Ravi's Question

Last week I bumped into my school friend Ravi at a get-together.  He had an interesting incident to narrate, which apparently was a self-revelation for himself. 

Ravi was waiting in the queue at the boarding gate for the flight departing to Bangalore. 

To while away his time he was gazing at the queue at the next counter which was for the flight departing to Delhi.

A smartly dressed young man – probably in his mid-twenties – suddenly turned around in the other queue and gave a nod and a familiar smile to Ravi. 

Ravi was momentarily confused.  Who was this person who gave him a knowing smile?  Was it one of Ravi’s ex-students?  (Ravi used to teach at a management school a few years ago on a part time basis over weekends purely as a hobby).

Or did that person recognize Ravi from the various culinary articles that Ravi wrote in an on-line magazine? (Ravi prided himself on his exotic culinary skills)

Or perhaps he had attended one of the music programs where Ravi plays the drums? (Ravi has developed a fascination for drums and occasionally plays during weekends in an amateur rock band)

“The way he smiled at me it was apparent that he was impressed by me and of what I am as a person. So in what circumstances would this person have known about me?” wondered Ravi.

And then it hit him. 

Not once had Ravi even considered the possibility that this young man who smiled at him could have met Ravi at the bank that Ravi works in - and that he was probably impressed by Ravi's flawless professional reputation in banking circles.

The fact is that for the past few years, Ravi has been consciously forging an identity - and searching for meaning - beyond just his corporate career. All of Ravi’s world now is about following his genuine passions and activities - which are all outside the office.  His banking career is doing well - but on auto-pilot : he does everything in the bank very clinically and professionally – but without the passion he used to show some years ago.

Whenever he thinks of anything that touches his soul or his aspirations/ dreams, he thinks only from the context of his passions outside work - almost as if there is nothing more he can expect in terms of genuine fulfillment from his corporate career. Hence he is increasingly reluctant to play the corporate game for survival.

Ravi then suddenly stopped talking, looked at me and said : "I wonder how many of our class mates feel the same way. Do you feel that way too?”

Reflections On Guru Purnima Day

One goes to a Guru to learn skills – it could be a hobby like music, or it could be about professional skills.  But a real Guru in the process of imparting these skills also transforms the Shishya’s (student’s) character and outlook on life.

Finding a real Guru is a serious challenge.  One may pursue a life-time seeking a Guru and yet not find one.  Sometimes the Guru that you seek may be sitting right next to you - but yet you may not recognise him as one.  This is because a real Guru does not market himself as a Guru and seek disciples.  Disciples have to seek him out and implore him to accept them as a disciple.

It takes time and devotion to develop a Guru-Shishya bond.  Real Guru’s rarely open up quickly and shower their bounty on a new disciple.  Rather they test them with tit-bits over a period of time, and only when they feel that the Shishya is ready for wisdom and transformation does he open up.  Lucky is the Shishya who is able to spend a sufficiently long enough time with his Guru to experience the transformational experience.

At some point of time, the Guru himself will inform the Shishya that it is time he sought a new Guru.  At that time, the Shishya should graciously and humbly accept the suggestion and seek a new Guru.  When he finally finds a new Guru, the old Guru continues to remain a Guru and a friend.

Running & Walking

I know there is this big movement which is seriously promoting Running.  Every other friend or colleague of mine seems to be seriously into Running - and they exhort others to run too.

It is almost as if people who don't run don't know what is good for them.

I used to run ages ago.  Now I walk.  It is more "me" - and it has taken me ages to figure this out.

Waiting For The Next Mahatma

My recent visit to Bangkok proved what I had suspected for long - that the lack of civic discipline and disrespect for civil order is peculiar to Indian culture.  I was amazed at the way commuters on the Bangkok metro queued up and got into the metro in an organised, unhurried, civil manner despite the stations being as crowded as a Mumbai station.  In Mumbai, that happens only if there are uniformed security people enforcing order.

It set me thinking.  It is not as if the Indian gene is prone to dis-order or loves to break rules.  In fact the Indian psyche too used to be obedient and subservient to laws.  We too liked civic order and self-discipline - that was the only reason why the British could rule India with so few people for centuries.

I think the Indian respect for civil order and discipline actually started crumbling during the 1920s and the 1930s during the Non-cooperation and Civil Disobedience movements in connection with our Freedom Struggle. It suddenly became fashionable and patriotric to break laws. And of course if it served purely selfish motives then so much the better. The individual thus lost his respect for laws.

