Wish you a Happy New Year 2011

Here is a new year wish for you from Axess Legal Corp, this greeting is filled with our heartfelt cheers, wishing you a joyful, fulfilling and prosperous new beginning to the year ahead.

Happy New Year 2011.

God & Parents - thank you for today!

Today is a really important day in my life. Right now,  I am too tired to even explain. The gist is this - I passed the Advocates on Record (AOR) exam and it feels absolutely great but I am too tired today to even think of the word 'celebrate.'

I thank God, my father and mother, my family & my close knit circle of friends for actively supporting me during the time I prepared for the AOR exam. To be honest, the result came as a real surprise because I'd been working too hard in practicing law than studying it for exams. I thank everyone who supported and prayed for me. Never to forget so I am mentioning it again- God, thank you.

Some Big Fishes Don't Really Matter

You could say I am very wrong.

I turned down a really big client because I believed he was guilty of the serious charges against him and there was no provision in law that could save him. Lots of people told me it was a mistake to let him go because he's the 'big fish' types and that even if you knew you can't make a decent man out of him, you could still have represented him and made lots of money and contacts in the process. While I admire lawyers who are able to do that and sleep peacefully, its not what makes me happy at the end of the day, when I look into my son's eyes and want to see a world of wonders there, not one of treachery reflecting back through me. What my father taught me about honesty, I want to pass it as a legacy even if it means letting the big fishes go their way. Their way is not mine.
 
When we began Axess Legal Corp, we knew the road ahead would not be easy because we had taken a big responsibility and risk at one go. There are some things that I will not compromise on - integrity, honesty and openness. I can not justify to myself if I compromise on any of these three things, not even for the sake of money because it is not always about money. Yes, we need it but not to the point of doing things that we can't justify to ourselves at the end of the day.  
 
At some point of time, each of us has to do what we believe is the right thing for oneself, isn't it? What do you say?
 
 

How Not To Wake Your Lawyer If You Have One

It was a tiring day. I slept earlier than I planned to. At about 10.30 pm, i guess. 

Someone calls me on my cell. Thinking it could be from parents back in Kochi, I took it and then realized it was a client call. The queries were about filing a case relating to tax in Kerala. Okay, friends, don't think that its an attitude problem because frankly, lawyers can't afford to have attitude with their clients but what do you have clients calling up when you are sleepy? Imagine how difficult it would be to relate to taxes at that point or even make sense.


Well, thankfully, years of tax practice saved me. I managed to address the queries and talked to the client properly, appreciating the fact that he believed in my expertise to sort it out. However, after the call, sleep just seemed impossible. Tossing and turning, tossing and turning, then of course, quite fuming...I didnt sleep for quite sometime.


Has this happened to you? How do you deal with it?
I guess I could have switched off the cell phone but somewhere, some one may just need my help. Knowing that, I just can't.

What brings people together?

Back after a wedding in Coonoor, a fantastic place to visit in case you are planning a vacation. I reached there and guess what I did? It was just the great weather and my own spirit that took me to a different course of action...something that I am glad I did.

I went to the nearest shop, bought a cricket bat and ball. Then I went to the place where the wedding was scheduled, gathered all the enthusiastic youngsters and then whoa! we started playing the game with such team spirit that there was no need for any conversations. There were people with whom we hadn't exchanged words in years perhaps because we didnt know them well or meet them before but it was amazing how a bat and a ball could get everyone so full of passion and unity. I'm not kidding. After the game, the bonding was just fantastic. 
Sometimes, making conversations are not as important as we believe them to be.
 

Happy Diwali 2010

Celebrating festivals or praying through poojas is really not my cup of tea because I like my prayers simple and direct. I find it more distracting to my concentration when there are too many rituals involved. Also, I am not able to understand their significance in relating directly to God. Of course, different people have different ways of connecting to God and I respect that.

Diwali is a festival that is celebrated grandly in North India. Ever since I came to Delhi, I have been a part of it too though not in the conventional sense. This year, as my son Jyotiraditya seemed to crave for real celebration, we did a couple of things that excited him and thrilled us to see his joy.

1. We got the home decorated with colorful lights. My son was so thrilled that he wouldn't move from the door and wanted the lights to go on twinkling throughout the night.

2. We got Cadbury chocolate packs for his friends in the society where we live. The independent guy that he is, he went and gave it to each of his friends. 

