CHESS & CHECKERS

CHESS AND CHECKERS

The whole world is looking at two countries, India & China both Asian countries developing at a pace which no other country expected. India has over 1.2 billion population and world’s biggest federal republic constitutional republic with a G.D.P growth rate of 8.2% has shown to the world what changes mass can bring in an economy. The contribution of service sector in 1990-1991 was only 16% where as it reached to 43% by the end of 2006 and according to the latest statistics it’s more than 46%.

Indian and Chinese are playing an invaluable role in the global innovation chain. Banglore known as “Silicon Valley” of India where spawn companies produce their own chip designs, software’s and pharmaceuticals are one of the most exciting places in the world. Companies like Wipro, Infosys, which started from the ashes are globally recognized now. According to a report in 2004, 70,000 Engineers graduated from the United States, 350,000 from India and 600,000 from China.

China and India are the world’s largest and second largest consumer markets. Investors saw these countries for their low cost, then stayed their for improving the quality of the products now after heavily investing they are investing in innovation. The G.D.P of China is expanding three times as fast and the united states, nine times as fast as their neighbor Japan and seven times as fast as Europe.  According to The Economic Policy Institute, a liberal-leaning think tank in Washington, D.C., said the United States is losing more than 2,000 factory jobs a month because of the shift of work to China." With all this in picture china has emerged as an economic wonder to the world.

According to the statement of Goldman Sachs in 2003 GPD of china would exceed that of United States by 2041 and in 2009 they made a shocking statement that it will not take 2041 it will surpass in 2027 and recently they announced that the pace at which China is progressing, the GDP of china will exceed the US by 2019. Is it true we will see a new economic power as China? India is progressing but China is progressing twice fast in comparison to India. So, are we all ready to see China as next economic power? I know one this if you run too fast, you get hurt more if you fall, so China has to be careful now because its going too fast and if the China’s market fall, only god knows what will happen. The world is not ready to see another slump. At the end I would like to say “Best of luck China, be safe the whole world is watching you”.

Reference:

1.                           "Key Trends in the World Economy: The Central Date for China's GDP to Overtake the US at Market Exchange Rates Is 2019 - a Study of Growth Assumptions and Analyses." Key Trends in Globalisation. 15 Feb. 2011. Web. 07 May 2011. 

2.                           Chhapia, Hemali. "Number of Engineers in India Inflated, Says Study - Times Of India." Featured Articles From The Times Of India. TNN, 6 Mar. 2008. Web. 07 May 2011. 

THE REAL GURU

The real Guru

Do you also dream? If yes, what, and do you have any plans to make it a reality? I dreamed a lot, sometimes I dreamed of starting my own business, creating a social networking site like Facebook or sometime opening a chain of a coffee shops like Starbucks, but then they were shattered like every time, when they came to reality. I had dreams but had no guidance, how to make my dreams come true.

I needed guidance from someone who can make me comfortable as a friend, have the knowledge of a teacher and love and care as a parent. Someone, who could show me the right path and help me in building my career, and opening new horizons of life, I dither in sharing my thoughts with everyone, so was always confused who’s the best person to share? But dreams are dreams until they are worked on. So, I needed to start from somewhere. Do not know where but needed a start. All these things were in my mind from the very beginning, but curiosity to work on them started taking shape when I completed my five years of law school from India in 2008.

As other lawyers, I also started going to the courts and started my own practice. This profession will give me all leisure’s of life in future, but still was not satisfied. I did not know what I was searching? I decided to discuss it. Now, the question was whom should I talk to - my best friend or to my father? I thought of talking to my best friend because I believed that my father will discourage me, as I was earning well through advocacy, and will have to start everything from the very scratch. So, I went to my best friend’s place, we both went for a ride on my motorbike. We both went to Café Coffee Day (Indian Starbucks). We sat and while sipping our coffees, he asked me “I can smell that you want to talk something important”. I said “No- I just wanted to come out”. I do not know why I could not share it with my best friend. Then, he started telling me story about his trip to Mumbai (Metro cities of India). After half a hour, I dropped him and came back home.

