Ken Gold

Kanaka, a recently married Indian housewife from Hyderabad, said to me, "I am not a creative writer, nor a software developer. I am neither a trained professional nor an experienced business person. I don't have money to invest in any self-employment project. I have a computer and an Internet connection. I am willing to work hard from home for an hour or two a day. Do you think there is a drop of hope in my case? Please do not give me some inspiring stories and ask me to do everything on my own. I pray (?) for your guidance in some specific project."

Last year I visited a 'book exhibition' (book fair) in a small town in Tamil Nadu. Dozens of publishers had participated in it and displayed their books in small booths. All the stalls, except one in a corner, had several assistants that were working hard to attract visitors and to sell their books by colorful sales talk.

The cinema halls in Auckland city are not as big as the cinema theatres in India. The size of the population is one reason. Another reason is the mindset of the movie goers. It is time for the movie goers and the television 'mega serial' audience in India to decide on how much time, money and energy they can afford to spend on entertainment, if they really want to build a prosperous family and nation.

A few months ago, Vimal, an unemployed youth, met me to discuss about his problem. Karthik, his friend, was accompanying Vimal though Karthik did not have any intention of meeting me.

"Even if you write one thousand articles and I read all of them, I don't think I will ever develop the confidence that I too can become prosperous," Vimal said and pursed his lips.

"To be, or not to be? That is the question I keep asking myself these days. I need your help in solving my problem," said Somu. "I know something about the problems of Hamlet, the prince of Denmark. But, I don't know anything about you. What is your problem?" I asked Somu.

Kavita is a primary school teacher in a small town in South India. She told me, "At present education is the most profitable business opportunity in this country. The second best opportunity is, of course, health service. Only the old fashioned ignorant people still cling on to the ancient idea that education is a noble national and social service that creates builders of the future.

Last week I read in the business section of the New Indian Express about DTP BPO opportunities. This article brought back the memories of a DTP operator that I had met in New Delhi. Last year I visited New Delhi to get my visa renewed. I did not have a passport size photograph to attach with my visa application form. So, I went to a small photo studio cum DTP center that was just opposite to the hotel where I was staying in.

All knowledge, learning, living, experience and work are based on one form of memory or other. People need this mental skill. We know that any skill, hobby or knowledge can be converted into an income opportunity.

Many years ago, when I was in high school, I bought a book on improving memory by Harry Lorayne and it kindled my interest in the subject. Within a few months, I bought many books on memory and learnt the subject well.

I was waiting at Singapore for my connecting flight to Christchurch. An Indian in his late twenties was sitting next to me in the Changi airport lounge and was working in an expensive Dell Notebook Computer that could easily cost more than Rs.1,50,000.

A cannibal was walking through the jungle and came upon a recently opened cannibal restaurant. Feeling very hungry, he sat down and looked over the menu: Broiled Businessman Rs.50.00: Baked Housewife Rs.100.00: Fried Politician Rs.1000.00. The troubled cannibal called the waiter over and asked, "Why is there such a huge price difference for the politician?" The waiter replied, "Sir, have you ever tried to clean a politician?"

I laughed aloud when Rumesh told me the above joke. He asked me, "Do you know who the author of this joke is?" I said, "I have no idea."