3. We always light beautiful diyas for Diwali but this time, we got him to help us choose the diyas and also be part of helping us while we lit it. That got his total involvement and yes, a little bit of creative thinking about where to place the flower shaped diya and where to place the urn shaped ones:)

Since we believe that firecrackers are fun but harmful for the environment, we didn't get him that. However, our neighbors shared some with him and he loved it so much that it got me thinking whether I should deny that joy to him when all others kids seemed to be enjoying with firecrackers.

However, I still feel that while it is fun, there is still an apprehension about supporting something that is so harmful for the environment. All said and done, we had a happy Diwali and hope that you did too, with your friends and loved ones.

How to Treat Parents When They are Old

In India, the concept of old age homes is becoming relevant due to the emergence of more and more nuclear families. However, it is not considered a socially acceptable solution as such. The laws in India require well settled individuals to ensure and pay for the 'maintenance' of their aged parents and they can be sued to ensure this is implemented. The typical family set up in India is a very emotional one. For the same reason, you may find many young people suing their parents for partition of property but you will rarely find parents suing their kids for securing any monetary benefits. That is how it is and has always been in India.

As a follower of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, I want to share one of His most profound teachings. You don't have to be a believer to practice this teaching. His teachings are typically relevant to non-believers too irrespective of country, religion or financial background:

He says,

"You will find at home pictures of God, kept in a special place for worship. In every home, however, there are living gods, whom the sages ask you to serve and worship. They are your parents. They gave you life. You owe your health and happiness to them. They love you, they serve you, they give as much as they can and even more. Yes, they often take less food, so that you can have your fill. They try to save money through various means so that you can be at school, or live in a hostel, or attend a festival or go on a school tour...Let your mother be your God. Let your father be your God. That is the teaching. How else can you thank them? What else can you give in return other than your love and service? Be kind, be soft and be sweet to them. Do not be rude and raw. Try your best to make them happy, obey them, for they know much more than you, of the world and its dangers. That is the way to worship them."

Language Confusion

Language plays an important role in communicating smartly and effectively. For lawyers, language is the tool that needs to be constantly polished to perfection through the drafts they work on for clients, the persuasive arguments they put before the courts and even when delivering lectures or explaining strategies to their interns or clients. For any and every purpose, it becomes a lawyer's duty and responsibility to be smarter than others in grasping the dynamics of language and using it at the right time and at the right place to gain edge.

In the October 2010 edition of Readers Digest, there is an interesting article titled "How to Sound Smarter." Basically, it is the RD version of all confusing words and random rules you missed in English class. In this post, I am going to select some of the chosen RD words.

1. Use of 'Returned back': Very often, we use the term ' I returned back,' without realizing that it is appropriate to say "I returned" or "I am back" but not, "I returned back."

2. How to pronounce the word 'content': Most professionals pronounce 'content' as 'kontent' and there comes a bit of confusion when you hear it said as 'kaantent.' According to the Readers Digest, you can pronounce it as 'kontent' when you are referring to the subject matter of a book, film, project or website, just to mention a few. However, when you are trying to say that you are satisfied or content about something, the word can be pronounced as 'kaantent.'

Hope you found this post useful. If you can think of other words that we tend to use in a mixed up way, do share them. It would be great to discuss.

October 2010, Family Vacation in Kochi

I have been irregular with my posts but here is how I am making up for it with a detailed update.

With my family, I have been enjoying a brief spell of absolute fun filled days. It's becoming addictive, really. Daily discussions with my father, Justice TV Ramakrishnan about work keep me focused and motivated about my work and goals.

My mom, Veena Ramakrishnan, pampered all of us with delicious spread of food that is nothing less than a feast. The delicacies span varieties of tasty chicken, fish, and vegetarian curries and sabzi too. We just hogged and hogged Mom's delectable food every day. We are still doing that:)

My sister, Nandini and her husband, Mridul, were with us for a few days too. It became more exciting when my nephew, Neel also came over. My four year old son Adi is not used to having a 'big brother' around the house and they became fast friends. Of course, Adi had his spell of temper tantrums but Neel was very caring, protective and understanding. Once while we were having dinner at a restaurant in Kochi called Lokah, a little kid dressed in yellow came rushing just like that, as though to hit Adi and immediately, Neel was there as he felt protective about Adi.

