Stats is Math

In my past academic life I always boasted my Math aptitude. I excelled in Math tests and exams in school and university:
From solving quadratic algebraic equations to proving trigonometric equations; from finding tangent in Geometry to calculating derivative of differential equations in Calculus. I used to be proud of my Mathematical prowess.
I was also humble of my natural talent;  helped peers to grasp the obvious concepts which they found elusive. Alright I was not that humble lol.

Behold! There was another branch of Math which brought me to my knees: Statistics! In my undergrad, I shrugged off this weakness by dismissing Stats not really being pure Maths. When I encountered this subject again in my Masters program I had a different level of appreciation for this important pillar of Mathematics.

Statistics is the backbone of Economics and Maths. Stats interlinks Geeks and Business people. Stats can tell stories about data which would otherwise be nothing but heap of coal i.e. useless. Statistical Analysis harness the data to turn into diamond! 
From predicting forecasting models to finding correlations between customer behavior and store temperature - you need deep Statistics understanding to validate or discover any trends.

With data being the digital gold for corporates, many companies are mining data to run statistical analysis on the data. Companies are making key strategic decisions that are more analytic driven rather than relying on gut feeling.

From 'Minority Report' to 'Money Ball' Stats is the Hero

Ending from a quote by Bernard Shaw:

"It is the mark of a truly intelligent person to be moved by statistics"

Chaiyya Chaiyya

A meaningless song name but let that not fool you. The song came in 90s and it still instills the same euphoria, magic, madness and grip. The song ceases to decline in popularity.

The song has the heaviest Urdu poetry with sublime rhythm. Unsurprisingly, majority of the listeners did not understand the meaning of the song. The intricate nuances of poetry by Gulzar is adroitly weaved with AR Rahman's mystical music. Every stanza takes the description of love and lover to the next celestial level.

No other choreography would had done justice to the song. Troops dance on the top of a moving train! The train is moving through the dense forest. Must have been an uphill task to shoot the song !

The cast for the song was none other SRK, his cherubic innocence and infectious energy of SRK gripped the nation with his carefree dance moves and not to forget Malika Arora :)

Enjoy the Lyrics of the song below and till then Chaiyya Chaiyya!

Jinke sar ho ishq ki chaaon
Paaon ke neeche jaanat hogi
Chal chaiyya chaiyya chaiyya chaiyya

Those who walk in the shade of love
Must have Paradise under their feet
Keep walking in the shade of love

Sar ishq ki chhaaon chal chaiyya chaiyya
Pau janat chale chal chaiyya chaiyya
(Chal chaiyya chaiyya chaiyya chaiyya) 

In the shade of love, keep walking
Paradise under their feet, keep walking
Keep walking in the shade of love

Voh yaar hai jo khushboo ki tarah
Voh jiski zubaan urdu ki tarah
Meri shaam raat, meri kaayanat
Voh yaar mera sainya sainya

The companion who walks along like fragrance
Who whispers in a melodious tongue(Urdu)
Is my evening, night, my universe
My beloved, my love

Gulposh kabhi itraaye kahin
Mehke to nazar aa jaaye kahin
Taaveez banaake pehnoon usay
Aayat ki tarah mil jaaye kahin

(who) conceals herself in the flowers
And is revealed in the fragrance
Made into a charm, I would wear hear
If I ever find her like a miracle

Voh yaar hai jo imaam ki tarah
Mera nagma vohi mera qalma vohi
Mera nagma nagma mera qalma qalma

My companion, who is like a priest to me
She is my song, my declaration of faith
My song, my declaration of faith

Woh yaar misaale ous chale
Paaon ke tale firdous chale
Kabhi daal daal, kabhi paat paat
Main hawa pe dhoondhoon uske nishaan

My companion, who moves like the dew drops
With paradise under the feet
Sometimes on the branches, sometimes on the leaves
I search for her trail in the breeze

Main uske roop ka shehdaai
Vo dhoop chhanv se harjaai
Vo shokh hai rang badalta hai
Main rangroop ka saudaai

I am a lover of all her forms
Who flirts with light and shadow
She is mischievous, and changes colour
And I am a seeker of the colours and forms

Chal chaiyya chaiyya chaiyya chaiyyaKeep walking in the shade of love

First ...

On my 30 something birthday on 4th April, I got a pleasant surprise from my son.

It was Saturday morning, I woke up early to renew my Health Card and Driver License and to get my zoom-zoom to the dealer for annual maintenance. 

My son grabbed me and took me to the basement where he had a note written for me. The gesture was extremely over whelming and I expected the least. I had a lump in my throat to swallow after reading it.

