tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88508403784940678372011-12-24T17:27:44.403+05:30Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.comBlogger721100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-63640145403618029692011-12-24T16:25:00.005+05:302011-12-24T16:46:55.899+05:30

Berlin to Prague is one of the most scenic train rides you’ll ever do. The train rolled off at 5 am from Berlin (4.59 actually!). With less than 20 minutes, cumulative, of sleep all night, I was looking forward to a nice nap on the train. Before I could get settled in, show the TC my tickets et al, the sun was beginning to break through and the stunning countryside was in full view. Clearly,

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-10008579565003448732011-10-22T11:34:00.008+05:302011-10-22T12:22:58.773+05:30

The train from Munich to Berlin was a fairly comfortable one. About 60 euros for a sleeper ride that was about 10 hours. We deliberately took a train that takes longer so we could sleep more. As the train started to approach Berlin, I remember some rather foggy bogs and horror-movie-set like dark, empty fields. Fingers crossed, hoping for bright & sunny weather in Berlin! Berlin Hauptbahnhof

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-23020545922692596102011-10-22T11:18:00.006+05:302011-10-22T11:32:14.277+05:30

My train to Munich from Darmstadt was slated to leave at 8.37am and reach in 3 hours and 37 minutes. Talk about being sticklers for time!! It’s a wonder the Germans don’t add seconds as well to their timings! I didn’t have a reservation (as is the case usually for anyone traveling by the Deutsche Bahn as its not really ever ‘full’), so 1 hour into the journey a whole bunch of people were standing

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-72963762371337373872011-10-22T11:11:00.002+05:302011-10-22T11:18:13.481+05:30

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Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-70311210186673545712011-06-26T19:01:00.004+05:302011-06-26T20:52:58.333+05:30

Kerala undoubtedly has some of the best places to visit in the country. But you go at the wrong time, and you could be in for a bit of a shock. Its quite clear that the best time to visit Kerala is from October to February. The weather's fantastic, the seas are calm, there's a festive atmosphere all round and the tourism industry's in top gear. But all this also means that the rush is near

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-37915172118739500382010-10-13T06:37:00.001+05:302010-10-13T06:37:00.551+05:30

A much needed break, time with family, time to ponder & time to write (a little; for this one, type on the cell-phone actually)...! Its about time I caught up on my average # posts/year.Having my first go on the Shortest Books series... can't remember where I read them first (RD perhaps?). They always cracked me up good.So here's a list of some of the Shortest Books you'll ever read... Quick

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-22187781123780453012010-10-04T06:51:00.003+05:302010-10-04T06:51:00.400+05:30

There comes a time in peoples lives when they ask themselves the question; "WHO AM I?!".They're thinking and thinking... agonizing... and the answer just starts taking shape... They're close...But then laziness takes over, and they end up wanting other people to tell them who they are. OR, they want others to start thinking about them as what they want themselves to be.And, given that pretty much

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-31597134795229196142010-06-13T20:17:00.000+05:302010-06-13T21:17:09.801+05:30

There's enough and more good stuff that I had heard and read about Hampi. Several people, including my Dad (who had been there exactly 42 years ago!) had told me that it was without doubt, a MUST SEE. It had once been the capital of the great Vijaynagar Empire stretching across current day Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and even a part of Orissa!! Capital of a land mass and

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-39362820716914358842010-01-16T16:42:00.007+05:302010-01-17T13:41:19.063+05:30

Its something so many people, at least in my friend circle, seem to be obsessed with these days. Its also something that always brought a smile to my face because I knew, and I believed, it wouldn't ever bother me. I was WRONG!!2006. Bangalore. My roomie & I used to go for dinner. There was this small place at BTM Layout 2nd phase, where we'd get nice steaming hot chappatis and curry. To watch

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-44632645655707341882009-08-24T18:07:00.013+05:302009-08-24T18:59:29.687+05:30

As I walked along to Sants station (Barcelona) to catch my bus to Marseille on Thursday morning, it suddenly hit me that my vacation was going to last only another coupla days. Marseille was on the cards so that I could meet up with Amelie, who I'd promised that I'd see when I came to France. As it happened, she was away all the while, holidaying in Israel on the exact same days that I had my

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-34741068022553051062009-08-23T23:32:00.014+05:302009-08-23T23:54:40.638+05:30

