Slow Down Culture

This is a mail which I got from one of my friend, which I felt like sharing and as I hate spamming the mailboxes, I thought its worth posting the same in the blog with some minor modifications. Thanks Shobha for sharing your thoughts through the mail… If you ever find time to read this Blog :)


It's been 18 years since I joined Volvo, a Swedish company. Working for them has proven to be an interesting experience. Any project here takes 2 years to be finalized, even if the idea is simple and brilliant. It's a rule. Globalize processes have caused in us (all over the world) a general sense of searching for immediate results. Therefore, we have come to posses a need to see immediate results. This contrasts greatly with the slow movements of the Swedish. They, on the other hand, debate, debate, debate, hold x quantity of meetings and work with a slowdown scheme. At the end, this always yields better results.

Said in another words:
1. Sweden is about the size of San Pablo, a state in Brazil.
2. Sweden has 2 million inhabitants.
3. Stockholm, has 500,000 people.
4. Volvo, Escania, Ericsson, Electrolux, Nokia are some of its renowned companies.
Volvo supplies the NASA.

The first time I was in Sweden, one of my colleagues picked me up at the hotel every morning. It was September, bit cold and snowy. We would arrive early at the company and he would park far away from the entrance (2000 employees drive their car to work). The first day, I didn't say anything, either the second or third. One morning I asked, "Do you have a fixed parking space? I've noticed we park far from the entrance even when there are no other cars in the lot." To which he replied, "Since we're here early we'll have time to walk, and whoever gets in late will be late and need a place closer to the door. Don't you think? Imagine my face.

Nowadays, there's a movement in Europe name Slow Food. This movement establishes that people should eat and drink slowly, with enough time to taste their food, spend time with the family, friends, without rushing. Slow Food is against its counterpart: the spirit of Fast Food and what it stands for as a lifestyle. Slow Food is the basis for a bigger movement called Slow Europe, as mentioned by Business Week.

Basically, the movement questions the sense of "hurry" and "craziness" generated by globalization, fuelled by the desire of "having in quantity" (life status) versus "having with quality", "life quality" or the "quality of being". French people, even though they work 35 hours per week, are more productive than Americans or British. Germans have established \n28.8 hour workweeks and have seen their productivity been driven up by 20%. This slow attitude has brought forth the US's attention, pupils of the fast and the "do it now!".

This no-rush attitude doesn't represent doing less or having a lower productivity. It means working and doing things with greater quality, productivity, perfection, with attention to detail and less stress. It means re-establishing family values, friends, free and leisure time. Taking the "now", present and concrete, versus the "global", undefined and anonymous. It means taking humans' essential values, the simplicity of living.

It stands for a less coercive work environment, more happy, lighter and more productive where humans enjoy doing what they know best how to do. It's time to stop and think on how companies need to develop serious quality with no-rush that will increase productivity and the quality of products and services, without losing the essence of spirit.

In the movie, Scent of a Woman, there's a scene where Al Pacing asks a girl to dance and she replies, "I can't, my boyfriend will be here any minute now". To which Al responds, "A life is lived in an instant". Then they dance to a tango.

Many of us live our lives running behind time, but we only reach it when we die of a heart attack or in a car accident rushing to be on time. Others are so anxious of living the future that they forget to live the present, which is the only time that truly exists. We all have equal time throughout the world. No one has more or less. The difference lies in how each one of us does with our time. We need to live each moment. As John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans".