Adi calls Neel 'my brother' and it was awesome to watch their relationship unfold so naturally. Neel and I played some typically boyish rough games and of course, cricket. Neel taught Adi how to play Chotta Bheem game on the Internet and how to fish using a fishing rod that has magnetic baits to catch fish. All that is required is a bucket of water and the little fishes would catch the magnetic tape and yes, get fished:) Neel spent some time teaching Adi how it works. The boys had so much fun. We took so many pictures and we even had a family photo session at a studio where we took family snaps and all of which I will definitely upload so that you can all see what fun we had.

We did a thousand things and enjoyed a lot but this is just an overview before the pics come to your view. Take care, and do send in your thoughts.

Traveling, Now Relaxing with my Little Boss.

For the last one month, I've been pretty busy, traveling, meeting clients and visiting places. The difficult part is that I couldn't spend much time with my son, as work commitments had to be prioritized. Finally, today, I am back with my son, enjoying his non stop chatter and litany of little complaints and demands. When he saw that I am back, I can't stop thinking about the way his eyes lit up and his smile seemed to be brighter than the day. He put his little arms around me, and began talking and talking about everything I had missed hearing.

Today, i don't care what parenting rules I am violating, but I am going to let my kid boss me, because I missed him so much and I just don't have the heart to say "no" on this very day. Maybe its too soft an approach but I am just going by my intuitive feeling while dealing with my four year old, than go by rules, regulations and techniques.

Last but not the least, I am glad to be back blogging. Missed u all, too.

Homework Conversation with a Four Year Old

I love to help my four year old with his homework but he likes to do most of it on his own. In fact, we, as a family, spend the best time when we sit down together to discuss how to go about his homework. It makes all of us excited about getting the work done and not view it as a dreary chore that needs to be over and done with.

Every day, we get set as if we are getting ready for an ambitious Mission Impossible like project. What I enjoy is our anticipation and excitement that makes the whole process of completing homework so much more interesting, growth oriented and yes, lots of fun in discovering more about each other.

So, here goes today's conversation. While Adi is writing his "E" and "H" in the school notebook, he constantly wants me to talk. So, his mom tells him, "Why don't you finish and then talk like in class when Ma'am is teaching?"

Smart guy says, immediately, "But when Ma'am talks in class, I start talking too."

There goes!

Darjeeling Rock Garden

Many of you were kind and encouraging about my effort on Tumblr. I spent three hours inserting the comment box, making it more user friendly so that you can use your Yahoo, FB or Twitter log in options to sign in and leave a comment. I've also inserted the Reblog option so that if you feel a post is worth reblogging onto your page, you can do that too easily. If you have any feedback or suggestions to make my endeavor friendlier for you, do feel free to share your inputs with me.

You can find my latest post and pic on the famous rock garden in Darjeeling by visiting http://sanand-axesslegalcorp.tumblr.com/

Find me on Tumblr.com

Let me be honest by saying that blogging doesn't come naturally to me. I work very hard to understand how to draft, review and post everything that I blog about and the kind of hassles in loading, delay and issues that constantly trouble me on Blogger tends to rob me of the relaxing and joyful activity that blogging is meant to be. It takes me ages to upload a single pic and that is just not done! In a crabby mood about the way Blogger is treating me, but anyway, I've not decided to give up this blog, in case that has crossed your mind.

My wife recommended a new platform for blogging, which she said is the futuristic platform for dedicated bloggers who want to enjoy blogging and feel totally relaxed and without any hassles while doing so. I checked up on the Internet and found that this blogging platform called Tumblr is supposedly the next big thing. Not convinced, I visited the site and was bowled over and created a blog for myself immediately. As I said before, it takes me ages to get a post done on Blogger but on Tumblr, it was done in minutes. Better still, it gives me a fantastic Reblog option so that if I liked a blog, I can reblog it on my blog with automatic credits to the original one. I can't tell you how easy and convenient I found Tumblr.

I will continue blogging here because I dont want to throw away the hard work and the wonderful friends - YOU - I've found and learned from on this platform. However, I do suggest that when time permits, do check my blog on Tumblr as well.