Today was going to see a dream come true for me. I was quietly excited as I poured myself some milk in a bowl of cereal at breakfast. Accessing the Barcelona website on my phone, I checked what I could do at The Camp Nou. A bit of a scare was that to go on the tour inside the stadium, the website suggested that I'd have to book one day in advance to be safe. But given that it wasn't really peak

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-67766467427156322292009-08-22T23:07:00.008+05:302009-08-23T00:16:52.689+05:30

After a fantastic time at Sevilla, I took the 12.50pm Vueling Airlines flight to Barcelona the following day. Its another budget airline, but far better than Ryanair, which we flew from London to Jerez. Surprisingly, the flight was packed. Midweek (Tuesday), going from Sevilla to Barcelona, made me think what all these people were upto :) . Mostly tourists I presumed.When I got to Barcelona and

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-1939498226928946232009-08-19T20:14:00.010+05:302009-08-19T21:00:36.335+05:30

(Written in the morning of Day n+3, @ Tirupati, completed & posted in the evening)After a fantastically chilled out Sunday, we were ready to hit the road again, to Seville. The only thing I knew about this city at that point was that there was a strong football club by that name and it had players like Freddy Kanoute. Esther had lived in Seville for 2 months, and promised that we would really

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-26223127383823653782009-08-18T23:31:00.004+05:302009-08-18T23:40:55.115+05:30

(Some vivid and some rather hazy memories, writing this in Tirupati on day n+2)Saturday night ended disappointingly early because of my shoulder trouble. I usually wake up after 6 hours of sleep, but when I woke up I realised almost 9 hours had passed since I fell asleep. It was just what my body needed at that time, I'm sure. I had been on a perpetual high since my trip started, had had a lot of

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-63825973927551717542009-08-18T00:20:00.006+05:302009-08-18T00:33:15.889+05:30

(Written partly in Marseille & partly after returning to India)After yet another long night, the impending trip to the magnificent port city of Cadiz served to wake us up early (9am) for the bus-ride. We had thought of catching a direct bus which leaves at 11 (I think). But that bus was scheduled only for weekdays and it was a Saturday! So we had to take a bus to Jerez and then a train from there

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-54376892375524179562009-08-17T19:07:00.007+05:302009-08-17T19:15:51.252+05:30

(Written in Marseille)Now started the part of the trip that I knew absolutely nothing about! My sister was visiting her friend, Esther, in the South of Spain, and I was just tagging along. All I knew was that we were going to land in Jerez, which is in the South-west corner of Spain. I'd only heard of the place because of the racing events held there. Till a coupla years back, there was an F1

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-51248426942152534922009-08-16T09:22:00.006+05:302009-08-16T09:41:57.897+05:30

Written on the bus from Barcelona to Marseille) (and posted from Dubai airport on the way back to Bombay)As the train labored into St. Pancras station in London, I could feel the immediate change from Paris. It was cooler and the air, expectedly, smelled different. I've always remembered the smells of different cities, and now I'd added London to that list. Waiting at the station was my beautiful

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-86180403643213711192009-08-05T04:35:00.003+05:302009-08-05T04:40:31.575+05:30

(typed out on the train from Paris to London... posted on Tuesday night, midnight London time)Sunday:The Sunday phenomenon had its victim in me as well. I woke up much later than usual, at 8am! It was a nice and slow morning. I made myself some eggs and had em with bread and butter, wrote my blog (which was the last-to-last post!) and generally did a check on my finances, how much I'd spent, how

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-76357024045474239892009-08-04T03:35:00.006+05:302009-08-04T03:44:52.477+05:30

Notes from Saturday :After a late night on Friday, one'd have thought that Saturday was bound to be short. NOT!!! As had been the case in the previous two days, I woke up after just 4 1/2 hours of sleep at 7.30am. All the adrenalin pumping through me ensured that there would be absolutely no hint of tiredness!!The plan for the day was to meet my aunt's friend, who'd come to India about 10 years

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-38098367924466443022009-08-02T15:37:00.006+05:302009-08-04T03:35:24.560+05:30

Being a Friday, a long day (and night!) was in the offing when I woke up early... After a quick but heavy breakfast, I was off to my first stop for the day - The stunning - Montemartre. A hill with a view of the city of Paris, and a serene Church (two actually) on top, is a MUST-GO for anyone coming to Paris.Why?1. Absolutely fantastic view of the city2. Beautiful Church, try to go at the time of

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-5882145498776233312009-07-31T10:26:00.006+05:302009-07-31T13:28:23.577+05:30

