Everything Else

A Working Mother’s Guide to Passing the PMP Exam

May 14, 2009 Filed Under: Everything Else By Ishrath Humairah 16 Comments

PMP Exam is no big deal. Anyone can crack the exam – be it a seasoned professional, a working mother, or both.

As I was (still am) juggling job, baby and deadlines, I did not want to give my exam immediately. I was keen on passing it in the first attempt. PMP trainers advised me to chart a strict study timetable and religiously stick to it. That disciplined approach did not work for me. At home, I would be spending more time with the baby than worrying about the critical path method. With a lovely toddler around, how could Time Management chapter and its networking diagrams be interesting? Therefore I conclude that there is so fixed path for success. Each one charts one’s own.

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Ikri Mikri Cham Chikri

January 9, 2009 Filed Under: Everything Else By Ishrath Humairah 6 Comments

Ikri Mikri Cham Chikri
Chamey Kata Mojumdar
Dheye elo damodar
Damodarer hari kuri
Duarey boshey chal kuri
Chal kut tey holo byala
Bhaat khai shey dupur byala
Bhatey porlo machhi
Kodal diye chanchi
Kodal holo bhhonta
Khyakshiyaler maatha!

This is one of funniest things I learnt from a Bengali friend of mine. I dont remember the song anymore but wont want to forget the experience of having learnt it from an elderly friend who sang it with the enthusiasm of a child.

Simran Bhargava has One Life to Love

November 26, 2008 Filed Under: Everything Else By Ishrath Humairah 17 Comments

“Coffee’s at seven, god’s in his heaven, all is well with the world.”There are the incredibly profound yet the silliest words penned by this lady who intrigued me the first time I saw her on television. Simran Bhargava is no stranger to anyone anymore. Her show on NDTV Good Times, One Life to Love, is one of the best lifestyle talk shows on Indian television.

Simran Bhargava at a Book Event - Wish I had a better picture of her, here!

Simran Bhargava at a Book Event (Photo Credit – Prabhas Roy)

Simran anchors for this work-life-balance kind of a show that deals with many topics that the current generation identifies with – Money, stress, work balance, spirituality, burnout, health, alternative therapies, books, arts, art of living, and more. Her style of presenting has been applauded as zara-hatke and continues to touch millions of viewers from all parts of the globe.

Serious insights, little humor, active listening and a million-dollar-smile are the trademarks of her show. Be it my tired colleague, my jhola-wallah friend, or my bosses, all are in awe to this elegant lady who has got the eyeballs and the TRPs right.

This makes me wonder – what makes her so special?

When I first saw the show, she stood out more than anything or anyone else. The show topics were unusual, the story board was not sleek enough, she did look like the typical show anchor, she was not conventionally dressed, and she was talking too much sense… how unconventional and how imperfect is that!

And that’s exactly what makes Simran Bhargava my favorite – one of best hostess in the Indian television industry. Watching her on TV does not feel like watching TV.

There is an immediate connection with Simran, as if we have known her all along. Is it to do with her way of talk, words, looks, dress sense, expressions, flashy smile revealing too many teeth or the whole bundle? We don’t care any less. I think we connect with her because she is imperfect.

She comes across as honest in every topic she covers. There is sincerity in purpose, which we seldom come across in our daily lives. She goes beyond the working-for-a-living concept by stirring in a bit more soul in her work.

We like the program because it not as jazzy as others and is a little less air brushed. We like her show because we too want to hear what her guests have to say. We like the laziness with which the show meanders from start to conclusion, leaving us delightfully enlightened. Her words and sentences strike an immediate chord with us. Most of the times she always says what was always known but unsaid.

The first time I saw one life to love, I was quite intrigued by the over-the-top anchor trying too hard to listen and make sense of what was being said. A little later when she responded back with her understanding of the topic and her addition to the gyan, it was more than obvious that this lady knew exactly what was being discussed and that she can speak her mind too. I liked her in the first episode itself. Even today when I am surfing channels (which I do), I make it a point to pause a lot longer than usual to catch the glimpse of the lady in question and the topic being discussed.

When I realised that the show topics were just too right for the emerging audience, I wanted to know more about her and if I can get to see more of her somewhere. Random Googling threw disappointing results leading me nowhere. Wish I knew more of this wonderfully reserved lady. But hang on, what I did discover was that she was a famous columnist writing for the Financial Express. Good. Now, what did she write? Googled again.

It was quite a long time since I came across some good read and Simran’s writing just delighted me to the core. Her selection of topics and her style of writing leave me deeply impressed.

I was happy to read her past articles and read them again and again. That was when I realised what a wonder-power-house of talent she is. A case in point is her famous article on Coffee called In Search Of A Perfect Cup Of Coffee. It is such a joy to read it. Does not matter if you love or hate coffee, you will end up loving her for her love for the cuppa. I simply adore the way she puts her thoughts on paper. I hope to collect more of her works in future.

I guess Simran’s writing style mantra would be: Take one topic at a time. Love it. Live it. Love over it. Do it completely. Then put it on paper. Reading her articles is pleasure… which we do not get as often as we like. I guess I can never have enough of her writing.