I thought may be god wanted me to share it with the right person and he is not the right one. I decided will talk to my father about my confusion/dilemma. While we both were having dinner and my mom was serving us, I with a stammering voice “Dad, I do not want to practice- want to do some business”. My dad looked at me “what did you say- come again”. I do not know from where I got that much confidence that I said again “I want to do my own business”. “Ok- So, you want to become Ambani” (richest businessperson of India). I did not utter a single word, finished dinner and started moving towards my room. My father finished and went to the living room and called me with his thick voice “Manish come here, I want to talk to you”. I thought Oh god I made the biggest mistake today by telling him, now he will give me a kill me by giving lectures. Before I could say anything he said “you can do whatever you want but be firm on your decision whatever you want” and you know rolling stone gathers none.

I sat near him and he said softly “you are fairly mature to take your own decisions but if you really want to do business, you should understand what business is all about? What are the factors which influence a business? I do not have any problem but if you want to do business you will have to do MBA first. You will learn a lot about business. Study for one or two years and after that if you want to do business you can do or if you want to come back into practice you can even come back into practice. I could see a real Guru in him. Who showed me the right path and said whenever you are confused in taking decision, just think about its affect and you and your surroundings. Do not take decisions which make you regret later. Then we both went into our rooms and slept. While I was on bed I thought parents are our real guru’s because they know us more than we. Our decisions should be based on our future and our family’s happiness. Now, before taking any decision I think about its pros and cons and its affect on me and my family. “Thank you father-My real Guru”

We need development not westernization

I am from a country where elders are respected, idols are worshiped, and all decisions of children are made by their parents. I am from the world’s oldest civilization. It is the world’s largest democracy and the second most populous country in the world. I am from India. Cows are considered sacred. Dancing is one of India’s most highly developed arts and was an integral part of worship in the inner shrines of every temple. It is notable for its expressive hand and body movements. Parental and marital bond are strong; parents live with children till the end of their lives. Females don’t wear open clothes. Arranged marriages are more socially accepted as compared to love marriages. And about food, it’s delicious and spicy. Gambling and prostitution are considered evils against the society, so they are illegal. There are no strip clubs. This is what India is all about. But as India has become a part of globalization, it has lost its culture to a certain extent. I fear that in future it may lose its identity.

I came to America on September, 25^th 2010. It has been only three and a half months in this country, and I have noticed that those Indians immigrants whose children are born here are neither Indians nor Americans. This reflects that this generation of Indian Americans find themselves stuck in limbo between traditional parents and upbringing at home and the more liberal and open community outside. This "in-between-ness" leaves them with uncertainty about their own role in society - neither Indian nor American. Most of them don’t know how to converse in Hindi the mother language of their home country, they don’t eat Indian food, and they eat beef (cow’s meat). They call themselves as Americans. I know one thing that they are not, Americans, but they are no more Indians either. This is the picture of people born and brought up in America, but what about India? As for children who are born and brought up in India, are they Indians anymore? Or they are also trapped by westernization?

Now, the question is what is westernization or western culture? Western culture according to me, is more goal oriented whereas Indian culture is more people or family oriented. Indians may even forsake their individual wishes and also happiness for the sake of families. But in American culture, this trend cannot be seen. I think it is the people who make the society, and any change in the lifestyle, attitude, thinking and working pattern of people will ultimately bring a change in the society. There are two terms advancement and westernization. Advancement means betterment or moving forward in a positive sense, whereas westernization means adopting Western culture, patterns, processes, techniques, and lifestyle without looking towards the betterment of their own opportunities.  I think we are westernizing ourselves and not advancing. As we have adopted their clothes, their language, and the most important, their work culture. The positive effect of westernization will be that the young generation will be more energetic, have money of their own, and they will be self-made. The negative effects will be that nuclear families system will be more, the young generation will demand independence, and they will be addicted to alcohol, and smoking, which are considered bad by our society. So, we are westernizing not advancing.

