(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 straight, white, and pinned up delicately. I watched as she went about checking all the pieces of luggage she had, as old people often do. She methodically went about cleaning her spectacles and keeping all the things in the places they ought to have been. Then she poked herself with a needle (insulin, I got to know later) rather nonchalantly.
Noticing my disappointment with the cold, dull, veg-biryani served on the train, she offered me a chapati, chhole and some curd-rice. My policy of not accepting anything to eat from anyone in a train went out of the window as I gleefully digged in. Then began the usual talk about where our families were, what I was doing, etc etc etc. Her command over English was exceptional and she spoke clearly and crisply.
We got talking about her family. 'Twas a typical Indian family for her generation; two sons, a daughter and their families, all well-settled. Everything seemed normal, until she told me about her husband. Sadly, he was paralysed and at home... for the last 18 years. My respect & admiration for her quadrupled after I heard this.
All this while, she had a warm smile on her glowing face. She'd pretty-much figured out how to smile through life despite all that it keeps throwing up.
A thing or two to reflect on, and learn, perhaps?
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Condy, the three musketeers and what happened to the chick with the red top
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 flavour of their culture behind. Not only that, several Trench people stayed on and were a 5000-strong community. The buildings and architecture in one part of the city was distinctly Trench. So much so that anyone visiting that area would definitely think he was in Trance rather than Tindia.
Condy was also known for its cheap liquor. It was, being a
Pseud Sing had been waiting for this trip for a loong time. His company (Fight Drank), was sending him to Condy to do a land valuation! It was going to be his first job-trip and he was pretty excited. But staying true to his 'I don't give a shit, life sucks' image, Pseud hid his excitement from his friends by playing it down as a purely business trip where he would be bored to death.
When Chromesh, Pseud's good friend from B-school got to know that Pseud will be in Condy, he immediately formulated a plan to meet-up and spend the long Christmas-weekend with him in Condy. Chromesh worked for an IT company in Dennai, which was just 3 hrs from Condy. Ever the sport for any travel activity, and a Condy-lover himself, the trip was an obviosity for Chromesh. He also called up his new-found partner-in-crime, Gopey and asked him to join them in Condy.
Gopey was from the same batch in B-school
Finally, the much awaited weekend arrived. Pseud Sing was the first to reach, before the weekend itself actually, for his work. Chromesh drove in from Dennai on his Bullet and joined Pseud on Thursday. Gopey meanwhile was busy pretending to be hard at work and decided to join them only on Friday evening.
The Thursday began for Chromesh & Pseud with a drinking binge of epic proportions. They had had so much beer in just a few hours that they had reached the magical Trench Triviera, which as we all know happens only after a few glasses of authentic Trench wine. Pseud couldn't have asked for a better start to the end of his first job-trip. Pseud was so proud for being among the first students from his B-school batch to go 'on-site' in another country - and this was not just any country, this was Trance! As they were riding around in the magical Trench Triviera, Chromesh realized that someone had sabotaged the back typre of his Bullet and it was punctured. He decided to pick a fight with one of the local goons and Pseud of course joined in. Luckily, Chromesh wasn't so angry and decided to let the criminal go with just a few strong words. Chromesh was well known for his extreme patience and it served to save this criminal from sure death... for Chromesh was strong, very strong. His new, and ongoing tryst, with a gym in Dennai had made him the only Super-Man on Dearth.
The trip to the magical Trench Triviera on Thursday was so fulfilling and intoxicating that Pseud and Chromesh didn't wake up on Friday morning. It was well into the afternoon when they awoke to Condy. Just about when Pseud was waking up, Gopey telephoned. He was acting pricey, saying that he won't be making the trip coz he was tired and that the travel would make him even tireder. (Of course, the real reason was that he'd fixed up a weekend date with one of the many hot women in Ghirupati, and he was strangely looking forward to it - possibly because she'd said 'This weekend or never'). Chromesh grabbed the phone from Pseud as soon as he heard rumblings of Gopey not coming. He fired Gopey left, right and center, telling him how the hell he could leave his friends and go off with some hot chick. Gopey had major introspection to do at this juncture and decided that friends were indeed more important. He chided himself for changing his mind so easily with the hollow promise of a 'now or never weekend-date'. He immediately picked up his weekend back-pack and left for Condy.
Gopey's ride to Condy was rather uneventful, apart from his bus running into a blacker-than-soot buffalo in the din of night. He finally reached Condy and greeted Pseud with his trademark "Pseuuuuuuuuud, wassup??" After the exchange of regular pleasantries, they decided it was too late in the night to make a trip to the magical Trench Triviera and just went to bed after a couple of beers.
The place they had for them was owned by a sweet Trench lady, Pascala. It was a room on the terrace of her house. Pseud was proud of himself for being able to use his legendary GLCSA (Good Looks, Charm & Sex Appeal) to get possession of the room. The lady had a very cute 8-year old daughter, Victoire. They had moved to Condy 2 years back. Pascala was so enamoured by this place that she'd left her native Trance to settle down in this dream-land. She was happy to have guests at home and treated them with utmost love and affection.
The bed was now really calling out to the gang. So much so, that they fell asleep even before they hit it. Pseud and Gopey were fast asleep when Chromesh felt a sudden urge to go to the magical Trench Triviera. Quietly he started gulping down all the remaining bottles of beer and drifted off to the magical Trench Triviera.
Saturday was going to be THE day. Gopey woke up early as usual and started fiddling with his laptop as soon as he'd finished his regular morning-activities. Realizing there was not much the laptop had to offer, especially since none of Gopey's hot girlfriends were online, he decided to make breakfast for himself. He was an accomplished chef and the aroma of the mouth-watering dish he was preparing woke Pseud up from his slumber. Chromesh though was still troddling around in the magical Trench Triviera and it would be a while before he returned.
Pseud and Gopey enjoyed the fantastic breakfast and waited for Chromesh to return. After a few hours, when he finally came back, they collectively decided to step out for lunch. They headed for Le Dupleix which was supposed to be the best Trench restaurant in town. They ordered salad, and pasta, and wine... it was a truly Trench experience. Chromesh though ordered local parathas and paneer subji as he felt the Trench food wouldn't ruffle his taste-buds.
After the awesome lunch, which lasted over 2 hours, they walked back to their place. They were greeted by some good news from Ms. Pascala. There was going to be a Trench party at night at a new place being opened by a friend of hers. Gopey was the mildly excited by the news and immediately started imagining himself surrounded by heavily-clad, somewhat hot Trench women - a welcome change from the usual rut of scantily clad, super-hot women in Ghirupati. Pseud was his usual self and acted as though this would be just another party that would make his already sucky life even suckier by reaffirming his 'single' status. But he was secretly hoping, and confident, that he would get back to his glory days where women used to swoon even the sight of a stamp-size photo of his left ear.
Chromesh's original plan was to leave back for Dennai in the evening itself before dinner as he had a very important 'meeting' to attend the next day. But upon hearing news of this party, Chromesh was the first to head to the bathroom to get ready, primed for assault!
As the three strode confidently towards the party-place, they could see people around them being blinded by their sheer presence. They were THE kings and they were going to RULE the night.
As they reached the scene, they found they were one of the first ones to arrive. They decided to start with a round of drinks and were joined by the cheerful Pascala almost just at the moment they were going to say "Cheers". She started telling stories about her life and how she loved Condy and how the world would have been an imperfect place if there was no Condy, etc, etc. The trio were rapt in attention to the colouful and vivacious Pascala. They failed to notice the heavily-clad, somewhat hot women who were streaming in. Pascala then took their leave as she had work to attend to and left the trio to themselves for the night.
By this time, all of them were down a few drinks, Gopey more so than the others. Pseud tried to look un-interested in the glances that were being thrown across the terrace by the white-top & hazel-eyed Trench girl. Gopey on the other hand was conveniently assuming that she was looking at him rather than Pseud. Chromesh was quietly surveying the scene as Pseud and Gopey exchanged glances with each other and then with the white-top. Gopey, confidently stode forward with what seemed to the others like a strong plan in mind. But after a few steps he veered off-course toward the food counter where he'd caught sight of the delicious prawn-idlys. Pseud finally decided he'd had enough of the arbitrary eye-exchanges and stepped right into the crowd of Trenchies. With his awesome grace and poise, he blended in with them as though he'd always belonged. He then called over Chromesh and Gopey to join him as he surveyed the scene. When they finally joined him, they actually found him to be animatedly in conversation with a tall white guy named Tim. He was from Banada, living and working in Dyena and down for a 'spiritual' trip to Tindia. Gopey tried to make his way toward the blue-top but Pseud called out to him and asked him to join them. Gopey grudgingly joined them as he was of the opinion that he'd have a good chance with blue-top, ever since that white-top had mysteriously disappeared from the scene.
So Pseud, Chromesh, Gopey & Tim were at their little group in front of the bar. Tim was an interesting chap and kept conversation flowing with some real wise-cracks. He declared that he was interested in the red-top but also that it had just not been his day till then, so he was not going to risk a move. The trio egged Tim on so that he would go for it. It had come to the point where it seemed like the trio were crazed fans cheering for their lone-striker to score the winning goal.
The drinks, meanwhile, were flowing... fast. Gopey had reached the brink of the magical Trench Triviera. He hobbled into the lone bathroom just by the side only to be surprisingly encountered by the white-top and the blue-top coming out of it… together. As soon as he looked at them, they gave him that 'deer caught in the headlights' look. Gopey faked the most fake 'Why hello, nice to meet you' smile and entered as they left. He came back out just in time for his refill of beer and his ticket to the magical Trench Triviera.
The gentle and patient Chromesh had been surveying the scene for a while and had decided that Purple-top was going to be his catch. But he found himself cheering Tim on. Later, he selflessly thought to himself. "Lets do this for Tim first". Pseud was so deeply involved in the cheering that he'd forgotten about white-top altogether. Tim FINALLY got up and walked towards red-top. The trio watched with anticipation and bated breath... Was their striker going to score?
The conversation started. Tim looked smooth. All that coaching and brain-washing from Pseud and Gopey seemed to be working. They saw Tim getting his fancy cell-phone out to take down a number as red-top spelled it out.
Gopey said, "Pseuuud, I think we've lost Tim for the night. You think you want to say hello to white-top?"
"Naah, I think I'd prefer to go to the magical Trench Triviera", Pseud giggled as he said.
"Can't agree more" added Chromesh "Lets make this a guy's night out... no more women! We stay together!"
And then they met soon in the magical Trench Triviera. This is what they'd come to Condy for.
--
Next morning, Chromesh had to leave early for his 'meeting'. Pseud and Gopey woke up later and packed their bags to go back. They bought little Victoire a big box of chocolates and said goodbye to Ms. Pascala, who promised to invite them for more Trench parties whenever they’d happen in town.
So ended the trio's trip to Condy, and not to mention, the magical Trench Triviera...
Au revoir!!
:-)
PS - All characters in this story are fictional and any resemblance to any person(s), living or dead, is purely coincidental
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Happiness - II
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 they had with their lives. Let me explore this notion a little further...
We're bombarded by information today. Be it the newspapers, television, internet or radio, they're all feeding us with reams and reams of data. This shapes the way perceive ourselves and the world around us, how we think, what we look forward to, what we detest...
Small town people live in relative oblivion. They're in their own little worlds - the place they live, their little locality and the place they work - things are generally very simple. When you speak with them, you're generally greeted by warm smiles and you can't help but notice their absolute zest and joy for life. (I came across a bunch of labourers in a small town close to Tirupati few days back... and these people were having a ball while working - passing around bricks and cement, singing songs and smiling ear to ear). One might argue that they're also exposed to a lot of information - Television & radio are now far more prevalent... Yes, but still, the language barrier means that they still watch and follow local programs. Their perceptions, thoughts, dreams are still largely, and very happily, local.
The situation is different for the city folk. My conjecture is that since city people are exposed to so much more information, they see a bigger world around them... They see that they're still not completely a part of this world.. Consequently, they want more money, a better job, more out of their relationships, better food... the list is endless.
Of course, there's nothing wrong in wanting it, is there? Everyone has ambitions. But the problem starts arising when they start expecting it, when they start saying "My life sucks coz I don't have x, y, z..." How often have we heard that statement? People live in frustration & denial of what they don't have yet... While, unfortunately, forgetting what they already have.
