Android vs Mom

To introduce mom to the amazing features of a smart phone I gifted her a Micromax Android phone on her Anniversary. Since she uses her phone just for calling and at most to listen to music, i guessed she would find it difficult to cope with a more advanced operating system like Android. But she has picked up the intricacies of Android so fast that I can no longer answer her queries. She just took a couple of months to figure out that  the 1GHz processor Micromax was a junk  phone and the amazing specs (on paper) could no longer convince her. She wanted a better Android phone. (The Micromax is now happy being accepted in the noble family of old 1100, w700i etc)

That is when I gave her my basic "LG Optimus One" phone which I was using happily for the past two years. And within two days she crashed the custom ICS rom I had flashed on it and the phone just went dead. She said she was playing with some settings and the phone went to a really long sleep (Somehow i could never do it in my two years of Android usage). She started cursing me for the poor visibility of ICS rom and it was no longer easy to toggle Wi-Fi etc. Somehow I convinced her that it's Google's mistake and not mine and with lot of pains recovered the stock ROM for her liking.

Since then there is no looking back and she now configures Wi-Fi on her phone and shares images with her friends over Bluetooth. she has already picked up words like "download", "upload" and replies in whatsapp using things like "OK cool". Is always glued to her phone till late nights and also had several visits to Eye specialists. She now helps her friends to upload apps on their phone (upload=install in her dictionary, also Internet=Google=Wi-Fi).  But her deep dive into the world of Android and her one-one with recent technologies was not always easy on my brain and my ego of being an Engineer. As I get blamed for most of the bugs introduced in Android by Google or any other developer of Apps. Following are some of her duels with Android/me:

Mom vs my M.Tech (round 1):
Mom: What is the difference between 2G, 3G and 2GB,3GB?
Me: aaahmmmm! 2G is second generation of wireless technology. The gsm technology we use for  calling is 2G or rather 2.5G. 3G is third generation which provides higher speed internet these days. 2GB is 2 Gigabyte's a measure of memory. More is the memory more songs you can store.
Mom: !!!! (puzzled) what are you talking about?
Me: 2G is for Sim card 2GB is for SD card.

Mom vs YouTube update: I thought of surprising mom with the new YouTube interface and updated it myself. Somehow her search history got messed up.
Mom: what did you do to my phone. I can no longer see comedy and cookery shows I had on my YouTube
Me: Those were just initial "Recommendations". You can always search for them.
Mom: Idiot don't ever touch my phone!

Mom vs WhatsApp: On profile pictures of other users, showing in whatsapp

 Mom: Why do people put their photos on "my" Whatsapp?
Me: !! %&@!! (Puzzled)
Mom: Delete them I don't want them on my phone.
Me: &@%#+&#! (Slightly dizzy)

Mom vs YouTube:
Mom: How do I download songs from YouTube?
Me: (Wondering how to explain her the Google policy on app market!) You need an app for that which is not available on Google play. You have to get Tubemate etc
Mom: OK cool
Me: !!

Mom vs my M.Tech(round 2):
Mom: What is the difference between Wi-Fi and the Internet?
Me: aah mmm (using experience from past will try to explain in kannada) Wi-Fi is a "Maadhyam" (medium) and internet is a "Saulabhya"(facility). Wi-Fi may provide internet but not vice versa. E.g Wi-Fi is like a plate in which you serve food called internet.
Mom: This is the stupidest example I have ever heard!
Wife: He is fooling around with you mother-in-law. Internet is nothing like that.
Me: %#?@+???
Mom: Idiot explain it in English
Me: I don't know :( ( my M.Tech proved useless again)

Experiences like these have definitely made me lot more patient these days :). Sharing this hoping that Google might hire her to test their future Android releases.

Chennai Express review

The review has been broken into two parts according to the group to which the reader belongs. Please limit yourself to your group only and do not bother to read the other part. 
Note: No spoilers (as if it matters).

i. For Shahrukh Khan Fans: Yes you heard it right, Chennai Express is a very entertaining movie. It is as good as all the other Shahrukh starrer movies and is a must watch. I say it is the super hit “DDLJ” made in tamil. Again the chemistry (and Biology) between Shahrukh and Deepika is awesome. Deepika has definitely got a more visible role in this movie compared to her other movies and has done good justice to her role.