India is the only country where a traffic cop (when he feels magnanimous) can wave you through a red traffic signal.

It took a great Mahatma to give Indians the courage to break laws, and defy the rulers.  Unfortunately we keep  breaking laws with impunity long after the British have left the country.

I wait for the day when another great Mahatma will emerge who will re-kindle the Indian's respect - and desire - to have order and self-discipline in our lives.

The Boat In The Middle Of The Ocean

On the night flight from Hong Kong to KL, the ocean below was filled with thousands and thousands of fishing boats - their lights twinkling off the seas.

They were like fire-flies on a dark night. Inanimate shiny objects as seen from high up in the sky.

And then I felt a strange sense of disconnect.  I had to remind myself that the boats contained people - like me. Real people with families and hopes and anxieties.  People who struggle and sacrifice - people who are separated from their wife and children by thousands of miles of ocean.

And then I tried to imagine the face of the father that that particular twinkling boat might carry.  And the boat over there in the distance - so isolated from the rest of the boats - what would be the dreams of the families of the fisherman in that boat?

It is strange what distance - either real or virtual - can do to one's perspective.  Elevation brings along a certain arrogance.

I said to myself I would one day spend time in a small boat in the middle of the ocean and experience the connection that I temporarily lost.

Contentment : Gangadhar's Story

Getting into an auto-rickshaw today morning, I was pleasantly surprised when the auto driver wished me a courteous "Good morning" with a bright smile, and enquired how my day was shaping up.

Having been a heavy user of autos for the last couple of months, I was quite taken aback - this is not something one expects from stressed Mumbai auto drivers.

He had a sense of tranquility and dignity written all over him.  My curiosity was triggered and I asked him to narrate his story.  Here it is in his own words:

"My name is Gangadhar, aged 57 years.  I have been driving an auto for the last 35 years in Mumbai.  I do not own this auto - I rent it on a daily basis as I want to get away from the hassle of ownership.  I am thus spared of the hassle of repairs and maintenance as the owner takes care of it.

I stay in a chawl (traditional shared dwellings) in Badlapur which is about 1.5 hours train ride from Ghatkoper where my auto owner stays.  I take a train to commute from my house.

Till about 5 years ago, I used to work 12 - 14 hours a day in order to save up to buy my 1 room in the chawl, and for my daughter's wedding.

Since past few years I work only half days, and return home by 1.30 pm.  I work half days not because I cannot still work full days, but because what I earn working half day (about Rs 400) is adequate for me and wife to lead a comfortable life.

I now want to lead a good life, and seek pleasantness in my life.  I avoid arguments with my passengers even if they are nasty.  If I behave politely with them and keep smiling, they normally are also polite to me.

I now find time to do what I love doing - and I consider myself lucky that I am able to do what I have been wanting to do since a long time."

Success - Cherish It

Here are my key learnings from the very interesting talk given by Swami Swaroopanand of Chinmaya Mission.

1.  Even the most apparently "Successful" person (e.g. CEOs of very successful organisations) when they introspect feel that they are not successful. The feeling of Success is very elusive and very very temporal.

2. Success is inevitably linked to material wealth.  Yes, material wealth is one of the measures of success (and in fact Hinduism is the only religion that actually worships wealth as a Goddess) - and which is why people like to flaunt their material wealth.  But there are many more - and more important - parameters for defining Success.

3. Some others define Success as "Happiness by Achieving one's goals".  Yes, this is a better definition of Success, but still not good enough.  We may set goals (e.g. buying a house, getting a promotion etc) - but goals keep stretching as we achieve each milestone - and every time we achieve a goal it does not give us any real feeling of being Successful.

4. The real definition of Success is in the feeling of one's own potential being maximised.  Nothing makes a person feel more Unsuccessful than being grossly under-utilised relative to his potential.

5. If a person is stretched to the maximum (in a way that is relevant to his potential/talent), then that itself gives him a Bigger Purpose in Life.  This discovery of the Bigger Purpose itself gives a feeling of Success and hence satisfaction.  As long as a person is really doing his utmost, then the fruits of the efforts (i.e. the goals) become less important, and the fear of failure vanishes. The ability to take Risks (in line with one's potential) increases.

