Trek to Nakhind - 6th July 2014

What started as a curiosity filled beginning, took shape of an most alluring trek. The only thing missing were rain showers from up above. Upon receiving message from my friend about going to Nakhind for a trek, I started putting my research skills together to find about Nakhind [Vangani] as I hadn’t heard about Nakhind nor remember anyone talking about it. Once equipped with the required information, I contacted a few of my trek friends and downloaded the information. ^6th July 2014 we met at Dadar, boarded the 7:03 am Karjat local and were off to our destination Vangani, joined by the other group of friends’ en-route.

That got them as excited as I was. 6

Upon reaching Vangani, we regrouped and near a small wada pav stall, collected contribution of INR 100 from each trekker, had chai and hot wada pav while awaiting 3 participants who had missed the train. Whilst waiting, three of us got to a simple task of setting up for rickshaws to take us to Bedis - the base village, from where we would commence our trek.

Travelling in 4 different rickshaws [5 passengers to each rickshaw], with glimpses of awesome greenery and interesting rural set-up, we reached Bedis village which is about 4 kms from Vangani station.

A quick round of routine introductions and chant of Har Har Mahadev, we began our walk with our eye on distant top, a nose shaped peak that is about 703 meters above MSL.

As expected, the gentle mud path ascent became increasingly steeper; the Sun was seemed more hotter without my breeze and no sign of rains. We encountered a common trinket - slim snake on a tree branch and everyone went click click with their cameras.

We crossed a dry stream and from there on, for half an hour, until another village, Vaghini chi wadi, and a relatively flat area under the mango tree, the mud path climb slowly juiced out the sweat from our bodies. We halted under the mango tree and chatted with the rural urchins about their lifestyles who  were whiling their time away under the tree. The mud path from here parted and took us to a further climb and we realized we were lost. I came down the path only to find that the same village urchins were following us to warn us of the wrong route that we took. The village urchins decided to come with us to the peak as we offered them some money to lead us in the right direction. Once in the right path, no rains, no breeze, an increasingly steeper mud path climb through the thicket of greens, pausing a couple of minutes every few minutes of     ascent, and nearly 80 minutes later, we reached the top and were presented with a breath taking view of various other popular trek points.

Bang opposite was the most inviting Chanderi.
Other visible peaks were Navra-Navri, Malang Gad, irshalgad, Matheran, Prabalgad, Kothligad in the far distance and of course the Peb fort. Here the rain gods showered some rain on us a while. Post a brief photo session and regrouping we continued our journey.

From here on until the top upto the mountain peak, needle hole or nose ring or locally called Nedhe of the Nakhid was more or less a leisure walk and we reached here in few minutes. A quick photo session and regrouping, we had our lunch, chit chat, masti and relaxations. 3 pm we started our descend through steep mud path.

Without any untoward incident we descended the steep paths and reached the village. By this time everyone was parched. So we request a villager for water who promptly provided it to us. Some of us filled our bottles and descended. The descend was quick and by 5 we were at the base village with our pre-arranged rickshaws waiting for us. Back at Vangani Station we had our water, chai and wada pav and boarded the 7:05 CST local to take us back home.

All in all it was a really enthralling, alluring and challenging trek which I suggest one should do …. But await the rains to enjoy the view [as described by the village urchins] of about 5 most beautiful waterfalls, lush green sorroundings and absolutely pleasant and beautiful weather.

Spec of Nakhind trek:

Hieght :- 2311 ft or around 703 mt

Base Village: - Bedis (4 kms from Vangani station)

Region: - Matheran Range

Type: - Mountain Peak, Nedhe (a stone with a hole like needle)

Difficulty Level :- Easy (but steep continuous climb)

Endurance:- Medium

Best time to Visit: - During rains and winter (July - January)

Uphill Time :- Continuous hike - 2 Hrs, Leisure hike - 2 - 3.5 hrs

Places that can be seen from top :- Entire Matheran Range comprising of Tahuli and Malanggad to north, Navra Navri, Chanderi, Mahasmal at centre, Peb,  Matheran in south, Irshalgad, Prabalgad at end (south west)

No place to stay at night, but in Nedhe you can if you bear the winds at the top and no cover on sides

Guide :- Path is well carved till Vagini chi wadi (village between Bedis and Nakhind ), from Vaghinichi wadi ask a villager to show you initial path.