The first half of the movie is very funny and is a laugh riot. So much that the family sitting behind me in the theatre went crazy laughing. You wouldn’t be disappointed in the second half of the movie too as there are action scenes with Shahrukh’s bleeding lips. The charm of Shahrukh has worked again and he has given another successful entertainer which would cross 100cr collection. It has all ingredients of a good movie like action, comedy, romance, item numbers and is a 100% paisa wasool masala movie. 
----    Stop reading here     ----

ii. For Non Shahrukh Khan Fans: Yes your gut feeling is right. Chennai Express (CE) is as good as any other Shahrukh starrers. This is another crap movie directed by Rohit Shetty and crazily publicized by the Khan. Rohit Shetty has his own way of directing movies. The scenes in his movies appear to be comedy scenes but I wonder why I don't feel like laughing at them. Some people do get confused and laugh out loud and suddenly they themselves wonder what just happened and why they laughed. Many dialogues and scenes are from or refer to the self obsessed Shahrukh's older movies. Story is a typical Telugu movie story (hope this is not considered a spoiler).

You could enjoy the second half of the movie slightly more than the first half. That is because the level of jokes is so cheap that the creative part of your brain would go in deep sleep and the expectations of the remaining part of the brain would go very low. The family sitting behind me was the only ones laughing in the theatre. For a while i had the feeling that they were part of the CE publicity team. Others laughed every time they remembered that they had actually paid 350/- per ticket for this movie and cannot go back home without looking well entertained.

Deepika’s performance is limited to what we guessed by watching the trailer, "Ekdum bokkwaass" dialogue delivery. So you can definitely give a skip to this movie or go ahead and contribute to Rohit Shetty relief fund which will reach 100cr mark for no reason. Get a Tamil-English dictionary if you have any obligations (like me) to watch it. It will help you in understanding the movie better, if not at least you will use the time to learn Tamil. If you still want to watch this and also save money then better buy some popcorn and watch the trailer repeatedly until it premieres on television. Do some creative work or spend some genuine time with your family instead of spending time and money on such movies.

Man of Steel - A desperate review

Yes, the man is indeed of steel. Not because the Superman character doesn't even get a scratch after being hit by a flying truck but because the extraordinary chap has consistently maintained a blank puzzled  facial expression throughout the movie. Such amount of consistency would be very tough to maintain even for the best of our bollywood actors like Imran Khan or even Himesh Reshammiya. He is well supported by a brilliant crew of actors who seem to have written their own dialogues which is unlikely in most movies.

One of my favorite dialogues in the movie is when the little superman gets very disturbed in his school classroom after watching the x-ray vision of his teacher (in fact even i got a bit disturbed). Psyched out he runs and locks himself in a room saying “this world is too big for me”. That is when his mother(super mom) miraculously turns up at  his school and consoles him (rather hypnotizes him) saying “Clark, imagine this world to be a small island, can you see it? now slowly swim towards it.” Hearing this magical words the super kid calms down and learns to handle the x-ray visions of people there on. Even if the dialogues were probably not written for this scene but the brilliant actress could handle the situation with her impromptu dialogues.

Another brilliant part of the movie is that the villain Zod who doesn't seem to get hurt a bit even if a nuclear bomb exploded in his pants but our Super Superman kills him by just twisting his neck. Animation team has put more than 100% in their efforts actually more than what was necessary. Animation is so good that even the doors of spaceship do not shut simply. They shut as if joining thousands of broken pieces together showing weird patterns not seen in any sci-fi movies, just brilliant.

This superman is lot more matured and modern than his predecessors as he no longer wears his undis over his pajamas. The Superman is supposed to be from a planet called as Krypton. But actually i could identify two more people who are from krypton but is not revealed in the movie. Probably that would be revealed in its sequel. But i would like to break the secret for you guys. One of them actually is the Director of this movie. That is because just after watching 2-3 poorly made Hollywood movies he could make this extraordinary masterpiece. Another hint being that the scenes in the movie are completely disconnected which is a usual trend in all the Kryptic movies (movies made in the planet Krypton).