6. In order to achieve this, one has to get out of the mentality of "Small" thinking and Negativity  - hence it is critical that we operate in an environment that fosters confidence, provides encouragement, and is filled with Positivity.

7. The role of Leadership in creating this right environment for fostering Success is therefore crucial. Most people believe that a Leader has to rule by dominance - and dominance does sometimes lead to short term success for a leader.  However, in the long term the only leadership style that sustains the feeling of Success is the loving environment where the leader helps identify each of his subordinates' potential, and encourages each person to maximise his potential.   

In Awe

That God exists is a fact for me.  The number of times He has come to my rescue, and showered me with his benevolence and generosity leaves me with no doubt.

I love my God.  But I also am afraid of him.  Whenever I have done anything mean or selfish, punishment has been quick and severe.  Fear of Him keeps me on the straight and narrow path.  It forces me to think carefully about the implications before I take any action - and it constantly reminds me to be humble.

When I think of God, the word that comes to my mind is "Awe" - and I suspect this is because of the combination of Love and Fear I have for Him.

I wish one day I can truthfully say that the only emotion that comes to my mind when I think of Him is Love. But for that to happen I need to evolve to a different higher level - and I think that is going to take me a long time.

The Day I took on All India Radio

The favourite past-time for me and my brothers when we were kids was to engage in a battle of “Who will disturb the other's song?" contest.  This typically entails 2 brothers simultaneously singing - but with each brother singing a different song.  Each brother will sing at the top of his voice to disturb the singing of the other – so you can imagine the cacophony.  

The climax is reached when one brother - not being able to focus on his own song (because of the cacaphony) is suddenly forced to switch to singing the other brother’s song – so now both brothers are singing the same song.  So one brother “wins” and the other brother (who was forced to change his track) “loses”. 

Being the bigger of the brothers (and hence with a bigger voice then) I took pride in my track-record of “winning” such encounters.

The HMV radio set took pride of place

Once when I was all of 5 years old I took on the might of All India Radio.  I always imagined that the song over the radio was delivered "live" by the singer (i.e. the singer sitting in the studio and singing live) - and the sound came via a hollow cable straight from the radio studio.  Hence the singer will be able to hear us through the radio if we shout loudly. 

So once while our large HMV (His Master’s Voice) radio set was playing a hit number by Kishore Kumar (India's number 1 singer those days), I stood close to the radio set and started singing another Kishore film song at the top of my voice.  My rationale was simple – if I sing at the top of my voice, Kishore Kumar sitting in the studio would get disturbed and confused, and would switch his track to sing along with me the song I selected.

My ego took a big beating that day – Kishore Kumar turned out to be a bigger competitor than I imagined.  He just kept coolly singing his own song, and it was I who kept getting disturbed and losing my track.  I finally gave up the battle.

It was only months later that I understood that the radio is a one-way communication device.

Nowadays whenever I am in a situation where I should only listen and not talk (which is frequent enough), I am reminded of the day I unsuccessfully challenged All India Radio. 

Did I Just Miss The Bus?

I walked briskly towards the bus stop.  There is a bus at 8.55, and the next one is 20 minutes later.  Missing the bus at 8.55 would mean a long 20 minute wait in the sweltering Dubai heat.

I was still a couple of minutes from reaching the bus stop when I saw with dismay the 8.55 departing from the bus stop. I had just missed it.  

The 20 minute wait at the deserted bus-stop was very agonizing.  I was very frustrated – and each minute of the 20 was painful, and spent kicking myself for having missed the bus.

What made the wait painful was the certainty that this is a 20 minute wait – and I was certain of that because I saw the bus departing – and I knew with certainty that the next one is not due until 20 minutes later.

But supposing I had not seen the bus depart from the bus stop? I would have then arrived at the bus station, and waited hopefully expecting the 8.55 to turn up in the next “few” minutes (probably it is a few minutes late today?).  The next few minutes would have turned into 20 minutes eventually – and I would have ended up taking the same bus anyway.  But I would have still waited with anticipation, and these 20 minutes would have passed more pleasantly.

As far as I am concerned I am happy with not knowing whether I just missed the bus - or when precisely the next bus would arrive. I have started to embrace unpredictability. It makes me hopeful of unexpected and exciting turn of events – and it makes any wait worthwhile.