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What the world is UP

What the world is UP TO ???? Lovers of the English language might enjoy this. It is yet another example of why people learning English have trouble with the language. Learning the nuances of English makes it a difficult language. (But then, that's probably true of many languages.) There is a two-letter word in English that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that word is 'UP.' It is listed in the dictionary as being used as an [adv], [prep], [adj], [n] or [v]. It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP? At a meeting, why does a topic come UP ? Why do we speak UP, and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report? We call UP our friends and we use ! it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car. At other times the little word has a real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses. To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special. And this UP is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is choked UP. We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.We seem to be pretty mixed UPabout UP ! To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP , look the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4 of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more. When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP . When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP. When it rains, it wets UP the earth. When it does not rain for awhile, things dry UP. One could go on & on, but I'll wrap it UP , for now........ my time is UP, so time to shut UP! Oh...one more thing: What is the first thing you do in the morning & the last thing you do at night? U P Don't screw UP. Send this on to everyone you look UP in your address book. Now, I'll shut UP.

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For our own good!

1. First, let us stop being sentimentally feared about our own country's economy.
2. Let us stop spreading negatives among all of us & creating fearness in public by talking about recession, job cuts, etc.
3. Stop comparing our country with any other countries (India is a unique & strong country with more than 107 crore people & having its own potentials & capabilities in market economy).
4. Start consuming more & more goods manufactured in India rather than using imported products (This will help in developing our own industries & products leading to further better GDP).
5. India need not to depend on any other countries for selling its products, even if all of us start consuming our own manufactured goods it is more enough to push-up our GDP ( Just think of population/consumers in India).
6. All these days we are talking about job cuts & bankruptcies only with few foreign companies which have invested in India & none of the Indian companies have done such things so far.
7. Let us stop accumulating our own money for no use & spend as much as possible on developments & on all Indian goods.
8. Let us pledge, to give food for every human being & maintain unity among all of us.
9. Let us follow the principle of equal respect & equal share to every Indian (Starting from a small farmer in our villages to top richest people & politicians) ("Politicians and CEO/COO/MD's of a company can earn a lot with any designations & lead their life, but a poor farmer / daily wage labor can't be called with any designations & will die because of poverty)
10. Let us STOP all these things & work towards developing our country. And let us not forget that our country's well being is in our own hands. Let us not forget to extend our helping hands to every human being in this country.

Critical to your happiness

A professor stood before his Philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, he picked up a very large and empty jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar.

He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full.

They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.

Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full.

The students responded with a unanimou 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.

The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

'The golf balls are the important things - your God, family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

'The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car.

'The sand is everything else--the small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

'The same goes for life.
'If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important t you.

'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Play with your children.

'Take time to get medical checkups.

'Take your partner out to dinner.

'Play another 18.

'There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

'Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter.

'Set your priorities.

'The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. 'I'm glad you asked.

'It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a cup of coffee with a friend.'

Basic search of research for interviews

It is easier to find out information about a publicly held company than privately owned organizations because public companies are legally required to make certain information available.When researching a subsidiary of a company start with the parent company or holding corporation. You can then drill down into the subsidiary information.Nationally known companies are easier to research than local firms. Check whether the company is part of a bigger, national organization and start your research there.Internet information is generally more up to date than print sources (directories). News in journals and newspapers is obviously more current but a company has to have been news-worthy to get into these publications.Use a variety of sources, when preparing for a job interview, to get the most valid information. Remember to consider the source of the information. A web search will give you data from a variety of sources, it is up to you to recognize reputable and valid information. Information from the company website is usually the most reliable but if you have gone to other sites or sources try and validate the information you get by cross referencing with another source.

MUST READ........very touching

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes. Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly. She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why? I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage.

