Coding. Anyone?

I had to do Chemical and Process Engineering at Uni, because I was below the GPA needed for software engineering. Yet that could not deter my determination to be around software.
At uni, I had 2 friends who were totally nuts about entertainment. We made songs, documentaries and imagined a world where people having a good time, with software, agile enough to serve anyone's needs.

Of course, I started my career as a Sales Engineer at a software company. Then a senior Accountant at a Telco. Communications, software, excited me, and I worked my self in periphery, understanding the processes that make a phone call possible, a web site up and running.

I loved coding, but was too busy seeing the big picture.

Now, I am at Fusion, doing ICT for Development and Mobile for development. Eagerly awaiting the next wave of technology to come and lift the lives of rural communities.

Coding is a very fun thing. You can change lives. Now anyone with a tint of motivation can go beyond. Watch the video. Be inspired.

I want to find a job in Kantale

This was what a 'Fusion Education' student said to me while visiting him at Kantale.

The question I asked was "do you want a job in Colombo?". I was curious, as majority wants to come to Colombo for greener pastures.

The following was his answer - an answer that got me thinking for few weeks now, and drives me for the next innovation idea.

" Colombo is expensive. As a beginner, I won't be able to afford cost of living there. If I can stay in Kantale, I can save money, and take care of my parents too "

He knows jobs are scarce in his neighborhood. Yet he's willing to test his nerves on entrepreneurship too.

This is one of many examples, on why I have faith in youth of this nation.

Career instead of job

Remember the excitement of landing at your first job?
We all are desperate for this - the first job.

Then over time, the excitement reduces to a daily - must do chore - to make ends meet.
This happens when you continue to hunt for better jobs.

There's another way - more successful - and ever exciting.
Hunt for a career.

Jobs depend on demand and supply of HR markets.
Career depends on , well, you.

Career is a life long process of renewing your self, understanding and sharpening your strengths and align with new trends.
Jobs are fun, until you are no longer needed at your office, or you are fed up with it.

Thinking of your career drives you for the right job, or better still, the job finds you.
That's the only difference. The only thing that matters - for happiness.

Fundamentals in the age of abundance

We read books : fundamentals of X, basics of Y. It takes time to read and put them in to practice. And it requires routine practice to master.

On Internet we read: 5 ways to win X, how to make Y in 45 minutes. This does not take much time, and sure feels like a cheat sheet. And Internet comes with heaps of free and ever increasing new advise in abundance.

Free access to new knowledge does not guarantee value over time. It may most probably drive you down, consuming your precious time.

Fundamentals in the other hand, put in to practice, sharpens over time. So be careful, and take time to revisit fundamentals.

"Why me?"

If I don't ask "why me?" after my victories, I cannot ask "why me?" after my set backs and disasters ~ Arthur Ashe

By default people do not remember much of the good times. The sooner we hit a bad patch, we forget we had good times.

Life is about ups and downs. That's what makes it exciting - worthy to pursue happiness and be inspired.

Problem is our over excitement. In happy times - we over joy, not wanting the happy feeling to go away. In sad times - we get agitated and depressed, want the bad feeling to go away, quickly. If we can master this over excitement, pausing each time we are over excited, to think - " This too is temporary" (in both happy and sad times) we can find peace. Peace of mind is something better than striving for happiness at all times.

Pic courtesy: desuza.communications

Life's little luxuries

Today I woke up at 430. First thing I do, is haul my self out of bed, and switch on the lights. I heard the 'tick' sound, but was still in dark. Hmm. I remembered. Last night it was lightning so hard, it might have made the trip switch off. I went there and, yes it was off. I pulled it up, and was still in dark.

I looked around. Usually my neighbors are up at this time, and I heard them talking, in dark. Duh.

I slept last night around 830, exhausted by a weary day of work. And the immediate thought came to my mind was 'this would be a bad day'.

I switched the flash light of my ever reliable Samsung Hero phone, and went to wash room. I turned on the tap, and water came gushing through my finger tips. I marveled at it for few seconds. Then I washed my face. I felt happy, peaceful. These things, electricity and water have become so common, and I hardly appreciate them. But these little moments, when they get absent, with out warning, we understand what 'luxuries' we have, unnoticed in the mad rush of life.

I sat down, smiling, " life ain't that bad ".

We left a bit early today, no cooking, aiming to eat out.

And when I came to Katubedda junction, the color lights were not working. Even with the thin traffic in that early hour, still people were mad, with out color lights. How many times have I cursed traffic lights before ? Huh. As I moved towards Ratmalana, I could see lights & colour lights in their glory. Oh how I took these for granted. 

Rating for Movies shown in Sri Lanka?

"Rating for movies shown in Sri Lanka?" This was the question asked by Robin, a British volunteer at Fusion. I said " I am not sure, Why?"

He explained. He went to Savoy to watch 'Hansel and Gretel' and was horrified to see small children (Age 4-5) in the audience. According to him, the movie has violence worse than 'Django Unchained'. And he had seen children crying during the interval.

And I quote Robin again " I can understand theaters in Sri Lanka showing public announcements  against smoking. But what about violence? And no rating ? "

Food for thought. Leave aside theaters, it's up to parents to be aware and be understood about the movie before purchasing tickets.