My first night (the previous night ie) in Paris was a short one. After arriving at around midnight, unpacking, freshening up and blogging till 2am, sleep only arrived around 3. And with sunlight streaming through at 6am, it really wasn't possible for me to sleep any further. After jostling around in bed till 8.30 am, I finally got up! Bread, cheese, eggs & a delicious apple for breakfast later, I

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-75016064720452910082009-07-30T05:19:00.004+05:302009-07-30T05:34:29.764+05:30

Landed at CDG (Charles De Gaulle Airport) and took a train into the city... FANTASTIC weather here, continuing from where I left off in Bombay! Bright sunshine at 8.30 pm when I landed, felt quite weird...As the train moved from CDG into the city (a good 30 minute, 8.5 euro ride), huge industrial estates breeze past me... and I can't help but get a deja vu feeling - VERY similar to the harbor

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-5885235530208906432009-07-29T02:10:00.001+05:302009-07-29T02:13:01.367+05:30

A few butterflies in my stomach, relating to what I'd tell the French customs authorities about where I'm going to be put up.. As long as I have money & a return ticket, they wont really care, I'd presume. But still that nagging thought at the corner of the mind persists - WHAT IF...Anyways, too excited to sleep.. I'm sure flying Emirates is going to be a pleasurable experience. Hoping that I

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-48692909230477298302009-05-28T02:08:00.003+05:302009-05-28T02:11:24.796+05:30

They might call it destiny... This is the part where they wrote their own destiny. What a game!Champions of Spain, Champions of Europe!Guardiola & co. TAKE A BOW!!

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-85725622086722234982009-05-27T21:46:00.004+05:302009-05-27T22:11:23.637+05:30

Is this a dream? Is what is going to happen realllly happen? I can't sleep. It entices me. It excites me. I'm thinking about it all the time. It consumes me. THIS, is it.xxWith the greatest football match of my football watching career just a coupla hours away, dinner done and dusted and no other stuff to worry about, there's no doubt I want to preserve some of my incredible excitement SOMEWHERE

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-37917429244022828272009-04-10T11:08:00.000+05:302009-04-10T11:37:46.526+05:30

If the Devil were to ever write a script for a journey through HELL, he would end it with THIS , the piece de resistance, the final blow of a harrowing journey, the epitome of pain...--After a good night's sleep, you're awoken by what seems like a gas bubble in your tummy. You ignore it thinking it will wobble around for a bit and leave in due course. You want to go back to bed to catch that

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-70167336076815589802009-03-04T08:03:00.001+05:302009-03-04T08:54:33.632+05:30

After a magical time in Rameswaram, I decided to take the early morning bus to Madurai. 'Twas a 4hr ride to this beautiful temple city. On the ride, I was wondering where to head AFTER Madurai. The options were Trichy, Tranquebar & Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. In between reading up on these locations, I was trying also my level best to stay awake and watching the palm trees turn more and more into

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-80564164600737340752009-01-24T23:54:00.000+05:302009-01-25T00:47:17.202+05:30

First, the bottomline. If you haven't been to Rameswaram yet, GO THERE. Go - for the ride across the sea, - for the swim on the beach, - for seeing The End of the World, - for the beautiful friendly smiling people, and last but not the least, go - for the truly awe-inspiring temple, & energy of the place. A mid-week holiday (Wednesday) for Pongal/Sankranti, wasn't the ideal setting for traveling,

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-61713327642850739572008-12-31T06:22:00.000+05:302008-12-31T06:22:01.986+05:30

(Wrote this like a coupla months back on a notepad... finally found its way to the blog...)I met a cheerful old woman on the train from Hyd to Kurnool yesterday. Her face was calm and relaxed. Perhaps she reminded me of my grandmother, which is why I took an instant liking to her. She was dressed in an impeccable saree, the pleats neatly done up and looking never ever disturbed. Her hair was

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-69588740670343740532008-12-29T07:43:00.002+05:302008-12-29T11:48:11.261+05:30

Condi-pherry, Tindia.Condy as its popularly known, was quite a unique destination. In a country where several people were obsessed with 'going abroad', it provided a cheaper and far easier alternative to experiencing a 'foreign' country life. The Trench had set foot in this place a few hundred years ago, and despite losing their colony to Tindia eventually, they had managed to leave a rich

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-69562690798940475272008-12-24T07:20:00.007+05:302009-06-13T07:46:53.666+05:30