But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; I had lost my heart to a lovely girl called Dew. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her! With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, 30% shares of my company and the car. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Dew so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again. In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a months time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage. This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.. She requested that everyday for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Dew about my wife s divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully. My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy.. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset.. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office. On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest.. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her. On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Dew about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger. She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily. Suddenly it hit me; she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head. Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mum out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day. But her much lighter weight made me sad.

On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy. I drove to office... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind... I walked upstairs. Dew opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I do not want the divorce anymore. She looked at me, astonished. Then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other any more.. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death does us apart. Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away. At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote: 'I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart' The small details of our lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, the property, the bank balance that matters. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves.

So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage! If you don't share this, nothing will happen to you, but if you do, you just might save a marriage.

Obama's victory

Today America celebrates the victory of Obama -- a victory amidst Challenges and Change that is the mission Obama's victory means. Victory is always a challenge for change.
But when the victory itself is a challenge, change has to be a radical one, a crucial one, an optimistic one for the pristine mission which the Existence brings forth inorder to maintain the equilibrium of the Universe. Whenever there is anarchy and chaos in the world the Existence comes into the scene for the rescue. That is what our Indian tradition and culture tells us. Mythically speaking, all avatars (incarnations) are nothing other than the rescue plan of the Existence. We don't realize it and keep falling into the same ditch again and again due to our ego. Existence wants all of us (without nations, boundaries, color, creed, religion) to be free and living in peace, happiness and harmony.

Yes. that is what we all around the world look at Obama's victory. Time has come for a big paradigm shift. Shift in consciousness, a shift in thinking, a shift towards peace, happiness and harmony. A call to materialize the concept of free society and global village. Every human being enjoys everything that Existence wants each of us to enjoy without selfishness and ego. A communion of hearts where peace, happiness and harmony are the only rules and criteria of life.

Certainly, it is a challenge for change where Obama is the captain of the ship. If the whole world was shaken while America is paying for the war in Iraq and other places, i feel that the shift which is brought forth by the victory of Obama can be a big trigger in every nook and corner of the world. As it is said, when the whole body is functioning properly you are healthy. And when your little figure is hurt, it definitely affects the other parts of the body. That is when we say you are unhealthy. Well. it is not just the feeling of someone instead it is the fact and we are just experiencing it. Just think about your own country where you are living in. Did the recession and financial crisis in America affect you as nation? Did it affect you as a family? Or as an individual? Well. you have the experience and still you are going through it. Then why are you hesitating to help your neighbor who do not have food, who do not have cloths, who do not have shelter etc... You are given everything because you are on a mission -- a real mission to support and help the other human beings who do not have it. So you cannot hoard it for yourself, share it with the society, share it with the world everything you have. That is the start of a free society, a free culture, a free world. That is the challenge we need to propagate in this twenty-first century where technology and modernization which made life easy and comfortable. I am sure that will eliminate vices like poverty, wars, crimes, and other social evils. People don't become greedy, but they are totally aware of the cosmotheandirc vison at the super-conscious level.

Let me congratulate Obama in his victory and we as HeartSpeaks family at consciousness level support him for the Divine mission. Let us express our happiness, concern and support to all citizens of America in the form of this email. Let us all together put the thoughts out there for that wonderful time ahead. That is our best contribution at this juncture for the humanity.

E-mail Cover Letters

When sending a resume by e-mail, you may use the body of the e-mail message to highlight the key skills, abilities, and accomplishments in your resume, describe how this experience qualifies you for the position, and ask for the interview.

Letters for Staffing Firms, Headhunters, or Recruiters

These letters should include information about the type of organization you want to work for and the type of work you are interested in. Highlight the key skills, abilities, and accomplishments listed in your resume and describe how this experience qualifies you for the type of position you are seeking. This letter could be targeted to a specific type of position, or to any position that uses your specific set of skills and abilities. You would direct this letter to the head of the staffing firm or the individual recruiter with whom you will be working.

Networking Letters

Use this letter to contact people in your network that can provide leads for possible job openings. A networking letter can be sent to people you know, or people to whom you have been referred. Describe the type of job you are looking for and what assistance you hope the person can provide. Highlight the key skills, abilities, and accomplishments listed in your resume and describe how this experience qualifies you for the type of position you are seeking. End the letter by thanking them for their time and effort.