This is where you can find my tales: http://sanand-axesslegalcorp.tumblr.com/

Painting Fundas for Parent-Kid Conversations

My son, Jyotiraditya loves to draw, color and paint. When I stumbled across an interesting write up in Resurgence March - April 2009, I jotted it down for my reference but forgot to write the name of the author. I regret that but I wish to share what I read with you all here.

So, the excerpt courtesy the British magazine, Resurgence is given below:

"Children doing their first paintings clearly relish the sensuousness of paint and delight in creating seas of chosen color. Their innocence is chipped away at when we ask what the paintings are of. A fear of not knowing what a painting represents is a mask of our safely tethered desire for reading a picture, and for some people, there is the fear of being tricked by that which is not immediately evident and rooted."

What I liked best about the passage is that it gives parents the right set of hints about how to propel a child's creativity in the right way. Before I read this, I used to ask my son when he drew or painted something, "What is this?" I think that it is important to let the painter paint as his imagination guides him. The reasoning can perhaps be dissected later. The actual pleasure lies in painting itself. Purposelessness to any activity is not a terrific idea but beauty cannot be measured, nor can creativity. So, when one asks a child to think in terms of logic, the flight of imagination becomes restricted and a child feels an artificial pressure of trying to measure up to address the question put forth by the parent. Now, after reading this passage, I try to enjoy the drawing or painting and ask, "How did you feel when you were painting this? What did you think about when you did this?"

I must confess the conversation that follows is so spontaneous and educative for me as a parent and for my kid, the little messy artist.

Curb your Sugar Intake, Save Health & Wealth

I've always had my tea without sugar. I don't know why but I have always believed that sugar intake leads to a lot of health related issues later in life. The earlier you learn to curb sugar intake, the better. It sounds boring but it helps to keep fit and spend less too. At least, think about curbing sugar at incremental levels in your life.

Here are some suggestions that will help your health and your pay packet too:

1. Check label and opt for food containing less than 5-7 g per 100 g.

2. Ditch Fizz

3. Cut down sugar in tea and coffee.

4. Limit soft drinks, sweets, biscuits, cakes, puddings.

5. Eat a small piece of cheese at the end of a meal or after a sugar snack. Cheese is alkali and it neutralizes the harmful effect of sugar. Don't make this a habit to eat lots of sugar and then cheese. This can be done once in a while, it is harmful if one uses it as an excuse to have more desserts and sugary food.

6. Use honey as a substitute as it contains fructose which is absorbed more slowly than ordinary sugar and gives more sustained energy.

7. Eats nuts, as they contain magnesium which helps combat fatigue, bloating and mood swings. Also, they enable energy release in every cell of the body.

8. Remember, a can of cola would have at least 7 teaspoons. A chocolate bar would have 8 teaspoons of sugar.

Try this. If you have other useful tips, please share, as that would help us all.

Daniel Craig in Layer Cake

When I saw the DVD of Layer Cake, it didn’t really entice me except for the fact that I like Daniel Craig’s movies. The movie is an adaptation of J.J. Connolly’s novel, Layer Cake. So, yes, I took it with very little interest or anticipation because drug industry related movies don’t really interest me.

The movie is all about the criminal underclass of Britain with interesting insights into how its underworld drug industry works. Daniel Craig is the main protagonist of Layer Cake, and quite convincing as a smooth drug runner who plans to retire early from the hazardous profession. However, his plans are thwarted from all corners. He has to find a way to get a cache of ecstasy pills (worth over 3 million dollars!!) stolen by a low-life gangster gangster called Duke (Foreman) whose nephew Sidney dates the femme fatale Tammy, (starring Sienna Miller) who in turn catches Craig’s attention and love interest. Duke had stolen the tablets from one of Serbia’s most dangerous drug dealers, Dragan, who wants to get those pills back at any cost and believes that Craig has the cache from Duke.

To make the plot more complicated, Craig’s boss Jimmy Price (starring Kenneth Cranham) has two final missions to complete. Price wants him to find the runaway junkie daughter of his old pal and kingpin Eddie Temple (starring Michael Gambon) and deliver the girl safely to him. Then, Price wants Craig to buy the pills from Duke at any cost, without creating a mess.

There are many characters and twists to the plot but this is an out-and-out Daniel Craig movie. In every sequence, Craig’s performance seems flawless, right down to the scene where he realizes that he’s been duped twice, first by Jimmy Price and second, by Eddie Temple.

