ONCE BITTEN TWICE SHY?!

In an earlier post I had introduced the KITCAT, that mischief of the Kitchen God that (sometimes literally!;)) spices up one's day. Well, suffice it to say, that that is not where it ends. In a classic case of the once bitten twice shy rule, I am now mortally scared of boiling milk in the oven! Although before the KITCAT, that has been something I have done almost unthinkingly, now I am very scared to heat my daily mug of milk in the oven for fear of future KITCATs! This fear does not extend to other cooking activities, even those involving the oven in question. Just the milk that is all! Still figuring out a way to overcome my fear of this particular KITCAT!

Learning behavior is an interesting phenomenon. Some things in life we learn because of positive reinforcement-rewards, both tangible and intangible; and some behaviors are unlearnt because of negative reinforcement-punishments, both tangible and intangible! The latter category is where I would place my fear of the KITCAT(s).

Research in organizational learning documents an interesting phenomenon called 'superstitious learning' whereby a firm tries to mimic the practices of another successful firm, just because the former views the practices of the latter as having led to the latter firm's success. Such behavior, researchers say, overlooks other possible factors which might have in fact contributed to the success of the firm. Thus firms are said to be bounded by their rationality, or limited perception about the nature of success or the nature of the environment in which they function.

This behavior at the organizational level also finds parallels in individual behavior. We try to follow the leader without actually analyzing as to what led to the leader's success to begin with. What is true of positive behaviors like striving for success, is also true of negative behaviors, such as avoiding risks, fears, anxieties, worries, etc. Individuals also possess 'bounded rationality'-a limited perception about the choices available, or information about their environment. Economics offers theories of individual (economic) decision making, and explains individual bounded rationality in much more detail.

Awareness that one's information or skills may be limited in dealing with a particular problem, or in overcoming certain fears, is the first step towards solving that problem. Thus when confronted with a problem (or a freak occurrence like an exploding mug of milk!) one should seek further information on possible causes of that problem. Does that mean I am going to run to the University library to borrow all the books I can find on malfunctioning microwave ovens? Probably. Is that information going to alleviate my fear? Maybe. Maybe not. This brings me to an interesting dilemma: why is it that given ALL the information I can find in this world, I still choose to listen to what I feel, and not necessarily what I think?

I dont know! Never thought about it!

The previous post was about food for the mind, here is something for the soul. A series of lectures on music from this year's Reith Lectures. It is truly a great mind that can articulate what we ordinary mortals can only feel but cannot yet express. This lecture series succeeds on accomplishing that purpose-it puts words to our feelings about music.

The lectures are on Western Classical Music, but a lot of the observations also apply to other genres of music, since I think that music is universal. :) Don't you agree? :)

Ever wondered why we think, dream, believe, feel? Want a new perspective on behavior? You might want to read what I am reading now. These series of lectures are informative, and offer a creative view to these age old questions. I had the honour of listening to Dr.V.S. Ramachandran at the IITM and his lectures are as exciting and thought provoking to read now, as they were when I first heard them almost two years ago.

Revisiting his ideas on the brain and behavior offers good food for thought!

Watch this space for a review of his book, 'Phantoms in the Brain' in a later post.

Happy exploring!

PIYA BOLE..

A late review of Parineeta coming up. Well haven't watched a lot of movies lately, so maybe I'm suffering from a bit of the Hindi movie scarcity syndrome..but this movie is really superb!

Vidya Balan is perfect in her role as Lolita-hoping to see more movies from this gorgeous actress!

As for the soundtrack, all the songs are superb, but I am partial to 'Piyu Bole' which is totally my kind of song! ;)

The first Hindi movie that I saw with English subtitles..the subtitles can be very enlightening, coz the way I understood the song 'Piyu Bole' in Hindi, is a little different from the English translation. Now the song makes more sense than it did when I first heard it and sang it in Hindi! I know its surprising, but there are always words and phrases (even in the languages we think we know very well), that we can still learn.

"Piyu bole, piya bole, kya ye bole jaanu na"

translates as: "the lass spoke, so did the lad, what they spoke, I don't know"

I wouldn't have known this was the meaning of the line if it weren't for the English subtitles!

Allow me to sing it! Listen to it here.

Piyu Bole..