Learn something from Life

If time doesn't wait for you, don't worry! Just remove the damn battery from the clock and Enjoy life!

2. Expecting the world to treat u fairly coz u r a good person is like expecting the lion not to attack u coz u r a vegetarian. Think about it.

3. Beauty isn't measured by outer appearance and what clothes we wear, but what we are inside. So, try going out naked tomorrow and see the admiration!

4. Don't walk as if you rule the world, walk as if you don't care who rules the world! That's called Attitude…! Keep on rocking!

5. Every lady hopes that her daughter will marry a better man than she did and is convinced that her son will never find a wife as good as his father did!!!

6. He was a good man. He never smoked, drank & had no affair. When he died, the insurance company refused the claim. They said, he who never lived, cannot die!

7. A man threw his wife in a pond of Crocodiles?He's now being harassed by the Animal Rights Activists for being cruel to the Crocodiles!

8. So many options for suicide: Poison, sleeping pills, hanging,jumping from a building, lying on train tracks, but we chose Marriage, slow & sure!

9. Only 20 percent boys have brains, rest have girlfriends!

10. All desirable things in life are either illegal, banned, expensive or married to someone else!

11. Laziness is our biggest enemy- Jawaharlal NehruWe should learn to love our enemies- Mahatma Gandhi Ab aap bataaye kiski sune bapu di ya chacha di???

12. When things go wrong, when sadness fills your heart, When tears flows from your eyes always say these words…Eh Ganpat, chal daru la…

13. 10% of road accidents are due to drunken driving.Which makes it a logical statement that 90% of accidents are due to driving without drinking!

Your EMI after current fiasco?

It's interesting article by Yogesh Chhabria.

LATELY, I have been thinking a lot about the Lehman crisis. Spending money that they didn't have and going beyond their means is one of the mainreasons for their situation today. In fact that is the cause for the current economic crisis in the US.When I see all this happening, I can only remember the good old days. Then,karz was bad. People looked down upon those who took loans. Parents wouldnot give their daughter's hand in marriage to a man with loans.But of course, the times have changed now. Everyone I know has a loan. Thebuzz word is EMI (equated monthly installment). Today, you can buyeverything on EMI - a house, a television, an i-Pod. In fact I know of someone who just bought a fancy BMW 3 series on EMI, instead of buying acheaper car outright with cash. I mostly prefer to take public transport,but then I am an old man with old thoughts! Anyway, coming back to what caused the crisis. Imagine having Rs 2 lakh in your bank account, no regular income, yet buying a house worth Rs 65 lakh,in the hope of selling it for a higher price. Even if the price of the house fell by just 5 per cent (that is Rs 3 lakh), you will go bankrupt. This is what Lehman Brothers did; with around USD 20 billion they went and bought assets worth over USD 600 billion. Isn't it suicidal and simply foolish? I am sure things would have been different, had I been the head of Lehman brothers. But who wants an old conservative man like me to head a complexfinancial institution.

But there are a few lessons that we can learn:1. Live a balanced life and avoid overspending.Tip: As soon as you get your monthly salary, set aside a fixed amount, usually 35 per cent, for insurance, savings and investments. You can thenspend the rest.

2. Not all loans are bad. Loans that are 'need based' (home loans, education loans) can always find a place in your finances against thosethat are largely 'want based' (personal loans, car loans).

3. Borrow only if repayment is financially comfortable. A thumb rule: Keep EMIs within 30 per cent of your monthly incomeIn that respect, there is one American who I really respect - Warren Buffet. He has lived in the same ordinary house for over three decades,drives his own medium sized car and leads an extremely regular 'middle class' life. If that's all it takes for the richest person on earth to behappy, why do all of us need to take extra stress just so that we can get things which aren't even essential? India still has a lot of growth ahead and the future holds immense opportunities for us. Let us make the most of it and save and invest itwisely instead of wasting our precious little on things we don't need.