You wouldn’t believe that the third person from krypton is actually from India. He is none other than the reviewer from Times of India who gave 4 stars to this movie, a worthy rating for this masterpiece. Only a person from Krypton could actually appreciate the fine details and beauty of this movie. Like for we mortals from planet Earth it is very difficult to even guess who is younger among the heroine and superman’s mother, Or why Russel Crowe worked in this movie, or why Superman's father went to save his dog and got himself killed like a dog. Earthlings like me without thinking twice buy the expensive movie tickets for crap movies and somehow miss out on excellent movies like this one which could be a source of ultimate entertainment and fun. I don’t want to limit myself to just 5 stars to rate this movie. I would rather rate it with the sum of all the stars flying around my head from the time i paid for the ticket till the end of the movie.

Manasiddalli One-way

Once known for its greenery the Garden City Bangalore is now quite popular for its congested roads. Since the time the city has been taken over by software engineers, it has seen a lot of changes in traffic conditions. It is no longer that peaceful city which I used to visit during my childhood days when I was not a Software Engineer. Environmentalists keep blaming we city dwellers for increasing pollution through traffic. And we keep buying new vehicles at an exponential rate, at least until our Metro Rail is ready. There are many people who keep blaming the traffic for their woes. And i was one of them. I used to get irritated very often. But reading some of the books on “Positive thinking”, buying the “Traffic nivaarak Yantra” from teleshopping  and watching some preachings on “Aastha” channel has changed my perspective towards life completely. I see the positive side of everything now. Nothing is real. World is just an illusion and so is the city pollution. It is visible only till the auto rickshaw right ahead of you takes a diversion. “Is jag main sab moh maaya hain”. But still sometimes this traffic haunts me.So much that even while walking i try to see into the rear view mirror and try to press the horn button. I hope i will come out of it. Excuse me, It’s time for my meditation..hmmmmm.

Since the time I arrived in Bangalore after my engineering, I've seen worst of its traffic. Traveling to Electronic City was supposed to be one of the worst experiences those days. Luckily we had a pickup bus which took around one and half hours to reach EC on normal days. And when it rained, it could even take more than a day. In my initial few days I used to get very irritated by the slow moving traffic. Then slowly I handed over the entire responsibility of keeping a watch on the traffic to our bus driver, and started having a very good nap. Now that I own a bike, I miss those relaxing bus travel days. Riding a bike has brought in many positive changes in me. One of the best things that happened to me after riding to office on a bike is that I started doing Yoga. Now without Yoga I don't even feel like going to office. I just feel like laying on the bed and resting my back. Thanks to my bike. It also taught me to be more hygienic and wash my face more often, as the black soot deposited on my face after traveling doesn't come off in one wash.

One should see the bangalore traffic as our mother nature, teaching us how to lead life in toughest of situations. Humans have survived many natural calamities and have grown more and more tougher every time. Similarly every time you come out of bangalore traffic you are a new man altogether. So much new that sometimes my wife doesn't recognize me until i take a shower. Traffic binds us together, it brings us closer. So close that I adjust the rear view mirror of my vehicle only to realize that it was of a neighboring vehicle. It also teaches us not to blindly follow others. sometimes I blindly follow the cars ahead of me like a hypnotized sheep forgetting that car has four wheels and my bike has only two. Car smoothly passes over the unexpected potholes and I fall into it.

Bangalore traffic also teaches a lot of patience. I realize that every time I watch the BMTC bus drivers. Irrespective of the traffic situation, they are at their own peace. Probably their wives teach them to be patient or maybe they find peace on crowded roads than in their homes. Only in some worst cases, like when I overtook very close to the bus, I could hear some very simple abuses like “goobe nann magane” which literally translates to “you owl, my son” :) or probably he meant “you son of an owl”. In terms of abuses on road, bangaloreans are still very soft. I don't mind being called an owl at all :). When you further irritate them may be by banging someone’s car bumper etc, that is when you get promoted to “boli magane” which literally translates to “*****”. It's safer not to continue the fight any further and leave it there before you get  promoted to some well known hindi abuses. Thanks to my bike and my driving skills, I have become quite resistant to these kind of abuses. Earlier, such words use to bother me a lot.

The famous quote from spiderman “With great power comes great responsibility” is very much valid on the road. More is the power of your engine, more responsible you are supposed to be on the road. If you are driving a 160hp truck or a bus, you are like Mother Teresa, and take the responsibility of safeguarding all the other vehicles and pedestrians. You have to be more patient and careful in overtaking even if it delays your own schedule. Likewise 1.2hp engines, I mean the pedestrians are the most carefree on road. It has become a trend these days in Bangalore to cross the road looking at the opposite direction of the traffic. As if saying “I am crossing the road, you dare hit me!”.  If by any chance you even bruise them, then the whole of the frustrated crowd will come and show you some unseen stars. Now that I ride in this traffic, I've grown to become more responsible, and I am confident enough to bring up even a drowning company.

