My nest

2011 in review

2011-12-31T20:23:00.000+05:30

One of the very significant years for me is coming to an end. 2011 is the year where I got a special promotion - from a wife to a mother. I'm so grateful to my daughter for giving me this honor. Her little smiles make the somewhat jerky pregnancy journey worth it. The first trimester brought in a lot of expected surprises, with severe nausea and evening sickness, making me hate the sight and smell of food. As a result, I lost considerable weight and was looking weak. But the decision to quit my full time busy job as a product manager turned out to be very helpful for me to recover from this weight loss.

The ultrasound experiences were so memorable. I still remember the first scan when my daughter was just the size of a peanut. The radiologist showed me a blinking light which was the heartbeat. With subsequent scans, I saw her tiny hands and feet take shape.

The second trimester was so relaxing and peaceful. I started enjoying the sunny afternoons when I had my apartment all to myself, with the company of squirrels and butterflies who were the regular visitors to my terrace garden. My taste buds came back to form. I developed a keen interest towards cooking. I started cooking elaborate meals, trying out new dishes and watching cookery shows. My recipe books started filling up. The pregnancy "special" cravings hit me hard. I craved for sweets so much. Hubby fulfilled them by frequent visits to Adyar Ananda Bhavan.

As I entered third trimester, my gynecologist gave us a shock saying that my amniotic fluid levels were low and the baby had to be delivered pre-term. It caused a lot of stress as I was so scared for my dear baby and also the fact that I cannot have a C-section with little help around post delivery. I prayed for a normal delivery and for my baby to complete full term. That's when hubby and I decided to seek alternate opinion. This came as a blessing in disguise. My new gynecologist was very supportive and never pushed for C-section. We played the wait-and-watch game. The fluid levels returned to normal with proper medication and rest. Two days before my due date, my contractions started and thanks to the almighty, I delivered my daughter without any complications.

While the first month was very tough with sleepless nights, an unexpected surgery and many confusions on child care, I have settled down and started to have some really good times, watching my daughter play.

Apart from pregnancy and motherhood, there were also other memorable events this year. In January, my Professor asked me if I would be willing to take a guest lecture on online decision making as part of "Consumer Behavior" elective course offered to PGSEM students at IIMB. Given my interest towards the subject and the opportunity, I gave my consent. I gave the lecture in July and it was a good experience, getting back to campus. It was an interesting learning experience, coming up with this presentation and reading up different perspectives on E-Commerce in India.

Consumer decision making - Offline and Online worlds

View more presentations from Anuradha Sridharan

As a follow-up to the lecture, my Professor suggested that we should publish an article on the concept of decision making. It was my first attempt to co-author an article for a business newspaper.

The break from a full time job has given me a blank canvas to work on. Lots of ideas and plans are in mind. I'm sure 2012 would give shape to some of them. Here's wishing everyone a very happy and joyful new year!

Balance the activities

2011-12-30T14:31:00.000+05:30

A few months ago, I came across an interesting article which highlighted the fact that our day-to-day activities can be categorized into three buckets:

we create something
we consume information
we connect with others

These three categories need to be balanced in order to feel productive and happy.

While I was working, this balance was somewhat intact. But in the past few months, I have been noticing that this balance has gone haywire for me. The "consume" part has consumed most of my available time. The available time for myself has gone down considerably ever since my daughter arrived. Not that I'm complaining. Motherhood has been a delightful experience and is teaching me a lot which I was totally unaware of.

The limited time which I get is spent on reading different articles which people share in my social (twitter, facebook, linkedin) world and the numerous RSS feeds to which I have subscribed in Google reader. These articles and blogs give me many perspectives and ideas about startups, marketing, product management, technology, analytics etc. The information goes in but I'm not making the best use of the knowledge I have gained. Many useful articles get bookmarked under different folders - "read & review", "to process", "future ref". My firefox bookmarks is getting piled up everyday.

This continuous flow of information which I'm "consuming" is making me feel restless and unproductive. While I researched more on why I feel this way, I came across a thought provoking article on similar lines. One of the points mentioned in this article answered my question

"we want to know more about the world in order to have lesser surprises, and hence we tend to read more and more, especially if it is information that we perceive as relevant to us."

I have decided to correct this imbalance, going forward. As a first step, I have unsubscribed from many RSS feeds in Google reader. I have kept the feeds list to a minimum and will reduce it further based on my usage.

My resolution for the coming year is to "Focus a lot more on create". "Create" could be anything - writing an article, getting back to blogging, coding/learning a new programming language, podcasting, cooking a new dish, learning a new art form etc. I want to journal how I go about this creation journey.

Please comment if you have any other ideas to get the balance of "Create, Consume and Connect" right.

P.S. I'm not sure how much time I would get to "connect" with my 3 month old daughter at home but will keep my options open.

Is hiring the be-all and end-all?

2011-11-24T18:11:00.000+05:30

I came across an interesting article a few months back on the difficulties that startups face in hiring good developers. I think "retaining" good developers is also equally important, given the scarcity and attractive offers from large organizations and other startups. I want to address the trivial-but-often-overlooked issues that make a lot of difference in the long run. These issues and suggestions will be applicable to startups with a defined business model and an established core team that is already into execution mode.

The new developer should feel "at-home" right from the first day. HR/Admin in-charge should ensure the IT requirements are addressed before hand so the person has access to his desktop/laptop right from the moment he steps in. A designated space should be made available based on the team members with whom the new hire is supposed to work with. "Sit where there is space" kind of an attitude by the hiring manager could be a turn-off on the very first day.

However busy he might be, the hiring manager should take the time and effort to introduce the new developer to other team members. He should make the new person feel comfortable, appreciate the challenges and learnings of working in a startup and not be intimidated by the work pressures and late working hours required. The manager can also plan for an informal meeting where he takes the new hire out for lunch and explain his role and expected contributions in the next six months.

The developer, having decided to work for a start-up comes in with a lot of expectations on opportunities to grow. A formal training programme should be organized to give an overview of the company’s business model, the current challenges, the organization/team structure and explain where the new hire fits into this whole model. This gives the developer much more understanding of the business and a broader scope where he can apply his skills and explore his potential. Through this training programme, he should get introduced to the technical leads, designers, product managers and project managers who could explain how the development process works in this startup.

Another big turn-off could be blindly handing over the code base and asking the new developer to dig into it to figure out the implementation and fix the existing bugs. A senior technical person should take the effort to explain the architecture of the product and share the thought processes that went behind the design. I'm not suggesting to "spoon-feed" but rather help the new hire to get started in a phased manner that would enable him to understand and appreciate the nitty-gritties of the product/architecture.

The first 90 days period is crucial for both the company and the new hire. If the developer doesn’t get a clear picture on where he fits in and what his responsibilities are within those 90 days, he will lose interest. Either he might drag along with the job for a few more months or start to look out for other opportunities.

The interesting aspect of working for a startup is the dynamic nature of the work, the role and the priorities. There could be new areas of interest which the developer might want to explore and that could also align with the organization's priorities. So it makes sense that the goals assigned to the new hire are established only for a short term and not really span out for the entire year.

I firmly believe that hiring the right set of people and establishing an inspired team can catapult a startup to greater heights. Please comment if there are any other finer points that startups should focus on in terms of post-hiring processes.

A little progress everyday

2011-07-13T10:59:00.000+05:30

I was reading this interesting article on overcoming procrastination. Though I don't procrastinate everything that comes my way, I do procrastinate tasks that are not urgent but important. Time plays a critical role in determining what I decide to do next. As a result, my urgent tasks get processed fine while the important ones get piled up. This article talks about a few important points to overcome procrastination such as
1) Break the project into smaller concrete tasks
2) Treat deadlines as windows of opportunity
3) Create accountability and be committed

But the aha moment occurred to me while reading the final point - "Work on the project a little bit each day". The linked article talks about subconscious information processing.

"once your brain starts working on a problem, it doesn't stop. If you get your mind wrapped around a problem with a fair bit of time left to solve it, the brain will solve the problem subconsciously over time"

How true this statement is! In many of my projects, the steps are not very clear that I can blindly list out them as 1, 2 and 3. There is a fair bit of abstract thought processing and information gathering needed. I do tend to notice that some remarkable ideas to proceed with such projects flash at unknown times - while I'm cooking in the kitchen, taking a shower or random channel surfing on TV. Because I've been chewing my brain on such projects, it seems to respond with amazing solutions. I quickly jot down such responses on my whiteboard so they don't get lost.

Though I have noticed such insights from unexpected situations, I didn't try to make much sense of how it happens. But reading this article has helped me become aware of this powerful concept.

One of my traits is that I'm a good finisher and not a good starter. If I start working on a new project or an idea for a few weeks, then I ensure I take it through to completion. But the hard part was to get started. No wonder, I don't have many in the list - "books started but not yet finished"

The practical take-away for me would be this passage in the linked article:

"He explained that I should start working on a project as soon as it was assigned. An hour or so would do fine, he told me. He told me to come back to the project every day for at least a little bit and make progress on it slowly over time."

South Indies - for southern foodie

2011-05-19T22:48:00.001+05:30

A huge craving for aapams on a Saturday evening took me and hubby to South Indies in Indiranagar. We used to like the aapams in Coconut Grove but the Koramangala branch has moved to a new location and we were in no mood to go searching for it.

South Indies has an interesting culmination of cuisines from the four Southern States of India. We perused through the menu and couldn't really decide what to order along with the aapams. The waiter came over and asked us if we preferred a light or heavy dinner. We were hungry and told him that we would prefer a medium dinner. He suggested us to go for a "set meal" which was a fixed four course menu. It was a good option since we got to try many dishes. First, our appetite was teased by a plate full of fryums (vathals in Tamil) with three different chutneys - coconut, mint and tomato. It's a herculean task to stop eating them and wait for the actual meal. The soup was green apple pepper soup which was just too spicy for our tastes. The starter plate had four different varieties, out of which the keerai vadais were the best.

Then came the aapams - soft in the center and crispy in the outer that just melted in our mouths. Out of the four different side-dishes, the cashew tamarind sauce based one matched perfectly with the bland taste of aapams. The Kerala veg stew was average, though and so was the vatha kuzhambu. After the two aapams (you can also go for parottas instead of aapams), we had a few spoons of the veg brinji rice and curd rice. No meal is ever complete without curd rice. Both of these were cooked to perfection.

It was 10:30 PM by the time we wrapped up the main course. Then came the desserts - kasi halwa and a jaggery based Kerala payasam (similar to the one offered as prasadam at Sabarimala temple). The floating ghee and the sweetish taste lingered in our taste buds long after we reached home.

Overall, it was a very sumptuous and heavy dinner. The service was very good and prompt. If you are a fan of South Indian cuisine, then give South Indies a try.

Personal space

2011-04-14T11:28:00.000+05:30

The last few weeks have been a huge change from my usual routine. There were periods of complete relaxation, exciting new experiences, anxious moments, emotional ups and downs. Thankfully, the World Cup cricket provided the much needed distraction. Now that the world cup is over, the mixed bag of emotions were back. I thought to myself "What should I do to come out of this shell?". I decided to take it step by step. Cleaning always gives me a sense of direction to begin with in such situations (no wonder, I can easily relate to Monica of FRIENDS).

My desk was cluttered with so much junk with just enough space for my tiny netbook. For over a month, this cluttered space was a hindrance to my productivity. I didn't have the energy or the inclination to set it straight. I knew deep down that this was only a temporary phase. The jinx was broken a few days back. I decided to clear out the working space and throw away the non-writing pens, highlighters and papers. I cleared out the desk and the tiny knick-knacks that were coated with a layer of dust. The feeling of a clear and empty space gave that fresh feeling to my day.

After the space was neatly setup, the goals came to my mind almost at an instant. "Short daily improvements lead to bigger and better results", I came across this meaningful line in Robin Sharma's "The leader who had no title". I started working towards one such goal for about 5 hours at a stretch. The feeling of doing something for 5 hours together after nearly a month came as a big relief to me. I am clearly "back to form". I sincerely believe that a positive feeling and a sense of purpose at the beginning of the day is very important.

The "real" leader

2011-04-02T12:25:00.000+05:30

The title of this book piqued my interest - "The leader who had no title". Having liked Robin Sharma's "The monk who sold his Ferrari", I picked up this book sometime last year. After reading around 30 odd pages, I wasn't eager to continue simply because of the similar plotline to begin with - A guy who is down and out meets someone who has really made a difference to his career and life. A different start would have made this book much more gripping.

I have this reputation of being a good finisher. I can't leave unfinished books behind. I don't know if it's a good attribute to have or not. But I decided to give this book one more try. After crossing the initial hurdle, I should say that this book is one of the simplest books on leadership.

The protagonist Blake meets Tommy who in turn takes him to four unique leaders - a housekeeper of a hotel, a skier, a gardener and a massage therapist. Leadership can be exhibited by anyone, not just by people with fancy titles. In reality, the titles make the natural leadership instincts marred by ego. During his interaction with these four leaders, Blake learns the four leadership principles along with rules to apply these principles.

Out of these four meetings, I liked the interaction with Jackson, the gardener the most. The third principle also strikes a chord from my experiences - "the deeper your relationships, the stronger your leadership". Many simple truths interspersed throughout the book makes you want to take a pause and reflect on how you had dealt with in a given situation. Every principle comes along with a few rules framed as nice acronyms. The initial rules of a principle are explained clearly whereas the latter rules don't get much attention. If you would like to read a simple tale on leadership, pick up this book.

எதிரொளி

2011-03-28T10:01:00.000+05:30

உருவ கண்ணாடியை விட்டு விட்டு

உன் உள்ள கண்ணாடியை உற்று நோக்கு

உலகக் கண்ணாடியில் உன் முகம்

தெளிவாகத்தெரிய உழைத்திடு

குறிக்கோள்

2011-01-20T22:10:00.000+05:30

வேண்டுதலுக்காக முடிந்து வைத்த சில்லறை
இன்று கள்ளுக்கடையின் முருகன் படத்தின் மேல் மாலையாய்

2010 in review

2010-12-31T18:13:00.000+05:30

As I think of the perfect adjective to describe 2010, "busy" is the word that comes to my mind. Whether the "busy"ness yielded positive results is something time will tell. As for 2011, my plan is to live a much more conscious life - the moments lived and captured and not wonder later how the months went by.

The review list below is for my own tracking as I've been doing for the past 5 years. So you can skip reading the rest.

Getting my PGSEM degree from Mr.Mukesh Ambani during IIMB Convocation was a memorable moment

Converted my final year project into an IIMB working paper

First time working in a start-up kind of environment. Lots of releases and action packed year it was! Good learning experience.

Attended the inspiring TEDXChennai event, it was my first time attending a TED event

Made a presentation at product camp Bangalore on "Product Positioning". A nice feeling to see my topic as the top voted one

90% of my commute this whole year was through BMTC buses. A tiny fraction of an effort towards conserving nature

Switched from Windows to Mac. Awesome experience so far though I miss MS Office

Visited Delhi after a long time on an official visit. Brought back memories of my final trip with mom years ago.

Attended workshops on Creative Writing and Organic gardening

Started composting organic waste using Daily Dump Kambha. All the vegetable waste from my kitchen is getting reused

Did not eat Lays and Kurkure chips for the whole year (Yes, this deserves a mention!)