SUCCESS

1. Build teams. "It's very hard for anyone to be able to understand all facets of a problem, especially when you're dealing with complex problems with the real opportunity to make the world better. You need to have a lot of perspectives. It doesn't mean you can't be the executive and make the decisions about what needs to be done for the best interest of your project, but you have to have a team of people you trust around you to provide support and perspective."

2. Forgive people. "You've got to forgive people. You come in contact with a lot of people, and they will disappoint you at times. Give them a chance to surprise you again."

3. Put your ideas into action. "Success is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. I don't care how good you are, how many good ideas you have-a great idea on the back of a napkin is worth the price of the napkin. A thought has zero value without execution behind it. You've got to start putting the pieces together. It's the middle of the sandwich that makes the sandwich what it's worth. The bread is the ideas, the concepts, how it looks from the outside. The inner workings differentiate true winners."

4. View adversity as a learning opportunity. "The great surgeons are not the ones who never make a mistake-they're the ones who can get out of any crisis. That's what great success is to be."

5. Take care of your body. "The body is the temple of the soul. If your body is not tuned up, if it's not healthy, it's not going to be a good place for your mind to live. And so all the greatness you had in front of you starts to slip away as you get pulled away by inabilities of the mind to maintain its high levels of function. Maintaining body health is critical."

3 gift ideas

Whether you need to choose a birthday present for Aunt, an off to college gift for your nephew, or something for Grandpa, your choice will be a lot easier if you can narrow it down to a theme. If you know that your recipient loves the outdoors in one form or another, your life will be that much easier. The really fun thing about outdoor inspired gifts is that they span all price ranges and age groups. It’s just as lovely for a child to collect beautiful seashells, put them in a vase with a ribbon as it is to order a top of the line hammock where Dad can enjoy the sounds of nature and ignore the grass cutting chores. Here are 3 of some of the best outdoor inspired gifts I’ve seen people give or receive. Some are inexpensive, some aren’t. However, all of them will be treasured for years to come.

1. From the heart. Of course, the least expensive way to go is to create something from items you’ve collected in some way. Don’t think this option is just for children! A lot of people on your list may truly have everything they need. Or you may be looking for an emotional gift that doesn’t come in a catalog. Try writing the name of a newborn in the sand, take a photo and put it in a lovely frame. It’s simple, cheap, and sure to be loved by new parents and grandparents.

2. Functional. For anyone with a real passion for camping, hiking, or some other outdoor sport, there are sure to be a ton of great gadgets that they would love to have, but just can’t or won’t buy for themselves. Find out if they get any specialty magazines and catalogues or pick the brain of others in the sport. Bikers, kayakers, rock climbers and even bird watchers all have specialty items for their sport. Sport related blogs are likely to have great ideas.

3. High impact. Maybe you want your gift to make a statement, and be something that your loved one will use, look at and remember for years. Obviously a big ticket item like a canoe a pair of airplane tickets to Timbacktoo will be memorable. However, even without spending quite that much you could give something like a chimenea or a pair of Adirondack chairs that will be enjoyed year round by several people. If you tend to let gift giving stress you out, just remember to focus on a theme. Pick one or two interests and go from there. The thought, combined with actually knowing how someone prefers to spend time, can combine for an ideal nature inspired gift. The other great part about this gift giving method is that you actually have a plan. It doesn t matter who you are giving to, or what the occasion is.

Now you have a step by step approach that will help you choose meaningful gifts that others will love and remember.

do's of Internship

DO accept work is different: School tends to be a solitary activity. There are group projects, but at the end of the day you are judged mostly on your own personal performance. Work is different; your performance often affects other people's ability to get their job done. So when you miss a deadline, everyone can suffer, not just your grade. This is just one way that school can be different from the workplace. Do some prowling with new co-workers or former interns to find out more of the rules for being successful in your new workplace.

DO be proactive: Don't just wait for great projects to fall into your lap. Go hunting for them. One simple way is to ask your boss, "What is a good thing for me to work on when you're busy and I don't have anything specific to do?" Also be on the lookout for interesting projects and assignments that no one else will touch, because they may give you more room to experiment, learn and grow. Just because you're low person on the totem pole doesn't mean that you have to get stuck with projects no one else wants.

