Maths and the Languages

Ever wonder why the Asians are inherently better in Maths than the Europeans and the Americans? Malcolm Gladwell gives a very interesting and thought provoking analysis of this phenomenon in his book "Outliers" (It's a MUST READ if you ask me, a lot of interesting stuff mentioned in this book!). The basic funda over here is that the way the language number naming system is structured makes it easier for an Asian to do 2 things :

1) Memorize more numbers than what an American or European could.

2) Easily do basic calculations (Additions, subtractions) on the top of your head, or quicker than the Europeans/Americans.

This got me thinking. Does this work in the Indian Context as well? Do the difference in the number naming systems in Hindi and in any of the South Indian Languages (Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada or Telugu) have an effect on our conception and understanding of Math? Can being good in Math also be rooted in the group's culture? Let's put it to the test.

I'm taking Malayalam as an example, but for all the south indian languages, the number systems are similar.

The Malayalam number naming system is logical in nature. 11, for example, is said as "ten-one", whilst the tens (other than 20) are said as "three-ten","four-ten" etc. (30 : Muppathu "Moonu-pathu")

Hindi, on the other hand, has a much more complicated logic in their numbering. Hindi cardinal numbers up to 100 have no specific standardization. Up to 20, the numbers are unique. After that each tenth number (such as 30, 40 etc) is unique. The rest of the numbers take the form of prefix of incremental digit and the base of preceding tenth number. However these prefixes and bases vary slightly and random manner.

Now, if we were to ask a South Indian youngster (a seven year old) to actually mentally calculate the sum of two numbers (say 17 + 42), it would actually be easier to do so in Malayalam, as he would automatically say "one-ten-seven" + "four-ten-two", thus getting "five-ten-nine". However, as a Hindi speaking youngster to add the numbers, and he would have to convert the words to numbers, and only then would be able to do the math. 

This would show that South Indians are able to learn the basics of Mathematics much quicker than the North Indians, and would thus, on a whole, be better off than the North Indians in Mathematics. And this has always been the general perception as well. (Well, please do correct me if I am wrong!).

On the other hand, the Chinese, Koreans etc. have an even more logical number naming system, and are thus able to grasp and learn mathematics even faster, which is why you see the Chinese always doing better than the Indians in exams like GMAT

Thus, it goes to show that what is perceived as an apparent attraction to a subject may have a more culturally rooted reason to the pattern. So don't worry if you are not good in Math, you can always blame your forefathers!!

Do comment on your views, would love to hear from you!

So what has changed???

There used to be a time when life used to be much simpler. All you had to worry about were those meddling assignments and exams. The rest of your life was all about playing badminton, drinking beer, having food, playing Counter-Strike, flirting with the opposite sex and partying through the night. The hardest you had to do was to try to stay awake in class and try to sleep at night. You had all the time in the world to do whatever you want.

And then came placements. The single biggest phenomenon that would change your life forever. It's the gateway to, what we see at that point in time, infinite prosperity and happiness! 

Two years hence, after getting into the harsh reality that is the corporate world, I ask myself this one question.

So what has changed???

Let us take each point from the first paragraph and scrutinize.

1. All you had to worry about were those meddling assignments and exams : Well... these ain't there no more! However, these have been very conveniently replaced by ratings and salary hikes. The difference? Getting lower marks in your assignments and exams never made you sad.



Y U NO GROW SALARY!!!

2. The rest of your life was all about..... : Life? Do we have something called that now?!!?!?!
• Playing Badminton : That's not there now. It has been replaced by Table Tennis. You just never lose those damn calories with this game, though.
• Drinking Beer : This neither. However, the pot belly has come!
• Having food : Oh yes. This is a basic necessity, after all. But, with your newly profound sedentary lifestyle, with you having to use your brain (Apparently!!) more, having this is going add to that belly!
• Playing Counter-Strike : ummmm..... what's that game, now?
• Flirting with the opposite sex : This is possibly the only thing keeping us sane while in the corporate world. Especially when you are single and very much ready to mingle. Or even for that matter if you are taken or married. The fact that your day becomes much brighter just by seeing that pretty face makes you believe that there is something to always look forward to in this chaotic konundrum called "life".