More tweets and very few blog posts. Need to get back to writing next year

Fell in love with Zynga games, especially Farmville

Visited 3 new places this year - North Wayanad, Coorg and Swaswara

Books I read:

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

A walk to remember by Nicholas Sparks

The High Performance Entrepreneur by Subroto Bagchi

A Grasshopper's Pilgrimage by Manjushree Abhinav

Six Thinking Hats by Edward Debono

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

Bottom Up Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout

True Believer by Nicholas Sparks

Crossing The Chasm by Geoffrey Moore

A Genie's Wisdom : A Fable of How a CEO learned to be a marketing genius by Jack Trout

Keep off the grass by Karan Bajaj

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (second time read)

Books started to read but not yet finished:

The Long Tail : How endless choice is creating unlimited demand

The Choice by Eliyahu Goldratt

Linchpin by Seth Godin

Leader who had no title by Robin Sharma

Inspired by Marty Cagan

The last lecture by Randy Pausch

longing

2010-12-19T19:39:00.000+05:30

My contribution to Sunday Scribblings - #246

foggy winter mornings,
distant rhythmic hymns
early morning routine
clear objectives at hand

purple and pink flowers
plucked fresh from December bushes
strung in a crisp, white thread
a symmetric, neat garland

a notebook filled with designs
translated into distinct shapes
frontyard neatly decked
adding life to different colours

praise the devotee
one poetic verse everyday,
offer sacred leaves
bless us, Oh Lord Krishna!

longing for the last month
the fragrance, the colours,
the music, the memories
vividly etched for years

P.S - #1 In India, we have a flower named December. These flowers blossom only during this specific month every year.
P.S - #2 December is also special to worshippers of the Hindu Deity, Lord Krishna and his devotee, AndaaL.

My guide

2010-12-05T23:14:00.003+05:30

My contribution to Sunday Scribblings

It was the first day of my second year in Engineering. Having accepted the fact that my dreams of pursuing medicine as my career option is impossible, I decided to approach Computer Science Engineering with rigor. But the first day turned out to be a nightmare. I heard my classmates pursuing programming courses during the summer holidays. Many of them already had a computer at home. They had familiarized themselves with Fortran programming (Yes, we studied Fortran in our 3rd semester). I came home, feeling utterly depressed. Having been the class topper throughout school, there was this sinking feeling that I was way behind everyone in college.

I came home after a depressing first day. I clearly remember she was in the terrace that evening, preparing for some exam related to her promotion in insurance sector. She noticed the dullness in my face and called out to me. She had been the pillar of support during my school days, always encouraging me to perform well. Like water gushing out of a dam, I poured out to her - all my frustrations and doubts. "Aunty, I have never even seen a computer in my life before. I don't even know the basics. I had taken up Biology in 11th and 12th grade. My classmates already knew programming and they even have a computer at home. My dad will not be able to afford one. I better quit Engineering and join B.Sc.", I sobbed for a long time in front of her. I don't think of her as my neighbour and neither does she. We share a special bond - a mother I found in her after so many years. The next 2 hours turned out to be one of the most precious moments of guidance, mentorship and above all, caring love. She sat next to me, wiped away my self-doubts with her caring and powerful words and helped me take a positive stride towards Engineering.

Over the next few weeks, I was so scared to enter Computer Lab, worrying that I might break its functionality. But her words were my only support that helped me climb the ladder in Computer Engineering. Looking back after 11 years now, without my guide, I'm not able to imagine how my career and life would have turned out to be what it is today. It also brought a smile in my face, comparing those days when I was dead scared to step into Computer Lab and switch on the Compaq desktop and now when not a single day passes, without me spending a significant time in front of my Mac laptop.

mastery over randomness

2010-11-28T20:11:00.000+05:30

My contribution to 3WW

a planner I am
systematic and meticulous,
checklists and to-dos
tracking the chores to the core

shuffling amidst life's mysteries
I trudge along, confidently
aiming for complete control
mastery over randomness

bills paid in advance
predictability on the rise,
boredom strikes soon
missing elements of drama

ignoring uncertainty
I take the stride as
it comes along, at times
pander for laziness

Music brings me back

2010-11-28T19:18:00.000+05:30

I can't believe it's almost 3 months ever since I returned from my wonderful vacation at Swaswara. This personal blog has been gathering dust though there's some action on the professional blog. Words getting shape in my mind during my long commute doesn't seem to get translated into my blog. But there's enough to share about my other interests in music, movies and life in general.

Talking about music, 2010 has been one of the best years for Rahman fans like me. My last post on music was about Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya and it still continues to be my favorite album of this year even after listening to the brilliant songs 100s of times. I had mixed reactions to Raavan/Raavanan when it got released. But there are a few gems in this unique album as well. Being a Karthik fan, I just love both "usure poguthey" and the Hindi equivalent "Behne de". The mysterious slow start is followed by a foot tapping beat and his voice so beautifully blends with the feel of the song. Another song which is my favorite in this album is "Khili Re" which I prefer more than the Tamil version "Kalvare". It's a perfect song to hear after a long, tiring day. The best song of Raavan comes when the end credits start to roll. I'm waiting for the Raavan special edition CD which will have "Jaa re ud jaa re" sung by Rahman himself.

When Endhiran's music was released, I didn't feel the urge to listen to the songs immediately since I was disappointed with the songs of Shivaji. But after listening to about 10 times, I started to appreciate the uniqueness of the music of Endhiran. "Kaadhal Anukkal" became my instant favorite because of Shreya's magical voice and her perfect pronunciation. Many of my favorite Kannada songs which I get to hear everyday during my Volvo commute are sung by her. The next favorite has to be "Kilimanjaro". It has a very new feel, thanks to the unique words and folksy beats. Chinmayi has become my favorite female singer with the sheer variety of her songs and she has done a fabulous job in this song too. I got to hear this song in person when she sang in the TEDXChennai event.

Let me share you a tip - when you have to get something done at work or otherwise, listen to Endhiran album in repeat mode. For some reason, my productivity is very high when I listen to this album!

I wish the music of "Jhoota hi sahi" had received enough attention. It felt like this movie came quietly and went out without creating any buzz. I love almost the entire album but my repeated hearings have been these three songs - "Cry cry", "Do nishaaniyan" and "Call me dil". Rashid Ali has given a feel-good touch to "Call me dil" with his peppy voice.

Though I got a taste of "127 hours", I haven't really listened to it with these previous albums taking away most of my time. I don't care what critics talk about how Rahman has lost it. His music is still very precious to me and I look forward to the release of each album that he creates.

Empathy - who has it?

2010-11-15T08:09:00.000+05:30

In the recently concluded Product Manager's Conclave event at IIM, Bangalore, there was a panel discussion on qualities required in a product manager. One specific quality that really made a lot of sense was "Empathy towards customers". However, I'm still not sure how an interviewer gets to validate this quality during an interview for a product management opening.

As a product manager, we interact with customers and try to understand their current problems. If more customers complain of a certain problem, we give a higher priority towards solving it. Nothing new, it's just the basic driver of prioritization. But I believe the quality of empathizing with your customers is not just restricted towards product managers. Everyone in the organization needs to have this quality. I've been reading this book - Linchpin by Seth Godin and he talks about a powerful concept called Emotional Labor. A line that Seth highlights is that "In most jobs that involve a customer, you are getting paid only to do emotional labor". Aren't emotions the key differentiating factor between humans and machines? In an era where every task is getting to a programmable status, emotional quotient (EQ) can become the sole savior, in my opinion.

Talking about empathy and how every individual is expected to have this quality to make a difference to a customer, a product manager can take the lead in enabling other team members embrace this quality. A few ideas which you can explore:

When you communicate the product requirements to the design and development teams, ensure you first talk about the customer pain points and how their current alternatives are creating problems leading to certain negative outcomes - manual effort, loss of time, dependency on other third parties etc.

The same also needs to be communicated to the QA teams as well. Going over the requirements and possible test scenarios come in later. For every product requirement, provide a clear background on why it is important for the customer.

It would also be better if you can take along a developer or a designer during your customer visits. They get to experience a slice of the customer's problems in person which would help a great deal in designing the right solution.

If you have other ideas related to this topic, please comment.

Product Camp - Bangalore Oct 23rd 2010

2010-10-25T17:52:00.000+05:30

It didn't start out as expected, thanks to two flat tires our car ended up with. We missed out on the opening keynote since we reached the venue only at 11 AM. But the event turned out to be a very good experience. On Saturday, a bunch of people including me and my husband turned up at Yahoo! Bagmane Tech Park to participate in Bangalore's first product camp. Because of the delay, we could just catch up the last few points of the session by Vihari, Product Manager from Google. His topic was on product design. It was good to see that he recommended balsamic for low fidelity prototyping.

Key Take-aways from this session:
   * One of his points was on cognitive walkthrough technique with customers. When you are showing a demo or conducting usability testing with customers on new product features/flow, ask this question - "Before taking action, what do you expect to see?" Were customers able to guess the flow as designed? This will provide good insights related to discoverability.
   * "Keep desirability uppermost while balancing feasibility and viability". What makes a product (or a product feature) desirable for the end customer?

The next session that I attended was on "Designing for video experiences" by Supreet Singh, Microsoft. This was a completely new topic for me as I haven't read up much on video streaming. Though it was slightly more on the technical side, it was useful to learn on adaptive streaming and caching techniques.

I presented the first afternoon session on "product positioning". After the session, I got some good feedback and felt glad that a few people found it to be useful. Though I was presenting to an audience after a long time (almost a year ever since I completed my PGSEM at IIMB), I wasn't feeling nervous. I should thank my 4 year stint in Oracle Toastmasters for getting rid of stage fear. In terms of structure, I had planned out an outline a week in advance and prepared my content accordingly. After the session, I was thinking about areas where I need to improve in terms of my presentation skills.

   * I need to have a lot more examples handy to illustrate what I'm trying to say.
   * Shifting the discussion between the speaker and the audience could be much more smooth so the points conveyed by audience can be captured or repeated to the benefit of others

My presentation is available on slideshare. If you are interested, do check it out -

Product Positioning

View more presentations from Anuradha Sridharan

The last session was a panel discussion on social media, moderated by Amitoj Singh from Wipro. The panel brought out some interesting insights on accountability and ROI in social media initiatives.

* Rajesh from BrioTribes Technologies brought out an interesting point. For measuring accountability, the three actors involved in advertising are to be considered - brand owner, advertising enabler, customer

brand owner - The ads/creatives should talk about benefits customers actually get and shouldn't exaggerate.
advertising enabler - Correct measurement of impressions or clicks
customer - don't just complain about bad service. Also provide good feedback in case of good experiences

* On Privacy, Ganga from Yahoo! mentioned that next generations would care much less and so privacy will not get as much attention as it gets now. On attributing the customer's interest towards a brand, he mentioned about customers viewing branded display ads while they browse and the brand gets registered in their minds. When they are actually interested in making a purchase, they search in Google. So the attribution which led to customer's interest is not very clear in such cases.

* There were also some interesting questions which were discussed - Will social media replace print and TV? What is the worth of a Like?

It was a very useful and interesting Saturday, catching up with ex-colleagues, meeting new people and discussing ideas. Glad to see such forums are getting initiated. As a pleasant surprise, Yahoo! gave us all a bean bag to carry home !

Enrich your time as a product manager

2010-10-08T16:23:00.000+05:30

Based on the points I put together for a presentation in the recent IIMB product manager's conclave, Bangalore

One of the best things about being a product manager is the number of activities one gets to work on in a day. Broadly, we can classify these activities into three categories – strategic, tactical and operational. All three categories are essential in solving market's problems and adding value to your target customers. What matters most is the percentage split a PM allocates in each of these categories in a given time period. There are no fixed guidelines on a percentage split that will work for a successful PM. But the more time a PM spends on strategic activities, he/she can create a bigger impact in the target market, thereby a bigger impact to his/her organization.

Observe how your time gets spent in a week, consciously noting down the different tasks/activities that occupy your time - the interruptions, context switches, phone calls, emails, meetings, casual discussions, status updates, ideation, brainstorming etc. Group your time under the three different categories and compute your percentage split of strategic, tactical and operational activities. If your strategic percentage is higher compared to the other two, you are doing an excellent job. For the rest of us, we have work to do to reallocate the percentages.

First, see if you will be able to delegate the operational activities to business operations and technical sales support teams. If initial handholding is needed, give the required support but eventually they should be able to take care of customer complaints and issues independently. For tactical activities such as product demos and requirements review with stakeholders, requirements prioritization and bugs triaging, allocate a fixed time in your calendar preferably the time of the day when your ideation or thinking hats would like to take a break.

As a product manager, one has to constantly keep abreast of the market situation, industry updates, competition growth and developments in related industries. These would give you useful insights which would help you plan your product roadmap. Subscribe to relevant blogs and news articles and ensure you catch up on reading on a regular basis. Setup 30 minutes in your calendar exclusively for catching up on these blogs everyday. Most importantly, to plan a high impact product roadmap, interfacing with customers preferably face-to-face or at least over the phone will give you a better understanding of their pain points and how your product is solving or not solving those pain points for them.

With inputs coming from all these different sources, it is important that you spend some uninterrupted time with yourself, interpreting these different inputs and brainstorming on how you can evolve your product in the next few months. I have found timeboxing / Pomodoro techniques to be very useful to ideate or brainstorm within a specific box of time.

I hope some of these points are helpful in enriching your precious time as a product manager and launching awesome market oriented products.

Memories for a lifetime

2010-09-20T13:39:00.000+05:30

It feels like a dream. We returned from a magical vacation to a serene, beautiful place named Swaswara. In performance appraisals, you would have come across the term "Exceeds expectations". This place has definitely surpassed the high expectations that we had set before the vacation. Our idea of a vacation this time was to just take time out for ourselves and spend more time together in a quiet place, away from city life. Having been to Coconut Lagoon, Spice Village and Marari Beach resorts, we have become a loyal customer of CGH Earth properties. The perfect locations, sumptuous food and lots of activity within their property makes the trips so memorable that you keep revisiting those memories. When we were browsing through their site, we stumbled upon Swaswara and found to be a unique resort by itself. Being the off season, we got a very sweet deal for our 5 day stay. After working out the logistics, we knew the trip is going to be excellent.

We took the early morning flight to Goa. We were picked up from Dabolim airport promptly and the 3 hour drive to Gokarna through one of the beautiful roads in the country was pleasant. Being my first trip to Goa, I was completely surprised by the greenery, Kerala-like architectural styles, the narrow 2 lane roads with paddy fields and coconut trees. My mind has already added Goa to my to-visit list. The chauffeur was an interesting guy, explaining us about different beaches of Goa, the seasons and people who come to visit Swaswara from abroad. We stopped for a late breakfast at Kamat near Ankola and we reached Swaswara at 12 PM. There were a group of people waiting to give us a reception. It felt a little overwhelming when they explained about different activities we could engage in our 5 day stay. The refreshing Kokum juice provided the much needed breather. From the moment we stepped in, we knew it's going to be one of our best vacations. We were shown our Konkan villa and we were just speechless. The villa has a central courtyard with plants, a neat bedroom tucked inside, a open-to-sky bath, a nice backyard stepping onto the rainwater harvesting lake and a little terrace facing the Arabian sea.

We were given a schedule for Yoga and meditation sessions, another schedule for art classes, interactive cooking sessions and nature walk. The planner in me started listing out the time schedule. We controlled our urge to overplan since it was our vacation :-) After a nice warm shower, we went for lunch to the restaurant. Healthy, nutritious and tasty - three words to best describe their unique menu. Although it was a typical 5 course meal, it never felt that we were stuffing ourselves. The menu for every meal was so neatly presented that I started clicking pictures before eating. Vegetables like long beans, bottle gourd, red spinach, drumstick leaves etc which I don't normally buy in Bangalore were so tasty. We met the talented chef Mr.Joy and his team. Such simple people with amazing talent !