Longing to return to roots, smell the jasmine flowers, feel the earth, walk barefoot, go-hand-in-hand, are some of the things I can associate Simran with. Her simple style of writing and presenting endears one and all. I am glad that her education in Stanford and her stints at the leading houses like Cosmopolitan, Financial Express, etc., have not ruined her. Simple and down-to-earth – Simran Bhargava is the quinssential what-you-see-is-what-you-get person. I do not think there is another facet of her, any less beautiful than this.

For now, Simran Rocks! I wish her good luck, good health, happiness and peace. I hope that I get to see more of her.

To me, Simran will always remain – a beautiful mind.

Here are some of the assorted articles by Simran Bhargava that I found on the web. I hope the links are correct/ no copyrights violated and that the works are indeed hers. Happy Reading!

Simran in Search Of A Perfect Cup Of Coffee

Simran’s musings – A Life-Changing Period Of Doing Nothing

Simran Bhargava in conversation with Deepak Chopra about Love

The Afternoon Apathy Syndrome by Simran Bhargava

Simran’s powerpoints on Bringing Business Presentations To Life

From Just A Short Decade Ago by Simran Bhargava

Simran Bhargava voices on The Power Of Speaking Well

Simran Bhargava’s take on The Great Indian Wedding Tamasha

The Art Of Personal Energy Management – by Simran Bhargava

If you come across any more exciting reads, please let me know :o) Thanks.

Kitchen Soup for the Soul

November 25, 2008 Filed Under: Everything Else By Ishrath Humairah 1 Comment

I cannot cook every day.

I do not cook every day.

I do not like to cook everyday.

But I am nothing short of admiration for the women who live their life in kitchens – cooking for their spouses, kids and everyone else. I have seen my beloved aunts slog their lives next to the stove. Their only priority was to get hot steaming food on the dining table. Their evening teatime would be spent chopping vegetables, their phone conversations would be about the meals made and recipes exchanged, their trips to super market would center on the menu for the week. They would also smell of the dish they had cooked. I admire their energy and their idea of loving through the ladle and stirring in the much-needed TLC in our lives. But it saddens me that they have no time to try out any other way of expressing their love.

The famous quotation, “that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”, is kind of indigestible to me. These women toil endlessly in the kitchen to put forth this perfectly delectable meal for their loved ones. Only to be met by their spouse who does not think much about it, who cannot compliment, who cannot take time out to appreciate the hard work, as this is their way of everyday life. The kids do not think much and gulp down the food – which in most cases is not as palatable as the junk food would be.

I always cringed at the kind of example they would be for their kids. The young girls would take it as a done way of life. The boys think that that’s the way a woman should be. This makes me feel sorry for them but angry as well for letting others entertain these thoughts.

More often than not, these lovely women do this because they have no other choice. Tradition demands women to stay at home while the man provides for the family.

Put those same women on your office desk and she can put most of blue-collared employees to shame. I would say that her skills in planning, organisation, inventory management, procurement, resource management, marketing, execution, monitoring and control, process improvements and quality, are something we all could learn from. Heck if you thought that they teach this kind of stuff only in PMP and premier business schools.

Real education beings at home.

Next time you jot down a good recipie from the queen of the kitchen, just be aware of the wisdom and tempering that went into it. It is coming down from a very wise soul who has seen more life, more food, more fuss, and probably more pain than you. These are the real women of steel, who in their own ways mastered the art of life, and find their little moments of peace in their kitchens.

The Martha Stewarts, Nigellas, and Gordon Ramseys may have fired up our culinary imagination but we have been learning unconsciously all this while – watching our loved ones sweat it out.

I remember how effortlessly my grandmother cooked for 15 people over a charcoal stove, huffing and puffing endlessly, showing no signs of fatigue. She loved to cook. She loved to serve. She loved to feed. She loved to love in her own way. Those awesome caring genes somehow must have made way through the next generation as my mother and my aunts are remarkable cooks in their own ways. While one reigns over the taste buds, the other offers a-la-carte spread in less than half hour. They ensure that no one leaves the house on an empty stomach.

I am not an extreme feminist but most of the best cooks that I have seen are the old ladies. I consider them the real kitchen queens. Nothing can dispute their authority over the spice box, the kadai and the ladles. This is with no disrespect to the quinssential male chefs who offer equally delicious food. But hey, something is always missing in that. Love? Or a woman’s touch?

I also think that cooking helps us cope with the daily stress of living in this mad world. There have been a lot of studies and suggestions that cooking can be an enjoyable experience. I have experienced it myself.

I am not a daily three-square-meals-a-day cook. I cook when I like. I love to cook when I really want to cook. Sometimes for my loved ones and sometimes for myself. Be it our daal-chaawal daily bread or an exotic feast, I have loved the experience.

Julienne carrots or cubing cottage cheese, I love to do it all. It’s calming, it is humbling, its peaceful, and feels like butterflies. I never quite figured out the big fuss about wanting to cut vegetables. As I write this, I realise that I would love to do that myself. Maybe because it feels good. Because I love the feel of the vegetable. Because I like the labour – the toil. Because I see the fruit of labour right in front of my eyes. Because the effect is so calming, so peaceful, so close to meditation. Now I know why. Now I know why everyone lends a hand to cut vegetables.

I guess that’s why my mother still likes to cut the vegetables even though I think it is too much of hard work and I try to take over. Hang on! I guess we both are vying for the most enjoyable task. I guess, I will let my mom have that little piece of joy.

This can go on and on… will update it some other day…