Reflections of a 4th Grader about first day at school!

 

First time I went to School…..by Pooja Kini

I hid behind my mother’s arm, squeezing her hand tightly. What is school going to be like? Is it fun? I am only two! It is way too early!! This Montessori thing, I did not like it one bit!! “Mom, I don’t want to….” I kept telling my mom. I did not want to go. A scary lady popped out of nowhere. I was surprised to see her and wondered, ” Where did she come from?”

“Hi!” she exclaimed. “I am your teacher, Libby! We are going to have a lot of fun! What is your name?” I looked at mom to ask her if it was alright to tell her. Because, I knew never to talk to strangers. She nodded yes, and so I told Libby my name. Just after that, Libby took me over to the crammed classroom! “Bye Mom!” I shouted loudly. Ms. Libby told me to sit on the rug for story time. As I did so, something queer caught my eye! I’d never seen it before! Amidst the classroom crowded as a beehive, I spotted it, in the middle of all the reds, greens and blues. Just smack in there, was a rope. What then looked like a rope. Not just by itself, but tied to a kid’s shoe. Little did I realize that it was shoe lace. I had never worn shoes with laces and this was quite amusing to me. “Oh NO!, he is tied up so he cannot run”! I crawled across to him and pulled the rope. It came out. “Yeah! I said to myself”.

Ms Libby called out loudly, “Pooja, go to the library and put your head down!”. I cried, scared and wanting to go home.”Now”, she called. Sniffing, I ran! Hot tears blurred my eyes and dyed my cheeks bright red. It was only a few minutes until Ms. Libby soothingly called, “Pooja, please come here”. I did so. ” You cannot pull shoe laces”! I nodded. “Come on, let us have some fun!” Suddenly, I wanted to come back to school with Libby, tomorrow!

HINDI FILM SONGS IN VARIOUS RAGA

Raga: Abhogi Kanada

Jiya lage na kya karu sajna
Na jaiyo re sautan ghar sainyai

Raga: Adana

Jhanak jhanak payal baje – JJPB
Radhike toone bansari – Bhai Bhai
Manmohan man mein ho tumhi – Kaise Kahoon

Raga: Ahir Bhairav

Puchho na kaise maine rain bitai – Meri Surat Teri Aankhen
Ramka gun gaan kariye- Ram Shyam Gun Gaan (non-film)
Meri bina tum bin roye – Dekh Kabira Roya
Main to kabse teri sharan men – Ram Nagari
Zindagi ko sanvarana hoga – alaap
Sola barasaki bali umarko salam -ek dujhe ke liye
Apne jeevan ki uljhan ko – Uljhan
Man Anand Anand Chhayo – Vijeta
Waqt karta jo wafa aap hamare – Dilne Pukara
Ram teri ganga maili ho gayi – Ram Teri Ganga Maili
Meri galiyonse logonki yari badh – Dharmatma
Chalo man jayen ghar apne – Swami Vivekananda
Albela sajan aayo re – Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam

Raga: Alaiya Bilawal

Jana gana mana – National Anthem
Bhor ayi, gaya andhiyara – Bawarchi
Sare ke sare ga ma ko lekar – Parichay

Raga: Asavari

Mujhe galese lagalo bahut udas – Aaj aur Kal
Chale jana nahin naina milake – badi Behen
Piya te kaha – Toofan aur Diya

Raga: Bageshri

Jag dard-e-ishq jaag – Anarkali
Radha na bole na bole – Azad
Bedardi dagabaz ja tu nahin – Bluff Master
Chah barbad karegi – Shah Jahan
Jao jao nand ke lala – Rangoli
Aaja re, paradesi – Madhumati
Ghadi Ghadi mera dil dhadke – Madhumati
Hamse aya na gaya – Dekh Kabira Roya
Poochhta jaa mere marghatse – A ghazal from Ghulam Ali
Chaman men rang-e-bahar – Ghulam Ali album

Raga: Bahar

Chham chham nachat ayi bahar – Chaaya
Mann ki bin matwari baje – Shabab

Raga: Bairagi

Kisi nazar ko tera intazar aja – Aitbaar
Mein ek raja hun- Uphaar

Raga: Barawa

Khai hai re humne kasam – Talash

Raga: Basant

Ketaki, gulab, juhi champaka – Basant Bahar

Raga: Bibhash

Sanjh dhale gagan tale hum – Utsav
Neelam ke nabh chhayi – Utsav

Raga: Bhairav

Sun ri pavan, pavan puravaiya – Anuraag
Jaago mohan pyaare – Jaagte Raho

Raga: Bhairavi

Babul mora naihar chhooto – Street singer
Insaf ka mandir hai – Naya Daur
Kaise jaun jamunake tir – Devta
Laaga chunari men daag – dil hi to hai
Jyot se jyot jagate chalo -san gyaneshwar
Jo bhaje hari ko sada – Bhajan
Jab dil hi tut gaya – Baiju Bavra
Ai diwali, ai diwali – Shah Jahan
Do hansonka joda bichhad – Ratan
Barasat men, hamse mile tum – Ganga Jamuna
Dost dost na raha – barsaat
Bol radha bol sangam hoga ke – Sangam
Mera juta hai japani – Sangam
Ramiya vasta vaiya – shree 420
Suno chhotisi gudiya ki lambi – shree 420
Khamosh hai – seema
Mere ai dil bata – amar
Sanvare sanvare – JJPB
Ai mere dil kahin aur chal -anuradha
Mile sur tera hamara – Doordarshan
Kaise samjhaoon bade nasamajh-Sooraj
Bhor bhaye panghatpe-satyam shivam sundaram
Jare, jare ud ja re panchhi – maaya
Jay bolo beiman ki- beimaan
Mithe bol bole – kinaara
Mitwa re mitwa purab na jaio -jawaab
Hato kaheko juthi banao – manzil
Jiya jale jaan jale nainon tale – Dil Se
Phool gendava na maaro -Door ka Chand
Dhanya bhag seva ka avsar – sur sangam
Mile jo kadi kadi, ek zanjeer- kasme waade
Hume tumse pyar kitana – kudrat
Kar chale hum fida jaan-o-tan – haqeeqat
Heer ( doli chadhke heer) – heer ranjha
Phir kisi raah guzar par shayad – ghazal – Jagjit
Meri tanhaiyon tum hi lagalo – Ghazal – Jagjit
Yeh dil yeh paagal dil mera – Ghazal Ghulam Ali
Beshaq mandir masjid todo – bobby

Raga: Bhatiyar

Ek ritu aye ek ritu jaye – Jhanak Jhanak Payal Bhaaje

Raga: Bhimpalasi

Ai ri main to prem diwani – Navbahar
Maine chand aur sitaronki- Chandrakanta
Ye na thi hamari kismat – Mirza Ghalib
Dil mein tujhe bithake puja – Fakira
Nainon mein badra chhaye – Mera Saaya
Jhanakar payalaki tose binati – Naga Devta
Hum giridha rake ghar jaun – Meera Bhajan
Samay dhire chalo – Rudaali
Kismat Se Tum Ham Ko Mile Ho – Pukar
Ae Ajnabi Tu Bhi Kabhi – DIl SE
Khilte Hain Gul Yaha – Sharmilee
Main gareebon ka dil hoon – ab-e-hayat