Yoga Nidhra is our first activity post lunch. It's a practice where your body is resting while your mind is completely aware. As it felt so relaxing, both hubby and I just dozed off during the session :-) Having done Yoga 5 years ago, our bodies have become so stiff and inflexible, we decided to go for a Gentle Yoga session next. Our Yoga instructor, Ms.Juhie was very helpful and didn't put much pressure since it was our first session. With our minds relaxed and bodies stretched a bit, we felt so happy to be in Swaswara. We also started regretting why we didn't choose the 7 day package (the minimum stay at Swaswara is for 5 days). There were just 2 other guests in the 28 acre property with 24 villas. It was quiet, peaceful and calming. We spent an hour in the library, flipping through books on Ayurveda and Yoga. At the end of this trip, my interest towards Ayurveda has increased to a great extent. After dinner, we went for a Gayatri Mantra chanting session. Though chanting this mantra for 108 times was getting a little tough being our first time, the feeling was so good at the end of it. Swaswara team has planned the activities in such a way that your body, mind and soul are energized and revitalized.

The next four days were packed with many activities that were the first experiences for me - brushing my teeth using a neem twig, taking bath in neem water etc. These practices which were daily habits for our grandparents brought out the special meaning of our traditions. Though I wish to be more of an artistic and creative person, my left brain had completely dominated over my right brain in my life so far. It's no wonder I have never picked up a paint brush and done something with it. Thanks to Ms.Jyothi, our art instructor at Swaswara, I got a chance to try out different art forms - water colour painting, acrylic colour, glass painting, Warli painting, pencil shading and clay modeling. Another very talented and simple person at Swaswara. Observing her art creations displayed in the art gallery made me appreciate the creative abilities one could nurture and build.

Another dream which I have been nurturing is to become a chef. I tried out my hand in a couple of cooking sessions with chefs in the kitchen of Swaswara and noted down a few recipes. Wearing an apron and a chef's hat was a tiny wish which got fulfilled during this trip. After a couple of days of getting used to these sessions, our minds and bodies started to open up and we decided it was time to try out a Progressive Yoga session. It's a little advanced set of Yoga asanas, taught perfectly by our another Yoga instructor, Mr. Ruchir. He is the best example of a person who is always happy and cheerful with a smile on his face, greeting us every time we meet him. He also helped us practice a form of meditation technique called MSRT (mind sound resonance technique). The vibrations you experience in this session makes you feel connected with the universe. It was indeed a unique spiritual experience. Ruchir also conducted a laughter Yoga session which was rather funny and interesting.

Being a 28 acre property with lots of trees amidst forests, mountains and the sea (Om beach), Swaswara plays host to a number of different species, especially birds. We went for a nature walk with our naturalist, Mr. Dutta who showed us a few birds, butterflies and ants. Since it was mostly raining in the mornings, we couldn't see many of them. Winter would be the best time to spot a lot of birds.

I kept myself so busy in those 5 days that I was going for one session after the next. Yet there was no tiredness or resistance. I felt so active and open to accept new experiences. My energy levels were high and yet, my mind and body was so relaxed. We had some interesting conversations with many people in the team, especially Juhie who was kind enough to prepare a custom Yoga schedule for me to practice everyday at home, Sam and Anil from the restaurant answering our questions on the various dishes served and Chef Joy who gave us good tips on cooking healthy food.

I could just go on and on with what we experienced at Swaswara. Everyone who works there gave their best to make our stay pleasant and memorable. Their attention to detail is just mind-blowing. The memories are here to stay forever. In marketing texts, we often hear this phrase - "Customer is king". Indeed, Swaswara team treated us like a king and queen.

"Linger" memories

2010-09-17T18:05:00.001+05:30

My previous trip to Madikeri/Coorg 2 years ago was mainly due to the fact that we wanted to go on a drive some place over the weekend. But when hubby put forth the idea of a long break, Coorg came to our minds instantly. The main purpose of this trip was just to do nothing. What better place than Linger which claims the same phrase as their tag line - "DO NOTHING"!

While hubby decided to stay there for 5 nights, I planned to join him a little later since I didn't want to exhaust all my leave days on this trip (we followed it with another amazing trip, watch out for the next post!). Having booked a KSRTC to Bhagamandala, the challenge was to figure out where the Mysore Road Satellite bus station was. It turned out to be an easy task and I reached the bus stand 2 hours earlier than the departure time. The clean bus station with good seating facility and the few magazines that I picked up from the nearby stall helped me pass the 2 hours quickly. The bus reached my destination bus stop at 7:15 AM on a drizzling Saturday morning. It was a deserted road and I saw a narrow mud track on the left side. I started walking for about 10 minutes, only to realize that this road was leading nowhere. After a few more steps, two angry dogs was staring at me in the middle of the mud road and started to bark aloud, recognizing the stranger in town. Though I panicked, I didn't show them any fear on my face. I slowly took a turn and started walking back, praying that they don't chase me. Once the intensity of their voices simmered, I caught up speed and reached the main road. I know my hubby was waiting at the bus stand but I can't tell him where I was since both our phone signals were down in this location. Fortunately, a middle aged lady was walking past me and she helped me locate the right bus stand. After seeing my hubby, I heaved a sigh of relief. What an adventurous start!

After entering our room, my first instinct was to take a look at the much-publicized attic bed :-) Though my body was begging me to take a nap, my mind was so fresh with the greenery and mild drizzle. After a quick cup of coffee, hubby and I went for a walk around - deserted roads, green fields, peeking sunshine and cool breeze. It was a bliss to take a walk in such a breathtaking atmosphere. One of the best features of Linger is its location amidst the mountains and paddy fields. In the afternoon, we went for a drive to Talacauvery. Though it wasn't raining until we reached the temple, the dark clouds started pouring down heavily when we started climbing the steps towards the view point. It would have been a beautiful view, had the mist not engulfed the whole place. As the rains were heavy, we came back and sat in the verandah, reading our books. Linger has a small collection of books and some board games. I was glad to see Sidin's Dork among the collection. It felt good to finish this fun novel in 2 days.

The next morning, we went for a drive to a border town named Karike, around 30 kms from Bhagamandala. It was a fantastic drive through the dense forests and waterfalls with no traffic on the narrow single lane road. Sipping tea (I'm a tea person even in Coorg!), it was so relaxing to sit in the verandah and observe the time pass slowly with the company of birds and insects. It was a homely place with no intrusion of privacy by the caretakers. The food was mainly of simple Coorgi dishes. The only point to be improved was that the food could have been prepared, especially the pooris/chapathis just before we started our lunch/dinner. With the cold weather, the food tends to become rubbery.

The return drive to Bangalore was smooth, with a few pitstops at Cafe Coorg and Kamat. Overall, it was a very good trip to Coorg, yet again.

P.S. Carry enough mosquito repellants or else forget your sleep! :-) We went well prepared for them.

Distractions dropped!

2010-09-15T12:27:00.000+05:30

I couldn't believe this morning when I opened my blog URL after several weeks and realized that I haven't written a single word in the past 3 months. The irony is that the last blog post was on power of distractions while I was happily getting distracted with 2 games that I was hooked onto for the past two months. For those who follow my tweets, you would have guessed by now that I'm referring to Zynga's Farmville and Cafe World. Ever since I started working with Computers, I never was into any form of gaming (except for Roadrash for a while during college days).

When my brothers introduced me to the world of social gaming, it immediately caught my interest and I started playing them every night after coming back from work. These games were even more fun to play, with hubby and brothers also playing enthusiastically. Weekends were busy with planting new crops that harvest and cooking dishes that get done in a few hours. What took 4-5 months for my brothers, I reached those levels in 2 months. Such was the level of addiction and fun. Expanding the farm, constructing a horse stable, asking neighbors for gifts, buying new equipments, setting up a optimized cafe to increase the buzz rating - the experience was so real and new.

Although I had so much fun playing these games, it's time to look at bigger and important things in life. So I have bid goodbye to Farmville and Cafe World, to make some positive changes to my daily routine. What has inspired me to make these changes? A perfect vacation that I enjoyed last week - free from Internet, free from mobile and free from the buzzing city life. More to follow on this vacation !

Power of distractions

2010-06-17T17:49:00.000+05:30

The past six months have been keeping me a lot busy, thanks to a new job. There is also a feeling of restlessness and I feel distracted most of the times. I was not sure if the restlessness is leading to distraction or vice-versa. Last weekend, I sat for 4 hours straight and finished reading a book "Keep off the grass" by Karan Bajaj (review to follow soon). It felt so much better to focus on a single task at hand for a stretch with no distractions whatsoever. But such un-distracted times have become a rare and precious entity these days. While pursuing PGSEM, such focused activities were common - 90 minutes of focused attention on interesting lectures, reading a 18 page HBR case study at a stretch for 2 hours or working on a presentation deck with project partners, discussing on skype.

I realized the reason I was feeling restless was that I was getting distracted, almost all the time these days. Constant interruptions over phone (both landline and mobile), multiple context switches, my increased interest towards twitter updates, emails for which people expect responses almost the next minute and so on. Being a GTD follower, I capture almost all the thoughts and commitments that come to my mind into my trusted system. That helps me to reduce any chances of missing commitments that I need to work on. But this practice of collecting and processing these thoughts alone doesn't seem to suffice. Information and new work keeps flowing into my collection box all the time. Is it that I have started to juggle multiple focus areas? No way, since I definitely had much more commitments and projects six months ago and I always consider myself to be a better multi-tasker.

"Distractions" has become the one enemy that I need to attack in order to feel much more productive in my day-to-day activities. Although it cannot be defeated in a day, I have started to take a few simple steps to defeat this enemy:

- No Internet access for one day during the weekend (either Saturday or Sunday).
- Facebook access once a day (it has got boring these days, with Farmville updates taking much of the space)
- Orkut access once in three days (seems none of my friends in orkut are active these days, moved to Facebook perhaps!)
- Personal mails (Yahoo! / Gmail) access once a day
- Hiding the dock on my Mac so I don't get to see new mail updates while I'm focusing at work
- Mute my TV when advertisements start to show up while watching a movie or a TV show (Used to constantly change the channels with remote)
- Tracking twitter updates a few times a day (not check as and when new tweets keep coming) - Need to reduce from a few times to once a day
- When new web links are shared by friends or colleagues through email, chat or tweets, I used to check them almost immediately or have them open in my browser. So at the end of the day, I would have around 10-15 browser tabs open, with a few of them read, some more half read and the rest not read yet. Now I have started to bookmark them and add a tag "Read & Review". I later come back to such links and view a few of them at a time.

Any other suggestions?

PS: I typed this post, with no distractions whatsoever :-)

Drive to North Wayanad

2010-06-06T21:09:00.000+05:30

2010 seems to be zooming past at a speed which I'm trying to comprehend. With 5 months already gone in a jiffy, I wonder how the time had flown by. Being a person who loves to travel, it didn't take me too long to figure out that I haven't traveled anywhere for leisure in these 5 months. So hubby and I decided to drive down to Wayanad in the last weekend of May. Although we had visited Wayanad in 2007 (Vythiri to be specific), we didn't go around anywhere, thanks to the monsoons.

After a quick browsing through the review sites, we finalized our stay with Thirunelli Agraharam cottages. The owner of the cottages, Mr.Sebastian had sent us a detailed route from Bangalore which was very helpful. Getting up early on a Saturday morning could have only been made possible, if we are traveling somewhere. It was a smooth drive on Mysore Road and we stopped for breakfast at Kamat (where else!!). After Srirangapatna, the route got exciting as we had to find our way to Hunsur. The sun was at its scorching peak but the trees on both sides of the road provided some respite. Once we spotted the banner indicating Rajiv Gandhi National Park, we were very excited, hoping we could see some animals inside the sanctuary. There are a few restrictions while driving through the park - 30 km/hr speed limit, no honking, no music and no parking. Though we followed these restrictions which helped us to admire nature's pristine beauty, there were others who seemed to be in a hurry and speeding past the road. We spotted deers, monkeys and a couple of elephants. By the time we crossed the park and entered Kerala border, it was past 1 PM. The border town of Kutta didn't have any good places to eat. So we called up the hotel manager and asked him if lunch would be available in the resort.

This was definitely one of the best typical Kerala lunches we've ever had. After a long drive and a sumptuous lunch, we took a nice siesta. When we planned our trip, we were expecting Wayanad to have a cool and pleasant weather. It was as hot as Bangalore.

The manager gave us a few pamphlets indicating the places to visit. Though we would have loved to drive down to all the places, time was definitely a constraint (the weather as well). We went to Thirunelli temple (just a km away from the resort) and Kuruva islands. If only the weather wasn't that hot and sultry, we could have enjoyed the walk inside Kuruva islands. We felt very exhausted after the long walk in the sun. We were planning to go to Banasurasagar dam but we missed the route and ended up coming towards Kutta. After having a late lunch in a small local eatery, we headed back to the resort.

With crispy onion pakodas and hot tea, we spent the rest of the evening, playing carroms and reading a novel.After breakfast and a long chat with Mr.Sebastian on Monday, we headed back to Bangalore. The monsoon clouds were just looming dark on top of the Brahmagiri mountains when we bid goodbye to Wayanad.

Getting a BMTC monthly bus pass

2010-05-18T16:27:00.002+05:30

At the beginning of this month, I decided to get the BMTC monthly bus pass since it had become a big pain to carry enough change every morning. On 4th May evening, I asked the bus conductor of a Volvo to give me the bus pass and I paid him Rs.1250. It was a big relief on 5th morning when I was leaving for work. "I don't have to carry 10s or coins. I can switch buses easily without any problem", I thought to myself. As I was about to leave my home, I quickly looked at the bus pass and there was a mention of ID card. I quickly went to my cupboard and grabbed my PAN card. Without much waiting time, I boarded a Volvo to work. When the conductor asked me to show the bus pass, I happily showed the pass as well as my PAN card. She stared at them for a while and then said "This is not a valid ID card. This pass is invalid". I looked at her in disbelief and replied "PAN card is a valid ID proof just like driving license".

There were other passengers overhearing this conversation. One of the passengers showed me a new ID card and said that this is the ID card we are supposed to carry and it's issued by BMTC. Now how the hell am I supposed to know that? I don't see any specific need to carry another ID card. Thankfully he also gave a tip that this ID card is available in Shanti Nagar Bus depot only till 6th of every month. Or else I need to go to Majestic to get this ID card. None of these make sense to me. Anyway, the next day, I went to Shanti Nagar bus depot and purchased the ID card. This trip took me more than an hour. Such a waste of time and energy!

1) Why should we get another ID card? Why doesn't BMTC allow either PAN card, driving license or voter's ID card?
2) Why doesn't the conductor check if the commuter already has this so-called BMTC ID card before issuing the monthly pass?
3) Why can't the conductors carry the fresh ID card which commuters can purchase while purchasing the monthly pass and then they can apply the stamp?
4) Why do they issue the ID cards only till 6th of every month in Shanti Nagar bus depot?
5) Why should one go all the way to Majestic bus stand just to get this ID card after 6th?

If BMTC wants more and more people to take public transport, they should make things easily accessible. Will they ponder over these 5 questions and make this bus pass purchasing process simpler for commuters?