Saving Time

For me, going to a hair cutting saloon is a necessary evil - it has to be quick, efficient and should not make me look any worse than I looked before I entered the saloon.  In the short time I have been here in Dubai I have used 2 different saloons during my last 2 hair-cutting occasions.

This time I was in a dilemma - which one should I go to?  Both of them are situated on the same street, charge the same fee, have equally pleasant barbers, and both were similar in terms of the end-result.

Standing in front of the outlets, I did a quick assessment.

Saloon A had a barber who was quick.  I know from my previous experience he took only 20 minutes to cut my hair.  But there is a 20 minute waiting time as there was at least one other person waiting his turn ahead of me.  So total time in his shop = 40 minutes.

Saloon B had a barber who was relatively slow.  From experience I know he takes 40 minutes to cut my hair - but there is no waiting time as I could see the saloon was empty.  So total time in his shop is also 40 minutes.

As I mentioned the end result of A or B was identical - both cut my hair equally well - and both will consume an equal amount of my time - 40 minutes.  So which one do you think I selected?

This is the way I arrived at my decision : in Saloon A I would be idly waiting my turn for 20 minutes - that is like waste of time for me.  In Saloon B there is no waste of time as I will be engaged all of the 40 minutes.

So to save my time I chose Saloon B.

Letter To A Daughter

My dear Anupa,

Yesterday was your first day in your engineering college hostel - the first time ever you are staying away from your parents.  I know how you must have felt - you must have gone through the same emotions that you experienced when we heartlessly deposited you at the nursery 15 years ago and you cried your heart out. It seems only like yesterday ......

When you start this new phase of your life you will doubtlessly experience the same feelings that thousands of daughters and sons are going through right now.  The coming few days staying in an unfamiliar place are bound to be both exciting and confusing.  You will feel lonely, ignored, isolated.  You will wonder where are the "your" kind of friends who seemed to be in abundance in your school, but who seem to be totally missing in your new institution.  You will feel trapped, and you will wonder what are you doing in such a place. There will be periods when you will be tempted to say that you have had enough of this institution - however, hallowed it might be - and would want to desperately escape into the comforting arms of your parents.

Tomorrow when you walk out of your hostel room into the canteen scan the surroundings eagerly.  That apparently snooty girl who is looking down over her long nose at you might very well turn out to be a girl with a golden heart. And that girl who pointedly ignored you when you wanted companionship - for all you know, she may be going through the same emotions you are going through, and wondering whether she will ever have a friend in this unfamiliar place, little realising that her future best friend is standing very next to her.

Two months down the road, you will wonder why you ever felt lonely and confused.  By that time you would have made several life-long  friends with whom you will noisily share the canteen Upma which right now seems so distasteful and lumpy.  Be yourself, Anupa, and only do what you are comfortable doing - and 4 years down the road you will wonder how quickly some of your best moments of your life have passed.

Your loving Aanu.

Balcony Birds

I moved recently into an apartment in Bur Dubai.  The apartment has a tiny balcony - and like most Asians I plan to use this balcony to dry my laundry.

The balcony is home to a couple of pigeons.  They seem to be a couple, and sit huddled together most of the time in a corner of the balcony.

I love observing them - they give me a sense of peace and harmony. They seem to be my only connection with nature.

The pigeons fly out just a couple of times a day - probably to grab a quick bite.  And then they rush back to my balcony - almost as if they are afraid of losing their place on the balcony to some rival. This initially puzzled me as they seem to be the only pair in the apartment complex.

And then I realized that my balcony is the only one still "open" in the whole apartment complex - all other balconies have been closed off with nets - obviously to prevent birds from nesting.

The building caretaker informed me that there used to be dozens of these birds in the apartment complex - but over a period of time they have all left the building after the tenants started fencing off the balconies.  The pair on my balcony seem to be the last of them.

I am now facing the same challenge that prompted other apartment owners to close their balconies - these pigeons mess up the balcony, and soil up the laundry.  In fact I am currently forced to dry my laundry in my bedroom - a luxury I can ill-afford given the tiny apartment size.

So it is just a matter of time before I too close off this pigeon pair's last refuge.  I will do this reluctantly and with much regret, consoling myself that the last of the pigeon pair will eventually find a more hospitable host in an apartment complex elsewhere in this city.