Raga: Bhoopali

Chanda hai tu, mera suraj hai tu – Aradhana
Sayonara, sayonara – Love in Tokyo
Pankh hote to ud aati re – Sehraa
Jyoti kalash chhalke – Bhabhi ki Chudiyaan
Jab nil gagan ki chhaon mein – Amarapali
Achyutam keshavam ram – shloka
Jaun tore charan kamal par vari – Sur Sangam
Om namah shivay – Bhairavi
Panchhi banu udti firun mast – Chori Chori
Dekha ek khwab to yeh silsile – Silsila
In ankhon ki masti ke, mastane – Umrao Jaan
Dil hun hun kare – Rudali
He Govind, He Gopal, He Dayaal – Jagjit singh ghazal…

Raga: Bhupali Todi

O zindagi ke denevale – Nagin

Raga: Bihag

Tere sur aur mere geet – Goonj Uthi Shehnai
Koi gata, main so jata – Alaap
Tere pyar men dildar – Mere Mehboob
Ae dil beqarar jhum – Shah Jahan
Hamare dilse na jaanaa – Udan Khatola
Chalenge tir jab dil par- Kohinoor
Zindagi ke safar men gujar jate – Aap ki kasam
Yeh kya jagah hai doston- Umrao jaan
Meri ladli re, meri ladli – Andaaz
Tujhe jeevan ki dor se baandh – Asli Naqli
Hamare dilse na jaanaa -Udan Khatola

Raga: Bilaskhani Todi
Jhoothay naina bolay – Lekin
Diya na bujhegi, aaj hamara

Raga: Basant Mukhari
O basanti pavan pagal – Jis Desh Me Ganga Behti Hai
Vada kar le sajna – Haath ki Safai

Raga: Chandrakauns
Tu hi tu main seva karu
San sanna sanna sanna, jao re o pavan
Majhi re himmat na har

Raga: Charukeshi
Bainya na dharo, o balama – Dastak (old)
Aaj dilpe koi jor chalta nahin – Milan
Kabhi raat din hum dur the – Aamne Saamne
Ek tu na mila – Himalay ki Godmen
Akele hain chale aao – Raaz
Bekhudimen sanam kisi rahamen kisi modpar – Mere Humsafar
Megha re Megha re… – Pyaasa
Bedardi balama tujh ko, mera man yaad karta hai – Aarzoo
Shyam teri bansi pukare radha naam – Geet Gata Chal
Jaan-e-jaana…Jab jab teri surat dekhun – Janbaaz
Chhod de sari duniya kisike liye – Saraswati Chandra

Raga: Chhayanat
Chanda re, ja re ja re – Ziddi (old)
Baad muddat ki yeh ghadi aayi – Jahan Aara
Hum bekhudi mein tumko pukaare chale gaye – Kaala Paani
Tere naina talaash karen jise – Talaash
Chaina nahin aye, kahan dil jaye – Samundar
Zan Zan Zan Zan payal baje

Raga: Darbari
Ye Hawa Ye Raat Ye Chaandni – Sangdil
Bahon Ke Darmiyan – Khamoshi (new)

Raga: Darbari Kanada
Dil jalta hai to jalne de – Pehli Nazar
O duniyake rakhawale – Baiju Bawra
Tute hue khvabonne – Madhumati
Mohabbat ki jhuthi kahani pe roye – Mugal-e-azam
Tora man darpan kehlaye – Kaajal
Daiya re daiya laj mohe lage – Leader
Guzre hai aaj ishqmen – Dil Diya Dard Liya
Raha gardishonmen haradam – Do Badan
Jhanak jhanak tori baje payeliya – Mere Huzoor
Hum tujh se muhabbat kar ke – Awara
Teri duniya mein dil lagta nahin – Baware Nain
Mere mehboob shayad aaj kuchh – Kitne Paas Kitne Door
Ghoonghat ke pat khol re – Jogan
Dekha hai pehli baar – Saajan
Tumhe zindagi ke ujale mubarak – Poornima
Ishwar satya hai – Satyam Shivam Sundaram
Kitna hasin hai mausam – Azad
Hum tum se juda ho ke – Ek Sapera Ek Lutera
Aap ki nazaron ne samajha – Anpadh
Ud ja bhanwar maya kamal ka – Rani Roopmati
Koi matwala ayaa more dware – Love In Tokyo
Pag ghoongroo bandh meera naachi thi – Namak Halal
Yaad mein teri jaag jaag ke hum – Mere Mehboob
Tu pyarka sagar hai – Seema
Hangama hai kyon barpa – A Ghazal by Ghulam Ali
Pag ghoongroo bandh meera naachi thi – Namak Halal
Ab kahan jayen ham – Ujala
Nainheenko raah dikha prabhu – Bhakta Surdaas
Shayerana se hai zindagi ke adaa – Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aye
Jay Radha madhav Jai kunjbihari – Bhajan by Jagjit Singh

Raga: Desh
Phir kahin koi phul khila – Anubhav
Bekasi hadse jab guzar jaye – Kalpana
Door Koi Gaaye, dhun yeh sunaye – Baiju Bawra
Pyaar Hua Chupke se – 1942, A Love Story
Om jai jagadish hare – Poorab Aur Pashchim
Phir kahin koi phool khila, chaahat na kaho usko – Anubhav
Vande mataram

Raga: Desi
Aaj gaavat man mero jhumke – Baiju Bawra

Raga: Durga
Geet gaya pattharon ne – Geet Gaya Pattharon ne
Chanda re mori patiya le ja – Miss Mary

Raga: Dhani
Prabhu tero nam jo gae phal – Hum Dono

Raga: Gara
Tere mere sapne ab ek rang hain – Guide
Jivanmen piya tera sath rahe – Gunj Uthi Shehnai
Raghupati raghav raja ram – Bhajan
Thumak chalat ram chandra – Bhajan
Aise to na dekho – Teen Deviyan
Kabhi khud pe kabhi haalat pe ronaa aaya – Hum Dono
Mohe panghat pe nandlal chher gayo re – Mughal-e-Aazam
Unke khayaal aaye to aate chale gaye – Lal Patthar

Raga: Gaud Malhar
Garajat barsat savan ayo re – Barsaat Ki Raat (old)
Jhir jhir barase savani ratiyan – Ashirvad

Raga: Gaud Sarang
Allah tero naam – Hum Dono
Naadir deem, ta na dere na – Pardesi

