travel with my grandpa in his car...he used to travel a lot as he was a literate. We loved to go to the press..The press was a huge building in Kinnigoli then. Behind the scene, it was my dad's dream to have a complex like thingy. Amazing isn't it...that too at that time....There was library, shops, kalyana mantap and now we also have the ragavendra mutt.

Let me put my snap now with my grandpa

In the pre-computer age, I remember how people used to work hard to form the words. The machines in the press where huge.

The 

There were these huge wooden square block with square compartments, where a matchstick height square pieces used to be kept. these had the alphabets at its edge..i am not sure about the logic of how the words where spread across in each of these...the workers used to form the word picking the words from here. It was interesting to remember this....how easy it is now...just type and save it...i am not sure how many days they would keep the words formed....what if it was required on a later date....also it was eating snacks along with them...it was a chance for us to eat GOLIBAJE. The workers where very friendly with us and couple of them are still there...that's a WOW..being employed at same place for so many years. They seem very happy when i go now as they have seen from my childhood....they all came to my marriage...so nice....We also have a kalyan mantap where lot of functions used to happen...dance, drams skits..pooja's...marriages....karate class...he loved to encourage talent...well i am thankful that god has gifted each one of us with more than one talent....

The press still publishes the monthly edition's. I have not seen till date any organisation/press that promotes literature to such an extent....the publications are still sent to subscribers even after the expiry dates....the subscription fees too are very minimal....I remember one gentleman quoting as "if there is one publication that is so pure in Kannada literature, it is Yugapurusha" Mostly it is so, because of its intention. Promote talent and literature to make money. It is 63 years old now and still running strong. It is now run by Mrs. Kamalaskhi Udupa (my grandma) and Mr. Bhuvanabirama Udupa (the youngest son) who are keeping his dream and vision alive till date. 

A line to solute my grandma...she is such a sweet, beautiful  and genuine person....I am sure she has sacrificed a lot. Behind every successful person, there lies a women...it is so true...

The dasara-deepavali always has a special editions and this tradition is kept alive even today...with Kateel Durgaparameshwari picture on the front page...

Innumerable awards and recognitions have been bestowed upon by various associations, institutions and bodies. Listing them would be an enormous task and would be beyond the scope of this article. Among the many, I felt really proud when we bagged the award of Kannada Sahitya Parishath.

Also, In 2006 on the eve of Golden Jubilee celebration of  Unification of Karnataka State, when government of Karnataka announced special recognition to those who had made phenomenal contribution for the cause of unification, Yugapurusha deservedly got it. It was given by the then Chief Minister of Karanataka, H D Kumaraswamy. It was a proud moment for us...

Well it has surely given us an identity in the society...If there is one family that has to produce some brainy ones...then that the Udupa family....and I am one among them... :)

This article will be updated as soon as I dig in more information...I hope this article spread's the contribution of our press, grandpa and the many other people behind it...Thank you all who made it happen....

Will add some pics of my grandpa, uncle, the magazine itself....Will see if i could attach a PDF format of the magazine so that people can see the work....

Few writer's who have contributed are

Prof Venkatesh Hunshikatti, Shri KG Mallya, Dr S Hosabettu, Dr N Mogasale, Subraya Chokkadi, P. Seetharama Bhat, P. Vaduiraja Tanthri, P. Srinivasa Bhat, J Srinivas Bhat, Sumukhananda Jalavalli, K.N. Bhat Shiradipal, S Padmanabhacharya, Bannaje Govindacharya and many more came to light and made a name for themselves

some good things written @

http://portal.kinnigoli.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3844:late-ka-udupa-kinnigolian-doyen-of-literature&catid=34:kuswar-vyakti-parichay-&Itemid=7

Above all thanks to my parents who also played a crucial role....i am aware of it but many may not

For subscription or any other details one can contact my mailing to yugapurushakinnigoli@yahoo.com

House Husband

When i was a kid, teachers;parents and relatives would always ask me ..."what you want to be when you grow up"...what a stupid question asked by someone aged>30 to a kid who is <13 years. How the hell do i know what i want to be.I just wanted to play..eat chocolates...however kids are smart to tell the common things like...Engineer, doctor, Prime Minister etc...and impress them. The elders would then appreciate us and tell "this kid has a vision..." Within me i knew that i was just fooling around....well i always wanted to be a "maradona"...i wanted to be a "Vivian Richards" or "dean Jones"....as i was very good in sports..I had represented my district at the state level in football with Shirt No 11. Other than sports, for some reasons i wanted to be an aerospace engineer..may be i liked the aeroplanes flying up high...

One day, I overheard a conversation of a women we can do all that men can do....we should be treated equal....etc

                                                   

As I liked math, i only picked the equal word of the conversation... OK....we are equal I thought...no issues...my mind started thinking (@ the age of 13).....If men == women, then why don't we swap our tasks too....why can't men become house husband....and wife go to work..their complaint was that they don't have the freedom or right to express...here you go...have it all.....let us become the house husband and you can go to work..... :)

deep within me, an alternative profession to engineer, was always becoming a house husband....

Well I got an opportunity now, to make my small dream come true...for a month....I have been working day in and out on an average for 16 hrs daily all these years (7 years now). my leaves were getting lapsed every time but this time i did not want to let it go waste....hence made up my mind to avail leaves..i started planning so that the work does not get affected..I had a lot of comp-off leaves for all the weekends i worked. I applied for a month leave...the managers started eating my head to split it to a smaller duration leave...but i had no second thoughts about it and wanted the leave in a stretch.