In my first post on this topic, I had just about started exploring what is it that makes people happy. Its been over two months since that post...! (So much for trying to continue the series 'over the weekend'! How time flies..!)Anyways, I had observed then that people in the towns and villages seemed visibly far happier than their big-city counterparts. I put this down to the lower expectations

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-3718960392031227782008-12-15T22:11:00.001+05:302008-12-16T00:19:43.445+05:30

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-13548113173523210022008-12-14T16:52:00.011+05:302008-12-14T20:50:04.166+05:30

The agenda: Chill out (or... get wasted - depending how teetotaller-ly you are)The place: Pondicherry (now Puducherry.. duh!) The time: WeekendWe set out from Chennai early enough in the morning to hear the cock-a-doodle-do. The ride to Pondy is smooth and splendidly scenic. The road (East Coast Road, as its called) runs along the coast all the way and the cool sea-breeze is a fresh break from

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-61598700415648812572008-12-10T21:09:00.000+05:302008-12-10T21:09:00.837+05:30

Thanks to my lovely aunt for these pics...Jacaranda trees in Brisbane... B E A utiful...!

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-90702800958379877382008-12-09T06:56:00.002+05:302008-12-09T09:04:10.792+05:30

(Written about 3 weeks back, completed today..!)--Although I still had more to write on the 'Happiness series' that I started, my thoughts have been completely occupied with my first trip to Australia earlier this month. (I'm still recovering from the hangover of the 'high' that I received from the trip - to Brisbane, Singapore, Bombay & three weddings!)Given that I was there only in Brisbane,

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-70002094493399531712008-11-27T19:58:00.002+05:302008-11-27T20:17:17.492+05:30

Two unpublished drafts stare at my numb mind as I watch in shock at the events happening in Bombay. I'm sick in the stomach. Uncontrollable tears. Confusion. Anger. Despair.Please stop. Please.

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-7884426537371392292008-10-23T12:17:00.005+05:302009-06-13T07:47:45.839+05:30

Despite the lack of passion with studying finance theory from the books during my MBA, I've loved to follow the general goings on in the financial world. Especially, the crazy world of the equity markets. Its fun following it on TV, the likes of CNBC et al going "today has been a landmark day with the Sensex crossing the 20,000 mark..." etc etc.Although what happens there doesn't directly affect

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-56643226444793902952008-10-12T23:49:00.004+05:302008-10-13T00:53:48.905+05:30

One month almost since my last post and my blog's started complaining that I ain't giving it enough time. A combination of a string of parties and of laziness rearing it ugly head again has forced me to take these desperate measures to get a post going. The thing with laziness is, it fires your creativity to give excuses to not do something with your time as well... like saying that I was too

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-43486294855511970882008-09-16T08:01:00.005+05:302008-09-18T12:31:12.541+05:30

With the US economy stuttering as it is, and threatening to pull others down with it, its certainly a nervous time for fresh graduates (expecting to pass-out this year). Lehman & Merill were aspirational names for the fin dudes on campus. I remember people in my batch looking at these names with awe; the toppers knew they'd have a good shot at cracking into 'em; the bourgeois, on the other hand,

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-26058908231429495482008-09-13T20:58:00.007+05:302008-09-14T15:29:01.845+05:30

Imagine a time... when you have time to kill. No work worries. No study. No nothin. Just you, with the clock for a change, rather than against it.What are your options?1. Turn on that idiot box - movie, sport, news, soap, arbit music channel, cartoons, discovery/Nat geo... soo much to choose from :-)2. Surf the net - chat up with friends, news, download that killer app, read up on your hobbies...

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-16493309748771220092008-09-06T23:25:00.001+05:302008-09-06T23:49:55.377+05:30

There will come a time in almost every young person's life, when they'd have to setup a house for themselves. I've had the good luck of doing this so young :P ... over the last month or so at Tirupati.Here's a short guide, if I could call it that, on setting up your house.Note: Its not easy, but it ain't tough either.Every time you think "Now, I've bought everything", something that you're doing

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-87577684743893562432008-08-11T21:44:00.002+05:302008-08-11T21:52:52.488+05:30

An intensely engaging, yet sad, read about a brilliant mind...http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/08/11/080811fa_fact_grann?currentPage=allPS - Suggest you read it completely in one go

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-21044540832887201742008-08-10T19:32:00.007+05:302008-08-11T20:04:40.001+05:30