Raga: Gurjari Todi
Ek tha bachapan – Ashirvad
Jaa-jaa re ai pathikwa – Lekin

TOP

Raga: Hamir
Madhuban men radhika nache re – Kohinoor
Jao re jogi tum – Amrapali

Raga: Hansdhwani
Jaa tose nahin boloon kanhaiya – Parivaar

Raga: Hemant
Yad piyaki aye – A Thumri by Ustaad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan
Udajare ja re kaga – Meera bhajan by Lata Mangeshkar
Tumbin jeevan kaise – by Manna Dey

Raga: Jaijaiwanti
Manmohana bade jhoothe, haar ke haar na maanein – Seema
Bairan ho gai raina – Dekh Kabir Roya
Zindagi aaj mere namse sharamati hai
Yeh dilki lagi kam kya hogi – Mugal e Azam
Dost bankar bhi nahin saath nibhanevala – A Ghazal by Ghulam Ali
Suni suni saans kay sitaar par – Lal Patthar
Thumak chalat Ramchandra, baajat paijaniya – Bhajan

Raga: Jaunpuri
Dil chher koi aisa naghma – Inspector
Ghunghat ke pat khol re tohe piya milenge – Jogan
Jaayen to jaayen kahaan, samjhega kaun yahaan – Taxi Driver
Meri yaad mein tum na aansu bahaana – Madhosh
Muhabbat ki jhoothi kahani pe roye – Mughal-E-Azam

Raga: Jhinjhoti
Mere mehboob tujhe meri muhabbat ki kasam – Mere Mehboob
Jaun kahan bataaye dil – Chhoti Bahen
Tum mujhe yun bhula na pao ge – Pagla Kahin Ka
Teri ankhoke siva duniyamen – Chirag
Mose chal kiye jaye hai re hai hai dekho saiyan beiman – Guide
Ja ja re ja, balmava – Basant Bahar
Koi hamdam na raha, koi sahara na raha – Jhumroo
Ghungharoo ki tarah, bajata hi raha hoon main – Chor Machaaye Shor
Chhup gaya koi re durase pukarake – Champakali

Raga: Jogiya
Dil ek mandir – Dil ek mandir hai
Kah do koi na kare yahaan pyaar – Goonj Uthi Shehnai
Raat bhar ka hai mehmaan andhera – Sone Ki Chidiya
Raga: Kafi
Kali ghodi dwar khadi – Chashme-baddoor
Biraj me holi khelat nand lal – Godaan
Gairon pe karam apnon pe sitam – Aankhen (old)

Raga: Kalavati
Hay re vo din kyun na aye – Anuradha
Kahe tarasae jiyara – Chitralekha
Koi sagar dilko bahalata nahin – Dil Diya Dard Liya
Hai agar dushman dushman, zamaana ghum nahin – Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahin
Subah aur sham kamhi kam – Uljhan
Bhajan bina chain naa aye ram – Rafoochakkar

Raga: Kalingda
Mohe bhool gaye saanwariya – Baiju Bawra

Raga: Kalyan
Do naina matavale tihare – Choti Bahen
Janevale se mulakat na hone payi – Amar
Ansu bhari hai ye jivanki rahe – Parvarish
Jiya le gayo ji mora savariya – Anpadh
Mausam hai ashikana – Pakeezah
Inhi logone le lina dupatta mera – Pakeezah
Jab dip jale ana – Chit Chor
Woh sham kuchh ajib thi – Khamoshi (old)
Chandansa badan chanchal chitavan – Saraswati Chandra
Apke anurodhpe main ye geet – Anurodh
Bada dukh dina tere lakhanne – Ram Lakhan Yaad
“Breathless” – Breathless (Shankar Mahadevan)
Lagta nahin hai dil mera – Laal Quila
Man re tu kahe na dhir dhare – Chitralekha
Saranga teri yaadmen – Saaranga
Abhi na jao chhodkar – Hum Dono
Mere humsafar mere paas – Refugee

Raga: Kamod
Eri jane na dungi – Chitralekha
Jao re jogi tum jao re – Amrapali
Tumko dekha to ye khayal aya – Saath Saath

Raga: Kedar
Bekaspe karam kijie – Mugal-e-Azam
Humko manki shakti dena – Guddi
Pal do pal ka saath humara – The Burning Train
Aapki ankhonmen kucch – Ghar
Bole to basuri kahi – Saawan Ko Aane Do
Uthaye ja unke sitam – Andaaz (old)
Main paagal mera manwa paagal – Aashiana

Raga: Khamaj
Ayo kahan se ghanashyam – Buddha Mil Gaya
Bada natkhat hai…ka kare yashoda maiya – Amar Prem
Vaishnav jan to – Narsinh Mehta Bhajan
Nazar lagi raja tore bungle par – Kaala Pani
Kuch to log kahenge – Amar Prem
Vaishnav jan to taine re kahiye (Bhajan)

Raga: Kirwani
Mera dil ye pukare a ja – Nagin
Yaad na jaye bite dinonki – Dil Ek Mandir
Meri bhigi-bhigisi palakonpe – Anamika
Ye raten ye mausam nadika kinara – Dilli Ka Thug
Nind na mujhako ae – Post box No. 999
Pukarta chala hun main – Mere Sanam
Geet gata hun mai – Laal Pathhar
Anevala pal janevala hai – Golmaal
Bekaraar dil too gaaye ja – Door Ka Rahi
Mera dil ye pukaare aaja – Nagin

Raga: Lalit
Tu hai mera prem devta – Kalpana
Ik shahenshahne banvake hansi – Leader
Pritam daras dikhao – Chacha Zindabad
Koi paas aya savere savere – A Ghazal by Jagjit Singh
Tu nahin to mere liye – Tum Yaad Aaye
Raina biti jaye – Amar Prem

Raga: Madhuvanti
Rasm-e-ulfat ko nibhaayen, to nibhaayen kaise – Dil Ki Rahen
Ko birahini ko dukh jane – Chala Vahi Desh

Raga: Madhyamad Sarang
Aa laut ke aaja mere meet – Rani Roopmati

Raga: Manjh Khammaj
Kaanha kanha aan padi re tere dwar – Aman
Jane kaise sapano me kho gai ankhiyan – Anuradha
Kaise dina bite kaise biti ratiyan piya jane na – Anuradha

Raga: Malgunji
Nain so nain nahi milo – Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje
Ghar a ja ghir aye badra – Chhote Nawab
Unko yeh shikayat hai – Adaalat (old)
Na jiya lage na – Anand

Raga: Malkauns
Man tarapat hari darshanko – Baiju Bawra
Aadha hai chandrama rat adhi – Navrang
Tu chhupi hai kahan – Navrang
Aaye sur ke panchhi aaye – Sur Sangam
Ye kahani hai diyeki aur tufanaki – Tufan aur Diya
O pavanvegase udanevale ghode – Jai Chaittaur
Ankhiyana sang ankhiya lagi aaj – Bada Aadmi
Deep jalaye jo – Kalakaar