I will always treat such gestures as my first as building up expectations serves you no good. Having higher expectations leads to anxiety  and depression. Lower your expectations and just enjoy the ride while it lasts :)

Switch On/Off

So I've just finished reading Steve Job's 1500 pages autobiography; a roller coaster of a life, I was spell-bounded to say the least.  Living vicariously through his book my eyes got misty at the closing chapters when his cancer was taking a toll on his health.
There were many take away Management and Product Design lessons from the book. One that moved me was his realisation and acknowledement of presence of a Supreme Force. Being an Atheist all his life, he started questioning the hereafter during the end. He dismissed the idea of body being 'turned off' after one dies. Soul can't just simply shut off. All the experiences one goes through and the wisdom one accrue must have some relevance and weight in the next life. The soul never shuts off. That was also one of the reasons why Steve Jobs vehemently opposed having a switch on/off button on his Mac products.
Soul is fluid .. Soul is eternal..Soul never switches Off.

Spring forward

It was that time of the year again where we dial our clocks one hour ahead for DayLight Savings time.

We loose an hour from the moment we wake up; ending our day quickly. Carrying this loss along with an end of the weekend make you realize the importance of time. You only realize it when you loose it.

I had a similar feeling few days ago when I was attending the last lecture for my Master's program. One year sprung in front of my eyes without a blink! 

My MMA program was an intense one-year program. It felt like a fire hose in your mouth. Back-to-back courses with heavy course load where you are always trying to catch up especially if you have a full time job and a family. After the final class, I felt like a heavy load lifted off my shoulders.  Roller coaster of emotions such as anxiety, excitement, stress, sad, proud, guilt, relieve were going over my head.

Anxiety - of what to do next. How to retain/apply the new skill set in your career.

Excitement - of what lies ahead. Couple of interviews lined up. Lets see whats in the store for me.

Stress - during the program and now how to recover the dent in my Balance Sheet.

Sad - not able to work with some of the folks again (it is also a good thing lol)

Proud - I did it! I did it!

Guilt - wished I had things done differently while in the program and undo some of the stuff - by definition it is called gaining 'experience'

Relieve - needless to say.

The puck doesn't stop here. I shall never go back to school again (never say 'never') but the pursuit of knowledge and hunger for learning, meeting and connecting with people shall always remain perpetual.

P.S - I have to resume my gym membership as I have put on 15 pounds during the course of the program! (thanks to the free supply of pop/coffee at the school facility). I was given a subtle reminder by wife "no excuses for not doing the dishes now" signalling I have to get back to business.

Transforming Experience

I attended my first ever Alumni event - a QSB Alumni event. Funny I have not graduated yet (March 2015 is the graduation date) but feel like a (proud) Alumni already !

The name of the event was "Leadership in the Non-Profit Sector". It was after work. Since the event title resonates well with my company (CAASCO), I was able to convince my bosses to expense the fees. It was only 35 bucks but the point was to make them aware of my aspirations and not my thriftiness (or may be both lol)

The event was held at MedCan facility at downtown. I had the pleasure to meet it's Executive Chair Mr. Shaun Francis who was also the guest speaker. It was a motivational and a thought provoking talk. 

He grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth literally and yet he came across such humble, driven, focused and motivated individual. He had a life transforming experience in his 20s when he was the only Canadian to serve in an American army. He has followed the veterans life closely and experienced what it takes to serve your country inside and outside its borders. Post-military, he has worked in many Leadership roles in various companies. He has also done his MBA from Wharton while having a family with 2 kids with a job that required lot of travelling. Time-management - an important quality in a good leader. 

Shaun talked about lessons learned from different experiences that transformed his life. In Military settings, Leadership is not a privilege but a huge responsibility and a slight negligence can cause someone's or even your own life. How Leadership varies from companies to companies. But the essence of leadership is showing care, humility and courage - only then you can get respect from your team.

Shaun shared another tidbit - Predecessor of leadership is keeping oneself healthy ! Eating healthy, doing exercise and 'being happy'. Most importantly, have a social purpose in life - a giveback to society, devoting one's time and energy to something you are passionate about. These strong feelings only arises when you go through a life transforming experience which Shaun did. We have all experienced life transforming 'moments' but it is the 'experience' that shapes your personality and builds the framework for you to execute your leadership.

After his talk I was not able to make my way to him as he was surrounded by other alumnis. Nevertheless, I cherished his talk and decided to pen it down lest I forget. 

Channels for Wisdom

With age comes wisdom - an old adage. True but not necessarily always true.

My 6 year old son was narrating me a conversation he had with one of my friends at a party. My son said my friend was telling him that he has big ears - like Aamir Khan had in his latest movie PK. I was furious and was offended, but before I expressed my feelings , I inquired my son how did he feel. My son said it is good as he can hear more clearly! I was moved by his positive outlook. Kids can teach you about wisdom.

On the other hand - some people when they get old become loose cannons. Best to avoid for fear of getting rubbed off by their negativity (and jealousy).

Surround yourself with positive energy. Create an environment where positive energy flows in. 

People who put you down, depress you, intimidate you, who are filled with ego - in short people who impart negative energy- simply avoid them.

It will be your gain not loss.