The concept of peer-pressure is also stronger in the city environment. Competition is intense, and no-one really wants to be left away from the crowd. Most people find it difficult to stay true to themselves in their eagerness to 'fit in' or 'get ahead'. This is where the city-folk differ most from their up-country counterparts. They are well and truly in the rat race to nowhere. They see people around them getting there and when they don't, it opens the door for Mr/Ms Unhappiness to walk right in.
--
Where does the discussion so far then leave us? Are we any closer to unraveling the mystery behind the small-town happiness?
(to be continued...)
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 they had with their lives. Let me explore this notion a little further...
We're bombarded by information today. Be it the newspapers, television, internet or radio, they're all feeding us with reams and reams of data. This shapes the way perceive ourselves and the world around us, how we think, what we look forward to, what we detest...
Small town people live in relative oblivion. They're in their own little worlds - the place they live, their little locality and the place they work - things are generally very simple. When you speak with them, you're generally greeted by warm smiles and you can't help but notice their absolute zest and joy for life. (I came across a bunch of labourers in a small town close to Tirupati few days back... and these people were having a ball while working - passing around bricks and cement, singing songs and smiling ear to ear). One might argue that they're also exposed to a lot of information - Television & radio are now far more prevalent... Yes, but still, the language barrier means that they still watch and follow local programs. Their perceptions, thoughts, dreams are still largely, and very happily, local.
The situation is different for the city folk. My conjecture is that since city people are exposed to so much more information, they see a bigger world around them... They see that they're still not completely a part of this world.. Consequently, they want more money, a better job, more out of their relationships, better food... the list is endless.
Of course, there's nothing wrong in wanting it, is there? Everyone has ambitions. But the problem starts arising when they start expecting it, when they start saying "My life sucks coz I don't have x, y, z..." How often have we heard that statement? People live in frustration & denial of what they don't have yet... While, unfortunately, forgetting what they already have.
The concept of peer-pressure is also stronger in the city environment. Competition is intense, and no-one really wants to be left away from the crowd. Most people find it difficult to stay true to themselves in their eagerness to 'fit in' or 'get ahead'. This is where the city-folk differ most from their up-country counterparts. They are well and truly in the rat race to nowhere. They see people around them getting there and when they don't, it opens the door for Mr/Ms Unhappiness to walk right in.
--
Where does the discussion so far then leave us? Are we any closer to unraveling the mystery behind the small-town happiness?
(to be continued...)
Monday, December 15, 2008
Sunday, December 14, 2008
When Pondy took the cherry
The agenda: Chill out (or... get wasted - depending how teetotaller-ly you are)
Along the promenade, a 5 minute walk from the Ajantha Guest House, is Le Café. This is the perfect place for breakfast. Good, inexpensive food and the view, outta this world! The mini idlis with sambhar are the best of the lot and I suggest you definitely give 'em a try. On the Sunday that we were there, there was a film being shot at this place and we got box seats (inside the café) alongside the actors after the shot was over!
There's a beautiful Church, Church of Notre Dame, I think, and we spend some time there. I get to revise my french as I follow Jesus' story on the pictures on the walls. A good place for a nice peaceful afternoon...
The place: Pondicherry (now Puducherry.. duh!)
The time: Weekend
We 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 the Chennai heat. Going by bike, rather than taking a bus, is not a bad idea. It allows for stops on the way to just admire the vast sea, which is sometimes on both sides of the road! It takes us about 4 hours, but can be covered quicker in a car I guess.
Once we get there, we head straight for the dazzling rock beach promenade/ beach front.
Its difficult not to fall in love with it... Its a complete experience; enchanting, powerful, graceful and dangerous at the same time...
Its difficult not to fall in love with it... Its a complete experience; enchanting, powerful, graceful and dangerous at the same time...There are a few hotels in the area to suit various budgets... We check into the Ajantha Guest House, for a room overlooking the beach. Its a steal for 700 bucks a night (non a/c)! The restaurant/bar alongside it, again called Ajantha (if I remember correctly), makes for a perfect afternoon by the sea.
Being a Union Territory, the booze in Pondy is dirt cheap. 65 bucks for a bottle of beer.. some 250 bucks for a pitcher! The weather is nice & warm and chilllled beer is certainly the drink of choice in the afternoon. The snacks to go along with it are delectable, fish tikka, assorted veggies, all are devoured during the course of the 'session'.
Along the promenade, a 5 minute walk from the Ajantha Guest House, is Le Café. This is the perfect place for breakfast. Good, inexpensive food and the view, outta this world! The mini idlis with sambhar are the best of the lot and I suggest you definitely give 'em a try. On the Sunday that we were there, there was a film being shot at this place and we got box seats (inside the café) alongside the actors after the shot was over! On Saturday evening, we set off on a 1/2 hour ride to the world-famous Auroville. Along the beach front we could see some foreigners taking walks, but Auroville is teeming with them - Attracted by the promise of a peaceful, better, life... or doing some voluntary work for the local community... We meet people from Chile, Italy & Germany among other countries and they seem to have settled down quite well - an old German couple even bargains in TAMIL with a store-keeper! There's not much to see here otherwise...
The Auro beach is a great place to take an evening walk. If you're with your girl/guy, this place is a must-visit. I imagine it'd be quite a romantic experience... (Of course, I was with a drunk Somesh, who was too busy losing his slippers in the water - and crying that the sea took them away - until it threw the worthless crap back ashore :-P )
Dinner's at the chic Promenade hotel, on the promenade, again... Its a good place to have a nice, proper, sit-down family dinner types... There're two old French couples playing cards and generally having a good time, so I think you get the drift...
The next day we head to Arikamedu. This place about a half hour drive from Pondy is an archeological site and is supposed to have some Roman ruins. But there's absolutely nothing here and if you're archeologically inclined, you can make a trip to the museum which is said to contain most of the remains from these ruins.
So without wasting too much time amongst the ruins, we head straight for Paradise Beach (about 10 mins further down the road). Its advisable to leave for this place just around lunch time to give yourself enough time to spend at the beach. You've to park your vehicle, take a ticket for a ferry across to this island (about 10 mins on the ferry). The last ferry back is at about 4 pm, so plan accordingly. The beach itself is breathtaking. Its a touch crowded on weekends and the guy with the big speaker shouting out to public to stay away from the water can get to be quite a pain. Otherwise, the place really is paradise...!
Pondy was once a French colony, and there're several French restaurants dotting the city. We headed to Satsanga for a drink and snacks. The ambience is nice and quiet with enough light around coz of the open top. The service though is deplorable and the waiters are totally unresponsive. But once the beer & snacks are on the table, all this is easily forgotten :)
There's a beautiful Church, Church of Notre Dame, I think, and we spend some time there. I get to revise my french as I follow Jesus' story on the pictures on the walls. A good place for a nice peaceful afternoon... After a final refill of food at Le Café, we head back to Chennai... The ride at night is completely different. The vast sea now is completely lost in the darkness and looks like an endless abyss. It'd have been different on a clear, star-lit night... But cloudy night, 'twas a touch unnerving & scary! There're also police checks on the way to ensure we're not carrying back cheap booze or drunk-driving.
--
And so ended the perfectly chilled-out weekend... As it happens, P&G is now taking us for an offsite there this week!! Can't wait!!! Wuhhooo!!!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Jacaranda flowers in Brisbane!
Thanks to my lovely aunt for these pics...
Jacaranda trees in Brisbane... B E A utiful...!
Jacaranda trees in Brisbane... B E A utiful...!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Australia!!
(Written about 3 weeks back, completed today..!)
--
The first thing that strikes me about Brisbane, (as soon as I land) is the weather. Its just the start of summer here and its not too different from a regular Bombay day.
The familiar humidity in the air is gladly welcomed. But then, unlike Bombay, there are hardly any people around. The roads are wide, all of them seeming freshly painted and traffic (whatever little there is) is very orderly.
My uncle turns on the GPS to get to our apartment and it immediately starts barking directions. I can't really imagine using GPS in the narrow roads in Bombay, (or chronicling all the addresses that are there!) but then I guess its already started happening.
The heart of Brisbane is the Brisbane river (innovative name eh!?). It runs through the city and most of the city's happening spots are dotted along it. Our apartment overlooks the river and gives a breathtaking view of the city from the 25th floor!! Its in an area called Quay (pronounced as just K). This also seems to be the office area with buildings of IBM, Oracle and several other big companies right next door.
The parties here sure seem quite a do, with people going around wearing weird costumes with especially fancy head-gear ('tis a Friday night).
There's something about the place which makes me feel instantly at ease. Perhaps its got to do with Australia's history itself, as a vast, welcoming land with people from several countries & continents and races & cultures making it their home. Talking of people, and welcoming, the folks here are simlar to back home in Bombay; always ready to lend a helping hand, give directions and speak with a cordial smile on their face (as opposed to Delhi, where people are cold and unhelpful - Sorry Delhi-lovers, couldn't resist a dig at your fav city :-P ).
When we make a trip to my sis' place, the landscape, awash with purple jacaranda flowers, is breath-taking! (I feel like such a dud not having taken any pics of it! I guess I was too busy admiring the scene!). In general, the residential areas, away from the city, are quiet and peaceful. They remind me of my uncle's place in Sunnyvale, California. Although they're a lot more greener... The neighbours dog is an ageing Golden Retriever and immediately offers himself for a petting. He's a lot bigger than my old pooch Jimmy, but has the same innocent eyes.
The Aussies are crazy about fitness. Early in the morning I see several people walking, roller-blading, cycling on the streets... a 'regular' fitness thing I'm told. And with most of the country living very close to the coast, scuba-diving, snorkelling & surfing are also usual ways of keeping fit, and most importantly enjoying oneself while doing so! Folks also go 'bush-walking', taking treks into the bushes (foresty areas basically)!!
--
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, and that too only for three days, which included the wedding (my cousin sis', wuhooo!), one can say that I've not really seen Australia at all. But the flavour that I got of it in this time has me convinced that I will go back there for more!!
Notes from Brisbane...
Given that I was there only in Brisbane, and that too only for three days, which included the wedding (my cousin sis', wuhooo!), one can say that I've not really seen Australia at all. But the flavour that I got of it in this time has me convinced that I will go back there for more!!
Notes from Brisbane...
The first thing that strikes me about Brisbane, (as soon as I land) is the weather. Its just the start of summer here and its not too different from a regular Bombay day.
The familiar humidity in the air is gladly welcomed. But then, unlike Bombay, there are hardly any people around. The roads are wide, all of them seeming freshly painted and traffic (whatever little there is) is very orderly.My uncle turns on the GPS to get to our apartment and it immediately starts barking directions. I can't really imagine using GPS in the narrow roads in Bombay, (or chronicling all the addresses that are there!) but then I guess its already started happening.
The heart of Brisbane is the Brisbane river (innovative name eh!?). It runs through the city and most of the city's happening spots are dotted along it. Our apartment overlooks the river and gives a breathtaking view of the city from the 25th floor!! Its in an area called Quay (pronounced as just K). This also seems to be the office area with buildings of IBM, Oracle and several other big companies right next door.
The parties here sure seem quite a do, with people going around wearing weird costumes with especially fancy head-gear ('tis a Friday night).There's something about the place which makes me feel instantly at ease. Perhaps its got to do with Australia's history itself, as a vast, welcoming land with people from several countries & continents and races & cultures making it their home. Talking of people, and welcoming, the folks here are simlar to back home in Bombay; always ready to lend a helping hand, give directions and speak with a cordial smile on their face (as opposed to Delhi, where people are cold and unhelpful - Sorry Delhi-lovers, couldn't resist a dig at your fav city :-P ).
When we make a trip to my sis' place, the landscape, awash with purple jacaranda flowers, is breath-taking! (I feel like such a dud not having taken any pics of it! I guess I was too busy admiring the scene!). In general, the residential areas, away from the city, are quiet and peaceful. They remind me of my uncle's place in Sunnyvale, California. Although they're a lot more greener... The neighbours dog is an ageing Golden Retriever and immediately offers himself for a petting. He's a lot bigger than my old pooch Jimmy, but has the same innocent eyes.
A short trip to the Gold Coast makes for a wonderful evening by the sea. There are truly weird looking birds around and about wherever I go. The beaks are almost always twisted at the tip, the for some reason; the birds themselves look stronger, sturdier, than back home.