I had ideas of other posts in mind, but this was one I had to write before anything else!I was in Tirupati on Tuesday nd planned a trip to Tirumala early next morning with a colleague. Tirumala is what Tirupati is actually famous for.. it has the Lord Venkateshwara temple, which is supposed to be the world's most visited religious site - at an average of 60,000 pilgrims a day! (Tirupati is the

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-44020371948429628162008-08-03T17:01:00.005+05:302008-08-08T06:58:53.451+05:30

Chennai had been quite a gracious host for the two weeks that I spent there. Apart from the fairly good weather though, something that really struck me was the awesome food joints sprinkled all over the city. I've really only now found the time to write a bit about em all, and hopefully my memory's still holding those experiences in near totality.So here goes...1. Taj CoromandelAmbience - Fairly

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-48789783116075063482008-07-26T00:55:00.001+05:302008-07-26T01:10:14.708+05:30

And he fell to the ground with a big thud!Whoa! What a crazy dream it had been... enough to throw him off the bed by the end of it. As he woke up, groggy, dis-oriented, he wondered whether he was back to reality or if he was still dreaming. His room seemed alright, everything was just as he'd left it last night, and, as usual, he was just in time for class. 3 minutes to go..RUSHHH!! ... Yep,

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-17764579601485611462008-07-16T00:20:00.003+05:302008-07-17T23:59:48.911+05:30

Life in the last 1 1/2 months has just flown by with P&G. Flying around from city to city, attending trainings, presentations, cocktails, dinners, parties interspersed with some skin-tanning, back-breaking market work!The mother of all parties though was at Aamby valley last week (Thu & Fri). Now this place, between Bombay & Pune is just unbelievable in the monsoons. You might remember going to

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-76993487073854370242008-07-08T18:43:00.003+05:302008-07-08T18:51:19.133+05:30

This is too cool.. I'm on a bus to Thane from Andheri (number 425 :P) and I'm blogging on my Dell Latitude D430 with a Tata Indicom Data card.. although the connection is patchy, this is like a dream.. All those hours wasted travelling can now actually be put to good use!Also as we say often in speeches :P "I would like to take this opportunity to WISH MY DEAR FRIEND MYSHKIN A HAPPY MARRIED LIFE

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-25904290638817918702008-07-05T02:25:00.001+05:302008-07-05T03:26:27.997+05:30

After an amazing 3 weeks in Kolkata, the action's shifted to Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad!! This place is huuge.. spread over 1800 acres (and growing..!) it has film sets of airports, railway stations, hospitals, London, waterfalls, innumerable gardens, etc. etc. We're here for a national level meet, and the good weather seems to be following me around.The hotel (Hotel Sitara) is fairly comfy

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-21618290860272476852008-06-29T02:05:00.000+05:302008-06-29T02:17:50.706+05:30

All good things must come to an end, they say... and so must this trip to Cal. But in many ways, this is not the end, it is a beginning, of exploration, of new places, of new people and experiences. Kolkata has been a kind host in my stay for the past 3 weeks with beautiful weather, no traffic jams (on my route at least :) ) and not the least of all, a wonderful bunch of people whom I worked

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-70015711963873338192008-06-19T20:55:00.004+05:302008-06-19T23:50:05.726+05:30

After all the rain in the past few days, Kolkata is treating us to some cool, calm and pleasant weather the last couple of days... With a gentle breeze blowing through the day, no rain, and spurts of sunshine, its a fairly dreamy place to be right now. If it weren't for the crowded and (still!) waterlogged streets, it would indeed be a dream come true!After the great Belur Math & boat experience

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-42563814135284099242008-06-17T22:50:00.004+05:302008-06-18T00:00:48.809+05:30

They finally arrived. The famed Kolkata rains & floods! As my colleague & I made our way to office in our relatively high yellow cabs, we saw people seemingly going about their usual business in knee deep water! It was almost as if the water wasn't really there at all. Our salespersons went about on their rounds selling diapers and shampoo! It was just krazy, krazy Kolkata!By the time we hit the

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-55374583865637527092008-06-15T07:22:00.003+05:302008-06-15T08:03:55.037+05:30

After a week's frantic activity, it was finally time to unwind & relax in the weekend. Saturday morning's breakfast at the Hyatt was a fuller one than usual :-)My menu - Poha, upma, idli, sambhar, grilled tomatoes, fruits - watermelon, papaya, chickoo, smoked salmon(!!), walnuts, kismis, almonds, dates, sauteed mushrooms, aloo mutter... mmm.. :-)A late-lunch at a nearby McDonald's was the logical