Update: (based on Times of India article dated 6th June 2010)
BMTC has introduced a friendly pass which you can purchase directly from the bus conductor. You can use any ID card like driver's license, passport, voter's ID card etc. With this new pass, all the five questions I raised have been answered. Kudos to BMTC!!!

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIBG/2010/06/02&PageLabel=3&EntityId=Ar00301&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T

User Personas

2010-05-17T16:37:00.000+05:30

Having touched upon the idea of integrating user behavior into the product design in the previous post, let me explore further on this topic. One of the approaches that I have found to be very useful is this idea of "user personas".

By trying to build a persona, one gets to understand the intricacies of the user behavior. This provides valuable inputs that can be fed into the product design.

A user persona is a mechanism to understand the potential users of your product or service. The idea of a persona derives more from the behavioral and psychographic aspects of the users.

In order to build a user persona, explore the following questions:
* Who is my customer?
* Where does he live?
* What does his typical day look like?
* Whom does he interact with on a typical day?
* What motivates him to do something?
* What irritates him the most?
* What is his typical personality?
* Is he intrinsically or extrinsically motivated?
* Under what circumstances does he feel the pain point that you are trying to solve?
* What are the after-effects when he faces the pain point that you are trying to solve?

It helps if you can build a story around this user by giving a fictitious name and articulating his environment. You can also come up with hand sketches and drawings to illustrate the personality of the user of your product idea. This can provide useful and interesting inputs to your design and engineering teams.

If your product or service is catered to different market segments, build a user persona that represents each of these segments. Highlight the difference in the behaviors of these different users.

The best time to take up this persona building activity is just after you are done with segmentation of your market and just before you formulate the product strategy. With segmentation in place, you will exactly know which markets to target and depending on the target segments, whether the personas will be different. After you have the personas clearly defined, it will be much more easier to think about your product roadmap and the needs you will address for your target segments.

For more information on personas, check out these blogs:
http://www.buyerpersona.com/2010/05/how-kristine-developed-a-great-buyer-persona.html
http://carsonified.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/personas_final_b.jpg
http://bonfireda.com/docs/The-Power-of-the-Persona.pdf
http://www.savvyb2bmarketing.com/blog/entry/580831/getting-back-to-the-roots-of-buyer-personas-interview-with-tony-zambito-of-goal-centric

User behavior and product design

2010-04-25T22:52:00.000+05:30

I use a Yahoo! mail account for my personal emails and I have subscriptions to many group emails. Over the past few months, my mailbox has been overflowing with many unread emails as I tend to scroll through the list and read only the most important ones at the beginning of my day. I have unsubscribed from many group lists to keep the incoming information under control. However there are some groups in which I might get a few important messages occasionally which I do not want to miss out. So I decided to create a few filters and organize my inbox.

This is exactly THE time in the lifecycle of product-user interaction when one starts to think about filters in a mail product - when there is a bunch of unread mails and the user feels that it is getting unmanageable and wants to get organized; not when the time he/she creates a new mail account and immediately starts to create filters.

Coming back to my problem, I located the "Filter emails like this" and created a filter. So far, so good. But to my utter disbelief, I couldn't see the "run filter" or similar such option. I wondered if this feature was hidden somewhere that it wasn't evident to me. After googling for a bit, I found out that such a feature doesn't exist in Yahoo! mail. Disappointed with the lack of this feature, I dropped the effort of organizing my inbox.

This experience triggered a thought process of how one should go about integrating user behavior into the product design. Before designing a product's feature or even a minor functionality, ask yourself these questions -
1. When will my user explore this specific functionality?
2. What are the circumstances under which this particular feature will be used?
3. What is the motivation factor that will enable the user to try out this feature?

Evaluate the physical circumstances (place of usage), the psychological state of the users (positive or negative frame of mind) and the expected outcome (not only from a product point of view but also from the user's intended action).

More to follow on this topic.

Books and more

2010-04-04T18:22:00.000+05:30

Commute using public transport has paved a way for me to catch up on reading much more often than what it used to be. The last 3 books I have read in the past two months belong to different genres. Subroto Bagchi has given a very nice summary of Entrepreneurship 101 in his book "The high performance entrepreneur". Starting from whether you are ready to take the entrepreneur path until the IPO, this book provides a breadth of coverage related to various aspects of building your firm from ground up. Easy to read along with personal examples of building Mindtree, he takes you through the different stages of building a firm, from defining your business strategy to nurturing an organization culture to creating your brand.

Having attended Ms.Manjushree Abhinav's creative writing workshop a few weeks ago, I picked up her first novel "A grasshopper's pilgrimage". The plot of this novel can be classified under spiritual fiction and also semi-autobiographical. The protogonist, Gopika is in search of her life's meaning and ends up in Thiruvannaamalai. Her encounters with different people who are in such similar search forms the rest of the story. Although the novel began on an interesting note, somewhere down the line I felt it lost its steam. Maybe, I wasn't able to relate with a character like Gopika.

I do not like to interact with people who are always cynical about everything in their lives. I encounter such people often and at best, I try to avoid striking a conversation with such people. It's definitely not worth the time or energy. It's worse when such people end up in meeting rooms or conference calls at work. If ever I encounter such people again, I plan to recommend them this interesting book "Six thinking hats" by Edward Debono. This book talks about the six different hats one could wear while trying to solve a problem or take a decision as a group. Structured thinking is very essential especially in this knowledge based economy. Ideas are crucial and cannot be dismissed just because your boss or boss's boss thinks its a bad idea. Can one do a positive assessment before criticizing an idea? Can one just talk about facts and data without passing their own judgment? Can one just express their emotions and feelings without the need to justify? Each of these questions has an associated hat and the order in which you wear each of the six hats is significant. This is definitely a very interesting approach to group thinking process.

அந்த நிமிடம்

2010-03-06T21:59:00.000+05:30

காதல் சொன்ன அந்த நிமிடம்
கண்களில் ஆயிரம் கோடி வினாக்கள்
ஏற்று என்னை அணைப்பாயா
மறுத்து என்னை விடுவிப்பாயா

காதல் சொன்ன அந்த நிமிடம்
சில பல புவியியல் மாற்றங்கள்
அதிர்ச்சி விரிசல்கள் நம்
நட்பென்ற பூமியில் தெரிக்குமோ?

காதல் சொன்ன அந்த நிமிடம்
இருபது அடி மேலே பறக்கும் என்னை
உன் "இல்லை" என்ற வார்த்தை மதிற்சுவர்
மேலே இடித்து விழுவேனோ?

காதல் சொன்ன அந்த நிமிடம்
என் வாழ்க்கையை பசுமையாக்க
நயாகரா மேகங்கள் மிதந்து
வந்து என்னை நனைக்குமோ?

காதல் சொன்ன அந்த நிமிடம்
நம் இதயத்துடிப்பு ஒன்றாகி
என் கை கோர்த்து நடக்க
நீ சம்மதம் தெரிவிப்பாயோ?

Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya - the movie

2010-03-06T21:34:00.000+05:30

I've always been a fan of Tamil movies with simple love stories - be it the youthful Kaadhal Desam, the scintillating Minsaara Kanavu or the emotional Mouna Raagam. But off late, such movies have become a rarity, what with populistic heroism oriented films dominating the industry. No wonder, I didn't see many new Tamil movies in 2009. I cannot watch a movie where the hero is larger than life, beating up the villains left, right and center, and blurting out punch dialogues like no-one else's business. The only exception to this rule is ofcourse, the evergreen Super Star Rajni.

In such a boring scenario, Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya (VTV) feels like the first few drops of the monsoon rain. Having fallen in love with the music of this movie for over a month now, I couldn't wait to see how the songs have been picturized. Moreover, the promos of this movie have also been very interesting. I always liked the films of Gowtham Menon and he has moved up the ranks to become my favorite director next to Maniratnam, displacing Shankar. His beautiful depiction of the love and the chemistry between the hero and heroine in most of his movies is very memorable - the mature interactions between Surya and Jyotika in Kaaka Kaaka or the love-at-first-sight scene in the train in Vaaranam Aayiram (what a cute scene it is!).

There is nothing new about the story of VTV - Hindu boy meets Christian girl, love at first sight, follows her wherever she goes. We might have seen such stories like a hundred times but the screenplay and the dialogues in VTV are unique and new. I loved the scene when the hero Karthik goes to Alleppey to meet Jessie and the dialogue that follows when she asks him why he likes her so much. For some reason, I couldn't take the image of Sameera Reddy in the first few dialogues of Trisha. I guess because Chinmayi has dubbed for Trisha and her voice suited so much for Sameera in Vaaranam Aayiram. Except for Manmadhan, I haven't seen any of Simbu's movies. This guy definitely has much more capability to act than a typical hero. Hope he does more soft roles in his future movies. His expressions in this movie have been very good, right from the time he falls in love, the confusions on why Trisha wouldn't reciprocate and the frustrations when she says "It's over".

Trisha's characterization of an indecisive and confused woman is well portrayed. 'Enna enakke theriyaathu, enakku enna venum-nu ennakke theriyaathu" summarizes everything of her behavior. But I felt maybe a few more scenes where the conflict between her feelings and her family's responses could have been included which might have added more rationale to the way she keeps changing her decision.

The guy who plays Simbu's friend provides some good entertainment in the first half, with his humorous one-liners. The colors, the costumes and the locations of "Hosanna" and "Omana Penne" provide a visual delight. The background score by Rahman was perfect, especially in the first half (wish I could buy a CD of just the background tunes).The climax of the movie had an unexpected twist. But I don't think there is a better way to end this story.

VTV is a beautiful movie with very good performances by Simbu and Trisha, brilliant music and memorable dialogues. I wouldn't mind watching it a few more times.

Commute using BMTC

2010-02-15T15:19:00.002+05:30

It's been nearly three months ever since I started commuting to work everyday using public transport. Before I made the decision to join my current job, the commute was one of the important constraints that my husband and I pondered and discussed a lot. Except for a bicycle, I'm not trained to drive other forms of vehicles. I had become dependent on my husband's car or company-provided transportation in the past three years. Although I took the first step in joining a driving class and attended around 6 sessions, I am not very confident of driving a four wheeler on my own.

I decided to take the plunge and trust BMTC services for my everyday commute. After nearly 3 months, I'm very much happy with the Volvo series (Vajra). The route that I commute has a lot of Volvos plying in both directions. It's very comfortable and quick. I get a seat immediately as I get inside the bus and sometimes, after a few stops. The 15 km commute during peak hours takes me around 75 minutes on an average. Sometimes, I do have to shuttle between 2-3 buses to reach my destination. But the wait time is not that long.

The long wait for signals and traffic jams are no more irritating as I enjoy music from my iPod or read a book. Whether you are in a car or an auto rickshaw or a public bus, traffic jams are a given. So I decided not to get irritated and instead turn this time into something more meaningful. Did I say it's much more cost effective compared to filling up petrol in a car?

If only BMTC could increase the frequency and cover more routes, many of the daily commuters can utilize the Vajra ride and hopefully, the number of cars on the road would reduce to some extent.

A walk to remember

2010-02-04T15:14:00.000+05:30

Ever since I started commuting using public transport, my reading habit has got a revival. Last week, I finished reading Nicholas Sparks's "A walk to remember". It's a very touching novel based on love, compassion and empathy. It's the story of Jamie and Landon, two teenagers whose completely different paths in life get intertwined slowly. Their journey in a year together as friends and later a lovely couple forms the crux of the story.

Although the story is simple and we have seen similar stories in many Indian cinemas, I liked this novel mainly because of the way in which love transforms a person's character. Jamie's influence on Landon's life is narrated with incidents like the play they performed, the homecoming dance, their time together in the orphanage on Christmas and their walks together back home. Slowly and steadily, Jamie has helped Landon transform from being a mischievous kid to a compassionate teenager.

It's a heart wrenching story of true love and life in general. I hope to catch hold of the movie that was based on this book.

latest spell from ARR

2010-01-26T23:14:00.000+05:30

It's been 10 days and I carry it wherever I go. It's a perfect company for the long commute to work. Although I carry my iPod, the music of "Vinnai Thaandi Varuvayaa" has ensured I use it everyday. Ever since I bought the CD from Crosswords, the beautiful songs have been continuously playing in my music player and in my mind. It's been a while since Rahman created such brilliant music for a Tamil movie. I wasn't very much impressed with his earlier music in ATM or Sakkarakkatti. But VTV has smashed the bad spell and is here to stay in our memories for a long time.

Of the seven songs, my favorites are Hosanna, Mannippaaya and Anbil Avan. The music feels so fresh and captivating in Hosanna. It starts off as a soothing melody and shifts gear to a foot tapping number, followed by an interesting rap by Blaaze. The way he says Hellooo is just superb. I'm sure the visuals and the picturization will be brilliant for this song.

Although it is evident from the beginning that Mannippaaya is going to be a sad song, it's sung so beautifully by Shreya Ghoshal and Rahman himself. I first heard this song during the music launch when Chinmayi and Karthik sung with so much emotion and feel. The lyrics play an important role in this song and am glad that Rahman didn't give this song to Madhushree. I felt she could have done a better job with the lyrics of "MarudaaNi" in Sakkarakatti.

When I first heard Anbil Avan, I wasn't that impressed but this song definitely grows on you after a few times. The way ARR has blended the wedding tunes of Hindu and Christian traditions sounds so nice. Devan and Chinmayi have sung very well, especially the first saranam.

Omana Penne is a catchy number from the first listen. The title track sung by Karthik is such a good experimental song. I haven't heard such a mix of layers before. Kannukkul Kannai is not that impressive as a whole but a few portions are good. I think I need a few more times of hearing to start liking Aoramale which seems to be the favorite of many Rahman fans.

While getting lost in this beautiful soundtrack, one cannot ignore the perfect lyrics of Thaamarai. What a magical phrase she has written in Hosanna to capture the first feelings of falling in love - "pattu poochi vandaachaa, megam unnai thottaachaa".

I'm a big fan of Gautham Menon's movies and eagerly awaiting VTV, especially this being a musical film.

2009 in review

2010-01-18T23:03:00.001+05:30

18 days have passed since the beginning of 2010. I hadn't allocated the time to do my yearly review so far. 2009 was a good year for me in many ways. The most important occasion has been my completion of PGSEM from IIMB, the journey that began in 2007. It was an excellent learning experience that has given me a good headstart for new plans in future. 2009 was also the year when I decided to come out of a comfortable job and try something new. Although I started writing my first novel, I have lost track in the middle. My writing seemed to have come down a lot as reflected in my blog's dismal frequency of updates. But I managed to read a few good books and as always, hope to read more this year.
- Our iceberg is melting
- New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
- The tales of Beedle the bard by JK Rowling
- The Nordstrom way
- Gently falls the bakula by Sudha Murthy
- Anything for you, Ma'am by Tushar Raheja
- 2 states by Chetan Bhagat
- Getting things done by David Allen
- Indian Summer by Pratima Mitchell
- Ready to lead by Alan Price
- The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

One aspect of my life in 2009 which I'm really happy about is the number of new places I visited.
- Visited Kalimpong, Gangtok and Darjeeling in the North East
- Visited Yelagiri, Belur, Chikmagalur, Mullyangiri, Halebidu and Talakkad in the South

I'm really looking forward to 2010 with lots of hope and inspiration. I'm hoping to have something much more meaningful and worthwhile to accomplish this year.