Actually you get the best of all when you are driving a two wheeler. You can pinch through any traffic, and let the car guys keep honking. I keep abusing the car drivers for their attitude whenever I am on my motorbike. They honk as if they own the world for buying an expensive car. Now that I myself own a car things are a bit different now. Now I say “ yeah gareeb two wheeler wale khain pe bhi ghus aate hain” :) (meaning these poor two wheelers have no way to go ;)). I remember an incident when I was making way into the traffic on my bike and I slightly hit the rear view mirror of a car. I don't exactly know what damage it caused, but I simply moved ahead and sped off in the traffic. After traveling for more than 5-6 km, I saw a speeding car overtaking me on the flyover and braking in front of me just like in bollywood movies. I was about to abuse him when I heard the words for the second time “Goobe nann magane”. That is when I realized that it was the same car whose mirror I had hit. He followed me for god knows how long, just to call me “son of an owl” or rather “you owl, my son” which I anyway didn’t mind. I kind of liked his soft spokenness. I somehow convinced him that he has followed a wrong guy. He looked confused for a while and then left. Since then I’ve been more cautious about these rear view mirrors. Two wheeler handles are longer than what you feel when you are holding them.

Often people lose their calm while driving. Let alone the reaction of the driver himself, even the women passengers in the rickshaws who have absolutely no role in driving, make faces and point fingers at you if you come in their way. And when it is raining or when it is about to, whole Bangalore goes crazy. Suddenly the roads demonstrate a situation of survival of the fittest. As if saying, “boy, if you are not going to be ahead of that scooter, then you are going to be trapped in this rain for life”. It is also very frustrating to stand with idling engine at traffic signals. That is where people make desperate attempts to cross the signal even after it turns Red. If you have some good company around you, at least on other vehicles then definitely you wouldn't mind waiting. I hope you know what i am talking about. But usually that is not the case. And in no time the heat of the engine can be accurately measured on your head. Hence It is very important to learn some tricks to calm your brain down.
In such desperate cases, I would recommend performing some basic meditation on the road (at your own risk).

• Take a deep breathe inside, convince yourself that there is no hurry. Note that your boss has already given up waiting for you.
  
• The rain is harmless. Be calm and gentle on the clutch, hear your inner voice.
  
• Look directly into the headlights of opposite vehicles. Feel life in them.
  
• This is not what you were born for. Feel one with the traffic. After all they too are paying the same price for the petrol.
  
• If you have a partner and she is with you, ask her to hold you tight. It improves the blood circulation to your brain. If you don’t have one, then dude, what is the hurry anyways.
  
• Now breathe out slowly, else you will faint.
  
• Feel the fresh breeze of air from the exhaust of some bullet ahead of you.You will feel alive. You will feel your lungs.
  
• Check if the signal is still red. You could be blocking others who have not read this article.
  
• Now slowly move ahead with half clutch and with light accelerator. Feel as if you are moving at the speed of light. You will reach home safely sooner or later.
  
• And once you reach watch some programs on Aastha channel. It will teach you a lot of patience. You will feel your life so much more interesting than before.
  
• Buy a “Traffic Nivaarak Yantra” if you don’t want any scratches on your car. It is compatible with your iPod also.You can contact me to place an order.
  

If the traffic still isn't moving, then press the horn like you have never done before. Honk like this is the end of the world. Go swearing on all the people who come in your way (except the rickshaw drivers, if you want to reach alive). Scare the shit out of the traffic. Oh wait, its again time for my meditation.. I will be right back.. hmmmmm

Android, my second love :)

Android phones have suddenly captured the market like anything. Nokia is almost thrown out of the market and Samsung is in the boom for embracing Android. I badly wanted one for myself without having good enough balance in my bank account (during my Masters). All I could do was to check out the popular models online and read their reviews. After days of research and out of frustration of wasting so much time, i wanted to end it for good, i decided to get one of the cheaper ones for myself. I got the “”LG Optimus One” for slightly less than 10k.