Raga: Mand
Tu chanda main chandani – Reshma aur Shera
Kesariya Balam – Lekin
Ab to hai tumse har khushi apni – Abhimaan
Piya piya bole mora kangana – Swarg Nark
Bachpan ki mohabbat ko – Baiju Baawara
Dheemo re chale re vaayariyo – Album (Piya Basanti)

Raga: Maru Bihag
Matwaali naar thumak thumak
Tum to pyar ho sajna – Sehra
Jamunaa kinare aaja chaliya pukare aaja – Mehbooba

Raga: Marwa
Payeliya bavari – Saaz aur Aawaz

Raga: Megh
Mahefil men baar baar kisi par nazar gai – A Ghazal by Gulam Ali
Konpalen phir fut ayi – A Ghazal by Mehdi Hassan
Kahan se aye badra – Chashm-e-Badoor

Raga: Megh Malhar
Dukh bhare din bite re bhaiya – Mother India
Tan rangalo ji aaj man ranga lo baraso re – Tansen
Kare kare badra – by Lata Mangeshkar
Ghata ghana ghora ghora – Tansen

Raga: Miyan Ki Malhar
Bole re papihara – Guddi
Bhay bhanjana vandana sun humari – Basant Bahar
Baadal umad bhar aaye – Saaz
Ghir ghir aayi badariya kaari – Sardari Begum

Raga: Miya ki Todi
Bhini bhini bhor aayi – Asha Bhosle’s Album ‘Dil Padosi Hai’

Raga: Mohanam (Carnatic)
Jyoti Kalas Jalke – Bhabhi Ki Chudiyaan

Raga : Multani
Daya karo e girdhar-gopala
Raga: Nand
Tu jahan jahan chalega – Mera Saaya

Raga: Pahadi
Sunri sakhi mohe sajna bulae – Nagin
O durke musaphir hamko bhi sath le le – Udan Khatola
Are ja re hato natakhat – Navrang
Chal ud jaa re panchi – Bhabhi
Koi pyaar ki dekhe jadugari – Kohinoor
Sakhi ri mera man umade tana dole – Nagin
Chaudavika chand ho – Chaudavi Ka Chand
Ye vadiyan phijae bula rahi – Aaj aur Kal
Tujhko pukare mera pyar – Neel Kamal
Aja re tujhko mera pyar pukare – Waqt
Do sitaaron ka zameen par hai milan aaj ki raat – Waqt
Din hai bahar ke tere mere – Waqt
Kaun aya hai nigahonmen chamak jag uthi – Waqt
Hum jab simatake aapki bahonmen – Waqt
Janevalo jara mudke dekho mujhe – Dosti
Chaahoonga main tujhe saanjh savere – Dosti
Gudiya hamse ruthi rahogi – Dosti
Lag ja gale ke phir ye hansi raat – Woh kaun thi?
Vahan kaun hai tera musaphir – Guide
Dil pukare aa re aa re – Jewel Thief
Rulake gaya sapna mera – Jewel Thief
Chalo dildaar chalo – Pakeezah
Aaja re, aaja re o mere dilbar aaja – Noorie
Kabhi kabhi mere dilmein – Kabhi Kabhi
Isharon isharon mein dil lenewale – Kashmir Ki Kali
Aaj ki raat mere dil ki salaami le le – Ram Aur Shyam
Neela aasman so gayaa – Silsila
Javaan hai mohabbat, hasin hai zamaana – Anmol Ghadi
Jo waada kiya wo nibhaana parega – Taj Mahal
Kora kaagaz tha ye man mera – Aaradhana
Meri aankhon mein bas gaya koi re – Barsat
O door ke musaafir, ham ko bhi saath le le – Udan Khatola
O mora naadaan baalama na jaane dil ki baat – Ujala
Saawan ka mahina, pawan kare sor – Milan
Shaam dhale khidki tale tum seeti bajaana chhor do – Albela
Suhaani raat dhal chuki, na jaane tum kab aayoge – Dulari
Tere mere honthon pe, meethe meethe geet mitava – Chaandani
Paayo ji maine ram ratan dhan paayo (Bhajan)
Aapko dekhke baadal ko pasinaa – Hum Aapke Dilmen Rahte Hai

Raga: Palasi
Gori tera gaanv bada pyara – Chit Chor

Raga: Patdeep
Saaz ho tum awaz hun main – Saaz aur Aawaz
Megha chhaye adhi raat – Sharmilee

Raga: Pilu
Ajahun na aye balma – Sanjh Aur Savera
Jhoole mein pavanki ayi bahar – Baiju Bawra
More sainya ji utarenge paar nadiya dhire baho – Uran Khatola
Dheere se aaja ri akhiyan mein nindiya – Albela
Banwari Re Jeene Ka Sahara – Ek Phool Char Kante
Jaiye aap kahan jayenge – Mere Sanam
Dhoondho dhoondho re saajna – Ganga Jamuna
Allah megh de pani de – Guide
Kali ghata chhaye mora jiya ghabraye – Sujata
Tere bin soone nayan hamare – Meri Soorat Teri Aankhein
Pi ke ghar aaj pyari dulhaniya chali babul – Mother India
Nadiya kinare harayee aayee kangna – Abhiman
Ab ke baras bhejo bhaiya ko babul – Bandini
Baharon ne mera chaman loot kar – Devar
Kaun gali gaye shyam – Pakeezah
Tu jo mere sur men – Chitchor
Na jao saiyan chhuda ke baiyan – Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam
Din sara guzara tore angana – Junglee
Mainu ishq lag gaya rog – Dil Hai Ke Maanta Nahin
Surmayi akhiyonmen nanha munna ek sapna de jaa re – Sadma
Apni kaho kuch meri suno – Parchhain
Ai meri johara zabeen, tujhe maaloom nahin – Waqt
Chandan ka palana resham ki dori – Shabab
More kaanha jo aaye palat ke – Sardari Begum
Raghuvar tumako meri laaj (Bhajan)

Raga: Puriya Dhanashri

Tori Jai Jai Kartaar – Baiju Bawra
Ruk jao banavasi ram – Sampurna Ramayan
Rut aa gayi re, rut chha gayi re – 1947:Earth
Hai rama yeh kya hua – Rangeela
Meri sanson ko jo mehaka rahi hai – Badalte Rishtey
Tumne kya kya kiya hai hamare liye – Prem Geet

Raga: Rageshri

Mohabbat aisi dhadkan hai – Anarkali
Mere sang ga gunguna – Janwar
Kaun aaya mere manke dwaare – Dekh Kabira Roya
Mitva bole mithe bain – Parichay

Raga: Sarang

Aa laut ke aaja mere meet – Rani Roopmati
Savan aye ya na aye – Dil Diya Dard Liya
Dair-o-harammen basne waalon – Ghazal by Jagjit Singh
Saawan rut aaye dekho balam – Album (Piya Basanti)

Raga: Shudh Kalyan

Chand phir nikala – Paying Guest
Meri muhabbat javan rahegi – Janwar
Jahaan daal daal par sone ki cheediyaan – Sikandar-e-Azam
Chaand phir nikala, magar tum na aaye – Paying Guest
Rasik balama – Chori Chori