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-71764769964904033332008-06-10T23:37:00.003+05:302008-08-08T07:00:41.053+05:30

My first visit to the market along with a salesperson was fun! It was an overcast day, humid, but not all that hot. One thing I've noticed the last couple of days is the amazing amount of the use of the colour yellow in Kolkata... Its everywhere, cabs, buses, shutters of stores, walls, names of stores, everything! As we boarded the yellow cab in the morning, I wondered how it'd be to go around

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-14296784362056254312008-06-08T20:59:00.004+05:302008-06-09T00:33:06.568+05:30

Going by what I've seen of Calcutta so far (which the the airport, the Hyatt & the road from the airport to the Hyatt), its a decent place :-P One thing that struck me though, was the greenery around. From the air it looked like Kerala! (Compare that to Bombay, which looks like a beehive of slums).The ride to the hotel was eventful to say the least, as my colleague realized that she'd left her

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-71939405197975629722008-06-03T22:59:00.003+05:302008-06-03T23:19:22.179+05:30

So yesterday was Day 0 indeed! We had our 'actual' day 1 today with the usual round of presentations from business heads and interactions with the leadership team.. It was surprisingly good fun, especially the gig from the legal team which explained how competition try cheap tricks to upset P&G's product introduction & advertisement plans...But the highlight of the day was the party in the

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-88333708734783990442008-06-02T19:42:00.004+05:302008-06-02T20:04:18.487+05:30

The wait finally ended today! The much, much awaited escape from inaction came as I set out at 8 in the morning to the P&G office at Andheri East. Given the sparse traffic at that hour of the day, I made it in no less than 15 minutes!The office building itself (which I have visited a few times already) is not that big (5 floors or so). But as you enter, you can feel a sense of spaciousness in the

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-34525725497661923732008-05-22T10:09:00.004+05:302008-05-22T10:21:46.681+05:30

And so the biggest title is back to Old Trafford!!What a match!! Not edge of the seat action, I say... It was feet on the seat, standing up and jumping, action :-DWent out to watch the match with Manan, Mahesh, Shubh, ATM & Tomar to a screening organized by the ManUtd Fan Club of Mumbai... and the experience was exhilarating!! http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=21798935844Pics, videos, et al

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-43513710716144101152008-05-21T19:50:00.004+05:302008-05-22T10:08:36.083+05:30

As I head out to watch the match with members of the Manchester United Fan Club of Mumbai :-D, I shall risk making a prediction for tonight's match..2-1 to ManU in normal time.xx

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-15965478182009152662008-05-21T16:21:00.003+05:302008-05-21T17:10:44.353+05:30

Of all the millions of hours of cartoons that I've watched, I've not aggregated even a minute of the totally hopeless 'Speed Racer'. With the Chinese dude in the shady outfit and the cheesiest background score with the even cheesier tag-line of 'Go speed racer, go!', this has to be amongst the worst cartoon series ever shown on Cartoon Network... (but its a bittuva cult I'm told)EVEN THEN, I

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-50909306434679952072008-05-21T11:18:00.004+05:302008-05-21T12:27:54.790+05:30

I came across this article in today's Times of India, and couldn't help but wonder - WHY, o WHY!?UN to send 220,000 condoms to Burma Bangkok: The UN will send nearly a quarter of a million condoms into cyclone-hit Myanmar to help needy survivors with no access to contraceptives, a UN official said on Tuesday. So far the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) says it has sent 72 800 condoms to survivors

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-61574815589660314362008-05-19T21:33:00.004+05:302008-05-20T14:03:59.601+05:30

Gordon City. Orchard road.It began as just another lazy Sunday afternoon. She had had a good sleep, and was eager to get going again soon. Ever the night owl, she looked forward to her day starting as soon as dusk approached. There was a rather queer calm around her though today. The wind was still and she could see clouds in the distance. And the street down below her abode was not exactly

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-41139550585671189742008-05-16T16:57:00.000+05:302008-05-16T16:57:45.821+05:30

If it weren't for the amount of sports I watched and played, I could have safely been called a geek. An ardent fan of The National Geographic Channel & The Discovery Channel, I am often frowned upon by my "I love VH1 / MTV / Channel V" brother :-DThe NGC programming is fantastic. The well-written scripts, clear enunciation and breathtaking photography (and off late, digital imagery) make it a

