The Year it was and the year that will come!

Phew...hate to start with a slang like hate to start the new year with a bang!
This year was eventful and not to say that others in past were not so but just to suggest that this year was eventful too. Politically, we saw new equations in India and reinforcement of Gandhian belief in anna's methods. Although so many people are still divided on acknowledging that this method will work but at least all are united in one thought that corruption is very deep rooted in political class now. It was not so different in US too. Bipartisanship is just a term to use in speeches but hardly seen in action on issues unless pushed to wall.
Economically, it wasn't much better. Whole year people are waiting for recovery and it came in patches. Still lots to be done on this and one should remain hopeful.This will remain a major theme for discussion for 2012 too.
Socially, India is on fast track to catch up with the western ways. Not much to talk about and I think that this is very natural way of evolution and social activism. Western society will keep embracing the eastern philosophies on life and societies in east will keep looking to western styles.
Technology is affecting the society a lot more than any philosophies. SoCoMo (Social sites, Cloud devices/apps, and Mobility) will become not only the ways for companies to think but even the ways for society to evolve. People are spending more and more time on social sites than any other communication media. Even emails are looking things of past and only carry business significance now.
Personally, it was a year of paperwork for me. Got the taste of the new processes in immigration. Driving license, passport, visa, bank papers, loans, house etc all featured in my list this year.
Overall like all other years, I'm happy for the way it went and hope more for next year - no new year resolutions but just the renewed vigor to do more. I believe that it's a moment for all of us to celebrate and then take a pause to take deep breath and then get ready for next ride!

Some day!

Recently visited the CGI, San Francisco, work - correction in the passport. Imagine it or not, it's a tough job. I'm always scared of touching anything on these kinds of documents at any place - be it in India or in US. Red tape is vicious at any place. It's the nature of the devil. Whatever you want to call me for this, but I expect it this way only. You'll always be desperate to get it done and people on the other side will always be relaxed, or should I say indifferent, enough that your patience will be tested. You are irritated, but you have to smile and show that you are indifferent too.

Anyway coming back to visit to CGI. I did the mistake of dreaming something else as I thought that I'm in a developed world and humans are masters in adapting. I was so wrong. Whatever happens, it's difficult to change the basic nature and only a temporary veil can be put. It's difficult to adapt and hence the process of evolution is slow. Big fonts were used to display that "cell phones are not allowed inside" and several signs of them. Even a message was their on website but we (read Indian) are so not used to follow such measures unless someone has a stick to show it. Then you can see people shouting about the arrangements that what should they do with the phones and all other such damned stuffs. I never saw same people even moaning about the same arrangements outside the US consulate office. I don't need to lay out the next scene once you are inside; one can imagine it very well. The less I should say about security and professionalism, the better.

I understood one thing, for sure, that, with whatever high decibels, we keep screaming that India will be a superpower in coming years but there is a long way to go in terms of etiquette and how we do the things. Some day!

PS: I got my passport back with all the required things in place within 4 weeks. So things are working just fine!