Raga: Shankara
Rumajhuma rumajhuma chala tihari – Tansen
Bolo bolo kanha bolo chhaliya – Chhaliya

Raga: Shivranjani
Aawaz deke hamem tum bulao – Professor
Jaane kahaan gaye wo din – Mera Naam Joker
Sansar hai ek nadiya – Raftaar
Khabar meri naa lini re bahut din bite – Sant Gyaneshwar
Mere naina savan bhado – Mehbooba
Banake kyun bigada re – Zanjeer
Ai mere sanam ai mere sanam, do jism magar ek jaan – Sangam
Dil ke jharokhe mein tujhko bithakar – Bramhachari
Tere mere beech mein – Ek Duje ke liye
Kahin deep jale kahin dil – Bees Saal Baad
Tumhe dekhti hun to lagta hai aise – Tumhare Liye
Bahaaro phool barasaao, mera mehboob aaya hai – Suraj
Yaad teri aayegi, mujhko bara sataayegi – Ek Jaan Hain Ham

Raga: Sindh Bhairavi
Ajahun na aye balma – Sanjh Aur Savera
Chhod gaye balam – Barsaat (old)

Raga: Sohni
Jhumati gayi hawa, yaad aa gaya koi – Sangeet Samrat Tansen
Kuhu kuhu bole koyaliya – Swarn Sundari
Prem jogan ban ke – Mughal-e-Azam

Raga: Sur Malhar
Dar lage garaje badariya – Ram Rajya

Raga: Tilang
Chhup gaye saare nazaare hoye kya baat ho gayi – Do Raaste
Chota sa baalama akhiyaan neend udaaye le gayo – Ragini
Rehte the kabhi jinake dil mein ham jaan se bhi – Mamta
Yahi armaan lekar aaj apne – Shabab
Itna to yaad hai mujhe – Mehboob ki Mehndi
Meri kahani bhulnevale – Deedar
Sajna sang kahe neha lagae – Main Nashe Me Hun
Lagan tose lagi balma – Dekh Kabir Roya

Raga: Tilak Kamod
Dil-e-nadaan tujhe hua kya – Mirza Ghalib
Tumhare bin ji na lage gharmen – Bhumika
Jalta rahata din raina

Raga: Todi
Insan bano – Baiju Bawra
Mai to ek khvab hun – Himalaya Ki God Mein
Duniya na bhaye mohe, ab to bulale – Basant Bahar
Sun rasiya sun rasiya, kaahe ko jalaaye jiya aaja – Nagin
Too hai mera prem devta – Kalpana
Khuda e baratara teri jaminpar – Taj Mahal

Raga: Vrindavani Sarang
Jhutimuti batiya avan kahe – Rudali

Raga: Yaman
Aansu bhari hain ye jeevan ki raahein – Parvarish
Aap ke anurodh pe, main ye geet sunaata hoon – Anurodh
Bhooli huyi yaadon, mujhe itna na sataao – Sanjog
Chandan sa badan, chanchal chitavan – Saraswati Chandra
Chupa lo dil mein yoon pyaar mera – Mamta
Do naina matawaare tihaare, ham par zulm karen – Chhoti Bahan
Inhi logon ne le leena dupatta mera – Pakeezah
Jaane vaale se mulaaqaat na hone paayi – Amar
Jab deep jale aana, jab shaam dhale aana – Chitchor
Jiya le gayo re mora saanwariya – Anpadh
Mausam hai aashikaana, ai dil kahin se unko – Pakeezah
Nigahen milane ko jee chahata hai – Dil Hi To Hai
O ram ji, bada dukh deena – Ram Lakhan
Woh shaam kuchh ajeeb thi, ye shaam bhi ajeeb hai – Khamoshi
Ranjish hi sahi, dil hi dukhane ke liye aa (Ghazal)

Raga: Yaman Kalyan
Abhi na jayo chhor kar, ke dil abhi bhara nahi – Hum Dono
Ahsaan tera hoga mujh par – Junglee
Beeti na bitaayi raina – Parichay
Is mor se jaate hain – Aandhi
Lagta nahin hai dil mera – Laal Quila
Preetam aan milo
Saaranga teri yaad mein, nain huye bechain – Saaranga
Tere husn ki kya taarif karoon – Leader
Wo jab yaad aaye, bahut yaad aaye – Parasmani
Zindagi bhar naheen bhoolegi wo barsaat ki raat – Barsaat Ki Raat
Aaj jaane ki zid na karo (Geet)
Shri ram chandra kripaalu bhaj man (Bhajan)

Abraham Lincoln’s Letter to his son’s headmaster.

A WORD TO TEACHERS

Last saturday, I visited my dear friends Prashanth & Meera’s home. We were to go out as families to celebrate our birthdays. (Prashanth and I share birthdays on successive dates). While at his home office, watching the cricket match between India and Australia, I happened to notice a framed reprint of a letter written by Abraham Lincoln to the headmaster of his son’s school. I read it a few times. I truly treasure it. I might have reflected on it all thru that evening and the following day. I decided, I have to post the contents of that letter on my blog – lest some of my dear friends don’t get to read it OR not make its reading an accident, but rather, a necessity that will define a purpose – a rather good one!

“He will have to learn, I know, that all men are not just and are not true. But teach him if you can, the wonder of books.. but also give him quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun and flowers on a green hillside.

In school, teach him it is far more honorable to fall than to cheat…..

Teach to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tells him he is wrong.

Teach him to be gentle with gentle people and tough with the tough.

Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone getting on the bandwagon…

Teach him to listen to all men; but teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth, and take only the good that comes through.

Teach him, if you can, how to laugh when he is sad… Teach him there is no shame in tears.

Teach him to scoff at cynics and to be beware of too much sweetness.. Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to highest bidders, but never to put a price on his heart and soul. Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob.. and stand and fight if thinks he is right.

Treat him gently, but do not cuddle him, because only the test of fire makes fine steel. Let him have the courage to be impatient.. Let him have the patience to be brave. Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself, because then he will have faith in humankind.

This is a big order, but see what you can do. . He is such a fine little fellow my son!