Its a nice phone with almost all the features required to make it a smart “smartphone”. All it misses is the flash support which is useful in playing flash media through the browser and reduced processing power compared to higher ends. I didn’t find it sensible to invest huge money on smart phones. I rather use a lower end phone to its 80% capacity than getting a high end phone and hardly using any of its features. Now I use my Android for official mails all the time.


Android Market in itself is a very good idea. Here people can sell their small innovative software online. Large number of people across the world are contributing their apps at a single place. Some Apps like “Talking Tom” makes you laugh and some make your life easier. There are many apps which works a lot better than the ones available on the phone. This has created a new market space where developers can make profits sitting at home.


According to me, one of the worst developers in the field of Android Apps is Google themselves. Most of their apps are buggy and crash all the time. They even consume a lot of phone’s internal memory. According to a theory given in one of the articles in TOI, Google/Facebook is lagging in apps related to the mobile phones is because their employees hardly get a chance to use their phone. And that is because of the hitech facilities they have in their campus :). They probably don't get a good hands-on with the phones.


Trying out new Android apps has become a nice pass time for me. Recently I successfully rooted the phone. Which means that I now have some admin privileges to install/modify even the system apps. I could move many apps to the SD card and save space on the internal memory which is anyway very limited in my mobile. I could also install the cisco anyconnect VPN which can connect to my office intranet. Some of the Apps I use the most are listed here. I guess the apps I am trying out are applicable for most of the higher end android phones as well.

1. Opera Mobile Browser: Its a wonderful browser. Easy to use and has a neat interface. I have used other popular browsers with more features, but not as simple as this one. It has a turbo mode to save the amount of data downloaded when used on mobile networks rather than WiFi.

2. MX Video Player: Plays almost all popular video formats. My phone didn't have support for some of the file type. This player plays them using the software decoder.

3. Poweramp Music Player: This is the first app which I bought :). It has got a graphic equalizer which enhances the sound lot better than the music player already available on Android.

4. NDrive: Got this app free with LG Optimus one. Its a navigation tool which has audio suggestions as well. While riding i handover the phone to my wife and she shows me the direction :).

5. WhatsApp: Many of my friends are already on this messenger. Using this app you can send messages to the contacts stored on your phone. There is no need to sign-in to the messenger.

6. CamScanner: Converts any documents to pdf by scanning it using the inbuilt camera. I could see many image processing techniques practically and effectively used. It can remove the background color from the documents we scan and identify the text contents.

7. Touchdown: Mailing client for Exchange server 2010 used in my office. Nice app but free version is for limited period usage.

8. AirDroid: When connected through wifi or GPRS, It gives a web based interface to your android phone through which you can browse through files or send messages through any web browser.

9. Go Launcher Ex: This can change the user interface of the phone. This installs custom themes and icons. I have been using it from quite some time. Drains battery but worth it :).

10. Link2SD: This app can move many apps to SD card, even those which doesnot support SD card movement by default. Phone should be rooted to use this.

Other Interesting Apps:

1. Sonic Mosquito Repellent: Produces ultrasound to chase away the mosquitoes. Your phone should support it though. Mine does :)

2. Compass: Application as the name suggests. Uses the magnetic sensor in the phone.

3. Max Magnetic Detector (Metal Detector): Beeps when in proximity of any magnetic or metallic material.

4. Tanpura Droid: Tanpura or Shruti box for music learners.

Used many apps which claimed that they save battery. Turned out that such apps drain battery more quickly than usual. One thing or the other I am getting glued to my phone most of the time these days. I keep it aside only after I have made my wife really angry after i have missed enough of her dialogues :). Hope new interesting Apps keep coming. Happy Apping!

Bhookamp aaya bhaago :)

Recently, an earthquake hit Sumatra and tremors were felt in several parts of India. Many city dwellers like me are hardly sensitive enough to feel such tremors. Until someone pulls away the chair beneath us we are not going to move. So this is a guide to make us modern Indians aware of the steps to follow when such a disaster strikes us.