            My father says, “Don’t follow anyone; make yourself capable enough that everyone follows you”. It goes with the country also. Every country should acknowledge its strengths and weaknesses, and should try to overcome weaknesses to make it an ideal nation for others. Today, India is not a developed country but India was a developed country a few years back. History repeats itself. India is a developing country, and the youth like us are the building blocks, so, it’s our duty towards the nation to safeguard its cultural heritage and work towards making it a developed country. The intention of making our own society better and advanced by our own efforts would make the society modern, and that is the need of Indian society in the present scenario. It is our choice; now what do us want, an advanced society or a society which is called a follower of westernization? Indian society needs to become more modern in terms of its own values, resources, and opportunities. 

If every country looses its identity, then what will happen to the world? It will just become a place where we all will work, eat everywhere the same food and at the end of the day will go to bed. Every country has its own identity, and it should not loose it, merely for the sake of so called “globalization”. We can see skyscrapers all over the world; whether it is Shanghai, New Delhi, Chicago or Melbourne. Why will we travel to another country, when we can see the same thing in our own country? People travel to know other country’s cultural diversity, and food. Every country should safeguard its culture, and the government should create more jobs for the locals. Like, India is good in manufacturing handicrafts. Indian Government should encourage the young generation to learn handicraft work and Government should provide them with jobs and sell their products in the international market. By promoting it, the government can save the culture, provide jobs to the young generation and make profits to run the government.

At the end, I would like to say that adoption of the western pattern is not wrong, but not at the cost of our own culture. It is more important for us to make society modern first than to move towards any new adoption. 

My first day in United States & at Robert Morris School

My first day in The United States and at Robert Morris University

September 25, 2010, around 11:15 a.m. my flight landed from Indra Gandhi International airport (India) at O’Hare international airport in Chicago. It took around two hours in security check and luggage clearance. As I went out, I saw my sister – who’s lived in Chicago for the past 5 years -- waiting for me with a big smile on her face. I ran and hugged her then we loaded the luggage in her car and drove to her place. While she was driving, I was enjoying looking out of the window. I felt like I was in heaven, so clean and tidy. Everything was systematic and above that all the cars were driving in their own lanes. Was I dreaming or was it a reality? How can everything be so systematic? Now, I know why America is ruling the whole world.

I was so excited about studying in the United States that I didn’t have words to explain it. When I reached home my sister asked me to rest but not to sleep for too long; otherwise, I would not be able to sleep at night. I kept my luggage in the guest room, had some food and lay on the bed. I woke up around 10:20 p.m. Now what to do? Again had food, watched a couple of movies. Its only 3:00a.m., had a complete night and a day before going to the school. I was a bit nervous and excited too. I don’t know when I went to sleep again but woke up at 9:00a.m. My sister gave me a cup of tea and we both sat and talked about mom, dad, brother, another sister and other relatives. Then she asked me about my future plans and all and at that time she advised me that if I want to really get good grades, I will have to study every day. The studies in the U.S. are not difficult but they require a lot of hard work. That evening I was feeling sleepy again, went into my room, and slept, and woke up around 4:00 a.m. had 6 hours before going to the university but nothing to do. Those 6 hours were like 6 months. My sister as usual, woke up around 6:00AM and asked me to get ready, as she wanted me to be at least half and hour early on the first day of school. She parked her car near the school and showed me the school building and said “This is a success ladder which will help you to make your future”. I went to the Graduate Center and told at the reception that I am an international student and have been admitted to the MBA program. We had to wait a little bid because every advisor was busy. After 10-15 minutes, a smart looking man came to us and said “Hi Manish- how are you doing”. “I am doing well but how do you know my name?” “I am a student advisor and my name is Fernando and I am your advisor, so I know everything about you”. Then he asked us to follow him. He said “today you won’t have any classes; as it’s orientation day”. “I will familiarize you with the staff and faculty today”. He took us on tour of the whole school and showed us each the library, bookstore, classrooms, graduate center and other important areas of the campus. It was a life-time experience. I could see my whole year full of fun, excitement, hard work, learning a new culture, and making new friends.

MANISH BHARDWAJ

2/17/2011