23 June 2008

The Blogosphere

I have spent the better part of May and June trying to surf the wild unknown areas of the Blogosphere. I was so out of touch with this aspect of the net that now that I am diving into it I keep wondering how I missed this particular ocean! I mean there are literally tons of people out there writing everyday about a host of topics under the sun. So how did I never get into this before? Simple answer, have just not looked beyond Instant Messaging and Email. The only other use I had for the net was researching data and that doesnt really have much to do with blogs.

So here I was an unknown in the area of the blog suddenly thrust right into its midst with one solid push from a dear friend. To whom I will remain thankful for introducing me to this new world, a whole new one like Alladin would say. Then there was this infant in the blogosphere trying to get a grip on events. Quite soon I cut my teeth (a background in basic programming helped just a wee bit) and I was hungry for more. I started devouring the blogs as soon as I could find them and did I find a few.

There were technical ones and fun sites. Some on positive thinking and others on making money on the net. As I went through them I realised that this was fun. It was also something that I wanted to do for myself. So withing 18 days of first seeing a blog I rushed in and wrote my first post. Also ambitious that I am I went ahead and got two blogs set up. One on wordpress and the other on blogger. Since then I am seriously studying the blogosphere and trying to find a niche where I can make some dough off the blogs. Till now it has avoided me, but I shall find it all the same.

In case you have news for me on that count do add your comment.

16 June 2008

Master’s Degree

Higher education has always been sought after. In today’s world the more degrees you have the better the chance of landing a job. Its no longer enough to be a BA Eng Hons. to be a writer. You need to have done a post graduation in mass communication or at the very least a diploma in journalism before anyone will even consider your contributions to any magazine.

In the same vein, it is no longer enough to be an engineer (mechanical or software, you take your pick), instead you must be an engineer with a post graduation in management to land a decent pay packet. Which brings me to the whole MBA scam, what the big deal about being an MBA? While I don’t challenge the whole lot of intelligent people who seem to be opting for this particular Master’s Degree, I do wonder why a counselor at an aviation institute needs to be an MBA?

I also despair the grave difference between the salaries offered to a non-MBA person vis-à-vis one who is. Dear Lord, the difference is astounding and quite unreasonable in many cases. A new and fresh MBA who joins the firm for a particular job may draw double the salary of an older more experienced person in the same firm who is doing the same job for 10 years or more. Where is the sense in that?

I have been seriously wondering about doing an MBA, just to make things easy on myself. Then I think about it and say to myself if after two post graduate diplomas in Management and HR training respectively and seven years of work experience behind me, I still need to study some more to help prospective employees hire me, then there’s something wrong with the system.

So here’s to the Master’s Degree that I refuse to do…So long, I don’t need you!

06 June 2008

Back to Base

After being all over the country for the last 40 days, I am going back home. Needless to say there are mixed feelings. The holiday is over and that is saddening, but home calls out to me and there is no place like home. So will be back tomorrow evening. All of you who have been unable to get in touch with me for some reason or the other will now be able to contact me at home.

My son is also looking forward to going back home. He's been pestering me to board the train (which is not due till 6am tomorrow) just so that he can go home. Can't blame him. He's the one who has borne the brunt of this break with two trips to the hospital each lasting 4 days. Is it a wonder that he won't let anyone resembling a doctor or nurse near him.

My husband has also been living the bachelor life in my absence. I dread to see the condition of all the cupboards at home. I know I will probably spend the rest of the month trying to regain control of my domain. The kitchen is going to be a humongous mess. I just know it, but still there is a song in my heart. Will let you know the tune once I get home;)

Weighty Issues

Okay there's no easy way to say this so I just need to come right out with it. I have gained 14 kgs in 7 years of married life. That averages about 2 kgs per year. Given the current rate of increase I will be obese next year, putting myself at risk for various diseases including high blood pressure and diabetes. Now that is one way I DO NOT want to go.

So what do I do? The only sensible thing I can. I have to loose some weight and not overnight, but as a lifestyle change. So henceforth I resolve to eat healthier, do more exercise and try and follow a health care regime. My goal is to loose about a kg or two every month from June to Dec and reverse the trend in question.

If I do manage to gain what I set out to loose(confusing but correct) I will put a snap of myself on this blog.

Conserve Plastic

Once there was a time when I would get all hyper about using plastic bags when shopping. I would carry my own cloth bag to the markets and actually would make shop keepers feel guilty when they tried to give me their own plastic bags. After all like who said it? We have not inherited the earth from are parents but borrowed it from our kids.

Things have changed a wee bit now. And the reason that they have changed is my kid. Well, you can't be the mother of an infant and not use plastic. I mean, the diaper is just one part(very small one at that). You need plastic bottles, sippers, sheets, etc etc etc. Not to forget the number of plastic bags you use to keep your self dry when traveling anywhere from the local mall to overnight.

I must say that I have eased up on my fanatic zeal not to use plastic. Although I am now feeling guilty at not doing my bit to conserve nature. Then I thought it over and decided that my kid will get a world preserved as best as I can. Truly that is all that one can do. Just make an effort that you can manage to sustain. So now I try and reuse all the plastic I have in the house as many times as I can. That makes me happy at having done my bit.

Online Offline

Just how irrrrritating is it to get grounded thanks to your computer. Everytime I decide to do something new, this laptop of mine gives up on me. Okay I am no software engineer, but I do have basic working knowledge of computers. I can handle the keyboard with relative ease and surf the net like a pro.

So here i decide to blog. A good way to practise writing regularly and hash up some good ideas for my book. Then I get the Virus...not the one I want, but it makes me loose sleep, and gain wrinkles. Don't ask me how, It just does. Only thing it doesn't do is make me loose weight. Which is what I would really like to do. That however is good for another post so will just stick to this one.

When will the internet get safe for the novice? How do you keep your computer safe when you suddenly decide to go beyond Yahoo, Orkut and the ilk? Also how do you make sure that your husband doesn't go into THOSE sites and get heaps of spyware loaded onto the comp? What is the best security software. There too the confusion is rampant with one person swearing by a certain software and the next person swearing at that very software.

Anyway, long and short of it is that i am offline for a while till my comp is made Virus free again. Will keep you posted on when that happens.

03 June 2008

Train the Trainer

I am majorly excited about the last two workshops that I conducted. They were my first "Train the Trainer" workshops. And if you are an HR trainer you would know what a kick that is. Its just the first step towards being declared an expert in your field.

I did the first workshop for the teachers of Army School, Ambala. There were about thirty of them. English, Science and Maths teachers for the most part. It was wonderful interacting with them. They shared a lot of tricks that they used to get students interested. It was as informative for me as I hope it was for them.

The second one was with the members of AWWA Kharga. AS one can expect when you are delegated to attend a workshop your enthusiasm levels are not going to be very high. However by the time I got going the number of responses did get better. Still the first one was more satisfying. I hope to follow this up with something of the same ilk in Agra.