The Aussies are crazy about fitness. Early in the morning I see several people walking, roller-blading, cycling on the streets... a 'regular' fitness thing I'm told. And with most of the country living very close to the coast, scuba-diving, snorkelling & surfing are also usual ways of keeping fit, and most importantly enjoying oneself while doing so! Folks also go 'bush-walking', taking treks into the bushes (foresty areas basically)!!
But apart from the way of speaking English (the Austraaalyan way), I can't really find much uniquely Australian. I meet people originally from Ireland, Argentina, Korea, England and a host of other nations and each bring about their own bit of flavour to Australia. One common thread though is that all of them truly love and enjoy their freedom.
A longer trip is now certainly on the cards, perhaps 3-4 years down the line... 'til then I'll have this post to reminisce the beautiful time spent in this world away from worlds...
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Stop
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.
Please stop. Please.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Happiness - I
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 me (I've no investments), the whole packaging and the passion involved in their reporting really captivates me. It also helps lift or in some cases even dim my spirits sometime! When there's a bull run, example, with all the smiling presenters going ga-ga over how great the economy is, it kinda rubs off on me too and I find myself smiling too. They say, smile and the world smiles with you... clear case of that I guess.
Off late, the gloom in the markets has the presenters coming in with gloomy faces and muffled voices. I feel the drop in their energy levels and its difficult not let it affect me as well.. Its like watching a sad movie praying there's a happy ending. I can't even begin to imagine what it is like for people whose investments have been hit. The same thing that made them happy a few months back is now stealing that happiness away from them. And... also those who've lost their jobs.
Because of some smart-ass derivatives structurers, people have had to part with their life earnings or the source of it. UNFAIR.
Sitting here, in a small town away from the mayhem, it makes me feel small and powerless. It would be easy to drown myself in the melancholy along with the rest of em... But I open my eyes and I also see happy locals all around as it is raining! The landscape is lush green (pics from my new phone soon :P )and the weather is near-perfect. (Apparently, since the rains were really bad this year, some major puja was done a coupla weeks back at Tirumala, specially to appease the Rain Gods - and now the whole most of South India is under threat from floods :-P )
Anyways, people around are happy and rejoicing, with Diwali also round the corner.... Happiness is most certainly about managing expectations... People here have only few (compared to what a city-dweller would for example).
Its probably a reason why we see so many happy faces in the villages and little towns... Something for us city-bred folk to think and reflect on perhaps...
Here's a link to Subbu's post, which along with a chat with him about this, got me thinking on this subject... More thoughts over the weekend perhaps...
xx
Although what happens there doesn't directly affect me (I've no investments), the whole packaging and the passion involved in their reporting really captivates me. It also helps lift or in some cases even dim my spirits sometime! When there's a bull run, example, with all the smiling presenters going ga-ga over how great the economy is, it kinda rubs off on me too and I find myself smiling too. They say, smile and the world smiles with you... clear case of that I guess.
Off late, the gloom in the markets has the presenters coming in with gloomy faces and muffled voices. I feel the drop in their energy levels and its difficult not let it affect me as well.. Its like watching a sad movie praying there's a happy ending. I can't even begin to imagine what it is like for people whose investments have been hit. The same thing that made them happy a few months back is now stealing that happiness away from them. And... also those who've lost their jobs.
Because of some smart-ass derivatives structurers, people have had to part with their life earnings or the source of it. UNFAIR.
Sitting here, in a small town away from the mayhem, it makes me feel small and powerless. It would be easy to drown myself in the melancholy along with the rest of em... But I open my eyes and I also see happy locals all around as it is raining! The landscape is lush green (pics from my new phone soon :P )and the weather is near-perfect. (Apparently, since the rains were really bad this year, some major puja was done a coupla weeks back at Tirumala, specially to appease the Rain Gods - and now the whole most of South India is under threat from floods :-P )
Anyways, people around are happy and rejoicing, with Diwali also round the corner.... Happiness is most certainly about managing expectations... People here have only few (compared to what a city-dweller would for example).
Its probably a reason why we see so many happy faces in the villages and little towns... Something for us city-bred folk to think and reflect on perhaps...
Here's a link to Subbu's post, which along with a chat with him about this, got me thinking on this subject... More thoughts over the weekend perhaps...
xx
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Desperate Measures
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 busy to write a post! Or worse still, I was suffering from a lack of motivation... writer's block... mental pneumonia or that my mind felt like it was being squeezed from all sides by a boa.
Anyways, as I sat to write this, I had to start fishing for what I'd write about. Hmm.. lets see..
*F1*- season's gotten boring, Schumy's long gone, and altho Vettel's looking exciting he's in the wrong car this season at least...
*Football*- Clubs are all off for the moment and nothing much apart from some uninteresting qualifiers going on...
*The economy* - So much said and so much read... from Iceland becoming worth a loaf of bread to a multi trillion $ bailout across European countries... The gift of foresight for coming into FMCG :-P
*Travels* - I've only been to campus, Bombay & Hyderabad. Bombay & Hyd there's not much to write about.. and if I start writing how awesome a time I had on campus, I'll prolly need a week's vacation to complete the post :-D
*Arbit fiction* - Two unfinished posts already and no way forward, sure to hit a roadblock, not something to take up when 'the flow' 's a bit iffy.
So after the round of presentations that each category made to the unimpressed blog post control center in my head, the decision still remained as open as before the presentations started.
And then, arrived the unknown presenter who wowed the singular audience with aplomb. 'Movies' made a spectacular surprise appearance with WALL-E... the super-cute love story about a robot and his visitor from space...
Now I must admit I'm a total sucker for cartoons and would probably find even an ok-ok cartoon movie pretty good. But this one was simply fantastic...
Hard-working as any robot should be, but with a touch of human romance about him, Wall-E is an instantly loveable character. The movie takes its time to describe Wall-E's motivations and the little nuances that make him what he is. His trusted mate, a little cockroach (yuck! I know! But still one can't help but like him!), is also portrayed wonderfully, which just adds to the feel-good factor at the start. (Scientific reason - even if all life has ended in the world, the likliest creature to survive would be the cockroach!) Anyways, the ride only just begins when Eve, the 'sexy'-robot-from-outer-space-looking-for-life, touches down and completely blows Wall-E away with her moves. After this its just an absolute roller-coaster as Wall-E follows her to a space station and while attempting to profess his love for her, ends up saving mankind as well...
The plot is simple, the execution is brilliant (Pixar! Need I say more!?) and its difficult not to fall in love with it all.
If you've seen this movie, lemme know how you liked it!? If you haven't seen this movie, get a copy and watch it and then lemme know. :-)
xx
Twenty-five already seen by me,
Many more I shall roam free!
Also a toast,
To many more a post.
xx
Anyways, as I sat to write this, I had to start fishing for what I'd write about. Hmm.. lets see..
*F1*- season's gotten boring, Schumy's long gone, and altho Vettel's looking exciting he's in the wrong car this season at least...
*Football*- Clubs are all off for the moment and nothing much apart from some uninteresting qualifiers going on...
*The economy* - So much said and so much read... from Iceland becoming worth a loaf of bread to a multi trillion $ bailout across European countries... The gift of foresight for coming into FMCG :-P
*Travels* - I've only been to campus, Bombay & Hyderabad. Bombay & Hyd there's not much to write about.. and if I start writing how awesome a time I had on campus, I'll prolly need a week's vacation to complete the post :-D
*Arbit fiction* - Two unfinished posts already and no way forward, sure to hit a roadblock, not something to take up when 'the flow' 's a bit iffy.
So after the round of presentations that each category made to the unimpressed blog post control center in my head, the decision still remained as open as before the presentations started.
And then, arrived the unknown presenter who wowed the singular audience with aplomb. 'Movies' made a spectacular surprise appearance with WALL-E... the super-cute love story about a robot and his visitor from space...
Now I must admit I'm a total sucker for cartoons and would probably find even an ok-ok cartoon movie pretty good. But this one was simply fantastic...
Hard-working as any robot should be, but with a touch of human romance about him, Wall-E is an instantly loveable character. The movie takes its time to describe Wall-E's motivations and the little nuances that make him what he is. His trusted mate, a little cockroach (yuck! I know! But still one can't help but like him!), is also portrayed wonderfully, which just adds to the feel-good factor at the start. (Scientific reason - even if all life has ended in the world, the likliest creature to survive would be the cockroach!) Anyways, the ride only just begins when Eve, the 'sexy'-robot-from-outer-space-looking-for-life, touches down and completely blows Wall-E away with her moves. After this its just an absolute roller-coaster as Wall-E follows her to a space station and while attempting to profess his love for her, ends up saving mankind as well...
The plot is simple, the execution is brilliant (Pixar! Need I say more!?) and its difficult not to fall in love with it all.
If you've seen this movie, lemme know how you liked it!? If you haven't seen this movie, get a copy and watch it and then lemme know. :-)
xx
Twenty-five already seen by me,
Many more I shall roam free!
Also a toast,
To many more a post.
xx
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Career advice in difficult B-school times
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, mocked them for being so 'topper-friendly'.
For the two years I spent on campus, there was never really a fear of not getting the job you wanted. Of course you couldn't really get into a consult with a shitty academic record. But people were fairly chilled out about where they'd be going.
Now though, I imagine the situation is quite different. There's a good chance that the big names (and even the not-so-big ones), would be either entirely missing or recruiting in lesser numbers compared to previous years - more so for fin, but generally across sectors. I still expect 100% placements in the IIMs without too much trouble. But, people will, by and large, not get the companies and offers that they'd have thought of getting 6 months back.
While the situation might seem grim at the outset, there are still a lot of very good companies and jobs out there. This will force the students to look beyond those top few that they'd always been dreaming of, and they'd find that indeed there are still excellent jobs for the taking.
They do not offer the high pay-packets and aura of the large i-banks, but they can still offer roles which are deemed challenging. Its a hit the students should be expecting and willing to digest. They've put in a lot of effort to get here, no doubt. But a slowdown can be thought of as an opportunity to explore what you want to do - try out another industry or profile perhaps for a few years.
That's where in fact I think the problem lies. Folks want the first job to be in the exact field they always thought they'd fit in best. Instead, if you can change your line of thinking to - what could this job add to my profile, to my skills, which would help me in the long run - then it would make it more objective comparing profiles on offer (as opposed to pay packets & brand name).
Now, of course, the question would arise, what's 'long run'? Most people I knew on campus did not know what they wanted to do 5 years - 10 years, down the line. They either had a notion that they'd want to be in a certain field, and/or, have made tons of money by then, or, just generally doing well in life.
Lets consider these one by one.
If you're sure that you want to be in a certain field, its best that you look at all the jobs on offer that would give you skills and build your profile to do well in that field.
If you're looking to generally do well in life, look for skills that you feel you need to build. Then look for jobs that will help you build those skills to make you a more well-rounded individual. Instead, if you're extremely good at something, you can leverage that and become an expert in jobs that require that skill.
And, if all you want is to be a billionaire by 35, then there's prolly just a coupla ways to do it:
- Work your ass off. Lose your life. And with a coupla lucky breaks you'd get there by 35.
- Open your own firm with that big business idea, work your ass off, and you just might be the next Larry Page or Sabeer Bhatia.
[ Of course, there's 'marry-a-billionaire'... but I don't think I'd count that as a 'career option' :) ]
All in all, what I just want people to realize for themselves is this - there's still a lot of time left in life. You might as well live it up now, rather than lose sleep over where your next job is going to be. Do your research well, think 'long run', and that elusive happiness will come-a-courting.
xx
For the two years I spent on campus, there was never really a fear of not getting the job you wanted. Of course you couldn't really get into a consult with a shitty academic record. But people were fairly chilled out about where they'd be going.
Now though, I imagine the situation is quite different. There's a good chance that the big names (and even the not-so-big ones), would be either entirely missing or recruiting in lesser numbers compared to previous years - more so for fin, but generally across sectors. I still expect 100% placements in the IIMs without too much trouble. But, people will, by and large, not get the companies and offers that they'd have thought of getting 6 months back.
While the situation might seem grim at the outset, there are still a lot of very good companies and jobs out there. This will force the students to look beyond those top few that they'd always been dreaming of, and they'd find that indeed there are still excellent jobs for the taking.
They do not offer the high pay-packets and aura of the large i-banks, but they can still offer roles which are deemed challenging. Its a hit the students should be expecting and willing to digest. They've put in a lot of effort to get here, no doubt. But a slowdown can be thought of as an opportunity to explore what you want to do - try out another industry or profile perhaps for a few years.