1.  First step before doing anything, is to ensure that you are actually shaking because of an earthquake. Make sure you are not drunk. Ask your friends to smell your breath to confirm. If it is stinking, then have a glass of water with lemon and then confirm again. Hang any object you find handy and see if it is swinging. If it is, then you better stop hanging and start running. If confirmed that it is actually an earthquake, then you can panic and follow the further steps.  
2.  Update facebook with this latest breaking news, that you felt the tremors. If possible, upload the videos on youtube. Wait till you get those few “likes” from your friends which you were always longing for.
3.  Propose to the girl whom you always liked. Scare her a bit of the possible consequences of an earthquake. Most likely she should accept.
4.  If you are married then don't forget to wake up your wife before running. There is every possibility that you escape this earthquake and get trapped in another. I hope you know what i mean. If you  have children then drag them away from the latest PlayStation you got them. If your children are away playing outside then they are safe anyway.  
5.  If you are in the office, do not forget to send a 'Will be out of office for a while due to earthquake' mail to your team and manager. It is very important to follow procedures. Sell the company shares that you own before you run just to be on the safer side, Kal kisne dekha hain :).
6.  If you are sleeping, then continue sleeping, it might just be a nightmare. You'll not even remember it when you wake up. If it is not allowing you to sleep, you better run for help.
7.  If you are anywhere near to the kitchen, then before running, grab as much food and water as possible. If you get trapped in the debris, this would be helpful. Don't carry unboiled eggs as they break very easily and can also spoil your shirt. Get a fully charged Ipod also if possible so that you don't get bored down there till the rescue team arrives.
8.  Keep your wifi router ON as you might want to check the latest news updates live or may want to try out some good Android Apps down there.
9.  In case you are in a toilet, better stay there. Even if you get trapped in the debris you already have the basic necessities with you. I mean water and the loo.
10.  Wear some nice clothes as some television channel might already be waiting outside with the breaking news and might run into you to get your footage. You don't want to be seen in pyjamas or boxers when the whole world is watching you.
11.  Use the elevator if possible, as most of the over informed people won't be using it, and you will reach faster and safer. May god bless you.
    
    

Disclaimer: This is just for fun. There is no intention to cause any confusion regarding the safety measures during an earthquake. Kindly refer to this link for the actual steps to be followed when an earthquake strikes: http://www.scec.org/education/public/espfocus/June_06.pdf

Ten Commandments of Teaching

To all the PG students considering teaching as a serious career option, here is my formula which will increase chances of success. There will be a lot of confusion and doubts before you handle your first class. Just mastery in the subject you are handling hardly matters to the end user, that is a student. To all those who aren't planning on teaching any time soon :-

”Teaching bhale distant hi sahi,

professor nahi to Teaching Assistant hi sahi”...wah wah...

Here are the 10 commandments of teaching:

1.Thou shalt secure: You don’t want to distract the attention of the students, who anyway hardly concentrate in the class. So before going into the class double check if you have zipped your pants. It is one of the most important things on the check list because it can actually end your career in teaching. So don’t take chances. Keep things SECURED. Also resist with all persistence and determination, the need to comfort that irritating itch. Students, otherwise, would better remember you for the unconscious scratching. I remember one of our teachers used to enjoy a “scratch” with his hands in his pockets :-). A clean and comfortable outfit always helps .

2.Thou shalt plan: Be clear in your mind what is the course content and plan going to be. Mention it in your first class so that the students get a clear picture of what the scope of the course is. If students have a choice not to do the course, then it would help them make a decision. Also, good students will get a picture on how difficult the course is going to be. A course plan would help them plan their studies accordingly.

3.Thou shalt tidy up: Practice writing on the board and improve your handwriting. Effective and orderly usage of the black board is very important and that is where most newbies falter. Try to restrict your writing to a straight line and try to maintain a sequence following the logical flow of the subject, else it can confuse the students on what to copy first into their notes. Poor quality chalk make squeaking sounds which would wake up peacefully sleeping monsters. Poor quality chalks can also cause skin allergies. Dust the duster regularly. Do not put your hands on your pants or pockets when your hands have chalk on them. It would be really embarrassing to have weird shapes on your pant :-)

4.Thou shalt not blab: Prepare what you are going to speak, even the jokes, for the full duration of the class. Do not assume that you can handle it in real time, unless you are an excellent orator. Once a student asked about how much details should be written in the exam, one professor answered “It should be like a girl’s skirt, neither too long and neither too short”. After which a few students complained to the authorities. People do not plan and end up narrating “fart” jokes, making a fool out of themselves. Also think of some very good examples for the concepts involved in your subject to be very effective. To convince students that L-Hospitals rule cannot be blindly applied anywhere one likes, one of my math teacher said “You shouldn’t take bath where ever you see the water”. Examples/anecdotes are the best way to drill monotonous concepts into a student’s brain.