Getting back to reading

2010-01-18T22:28:00.000+05:30

The long holiday break during Christmas and New Year provided the perfect time to read the voluminous Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol". Similar to his other two books that I have read earlier (Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons), this book was also just unputdownable (wonder if there is a such a word). The protogonist Robert Langdon traverses through symbols and codes to figure out the lost secret. If DaVinci Code was set in Europe, Lost Symbol is based entirely on Washington and United State's past history. Although the plot is gripping, one couldn't miss seeing the similarity in the flow when compared to his other books. Nevertheless, the plot is so interesting that one can just sit back and get intrigued by the turn of events.

Langdon had been asked by one of his close friends Peter Solomon to deliver a lecture. When Langdon arrives, he is shocked by the event that happens and what follows is a thrilling sequence of unraveling the lost secret, the gory murderer Mal'akh and his intentions, Peter's sister and scientist Katherine's discoveries on noetic sciences. Many references to religious texts and the way the events were tied to the lost secret sometimes makes you wonder if this story is really fiction.

It's a perfect irony that in the very next week after I had finished reading "Lost Symbol", I read a very inspiring book "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne. It conveys a simple message about how our thoughts influence our life. "Thoughts become things" is the core message of this book. This book elaborates on the law of attraction and a simple three step process of Ask-Believe-Receive. Many inspiring examples and quotes are interspersed throughout this little book. While reading this book, I could definitely reflect on a few instances of my life where law of attraction played an important role. Years ago, when I had just finished the written rounds for my campus placement and waiting for the results, I was thinking about how it would feel when I get selected and I have my first job in hand. I was putting forth my intention clearly into the universe and the results were indeed positive.

The Secret has also been made into a film and the flow is very similar to that of the book. I would recommend the book as I feel one needs to read and reflect upon the quotes to fully understand the principles behind the law of attraction.

New Year has begun on a good note with me getting back to my reading habit. Hope to read more books this year!

Indian Summer by Pratima Mitchell

2009-12-24T14:45:00.002+05:30

Pratima has painted a beautiful picture of the hilly region of Daroga, the characterization of the two female protogonists, their lives and contradictions in this interesting novel "Indian Summer". The title had caught my attention that I immediately borrowed from my library. The storyline is simple - Sarla, the teen protogonist was really looking forward to her summer holidays but her plans were shattered when her mom had to travel on account of her work. So she decided to spend her holidays in India with her grandparents. She meets Bina, the granddaughter of her grandparent's caretakers. Although there was friction initially between Sarla and Bina owing to the different environment in which they were brought up, soon they become understanding friends and they began to discuss their problems and secrets. Having brought up in a foreign country, Sarla comes to terms with the way women were treated in India and was able to provide a helping hand to Bina on the different problems she had to deal with. After a few eventful incidents, their lives end in a happy note. Though not a gripping storyline, relating to one of the two characters should be easy.

The author has portrayed the individual behaviors of these two characters in simple words. She has written in a first person view from both the character's voices. So unless you read the chapter title, you might get a bit confused as to whose character you are reading about now. As this was the first time I'm reading a novel of this style of writing, it was a bit of strain.

"Indian Summer" is worth reading for its simple storyline and the portrayal of contradictory characters in Sarla and Bina.

Ready to lead?

2009-12-13T19:12:00.001+05:30

With textbooks taking a safe place in my wardrobe, it's time to get back to reading other books. Last week, I finished reading a simple and insightful book on leadership. One of my colleagues recommended me this book three years ago. Although I purchased it then, it was safely tucked inside my bookshelf. "Ready to lead?" by Alan Price narrates the story of Mark Gibson's journey into becoming an effective leader in his organization.

Facing a daunting challenge of fixing a loss making division within his organization, the story takes you through Mark's attempts in understanding leadership. It's a simple story told in simple words. The concept of having your own definition of leadership is relevant. Although books might tell you what leadership is and what it is not, it is important to have one's own definition of leadership. Ever since I read this book, I have been introspecting on what my definition of leadership is.

The author clearly distinguishes between drive and passion. "When I'm driven, it feels like a powerful push to accomplish something. It's like the force of my determination pushing me to go ahead. When I'm passionate, I feel like I'm pulled by the project".

One more distinction I liked is the difference between management and leadership. "Management creates a story to make sense of the past and guide our actions in the present. Leadership creates a story of the future that makes our present actions meaningful".

Another insightful distinction offered in the book towards the end is "Leadership builds a community of purpose. Management builds a community capable of purpose".

Simple words, good insights and a short story revolving around leadership make this book an interesting read.

Note taking

2009-12-10T15:50:00.000+05:30

As a product manager, I receive information from different sources at all possible times of the day - emails, action items, random ideas/thoughts, meeting notes, telephonic discussions with various stakeholders, interesting nuggets of information from blogs and news sites, useful links for future references etc. Having made the shift from an engineering role to a product management role, the first challenge that I had to face was to manage this sudden pile of information. I initially made notes in a single text file and searched through this file whenever I need to refer. But this was proven to be a cumbersome task when I had to organize this information into clear groups. Then I shifted to a model of creating separate text files based on the categories - Project Ideas, Tasks, Meeting Notes, Conference call discussions etc. This was working well for a while until I realized it wasn't easy to transfer the information collected in this manner across different computers.

I stumbled upon this application "Evernote" while reading through one of the productivity blogs. I fell in love with this application instantly and it has been a constant companion for the past one year both in my professional and academic life. I can access my account across multiple computers and synchronize the contents. This had solved the immediate painpoint that I had faced in note taking using text files. The interface is very intuitive. I can create multiple notebooks to organize the different categories of information that I want to track. I have created a notebook named "Inbox" to capture every kind of input that I come across which has to be tracked for future reference. Then I just drag and drop the individual notes from this notebook to other notebooks depending on the category they belong to. I can clip images, web content (from Firefox) and emails (from Thunderbird) through the plugins that Evernote provides. Whenever I attend any meeting or conference call, I quickly jot down all the points being discussed and capture the action items. Checkboxes can also be added in front of the action items in case one wants to identify the tasks to be taken up after the meeting.

Before I have a discussion with either my manager or my peer, I note down the questions and points to be discussed. During the discussion, I capture the responses either in a different font or color. This helps me to quickly go over the points discussed and plan the next steps accordingly. Search feature is very useful given the humongous amount of information one has to deal with on a daily basis. Although many Evernote users find the tagging feature very useful, I still haven't found valid use cases for myself in order to use this feature. My current setup seems to work just fine.

The value provided by this free application is just tremendous. Definitely worth giving it a shot!

Chequered flag

2009-12-09T17:16:00.000+05:30

It still hasn't sunk in; the feeling of not having to go to IIMB every Fri and Sat, attend fantastic lectures, work on assignments and projects. This has been my weekend routine for the past 2.5 years which has finally come to an end last week. My classmates who have one more term to go ask me how do I feel. "I feel relieved, yet I know I am gonna miss something" is my standard reply for now. Looking back, these 2.5 years resulted in creating some memorable experiences.

Unless you are interested in knowing what the hell I did in these 2.5 years at IIMB, you can skip this post.

After I joined work immediately after completing my Engineering degree, I didn't have any BHAG (big, hairy, audacious goals) except for the fact that I wanted to do my post graduation. One of my well wishers told me that once I get involved in work, I may just drop the idea of pursuing my higher education. She asked me to keep looking for opportunities for higher education. As family commitments prevented me to move to a full time post graduate programme, I had narrowed down my options to part time offerings. I was more interested in management than technical education. I had even written about my perspectives a while ago on this topic

Having narrowed down on part time MBA as my preferred choice, I came across PGSEM which is the appropriate option for me. One of my PGSEM seniors and also a colleague at work suggested that it is good to join PGSEM only after 4-5 years of work experience. I'm glad I got this advice at the right time. I felt 2007 was the perfect time to join this programme as I had 5 years of work experience by then. I took the PGSEM admission test (similar pattern to that of CAT) and the faculty interview also went well. I still remember the day when I got the email indicating the offer to join the school. I was so excited to join a premier B-school and get back to being a student.

The orientation session created a lot of jitter when seniors scared us on how tough the programme is and how one needs to balance four aspects of life - work, studies, family and Bangalore traffic. To get used to the case based pedagogy, we were given a case to prepare in advance. Prof.L.S.Murthy's superb analysis of the case brought out many insights and created a lot of interest to learn more using this approach. We were given a pile of books for the first quarter at the end of the day. At the end of the orientation session, I realized this journey is going to be fun and exciting.

The first year was packed with core courses and we had some excellent Professors. Some of them are brilliant in their respective domains - Prof.Rishikesha Krishnan for Strategic Management, Prof.Ranganathan for Microeconomics, Prof.Sourav Mukherjee for Managing Organizations, Prof.Mahadevan for Operations Management. The scope of my understanding of business definitely widened, thanks to all the Professors. The education methodology was a stark contrast in comparison to my Engineering days. As someone rightly said, "you take from an MBA as much as you can give". I realized how true this saying is. As I had very minimal understanding of Finance before MBA, I paid a lot of attention to financial accounting and corporate finance courses. Our FinAcc Professor Prof.MS Narasimhan was brilliant in explaining complex accounting principles with simple examples. Although I fared well in both the finance courses, my areas of interest were definitely Marketing and Strategy. Somehow I started to appreciate the case based subjects more than theory.

This led to my selection of marketing and strategy based electives in the second year. Among the various marketing electives I took, the two interesting courses from Prof.Ramesh Kumar (Consumer Behavior, Behavioral dimensions and marketing strategies) triggered a lot of interest in me to dive deep into this fascinating subject that links how individual behavior towards various products and services can play a vital role in formulating a firm's marketing strategy. Professor really inspired us to think differently as part of our case analysis and assignments. Once one accepts the rigor of these two courses, there is a lot to be learnt from class discussions and Prof's lectures. Sometime in the near future, I am really keen to pursue my doctoral dissertation in this fascinating subject of Consumer Behavior and its role in Marketing.

One of the other courses that really inspired me is "Reinventing entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial leadership" by Prof. DVR Seshadri. Professor really made us look at life from a different perspective. The initial few lectures in this course were just mind blowing, with many AHA moments. Many of the Professors have such a vast experience in their professional lives that the examples they quote from their own experience is definitely worth listening.

In the third year, two of the electives I took were just amazing and both were from the finance domain - Prof R Narayanswamy's Financial statement analysis and Prof PC Narayan's Banking, Financial Markets and Systems. When Professors are humorous and give lot of examples to explain complex concepts, the courses become so interesting. If my interest in Finance domain is kindled now, I owe it to both these Profs. Having completed these 2 courses, I can only regret why I haven't chosen them earlier in the 2nd year.

Though I have been talking only about courses and Profs, it doesn't mean the program is only about learning. I have met interesting people, made some good friends and shared a lot of fun moments. The Cafe Coffee Day counter at IIMB knows about all the stories and gossips we talked about!

PGSEM journey is definitely one of the best times of my life. My perspectives have broadened. I have started to look at life differently (no exaggerations here). I no longer dread reading any of the business newspapers or magazines. I have become better at managing myself, my time and my efforts.

All these wouldn't have been possible if not for my supporting and encouraging husband. He stood by me during the challenging times when I had tonnes of submissions and project work lined up. He was very understanding when I wasn't available for a leisurely activity on a weekend.

I should definitely mention the support offered by my organization and all my managers during these 2.5 years. Not once they asked me to skip classes to attend a meeting at work on a Friday morning.

If you are interested in pursuing a part time MBA filled with interesting experiences and learning from fantastic faculty members and you have the support of your family and organization, then this programme is a perfect fit for you.

A one day drive to Talakad

2009-12-08T13:24:00.001+05:30

To celebrate the completion of my exams in the last term of PGSEM, my husband and I decided to go on a one day drive last Sunday. We narrowed down on Somnathpur and Talakad the previous night and set the alarm clock at 5 AM. Our plan was to leave home at 6 AM. As luck would have its way, we ended up switching off the alarm and dozed off until 8:30 AM when our maid came home and rang the door bell. Although we were a bit disappointed, we decided to go ahead with the plan and left home at 10:30 AM. Hubby had browsed through google maps and neatly taken a printout of the route. Although I like to browse through maps, I don't really believe in following the map to the finer detail. I let the route and the directions on the way take the lead.

The traffic wasn't bad and we hit the NICE Road and later Mysore Road in less than an hour. This route is a familiar one as we have done such short trips earlier. We stopped at Hotel Kadu Mane for breakfast and packed lunch for the trip. After reaching Maddur, we took a left turn towards Malavalli and reached the lake as per the map. From this point, we took a different direction and got lost for a bit. It was already 2 PM and we couldn't find the route to Somnathpur. Luckily, we spotted a familiar KTDC yellow direction board pointing towards Talakkad. It was a nice stretch of road, with green fields on either sides. The road was a deserted one, with no traffic or people. Although a few stretches were bumpy, overall the road was fine. We hit the T junction with Somnathpur and Talakkad on opposite ends. As visiting both the places is out of question, we took the left turn towards Talakkad. By the time we reached the gate that leads towards the temples, it was 3:45 PM. It's a long walk for about 2 kms from here. There were a few auto rickshaws available at this junction. They typically charge around 30-40 Rs for a ride to the temple. We visited the sand temples of Lord Shiva and returned back to the parking spot. It was high time we had lunch. We drove down a little bit and parked at a beautiful place with paddy fields. The long walk and fresh air had increased our appetite so much that the pooris we packed in the afternoon tasted divine.

The return route was a different one as we took a longer detour but a very beautiful road.

The maps that we decided to ditch were lying on the dashboard. The villagers were so helpful in giving accurate directions that one doesn't need GPS or Google maps. After a coffee break at Cafe Coffee Day, we headed back home. Overall, it was a good drive, with nice scenic routes. It would have been much better had we started early.

a sudden surge of memories

2009-11-26T17:47:00.001+05:30

Dear Grandpa,

Your memories struck me all of a sudden in my dream during a quiet, afternoon siesta today. I woke up with your image clearly lingering in my eyes. It took me back to some of the best moments of my childhood during my days with you and Grandma.

As a playful kid, your strict disciplinarian rules made me hate you a lot. Now looking back, those days are funny; days when you chased me and my brother while we were climbing the guava trees, when we used to jump on the fresh sand you had bought for some construction work and so on. Although everyone else seemed to have ignored you or your words, for a change I was intrigued by you.

How did you manage to be so disciplined even when you were in your 70s, grandpa? I do sometimes struggle at this aspect at my young age, thanks to my laziness. I still remember those days when you never used to miss hearing the 6 o'clock morning news from your radio. Being self sufficient is something I had learnt from you. Managing your own type-writing institute post retirement, incentivizing your grandkids to get their help in correcting the typed papers, your whistle to announce to the whole street that there are mock exams happening in your institute, your way of organizing the corrected and uncorrected papers everyday and many more vivid memories. There were times I used to just sit in front of you and watch your habits keenly. Being organized and methodical is something I saw in you everyday.

Remember the time when you helped me with an essay competition in school! We sat together, gathered a pile of your old history books in front of us and you typed out a whole essay for me. Being in this Internet age, the essay you helped me write just by referring to your old history books now seems like a spectacular task, though it was very obvious to you then. I wish I had saved a copy of your hand typed essay.

Doing more with less is something I learnt from you, grandpa. You saved up one sided papers, you tried to reuse as much as you can. These habits somehow got internalized in me as well. Your excitement and fun during the event of Bhogi is still vivid in my memories. How you used to bring things of no use from nook and corner of your home so the kids in your home can burn them and have fun on Bhogi! I recollect those days when you were having a lot of interest in gardening and you used to give away bunches of curry leaves and drumsticks from your garden to the neighbours.