That's where in fact I think the problem lies. Folks want the first job to be in the exact field they always thought they'd fit in best. Instead, if you can change your line of thinking to - what could this job add to my profile, to my skills, which would help me in the long run - then it would make it more objective comparing profiles on offer (as opposed to pay packets & brand name).
Now, of course, the question would arise, what's 'long run'? Most people I knew on campus did not know what they wanted to do 5 years - 10 years, down the line. They either had a notion that they'd want to be in a certain field, and/or, have made tons of money by then, or, just generally doing well in life.
Lets consider these one by one.
If you're sure that you want to be in a certain field, its best that you look at all the jobs on offer that would give you skills and build your profile to do well in that field.
If you're looking to generally do well in life, look for skills that you feel you need to build. Then look for jobs that will help you build those skills to make you a more well-rounded individual. Instead, if you're extremely good at something, you can leverage that and become an expert in jobs that require that skill.
And, if all you want is to be a billionaire by 35, then there's prolly just a coupla ways to do it:
- Work your ass off. Lose your life. And with a coupla lucky breaks you'd get there by 35.
- Open your own firm with that big business idea, work your ass off, and you just might be the next Larry Page or Sabeer Bhatia.
[ Of course, there's 'marry-a-billionaire'... but I don't think I'd count that as a 'career option' :) ]
All in all, what I just want people to realize for themselves is this - there's still a lot of time left in life. You might as well live it up now, rather than lose sleep over where your next job is going to be. Do your research well, think 'long run', and that elusive happiness will come-a-courting.
xx
Saturday, September 13, 2008
What to do when you have time for you
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... the works
3. Blog - If you already have one, you know what a nice time pass it is :-P ; if you don't, no better time to start, eh!?
4. Read - Read that book that's been lying on the shelf, begging to be read for so long. Re-reading a good book is also a very attractive option, always something new to discover!
5. Call - Catch up with an old friend, relative or any of your best buddies
6. Listen - to some music. Some peppy numbers to up your spirits, dance along for added effect...! Or some calming classics to relax your mind, slow down time.
7. Write - a letter. It could be a nice long email to that friend you haven't been in touch with, or it could be an old fashioned pen & paper letter by snail mail to your granny...!
8. Walk - Take a walk 'round town. Notice the people around. Feel the rain, the sun, the breeze. Listen to every sound.
9. Cook - yourself a treat! Try something new... that dish in the cook-book that looked o-so-delicious... hurry up, stomach's waiting...
10. SLEEP. Need I say more? :)
--
Now, yesterday, Somesh & I planned to drive down to this hill station place called Horsley Hills. But as it happened, Somesh's bike broke down on his way from Chennai to Tirupati, so the trip was off.
And I had no Plan B.
So, I'd to think up of something to do. It didn't really help that the power went off (some once in a month thing for repairs in Tirupati!). So that meant TV, internet, blogging (my top three options, always :-) ) were not possible as I had no charge left on my lappy. That kinda got me thinking about this post.
Of course, there're several other things one can do in their free time. Meditate, draw, paint, exercise(!!), get a massage... But I guess I just wanted to keep the options down to 10, coz 10 seems like a nice number for a list of things that can be done :-)
What did I end up doing then? Well... The cell had enough charge for about 1 call.. so I spoke with a friend. Music & reading were ruled out, coz I aint got no songs or books, and I'm not much of a music person anyways. Taking a walk was out of the question, coz it was burning hot and I aint really first in line for people who need a tan at the expense of a headache. I wouldn't have minded cooking some stuff for myself, but the kitchen's just got a sink and a platform as of now.. so..
After all that thinking... I didn't really have any choice but to get some more sleep :-)
xx
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... the works
3. Blog - If you already have one, you know what a nice time pass it is :-P ; if you don't, no better time to start, eh!?
4. Read - Read that book that's been lying on the shelf, begging to be read for so long. Re-reading a good book is also a very attractive option, always something new to discover!
5. Call - Catch up with an old friend, relative or any of your best buddies
6. Listen - to some music. Some peppy numbers to up your spirits, dance along for added effect...! Or some calming classics to relax your mind, slow down time.
7. Write - a letter. It could be a nice long email to that friend you haven't been in touch with, or it could be an old fashioned pen & paper letter by snail mail to your granny...!
8. Walk - Take a walk 'round town. Notice the people around. Feel the rain, the sun, the breeze. Listen to every sound.
9. Cook - yourself a treat! Try something new... that dish in the cook-book that looked o-so-delicious... hurry up, stomach's waiting...
10. SLEEP. Need I say more? :)
--
Now, yesterday, Somesh & I planned to drive down to this hill station place called Horsley Hills. But as it happened, Somesh's bike broke down on his way from Chennai to Tirupati, so the trip was off.
And I had no Plan B.
So, I'd to think up of something to do. It didn't really help that the power went off (some once in a month thing for repairs in Tirupati!). So that meant TV, internet, blogging (my top three options, always :-) ) were not possible as I had no charge left on my lappy. That kinda got me thinking about this post.
Of course, there're several other things one can do in their free time. Meditate, draw, paint, exercise(!!), get a massage... But I guess I just wanted to keep the options down to 10, coz 10 seems like a nice number for a list of things that can be done :-)
What did I end up doing then? Well... The cell had enough charge for about 1 call.. so I spoke with a friend. Music & reading were ruled out, coz I aint got no songs or books, and I'm not much of a music person anyways. Taking a walk was out of the question, coz it was burning hot and I aint really first in line for people who need a tan at the expense of a headache. I wouldn't have minded cooking some stuff for myself, but the kitchen's just got a sink and a platform as of now.. so..
After all that thinking... I didn't really have any choice but to get some more sleep :-)
xx
Saturday, September 6, 2008
New house setup for dummies
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 in the course of the day would remind you.. "Damn, I forgot to buy xyz..". For example, you wake up in the morning, brush your teeth, and pick up your razor for a shave. Then you realize, "Damn, there's no mirror over the wash basin". And then you go and scribble 'Mirror' in your list of things to buy.
If you're attentive enough, and diligent enough to write down stuff you need on a piece of paper, then with 3-4 trips to the supermarket, you should have your house up n running.
So... What's the stuff you need to buy??
Here's a list...
(The prices in this are for stuff for the average household, not too fancy, but not off of a garage sale either)
What - how much(rupees)
Big ticket items
1. Cot with mattress - 9-11k
2. TV + TV Table - 14-18k
3. Washing machine + stand - 12-15k
4. Refrigerator - 10-13k
5. A/C - 20-28k
6. Dining table & chairs - 11-15k
7. Couch (3 seater) :) - 15k
8. Cupboard + dressing table - 10-12k
9. Geyser - 3-5k (I guess)
10. Gas kit - 5-6k (I guess)
The rest
Doormat, bathroom mat, scissors, dustbins, buckets, mugs, mop, broom, dust-pan, toilet cleaning liquid, toilet brush, floor cleaning liquid, soaps, toilet paper, washing powder, bed cover, bedsheet, pillows, pillow cover, mirror, shirt hangers, clotheslines, table mat, few plates, glasses, spoons, other utensils....
All of this stuff shouldn't cost more than 6-7k.
As a rule, you'd HAVE to go to the market at least 3 times though as something would always be amiss!
And of course, once you buy all this stuff, you're left with the simple task of deciding how to arrange it in the house... :)
xx
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 in the course of the day would remind you.. "Damn, I forgot to buy xyz..". For example, you wake up in the morning, brush your teeth, and pick up your razor for a shave. Then you realize, "Damn, there's no mirror over the wash basin". And then you go and scribble 'Mirror' in your list of things to buy.
If you're attentive enough, and diligent enough to write down stuff you need on a piece of paper, then with 3-4 trips to the supermarket, you should have your house up n running.
So... What's the stuff you need to buy??
Here's a list...
(The prices in this are for stuff for the average household, not too fancy, but not off of a garage sale either)
What - how much(rupees)
Big ticket items
1. Cot with mattress - 9-11k
2. TV + TV Table - 14-18k
3. Washing machine + stand - 12-15k
4. Refrigerator - 10-13k
5. A/C - 20-28k
6. Dining table & chairs - 11-15k
7. Couch (3 seater) :) - 15k
8. Cupboard + dressing table - 10-12k
9. Geyser - 3-5k (I guess)
10. Gas kit - 5-6k (I guess)
The rest
Doormat, bathroom mat, scissors, dustbins, buckets, mugs, mop, broom, dust-pan, toilet cleaning liquid, toilet brush, floor cleaning liquid, soaps, toilet paper, washing powder, bed cover, bedsheet, pillows, pillow cover, mirror, shirt hangers, clotheslines, table mat, few plates, glasses, spoons, other utensils....
All of this stuff shouldn't cost more than 6-7k.
As a rule, you'd HAVE to go to the market at least 3 times though as something would always be amiss!
And of course, once you buy all this stuff, you're left with the simple task of deciding how to arrange it in the house... :)
xx
Monday, August 11, 2008
The Chamelion
An intensely engaging, yet sad, read about a brilliant mind...
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/08/11/080811fa_fact_grann?currentPage=all
PS - Suggest you read it completely in one go
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/08/11/080811fa_fact_grann?currentPage=all
PS - Suggest you read it completely in one go
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Tirupati Tirumala Deivasthanam (TTD)
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 city.. Tirumala is a hill a few kms from the city)
I prefer to visit a temple if its nice and quiet and peaceful. So I was a bit skeptical about going to this temple. There was going to be one helluva rush, no matter what time we went.
So we woke up at around 3 am, ready for our 'adventure'! By 3.45, we were off in a tiny Indica up the hill. The ride was interesting. At this time of the day (err night), you really don't expect too many vehicles on any road.. But there were buses upon buses, full of people, screaming up the slope! There was a jeep rammed into the side of the road, an eager driver turning too fast for his own good. It got chillier as we climbed but I was still quite comfortable in my t-shirt and jeans. It must've been like 21-22 degrees C.
4:35 am - We reached the top, had to leave our cellphones and chappals in the car.. and headed straight for the serpentine queue which had already started forming!
The queue moved quite slow. The point where we joined the queue, we really didn't know we were entering a temple. In front of us was a huge building that seemed to be full of halls, and the queue was heading right for it. As we got in, the queue split into two.. one going up a flight of stairs and another going down... Both eventually of course leading to the same destination.
As the queue moved forth, I could get glimpses of the humongous complex inside. It was a large space, prolly the size of two football fields, and on one side was the temple.
The queue then emptied out into a seating hall of sorts and the door at the far end was closed. We waited there for around 30 minutes. Without much notice, the door was pulled open and pilgrims spilled out towards another entry, again falling back into a queue. This queue finally led up to the temple, just before which, it merged with the other queue.
There were just so many people around. But there was very little noise. Occasionally someone would cry out "Govinda", and everyone would follow the 'chant', saying "Govinda' twice or thrice.
As I neared the idol, there was quite a mad rush of pilgrims as the entrance to the temple was a bit wider than the queue. The entrance to the temple is from its left side. One has to go straight towards the centre and then turn left to get a glimpse of the idol. As I moved forward, being shoved from all directions, I thought to myself.. well what's really there to it!?
But as I turned left, I had a clear view of the idol - Lord Venkateshwara.
Now, I don't really know how to explain it, but I was transfixed. There was some energy holding me at that point. My mind was clear, still, motionless, at peace. And as I reached the closest point to the idol and turned left away from it, I felt a sense of deep contentment. I walked out amongst a crowd of smiling, happy, people. Perhaps, I was smiling too...
--
It had been a great experience, and a most unexpected one at that. The cherry on the icing on the cake was the sweet laddu packet at the end, which I had, and shared gleefully with my team the next day!
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 city.. Tirumala is a hill a few kms from the city)
I prefer to visit a temple if its nice and quiet and peaceful. So I was a bit skeptical about going to this temple. There was going to be one helluva rush, no matter what time we went.
So we woke up at around 3 am, ready for our 'adventure'! By 3.45, we were off in a tiny Indica up the hill. The ride was interesting. At this time of the day (err night), you really don't expect too many vehicles on any road.. But there were buses upon buses, full of people, screaming up the slope! There was a jeep rammed into the side of the road, an eager driver turning too fast for his own good. It got chillier as we climbed but I was still quite comfortable in my t-shirt and jeans. It must've been like 21-22 degrees C.