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-75995023650888707202008-05-15T18:18:00.007+05:302008-05-17T05:10:26.437+05:30

It was a typical Bombay summer morning. Clear blue sky, the sun was out, the crows had started crattering, and a bunch of bright green parrots with even brighter red beaks flew by making their presence felt. A gentle sea breeze drifted into the house as if wishing everyone a good morning.Suddenly a shrill shriek ripped through the apparent chaos. The crows were silenced for a moment. The parrots

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-64620649998450155252008-05-14T23:28:00.009+05:302008-05-15T00:01:45.693+05:30

Last Sunday, I think like for the first time in a long long time, I FORGOT about the F1 race!! All because of this silly, but rather engrossing, movie I was watching called '1408'.I'm not so much a person for horror flicks, but I do like it when any movie transports me into another world. And this one does it quite well. Its got plenty of those moments that made my hair stand up, and my body thud

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-58787760244835190112008-05-14T14:06:00.006+05:302008-05-14T14:44:14.227+05:30

For years, my Mum has been a regular reader of the Reader's Digest. Its generally quite a good read for anyone in the family with different articles to suit different tastes.I've read it off and on, and my interest mostly gravitates to the Humour sections and some nifty word games. As I picked up this month's edition, I couldn't help but feel a sense of deja vu, with the same kind of cover page

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-88140926187228157142008-05-13T12:30:00.005+05:302008-05-14T17:14:06.054+05:30

An old post on the 32 blog...Just a coupla thoughts on what us MBA folks generally say... and don't say :)Say (rather non-chalantly): I average about 4-5 hours of sleep a dayDon't say: I sleep for 3 hrs in class, which I conveniently forget to countSay: I stay up till 5 in the morning doing assignments...Don't say: I start working on my assignments around midnight (Thanks to Harsha Bhogle)Say: We

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-64146816789108598492008-05-13T09:52:00.008+05:302008-05-16T16:53:10.828+05:30

Which're the sports that have caught the attention of Indian urban youth in the past decade or so?Formula 1Soccer (EPL & Spanish leagues)TennisBasketball/NBA (not so much now, but late 90s to early 2000s)While these are sports which are anyways popular across the world, and have aggressively marketed themselves in the country, I think there's one factor which has made them so popular - Winners,

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-48677690874230434162008-05-10T07:45:00.012+05:302008-05-17T14:56:06.542+05:30

October 6, 1996. My family got a new member. A cute little labrador+golden ret+cocker spaniel. Shyam (bro) and I were always fond of dogs.. memorizing the names, heights, food requirements, health issues & what not of several dozen breeds. Shyam was the one who always wanted one at home. I didn't mind, thought it'd a nice to have one around. We managed to convince everyone. And we got

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-80337570202301011032008-05-09T16:14:00.007+05:302008-05-16T16:54:07.804+05:30

I wonder why I'm so succinct with all my writings. Be it answers in an exam paper or this blog. Almost through the day, there's a flood of thoughts, words, racing about in my mind for putting onto this blog, but somehow very very few of them actually find their way through to my fingers and onto the screen. I sometimes wish there was a mind-recorder attached to my brain, noting down this stream

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-46884761360531882082008-05-09T15:18:00.004+05:302008-05-09T15:23:47.438+05:30

To my best buddy Moksh (a.k.a. Billu, Billeshwar) ..."Happy Birthday"

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-40624831727635584092008-05-08T12:20:00.004+05:302008-05-17T14:54:29.742+05:30

Football is life. I can't imagine life in the last 2 months without catching some football match every week.And they don't (usually) come much better than the El Clásico. Last time's 3-3 draw was about as thrilling a football game as anyone can get. I had hopes for this one, that Barca would salvage some pride, spoil their title party yada yada yada... But it was a painful one to endure as (an I

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850840378494067837.post-25996723293888644022008-05-08T09:52:00.002+05:302008-05-13T12:50:03.411+05:30

Two months of intense action - including the likes of watching endless hours of HIMYM, movies, chatting, random browsing (TV & Internet) & not to mention, 32 trips to the friggin Mumbai passport office - has, unfortunately, started getting quite boring. So I thought to myself 'Lets change it around a lil bit' and here is my 2nd attempt at a blog.. (ooh how incredibly exciting) What happened to

Dopeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227878990726508440noreply@blogger.com0