Wouldn't you just love it if you could see her everyday!! 

• Partying through the night : If partying means "spending long hours outside your home making that presentation for someone else to present", then yes, you would be partying through the night. Every night.
3. The hardest you had to do was to try to stay awake in class and try to sleep at night : Well, now its just the opposite. You just end up staying awake through all the meetings and by the time you reach home and just touch the bed you are fast asleep dreaming about that person in office. Ah! The one thing that make your dreams sweet!
4. You had all the time in the world to do anything you want : Well, how that has changed!!! Weekdays in office, and by the time its the weekend, you have time to only catch up on the sleep you lost during the week.... and *poof* its Monday and time to run off to work again! Or Sunday, if you are in the Gulf.

So yeah, quite a lot has changed. But then, I remember those wonderful words spoken by those souls who were "Waiting for the end" and were "Not Alone".

"But in the end, it doesn't even matter....". (Though, if you really look at it, it DID matter to these guys, because without that song, they wouldn't have gotten to where they were!!!! Ah, the irony of life!!!).

And with that, I take my leave to wake up to a new tomorrow. Cheers!

The return of the Konundrum

One year and one month. Since my last post. Talk about stagnation!

It's high time this place started "happening" again!

Where were you when the clock struck 12?

Many of you would have planned something big this New Years. A big party bash at the biggest partying places in your city, or a big house party, with the basic idea of getting bhajaofied (AKA drunk out of your brains) before entering the new decade, or even some quality time at home with your family. I am pretty sure, however, that not many of you would have spent any New Years about 15000 feet in the air.

5.30 PM

I had been staring at the clock ever since lunch, except for the couple of times I went to the coffee machine to take some of that delicious cappuccino, and also that once when I had to rush to the loo. I had to take printouts of the tickets I had booked at the spur of the moment, to go to Bengaluru.

Trying to take a printout in my office is an exercise in itself. Quite literally. You click the print button, and you will have to walk atleast 5 kms before you reach the printer. It's even worse when you find out that the printout hasn't come. By the time you take your round trips, I guarantee you would have lost a good 2-3 kgs of that "After joining work, sitting the whole day not moving that lazy body of yours" fat.

Anyways, after half an hour of jostling between my system and the printer, I finally (FINALLY!!!!!!) managed to get my hands on those printouts. It was then time to run out of the office, faster than the speed of light, because the flight was scheduled for 7.50 that evening. Given that all the other people in Mumbai (And, By Lord, that is one HUGE number. The number of people in Mumbai, that is.) would have been in the same frantic mood as I was at that time, I expected nothing short of pandemonium on the roads.

7.00 PM

I finally reach the airport. I had everything planned.

Flight leaves Mumbai - 7.50 PM

Flight reaches Bengaluru - 9.20 PM

I reach my place of stay - 10.40 PM

Well in time to celebrate the new years in style! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING CAN GO WRONG NOW!

I reach the check-in counter, in the hope that I get a window seat. I overhear at the other counter, a flight being postponed to 9.10. Me thinks "Oh man. I just hope that doesn't happen to me!". And then it happens. Murphy's law always kicks in at the wrong time.

I get informed that the flight has been postponed to 9.10 PM. My spirits are still high. I can still reach my place by 11.50. TIJUSTME (Very very few of you who responded to a certain "Achromatica" puzzle set by me a couple of years back, while at MDI, will understand what I have just written here.) to celebrate the New Years. YIPPEEE!!