4:35 am - We reached the top, had to leave our cellphones and chappals in the car.. and headed straight for the serpentine queue which had already started forming!
The queue moved quite slow. The point where we joined the queue, we really didn't know we were entering a temple. In front of us was a huge building that seemed to be full of halls, and the queue was heading right for it. As we got in, the queue split into two.. one going up a flight of stairs and another going down... Both eventually of course leading to the same destination.
As the queue moved forth, I could get glimpses of the humongous complex inside. It was a large space, prolly the size of two football fields, and on one side was the temple.
The queue then emptied out into a seating hall of sorts and the door at the far end was closed. We waited there for around 30 minutes. Without much notice, the door was pulled open and pilgrims spilled out towards another entry, again falling back into a queue. This queue finally led up to the temple, just before which, it merged with the other queue.
There were just so many people around. But there was very little noise. Occasionally someone would cry out "Govinda", and everyone would follow the 'chant', saying "Govinda' twice or thrice.
As I neared the idol, there was quite a mad rush of pilgrims as the entrance to the temple was a bit wider than the queue. The entrance to the temple is from its left side. One has to go straight towards the centre and then turn left to get a glimpse of the idol. As I moved forward, being shoved from all directions, I thought to myself.. well what's really there to it!?
But as I turned left, I had a clear view of the idol - Lord Venkateshwara.
Now, I don't really know how to explain it, but I was transfixed. There was some energy holding me at that point. My mind was clear, still, motionless, at peace. And as I reached the closest point to the idol and turned left away from it, I felt a sense of deep contentment. I walked out amongst a crowd of smiling, happy, people. Perhaps, I was smiling too...
--
It had been a great experience, and a most unexpected one at that. The cherry on the icing on the cake was the sweet laddu packet at the end, which I had, and shared gleefully with my team the next day!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Wine & dine in Chennai...
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 Coromandel
Ambience - Fairly well lit. Well decored interiors. Live Indian music (ie flute, violin n the like) playing. Nice, comfortable seats. High ceilings. In short NIIICE..
Food - Only South Indian (various states), but thoroughly enjoyable. Do try the fried fish starters. The soups can be given a miss though. The prices are ok though.. about 800-1000 per head (without drinks)
Service - A bit on the slower side, but what the heck, its a 5 Star.. enjoy it while it lasts :-P
Company - Generally small corporate groups or families. I spotted Narain Karthikeyan as well. Good place to spend some time with the family or a quiet evening with close friends.
--
2. Bella Ciao
Ambience - Rooftop. Perfect for a breezy evening. Setup with largeish tables with mosaic kinda tiles, sposedly to give an Italian feel. Well, thanks to the Italian waitress, everything even remotely Italian, looks Italian :-P
Food - Excellent. Reminded me of Little Italy (which is there in several cities in India). Authentic Italian. Loved every bittuv it.
Service - Can get really slow when its crowded as only one person takes the orders for about a total of 10-12 tables.
Company - Young crowd mostly. Couples. Groups of friends. And a few foreigners.
--
3. Mainland China
Ambience - Fairly run-of-the-mill. Dullish. They do also keep candles on the table, but that really doesn't lighten up the atmosphere. Some really cliched music playing in the background.
Food - GOOD QUANTITY. :-) Taste's ok to good. But seriously value for money.
Service - Quick n efficient.
Company - Families. Bored couples wanting to get even more bored.
--
4. Sparks (Pub)
Ambience - Low light, with those twinkling stars in the ceiling Good music, DJ et al :-P Perfect to settle down with your drink. PS - The couches are goood.
Food - Complementary popcorns go well with beer. Rest's usual. Some really good mocktails for the teetotallers.
Service - Fairly good. No complaints as such.
Company - For some reason, this place was almost completely empty on a Saturday night, whereas its a pretty darn good pub.
--
5. 601 - The Park
Ambience - Nothing special. Well lit. Gives a feeling of being outside, whereas its really well inside.
Food - The buffet's ok. I'd have it just for the desserts though. :-P A la carte's expensive and not all that good.
Service - Shabby. Waiters seem strangely under-trained.
Company - Mostly foreigners. Oldies. CxO ish people, reading books while they eat!
--
6. Minar (Savera's rooftop)
Ambience - Again, rooftop. But very dark and the chairs are not quite comfortable.
Food - Good north Indian food. Good quantity but a touch expensive for the kind of place.
Service - Ok. Nothing to write home about.
Company - Pretty much all kindsa people.
--
7. Malgudi
Ambience - Similar to the Taj Coromandel, but of course without much the grandeur. A magician walks around showing magic tricks. Interiors seem like a room of a palace that wasn't really done up as much as a room in a palace should be done up.
Food - Pukka South Indian, but again can't resist a comparison with the Taj.. its pretty ordinary.
Service - On the slower side.
Company - Big families. Small families. Not really a place to go n hang out with friends, unless ALL of you are crazy bout South Indian food.
---
And that's 'bout it.. went to a few others like Northern Spicey, Opal Inn & Tangerine.. all of which were ok ok. Tangerine has a live band though that played some good music.
So Chennai sprang quite a surprise on me by treating me to some excellent lunches & dinners. But I must not forget the "Meals" & "Mini-Meals" available in most restaurants round the corner. They are the closest that I can get to home food, and to me, still the best food available anywhere outsida home.. :-)
So here goes...
1. Taj Coromandel
Ambience - Fairly well lit. Well decored interiors. Live Indian music (ie flute, violin n the like) playing. Nice, comfortable seats. High ceilings. In short NIIICE..
Food - Only South Indian (various states), but thoroughly enjoyable. Do try the fried fish starters. The soups can be given a miss though. The prices are ok though.. about 800-1000 per head (without drinks)
Service - A bit on the slower side, but what the heck, its a 5 Star.. enjoy it while it lasts :-P
Company - Generally small corporate groups or families. I spotted Narain Karthikeyan as well. Good place to spend some time with the family or a quiet evening with close friends.
--
2. Bella Ciao
Ambience - Rooftop. Perfect for a breezy evening. Setup with largeish tables with mosaic kinda tiles, sposedly to give an Italian feel. Well, thanks to the Italian waitress, everything even remotely Italian, looks Italian :-P
Food - Excellent. Reminded me of Little Italy (which is there in several cities in India). Authentic Italian. Loved every bittuv it.
Service - Can get really slow when its crowded as only one person takes the orders for about a total of 10-12 tables.
Company - Young crowd mostly. Couples. Groups of friends. And a few foreigners.
--
3. Mainland China
Ambience - Fairly run-of-the-mill. Dullish. They do also keep candles on the table, but that really doesn't lighten up the atmosphere. Some really cliched music playing in the background.
Food - GOOD QUANTITY. :-) Taste's ok to good. But seriously value for money.
Service - Quick n efficient.
Company - Families. Bored couples wanting to get even more bored.
--
4. Sparks (Pub)
Ambience - Low light, with those twinkling stars in the ceiling Good music, DJ et al :-P Perfect to settle down with your drink. PS - The couches are goood.
Food - Complementary popcorns go well with beer. Rest's usual. Some really good mocktails for the teetotallers.
Service - Fairly good. No complaints as such.
Company - For some reason, this place was almost completely empty on a Saturday night, whereas its a pretty darn good pub.
--
5. 601 - The Park
Ambience - Nothing special. Well lit. Gives a feeling of being outside, whereas its really well inside.
Food - The buffet's ok. I'd have it just for the desserts though. :-P A la carte's expensive and not all that good.
Service - Shabby. Waiters seem strangely under-trained.
Company - Mostly foreigners. Oldies. CxO ish people, reading books while they eat!
--
6. Minar (Savera's rooftop)
Ambience - Again, rooftop. But very dark and the chairs are not quite comfortable.
Food - Good north Indian food. Good quantity but a touch expensive for the kind of place.
Service - Ok. Nothing to write home about.
Company - Pretty much all kindsa people.
--
7. Malgudi
Ambience - Similar to the Taj Coromandel, but of course without much the grandeur. A magician walks around showing magic tricks. Interiors seem like a room of a palace that wasn't really done up as much as a room in a palace should be done up.
Food - Pukka South Indian, but again can't resist a comparison with the Taj.. its pretty ordinary.
Service - On the slower side.
Company - Big families. Small families. Not really a place to go n hang out with friends, unless ALL of you are crazy bout South Indian food.
---
And that's 'bout it.. went to a few others like Northern Spicey, Opal Inn & Tangerine.. all of which were ok ok. Tangerine has a live band though that played some good music.
So Chennai sprang quite a surprise on me by treating me to some excellent lunches & dinners. But I must not forget the "Meals" & "Mini-Meals" available in most restaurants round the corner. They are the closest that I can get to home food, and to me, still the best food available anywhere outsida home.. :-)
Saturday, July 26, 2008
The case of the unread case
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, definitely he was back to reality.
He dashed to the bathroom, a frantic brush, splasha water on the face, back to the room, change clothes, spray some..phishh phishh.. 2 minutes... RUN!
Run...
Breeze up the stairs...
Run...
In class.. finally.. the prof's just walkin in.. Just in time.. As always :) And the last row, last bench seat was empty, as always, waiting for its rightful owner to arrive. Ahhh...
He could feel the blood pumping in his legs, each artery and vein and capillary, throbbing. The sound of his heart in his head was louder than the prof's good-mornings and usual jokes. Phoooooo... A few deep breaths... Yes.. that's better.. now he could hear the spectacled guy talk.. not that he wanted to.. but he could hear him nevertheless.
As the rant continued, he found himself looking at the other students in class. Some were excitable, raising their hands to give answers, some lost in conversation with their neighbours, some quietly and diligently taking notes, and still some others completely out of the equation - sleeping, soundly.
Suddenly, there was a power outage. The ACs hissed to a quick death (albeit short-lived). The projector rumbled on. The room was left lit just with the light from the prof's presentation on screen. It was a plain slide with four bullet points. But before he could really read what was written in them, the prof switched the slide and a new slide came up "Thank you...?".
The class had ended so soon? Not possible. He listened a little intently to the prof now... "and that's the question we need to answer. Would you like to start Venkat..?" The prof was looking right at him. Yep, he'd just asked him a question!
Venkat fumbled. "Ahem.. Sir, if we look at the facts of the case".. in saying so, he snatched the caselet from his diligent neighbour's grasp, "when we see the .." and read out the heading ".. the.. Growth of Thames Corporation..." .. and just as he said that, the power came back on, blaring lights, loud ACs whirring back to life. The class erupted into a murmur as relative darkness gave way to light. It was the ideal opportunity Venkat needed to go through some more of the case...
"The growth of Thames Corp was essentially inorganic in nature... which helped it sustain a healthy growth rate in a competitive market"
Silence.
Venkat looked around. Had he said something wrong?? The prof was looking right into his eyes, breathing fire, it seemed. Venkat looked to his row-mates for some prompting, some help, anything. He just felt like kicking himself for not having read the case the previous day, and an extra kick for not listening to the prof in class. Damn!
The prof started walking towards the last row. Towards Venkat's seat. Venkat was frantically flipping through the pages of the case, trying to make some sense out of the chaos. The prof neared. Venkat stopped his search, tried to look calm and composed, and smiled at the prof as he came. He reached his desk, removed his spectacles, and without folding them, kept it on the caselet, which was now lying between Venkat and his neighbour.
The prof smiled. Venkat smiled back, with all the courage he could muster. Mr. Prof then checked his watch, and then looked back at Venkat. This was getting decidedly uncomfortable.
And then, out of nowhere, the prof raised both his hands, straight above his head, and gave out the nastiest laugh that Venkat would ever hear. In a flash, his arms came down and pushed Venkat back, off his chair, and onto the ground.
Thud!
Ouch, that sure hurt... Venkat checked his watch. A whole 23 minutes to class. Perfect... He could, for once, read the case and then go...
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, definitely he was back to reality.
He dashed to the bathroom, a frantic brush, splasha water on the face, back to the room, change clothes, spray some..phishh phishh.. 2 minutes... RUN!
Run...
Breeze up the stairs...
Run...
In class.. finally.. the prof's just walkin in.. Just in time.. As always :) And the last row, last bench seat was empty, as always, waiting for its rightful owner to arrive. Ahhh...
