COO at Tatler Asia, Previously - leadership roles at Google, Apple, & Twitter. Genetically hardwired to make bad puns. Nominated for 40 under 40 at 41!
Asked someone, "Why are women more vocal than men in fighting for a just cause?"
She replied, "We grow up fighting biases so have a greater capacity to empathise and a lower tolerance for injustice"
👏👏👏
More power to all women out here!
Cab driver asked "How come all Sikhs' last name is Singh?"
This gets asked a lot. Here's the context:
Last names in India indicate caste. To remove caste based bias the 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh introduced Singh(Lion) & Kaur(Princess) as last names for men & women respectively
“My grandfather used to say that once in your life you need a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman, and a preacher. But every day, three times a day, you need a farmer." - Brenda Schoepp
For students having to vacate their hostels in India due to the recent violence, please try approaching a local Gurudwara. Here's a list of Gurudwaras in major Indian cities. This is a humanitarian tweet, not a political one. Pls keep it that way.
The three things courageous leaders say:
1. I’m sorry, I messed up.
2. Here’s the plan, we’ll work on this together.
3. I’m answerable to you, ask me anything.
Just a met a local Chinese businesman over lunch.
He: “Which part of India are you from?”
Me: “Delhi”
He: “Oh, how’s the riot situation?”
Bad governance is bad PR.
Working at Apple it was clear, Jobs was responsible for the innovation. Cook was an operations guy. After Jobs, I was sure they’ll lose their mojo. 10 years on they just posted a record $123.9B qtr! I was wrong. Innovation is vital. But never underestimate an operations wizard!
I was in a Catholic school. We all went to watch ‘Gandhi’. After the movie, our Principal Father Ignatius asked, “What was Gandhi’s message?” We replied ‘non-violence’, ‘peace’ etc. He said “You all are right. Just remember his message holds, no matter which religion you follow.”
Lost my Aunt to the virus today. She was fully vaccinated. Even had it once earlier. We have doctors in the family. Everyone helpless. Everyone’s vulnerable. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Please get vaccinated, wear your mask and hunker down.
I was a kid. Coming out of Pragati Maidan with parents saw Vinod Dua across the road. He was dragging his scooter. I ran to him excitedly, “Aap TV pe aate ho na?”. He said, “Haan, par chahe koi TV pe aaye ya cinema pe, is tarah bhaag ke kabhi sadak cross mat karna.”
#RIPVinodDua
There’s a Gurudwara less than 10 minutes from JNU at Nelson Mandela marg, Sector C, Vasant Kunj. While I have no affiliation nor in touch with them, it could be a potential safe refuge.
#JNUViolence
Deeply conflicted on the Arnab
@kunalkamra88
incident.
Mind says - Why stoop so low?
Heart says - But finally Arnab got a taste of his own medicine!
Mind says - Remember Michelle Obama said ‘When they go low, we go high!’
Heart says - But remember who won the election?
One of the best videos you will see today, which shows humanity exists in these difficult times. Sikhs in rural India run after a moving train filled with starving migrants to give them food. ❤️❤️😭😭
My son, born to a Punjabi family in Bangalore, was 9 when he was asked, “Are you a North or South Indian”. He replied, “I think I’m a NOUTH Indian!” Kids defy labels we try to give them. He turns 20 today. Hope he keeps defying labels.
Dad just came out of the ICU. He’s still recovering, still in a stupor, but we’re glad he still remembers the lyrics of his favourite Bollywood songs. Please wish him well folks!
Regardless of the party you support, the fact that a mammoth, complicated country of 1.4 billion consistently conducts free and fair elections term after term is worth celebrating.
After flying 17 hrs, driving 3 hrs, you arrive at ur Air BnB in Faro, a Portuguese port city. You hunt down the last open minimercado at midnight for morning tea supplies. As you wade thru unfamiliar brands, the storeowner greets you, “Sat Sri Akal, I’m Inderjit from Jalandhar!”