Marketing Innovation – Dabbawalas of Mumbai as a channel

Dabbawalas to market Reliance Power IPO

MUMBAI: Reliance Money, the financial services and products distribution company of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, has latched on to a marketing innovation. The firm has roped in the Six Sigma perfected dabbawalas to get an edge in their run-up to the Reliance Power IPO, among a host of other tradeable financial services. The dabba which arrives on the dot at most office desks with home-cooked food, will have other steaming offers in a bulging paper envelope. Apart from the full bouquet of mutual funds, insurance products and money transfer services, Reliance Money expects to push demat accounts, and IPO application forms through this channel, beginning with the Reliance Power application forms. The dabbawalas will not only carry Reliance Money’s messages across the city, they will even pick up requests and completed forms from customers back to the company. “Its a dedicated two-way communications channel,” says Sudip Bandyopadhyay, director of Reliance Money. “The idea is to reach out to a maximum number of retail investors.” According to recent estimates, the dabbawalas move around 1.6 lakh lunch boxes everyday across the length and breath of Mumbai, with a workforce of around 5,000. The alliance ensures that Reliance Money gets access to the most sought after segment of 24-60 year old professionals in the city, “each of who is individualistic enough to insist on fresh, hot home food every day. Reaching out directly to this segment makes more marketing sense than acquiring impersonal mailing lists,” says the director. Given that some parts of this segment may not qualify as traditional equity investors, putting across a customised value proposition for each individual is an added bonus. According to reports, though the average dabbawala has no formal education beyond class eight on an average, their work practices draw upon a 120-year old logistics system. That means the familiar workforce on Mumbai streets – for whom even the unruly Mumbai traffic stops to let pass – misses no more than one delivery in every 10 million. Though the deal with the dabbawalas is to be an event-based deal, Reliance Money is also looking at alternate channels to sell its services. It has also tied up with coffee chain Barista, where each outlet has a trading kiosk. Many travel agencies (like Kuoni) as well as courier offices (like DTDC) too will distribute the company’s financial products. Reliance Money is the electronic transaction platform associated with Reliance Capital, a private sector financial services companies.

World’s Cheapest Car – A promise kept by Tata

For those who have lived or visited India, one can relate to the excessive use of two wheelers to transport middle class families or rely on the vulnerable rickshaws to get around cities and in some rural areas between towns and villages too.  Quite like Maruti – a joint venture between the then Indian Govt. and Suzuki broke the price and size barriers to make cars affordable, Tata Motors, in keeping the promise made by  their Chairman, Ratan Tata, have yet again indicated what the Indian industry is capable of for the world market.  Designed, built and tested on Indian Roads, it can only prove to be a food for thought to the advanced design teams and factories of leading car makers across the world.  Economic Times captures the launch in the article below.

RATAN TATA, chairman of the Tata group of companies, has a cerebral and cordial manner. But the so-called “one-lakh car”, which Tata Motors unveiled in Delhi to a rapt public on Thursday January 10th, is a product of impatience and chutzpah. Instead of waiting for the great swell of prosperity in India and elsewhere to create millions of customers for his company’s products, Mr Tata has decided to wade out—further than any one has gone before—to bring a car to them.

In India one lakh means 100,000, and Tata will sell the most basic version of its new car at 100,000 rupees, or $2,500 (not including taxes and the cost of transporting it to the showrooms). This is roughly half the price of its nearest rival, and little more than the cost of a three-wheeled auto-rickshaw. But the “nano”, as the car is called, is no rickshaw. Apart from the fourth wheel and the doors, it has a 623cc engine that will muster 33 brake horsepower. The car should eke out 50 miles to the gallon, Mr Tata says. It complies with the “Euro III” pollution standards that prevail in India and should meet the tougher Euro IV standards with a bit of tweaking. The firm claims that the car produces less pollution than some two-wheelers produced in India today.

Tata Motors is best known for its trucks, lovingly decorated and recklessly driven, that clatter along India’s highways. It started making small passenger cars only a decade ago. Its low-cost car project has set a trend. Mr Tata says he is “quite gratified” that other firms are following suit. Bajaj Auto, which is known for its two- and three-wheelers, said on January 8th that it hoped to team up with Renault and Nissan to produce its own low-cost car. Fiat, Ford, Honda and Toyota also have cheap models in the works.  Tata may discover a market, only for others to crowd into it.

“It’s not our God-given domain,”says Mr Tata.

Cheap cars can be expensive to invent. Tata experimented with a smaller engine, but was dissatisfied with its performance. It hoped to use continuous-variable transmission, but had to make do, for now, with manual. Tata’s rivals may be able to free-ride on its efforts, copying the cost-cutting tricks it had to discover through painstaking trial and error. “It will be an easier task for them than it was for us,” Mr Tata admits.

Competitors will, for example, notice how Tata shrank the car into what its chairman calls a “concise package”, with the powertrain at the back and the wheels at the “extremities”. The result is 21% bigger inside than the Maruti 800, says Ravi Kant, the managing director of Tata Motors, but is only 80% as long. That will, at least, shorten the traffic jams to which the nano will contribute. Congestion could be a big problem, if millions more cars are to take to the roads. The country’s poor-quality road network is slowly improving, but it is heavily over-used. With India’s transport arteries already so badly clogged, a boom in sales of low-cost cars could bring about a seizure.

Commuting in India’s cities can be both cozy and deadly. Children squeeze snugly between father at the handlebars of a motorcycle, and mother riding side-saddle at the back. This precarious balancing act, says Mr Tata was the “visual target” he had in mind when he first conceived of the need “to create another form of transport”. About 1,800 people die on Delhi’s roads each year, perhaps one-third of them on two-wheelers. Only 5% die in cars. Tata’s project may pose risks for investors, but it promises unaccustomed safety for customers.

In his address during the launch he said ” A promise made is a promise made”. Spoken like Sir. Jamshedji Tata!

May I ‘KINDLE’ your reading passion…….with an e-book?

 

I am very curious to see how Amazon’s new e-book Kindle does in the marketplace. I have always wondered what it would be like to carry an electronic book. While I was studying, I envied the folks with laptops albeit the 9lbs editions. Yet, when I got one, I could never get down to taking notes on a laptop in meetings. Then came the Palm Pilots and every other person was showing off their skills to be able to write on the screen and struggle to make notes in meetings – yet look cool and the gizmo person.

Each time, a notebook and a pen have accompanied me when I wanted to take notes and put my thoughts down. More so at meetings or conferences. While at my desk and on a conference call, maybe I have used my laptop to type out some notes.

Coming to the older cousin of writing – Reading! We are entering a new era to deal with reading and reading habits. If Leap Pad could help millions learn to read, and maybe someone else would help the senior citizens read out a book just by moving the pen or the stick over the lines, the rest are going to soon deal with kids and parents settling down with their ‘Kindles’. At the outset while all I read about it on Newsweek and various blogs – thanks to some amazing marketing by Amazon, appears like a winner, when it comes to reading I believe I am still old fashioned – at least as of now.

I dislike the hard covers. Each time I relax to read any book – fiction, non fiction, I feel it is a heavy burden just to hold and lie down or relax on a couch. To me Kindle will be an everlasting hard cover. The difference of course being, you will get to read all your fictions and non-fictions in the same “hard-cover” edition. You will probably get used to not flipping any pages, you will also get used to a few buttons, wheels and clicks. You will not get the new book, fresh page aroma anymore – unless like the iPOD accessories, someone comes with Kindle accessories – now that is a billion dollar market waiting to happen or what – remember iPOD…..

Cushions to support Kindle while reading; Various colored covers with personalized initials; New book fragrance spray each time you download a new book; Kindle starter kits – cleanser, brush, strap to carry, pouches to carry the SD cards and what not.