He could feel the blood pumping in his legs, each artery and vein and capillary, throbbing. The sound of his heart in his head was louder than the prof's good-mornings and usual jokes. Phoooooo... A few deep breaths... Yes.. that's better.. now he could hear the spectacled guy talk.. not that he wanted to.. but he could hear him nevertheless.
As the rant continued, he found himself looking at the other students in class. Some were excitable, raising their hands to give answers, some lost in conversation with their neighbours, some quietly and diligently taking notes, and still some others completely out of the equation - sleeping, soundly.
Suddenly, there was a power outage. The ACs hissed to a quick death (albeit short-lived). The projector rumbled on. The room was left lit just with the light from the prof's presentation on screen. It was a plain slide with four bullet points. But before he could really read what was written in them, the prof switched the slide and a new slide came up "Thank you...?".
The class had ended so soon? Not possible. He listened a little intently to the prof now... "and that's the question we need to answer. Would you like to start Venkat..?" The prof was looking right at him. Yep, he'd just asked him a question!
Venkat fumbled. "Ahem.. Sir, if we look at the facts of the case".. in saying so, he snatched the caselet from his diligent neighbour's grasp, "when we see the .." and read out the heading ".. the.. Growth of Thames Corporation..." .. and just as he said that, the power came back on, blaring lights, loud ACs whirring back to life. The class erupted into a murmur as relative darkness gave way to light. It was the ideal opportunity Venkat needed to go through some more of the case...
"The growth of Thames Corp was essentially inorganic in nature... which helped it sustain a healthy growth rate in a competitive market"
Silence.
Venkat looked around. Had he said something wrong?? The prof was looking right into his eyes, breathing fire, it seemed. Venkat looked to his row-mates for some prompting, some help, anything. He just felt like kicking himself for not having read the case the previous day, and an extra kick for not listening to the prof in class. Damn!
The prof started walking towards the last row. Towards Venkat's seat. Venkat was frantically flipping through the pages of the case, trying to make some sense out of the chaos. The prof neared. Venkat stopped his search, tried to look calm and composed, and smiled at the prof as he came. He reached his desk, removed his spectacles, and without folding them, kept it on the caselet, which was now lying between Venkat and his neighbour.
The prof smiled. Venkat smiled back, with all the courage he could muster. Mr. Prof then checked his watch, and then looked back at Venkat. This was getting decidedly uncomfortable.
And then, out of nowhere, the prof raised both his hands, straight above his head, and gave out the nastiest laugh that Venkat would ever hear. In a flash, his arms came down and pushed Venkat back, off his chair, and onto the ground.
Thud!
Ouch, that sure hurt... Venkat checked his watch. A whole 23 minutes to class. Perfect... He could, for once, read the case and then go...
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Aamby, Chennai & parties
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 some places and seeing clouds floating around what would seem like just a few meters above you... and then there are times, in the plane for example, where you get to see clouds below you.. but then you'd wonder, hey where do I actually get to be 'amongst' these clouds... For the first time in my life, I can say, I was quite literally among them at Aamby Valley. The clouds were there, just there floating around, and you could go touch!
The two days spent there were terrific. Sporting activities like a military training ground, shooting range, remote controlled race-car driving.. I loved it all... And then the party at night... where we danced, and we danced and we danced. It reminded me of the parties we used to have in college. I'd thought I'd never get such parties again. But Aamby... was good.
From the chilly hill-tops of Aamby, I've now moved to the (currently) breezy and hot coast of Chennai. This city, as well known for its lack of hot women (or any women for that matter) as for its delectable lunch meals, has been quite a good host to me so far. The weather's been ok, not too hot, nice breeze blowing throughout the day, much like Bombay, though I'd love to have a shower here and there once in a while. The hotel (hotel Savera) is decent. The people in office are cool and fun to be with. All in all, looks well set up for the next two weeks.
xx
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 some places and seeing clouds floating around what would seem like just a few meters above you... and then there are times, in the plane for example, where you get to see clouds below you.. but then you'd wonder, hey where do I actually get to be 'amongst' these clouds... For the first time in my life, I can say, I was quite literally among them at Aamby Valley. The clouds were there, just there floating around, and you could go touch!
The two days spent there were terrific. Sporting activities like a military training ground, shooting range, remote controlled race-car driving.. I loved it all... And then the party at night... where we danced, and we danced and we danced. It reminded me of the parties we used to have in college. I'd thought I'd never get such parties again. But Aamby... was good.
From the chilly hill-tops of Aamby, I've now moved to the (currently) breezy and hot coast of Chennai. This city, as well known for its lack of hot women (or any women for that matter) as for its delectable lunch meals, has been quite a good host to me so far. The weather's been ok, not too hot, nice breeze blowing throughout the day, much like Bombay, though I'd love to have a shower here and there once in a while. The hotel (hotel Savera) is decent. The people in office are cool and fun to be with. All in all, looks well set up for the next two weeks.
xx
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Internet & Myshkin
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 WITH SHIVA". All the best to you two, you make a fabulous couple!
Oh n btw.. am on my way to Myshkin's place for the (wedding) dinner! :)
xx
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 WITH SHIVA". All the best to you two, you make a fabulous couple!
Oh n btw.. am on my way to Myshkin's place for the (wedding) dinner! :)
xx
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Hide-a-da-baad
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 but overtly decorated - so much so, I'd risk calling it gaudy. But one gets used to it in a while. I really loved the sports facilities, played some squash and basketball.. and if I'd have had some time, would've tried out tennis as well :-P
Ramoji also has a small entertainment/theme park kinda thing inside which was good time-pass on the first day when we had some time in the afternoon.
xx- Friday, 4th July - on way to airport
I rued the fact that I didn't get to visit Hyderabad city again. Wanted to catch up with many friends, but our schedule was quite tightly packed, plus Hyd is like 2 hrs from the place, so no chance. Nevertheless, the holy city of Tirupati has called me for my final posting and frequent trips to Hyd will be on the anvil for sure.
xx - Sat early morn, 5th July
The hotel (Hotel Sitara) is fairly comfy but overtly decorated - so much so, I'd risk calling it gaudy. But one gets used to it in a while. I really loved the sports facilities, played some squash and basketball.. and if I'd have had some time, would've tried out tennis as well :-P
Ramoji also has a small entertainment/theme park kinda thing inside which was good time-pass on the first day when we had some time in the afternoon.
xx- Friday, 4th July - on way to airport
I rued the fact that I didn't get to visit Hyderabad city again. Wanted to catch up with many friends, but our schedule was quite tightly packed, plus Hyd is like 2 hrs from the place, so no chance. Nevertheless, the holy city of Tirupati has called me for my final posting and frequent trips to Hyd will be on the anvil for sure.
xx - Sat early morn, 5th July
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Goodbye (?) Kolkata!
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 with.
The last week has been hectic with last minute preparations for my test (on Thursday). On Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, I had 'revisions' in different kinds of markets to get ready for the test, which could be in any market, on Thursday. As it happened, the test went off well and I even got a day off on Friday as 2 days were reserved for the test :) That, of course, allowed me to peacefully witness Spain's 3-0 thrashing of Russia, without the thought of waking up early next morning.
On Sunday last, I had a chance to visit the Victoria Memorial (again), but this time with a colleague. By the time we reached, the museum (which I had already seen last week with Mooky baby et al) was closed. So we had to contend with walking around the gardens. But I must admit, they are absolutely splendid and I had conveniently missed them in the previous visit.
Then I refreshed my school physics-chemistry, and rediscovered my love for dinosaurs by visiting the Science City. All the little experiments and projects that we'd made in school were all on display, and I was an inquisitive child all over again.
There's much more I wanted to see in this city, with Dakshineshwar topping the list.. Maybe sometime soon...
xx - Saturday morning 8am
As I sit now to complete this post at 2am on Sunday morning, I feel a twinge of sadness and happiness at the same time... Cal's been fun.. Au revoir!
The last week has been hectic with last minute preparations for my test (on Thursday). On Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, I had 'revisions' in different kinds of markets to get ready for the test, which could be in any market, on Thursday. As it happened, the test went off well and I even got a day off on Friday as 2 days were reserved for the test :) That, of course, allowed me to peacefully witness Spain's 3-0 thrashing of Russia, without the thought of waking up early next morning.
On Sunday last, I had a chance to visit the Victoria Memorial (again), but this time with a colleague. By the time we reached, the museum (which I had already seen last week with Mooky baby et al) was closed. So we had to contend with walking around the gardens. But I must admit, they are absolutely splendid and I had conveniently missed them in the previous visit.
Then I refreshed my school physics-chemistry, and rediscovered my love for dinosaurs by visiting the Science City. All the little experiments and projects that we'd made in school were all on display, and I was an inquisitive child all over again.
There's much more I wanted to see in this city, with Dakshineshwar topping the list.. Maybe sometime soon...
xx - Saturday morning 8am
As I sit now to complete this post at 2am on Sunday morning, I feel a twinge of sadness and happiness at the same time... Cal's been fun.. Au revoir!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Ooh la la!
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 the previous day, my colleague and I detoured to the Botanical Gardens, a few mins from Howrah, right after our market visit (and before returning to office). I remember having visited the Singapore Botanic Gardens and this place is just as good, if not better. And it is huge. It took us a good 40 minutes to walk right across. Vehicles are not allowed inside, so it actually feels like you're in a jungle with all the foliage and birds.
The highlight of the 'garden' though, is undoubtedly, the Great Banyan Tree. All the ideas I had in my head about how a banyan tree looks came to nothing when I saw this one... Its just unbelievable! From far off, it looks like you're entering a small forest full of trees, but as you start walking inside this 'forest' you realize its all part of one humongous tree!!
All in all, a beautiful place, a welcome relief especially from the super-crowded markets that we visit all day!! If you happen to come down to Calcutta some time, do make it a point to visit this garden, you'll not be disappointed, especially if you're with your gf / bf / spouse! A small problem though is the lack of a good eating place inside, so I suggest you carry some fruits and water.
xx
After the great Belur Math & boat experience the previous day, my colleague and I detoured to the Botanical Gardens, a few mins from Howrah, right after our market visit (and before returning to office). I remember having visited the Singapore Botanic Gardens and this place is just as good, if not better. And it is huge. It took us a good 40 minutes to walk right across. Vehicles are not allowed inside, so it actually feels like you're in a jungle with all the foliage and birds.
The highlight of the 'garden' though, is undoubtedly, the Great Banyan Tree. All the ideas I had in my head about how a banyan tree looks came to nothing when I saw this one... Its just unbelievable! From far off, it looks like you're entering a small forest full of trees, but as you start walking inside this 'forest' you realize its all part of one humongous tree!!
All in all, a beautiful place, a welcome relief especially from the super-crowded markets that we visit all day!! If you happen to come down to Calcutta some time, do make it a point to visit this garden, you'll not be disappointed, especially if you're with your gf / bf / spouse! A small problem though is the lack of a good eating place inside, so I suggest you carry some fruits and water.
xx
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Rain, gain, pain!!
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 market, the rains had ceded and we expertly chose to do our rounds in the non-flooded routes :-P
But the real fun part of the day was the evening when we visited the magnificent Belur Math. With calm and serene surroundings, the fabulously crafted & maintained buildings and perfect weather with a slight misty breeze, it made for a highly satisfying visit. We followed that up with a boat ride across the Hoogli and back to the hotel. Turns out we saved a 100 bucks on our taxi fare also in the process! We wanted to go to Dakshineswar as well, but it was too late in the evening, and we couldn't get a boat to go there. My friend tells me its a place where one gets truly lost... and finds himself all over again! Hmm.. Over the weekend perhaps..
Talking about getting lost, I lost my lovely little phone on Sunday evening (on a trip to the Victoria Memorial - more on that in another post perhaps). Slipped outta my pocket in the cab. I walked out, paid the driver, and walked about 15 steps when I realized it. I ran back to the road only to be confronted by a sea of cabs. I immediately called my number from another cell and the damn thing rang.. only to go off after a few rings! Aarghh... I didn't have any hope of getting it back, but my roomie tells me that the police gave a friend got his phone back after 7 MONTHS..! So...