I liked the movie, particularly the end, where Daniel Craig fights all odds to become the king of the kingpin and yet is shot to death at his moment of his glory, not by another mafia don or the powerful enemies he’s made, but Sidney, the guy whose girl friend he had taken for himself.

Darjeeling's Tea Gardens

Darjeeling's tea gardens take you back to colonial times. There's always a nip in the air and longing for freshly brewed hot tea that you feel tempted to have to keep warm. It's a place I know I'd like to visit again.

Not a Movie Review: Michael Clayton is a Bore

MICHAEL CLAYTON is a movie about a lawyer who has spent too much time 'negotiating and fixing deals' and the theme interested me. George Clooney plays the protagonist. The movie hints at the huge stakes that a law firm has in an environmental corporate sort of case and the way Clayton's personal problems of being broke and in debt come into conflict with his professional interests. One fine day, his car explodes before his eyes and that is when he realizes that some one is trying to get rid of him.

Too often, we find Clayton looking lost and staring without expression, at what's in front of him.

The actress in this movie is Tilda Swinton. She is the epitome of an ambitious corporate lawyer whose greed for fame and publicity fuels her need to prove herself infallible. She spends most of her time practicing lines before a mirror. Her character lacks substance in the way its been etched out and it is clear right from the start that she has to maintain a dour expression, without even the hint of a smile.

The theme was a good one but was badly executed. It just rips apart your patience and kills your interest in the movie. The end was brilliant and worth the wait, to some extent. If you can stay patient, this may be a movie that will try it further.

Not a Movie Review: Defiance is an Attitude

When I saw that "Defiance" is a movie directed by Edward Zwick, the maker of some brilliant flicks like "Glory," "The Last Samurai" and "Blood Diamond," I couldn't resist picking it up. Here's the story, not that I am the best person for story telling but I hope you'll be kind enough to still read on.

In 1941, in an area that we now know as Belarus, Jews are being persecuted mercilessly by the Hiter regime. Tuvia Bielski (starring Daniel Craig) is believed to have saved the lives of more than 1,000 Jews by keeping them safe in the woods, which came to be christened as "Jerusalem in the woods." Tuvia's brothers are Asael, (starring Jamie Bell), Aron (starring George Mackay) and Zus (Liev Schreiber).

First, the brothers avenge the death of their parents who are killed ruthlessly by the Nazis. Later, they help to save many Jews who were hiding in the forest, not knowing where to go or where their next meal would come from. Even a drop of water is not there for all of them to drink. The brothers think through the hopeless situation and become leaders who take charge to do what is required to stay alive. They create a system whereby every Jew is assigned a task to do and a role to fulfill. They lay down a hard rule - no babies on the settlement because it is no decent place for a baby to grow up.

The tensions between the brothers are played out very well by Craig and Schreiber because they are such opposites in attitude, passion and values.Their story is one of courage, not victimization. Typically, most real life stories on the Holocaust portrayed the horrors that the Jews went through and how they were victimized by it. This movie showed how a band of brothers became warriors, though they could have chosen to feel helpless and victimized by the turn of events around them. Somewhere, it seemed as though Zwick was getting lost in a melodrama of his own making, not necessarily that of the brothers.

Still, I 'd say that what the Bielski brothers did by saving and empowering so many Jews deserves to be remembered and documented. It tells us that even when we face the worst situations in life, we can deal with it by choosing a different route of action, one in which we don't prepare ourselves to be victims.

Life is Cruel but You've to Survive

Every day, I wait to hear about my son's day in school. It's the highlight of my day - to unwind with him and hear him talk about how well/badly his day is. Sometimes, he has good days. There are times when he has bad days because a child in class behaves nastily. I had read somewhere that kids are territorial in nature. Like lions or hunting animals, they can sense fear and act upon it to their advantage. I never believed it then but from the time I've started observing how children behave, I've noticed its true. Kids pick on kids who seem frightened or timid in their presence. In my son's class, the girls are more aggressive and dominating. I remember that it was the same in my school too. Perhaps these are scraps of memories and may have nothing to do with it being girls or boys. I am sure that today's little boys and girls are more influenced by the movies they see than we were. That too has something to do with the aggression in their behavior.

In an English movie that I saw, I recalled the words of a father to his son, "Life is cruel but you have to survive."