I was incredibly proud of working at Apple, and a bit embarrassed! Till I met Shunu Sen.
Let me first explain the embarrassment. Representing Apple opened access to CEOs, movie stars, top politicians, the who's who! I proudly interacted with them, but was secretly apprehensive
Microsoft is giving US workers unlimited time off. As an ex-Googler never thought I’ll say this, but Microsoft under Nadella is doing some insanely incredible stuff. Great products, progressive work policies, sound biz strategy. One of the most underrated turnarounds of our time!
Once actor Farooq Sheikh performed ‘Tumhari Amrita’ for our clients at Le Meridien, Delhi. After the play, he said ‘Chalo, Karim’s chalte hain’. I was about to get a car when he said, ‘Arre chhodo’ & hopped into an auto. Great actor. Great human being. Happy Birthday Farooq Bhai!
6 observations from our annual India trip - 3 good, 3 not so good! We visit each year, usually at the same time. But India surprised us this time like never before, with changes nothing short of dramatic.
THE GOOD!
Startups galore - Pleasantly surprised that one can get
Imagine when all this is over,
people finally figure out what's really important
and each neighbourhood organises yatras
demanding 'dispensary yahin banayenge'.
You may say I'm a dreamer.
Asked someone who’s been to N.Korea how the insensitive regime holds on to power. He said, “Bcoz citizens are brainwashed the world conspires against N.Korea & KimJong needs all the support”. “What about folks who know better?” I asked. “Oh they just pretend to be brainwashed!”😊
Singapore Prime Minister,
@leehsienloong
inaugurated a newly renovated Gurudwara wearing an immaculate turban and greeting everyone with a perfect Sat Sri Akaal! 🙏
I thought
@iHrithik
’s note to Aryan Khan is pure gold. It’s a trivialisation to call it a ‘show of support’. It’s a heartfelt timely life advise from someone who’s been thru a lot to someone who’s going thru a lot. Should be read by all young folks. Pls read it on his Insta page.
I’m often asked what makes Sikhs such a happy lot forever keen to help & share?
I think it’s bcoz Sikhism is rooted in 3 uncomplicated tenets by Guru Nanak:
Kirat karo (work honestly)
Naam japo (meditate)
Vand chako (share with others)
Today is his 551st birthday.
#HappyGurpurab
Won’t be surprised if
#LaalSinghChaddha
follows the Shawshank Redemption trajectory. Under-appreciated on it’s release, but grows in stature with time as it gets discovered by those who appreciate sensible cinema.
Today’s Chandigarh (forwarded by a friend). That’s how I remember the city from 25 years back, that’s how I would want to remember the city 25 years from now.
Ordinarily one doesn’t get to see street art in Singapore. But then,
@rajinikanth
is anything but ordinary!!! 😎
(Pic courtesy Nadeem Ashraf Insta: naa_deem_)
Gurudwara Green Park is doing free door2door Langar sewa for COVID19 patients in nearby areas. Distribution timing: 12noon/7pm
Requirements can be given to:
1. Paramjit Singh: 9650588991
2. Prem Singh: 9560252564
3. Gurmeet Singh: 9910784103
4. Nischal Singh: 9555656578
Pl share
Why Should You Attend a Vipassana meditation Retreat? And Why You Shouldn’t! (a thread 🧵)
It was 9:30 pm. I had just returned to my room after an intense discussion with my meditation teacher, Jorge Ricardo, about the practicality of a daily 2-hour recommended practice
Just read the sad news that Subhash Dandekar, the creator of the Camlin box passed away yesterday in Mumbai. It's uncanny that he breathed his last just when so many of us were feeling nostalgic about his creation, which is an inseparable part of our childhood. May his soul rest
Some reacted angrily saying ‘So what? Rajputs started this practice’ if it’s true then its wonderful. If Guru Gobind Singh was inspired by Rajputs (I can’t confirm this) that’s great too. Sikhism took the best from other religions. After all the word ‘Sikh’ means ‘learner’. 🙏
It’s disturbing to hear even well meaning folks say girls should be given martial arts training to prevent another Kolkata. Societies become safe for women not when women know how to hit a karate chop but when men know how to behave and the administration knows how to govern.