8.20 PM

I suddenly feel very hungry. I suddenly realize that I have been on Facebook for too long.(You have no idea how time flies when the only thing you do is sit and stare at the "Top Stories" section refresh itself every second with a new status message from another person who would be doing the absolute same thing.) I get up and go to the nearest food counter. All my hunger goes away after just seeing the prices of all the food items on display. (Rs. 100 for a friggin' sandwich!! YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!) After having that sandwich, I go back to doing what I do best when I have nothing else to do. Facebook.

9.05 PM

"Isn't the flight supposed to leave at 9.10?"

"Why am I still sitting here at the waiting area?"

"Have I been so engrossed at the changing statuses that I missed the flight??!?!?!"

"Why are so many people crowded at the Go Air counter and shouting their heads out?"

These were some of the thoughts going through my mind at that time. I stand up and check the departure timings on the screen, only to find out that the departure has been postponed to 9.50 PM!! Then I understood why all those people were shouting their heads out.

It's always the case, isn't it? There will always be those few hot headed people, who would blow their heads out even if some event is five minutes late. Always bodes well for us mild types. We just sit and watch the fun, and most gleefully consume all the freebies that come along.

And that's exactly what happened here. In their quest to appease those hot headed types, they gave free food to all passengers of the flight. I sighed. IF ONLY THEY HAD BEEN HOT HEADED A FEW MINUTES AGO, I WOULDN'T HAVE BOUGHT THAT EXTREMELY OVER THE TOP PRICED SANDWICH!

9.50 PM

The next hot headed session starts. Now the flight is supposed to reach at 10.15. I now secretly hoped and prayed that the flight would delay even further, for I would be one of those very few people in the whole wide world who would have spent their New Years 30000 feet in the air!!

The flight did finally leave, at 10.40 PM. It was about to land at Bengaluru, when the clock struck 12, and the new decade began. Unfortunately, this time around, there was no one to share this special moment with.

And that's how I spent my New Years. How did you guys fare??

PS : I just realized that there will be some people who, if they read this, will set out to kill me on the spot. I apologize profusely. I really REALLY REALLY couldn't make it!

PPS: TIJUSTME - Just In Time. (How many of you did get this right?? And DON'T LIE!!)

Office Office!

Ah yes. It shows. No posts of late. Work has officially started.

Gone are the days of sitting in front of your personal laptop, testing it to the core with the latest games. Gone are the days of sitting at home doing nothing, but telling the whole world that you are "working from home". Gone are the days of taking random trips outside while having to be "present" in "office". Gone are the days of drinking all through the night, every night.

The honeymoon period is now officially over!

BUT... not all is bad at the workplace. There are few good things to take away from where I currently work. For one, theres a cute woman who has recently joined. THAT'S REASON ENOUGH TO BE AT WORK ALL DAY! Amazingly, there happened to be that "jump" and "liveliness" in the area where I am seated, the day she joined. You know that feeling when you have suddenly won a million gazillion dollars? That was how excited my area was, that day.

Unfortunately, we are in two different teams. It is one of life's hardest challenges to introduce yourself to a cute woman who happens to be in a different team. You see, if she were in the same team, you have something to start off with. The "HEY! I'M IN YOUR TEAM" is a great conversation starter.

But, that advantage is lost when you are not in the same team. Even when you are sitting diagonally opposite her. You now have to resort to studying her movement patterns, and try to match yours with hers. The best way is to study her coffee drinking patterns. Learning whether she likes coffee or not. Like they say "A lot can happen over coffee"! A casual "bump" near the coffee machine is probably the best way to start off with the "HEY! I SIT DIAGONALLY OPPOSITE TO YOU!" conversation. At least I hold that card with me! I pity those people who do not even have that! (Actually, I laugh at them "HA HA!".)

The latest craze in town, at-least in the office, is now Microsoft Outlook. In a place where Facebook, Gmail, Yahoo!, and the like are banned, what better way to have a lively chat with your fellow friends from office (and outside) than through Outlook! The latest gossip, the hottest news, even heartfelt discussions about life, now spread across even faster than the speed of light! Lots of trips have been planned from here. Which never ever work out. Oh, and office work stuff happens too.