Anywayz, luckily, I had bot along another handset & connection from home so I had a ready backup. Now starts the arduous task of rebuilding my address book! Funnily enough, as I woke up on Sunday morning, I had had this strong feeling that I should backup my database.. lest I lose my phone.. I ignored it outta laziness.. et voila.. by evening I had lost the phone and with it all my contacts. Baah..! So that's 2 phones lost on 2 Sundays for the Cal P&G folk..! Wonder whose turn it'll be next Sunday :)
We have 10 or so more days left in Kolkata and I must say I've enjoyed every moment so far (except prolly the moment when I lost the phone :-P ).. Here's to Kolkata!! May we have more rain and more fun in the markets!! :-D
xx
By the time we hit the market, the rains had ceded and we expertly chose to do our rounds in the non-flooded routes :-P
But the real fun part of the day was the evening when we visited the magnificent Belur Math. With calm and serene surroundings, the fabulously crafted & maintained buildings and perfect weather with a slight misty breeze, it made for a highly satisfying visit. We followed that up with a boat ride across the Hoogli and back to the hotel. Turns out we saved a 100 bucks on our taxi fare also in the process! We wanted to go to Dakshineswar as well, but it was too late in the evening, and we couldn't get a boat to go there. My friend tells me its a place where one gets truly lost... and finds himself all over again! Hmm.. Over the weekend perhaps..
Talking about getting lost, I lost my lovely little phone on Sunday evening (on a trip to the Victoria Memorial - more on that in another post perhaps). Slipped outta my pocket in the cab. I walked out, paid the driver, and walked about 15 steps when I realized it. I ran back to the road only to be confronted by a sea of cabs. I immediately called my number from another cell and the damn thing rang.. only to go off after a few rings! Aarghh... I didn't have any hope of getting it back, but my roomie tells me that the police gave a friend got his phone back after 7 MONTHS..! So...
Anywayz, luckily, I had bot along another handset & connection from home so I had a ready backup. Now starts the arduous task of rebuilding my address book! Funnily enough, as I woke up on Sunday morning, I had had this strong feeling that I should backup my database.. lest I lose my phone.. I ignored it outta laziness.. et voila.. by evening I had lost the phone and with it all my contacts. Baah..! So that's 2 phones lost on 2 Sundays for the Cal P&G folk..! Wonder whose turn it'll be next Sunday :)
We have 10 or so more days left in Kolkata and I must say I've enjoyed every moment so far (except prolly the moment when I lost the phone :-P ).. Here's to Kolkata!! May we have more rain and more fun in the markets!! :-D
xx
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Weekend!! Nightlife, sport et al
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 choice after such a heavy meal.
I've heard a lot about Kolkata's night-life, and Park Street was the place to be. Luckily I bumped into Mookah, Shreyasss & Andy and we quite literally went pub-hopping. Bar-B-Q, Some Place Else & Dublin, all were explored within the space of a few hours.
It felt great - havin a beer, watchin the game :-) and sayin wassssaap to people streaming in :-P The Villa goal was exhilirating, and it just seems that much more special after a coupla beers :)
By campus standards though, the night was a short one as I was back in my room by 1.30am. And, as luck would have it, I have already woken up at 6.30!
Tiger Woods has always been great to watch and I credit my interest in Golf solely to him. And its been just awesome to see him power a birdie & an eagle at the last two holes to lift the US Open this morning. For sure, it'll make headlines in tomorrow's papers as he fought an extremely painful knee and a determined Westwood to clinch the title.
Hats off Tiger!!
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 choice after such a heavy meal.
I've heard a lot about Kolkata's night-life, and Park Street was the place to be. Luckily I bumped into Mookah, Shreyasss & Andy and we quite literally went pub-hopping. Bar-B-Q, Some Place Else & Dublin, all were explored within the space of a few hours.
It felt great - havin a beer, watchin the game :-) and sayin wassssaap to people streaming in :-P The Villa goal was exhilirating, and it just seems that much more special after a coupla beers :)
By campus standards though, the night was a short one as I was back in my room by 1.30am. And, as luck would have it, I have already woken up at 6.30!
Tiger Woods has always been great to watch and I credit my interest in Golf solely to him. And its been just awesome to see him power a birdie & an eagle at the last two holes to lift the US Open this morning. For sure, it'll make headlines in tomorrow's papers as he fought an extremely painful knee and a determined Westwood to clinch the title.
Hats off Tiger!!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Market!
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 the market trying to sell stuff for a change. The sales guy knew his work well and was well prepared for every retailer that we visited. Hats off to P&Gs simple yet elaborate systems.
Howrah!
It was great travelling in the little cycle-rickshaws from one market to the next. The rain, meanwhile, kept coming and going but it wasn't much of a bother. Kolkata's timing's are weird. Most stores open at 8 am! And shut shop at 12.30-1 pm.. only to reopen at 4-5 pm. This makes life a little difficult for the sales people as they're left selling pretty much all day as there are still some stores which remain open in the afternoons.
After a longish evening at the office spending time with the various teams, I headed back to an okay dinner at the Hyatt. Tomorrow morning will be an early one again, so time to catch up on that one thing that I've been waiting for ever since I woke up this morning, SLEEP :-)
Oh n btw.. awesome Netherlands & Spain!! They were my favs for the competition n I'm glad they've started off well!!
Howrah!
It was great travelling in the little cycle-rickshaws from one market to the next. The rain, meanwhile, kept coming and going but it wasn't much of a bother. Kolkata's timing's are weird. Most stores open at 8 am! And shut shop at 12.30-1 pm.. only to reopen at 4-5 pm. This makes life a little difficult for the sales people as they're left selling pretty much all day as there are still some stores which remain open in the afternoons.
After a longish evening at the office spending time with the various teams, I headed back to an okay dinner at the Hyatt. Tomorrow morning will be an early one again, so time to catch up on that one thing that I've been waiting for ever since I woke up this morning, SLEEP :-)
Oh n btw.. awesome Netherlands & Spain!! They were my favs for the competition n I'm glad they've started off well!!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Kolkata!!
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 phone somewhere in the airport. So we rushed back only to find that the thing was gone (obviously!).. then the usual filing the FIR with the police n all that..
Hyatt - first impressions
Finally we arrived at the Hyatt around 5 pm (just in time for lunch..!). The restaurant (Waterside cafe) was bright and sprightly, and so was the food. The lasagna was terrific and I'd recommend it for all veggies! The biryani was also decent but the quantity was a little less. Price-wise, don't even ask :-P , but one thing I did notice that a 650 ml Kingfisher beer was just 250 bucks. Considering a 1L bottle of mineral water was 125.. it seemed like a good deal :D The normal water, though, was outright horrible. It smelled like it was taken right out of a fish's mouth and run through a rudimentary filter.
The room we're staying in is big and comfy, but also rather plain with stuff kinda stripped down to the bare minimum... Nowhere near the kind you'd see at a Maratha Sheraton or a Taj. Its functional nevertheless, and I guess we'll get used to it. :-P
The TV has ESPN showing Euro 2008 with Hindi and English commentary running simultaneously! :| Its extremely hard to watch, worse than watching with just Hindi commentary..!!
The lazy evening was spent on the bed, loitering around on the internet, and watching TV. The bed is made of probably the thickest cushion in history and just sinks under you. Its impossible to just sit on it.. one has to lie down!
The TV part of the evening was disappointing. Federer being annhilated by that Spaniard, whats-his-name-Nadal was heartbreaking. I was hoping against hope that things would fall into place for him today, but it just wasn't to be. It was the most one-sided final I've seen in a long long time. Even Federer's demolition of his opponents in the recent past were lesser so.
Anyways, since it was too late for us to go out, dinner was at Gucci, an Indian restaurant at the Hyatt. Taking my colleague and me for a 'couple', the host led us to a cozy corner, with a candle-light dinner arrangement :-P We said we'd prefer a more central location and plonked ourselves right next to the open kitchen. An awesome veg biryani (again) (here the quantity was decent though) and complimentary (addictive) wafers was our short-n-sweet dinner.
And now I'm watching Germany v Poland with Poland lookin good proving just how they went on that awesome qualifying run of theirs.
Office tomorrow :-) and an inviting bed, so this post shall see no more of the compose mode and the preview pane at blogger.com
xx
The ride to the hotel was eventful to say the least, as my colleague realized that she'd left her phone somewhere in the airport. So we rushed back only to find that the thing was gone (obviously!).. then the usual filing the FIR with the police n all that..
Hyatt - first impressions
Finally we arrived at the Hyatt around 5 pm (just in time for lunch..!). The restaurant (Waterside cafe) was bright and sprightly, and so was the food. The lasagna was terrific and I'd recommend it for all veggies! The biryani was also decent but the quantity was a little less. Price-wise, don't even ask :-P , but one thing I did notice that a 650 ml Kingfisher beer was just 250 bucks. Considering a 1L bottle of mineral water was 125.. it seemed like a good deal :D The normal water, though, was outright horrible. It smelled like it was taken right out of a fish's mouth and run through a rudimentary filter.
The room we're staying in is big and comfy, but also rather plain with stuff kinda stripped down to the bare minimum... Nowhere near the kind you'd see at a Maratha Sheraton or a Taj. Its functional nevertheless, and I guess we'll get used to it. :-P
The TV has ESPN showing Euro 2008 with Hindi and English commentary running simultaneously! :| Its extremely hard to watch, worse than watching with just Hindi commentary..!!
The lazy evening was spent on the bed, loitering around on the internet, and watching TV. The bed is made of probably the thickest cushion in history and just sinks under you. Its impossible to just sit on it.. one has to lie down!
The TV part of the evening was disappointing. Federer being annhilated by that Spaniard, whats-his-name-Nadal was heartbreaking. I was hoping against hope that things would fall into place for him today, but it just wasn't to be. It was the most one-sided final I've seen in a long long time. Even Federer's demolition of his opponents in the recent past were lesser so.
Anyways, since it was too late for us to go out, dinner was at Gucci, an Indian restaurant at the Hyatt. Taking my colleague and me for a 'couple', the host led us to a cozy corner, with a candle-light dinner arrangement :-P We said we'd prefer a more central location and plonked ourselves right next to the open kitchen. An awesome veg biryani (again) (here the quantity was decent though) and complimentary (addictive) wafers was our short-n-sweet dinner.
And now I'm watching Germany v Poland with Poland lookin good proving just how they went on that awesome qualifying run of theirs.
Office tomorrow :-) and an inviting bed, so this post shall see no more of the compose mode and the preview pane at blogger.com
xx
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
What a day!
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 evening :-D A round of drinks with the team and a ragging session (all on the roof) where my fraud tam bram roots helped me be one of the first in line was thoroughly entertaining and I really had a blast!
And as we were about to head for dinner, the heavens opened up and I was right on hand to experience the first rains in Mumbai this year (unseasonal I agree, but the first, nevertheless). There's something about it that really lifts my spirits into another level altogether. The divine smell just makes me want to find a patch of grass and lie down on it with the cool breeze filtering through!
That rounded off the evening, and a terrific Day 1 at P&G :-)
But the highlight of the day was the party in the evening :-D A round of drinks with the team and a ragging session (all on the roof) where my fraud tam bram roots helped me be one of the first in line was thoroughly entertaining and I really had a blast!
And as we were about to head for dinner, the heavens opened up and I was right on hand to experience the first rains in Mumbai this year (unseasonal I agree, but the first, nevertheless). There's something about it that really lifts my spirits into another level altogether. The divine smell just makes me want to find a patch of grass and lie down on it with the cool breeze filtering through!
That rounded off the evening, and a terrific Day 1 at P&G :-)
Monday, June 2, 2008
Day Zero - P&G
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 lobby. There's a fair amount of plants around which is pleasing to the eye and cooling too, in the summer heat. The AC is just right, not too cold, and junta were generally comfy.
The day was supposed to start at 9 with a lecture from one of the on-boarding coordinators. But to my disappointment, he never turned up! And we weren't even informed and we just waiting around. I don't know what the reason was but I expected a higher level of professionalism from my company. Nevertheless, it was a great opportunity for us to explore the office and also, to get to know each other (all new joinees). Some of us started playing pool (!!), some table tennis, carrom, and then there was a Sony Playstation too :-) !! How cool is that!?!
Then, finally, we had a couple of chats with HR, IT and some admin staff to get us going.
'twas followed by a nice lil lunch at the cafeteria. It was kinda warm there but then as one of the joinees commented, if they have AC in there too, people will just be there all day :-P
The soup btw in the Nescafe machine was just out-of-this-world! If you ever have a chance to go there, do sneak a cup of this wonderful soup :-D
The afternoon meandered along with arbit form fillings, bank account openings etc. And before I knew it, I was back home by 6!! All in all, a lazy day, but good fun!