You’re mine, say you’re mine

What do you think?
Piyu bole piya bole jaanu na

Jiya dole hole hole kyon yeh dole jaanu na
Not bad, ab yeh suno

Dil ki jo baatein hain, baatein jo dil ki hain
Dil hi mein rakhna piya
Lab to na kholoon main, kholoon na lab to par
Aakhon se sab keh diya

Piyu bole piya bole kya yeh bole jaanu na

Jiya dole hole hole kyon yeh dole jaanu na
Piyu bole piya bole kya yeh bole jaanu na

Jiya dole hole hole kyon yeh dole jaanu na

Ek nadi se maine poochha itla ke chaldi kahan

Door tere peekha ghar hai balkhaake chaldi kahan

Thoda woh ghabraayi thoda sa sharmaayi

Ujhli yahaan se wahaan

Saagar se milne ka uska jo sapna tha meri hi tarah piya

Jiya dole hole hole kyon yeh dole jaanu na

Piyu bole piya bole kya yeh bole jaanu na
Jiya dole hole hole kyon yeh dole jaanu na

Maine poocha ek ghata se itra ke chaldi kahan

Pyaas ki bari zameen hai barson bhi tarsao na

Thoda woh gurraayi thoda sa tharraayi

Garji yahaan se wahaan

Preet rootha thi phir cham cham woh barsi hi teri tarah piya
Piyu bole piya bole kya yeh bole jaanu na

Jiya dole hole hole kyon yeh dole jaanu na

Piyu bole piya bole kya yeh bole jaanu na

Jiya dole hole hole kyon yeh dole jaanu na

Piyu bole piya bole jaanu na

Hats off to Shreya Ghoshal and Sonu Nigam for this song!

(Lyrics courtesy musicindiaonline.com)

UNBELIEVABLE KINDNESS

Well my previous post was about rumination and possible punishment, but just a phone call from the person concerned just simply made my day. The person was not just helpful, but also warm and kind. I was told, oh its ok, here is what you need to do to send it to me. Dont worry about it, its fine if you do it when you are free.

It is such acts of kindness that add happiness to the world! :)

RUMINATION

Just remembered that I forgot something. Weird, isnt it? And depending on how important was the thing that one forgot, one is either pained/upset or just plain annoyed at one's forgetfulness. Its amazing how I still can be overly stressed about making mistakes, not because of any other reason, but simply because I know that the mistake could have been avoided, in hindsight. In this case, its a minor administrative errand that has been overlooked. In the larger scheme of things, does it matter? I guess not. What are the possible repercussions of such an oversight? Well depending on who it is that one is dealing with, the oversight can mean punishment, a warning, or just a line going, 'oh that's ok, never mind, here is what you need to do to correct the problem'. How come very often, its not the last alternative, but one of the earlier options? Or am I being too scared? I dont know.

Fingers crossed, hoping to correct the oversight with minimum pain! ;)

VIRTUAL REALITY

Has life really gone that virtual? Am I truly and officially a net freak now? Let me explain. As the Internet opens up news ways of expression, it also opens new channels by which one can be affected or bothered by what people say to you or about you in a public forum. It may be just an email, a comment or a post-if its positive, it makes us very happy, if we think its not favorable, then well, it bothers or upsets us. Should we really be that sensitive to this mode of communication- especially since the risk of being misunderstood is far higher than when communicating in person? I think a sense of overraching trust in humanity at large is necessary while communicating over the Internet-either through email, or blog or any of the million other ways that have sprung up online in recent years. One might say something that is intended in one context, while the other mis reads our statement to mean something totally different. In this situation, one might just say, well, (s)he is having a bad day, or did not mean it or use some such rationalization.

It is interesting how we as users of the internet still operate and react to internet communication like we do in personal communication. I happen to be one such user. I think it is dangerous to not dissociate the internet with personal communication-and one cannot just stop using the Internet-that would be akin to throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The internet is a pretty powerful mode of communication, and well to that extent it deserves some credit. However, as a means of communicating the exact metamessage that the sender intended, is something that the Internet has not been able to do yet. Simply put, meta messages are the meaning or the cognitive/emotional undertone that underlie a message.

Having said that, there are also times when what we read on the Internet leaps out to us, grabs our attention and holds us in its sway exactly as the writer intended. In this case, I would think that it is the writer's skill at communication that enables the writing to make such an impact on the reader.

Online communication is thus an interesting reflection on the personality of the user-in good hands, it is a powerful, even inspiring mode of communication; at other times, it is hurtful, discouraging or just annoying. What is the need of the hour is to have a general agreed upon sense on netiquette, basic rules of communication that one might adhere to while using the internet to communicate. By this I do not mean a dry standard way of writing, but basic rules which are flexible to accommodate one's inspiration and creativity while writing. I doubt if we do have or follow any latent/overt rules of communication, but deeper examination of the dynamics of online interaction holds the key to effective (even inspiring) communication.

KITCAT UPDATE

As a novice cook trying to feed herself after a hard (?!!) day's work, the experience of cooking can be thrilling as well as (ahem!)..unexpected. Had a late start to my morning today, and as usual, I put in a mug of milk to heat for my coffee in the microwave, while doing the dishes from the night before. Two minutes later the oven pinged and I opened it, hoping to find my usual mug of hot steaming milk. But the Kitchen God had something else in mind for me this morning..I opened the oven, and BOOM the mug of milk exploded all over the place. For a few seconds I was knocked down senseless (believe at your own risk! :P) but when I came to, I couldnt figure out what had caused this KITCAT to happen. Yes, a KITCAT, a Kitchen Catastrophe! ;) I had to clean out the oven and refill another mug of milk, coz the KITCAT ensured that the oven and the rest of the kitchen counter had their morning share of hot steaming milk! ;)

My offering to the Kitchen God being done, I reset the mug of milk, hoping and praying that I get to have my coffee atleast this time round. My prayers were answered and I am having my coffee as I write out this entry.

