Friday, July 5, 2013

Dear Yahoo, Work is what you do, not where you go.

For a considerably long period of time (over 5 years now), I've been a full-time, remote-worker who works from home, a cafe, an airport, a co-working space or wherever else I may roam - in any city or country where I choose to be.

I love my job and what I currently do makes for a large part of who I am. The fact that I have the freedom and flexibility to do it from anywhere makes me love it even more. I get to work with multiple geographically scattered teams and audiences, across various time-zones.

Over time, I've come to enjoy the remote-working mode. It helps me achieve a balance between working alone with maximal productivity at some times and collaborating with people and teams using various collaboration tools at other times. Of course, I make occasional visits to our company offices as none of these are located in the city where I currently (choose to) live. These visits are helpful because I get to spend time meeting and talking in person, with the colleagues and teams who I work with and this helps us bond better before I get back into remote-working mode.

This method of working has made me a firm believer in the fact that people work best when they're given the freedom and flexibility to choose how they want to work. I'm thankful to Zoho, for giving me this freedom and flexibility and for their faith in me as a remote-employee.

Not all companies are as futuristic about their policies and culture. In fact, a couple of months ago, when Yahoo! made it mandatory for all employees (even those who were originally hired to work remotely) to work from Yahoo! office, it came as quite a shock to many of us who've chosen this working style and believe in it. I meant to share my opinion about Yahoo!'s move and I finally got around to doing it this week, thanks to a discussion about it with a friend yesterday. Here's my first Hitler video around this theme:

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Anyone craving a chuckle?

Thanks to Femina magazine for featuring me in their main story last month (April 2013 issue)


And yes, the blog is still alive. More chuckles coming soon :)

Thursday, October 11, 2012

What's in a Klout score?

I like how Klout tracks topics that a person may be influential about. Yes, they are sort of accurate about those (although, in no way would I believe I am influential about hospitals and vegetarianism!) But what I can't understand is the concept of simplifying "influence" to just a number. And here are some Klout comics inspired by true-stories.





Thursday, August 16, 2012

India's Funny Women - Cosmopolitan Feature

Cosmopolitan Magazine ran a story on "India's Funny Women" this month, and I'm thrilled to have been featured in it. 

Thanks, Cosmo!





Saturday, August 4, 2012

Engagement

"Engagement" and "Relationship-Building" as understood by so many brands and individuals.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Why I loved the Tintin movie




The experience was totally worth the wait: As a long time Tintin fan and having read and reread the Tintin comic books several times since childhood, I'd been waiting eagerly to watch the Tintin movie. And I finally did, last week. I can say the experience was totally worth the wait.


What I liked best: The fact that the movie recreates the Tintin experience very well. The overall effect and feel is such that it lets you actually live within the world of the comic book. The action and adventure,  the chase and thrill, the mystery and suspense, the comedy of errors: elements that are characteristic of the Tintin book experience are all intact! And the animation and 3D effects bring all these elements to life.


Character Depiction: I also liked how the characters were portrayed, each of them with their distinct personality traits clearly emerging in every scene. Tintin and his sense of curiosity and adventure with which he perceives everything around him. Captain Haddock and his drunken escapades frequently resulting in a barrage of typical Haddock abuses. The Thompson twins and their silly antics that land them in trouble every time. Snowy and his eagerness to help Tintin, often distracted by mere canine desires. The depiction does justice to each character. Even Nestor, Tintin's landlady and Alan (Haddock's first mate) have been perfectly rendered.


The only slightly disappointing aspect of the movie: In trying to combine stories from 3 different Tintin books, some of the smoothness in transitioning between stories seems to have gotten lost. In that sense, I wouldn't say that the movie is a faithful adaptation of any one book.


Overall, the movie is an absolute must-watch for anyone who has been in love with (or even remotely intrigued by) the Tintin comics! I'm definitely giving it a second watch. And it has also made me want to go back and read the adventures again!


On a related note: If you're a serious Tintin fan, read Michael Farr's 'Tintin: The Complete Companion'

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