But one thing is true at the workplace (At-least to me it is!). Whether you are in your honeymoon period or not, you are DEAD tired by the time you reach home. It's amazing how as soon as you see the bed in your room after coming back from office, your first reaction is to dive into it and snuggle under the blanket. The "pretty cool" Mumbai weather makes it even easier for you to go to dreamland, and that much harder to get out of it.

Mornings during the winters are probably the worst time of the day! Especially in winters, when that blanket fills you up with so much warmth, that even thinking of getting out of it gives you the shivers. Corporate India should officially change office timings so that we, the common man, can get to snuggle under our "Rugs", "Rajais" and "Blankets" for as long in the morning as we want! IT SHOULD BE OUR BIRTHRIGHT! (At-least during the winters, IT SHOULD BE!)

Well, this is all I can write for now. My eyes are giving way, and I can already see the warm beaches of Dreamland... better get to sleep now! For tomorrow is a new day, with new things to look forward to! Ciao, for now.

From The Silicon Valley to Social Networking - Takeaways

Yes. You guessed right, the motivation behind this post! If you haven't, then I am sure by the time you would have finished reading this post, you will understand. WORRY NOT. Read on....

It was just plain coincidence that I happened to watch both "The Social Network" and "Pirates of The Silicon Valley", recently. Both happen to be amazing movies in their own right. While "The Social Network" talks about how a very simple idea revolutionalized the face of social networking to a whole new level (Well. The movie, per se, talks about the rivalry within the "co-founders" of Facebook. But the underlying, i.e. Facebook, certainly has changed the face of social networking! So much so that I have even incorporated a similar "like" button for each and every post on this blog!), "Pirates of the Silicon Valley" talks about the intense rivalry between two very ambitions groups of people trying to get complete access to an industry that has changed the way the world works.

But in both these movies (Which are actual stories, though the story depicted in "The Social Network" has been denied by Mark Zuckerberg), there are a whole host of takeaways for you and me, the viewer, other than the fact that you may have just seen a very good movie. And had great pop corn. Not surprisingly, there are a lot of similarities in all these stories, and also in other success stories, like Youtube, Twitter, etc.

And here I am, like Lord Krishna to Arjuna, to show you the light. Hopefully, these words of wisdom will actually be what it is... words of wisdom! A Bhagwad Gita to good business, some may say!

Takeaway 1 : Nerds are my new best friends!

Let's face it. With the growing number of "enlightened" souls giving the CAT every year, and relying on the survival kit to get their coveted "jobs" in the market, there is as hell no shortage of businessmen to befriend. But, nerds who do cocky stuff and get caught hacking some computer or car or whatever? Few and far between! And all you need is some money in your pocket. Well, your post-graduate degree takes care of that! (Well, considering what I and my batch of fellow MBAs went through, I myself would beg to differ. But, to get into these B-schools in the first place, you would need lots of money. And I am pretty sure you will have enough to make your nerdy friend happy!)

All you engineering programing people who can program the complexest of codes. I AM YOUR NEW BESTEST FRIEND! The same applies to nerds in any other field/industry too.

Takeaway 2 : Never go solo.

Other than the fact that you don't have the expertise to come up with a great idea (at least I think as of now I don't, especially after my post-graduation), there is no way that you will be able to make your million billion gazillion dollar idea work, if you do it alone. In all the success cases described above, you see more than one brain behind it.

Group dynamics of the group is also very VERY important. There is always that bespectacled, freckle haired, bearded nerd grouped with the outspoken, suited up businessman. Which is why Takeaway 1 is all that more important.

Takeaway 3 : It's always in the simple ideas.

The concept. The thing that makes the mind of a nerd work. That is the thing that distinguishes a Facebook from a ...ummm.... BeOS (What in the world is THAT?! BeOS- The Wiki, for those who want to know. Apparently a disaster.) 