Basically, the movement questions the sense of "hurry" and "craziness" generated by globalization, fuelled by the desire of "having in quantity" (life status) versus "having with quality", "life quality" or the "quality of being". French people, even though they work 35 hours per week, are more productive than Americans or British. Germans have established 28.8 hour workweeks and have seen their productivity been driven up by 20%. This slow attitude has brought forth the US's attention, pupils of the fast and the "do it now!". This no-rush attitude doesn't represent doing less or having a lower productivity. It means working and doing things with greater quality, productivity, perfection, with attention to detail and less stress. It means re-establishing family values, friends, free and leisure time. Taking the "now", present and concrete, versus the "global", undefined and anonymous. It means taking humans' essential values, the simplicity of living. It stands for a less coercive work environment, more happy, lighter and more productive where humans enjoy doing what they know best how to do. It's time to stop and think on how companies need to develop serious quality with no-rush that will increase productivity and the quality of products and services, without losing the essence of spirit. In the movie, Scent of a Woman, there's a scene where Al Pacing asks a girl to dance and she replies, "I can't, my boyfriend will be here any minute now". To which Al responds, "A life is lived in an instant". Then they dance to a tango. Many of us live our lives running behind time, but we only reach it when we die of a heart attack or in a car accident rushing to be on time. Others are so anxious of living the future that they forget to live the present, which is the only time that truly exists. We all have equal time throughout the world. No one has more or less. The difference lies in how each one of us does with our time. We need to live each moment. As John Lennon said,

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans". Congratulations and thnaks for reading till the end of this message. There are many who will have stopped in the middle so as not to waste time in this globalized world.

Costly word on Earth???

Mesothelioma. It costs you as much as $41 - $54.

Yes, you read it correct. It costs you sweet 2500 Indian Rupees, If you want your name/site to be listed when you search for this word on Google list of Ads.

The next thing that comes to our mind is, What is this word all about?

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement products.

So why is it so costly?

One word answer: CPC.
Three word answer: Cost per Click.

CPC is the amount that you pay search engines and other internet publishers for one click on your ad that brings one visitor to your website. So if you want one mesothelioma costumer to visit your site you need to pay 2500 Rs/ $50.

Who is paying for it and why they are paying for it?

And the lawyers in the US ware willing to pay for it as the guy might turn out to be a potential costumer.
Off course, not just lawyers


Why should we bother about this so-called word "Mesothelioma"?

In India we have this small town called as Alang, which is famous for ship breaking and recycling in the world. In this small tiny town of Gujarath, recent statistics show that 16% of all workers at Alang suffer from an early stage of asbestosis — an irreversible lung condition that could lead to lung cancers, including mesothelioma.
In India we are not bothered about those workers where as In US of A lawyers are ready to pay huge amounts per click because the person who is clicking might be a potential customer from whom they can charge hefty amounts by suing the respective companies where they were working.

Why is it that nobody in India bothered about those people who are working in such hazardous conditions? Why is it all the ships from world will come only to Alanag for recycling..
Is it because we accept being the global junk/dump yard, so that they can dump all the debris in India and pay peanuts, which in turn causes to pile of diseases.

Time to think...isn't it???

Is it worth calling a democratic country?

After a new year bash, I was looking at the Recaps in our own news channels...

I just I felt whose country is India anyway? Is it all about those few high net worth individuals or it belongs aam Aadmi, like you and Me.


Nov, 13 Noida : Adobe India CEO Naresh Gupta's son was kidnapped ...

: Anti Kidnapping cell of the Special Task Force (STF) had been asked to join the investigation of the case.


What happened after that is a history....


Just a few kilometers away from the sector-15 a where Naresh Guptha stays, is this village called "Nithari" , sector-31 Noida. The chilling tale of 38 children being kidnapped for sex, and then hacked to death, who are reportedly vanished in past one and half years. Why is it that all the time police did nothing probably because kidnapping children in UP is not news at all. Then why is it not same for Naresh Guptha's Son? I'm not against rescuing Mr.Gupth's son.. But why the same police cannot show some action for the poor people whose children are missing... What else can you claim as brutal , by denying to register a case for those who are missing.

Is it just because they are poor?

Do common people like you and me have any voice or
representation in this country... ooops... at least I can raise my voice in the form of blog. But what about those individuals who does not have access to Internet or cannot get attention from so called Media.(Which only bothers about viewer ratings)


Is India becoming a country... Of the Rich, By the Rich, For the Rich??????

While I was writing this un-ending saga of India low and middle calss problmes my I-pod has randomly picked this song...

Is it a mere coincidence? Not sure

na jaane koi kaisi hai yeh zindagaani zindgaani
kahaani adhuri kahaani
na jaane koi kaisi hai yeh zindagaani zindgaani
kahaani adhuri kahaani