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!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
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!
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