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 lobby. There's a fair amount of plants around which is pleasing to the eye and cooling too, in the summer heat. The AC is just right, not too cold, and junta were generally comfy.
The day was supposed to start at 9 with a lecture from one of the on-boarding coordinators. But to my disappointment, he never turned up! And we weren't even informed and we just waiting around. I don't know what the reason was but I expected a higher level of professionalism from my company. Nevertheless, it was a great opportunity for us to explore the office and also, to get to know each other (all new joinees). Some of us started playing pool (!!), some table tennis, carrom, and then there was a Sony Playstation too :-) !! How cool is that!?!
Then, finally, we had a couple of chats with HR, IT and some admin staff to get us going.
'twas followed by a nice lil lunch at the cafeteria. It was kinda warm there but then as one of the joinees commented, if they have AC in there too, people will just be there all day :-P
The soup btw in the Nescafe machine was just out-of-this-world! If you ever have a chance to go there, do sneak a cup of this wonderful soup :-D
The afternoon meandered along with arbit form fillings, bank account openings etc. And before I knew it, I was back home by 6!! All in all, a lazy day, but good fun!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Legen... wait-for-t... DARY!!!!!!!!!
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 :-D
Went 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=21798935844
Pics, videos, et al soon!
What a match!! Not edge of the seat action, I say... It was feet on the seat, standing up and jumping, action :-D
Went 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=21798935844
Pics, videos, et al soon!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
One special night!
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
2-1 to ManU in normal time.
xx
A Speedy evening
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 could not miss the movie version of the cartoon, by The Wachowski Brothers (of The Matrix - God level - fame). So I trekked to local PVR Juhu on Saturday to watch the movie with ATM.
As I was waiting around in line for the tickets, an American dude walked up to me and said "Yo, wassup". I was rather taken aback by the familiarity assumed, but gave a smile and returned the greeting. And then, after staring at me for like 3 seconds, the guy says "You look very familiar". Now, this was getting kinda awkward. Still I managed to keep smiling and crack a silly joke saying "Who do I look like, John Cusack?". I don't quite know why I said that, maybe I was picturing myself in 1408 :-D
But then, came the whole point of the discussion.......
He asked me which movie I was watching.. I proudly said "Speed Racer!"
"Do you recognize me..?" (!!!) I was like what the hell is with this guy!?!
"Have you seen The Forbidden Kingdom", he quipped.
"Why of course!" I replied, having just caught the movie with Abhishek, the marketing dude, the weekend before.
"I was in that movie! You remember the first scene, the guy with the black t-shirt who Jackie Chan hits on the back..? I was him!"
I thought back.... Of course I didn't remember him, but I had to say "OFFF COURSEEE!! Man, it feels great to meet a star!!" The poor guy was beaming with pride now. Finally someone had recognized him it seemed. I looked around for a pen, for an autograph, but unfortunately there were none in sight, or I could have made him even happier!
Then we said our goodbyes, he headed for some bollywood flick and I bought our tickets for Speed Racer.
The movie was quite fun. Loaaads of action sequences as you can expect. Also a story woven around morality, staying true to yourself, etc., again expected from the Buddhist bros. The movie has this whole cartoon feel about it and looks really neat and colourful. Thankfully, the soundtrack from the cartoon itself is used very sparingly. The music for the car races is fantabulous! The movie's a tad long though, with the first break coming after 1 1/4 hour! Nevertheless, it was a good watch and I suggest you catch it if you have nothing else to do this weekend.
After the movie, we rounded off the evening with a sumptuous dinner at Mahesh Lunch Home (the best sea food in the city!! Must try!!) and some delectable ice-cream at Naturals.
EVEN THEN, I could not miss the movie version of the cartoon, by The Wachowski Brothers (of The Matrix - God level - fame). So I trekked to local PVR Juhu on Saturday to watch the movie with ATM.
As I was waiting around in line for the tickets, an American dude walked up to me and said "Yo, wassup". I was rather taken aback by the familiarity assumed, but gave a smile and returned the greeting. And then, after staring at me for like 3 seconds, the guy says "You look very familiar". Now, this was getting kinda awkward. Still I managed to keep smiling and crack a silly joke saying "Who do I look like, John Cusack?". I don't quite know why I said that, maybe I was picturing myself in 1408 :-D
But then, came the whole point of the discussion.......
He asked me which movie I was watching.. I proudly said "Speed Racer!"
"Do you recognize me..?" (!!!) I was like what the hell is with this guy!?!
"Have you seen The Forbidden Kingdom", he quipped.
"Why of course!" I replied, having just caught the movie with Abhishek, the marketing dude, the weekend before.
"I was in that movie! You remember the first scene, the guy with the black t-shirt who Jackie Chan hits on the back..? I was him!"
I thought back.... Of course I didn't remember him, but I had to say "OFFF COURSEEE!! Man, it feels great to meet a star!!" The poor guy was beaming with pride now. Finally someone had recognized him it seemed. I looked around for a pen, for an autograph, but unfortunately there were none in sight, or I could have made him even happier!
Then we said our goodbyes, he headed for some bollywood flick and I bought our tickets for Speed Racer.
The movie was quite fun. Loaaads of action sequences as you can expect. Also a story woven around morality, staying true to yourself, etc., again expected from the Buddhist bros. The movie has this whole cartoon feel about it and looks really neat and colourful. Thankfully, the soundtrack from the cartoon itself is used very sparingly. The music for the car races is fantabulous! The movie's a tad long though, with the first break coming after 1 1/4 hour! Nevertheless, it was a good watch and I suggest you catch it if you have nothing else to do this weekend.
After the movie, we rounded off the evening with a sumptuous dinner at Mahesh Lunch Home (the best sea food in the city!! Must try!!) and some delectable ice-cream at Naturals.
Of Flying Condoms :-S
I came across this article in today's Times of India, and couldn't help but wonder - WHY, o WHY!?
The UN would probably (I sure hope so) have decided to send stuff to help pregnant women out, and also added a few condoms to kinda fill the package. But what gets highlighted in the media (with the 'catchy' headline) is that a quarter of a million condoms are flying out to Burma!
I wonder if people would be even thinking about sex (let alone safe sex!) when there's no food to eat or a roof over their heads!?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 struggling to maintain their family planning after the storm hit in early May. A total of 218,400 condoms will be delivered, UNFPA aid advisor Chaiyos Kunanusont said. Flights are also carrying reproductive health kits, which include razors for cutting umbilical cords, clean sheets for delivering babies and enough contraceptive pills and injections to last 3 390 women three months. AFP
The UN would probably (I sure hope so) have decided to send stuff to help pregnant women out, and also added a few condoms to kinda fill the package. But what gets highlighted in the media (with the 'catchy' headline) is that a quarter of a million condoms are flying out to Burma!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Who was she?
But just as she thought that to herself, a gust of wind flashed past her face. She looked up into the sky, and the clouds, were staring back at her. Thundering. Flashing. Threatening to cut loose. There was a loud crackle then, like God had clapped his hands, for the show to begin. Rain started filling the sky from out west. And as the cloud broke, she could see the rain approach her with a swift sizzle. And then, she felt it, the first drops of rain. It was magical. The cool drops on her bare face, the smell of the wet mud, and the wind brushing past her arms in a loving embrace.
But this was no petty shower. The clouds were low, seemingly just an arm's length away. The breeze had really picked up.
She lay on the ground, beside her friend, like her, both twisted, mangled, dead. The storm had claimed its victims, not the least of whom was the first lamp-post, and the next three, on
Friday, May 16, 2008
Wake up!
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 :-D
The NGC programming is fantastic. The well-written scripts, clear enunciation and breathtaking photography (and off late, digital imagery) make it a pleasurable experience. My favourite programs are nearly always ones which focus on some of the endangered species. I think such programmes deserve special attention from the government as they can go a long way in educating the masses about how grave the situation is. Maybe, it could offer some concessions to the channel for 'x' hours of such programming. There's a lot of stuff about dinosaurs and pre-historic creatures, which although thoroughly entertaining, doesn't fall under the purview of the 'special attention' I mentioned.
Take for example, the Siberian Tiger, the world's largest cat. Oh what I'd give to see it in the wild some day!! A most magnificent animal. I've seen several programmes dedicated to it, each one of them leaving me awestruck, but also sad. Sad, because there are only about 500 left in the wild today. There was a time when thousands of these beautiful creatures roamed the snowy forests of Russia and China. But a century of savage hunting & logging by irresponsible and selfish humans brought the population into double-digits! Its with the support & education by channels like the NGC that this figure is up to where it is today.
I was wondering how it would be to go on a tour to Siberia and its surrounding regions. A quick google search helped me to this link. Its an Australian Adventure Travel company and has a tour which sounds quite exciting.
Noticeably, I couldn't quickly find any Indian companies which seem to organize such exotic tours. Maybe they operate in a very niche market and are not really visible on the net. But this does look like a possible business opportunity. I know there have been b-plans presented with tours and tie-ups for such kind of places within the country, but there is a chance to build like a world-wide brand which does ONLY such kind of tours. If its sold well to the right people, maybe it could do well.
Coming to the Discovery Channel, unfortunately I lost interest once our cable operator started beaming only the Hindi version, which sucks, quite a bit. Earlier, the programmes on Health,
Science and Technology were engaging and informative. I'd go to the extent of saying that I learnt more from the DC than from some of my text-books. Now, sadly, the channel seems to be veering towards sensationalist programming, like one of the several terrible news channels around... trying to make a suspense thriller out of some natural situation, complete with acting, props et al. But that's what the public seems to be demanding.
Look around the newspapers and you'll know what I'm talking about. The Times of India has been reduced to a newspaper with lots of sleazy pics, snippets of gore and some semblance of 'real news' in between. (And not to mention endless ads).
Check out the Pg.4 from today's TOI. This, apparently, is CITY 'news'. When is the world going to wake up!?!?
The NGC programming is fantastic. The well-written scripts, clear enunciation and breathtaking photography (and off late, digital imagery) make it a pleasurable experience. My favourite programs are nearly always ones which focus on some of the endangered species. I think such programmes deserve special attention from the government as they can go a long way in educating the masses about how grave the situation is. Maybe, it could offer some concessions to the channel for 'x' hours of such programming. There's a lot of stuff about dinosaurs and pre-historic creatures, which although thoroughly entertaining, doesn't fall under the purview of the 'special attention' I mentioned.
Take for example, the Siberian Tiger, the world's largest cat. Oh what I'd give to see it in the wild some day!! A most magnificent animal. I've seen several programmes dedicated to it, each one of them leaving me awestruck, but also sad. Sad, because there are only about 500 left in the wild today. There was a time when thousands of these beautiful creatures roamed the snowy forests of Russia and China. But a century of savage hunting & logging by irresponsible and selfish humans brought the population into double-digits! Its with the support & education by channels like the NGC that this figure is up to where it is today.
I was wondering how it would be to go on a tour to Siberia and its surrounding regions. A quick google search helped me to this link. Its an Australian Adventure Travel company and has a tour which sounds quite exciting.
Noticeably, I couldn't quickly find any Indian companies which seem to organize such exotic tours. Maybe they operate in a very niche market and are not really visible on the net. But this does look like a possible business opportunity. I know there have been b-plans presented with tours and tie-ups for such kind of places within the country, but there is a chance to build like a world-wide brand which does ONLY such kind of tours. If its sold well to the right people, maybe it could do well.
Coming to the Discovery Channel, unfortunately I lost interest once our cable operator started beaming only the Hindi version, which sucks, quite a bit. Earlier, the programmes on Health,
Science and Technology were engaging and informative. I'd go to the extent of saying that I learnt more from the DC than from some of my text-books. Now, sadly, the channel seems to be veering towards sensationalist programming, like one of the several terrible news channels around... trying to make a suspense thriller out of some natural situation, complete with acting, props et al. But that's what the public seems to be demanding.Look around the newspapers and you'll know what I'm talking about. The Times of India has been reduced to a newspaper with lots of sleazy pics, snippets of gore and some semblance of 'real news' in between. (And not to mention endless ads).
Check out the Pg.4 from today's TOI. This, apparently, is CITY 'news'. When is the world going to wake up!?!?
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