Go to imdb.com, type ' Hansel and Gretel ' and you'd see a R rating, and reasons why it is so. Even 'Madagascar' has a PG rating. Hmm.

Pic courtesy: moviechopshop.com 

Sri Siddhartha Gautama

On the movie

Good to see right blend of technology in a Lankan movie. Glad to see Indian, Lankan collaboration. Nice to see an age old story been recreated with minimum controversies. A great effort.

Many don't like the slow pace of this movie. I liked it, because the slowness of story line, sinks in the struggle of the prince, up until his departure from worldly affairs. The movie briefly shows Siddhartha's 6 year journey from departure from his palace up until enlightenment. Yet, the movie mainly carries the life of the prince, not of Buddha. Creating the life of prince and his struggle to make terms with things he was forced to, is wonderfully recreated. I enjoyed the novel 'Buddha' by Deepak Chopra, because it projected the real vulnerable prince in confusion. This movie comes so close in projecting those emotions well. But there were issues with casting. Overall I am happy for the movie, and to see 'houseful' signs at Sri Lanka cinema halls for a Lankan movie. Here's the list of halls, show times and contact numbers.

On the cinema hall

Tower Cinema Hall at Moratuwa was a disaster. 'Cattle shed' is the best title I can give. yes - ODC is Rs.100, balcony is Rs.130, and parking is just Rs. 20. 

But, BUT, they can't really make patrons sweat like pigs? Let seats crack and cushions to come out? To have a sound system that my mother cannot really understand most of the words? Not to maintain at-least the existing exhaust fans? Atleast make effort to rotate their age old fans?

For goodness sake, the shows are houseful, ordinary people are buzzing around cinema gates to get in. They come in van loads, the whole families, to enjoy a Lankan movie !

When was the last time that happened in Sri Lanka? 

Anyways, enjoyed a movie, with parents, despite bitter life conditions. :)

Hats off to the producers of the movie.

'Kadal' to 'Vishwaroopam'. Madness.

As politicians & religious leaders are busy deciding whether we should watch Vishwaroopam or not, I write this to put forward a simple view.

I watched 'Kadal' yesterday. I am amazed why Christians did not protest about it. That movie seriously looks deeply in to humanity through life around church in a coastal village in Southern India. It has lot of humour and at the start, Christianity gets a battering (Or it assumes, for dramatic intent). So why not ban 'Kadal' as well.

Then why ' Sankhara' and ' Suriya Arana' was not banned? Both revolves around Buddhism, and talks on sensitive issues: Former on sexuality of a monk and later on how poverty makes poor people stray away from values and principles.

Anyways, it is sad that creative interpretation of things that matters to people, get blocked by people have no idea how a common man struggles to live.

And oh, if you are sick about this racial crap, watch 'Oh my God'. 100% honest movie - makes you think, out of your box - out of your religion.

'Kadal' - The sea

It's released here in Sri Lanka, parallel to India on Feb 01st.

I saw it today thanks to seeing a tweet from Arun, who happened to see it yesterday. Then he provided me details about the cinema hall (EROS, Pamankada) and show times. Otherwise there's no way to find details on web. So thanks Arun!

@isura show times 10.30pm, 2.30pm and 6.30pm. Not sure of booking but there were too many free seats yesterday. @twitsath
— R.Arunothayan (@Me_ArunR) February 2, 2013

And I had been told over phone by theatre that they have a 930 pm show. (Guess it is only on weekends, please verify that)

@isura 0112365030 - Eros Theatre Number. Talk to them and see bro, not sure of weekend bookings!
— R.Arunothayan (@Me_ArunR) February 2, 2013

I Liked the movie. Story was moving, never a boring gap.

Most importantly, Mani Ratnam is a director, who's down to earth. I cannot find fake, made up fluffy dolls in his movies. He creatively brings out real characters, closer to our region, in their authentic flavour. (Bollywood is mostly fake wannabe Hollywood characters, with no spec of reality.

The story revolves around a battle between Good and evil. All the characters have a grey element. Neither 100% good nor 100% evil. Movie projects that compassion can smooth grudges and life can be re-started at any point, if one wishes to.

Beautiful movie. Great music (Rahman does it again - a maestro in every sense). 

This is my first time at Eros cinema. Lots of chatter and yelling. Signs of superb movie loving audience. Absolutely enjoyed the whole experience (Not just the movie)

And oh, the official trailer above is meh. It does not capture the essence of movie. Not at all. Glad that I did not see it before seeing the movie. Otherwise, I would not have watched it. So don't judge this movie by its trailer :)

Let me know your thoughts, if you do see it.

Django Unchained

It is one hell of a movie. 'Hell' is for 2 things. One for its wonderful story telling. Two is for its' gross depiction of the hell, that America was, during the period of slavery.

Watch it at your own discretion. Violence is shown in the most detailed form, that it took me hours to get out of sombre feelings. But I learned something valuable. The slave trade did not happen because whites were superior. It happened because blacks admitted whites were superior. One stand, One man, against the tide, is the difference between , I mean, everything.

Power packed movie. Great pack of actors. Can't ask for more. In-fact too much.