The words stay with me when I think of some children who say or do cruel things to other kids. They feel its their right to survive. The weaker kids give in or become dominated by it because they too want to find an easier way to survive. It's no different when we grow up and pass through high school, college and the battleground of life. We learn ways to tackle cruelty and we find the means to survive somehow.

Maybe we know deep within, that there is no choice but to survive.

The Kingdom of God is Within You

From the time my son, Jyotiraditya, was born, everyday has been a new dawn. Through his eyes, I see the world differently. I see life differently.

And I realize what is meant in the words, "The kingdom of God is within you."

Use of Coconuts and Monkeys in Thailand

When time permits, I like to watch cricket, FIFA or Travel & Living. One such time, when I was watching the travel channel, they were doing a feature on Thai food. It was quite interesting and similar to the Kerala cuisine and naturally, I paid attention to some interesting facts that came up.

In the 16th century, the Portuguese introduced coconut as an integral part of Thai food.  They showed a sweet crispy wafer that is a very popular snack in Thailand and it is made from a mix of rice flour, sugar, eggs and then flavored with coconuts and peanuts. They claim its an awesome snack and by the way it looked, I can't really doubt their claims.

Kerala too has considerable Portuguese influence but it is believed that coconut was a part of Kerala cuisine even before their arrival. In Kerala, there are traditional coconut climbers who climb the trees and throw down the coconuts that are ready to be used. Nearly every home in Kerala has coconut trees, so the role of a climber can be well-imagined, isn't it?

Interestingly, in Thailand, the people train monkeys to do the same job. Initially, it was almost offensive to know that but then it is just a sign of efficiency at their end. Each monkey is trained to pick upto a thousand coconuts per day and expected to work eight long hours. 

Before the documentary could be seen completely, my son switched the channel to watch Tom and Jerry and I didn't have the heart to stop him. So, there ends this post. Hope you found it interesting too. 

Winning Isn't Everything, There's More to it!

People imagine all sorts of terrible things about lawyers, as if they are unpredictable like toddlers.  When people meet a lawyer, there is one standard question that 's asked, "Do you win all your cases?"

I wonder how many patients ask this of surgeons and doctors. 

Do you want the truth when you ask that question or a reassurance of sorts? Maybe you just need to consider what winning means to you in the context of getting a lawyer to support your side of the story. If you want to win to destroy something, that's not winning, is it? If you want to win because injustice has been done to you, it is about creating trust in your version and through legal representation.

To me, winning is about creating trust between you and the lawyer, you and the opposite party and you persuading the judiciary that justice is on your side. When that happens, the win is that of justice, not of two warring lawyers as people tend to believe. To me, it's always about principles that you live by. Sometimes, it's important to win and make that your legacy of standing by what is just and fair.

Don't Miss Lunch @ Hotel Travancore Palace

In March 2010, on a short visit to Kochi, my home town in Kerala, I visited the Travancore Palace (it's a traditional Kerala hotel). My father-in-law, Dr.C.R.Raghu, took us there as it is on the way to Cherthala and Alapuzha.  It's more than an hour's drive from Kochi but definitely worth it. Surrounded by lush greenery, authentic Kerala style paintings, old world charm and the spellbinding architecture of a traditional, Kerala style nallukettu, this is a place to unwind and relax. You won't find marble or granite floors sparkling here. You won't find brilliantly lit chandeliers and sparkling silver cutlery. Natural elements lend this place its best features. You can feel the breeze throughout the day and evening while you relax. The rains are sheer bliss as they fall through the open area of the nallukettu, becoming a visual delight. The light and air make it very airy to the extent that you don't need any other forms of light.


This is a place where you can find simplicity and elegance at one go. Best of all, the food is delicious, whether you are a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian.


We reached there past 11 pm and the photos we took hardly do justice to the grandeur of the place but do check these out. This is the traditional temple lamp that occupies a place of pride in the lush green lawns of the hotel. 

This picture shows the entrance that leads into the hotel.

 The following picture has three of us - Dr.C.R.Raghu, Adi and yes, that's me. The VIP in the picture is the golden bull. It is beautifully crafted and looks like an artistic masterpiece when you see it for real.

The painting shown below is just one of the many beautiful paintings that decorate the walls of the hotel's dining hall. Each painting comes with a clear title which helps us understand what the painting is trying to portray to the viewer.