Very soon you will juggle between your blackberry, iphone, ipod, laptop and Kindle. It is certainly going to be interesting to watch the accessory vendors, affiliated publishers, personalizing services, recharging kits, Kindle clones like Twindle, ibook, spindle- made with environmentally friendly material or maybe Swindle – sold at a few elite signature stores with everything personalized!!!

For slow adapters like me, we will meanwhile enjoy the new book look, feel, fragrance, continue to exchange books, loan books, return/sell or mark on books – while the electronic toys/gizmo folks try and “re-kindle” their reading habits and fashion statements.

Enough said, who knows, knowing I am an avid reader myself, Santa by choose to send a befitting reply to this post to kindle my hope.

Until then, Happy Reading.

CHAK DE INDIA – Another Inspiring Bollywood Movie

‘Chak De India’ is a beautifully made film that makes you laugh, makes you cry, gives you goose bumps, and stirs up patriotism inside you. It is a film that every lover of good cinema must watch.

It was during one of my daughter’s soccer games that I decided to watch it. She had just been beaten in a game, played the defense position instead of her favorite offense or forward position. Added to it was the verbal unsolicited tirade from her dad that she had to listen …..Poor soul. So, I had to do something for her, shall we say, self esteem and confidence to be restored.

I decided to use one of my audio-visual motivational techniques. Borrowed a copy of ‘Chak De India’ and got her to watch it the night before the game. What a move it was. She could relate to the importance of various positions, adversities faced at higher levels of competition, need to play rough when required and most of all inspirational teamwork. Long story short, she managed to score three goals and carried her team to victory AND played midfield as well as defense in the game and did so with aplomb.

‘Chak De India’ is not just a sports film. It is replete with myriad emotions. And the best part is that Shimit Amin tells the story very realistically, making it all the more believable. He also doesn’t bring any unnecessary dramatization into the story.

The movie has a number of intelligently conceived sequences. For instance, a sequence when the girl’s hockey team has to prove their mettle against the men’s team. The girls lose by a narrow margin, but they get an applause and salutation from male players. Or, another sequence when the girls bash up a bunch of eve teasers. These sequences and the last portions of the second half – when the crucial matches are played – evoke a flood of emotions inside a viewer.

I cannot recall a single dull moment in the film. From the word go, the movie grips you like a vice and keeps you riveted until the end credits roll. During this ‘Chak De’ ride, you go through myriad emotions. You empathize with the pain of the protagonist, cherish the clashes and camaraderie of the girls, and you are filled with an uplifting, charged-up feeling as you see the underdogs rise to the occasion.

My son gets so fired up with the title song that by playing it one could shake him out of a dull mood. I am not surprised that the stadium sang to this song in the recent 20/20 cricket match between India and Australia. That sure must have helped India win to some extent.

To cut to the chase, ‘Chak De India’ keeps you on the edge of your seat, even though it is a sports-based film and not a thriller.

The film’s story is simple and yet it carries so many undercurrents.

Kabir Khan (Shah Rukh), the best centre-forward in Indian hockey team, misses the crucial, last-minute penalty stroke against Pakistan and is blamed for the Indian team’s defeat in the finals. So much so, he is labeled gaddar (betrayer) by his own fellow countrymen. Disgraced and dishonored for one momentary failure, Kabir Khan leaves his parental house with his mother and disappears into oblivion.

Seven years later he appears again, not as a player but as a coach of a bunch of girls in whom even the Hockey Federation has no confidence. Kabir Khan has just three months to coach and train these girls for the Hockey World Cup in Australia.

The girls come from all over India – Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, North East and other states.

On the outside, Kabir Khan is very strict with the girls. Through his toughness he wants to instill discipline and integrity in the team, something which is significantly missing.

Within the team, there is hardly any camaraderie. There are usual girlie fights and arguments. Somebody is egoistic, somebody too self-centered, somebody is hot-tempered and somebody is simply naïve.

Using very unconventional methods, Kabir Khan manages to create a team spirit among the girls. But some differences remain, only to be sorted out in the World Cup tournament in Australia, which the team must win to make India proud. But Kabir Khan is fighting for more than pride for India. For him the victory would bring redemption (for his momentary failure 7 years ago) and reclamation of his lost honor. And when that moment of reckoning does come, he looks on with disbelief in his teary eyes.

A constant thread of humor runs through the film’s narrative. The humor is vernacular, and genuinely funny at that. The funniest of the lot is the rustic Haryanavi girl Komal (Chitrashi Rawat) and the hot-tempered Punjabi girl Balbir Kaur (Tanya Abrol).

The superstar doesn’t go overboard in his performance in ‘Chak De’– there is no quivering of lips and no heavy breathing. Using his facial expressions and intense eyes to his advantage, with utmost conviction SRK plays a man simmering and seething within. Undoubtedly, this one is a praiseworthy performance from the King Khan.

At the end of the day, ‘Chak De India’ is a deeply touching film that offers plenty for you to carry home with.

Do yourself a favor, go and see this film. It is a must-watch. If any of you visit India and get your hands on a legal copy, send me one. This one, like Lagaan, is a collectible.

I Can Make A Difference……Pooja Kini

I Can Make A Difference

By conserving water… one drop at a time

By saving the forest… one tree at a time

By flexing power… one room at a time

I Can Make A Difference…..

By caring for the homeless… one blanket at a time

By fighting poverty… one meal at a time

By helping cure juvenile diabetes… one child at a time

I Can Make A Difference….

By making all smile… one face at a time

By spreading joy… one Christmas at a time

By sharing love… one heart at a time

BORDERLESS INNOVATION – Beyond Innovation Nations

It was in 1991 that Kenich Ohmae’s book Borderless World first made its impact on me and got me into trying to becoming a global executive as against a local executive.  In those years, it was an attempt to try and innovate in your functions rather than product innovation.

Being a Product Marketing Manager in India, for products built and developed in the US for most part, it was innovative approaches to positioning, bringing and getting people to adopting it in India.  Sixteen years later, we are now in a completely different world.  A borderless, or FLAT as we call it now, yet, innovating on all fronts.

I had a chance to read excepts of the new book by John Kao, an innovation consultant, who points out in his new book, Innovation Nation: How America Is Losing Its Innovation Edge, Why It Matters, and What We Can Do to Get It Back, all the key advantages once enjoyed by the U.S. are nearly gone.

His strongest point is that the geography of innovation is changing. For much of the 20th century, the locus of leading-edge thinking was the U.S. and Western Europe. The rise of Asia is evening that out, redistributing the fruits of innovation: wealth and power.

 

From Borderless World  to a Flat World to Innovation Nation to Borderless Innovation – how did things change so soon?

— Global Talent. The return to greatness of Asia’s older universities and the building of new educational institutions mean that brainpower is more evenly distributed. In addition, a giant reverse diaspora is under way as tens of thousands of Chinese and Indian scientists and engineers, many of them tops in their fields, leave the U.S. to return to their homelands to teach and work.