DO network with peers: Most interns focus on sucking up with their boss and other experienced workers. Don't overlook networking possibilities with other interns. You can learn a lot from your fellow interns, and their network can be a great place to meet people. Also, the intern pool can be a great, safe place to develop your networking skills.

DON'T disappear. Don't allow yourself to play it safe by remaining invisible.

Use these tips and you won't be running around in circles after college. You'll leverage your internship to land a great job.

Demand for Talent

Despite the recent debacles at the Wall Street, the future demand for talent in the Indian financial sector will out-number the supply, thus creating a skills shortage in the Banking, Financial Services and Insurance Sector (BFSI). According to a report release by Confederation of Indian Industry & ICRA Management Consultancy Services (IMaCS), the total incremental demand for manpower in the Indian BFSI sector will be over 4.5 to 5.0 million per annum by 2015. The report was released at the CII Global Summit on Skills Development 2008 held in New Delhi on September 17-18.

The report titled 'Skill Gaps in the Banking and Financial Service Industry says, "We envisage that by 2015 the opportunity landscape in financial services will have 4.5 to 5.0 million new (incremental) jobs to offer, considering the likely improvements in the economic output and labour productivity. The employment opportunities envisaged are likely to emanate mainly from the banking and Non-banking financial services."

The report has divided the skilled human resource needed in BFSI sector into four categories: Minimal Education, Skill Category level 1, Skill Category Level 2, and Specialized Skills. Minimal Skills category comprising of 'feet on street' workforce like collection agents will have 15% of total jobs. Customer Service Representatives & Insurance marketers, representing Skill Category 1, will have 65% of the jobs. 'Branch managers, credit managers, marketing managers' representing Skill Category level 2 will have 15% of jobs in the sector. Finally, at the top end of the pyramid, specialized skills like risk management, high-end quantitative analytics, investment bankers, fund managers etc will have 5% of the jobs.

Earlier, addressing a panel discussion on skills development in the financial sector, Ms Rita Soni, Country Head, Yes Bank, said, "We believe in adopting creative approach to HR management. We hire executives from variety of sources: employee referrals, recommendations by NGOs, in house training initiatives like Yes School of Banking and so on."

Veteran academician, former VC of IGNOU and Chairman of KNI, Dr Rakesh Khurana said, "Inspite of the recent meltdown of the Wall Street, the demand for trained manpower in the Indian financial sector will remain. Indian financial sector has some of the largest players including LIC which has largest number of policies in the world, or SBI which has largest number of account holders. Yet, there is a huge untapped segment for the Indian financial market."

The two-day CII Global Summit on Skills Development was inaugurated on September 17 by Mr Oscar Fernandes, Minister of State (Labour & Employment) Independent Charge Government of India.

SEC bans short-selling in 799 financial stocks

By Amol Agarwal - 19/09/2008

SEC has now banned short-selling in stocks of 799 financial companies. List of banned stocks is here. SEC statement says that it has taken these steps in coordination with FSA. FSA has banned 29 stocks from short-selling. List of stocks is here

SEC’s ban ends on 2 Oct 2008 but FSA’s is a longer ban till 16 Jan 2009. FSA statement says:
“While we still regard short-selling as a legitimate investment technique in normal market conditions, the current extreme circumstances have given rise to disorderly markets. As a result, we have taken this decisive action, after careful consideration, to protect the fundamental integrity and quality of markets and to guard against further instability in the financial sector.”

This is a classic case of repugnance good and short-selling being limited to only text-books. When prices rise and are seen to be away from fundamentals, all say it is very difficult to say what is the fundamental price. Hence bubbles are ignored and preference is being given to markets to correct the excesses. However, when they fall, we see such reactions.

Why not some ban on long buy when prices are rising like they are falling now? Then most financial players will cry foul, socialism etc. However, now players will say this is needed as markets are irrational etc.

I hope now the experts in India don’t say such things don’t happen in developed financial systems. Or cry foul when such decisions are taken in India……when developed economies can’t afford short-selling in times of distress, it is too much to ask emerging markets to fact the music.