5.Thou shalt hold attention: Maintaining eye contact with all the students is very important. Otherwise you may lose their attention. Avoid keeping eye contact just with your favourite students and front bencher's. There are teachers who spend a lot of time facing the board and writing rocket science equations while the students are flying paper rockets. Many teachers fail because of their monotonous voice. Consciously modulate your voice and give stress to a few important points by stating them in a dramatic fashion with hand movements, else students WILL doze off. A good teacher has to be an actor as well.

6.Thou shalt keep peace: Do not get angry with any student, irrespective of their behaviour. Getting angry is a sign of weakness in any profession and students actually enjoy watching you angry. One of my professors used to throw his tie away and curse the whole generation in anger. We used to wait for such drama. Some teachers even cry when students tease them in the class. Be professional and don’t take student’s attitude personally. If somebody acts over smart , try to mildly attack the culprits through jokes. There is no better way to attack a youngster's ego than hurting his image in the class especially in front of the girls. That would hopefully silence him for rest of the semester. There would be lot of politics among senior teachers as well, stay away from it until it harms you. Some of the AICTE and Accreditation norms seems very irritating and meaningless. Just do justice to them. These norms are the reason why one may find teaching boring after a while. 

7.Thou shalt research: Get some inputs from other faculty regarding the past behaviour of the class and their level of understanding. If they are weak technically or mathematically, prepare your course accordingly to clear their basics. If they are already aware of the basics then its better to feed them with some new fundas. There are always a few students who would lag behind. Take special care to address them. May be some extra classes or tutorials can bring them up to the mark. Never give up on the “give-up” students of the class. Some of the parents send their kids to engineering colleges just to keep them away from home, because they think that their son would either burn down the house or will go to jail under rape charges if he is not kept busy. Even so, it's your job to make them study or at least mug-up so that they can some how survive in society. 


8.Thou shalt maintain the potential difference: As the ohm’s law states, more is the potential difference more will be the current. Hence maintaining a knowledge potential difference between yourself and your students is the essence of teaching. Be clear in all the concepts and problems of the course. Be prepared for some tricky questions from the class especially if you are going to teach technically good students. Never bluff if you don’t know the answer and do not feel embarrassed. It is absolutely fine if you acknowledge that the question is good, and ask them for some time and find out the answer after the class.

9.Thou shalt be the smartest: Generation after generation, students have tried to out smart their teachers using latest methods, be it by copying in the exams or in assignment submissions. Even taking attendance is a tricky part when many students give proxy attendance for others. While invigilating the exams, students use things from the desks they are sitting to calculators to mobile phones to copy. You got to be careful and do not allow them to fool you. You should be the smarter one, as you too may have done the same. Do some homework, be aware of the latest technologies and find out all tricks of cheating which didn’t exist while you were studying. Like they say (I say) that a “good doctor has to be a very good patient, a good teacher should have been a notorious student”.

10.Thou shalt consider feedback: Consider taking feedback from students regularly. You need not wait for the official institute provided feedback form which comes at the end of the semester. Till then a lot of damage would have already been done. So even if it is on pieces of papers, take feedback in writing within a week after you started teaching. This drastically minimizes the communication gap between students and teachers. And in addition it is always fun to read some creative comments. Some senior teachers are so rigid and arrogant that they consider students as immature and never take feedback seriously. Each batch is different, hence even if you are one of the best teachers around, you need to make some fine adjustments in your methods of teaching.

There are few teaching skills that can be practised and improved. Some people are gifted with special skills which makes them great teachers. The day a teacher concludes that he has learnt enough or need not change his teaching methods any more, he can no longer be a good teacher. Whatever the case may be , your aim should be to do justice to your job and make some difference not only in the education system but also to the lives of at least a few individuals. Teaching should be considered as a never ending, mutual learning experience between a teacher and his student. As it is quoted in the Taittiriya Upanishads

om saha nāvavatu, saha nau bhunaktu

saha vīryaṃ karavāvahai

tejasvināvadhītamastu mā vidviṣāvahai

oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ

May he protect us both together; may he nourish us both together; may we work together with great energy, may our study be vigorous and effective; may we not hate each other. Let there be Peace..