— Venture Capital Availability. Venture capital pools are operating all over Asia and Europe, speeding the generation of new startups. European and American VC firms have offices in most major cities in Asia and Eastern Europe. Initial public offerings have totaled $40 billion in China so far in 2007. Two of my good friends from the Silicon Valley have set up large funds to assist new ventures with a focus on India.

— Silicon Valley is no longer only in CA. The social and economic ecosystem that has been so productive in Northern California is being reproduced all over the world. Bangalore in India and Biopolis in Singapore , have found the magic once mainly centered in U.S. innovation hubs.

— Dollar is losing its foothold –We see buying power across a few nations growing and Euro gaining strength.  In countries like India, which seem to be delivering the recent additions to the list of billionaires – including arguably the new #1 Mukesh Ambani.

 

_Lower barriers to entry – With access to top computing power, labs, design schools and JIT access to latest and most current, countries like India and China are able to bring out the best products, programs, methodologies that best help their respective economies as well as gain global footage.

 

-eShowcase- With the advent of ecommerce, web commerce and ability to show and tell from any part of the world, competitive innovators are able to attract potential clients and user from all across the world.  Thus removing yet another barrier of travel, visa, language and possibly even capital to just show sample work.

 

Kao probably underplays a critical issue: the role of global corporations in innovation’s changing geography. Such companies, he suggests, “operate with increasing independence from their country of origin…. They are shipping manufacturing, design and especially R&D abroad at a ferocious pace.” So fast is this happening, says Kao in his book, that Craig Barrett, chairman of Intel (INTC ), told him his company might not even qualify as American anymore. Is this the beginning of the Borderless Innovation?

Global corporations are benefiting from this global shift. Just as the fall of communism led to a wider pool of labor and capital, so too will the global spread of innovation create a wider pool of talent for companies. Albeit originating this time from the east rather than the  traditional west or to be precise – America.

But Americans are not gaining as much from all this.  In the past, economic benefits have gone mostly to the first mover—the innovator, entrepreneur, or creator. Not to mention the location of the first mover – in a conducive environment like the Silicon Valley for example.

Kao notes that the U.S. already spends more per public-school student than any other major country. He wants new ways to teach, such as integrating game culture with curriculum development. What will it take for more Americans to start getting into the mainstream of engineering, design, technology, medicine instead of the now popular “liberal arts” major?  Will America be able to leverage the education system and potential by collaborating with the universities and curriculum in India and other parts of Asia that is producing these brilliant, wide pool of talent?  Will America start looking at the seeding stages of education while also looking at the seeding capital for Silicon Valley companies?  Will we truly be able to work seamlessly in a world economy that co-exists because of the quality and value of what each delivers and not because of the currency differences and labor arbitrage?

Agood blend of the east and west has always delivered interesting progressive results.  Can we potentially bet on the future by applying some innovative approaches to education and betting on the next generation to bet on the future? Is Global Mentorship an approach?  Is America open minded about a novel “innovative approach”? Only time will tell…..or  will it be too late? 

TOOLS FOR MOBILITY – LOOK MA NO LAPTOP!!!

It was during the 99-2004 that I was probably living off a suitcase and of course a briefcase with a laptop in it weighing anywhere from 10lbs initially to about 4lbs.

Having been “around” and yet not going around as much lately, my mind always tries to keep a look out for the best tools for a road warrior.

In the recent past, a number of new services for road warriors have been introduced in the market, and they go way beyond email and calendaring. Eventually we are getting to a point where we can potentially leave home without a laptop, live away from your computer and yet stay fully connected. You do need a smartphone–such as an iPhone, or a current model of BlackBerry or like my brother uses the NOKIA e-611–to use most of these apps. It takes very little time to actually get set and go!
Not a day goes by without some friend, client, associate wondering how come I still do not have an iPhone. I guess my business partner and I have worked hard to get over the “theory of gadget attraction” and try to get more out of our investments. Both of us have blackberry devices for the last 4 years or so and have been mighty pleased with it. That said, I am making an effort here to list what potentially could be the best tools for a road warrior. Being from the class of “doing more with less”, all these services are free. Thanks to my friend Dorai for having pointed to a couple of them.

Voice notes

JOTT: If you want to leave a message, make a note, store an idea, just call Jott and leave a message. Within a few minutes, Jott will send back an email with both the audio message and text. Jott also now lets you use your voice. We tried with our inimitable accents, lo and behold…perfecto transcription.

Instant messaging

GTALK: IM for me has become a very convenient and effective way to stay in touch and get things going with as minimum communication as required – quickly. It has enabled me attend to calls and yet ping for required current information. I also heard about Fring that lets you use instant messengers such as Gtalk, Skype and others via mobile.

GOOGLEMAPS: I saw the application on my blackberry pearl when I first got it and loved it. Microsoft, Yahoo, and Google all offer mobile versions of their online portals. They each provide dozens of features, including search, weather, and stock widgets. Whether you choose Google or not, get Google Maps for travel directions. In some areas, it’ll even show you traffic conditions–a major time-saver. Love it especially that now I travel only when needed and it ends up being a MUST travel rather than HAVE to travel scenario.

Grand Central helpfully lets you control multiple phone lines, send calls to any phone, and then listen to messages from any Web browser.

VOICEMAIL: Skype despite all the interesting news it is making today, certainly made a huge impact in mobility of voice mails and ability to call from anywhere. We are a small firm with less than 100 experts in IT and business and do not necessarily need a big IT department. I heard about Callwave to manage office voice mails. It goes beyond the iPhone’s visual voice mail, giving you lots of ways to manage calls. Its latest service converts voice mail to a text message (free during beta).

SPREADSHEETS: Sharing documents and spreadsheets has been a boon in its own way. There are many instances in the last few months both for business and my non-profit involvements we have used these features on Google. If you do a lot of work in Excel, like we do and if I can read the passion to use Excel for proto-typing in my colleague Dorai, we will soon be having them as the official medium for budgets, forecasts, prototypes (yeah, I might just ask him to blog on that discovery soon). Until recently, I probably had to carry my laptop just for the “XL moments”. No more, EditGrid (free for personal use; corporate account prices vary) is a really cool online spreadsheet program; I believe, its new iPhone version gives you full-featured spreadsheets.

MEDIA: With all pictures and videos we take with our hand phone (that is what they call it in India), Youtube, Flickr being a part of ones daily life, an application like SHOZU can help upload images and videos.

MONITR & SMART BOOKMARKS: Last but not the least, is our own productivity tool WEBMonitr. While you have all the capability to browse and limited time, bandwidth, convenience to do the same, this sends you ALERTS of changes, updates, news, current events, profiles, competition, what not as a simple email with a link to your hand phone. You then have to click on the link and check out the site. No need to run thru multiple bookmarks and keep looking for the latest and the greatest.

Cheers! To productive Mobility. Cheers! To Freedom!!