Visit the Travancore Palace on a clear day and you will know what I mean when I say this place has old warm charm and lush greenery. You can spend time walking through the property, which is so beautifully maintained. If you are tempted to stay, do that. The rooms are very traditionally furnished and well kept with traditional artefacts. Whatever you decide, give this place a peek, it's worth it.

FIFA Cup:: Which Team are You Supporting?

I have been watching the FIFA Cup 2010 with great interest. Which team are your supporting and why? Let's talk.

Don't Miss the Traditional Kerala Sadhya

A trip to Kerala is never complete without a traditional sadhya, that is served on a banana leaf. Kochi's BTH (Bharat Tourist Home) has a restaurant which offers the traditional sadhya on Sundays for guests. Naturally, people flock to this restaurant on Sundays to enjoy the traditonal meal which is priced very reasonably. 

Despite the long queue of families and the noisy canteen atmosphere, a visit to BTH is worth it if you are visiting Kochi.

Back to Work

Back from a hectic holiday in my home state, Kerala, and now trying to get back to routine. It's tough to do that but nevertheless, nothing beats the thrill of working on a new case, handling communication with clients and holding discussions with them to make sure that their interests are protected in the best possible way. In different ways, that is what we all try to do at work, isn't it? We grow ourselves and others around us, not just to make money, but to feel happy and good from within.

What do you say?

Happy Holi 2010

The festival of colors is back again! There seems to be excitement in the air, particularly with kids. Funny enough, I have never been drawn to this festival and I still am trying hard to conform with the fun factor it seems to represent.

The difficulties are that there are more crimes committed in the name of Holi celebrations which makes it difficult for me to believe in it. Many girls are raped by mobs and women, whether married or not, are not safe traveling or being outdoors in public on the day of Holi. For the police, it is not possible to control huge mobs that are celebrating a festival. That is exactly why many rapists go scot-free on this day because it is not possible to identify them as well. Due to these dismal but perfectly valid reasons, the fun filled, colorful festival fails to inspire me. Forgive my honesty but that's just the way I am. I can't pretend to like something that I don't believe in.

However, my personal thoughts do not prevent me from wishing you all a very happy, joyous and fun filled Holi. Stay safe, avoid mobs, drive carefully and take greater care of the girls and womenfolk in the family while outdoors.

Happy Holi!

Tagged, so Here I am!

I was tagged by Lazy Pineapple and here we go with some fun questions:

1. What is your current obsession?

Cricket 24X7.
2. What are you wearing today?

White shirt, black pants - always the dress code for practising lawyers.
3. What's for dinner today?

Rice, sambhar and thoran.

4. What's the last thing you bought?

Chocolates for my kid.

5. What are you listening to right now?

Shah Rukh in an interview on NDTV with Barkha Dutt. News is now entertainment, isn't it?

6. What do you think about the person who tagged you?

I think she is a fantastic blogger.

7. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
In Kochi - my hometown

8. What are your must-have pieces for summer?
T-shirts, cargoes, jeans and a bottle of water.

9. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
My hometown - Kochi.

10. Which language do you want to learn?
Not decided yet.

11. What’s your favourite quote?
If you desire for something with all your heart, the whole universe will conspire to make it happen.

12. Who do you want to meet right now?
My parents.

13. What is your favourite colour?
Blue.

14. Give us 3 styling tips that work for you.

1. The right scent.
2. The right watch.
3. The right shoes.

15. What is your dream job? To be a cricketer.

16. What’s your favorite magazine?
Reader's Digest.

17. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?

Chocolates.

18. What do you consider a fashion faux pas?

Shoes and belt that don't go well with what you are wearing.

19. Who according to you is the most over-rated style icon?
Aishwarya Rai

20. What kind of haircut do you prefer?
Short, military style.

21. What are you going to do after this?
Watch TV

22. What are your favorite movies?
Leon the Professional, Scent of a Woman, Gladiator, Notting Hill.

23. What inspires you?
Thinking about my father - Justice T.V.Ramakrishnan.

24. What do your friends call you most commonly?
Sanu.

25. Would you prefer coffee or tea?
Black tea.

26. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?

Silent brooding.

27. What makes you go wild?
Backstabbers, liars and pompous know-it-alls.

28. Which other blogs do you love visiting?

Many blogs, can't think of just one.