I think KITCATS are the Kitchen God's way of saying..hey lighten up, life isnt that dull, yeah you have to go to work, but its not so bad..it could be worse..and BOOM He gives you an exploding mug of milk to prove His point! ;)

KITCATs come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Sometimes they are because the cooks get creative, and at other times, well it just happens. My favorite example of cooking creativity comes from a time long ago when this person I know was trying to boil an egg in the microwave. Against warnings of possible KITCATs, the voice of (un)reason prevailed, as the egg was successfully installed in a bowl of water and set to a temperature which could melt steel. Two seconds later, we heard a loud crash and boom, as not only had the egg splattered all over the oven, it had taken a good chunk off the bowl in which it was boiling as well.

Goes to prove that the Kitchen God does have a sense of humor, He provides us with the laughter and cheer we so need on an otherwise dull day! ;)

Happy cooking! :)

Kandukondein Kandukondein

Sitting at my table on a breezy Sunday afternoon, listening to this amazing A.R. Rehman song-in Tamil and finishing up work for the upcoming deadlines. I must say this is one of the best songs I have ever heard. I do not understand the words, but the voices of Hariharan and Mahalakshmi totally suit the mood and the music of the song. It totally is for people in love! ;) and those aspiring to be too! ha ha!

One need not understand the words to feel the music, and to feel the love in it. I am trying to learn this song, but fear that I will pronounce it all wrong..all the more reason for me to go back to listening to this song again! ;)

You can listen here.

One of my close friends at IITM told me that 'Kandukondein..' means ' I have found it..' I am sure that if Archimedes were to hear this song, he would say 'Kandukondein' instead of 'Eureka'..well you know when! :D

Happy listening! :)

Here are the lyrics for those of us who want to sing along! ;)

Met an old friend online the other day, and we were exchanging notes about life and stuff. It felt so nice to meet her again. And she's changed so much, yet remained the same..ah! hard to explain, but very much felt.

Its funny when one meets old friends, its like meeting an old forgotten part of oneself. We both have changed and moved on, and somehow we still connect at the same level like we used to. Like it happens so often in close relationships, when we are close, we are likely to be hurt by each other, and these things seem like they are never going to fade, but somehow they do. As we go along in life, we no longer are affected by the same things that used to bother us all those years ago. Does this mean that seemingly unsurmountable problems of the present, are going to become insignificant in the future? Well, I guess so!

To happiness! :)

At a presentation last week, the concluding 'Thank you' slide of the ppt, had this image of a lady at work..with an empty 'In' tray and an 'Out' tray piled sky high, and boy she looked ecstatic! I am counting down to the days when I can have that look on me as well! End of semester is end of the month, and I cant wait for this semester to be over-just so that I can breathe.

This semester's submissions are four term papers, and two presentations. I have discovered that I LOVE WRITING! Its so thrilling to put one's thoughts and ideas on paper, and one feels proud to see the final result in print. Truly awesome! :)

Cheers!

SONG OF THE DAY

Heard this quite unexpectedly on TV. Love Ricky Martin!! Obviously I went fishing for the track online! :) LOVE IT!

The Video..

The Lyrics..

If God is a DJ, Life is a Dance floor, Love is the Rhythm and You are the Music

This is how a song I know goes..I think one of the greatest gifts to mankind is the gift of music. One has only to tune into one of the online radio stations and listen to the great classical compositions of Mozart, Schubert and other greats..they are so soothing to hear, and the perfect finish to a day of (hard?!!) work. :) They are perfect for any occasion and sometimes good to listen even during work-it helps me focus and is totally non intrusive. The highs and lows of the compositions take our soul on a journey of music, and one is able to savor the intricacies of the notes as the music enters our very being, taking us to a higher plane of existence.

One of my dreams is to be able to play the compositions of the classical composers. Is it a dream I can accomplish or just a dream? I dont know. The music surely seems like a dream to me right now as I battle yet another assignment-music somehow fills the space around me with beauty, order, purpose and meaning..

Back to work!

Dear all,

I was very happy to note some comments that appeared on my previous posting. People do care enough to tell you what can be said and what cannot or rather should not be posted online! Well, 'the post' has been duly edited out of my current blog, and shall be replaced shortly with something less potent! :)

You did have a point in telling me about it and I'm glad you did. :)

More thoughts on this later. I am thinking..maybe freedom of speech does come with its own set of rules! :)

Happy blogging!
M.

P.S.: I do not know yet how to navigate thru this site properly, so please bear with me as I reply to my comments on my blog itself, till I figure out how to locate your blog and post THERE! signed-President of the Slow Learners of Blogging Federation! :P