                                        

Now that I am on leave, I wake up at 6.30 AM...Help my wife in making tea, preparing breakfast, iron clothes...poor her, she goes to office early everyday...and travels 3 hrs daily....I feel sorry for her...so here i was helping her in the morning. She gets a hug and a sweet BYE BYE when she leaves home at 7.20 AM. Then I drink a cup of hot tea with  newspaper in my hand(I read all the pages including the page 3) followed by an hour of meditation. This makes me stay relaxed and energized. Then I prepare my breakfast (mostly dosa) and wash all the utensils. time passes by so quickly. It is already 10AM. Nice shower (manicure+pedicure)..prayers....some blogging...read interesting articles on net....talking to my parents for 1/2 an hour over phone...watch some sports on TV (luckily there is some or the other sport activity going on this month.....the INDIA-SA Test cricket....IPL etc....) are the next set of activities..

I am planning to spend some time on philately, coin collection and painting....the things i left long time back

It is already noon by then...It is so hot in Bangalore these days...gone are the good old days. I prepare rice,sambar and have my lunch. WOW such a nice food....tired of eating @hotels in the noon....Then my eyes gets heavy and cannot resist sleep. I sleep till 4 (It is so nice to sleep in afternoon) and have a cup of hot Tea at 4 with some snacks(vadas)....then I call my wife couple of times to know what is happening in the company...some Masala news..what time she is coming home..

At dusk I go for a brisk walk....purchase some food items like milk n curds ..... watch some serials or films...do some chatting with neighbors about serial ...... By then the power goes off for an hour n I spend some time in the terrace gazing at the sky looking at the stars. At around 7:30 I prepare dinner and make sure that its ready before my wife comes home....I then pick her up at around 8:30PM so that some time is saved. Once she is back I am so happy...we dine together...watch some TV and then go to bed....The day is done.....

 

                                        

Ha ha, this sounds crazy..............I am enjoying this....I know that this is gonna be there just for a month.....and then would be back in office

Some spicy things missing out here are, I have not yet started kitty parties.....no kids yet...hence no pick and drop to school...no homework etc.....

It is a nice feeling and I am enjoying to the fullest.......the equation EQUAL is cool.....

Reader's can add some ideas and share their experience if they have one......... :)

Any House Husband group ha ha...just kidding....

reviewed by: my wife

Labor Problems

I had to take my mom to my cousin's house. After dropping her, was wondering how to travel back home..... I was travelling in auto in recent times and was just enjoying the luxury. This time around decided to travel in Bus...I should say after long time i was travelling in local bus.....

During the travel, when the bus conductor asked to me take the ticket, gave Rs 9 and took a ticket. My mind now went towards the amount i saved. i saved around Rs 90 and lost around 45 min and some energy. All the 3 components mentioned are one of the most critical things in the years ahead. 

Well, my started to think about the sentence "Value of money". My heart just begin's to beat faster....why?? Is there any value for money.....

India, with a population of billion, truly can easily find labors. Well is this really true....well i certainly not.... Our company is wanting a data warehouse resource for quite some time now...and i have been pestered by the HR team to take interviews....sadly and truly we have not found a resource in last 6 months...Why...either the people are good in knowledge or the pay asked is too much for the company...

Let me put my concerns on the second part now.....It is appraisal time now...the market's showing recovery and the tiger's in den are coming out aggressively...the problem is all believe that they are tiger's...the fact is there are few tiger's and more cat's....but the hunter's are thinking to take all cat's and make them tiger's.....what i mean to tell is everyone in the company is asking for a hike....companies are giving a hike of 10-20%...but people are expecting 30%.....Junior's with 2-3 years are asking for 7 to 8 lack...people are becoming manager's in 3-4 years....I appreciate that certain people may be good, but i am not sure whether all are of same level.....I kinda of feel, that it is creating an imbalance in more than 1 way....it is just making people greedier.....and what is the upper limit....It is just creating a bubble that will break one fine day.......

The Math: Rs 100 (project earnings) - Salary to Employee=Profit (rs earlier 30, is 60 now): The margin on profit is reducing as time goes.....

Suddenly i am feeling that i should call my friend, who is an enterprenour to just check out what is happening. to my dismay....he is sad....just asked him "May i know why"...his answer was...dude there is a huge labor problem....people who are taking rs 150/day is now asking Rs 300/day. Under pressure i am ready to pay, but even then they are not working properly....they want to earn easy money and earn more....Government has come up with some policies and benefits....where in even if they work for a day, they get the benefit for entire month...so people work there for a day there and then take rest....

WOW.....the problem seems to be more than what i really think of.....So are we guys kind of contributing this to the imbalance....i truly feel yes.......

The organized sector labor are less in percent than the unorganized sector.....the organized sector people generally gets well paid and naturally when so, will have a spending more....

what is now happening is that the % in organized sector is increasing and naturally the spending is more,  which is having a repelling effect in unorganized sector's labor..........

Inflation is high, Profit Margin is less, People are not willing to put the hard work, wages are more, people with required skill set is tough to find.....and more than all Greediness is increasing to rocket high....

I am sure the CEO's of all companies will have to step up and put a benchmark.....and make people less greedy.......I am sure this bubble will bust some day.....

And of course Not all are tiger's....most are cat's................Cats can never become tiger's...

And above all i am an employee (not a CEO :) ) just like you......