YouTube is a classic example of this. A simple idea. Sharing videos with everyone else. What does it fetch? A cool $1.65 billion dollars to the original founders.

WHY CAN'T ANY SUCH IDEAS COME TO ME!!! Again, I think Takeaway 1 is very important, for this takeaway to work. Let the nerds come with the ideas. As long as you have the initial money, this is something that we, the now extremely common MBA, need not worry about.

Takeaway 4 : GET INTO HARVARD!

What's Harvard got that IIM/MDI/FMS etc. ain't got? What's this with people studying in Harvard and getting these amazingly brilliant ideas? Is it that they cannot get it anywhere else? Why do these people get it ONLY AFTER GETTING INTO HARVARD? Why not before? Why am I asking so many questions? Why is there a lion standing right in front of you? (HA! If you had fallen asleep reading all those questions, then GOTCHA! If not, then.. well...you still would have read it! HA!)

Bottom line. HARVARD ki jai ho!

Takeaway 5 : Word of mouth works!

There is a very subtle difference between gossip, and word of mouth (or word of e-mail, in this day and age of technology)

With gossip, the initial message sent will be completely different from the final message received on the other end. And with it, goes the idea behind sending the initial message in the first place. A message like "A has a crush on B", almost invariably ends up becoming "A has proposed to B and has also slept with him/her!!". 

With word of mouth, on the other hand, the exact same idea/theme/message is sent across. And this goes on and on and on, till  a whole lot of people get to know of the idea. This is exactly how Facebook/Gmail/Youtube/Kamikaze's Konundrums became famous (I keep high optimistic expectations, you see.)

Takeaway 6 : The girls come alongwith the idea.

Get the idea. Or buy the idea. Just be associated with an idea. And the girls will come flocking to you! (OK. This probably was taken just from "The Social Network". Nevertheless, a notable observation it is! Even otherwise, once you have the moolah, the women come along, no?)

YES! That everlasting non answerable Konundrum that has been screwing my head up all these years has been answered!! Well, WHOOPDEDOO!!

Only one slight problem. The idea. It still eludes me. Hence, every woman eludes me. It's akin to saying "I don't have the idea. Therefore I am single" (You know, similar to "I think. Therefore I am." Get it? No? OK then ...)

I am pretty sure that someone will copy these takeaways and come up with some big idea of their own (Again. High expectations I have of blog viewership.) And that is when I will....

Takeaway 7 : Cash in when you get the opportunity.

Suing gives you the opportunity to make millions. So what if the other party concerned is making billions? If there is something wrong, and you are involved. CASH IN! And live a life of AWE...wait for it...SOME...wait for it again...NESS.

Well, these are the takeaways that I took from these enterprising, amazing discoveries/inventions. I am sure that you would have also taken something away from these movies/stories. I would love to hear them out!

You know you have....

Played too much NFS, when you see a construction site in Mumbai, and think of just ramming it, to see it fall and crush the vehicles behind you.

Seen too much KBC, when you say in a meeting "Let's lock this meeting, computerji!"

Seen too much KBC again, when you disagree by saying "Afsos, galat jawaab...."

Watched too much football, when you accuse someone of diving when he slips and falls down on the road/floor while walking

Not done much for a long time, when you start putting benchmarks in office as "winning the champions league in FIFA 2011"

Not done much for a long time, when your milestone in office becomes "having evening coffee"

Kept your laptop unlocked for a long time, when you find the absurdest of messages sent by you on Facebook/Orkut/Gtalk

Been online on Facebook for long time, if you can exactly predict by whom the next update will come, and when

Not conveyed your message properly, when the person listening to you asks during the QnA session "What did you say after HELLO?"

Become a huge fan of Sony products, when you always try to "MAKE.BELIEVE" everyone else to use their products

OK. That's all I can think of now!