For those offended/advising to retort with Corona/Wuhan pls keep in mind: He was genuinely concerned not mocking. Normal folks don’t use tragedies to mock. Thats not how the world works & Wuhan ref wud be bizarre. He’s Singapore Chinese. SG has impeccable track record on COVID-19
As an impressionable Sikh boy, I had a templated adoration for Bhagat Singh, at the cost of liking Gandhi. The simple binary was machismo vs meekness. But the more I read Gandhi, more I admired his values & philosophy. I still like both but GandhiVs.Bhagat Singh is a false binary
TikTok's India revenue is 0.005% of China's exports. The ban is indeed making headlines around the world, so its symbolic value is unmistakeable but its economic impact is questionable.
#PuttingThingsInPerspective
We’ve stopped using an alarm clock lately. Somewhere in that forest is a bird, yellow & black in my imagination, who decides to wake us up with this beautiful birdsong. A bit early, but worth the minor change of routine?
At some point, we realize that what we grew up drinking in India was not real coffee, but a sweet syrup of milk and sugar with a touch of coffee. I've outgrown it. Now, I purchase Arabica coffee beans from Costa Rica. I grind them with my Japanese Hario grinder and use a French
Left and Right are needless labels. It’s becoming increasingly evident that the polarization is between those who read & write books vs. those who read & write WhatsApp messages!
If you are concerned your business won't succeed because your current product is not up to the mark, remember Starbucks earned $26 billion last year without knowing how to make cappuccino!
Feature request
@Twitter
: SOS Tweets are life savers. But after a request is resolved, instead of the usual norm of deleting Tweets can you provide an option to mark the Tweet as ‘Resolved’? This will ensure the useful info in the thread, such as O2 resources etc, isn’t lost.
In Malaysia, Sikhs are often referred to as Bengalis! I recently learned this fact and the fascinating history behind it. British India had three sea ports - Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay. British Malaya was served by ships from Calcutta and Madras. Most North Indians used the
For those questioning
@imVkohli
and
@AnushkaSharma
's intentions behind posting the video of the guy littering, lets remember, celebrities always get questioned for not raising their voice for social causes. For the ones who do, lets support them, not troll them.
The soft spoken cab driver dropped us at Delhi airport. We walked off without paying. Desperately called to ask how to pay & he replied, ‘Koi baat nahi, phir kabhi aa jayenge’. Won’t even tell the amount. He knew we don’t live here. We eventually paid him & learnt decency exists.
I was a freshly-minted MBA, cocky with my case-study-induced confidence, when I got assigned to sell office equipment in Chandni Chowk, Delhi.
A traders' association there requested a demo and pitch for a large number of fax machines. Using all my freshly learned corporate tools
5 key tenets of Sikhism
Sarbat da bhalla - everyone's welfare
Naam japo, vand chhako - recite the name,share with all
Man neeva, mat unchi - low ego, high morality
Chardi kala - high spirits always
Shubh karman te kabhu na taro - never shy from a good deed
Unreal! The meagre O2 supply in the capital of the world’s largest democracy is being frantically managed by a few good folks on Twitter. “Down to 40 min. 65 kids. Send cylinders”, “35 min left. 100 folks. Send cylinders”. Someday we’ll look back at this & say “WTF!”
There’s a beautiful story of compassion associated with Diwali that Sikhs celebrate. The Sikh Guru Hargobind (17th cen.) was to be released from Gwalior prison on Diwali by Emperor Jahangir. The Guru insisted he’ll leave only if fellow prisoners (52 Hindu princes) are freed 1/3
1. Get your swab test done
2. Wait 20 minutes in the holding area till you get SMS you are negative.
3. Sit in your designated zone
4. Coffee and refreshments on your table.
Welcome to the future of conferences!