Although I didn't understand many of your words, some of them are making sense to me now. "Money gets more respect than people" - this is something you were murmuring every now and then. I didn't get it then but I get the deeper meaning of that phrase now. It's been a few years since you left your home to meet grandma in heaven. I have never returned to your home after that day. I cannot bear to see your home that personified you and characterized by these beautiful memories, now being renovated and remodeled as a modern day apartment.

I never got a chance to meet or interact with my paternal grandfather. You filled the gap in many subtle ways. Thanks for the many memories that made my childhood the happiest phase of my life.

Yours loving granddaughter.

Share the risk

2009-11-16T12:53:00.000+05:30

It's interesting to analyze the low penetration of e-commerce in India from a consumer behavior perspective. Why are Indian consumers not really buying this idea of e-commerce? What are the critical factors that prevent them from becoming an actively engaged buyer in the Internet marketplace? Although the factors could be many, I would like to look at it more from a risk perspective.

Pick up any text on consumer behavior and you will come across this relevant concept called "perceived risk". Schiffman and Kanuk in their book on consumer behavior define perceived risk as "the uncertainty that consumers face when they cannot foresee the consequences of their purchase decisions".

Although Internet has become a powerful tool in enabling information search and content aggregation, many consumers still prefer to make the final transaction by visiting a store. There are certain uncertainties in the minds of consumer that need to be addressed.

Consumers think about the following consequences before transacting online:

- Is my financial information secure? Has the correct amount been debited from my credit card? What will happen if there is a network issue and the financial transaction between the e-commerce provider and my bank is incomplete? How do I resolve such issues?

- Will the product that I order be delivered on time? Will there be any issues with the quality of product delivered? What if I'm not happy with the product? How do I return?

The first set of questions can be classified under "financial risk" while the second set of questions can be classified under "functional risk" or "time risk".

How can e-commerce providers ensure the financial risks are mitigated? Although transactions using standard payment gateways are secure, the firms need to ensure the consumers are made aware of the facts in case of any issues. The e-commerce providers should take responsibility to enable safe transactions. In case of an issue, the provider shouldn't delegate the responsibility of issue resolution to the consumer. Instead, he can help the consumer in resolution by working with the bank and payment gateway providers. This will help a great deal in increasing the trust levels of the consumer. Completion of a financial transaction in a safe and secure manner is a basic hygiene factor that e-commerce providers should take care of. They should work with banks and payment gateway providers to identify and set the right performance SLAs.

The time risk elements can be alleviated by letting the customers know in advance when exactly the product is expected to be delivered. The e-commerce provider has to be specific with the timelines. Individual status tracking notices such as "Product dispatched through XXX courier service - tracking ID yyy" can also be emailed so the consumer doesn't get anxious.

Return policies and warranties should be provided to the consumer as part of the transaction flow so the consumer can review them and continue with the transaction only if he agrees with the policies set by the e-commerce provider. The risk levels could be reduced by being transparent and providing the required information as part of the buying cycle even though the customer may not have asked for such details explicitly.

As a service category, if e-commerce has to evolve and grow, these perceived risks ought to be resolved so that consumers find the service to be more credible and trustworthy. Unless these basic factors are taken care of, the industry will continue to face challenges in growth.

Navigation for your mind

2009-11-16T12:46:00.000+05:30

I'm an ardent believer of mindmaps. I have been creating a lot of mindmaps in my professional and student life. Whenever I need to work on a presentation or a report on a relatively new topic, mindmaps have proved to be very helpful. As I read up on different aspects related to this topic from various sources, I create nodes with the information I have collected. After a thorough research, my mindmap is filled with little nuggets of information in a somewhat organized fashion. Once I sit down to write the report or make the presentation, I just need to refer to this huge mindmap and prepare the material as needed. This last step takes little time compared to earlier days when I used to open a document and start collecting my research notes directly and then organize the content in a presentable manner.

In projects or tasks where you have little prior knowledge or the outcome is not very clear, mindmaps help to take the next set of actions and capture the details in a single place. At present, I'm working on a presentation on an industry about which I have little prior knowledge. I have been doing a lot of secondary research, reading up market research reports and press releases. In my mindmap, the root node is the industry. The first level child nodes are market statistics, key players, revenue models, current differentiating factors and challenges.

I also have two child nodes -
- Ideas to capture my personal thoughts as I work on this project and
- parking lot to capture interesting tidbits and facts

These child nodes then branch further into more data and information gathered in the past few days. I also highlight important points as I build the mindmap. When I work on the powerpoint deck, I find it extremely easy to sort out the relevant details and organize the presentation.

I have two mindmap softwares in my laptop - XMind and FreeMind. Both are easy to use and very intuitive. You can also export the mindmaps to jpg files or pdfs.

Mindmaps help to sort out relevant knowledge from the overload of information we get from various sources. I highly recommend using mindmaps for any kind of research, exploratory or academic work.

Infinite blessings

2009-11-12T11:00:00.000+05:30

My contribution to 3WW

monsoon rain tapped my windows
I opened, a flurry of drizzly rain
on my dry face and frizzy hair
a fresh feel, it was

hankered for such a moment
I stepped out, leaving behind
the colorful blue umbrella
with a dejected look

the empty roads, no longer murkier
an errant walk in the rains
dancing and getting drenched,
my palms gathering droplets

infinite blessings from the sky!

Realization

2009-11-10T11:09:00.003+05:30

She is lost in her deep thoughts. The bamboo swing gently sways due to the cold monsoon breeze. The effects of the distant drizzle and the dark clouds creates a slight shiver but aptly alleviated by the steaming ginger tea held tightly onto her palms. The complimentary effects are sublime and soothing. Her gaze is directed at the tiny squirrel running on the grills of the balcony. "A very active creature", she wonders. Her woolen shawl wrapped nicely around her shoulders provides the much needed coziness. A pink colored journal and a blue fountain pen on the side table are her best friends in these pristine solitary moments. She rambles everything that was going through in her mind - her dreams, her wishes, the past and the present.

The doubtful sunshine peers through the dark clouds once in a while announcing its erstwhile presence. The gentle breeze transforms into a sudden wind, wiping out the dark clouds in a jiffy. The clear sky with patches of clouds interspersed in a random fashion becomes visible to her dreamy eyes. A sense of clarity emerges. She quickly picks up her journal and writes as though there is no end to her sudden realization.

"My morning walk around this beautiful lake gives me a refreshing feel. With the peak season in the vicinity, this lake will no longer be my possessed asset. I have to share it with the rest of the world. The motor boats will cause a deafening noise, disrupting the serene surroundings.

As expected, the peak season started and the tourists thronged from all possible directions. Some were in a hurry, picking up tickets for the boat ride, hiring the fastest motor boat and racing past everyone and experiencing the adrenaline rush as navigated by the boatman. Some were not so in a hurry but impatient, yelling at everyone to maintain discipline and stand in a queue. When their turn came, they chose a colorful big boat and a skilled boatman who can paddle very well. Some more people wanted to experience the ride on their own. They hired a pedal boat and slowly pedaled through their way on the lake. Their feet hurt a little with constant pedaling but they seemed to enjoy the pain in return for the pleasure of their self drive. There I was, standing amidst these different sets of people, wondering where I belong. "What kind of a boat do I want to hire? Is there a need for a boat? What is the higher order purpose of this journey?", I asked myself. Valid questions to ponder over. That's exactly what I was brooding over during those long morning walks.

With a few skills picked up earlier, I trusted my instinct and went back home to the basement. There it was, the old rugged canoe, unused and untouched for a long time. It was heavy but I decided to lug it over towards the lake. My shoulders hurt because of the heavy weight of the canoe but I was determined. "Let me be the one who rides through my lake", I made up my mind. The accessories were neatly wrapped around in a cloth. I walked slowly, panting for breath and took breaks every 15 minutes until I reached the lake. Having placed the canoe in a safe spot, I returned back home to bring the accessories.

It was my turn and I slowly pulled the canoe onto the lake, with a thick coir tied to a metal handle on the shore. At first, it rocked and looked like it was about to topple. But I balanced its position and slowly untied the coir. I clutched the paddle tightly and started to steer towards the direction I wanted to go. The old canoe seemed to have understood my intentions and we moved, slowly and steadily. After a while, my hands started to hurt but I started to appreciate the pain. We ventured out onto areas typically unexplored by the other boats - the quiet corners filled with white lilies, the low hanging mango trees on the sides of the lake. At some spots, I lost the balance and was about to topple but recovered at the last minute. I slipped into the lake once and was holding onto the edge of the canoe and after much effort, I pulled up myself and got onto the canoe. Quite an experience, I should say.

I paddled towards the center of the lake where the tourists were sitting on their row and pedal boats and clicking pictures. I waved at them and gave a big smile. Some of them responded by waving their hands while others seemed to be in a grumpy mood, either unhappy with the boat, the boatman or the journey itself.

After spending the whole evening, I steered my canoe back to the shore. The sun had already set. I looked all wet and dirty but the experience I gathered in the past few hours was rather memorable and exhilarating. It was my own effort using my own boat. I was in the driver's seat and I decided where to go and what to do than leaving the fate of the experience in the hands of a boatman. It was a satisfying ride and I went home for a peaceful sleep...."

Healthy breakfast in multiplexes

2009-11-03T17:44:00.000+05:30

Years ago, when there were fixed timings for movie shows in cinema theatres (11 AM, 3 PM, 6 PM and 10 PM), a bag of popcorn and a glass of pepsi were an ideal combination to munch and enjoy the movie. With the proliferation of multiplexes, there are shows at different timings starting from 10 AM. Some of the screenings are at odd hours - for instance 12:30 PM show. It is too early to have lunch prior to the movie and too late to have lunch after the movie, especially if the movie runs for 3 long hours. The same problem occurs with a Sunday morning show at 10 AM. Sundays being the only days where most of us get a chance to enjoy sleeping until the sun rays start to peep in through the window. Mornings are also the times when the ticket rates are relatively less expensive compared to other show timings. So what do we do? We end up waking at around 9ish, have a quick bath and rush to the multiplex without breakfast. Although popcorn and pepsi is the perfect combo, that's not healthy at all and can never replace a breakfast.

How about idlis chopped into manageable chunks that you can eat them using a fork while watching a movie? I'm not talking about regular idlis here but the different flavored ones like podi idli (sprinkled with spicy gunpowder) or whole moong idli that doesn't really need a sambar or chutney as accompaniments. Maybe, stuffed paranthas can also be split into pieces and sold as a pack. Before entering the cinema hall, one can grab a pack of these idlis or paranthas, enjoy the movie without the guilty feel of skipping breakfast and enjoy popcorn and pepsi during intermission.

Probably, Mr and Mrs.Idly can explore this idea further and test out this concept in prominent multiplexes like PVR or Inox.

Is this a plausible business idea? Or am I just thinking about a painpoint I faced as a customer of PVR Cinemas?

Notes from Nasscom Product Conclave - Oct 2009

2009-11-03T15:38:00.000+05:30

Last week, I attended the Nasscom Product Conclave on Oct 27 and 28. Although I couldn't attend all the sessions as they were overlapping, I managed to attend a few interesting sessions and panel discussions. Most of the discussions were focused on issues related to startups, business plans and GTM strategies. Focus on specific product related issues was rather missing. But overall, it was a set of useful discussions.

The twitter session was entertaining but I don't really agree with some of the strategies suggested by Guy Kawasaki in using twitter as a marketing tool. Bombarding the followers with interesting links will just be an overkill in order to add more followers. But Guy is an entertaining speaker and definitely a good marketer. I'm sure the number of pageviews to Alltop would have increased in the past one week.

Raw notes from the sessions below:

Guy Kawasaki's key note (The art of the start)

Put everything in the cloud
Ship, then test
Use TweetMeme in your blog
Forget venture capital
Niche thyself (I agree with this completely)
Don't let the bozos grind you down
Position yourself in a 2*2 where you are high on uniqueness and high on value

Workshop on Marketing and Branding Strategies for Product Organizations

"Product made in factory, brand is what customer buys" - David Aaker
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you and then you win" - Mahatma Gandhi
Brand communication should make you relevant to your customer and different from your competition
Media and Public relations have been leveraged well by Infosys to build their brand
Three customers of your brand - Investors, Consumers and Employees
Consumer Experience - more important than brand identity or advertising
There is very little or no difference among products which creates the need to identify the unique value proposition (UVP)
UVP includes everything that engages a customer
Always stay in touch with consumer and buyer behavior
Product has become the minimum hygiene factor for all product companies. Uniqueness has to be derived outside the product
In the initial stages of the company, the brand is "YOU"
In many of the business plans, questions like "Who are you building the product for?", "Is there a need?" are not answered well
You need to justify the marketing spend in terms of RoI when you mention your marketing plans as part of your business plan. Calculate the marketing spend per acquired customer and the revenue gained per acquired customer
Keep asking "How will I get my first customer?"
There is a need for an evangelist within the company for brand creation
You need to identify points of dissatisfaction. You cannot sell to a satisfied customer
Customer service also helps a lot in building your brand. People don't have problems with problems but the ability to respond to problems and being honest about them is critical for a start-up
Keep questioning "Do I really want to build my startup in a crowded marketplace?"
During customer presentations in a B2B scenario, do not directly pinpoint the customer's inefficiencies. Let the customer open up and talk about the issues they are facing. Ensure you are able to steer the discussion to get the customer to talk and then explain how your product can solve the customer's issues

Panel discussion: Product Strategies in the telecom sector

VAS contributes to 8 to 10% of operator revenues in India compared to 20% in LATAM
Product Management capabilities needed in the sector to build products and sell to international markets
Identify the right partners in delivering end-to-end solutions. Ensure there is effective agreement on content aggregation with providers

Keynote by Pallab Chatterjee - MD and Operating Partner, Symphony Technology Group

Curtis Carlson's definition of innovation - Creation and Delivery of new customer value in the marketplace with a positive return for enterprise
Value proposition identification (using NABC model)
- the important customer Need
- the unique, compelling Approach
- the superior, customer Benefits per costs
- when compared to the Competition
Innovation Index = Value/(Cost*Time)

GTM strategies for product startups

Web presence more important in the consideration stage of buyer lifecycle
Product knowledge and passion to sell are just not sufficient for selling
Connecting to end users should be continuous either through newsletters, new product releases etc
Ensure enough efforts are spent towards sales resource readiness
Price = Value = Perception
Tools for GTM
- Affiliate Marketing
- Paid Search
- Organic Search
- Free Trial
- Brand advertising
- Email
- A/B testing

Panel discussion on Accelerating Product Innovation

Innovation must be to India what quality is to Japan
Mindset towards innovation - deference to the developed world, deference to industry giants and deference to industry and market trends
Innovation starts with a challenge and capabilities are acquired next
Deference v/s Positive Irreverence
Secondary research or brainstorming not sufficient to validate a new product idea

Trade-off

2009-10-26T21:44:00.002+05:30

Rigorous Advertising and Promotional offers seem to be working well for the organized retail players in Bangalore. If Star Bazaar and Total Mall were going gung-ho with their promotional fliers, last weekend, we saw a flurry of activity from Spencers Hyper Market that has opened up in Sarjapur Road. The crowd was thronging the new groceries outlet from the day of opening. A special counter called "Collect your free gift" was crowded even more. It's something that I can never miss.

Hubby and I visited this hypermarket yesterday, looking at different varieties of imported sauces, canned foods and snacks. It's good to see that we can now prepare Italian, Mexican or American cuisine with as much ease as Indian delicacies, what with all the malls stocking up the raw materials required. On the flip side, some of the practices that have been damaging the environment are also on the rise.