29. Favorite Dessert/Sweet?
Chocolate dessert.

30. How many tabs are turned on in ur browser right now?

two.

31. Favorite Season?

Winter.

32. If I come to your house now, what would u cook for me?

Omelet.

33. What is the right way to avoid people who purposefully hurt you?

Ignore them.

34. What are you afraid of the most?
My son getting badly hurt.

35. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?

God, I've put on weight!

36. What brings a smile on your face instantly?

My son.

37. A word that you say a lot?
Money, money, money!

38. When was the last time you did something nice?
Lawyers? Nice? Are you kidding?

39. What would you do if you were made President of India for one day?

Reduce the number of holidays in this country and encourage people to work harder.

40. Do you Know who Master SHIFU is?
No idea!

I would like to thank Lazy Pineapple for tagging me. I wish to tag the following bloggers with the same questions:

Mridula
Tarun Mitra
SG

Ramesh

Happy Republic Day

Today, India stands tall and proud while she celebrates the 60th Republic Day. Everywhere, there is a festive air. Playschools and schools in Delhi celebrated the day before with kids dressing up as freedom fighters or leaders who gave India the strength and conviction to fight ahead peacefully for her freedom.

In Delhi, security has been beefed up at every spot.Passengers who plan to travel by air are advised to be reach early at the airport and be ready for several security checks before they can finally board their planes. In Bar Associations across the country, the Chief Justice of the respective High Courts will do the flag hoisting ceremony in the presence of other puisne judges and lawyers.

Let us hope and pray that the year 2010 will be a lucky and happy one for this country, the citizens like you and I and in particular, the young and brave men and women of the Indian defence forces who make it possible for us to sit comfortably in our homes and say this while they brave it out there. God bless them all!

Fishy is Good

Today is a Sunday. Sunday mornings are meant for brunch and totally relaxed but today I am excited because my clients called from Mumbai, promising me a very thoughtful yet strange gift. They are bringing fresh fish from Mumbai. And you know what, it's fresh, priceless fish!

They are from the fishing community in Maharashtra, a very traditional and patriotic community. The State government announced a policy to provide subsidized diesel to these fishermen to use in their fishing trawlers, mechanized fishing boats and so on. Each boat requires about 1,500 liters of diesel and they are out in the sea for about a fortnight or sometimes more. Two punps and connecting tanks were given to this community out of the retail outlet initially granted to a big, well known entity called X.

Since these fishermen found it convenient to let the retail outlet person continue the dispensing activities (which requires a little expertise). So, they entered into an agreement appointing the same person as their agent in return for a monthly sum. Now, there is an alleged dispute about the payment of monthly service charge. The retail outlet guy terminated the agreement with the fishing folks.

On behalf of the fishing community, we filed a suit for injunction before the city civil court in Mumbai. It was fully granted (with respect to 2 pumps and 2 connecting tanks). Then, the other side went to the High Court in appeal against the said interim injunction. The High Court modified the original injunction order and confined it to just one pump. Aggrieved by this, the retail outlet has filed a special leave petition before the Supreme Court.

I am not just their lawyer but I am their friend. They tell me their worries and I worry with them because they are good people. They don't speak English with an accent, they don't wear suits or go to cocktails but they deserve justice because they are good, honest people who take great pride in their country and community.

And today, that will be my thought while I go to meet them and collect the gift they have brought for me, all the way from Mumbai.

Thank You for the Excellent Blog Award

I am really thankful to God for giving me an encouraging 'pat on the back' through my friends and visitors on this blog. Thank you, SG, for bestowing the Excellent Award. I am not sure if I am the right person for this honor but it means a lot to me that you thought I'm worthy.

Chinese Proverb: Cackling Hens Do not Lay Eggs

To understand a proverb is not easy.

In Asian culture, oral traditions are kept alive by proverbs that throw light on our cultural values and perspectives, along with a dash of history. In Kerala, there are so many interesting proverbs that the elders quote but it also has layers of meanings that one needs to delve into.

I've found it interesting to think about proverbs because they are similar to legal maxims. read this Chinese proverb, "Cackling hens do not lay eggs," I liked it instantly. Another one is "Cats who like to mew can't catch mice." Both mean that boastful people do not really do what they claim or say.

What is the proverb that comes to your mind? What does it mean?