Solace when it is needed

Ram Gopal Verma mentioned in an interview that Jiah Khan had come to meet him a few days before her death.  He admitted that he could have spent some more time with Jiah explaining why he had no roles for her and giving her the emotional support she so obviously needed when she came to meet him.  Perpetually short on time he sent her away thinking he would have the chat with her some other day.

Emotional support needs to be delivered when the person needs it most.  Sometimes it is so obvious when a person comes to you that all he/she wants is someone to just listen - a few kind words of empathy - or just "human" company and a cup of coffee.

Solace, companionship or "am there for you" has to be then and there - postponing it is as good as not ever giving it.

The Rub-Off Effect

We go through phases in life when we grapple with what life is all about, and suddenly some incident takes place which throws a new perspective.

On some of my recent travels I was amazed by the sheer number of acts of hospitality, generosity and helpfulness from various people, some of who I did not even know well.... it was all done with little expectation of reciprocation, and totally spontaneously.

To the many whose munificence I enjoyed, and who may be reading this : I know I don't have to specifically name and thank you; in fact for you this might be just a routine daily act - so much so that you may not even realize how deeply you have touched me with your gesture....

I feel pretty humbled after this experience. I don't know why I deserved it. I don't know what qualities in them enable them to practice these noble acts.  And I wondered whether if I was in their shoes I would have been as generous, friendly and altruistic.

When we come across people with qualities we aspire to have some day, just latch on to the relationship, and refuse to let go. Hopefully those qualities will rub off on us.

Decisions Decisions

Any decision need to be examined through the lens of the life-stage of the person who took that decision, and the emotional state he was in when he took the decision. A decision taken by a person in one life-stage when he is in an exuberant state of mind (e.g. by a 'care-free' bachelor) may look flippant or selfish to a person who is in another life-stage (e.g. a person who has 2 teen-age kids).  And similarly, to a care-free bachelor a decision taken by a person in another life-stage might seem ridiculous and too compromising.

Every decision involves a trade-off and a risk that events will not turn out the way you had anticipated at the time of taking the decision.  E.g. I may decide to invest in a large 3 bedroom apartment even though I may not be able to afford the large EMI at my current salary.  The trade-off here is that I will need to work harder in order to pay off the loan, and the risk is that the real estate market may crumble in the future, or I may lose my job.  Only people who have been in that particular life-stage will understand or appreciate the thought process and emotional feelings that a person must have gone through to arrive at a decision - particularly a tough or an unpleasant decision.

As I become older, I have noticed 2 changes in the way I approach decisions:

CHANGE 1
Change in speed of decision making :  I notice that decisions that I used to take quickly in my younger days are now-a-days taking me much longer; and conversely, decisions that I once used to agonise over I take it quickly now without even thinking much.  I have become faster when the decisions pertain to money, investments, how much money I should put into a car or a holiday etc.  I guess I have become faster at this because these are skill based decisions where I become better over time at assessing risk vs reward and I am now able to distance myself from "feelings" when I take such decisions.

But I have become much slower now when the decisions pertain to anything that affects individuals in my family, and my family as a unit : when to take a holiday, whether or where to re-locate, whether to accept a new exciting job offer which might mean spending more time away from family, and how and with whom I spend my time.  Here I am not dealing with risk - I am dealing with its big brother -  uncertainty - as I am no longer dealing with probabilities but with the dynamics of human emotions.  As my life-stage evolves such decisions will becoming increasingly complex - so a constant learning curve.

CHANGE 2
Stopped Justifying and Being Judgemental : I have stopped - or at least consciously trying to stop - two of my bad habits when it comes to decisions.  The 1st bad habit is explaining the rationale for my decisions to others, and the 2nd bad habit is passing value judgments on others' decisions.

Explaining a decision (which has already been taken) to a person in another life-stage is a waste of time for both parties - the other person will only indicate a hundred other equally valid reasons why that decision was wrong. Since nobody can ever be sure whether their decision was "correct", that would only provoke a defensive response leading to unpleasantness - so nowadays I just shrug my shoulders and smile when somebody comments on my decision.

And as for my other bad habit - I was guilty (during my care-free years) of the crime of passing judgement on other's so called "emotional and compromising" decisions : I blush now at such behaviour.  I now only mull over what circumstances would have forced the other to arrive at that decision.  And then I keep my mouth tightly shut.