For instance, the plastic covers at the vegetables and fruits section. I seriously wonder how many rolls of plastic sheets are being consumed on a daily basis from these malls. Whenever I tear up a plastic cover from the roll, I feel guilty but I try to overcome it by storing these plastic covers and reusing them wherever possible. I also try my best to shop at local vegetables and fruits market where the vendor puts all the items in a single plastic bag. I come home and wrap the vegetables in the plastic covers that I have collected. Although I'm not eliminating my usage of plastic, I'm trying to reduce my consumption as much as I can.

One way to cut down on plastic consumption in such situations is to have a similar setup as a vegetable market where a vendor (in this case, a hypermarket employee) can measure the quantity and drop the vegetables in either a cloth or a jute bag. Once we bring the vegetables home, we can wrap them in zip pouches and put them in the fridge. Since we "pay" for the zip pouches and the quality of such pouches is good, I believe we wouldn't feel like throwing them away as we get rid of low quality plastic bags.

Small steps taken by each of us can help a great deal in preserving the environment. We are in a situation where we have to make a trade-off between protecting the environment and our convenience. What's going to be your choice?

I came across this picture on "The Great Pacific Garbage patch" recently and it definitely looks disturbing.

Get things done

2009-10-22T17:44:00.002+05:30

I'm not as crazy as Monica of FRIENDS when it comes to organizing things but I do like to be organized and meticulous. This characteristic of mine has been very helpful throughout my professional and personal life. Before I start any initiative, I sit down and prepare lists with the tasks and actions along with tiny little check boxes right next to them. It's an awesome feeling to put a checkmark once you are through with the task. At the same time, it can also be an anxious and frustrating feeling when the boxes are unchecked and the list keeps expanding.

I have tried simple paper based lists in tiny notebooks that I used to carry all the time. But this overwhelming feeling has always been there when I look through the list of things to be done. Being a person who likes to dabble with many different things, the list is always huge with immediate actions to big, hairy dreams. I have also explored list managing tools from MS Excel to Outlook task manager to many such similar applications. Although I was able to execute on many of the action items, I always had the feeling of getting lost in different tools, notebooks, papers and post-its.

Sometime back in 2006, I came across this book "Getting things Done" by David Allen from one of my favorite blogs (Steve Pavlina). I went to a book store and was shocked to see that this book is priced at around 460 Rs. I didn't buy it but after a few months, I changed my mind and bought it. I started reading it over the next weekend and was able to appreciate some of the principles like "Mind like water", "Context based lists", "differences between processing and doing" etc. I started implementing the productivity methodology using pen and paper. After the initial excitement, the enthusiasm had died down and I went back to my old ways of random lists.

For three years, I didn't go back to this book or the methodology again. About a month ago, when I seriously decided to work on many things that I really want to work on, I went back to this book, refreshed the methodology from blogs and David Allen's website. This time, I wanted to be serious about it and not give up in between.

I'm a fan of Evernote and have been using it as a primary notes management application. I experimented with using Evernote as a GTD tool. It gave me the initial push and I was able to follow the methodology and accomplish some of the action items that were long pending. After a couple of weeks, I stumbled upon this fantastic GTD tool called ThinkingRock (I love their logo!!!). This tool is built for GTD and follows the same workflow as what David Allen has proposed in the book. I've been using this tool for the past 3 weeks and I'm making good progress on many of the open loops and projects. My mind seemed to have reduced the chatter of constant reminders of tasks that ought to be done, thanks to GTD and ThinkingRock.

While I'm working on my laptop, when a thought/action item/idea occurs, I immediately click the ThinkingRock app (It's open as soon as I switch on my laptop), press F6 and record it (Collect Phase). I know I can come back to this recorded item later. This doesn't disrupt my normal flow of things.

On a daily basis, I spend some time, looking at the collected items one by one and decide what needs to be done. I can either classify it as a project (if it involves more than one action) or a next action (Process Phase). I set the context and decide if I can schedule it to a specific date, delegate it or mark it as ASAP.

Whenever I need to do these tasks, I just look at the list of tasks, grouped by context and start completing them one by one.

For a detailed understanding of how this methodology works, buy the book and read it. I highly recommend it. If not, there are tonnes of resources available in the web and in David's website. Leave a comment if there are any questions on GTD, I'll be glad to help you out.

The visible jinx broken

2009-10-19T22:31:00.001+05:30

The story plot that has been lingering in my mind for sometime now is finally taking some shape in the form of written words. I have started out on my very first novel. It's not my childhood dream to become a writer but ever since I started blogging in 2004, I have been enjoying the process of writing. It's a fulfilling feeling to see thoughts taking a tangible shape. I'm learning in the process as I churn out grammatical errors and improve my vocabulary.

As with any new initiative, there is always an initial hesitation to get started and see some output coming through. Excuses float around in all directions. We divert our attention on purpose by working on numerous other tasks except this new initiative. I decided to break this barrier by not allowing any excuses to crop up. Having started with implementing the GTD methodology(I have a next action item to write about this technique this week), I could see good progress with many open loops in my life.

I now feel so relieved, having penned down the first ten pages. Sometimes all you need is a little solitary time to push you towards the right direction and wake you up from procrastination. With Kishore-da and Lata-ji's yesteryear melodies for company, the experience has been unique with me getting into the life of my protogonist and characterizing the qualities.

My plan is to have the first draft of my novel ready by end of this year. One of my colleagues mentioned to me sometime back that I'm a good finisher. Hope I could continue to remain true to this nature of mine.

It's blog action day

2009-10-15T15:02:00.002+05:30

Climate Change - a very relevant topic for this year's Blog Action Day. In my existence so far in this beautiful planet, I have noticed the changes and the drastic impact climate change has started to create. There is enough material available in the web to discuss about the causes of such climate change that's happening in the world. Through this piece, I want to let the world know of the tiny little steps I'm taking to reduce the impact of climate change. I know these are very miniscule efforts and there is a long way to go.

I'm a believer of public transport and have been using the public buses in Bangalore. Though the buses get crowded in the peak hours, there are different options available in the form of Big10, Volvo buses etc. The ticket prices are affordable and doesn't burn a hole in my purse. Also it gives me a bit of satisfaction that I'm reducing air and noise pollution by not hiring an auto rickshaw.

At home, I collect the water that I use to clean rice and vegetables and reuse the same water for the plants in my garden. With water supply restricted through tankers, I have no other option but to reduce the water consumption as much as I can.

I do not print unless it's absolutely needed. I'm fairly comfortable reading from my laptop. Thanks to libraries, I prefer to borrow books than to buy my own copies. I reuse one sided papers and bills/receipts for making shopping lists and rough notes.

I'm trying to reduce the clutter that gets accumulated in my home by consuming less. I highly recommend you to watch this brilliant video called Story of Stuff of how more consumption can in turn lead to severe outcomes of climate change.

I believe several such small efforts can control the effects of climate change. Let's join hands in making a positive impact.

Recent movies

2009-10-15T13:28:00.001+05:30

It's been almost a year since I watched a Tamil movie in a cinema theatre, the last one being Vaaranam Aayiram. By the time I realize a movie is good enough, it's already out of the theatre in Bangalore. Nevertheless, I ensure I don't miss out on good Bollywood movies.

On our wedding anniversary, hubby and I took a day off from work and decided to watch either Love Aaj Kal or Kaminey. I'm so glad we choose the former. LAK is worth a one time watch as I like Saif's acting in such kind of movies. Hum Tum is one of my favorite movies in this genre. As everyone had already mentioned in their reviews, the "Kal" portion was just too good. Saif as a Punjabi has done a tremendous job, so does the actress essaying the role of Harleen Kaur. I couldn't believe when I came to know she is from Brazil. She fitted the role of a Punjabi girl perfectly. I never liked Deepika as an actress as I find her acting and voice to be too artificial. But she wasn't that bad in this movie. I liked some of the songs in this movie, especially the tunes of "Yeh dooriya". Though I wouldn't say LAK is a must watch movie, it's not a bad movie either.

If I have to call one movie as bad in the recent weeks, that would have to be Kaminey. I'm so happy I didn't spend 500 bucks to watch this movie in a multiplex. Thanks to Tata sky, I just spent 75 Rs but it wasn't worth this money and 2 hours of precious time. I couldn't understand what this movie was all about. Is it really worth the hype? A complete must-avoid movie, if you ask me.

Ever since Wake up Sid's promos started airing, it looked to me as an interesting story. The story is not very new as the first half resembles Lakshya to some extent. The protogonists in both the movies do not know what they want to do in life. They come from a rich background, their fathers want them to join their business, their mothers try to convince them to listen to their dads, their girl friends are the smartest and provide them the necessary support. But the screenplay is dealt in a light hearted and fun manner in Wake up Sid. After Konkana's entry, the visuals look colorful. Every frame seems to have a sense of beauty - be it her well decorated condo, her Mumbai Beat office or her experiences in Mumbai. The colors are bright and peppy. I loved the birthday scene where Ranbir makes a cake out of bread,jam and a matchstick. Both Ranbir and Konkana have fitted their respective roles nicely. Though easily predictable, the gradual turn around of events that take their relation from friendship to love is well made. I'm sure the song "Iktara" will linger in my mind for a long time,although I don't understand the lyrics. Wake up Sid is definitely a must watch movie.

2 states

2009-10-13T09:37:00.001+05:30

What an interesting novel! Having read his 3 previous books, I was really looking forward to the release of Chetan Bhagat's 2 states. On my trip to Landmark at Forum, I saw this pile of books with a red colored cover page. I immediately picked up a copy for myself. It's no surprise that everyone waiting in the billing queue had their copies as well.

From the very first page till the end, the plot has been etched out in a very interesting manner. The story is not new to us as we have seen similar stories in Bollywood (DDLJ) or Kollywood (Jodi, Poovellam Kettu Paar, Abhiyum Naanum to an extent). But the way the plot has evolved and the witty dialogues ensure the novel is engrossing. I finished reading it in a 5 hour straight sitting.

It's a love story between a Punjabi boy, Krish and a Tamilian girl, Ananya. The main track of the story is the way they convince their parents to like each other and be present happily in their wedding. As I come from one of the two states, I could easily relate to the customs, food habits and dialogues when the boy meets the girl's parents. The specific part where Krish spends a few months in Chennai, trying to impress her girl's parents was just hilarious and was handled very well with every page having something to laugh about. On the contrary, Ananya's time in Delhi was a bit too serious. After a lot of interesting and funny moments in convincing their parents, the couple finally tie the knot. At the end of this book, I was so impressed with the characterization of Krish. Man, doesn't he love Ananya so much? Although the author says some of the incidents are from his personal lives, I couldn't separate out which ones are real and which ones are fictional. The best part is that he doesn't try to be too preachy about being one country and not multiple states.

It was a lot of fun reading this hilarious novel. If "Five Point Someone" made a lasting impression on you, I'm sure you would love the story of "2 states".

Nancy, the horticulturist

2009-10-12T15:22:00.000+05:30

A new home, a new garden - this was something Nancy had been looking forward to for many months now. Her parents had purchased a piece of land in the outskirts of the city and their home was nearing completion. Nancy has always been fascinated by plants. In their current rented apartment, she used to admire her mom, Cynthia tending to saplings in mud pots in their balcony. She always used to volunteer to pluck tiny roses from the pots just before Cynthia begins her prayers every evening. "She will major in botany and will become a horticulturist!!" - Cynthia proudly proclaimed to her apartment neighbours about her 5 year old daughter.

The day finally arrived when they shifted to the new home. As promised, Nancy's dad Albert ensured they had a nice patch of fresh grass ready in their lawn area before they moved in. Nancy was more excited about the lawn and the grass than their new home. While Albert and Cynthia were busy setting up their home and arranging things, Nancy was joyously jumping and playing on the lawn. When she felt exhausted, she laid flat on the fresh grass, admiring the clear blue sky and singing the kindergarden rhymes that she recently learnt in school.

A month passed by quickly and Albert's family had settled down. It was a Sunday morning and a fat man named Balraj was standing outside Nancy's home. Albert stepped out to speak to him while Nancy was holding her dad's hands and listening to the conversation intently.

"The grass needs trimming and you also need to sprinkle some urea once you have trimmed the grass. Ensure the weeds are also removed. There seems to be some thorns as well. Clean it up nicely. If I like your work, I can think about hiring you as my regular gardener", Albert gave the instructions.

That afternoon, Balraj completed his job perfectly and Albert was impressed, "You seemed to have done a good job. Come over last Sunday of every month and ensure the garden is maintained properly".

The lawn was no longer soft and green. There were brown patches after trimming. Nancy hated the sight of her garden now. "Daddy, I don't like this gardener man. He has cut all the grass and it doesn't look good", she expressed her opinion. "It will grow soon, dear. You have to trim the grass regularly or else the lawn will look bad". Her dad's explanations were not convincing enough.

Month after month, Balraj did his job dutifully but Nancy just hated the sight of him. She was no longer interested in spending her play time on the lawn. Cynthia noticed it and wanted to ensure her daughter's interests in plants doesn't dwindle. It was a sunny evening and the sun was about to set. Nancy was playing with her soft toys, sitting near the portigo. Cynthia sat beside her, "Nancy, I don't see you playing on the grass anymore. What happened? Don't you like the lawn?"

"The grass is not good, mom. I don't like the brown patches. Grass should always be green. Why does the gardener come every month and cut it?", Nancy asked. "This is how one should maintain a garden, dear. You should trim the ends of the grass regularly for it to grow well. Think about this. Doesn't mom take you to the haircut lady every 3 months to trim the ends of your hair? Now, see how it has grown so well! It's the same thing", Cynthia loves to answer the questions her daughter poses now and then. Nancy seemed to have got convinced and was no longer feeling bad about the lawn. Whenever Balraj visits her garden, she started to question him on each and every task he was doing. "Nancy, the horticulturist in the making", Cynthia thought while observing the conversations between Nancy and Balraj.

Gadget gap

2009-10-06T11:49:00.001+05:30

We have always been talking about generation gap for many generations. While I was thinking about different habits in my family, I couldn't help but notice that there is a strong gadget gap as well. Flashback to the late 80s! My father bought home a big Prestige pressure cooker. As a child, I was so excited about the sound of the whistle, while keeping track of the count. The cooker sat proudly on top of the gas stove as a king of the kitchen while the rest of the cooking utensils looked humble like its royal subjects. But this treatment lasted for just a few days as my grandma was completely uncomfortable with this giant new entrant in the kitchen. Although she was scared to use this gadget, she gave excuses like "Oh, the rice doesn't seem to quick properly in this cooker" or "the rice is very dry and doesn't taste good". After the few days, the cooker was safely kept in the topmost kitchen shelf. We were back to our good old ways of using the traditional brass vessel where it takes 30 minutes to cook 1 cup of rice. Yes, you heard it right - 30 minutes of time and LPG energy. It's of no use arguing with grandma for she felt very strong about not using pressure cooker. This continued for many, many years.

Coming back to the current decade, my father is very much comfortable using pressure cooker and when one seems to think the gadget gap is closed, yet another gap opens widely. My brother has bought a cute, little Black & Decker coffee maker. In a family where every morning begins with a hot cup of coffee, this should be a very useful gadget in the kitchen. Before this cute thing landed up, we have been using a manual coffee filter for God-knows-how-many-years. The gentle tapping on the head of this filter used to be my morning alarm. There is a strict and time consuming process that was followed using this filter. There could be severe repercussions if you don't adhere to this process such as spilled decoction, light flavor or burnt fingers.

