My answer would be: I believe in Karma in my own way. When I realize that I have made a mistake and that someone has suffered because of my actions, I feel responsible for it. I try to make amends by serving or helping the people who were affected by my mistakes.
Sometimes, I also impose limits on my own financial comforts. I consciously accept some hardship as a form of self-discipline and as a reminder of the consequences of my past actions.
You may call it Karma, personal accountability, self-correction, or simply conscience. The name is not important to me. What matters is recognizing my mistakes, accepting responsibility, and trying to become a better person through my actions.
How do you write what people actually want to read?
I feel reading habits have changed considerably today. Whether young or old, many of us have become accustomed to the scroll culture. We tend to prefer something short, crisp and meaningful—perhaps just one or two paragraphs that can be read quickly without losing interest.
That is why I usually write according to the question or topic, keeping my responses simple and focused. This is only my personal view, and I would love to hear yours.
What do you prefer—short and crisp posts, or longer posts with more details? Do share your thoughts. Your feedback will help me understand what my regular readers, new readers and subscribers enjoy reading.
What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?
Being a retired professor in computer science, I do not have any difficulty in using various chatbots and elementary ML programming after several years of break in programming computers.
Now that I am retired, I have plenty of time to take care of myself and my family. My daily routine is simple, peaceful, and balanced. I spend time caring for my wife, taking my granddaughter for a walk, and preparing and enjoying breakfast and dinner with my wife. I keep in touch with friends and relatives through WhatsApp and email, read the newspaper, and relax with television or OTT programmes. After lunch, I take a short nap. In the evening, I give dedicated time to my physical and mental well-being through meditation and yoga. I end the day by taking my medicines and going to bed early. Retirement has helped me realise that self-care is not a luxury; it is an essential part of living a healthy and meaningful life.
Before retirement, my life was very different. I was a workaholic, and work often followed me home. Teaching was not confined to college hours—even at home, I would be preparing lesson plans, thinking about students, and attending to academic responsibilities. I was professionally committed, but the emotional cost was that I was often physically present at home while my mind was still at work. Time with family, relaxation, personal interests, and even listening to my own needs were pushed into the background. I did not consciously choose to neglect them; work simply kept taking priority, day after day. Looking back, I realise that I was managing my professional responsibilities well, but not managing my own life equally well. Retirement has given me the opportunity to restore that balance—to be more present with my family, care for my body and mind, and enjoy the simple moments that I once had little time to appreciate.
I visited Switzerland several times between 1988 and 1994 in connection with our family business. During those trips, I often stayed in Aarau, not far from Zurich. I have fond memories of staying at a hotel near the railway station, where I could conveniently have a good meal after a busy day.
Looking back now, so much has changed since those visits. The technology, transportation, hotels, towns, and even the way we travel and communicate are very different today. Yet the memories of those business trips remain special—especially the simple experience of arriving at the railway station, walking to the hotel, and enjoying a meal in a place that was far away from home.
If you had to switch lives with a fictional character for a week, who would you choose?
“If I could live for a week as any historical person, I would choose Napoleon Bonaparte. He was not a fictional character but a historical wonder whose ambition and determination reshaped Europe. His desire to conquer territory fascinates me—not because I want to conquer people, but because I would reinterpret that ambition for today’s world: to conquer minds through love, care, knowledge and service. The greatest conquest is not over land; it is winning people’s hearts.”
Have you ever liked a villain more than the hero? Who and why?
In my life, I am the hero and villan is destiny. Why I like destiny is it makes the hero running around, playing to its tune, so hero is not true hero, it is situations and destiny.