Encounter @ Indian Restaurant in Cairo

So this weekend I legged it to the newly opened and strangely named "Maharaja-1" restaurant in my Cairo neighbourhood. Enough of my own cooking .... I was ready to be spoilt by a royal treat from the Maharaja himself.

But especially I was looking forward to meeting the Indian chef who ran the place - some kindred soul with whom I can exchange recipes and share the feelings that well up when a chap stays far away from home.  And maybe he will prepare especially for me that special dish that is not on his menu ......

Enter the place and head straight to the busy looking owner-cum-chef.  I introduce myself as another Indian, and wait for the emotional welcome and hugs expected of a person meeting another from his home country.

He looks me and up and down.  And then........

He : "So you have come to eat, or........."

I : "err .... yes, to eat"

He (looking pointedly behind me) : "and who else with you?"

I : "err .... no one else - just me - you see my family is ....."

He (obviously uninterested in my family saga) : "so you want a table for ONE?" (emphasis his)

I :"errr ....yes"

He stopped looking into my eyes from that moment.  I could empathise with the hapless cockroach that might dare enter his kitchen

He : "well, you can take the table near the entrance - that table actually seats 4, but you can sit there ...."

I (with great relief) : "oh, thank you, thank you, much appreciated ...."

Head straight to the table which seats 4 - but which will now seat only 1.  All the other tables were 8 seaters over-flowing with large Egyptian families obviously having a good time enjoying the gastronomical delights.

The table for 4 (but which now seats only 1) is the one next to the exit.  I have a good view of the pavement outside from here.

Go through the menu.  I realise suddenly that I am not so hungry after all .....

But since I have come here .... "I will have a vegetable pulav and raita" I told him.

He : "That is it?"  And he waited, his pen expectantly poised over his large notepad.

Of course, table for 4.

I : "umm - ah - Ok, I will also have a bottle of water - small one".

He : "No small one.  We only serve big bottles here"

That is called rubbing it in.

I don't recall the taste of the food - but I can vividly recall every passerby that passed by the restaurant while I ate.

Spreading Happiness through the "Like" button on fb

I initially disliked - and used to ridicule - the "Like" button on Facebook.  I thought it was superficial and  used it very very selectively, and only for content that really really impressed me.

But enlightenment struck me recently, and now I use it liberally and with a clear conscience.

The "Like" button is not merely for the post. It is much bigger than that.  When I "Like" it, it means that the person who posted it is important enough to me to read what he posted.  It is recognising his effort, and by extension acknowledging his presence in the virtual world. It has very little with whether you actually AGREED with the contents of his post, or whether or not you liked the looks of his gaudily clad heavily mascara decked wife in their honeymoon photo. And if you are delighted about it then "Comment" on it or better still post it on your own wall.

"Like" is like giving a positive stroke to an individual - in the same way in real life you go around wishing people you like, and smiling at them, and therefore acknowledging the role they play in your life even if on that particularly day they are having a bad hair day.

So go ahead and use the "Like" button liberally - you will help spread some happiness in the Virtual - and consequently - in the Real world. 

Birthday reminder on Facebook

The Birthday reminder is one of most superficial and irritating feature about Facebook.  I actually dislike the almost "automated" birthday greetings on my fb wall from friends & acquaintances as a result of Facebook reminding users on my birthday - and therefore indirectly putting social pressure on them to wish me (even if they did not want to).

I like it as it was in the pre-Facebook days when without any automated calendar reminders, friends either write to me by email or call to wish me.

Anyway I removed my birthday from Facebook so that no one gets a reminder and hence are not forced to write some automated greeting on my wall.  And neither do I send birthday greetings to people if I did not know their birthdays by heart in the first place.

I am truly becoming a relic. 

Notes To Myself - on Farewells

1. A few years ago when I was leaving an organisation I sent out a general "Farewell & Thank you" mail to the entire organisation, thanking a lot of individuals by name.  Inevitably as it happens I forget to mention a few names - either by accident or by design.  Those whose name I mentioned will not remember me for this gesture; but those who thought they deserved a mention but who I - accidentally or otherwise - forgot to mention will not forget the omission. 
2. The best thing to do - either in farewell speeches or farewell mails - is to keep it general and thank everyone without mentioning any specific individual names (except perhaps your direct manager).  If I need to thank some specific individuals, I will write to them individually or drop by their office and thank them personally.