Friday, July 29, 2011

Back to Using the Blog as Diary

All of the last week, I had been feeling tired, almost ill. On Tuesday, I told my boss I wanted a day off: I didn't think I could make it to the weekend without rest: besides, on Saturday, we have a long FOC meeting to get through. So I decided I'd take Thursday off. But by Wednesday already I was feeling much worse. Thanks to my wonderfully understanding boss, I can work from home and did just that, working on whatever was urgent and pushing off the rest.

I spent much of Thursday goofing off: reading, playing games watching TV. When I got off the living room couch late in the afternoon, it was to go to bed and sleep. When I woke up after an hour or so, the Guy was home. I got up and showered and we walked out. It started raining just as we left and the lone autowallah was (of course!) asking for extra money and I was cranky. But finally the autowallah gave in and we got in and the rain stopped and things seemed better again.

And then we got this beauty to take home.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Weekend at Dandeli

I quite forgot to tell you all about my weekend away a few weeks ago. Here are some notes I'd started writing, and pictures.

It seems I come back from every vacation saying it was the best of my life. This wasn't a "proper" vacation, just a weekend, but we packed a great deal of fun into those few days.

Dandeli is near Dharwad, and the last time I'd gone to Dharwad for FoC work two years ago we had talked of going to Dandeli sometime. And then I forgot about it.

Then Aparna had to go to Dharwad on a Sunday, and between wanting to go with her and help and getting some fun in, we decided all four of us (including the husbands) would go to Dandeli first before turning up for the meeting at Dharwad.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Mid-Week Reads: Recruitment and Harry Potter


Recruitment and Work

So many of the links this week are from the same blog that I could just point you to it and say, “Go, read everything.” But because I’m a good content curator I’ll share with you some of the posts from this blog that I’ve read and loved this week.

How to write a good cover letter. Also read the comment from "Skinny size me."

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Mid-Week Reads: Success and the Internet

Work and Success
You know what to do, so do it. Yeah, that holds for me too. I've actually got 2,700 emails in my work reading folder (mostly newsletters from marketing or business experts or blog posts delivered as email) because I've tried to reduce the number of new ideas I come up with until I do all I already know I need to do. (Clearly, I'm not cutting down enough, because . . . look at the length of this blog post, which is the best of what I've read in the last few days. Not counting the fashion blogs and the comics.)

Here's some great advice from a recruitment-related blog I'm hooked to. First, how do you answer when someone asks what your weaknesses are in an interview? Also, what pieces of career advice have become outdated?

What would Don Draper do? In defense of Draper, however, "saying something insanely smart" is his job.

I loved Sheryl Sandberg's TED talk, which I've featured previously, and I loved this profile of her in the New Yorker. Do read about how this smart, spunky woman made it big in a male-dominated industry.

Another TED talk: the 8 secrets of success. Don't blame me if you've heard them all before. That doesn't mean they aren't true. Though I suspect they left out something really big--luck.

The Internet





Society and Culture


I loved Delhi Belly so much, and this analysis by Baradwaj Rangan nails it.


Read this beautiful, powerful story of a young girl who saved up for years so she could get away from home. She also grew up into one of the most influential (and admired, especially by me) people in the internet marketing world.

But let us not make the mistake of dismissing young anti-blame, anti-shame activists. There is nothing more putrescent than to allow half the human race to assault and humiliate the other half, and then blame the victims for bringing it on. Violence against women is a human problem, and it cuts across class and race. So perhaps the new feminist discourse will be rooted in this: This battle to undo the hundreds of big and small violent acts against the bodies of our sisters, this struggle to live without fear.
 The Besharmi Morcha might be a small reactionary wave. It might not lead to anything. But I see it as a point on a continuum.

We are all doing what we can. Let us not piss on the single spark just because it is not already a great consuming fire.

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

Mid-Week Reads: Happiness and Interview Tips

Work and Writing


Here’s some advice for writers.


I watched a couple of TED talks while having lunch yesterday, and I thought I'd share them with you. I totally plan to start the 30-day challenge. Matt Cutts gave me some much-needed motivation to improve my life.  

Sunday, July 03, 2011

Art with Heart

Friends of Children is hosting an art exhibition to raise funds. If you're in Pune, please come by to support us! It's at Art2Day Gallery, 1, Phayre Road, S.M. Joshi Hindi School Campus, next to Jagtap Nursery, Hutchings School Lane Camp, Pune 411 040. It's on till 7 July, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.


But the biggest reason to come is that the paintings are so beautiful. We were at the preview last evening, and I walked round the gallery over and over again awe-struck at the beautiful works on display, and behaved like a tongue-tied fangirl when I met the artists.