An automatic coffee maker could solve many of these issues and one can grab a cup of coffee within 10 minutes and get on with the day. But it doesn't seem to be the case. Even though the process is cumbersome, my dad still prefers the manual filter as he believes that coffee from coffee maker is very light and doesn't taste good. I could notice a slight difference in the taste but nevertheless, it doesn't drastically cross my JND thresholds (just noticeable difference). But it's not the same with dad.

I wonder how I would be 30 years from now. What kind of gadgets would come up that would make life easier but I would be reluctant to change my good, old ways? Will it be a robot that programmes as per the recipe details and prepares the meal on its own? Will it be a gizmo that reads from all my books and gives me a summary?

sinusoid

2009-09-23T16:08:00.001+05:30

My entry for 3WW

languish of fierce storms
velocity of ferocious winds
the intensity mellows down

the high tides, quietens their pace
the full eclipse, crosses its prime
the darkness, fades away in a whisker

peace emerges and prevails
the canoe gently floats,
bound the horizon, reflecting

bright red rays of evening sun
stillness of the vast ocean
sinusoidal effects of life

Anything for you, ma'am

2009-09-22T13:21:00.000+05:30

The first 50 odd pages were slow. The plot was going back and forth and it wasn't intriguing enough. But after crossing this initial hurdle, Tushar Raheja's debut novel "Anything for you, ma'am" is a humorous and interesting story. My hubby gifted me this book for my birthday. I hope he really meant the title :-) The Monday break for Ramzan provided me the right opportunity to catch up on this unputdownable novel.

The protagonist Tejas is an IIT student who is not studious and loves to play pranks whenever he gets an opportunity. That's where the similarity with "Five Point someone" ends. What follows is a hilarious narration of Tejas's journey that would enable him to meet his love, Shreya. The coincidences and ironies that Mr.Fate throws up on our poor hero makes one feel very pity for him but at the same time, these twists are what makes the storyline very interesting. His encounters with Prof.Pappi, the master plan he chalks out to skip his industrial tour, the eventful train journey and the people he gets to meet eventually ties the loose ends together. The "Bio Bull" bus also has an important role to play. I had a good time reading through the pages of Tejas's life journey. His narration makes me believe that life is interesting when there are these ups and downs and one gets to share these interesting anecdotes through life's novel. I highly recommend this book for its well connected plot and funny dialogues.

Liberated

2009-09-10T13:07:00.002+05:30

My contribution to totally optional prompt

compulsions of the past
conformance to standards
follower of the herd
never before a rebellious attitude
swaying to society's ways

vagaries of monotony
hit her hard,
"impatient, idealistic",
they called her,
she started to wonder
purpose of her existence

slowly she turned
starts to question everything,
opinionated, execution oriented
eager to make a difference
to her life and others'

decided to chase her guts
a liberated feeling
an open window with the fresh breeze in,
breaks free, opportunities galore
for she had created her own walls
one life, one wish!

Unexpected visitor

2009-09-09T16:35:00.000+05:30

My contribution to 3WW

A quiet, peaceful evening
monsoon rains simmered down,
TV volume blaring away
wrapping up a homely supper

a screeching sound out of the blue
I look around puzzled,
moving in the direction of noise
he peeks under the washing machine

the tiny mouse well engaged
on the slab with anxious looks,
he shakes the contraption violently
standing beside him, I start to scream

the little devil runs into my kitchen
confused and scared, hops on my spice containers
a state of mayhem, I run to a safe place,
the mouse giving me a chase

slamming the door hard
my voice still screaming,
the little brat more scared
than ever, hiding behind

"I am not disarmed", I convince myself
the shrieking scream to the rescue
he laughs, watching my reaction
towards the unexpected new visitor

Green is the colour

2009-09-07T19:00:00.001+05:30

After the fabulous 3 day drive to Belur, Chikmagalur, Mullyangiri and Halebidu, my eyes are still relishing the visual treat. These places were part of my to-visit list for a while now. There are two types of vacations - one that is well planned and the other which is spontaneous. This trip falls under the latter. The key to breaking monotony is to do something spontaneous.

Until Thurs evening, we were not sure whether we want to take this trip. But then we decided "Let's go for it!". I'm glad we took this decision. After searching in the web for reviews, we picked a home stay "Nature Craft". We should have been lucky to get a booking there in the last minute. After quickly packing our bags, we browsed through various maps and narrowed down on the perfect route.

Although we planned to leave by 5:30 AM before Friday's traffic starts to pile up, we eventually left our home only by 6:15 AM. There was a lot of confusion from Kasturba Road to hit NH4 as we were roaming around for nearly 20 minutes with no clear indication of how to get there. Until Neelamangala, there has been a lot of construction work happpening. After we took the deviation towards Kunigal, the drive started to become easy and very pleasant. Long winding roads with greenery on both sides, white and dark clouds fighting to become dominant, a gentle breeze, a light drizzle and occasionally visible sun rays - it couldn't have been more perfect. After a quick breakfast at Kamat (after Channarayapatna), we continued the drive until Belur. It had started to rain and we were thinking if we should head straight to Chikmagalur. But then we decided to visit Channakeshava temple at Belur as we didn't want to miss out on the chance. The ancient temple was so beautiful, with nice stone carved intricate sculptures. We took the help of a guide who showed us around the temple explaining different facts. It was very interesting and informative.

The drive from Belur towards Chikmagalur was even more scenic and beautiful. It was nearly 2 PM when we reached Chikmagalur town and we were very hungry. Thanks to a blog recommendation, we went to Hotel Mayura for lunch. The food was so good that we came to this place for lunch the next day as well. After a little bit of detour, we reached our home stay "Nature Craft" around 4 PM. As we were pretty tired after the long drive, we took a short nap. The homestay was very clean and neat. The hosts were wonderful and very friendly. We chatted with our host Mr.Ansar and his mother over a nice cup of coffee. One could learn a few lessons on good quality of service and hospitality from them. I would highly recommend this place as they made our stay so memorable.

We also met a friendly couple along with their cute pet dog Lana. She was so sweet and intelligent. After this trip, I'm no longer scared of dogs as I used to be.

After breakfast the next day, Mr.Ansar gave us a map to Mullayangiri and Kemmangundi. Because of the revival of the monsoons, it has been continuously raining. Our homestay friends shared their experience visiting Mullayangiri. Although it freaked a bit, we decided to go for it. The roads were getting bad and the mist was engulfing the mountains completely. With 3 more kms to go, we had to decide whether to continue driving or park and walk the remaining 3 kms. We chose to drive and those 3 kms were so thrilling. The winds were blowing so fast. There was almost zero visibility and the muddy road was getting narrower. We were praying that no vehicle returns in the opposite direction. Once one starts to drive these 3 kms, there is no place to take a U turn. You have to go to the top and only then one can turn back. It felt like an adventure. Once we reached the top, the wind was just rocking. I could hardly open the front door of my car as the wind was pushing the door hard. What an experience it was!!

We returned, admiring the mist and wondering how the view would be when it is clear. I would definitely want to visit this place during winter when the sky is clear. After lunch, we headed towards Kemmangundi. Our plan was to just drive half way through the scenic route and come back as it was getting darker. There were coffee plantations on both sides with spectacular views of the mountains. Everything looked gorgeous, until we realized we had a flat tyre. It was in the middle of a deserted road, with a drizzle and wind blowing at a high speed. This was the first time hubby had to fix a flat tyre on his own. We (or rather "He") managed to fix it nicely and decided to turn back from that point as it would be highly risky with no backup tyre. It was a good learning experience.

After replacing the tyre tube, we headed back to our homestay. The Biryani during dinner tasted very good and we had a long chat with our new couple friends talking about dogs, cats and snakes. It's an irony that we get to meet interesting and friendly people at unexpected places and times. The sky seemed to open up the next morning for a brief time. I wonder why it doesn't rain in the last day of our trips. No regrets since the views were so beautiful thanks to the monsoon. After breakfast, we bid goodbye to the friendly homestay hosts. It was a nice gesture when they gave us a bagful of passion fruits and guavas from their plantation. It started off as a bright day and so we decided to visit Halebidu on our way. The Hoysaleswara temple is very similar to the one in Belur.

After a good lunch at Hotel Kadamba in Hassan, we drove back to Bangalore. This is a very memorable trip, with scenic routes, pleasant drive and ofcourse, the nice homestay and the friendly family of Mr.Ansar. I will definitely visit Chikmagalur again during one of the winters to experience the clear sky and views. There are still many places to see from here like Kemmangundi, Hebbe falls and BabubudanGiri hills.

the forgotten summer

2009-09-02T19:35:00.000+05:30

My contribution to 3WW CLIII

A sunny bright afternoon
the scorching rays no respite
humid breeze, howling murmurs
wiggling shadows of trees
whirling storm of dust

the empty highways, a threat
distant mirage, a glare
hope in any shape or form
luster of a tiny raindrop
gently fell on my dry palm

Second attempt

2009-08-24T16:54:00.001+05:30

It was my second attempt, hoping to be successful. I let the plan out to a few of my friends so I don't back out in the last moment like the past couple of years. I diligently noted down the step-by-step action plan after referring to a blog. I ensured I have the right ingredients to make this work. My preplanning skills came in very handy. I started out the process with hubby's strengths put to test along with the help of a strong hammer. The jaggery was broken down to manageable sized chunks. I dropped them all into a vessel which was getting heated and I kept stirring until the jaggery was melted. So far, so good! Hubby came over to inspect the proceedings and as an expert who has seen umpteen number of cookery shows, I intelligently explained the meaning of "kambi padham" (the jaggery should drop from the ladle as a copper string) and how it indicates the jaggery was done. Hubby should have been proud that his wife had actually learnt something from those cookery shows and not just pretending for the sake of taking control of the TV remote.

I gently dropped the grated coconut into the melted jaggery and stirred even more aggressively. I got the slight doubt that I might be overdoing the process since I noticed the blackening of jaggery. But then I was hoping for the jaggery coconut mix to become a nice dough without any watery feel to it. My doubt was confirmed after a burnt smell started to emanate. I quickly switched off the gas stove and kept the vessel away for it to cool down. "Once it cools, it should be okay" - I reaffirmed myself.

I started to prepare the white covering for the kozhukkattais (by now, you should have guessed what I was upto!). The rice flour was made into a soft dough. This was the step I made a blunder during my first attempt a couple of years ago. But this time, I got it right. "You are getting better at this, dear!", some cheer from my heart. I called hubby to help me fill the white covering with jaggery-coconut mix. I took a lemon sized ball of rice flour dough and flattened it on my palm. I asked my hubby to take a spoon of jaggery mix and place it on the center of my palm. The instruction was loud and clear. "I couldn't take out this spoon, it got stuck. And this doesn't look like what it is supposed to be. Looks like some kind of thick dark chocolate", hubby explained. Something went horribly wrong. We tried making 4 pieces of kozhukkattais with great difficulty since the jaggery got stuck to the bottom of the vessel. "Dum laga ke haisha, zor laga ke haisha", we shouted hoping to scratch a spoonful of jaggery. It wasn't worth the effort to complete the remaining dough. I steamed the 4 pieces and offered them to poor Lord Ganesha. Thankfully, I had some fruits as a backup for the offering. "Please don't be offended by these disastrous kozhukkattais", I prayed to my dear friend. Meanwhile, hubby was making fun of me imitating the way I taught him seriously on what "kambi padham" means!!

"I am not going to let this jaggery go as a waste. I'll convert this to a payasam" - my putting-things-to-efficient-use part of my brain got activated. Despite hubby's suggestions to throw it, I didn't want to succumb to the defeat. I added milk and started boiling. Slowly the jaggery was remelted and the ladle started to become visible. I exclaimed "See, it works!". After a while, the jaggery was melted completely and the ladle was rescued. But to my surprise, it didn't look like how jaggery payasam was supposed to be. Hubby looked at it and said it looks like Boost (the energy drink). I tasted a little bit and it was so badly sweet. I didn't want to add any more milk to it as I was sure I cannot recover from this disaster. I accepted the defeat finally and enjoyed the afternoon watching the movie Ratatouille. Ironically the tag line of this movie is "Anyone can cook" :-)

As people say, third time is the lucky charm. Maybe next year, I will get it right!!

A fantasy dinner party

2009-08-16T22:19:00.001+05:30

My contribution to Sunday Scribblings - #176

That's an interesting topic to think about on this beautiful Sunday evening. Let me think about the seven people whom I would want to invite to my fantasy dinner party!!

My hubby
Sachin Tendulkar
Rajnikanth
AR Rahman
JK Rowling
RK Narayan
Bharathiyaar

First, my hubby. I haven't been able to think of any special occasion without his presence in the past seven years. He is my fantasy man and his presence means a lot to me in this dinner party. Also it would be fun to watch him while I interact with my teen crush Sachin :-)

The reason why I started to like cricket is because of this one man Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. Many of my friends and colleagues know how much I like to support him amidst all the media hoopla about his poor performance in the past few matches. I admire his humility and dedication. His hardwork and his ability to handle pressure from such a huge fan following in this country can never be undermined. My plan is to learn a couple of front foot strokes like the straight drive and cover drive from him when we meet at my dinner party.

The Superstar of Tamil cinema is my childhood favorite. I love all his movies and have watched them over and over again. His style quotient and charisma stand out so prominently that his heroics are still admirable even after many years of being present in the Tamil Film industry.

What's a party without some lovely music? Who else can play my favorite music other than Rahman? His music has always been with me - during times when I am happy, sad, delighted, depressed, contemplating or relaxing. He is not only a brilliant musician but also a very talented singer. I would request him to sing my favorite song "VeLLai pookkaL" when he comes to my dinner party.

Her books have kept me hooked onto them for hours together. Her attention to detail and her words which could transport one to the magical school of Hogwarts is inspiring. JK Rowling's Harry Potter books are very special to me as I enjoy reading the books and watching the movies many times.

RK Narayan's simplistic writings and his fictitious town of Malgudi can never be taken away from my life. My reading habit began with his book "Swami and friends" as I wasn't a big fan of reading novels or stories before I came across this lovely narration. His novels kindled in me an interest towards reading which has now become one of my hobbies. He is an inspiration to many aspiring writers like me.

Last but not the least, my favorite Tamil poet Bharathiyaar or fondly called as Bharathi is invited. His poems on different genres such as patriotism and love are truly master pieces. Having been a fan of film songs with good lyrics, I can positively attribute the reason to Bharathi's poems that I learnt as a kid.

That's my list of people I would like to invite for my dinner party. It would be one memorable evening to remember!! So who's on your list?

A disappointing Half Blood Prince

2009-07-30T13:54:00.000+05:30

It has been 2 years ever since Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie was released. I have watched the 5 DVDs over and over again and couldn't wait for Half blood Prince movie to be released. It was a disappointment that the release was postponed for nearly 7 months. When it was officially announced that the release date is July 16th, I decided that I should watch it on the very first day before tonnes of reviews pop up everywhere on the Internet. Having searched through the ticket booking sites a week ahead, the tickets were opened for sale only 3 days earlier in PVR Cinemas. I was eagerly awaiting the evening and was pretty excited to watch HP6 on the first day. At the end of the movie, I wondered if this hype was all really worth it.

First the positives of this movie. A fantastic opening where the Muggles were being attacked by death eaters. The collapsing of the bridge was shot really well. The actor who portrayed the role of Horace Slughorn was perfectly fitting and his introduction was awesome. After the initial excitement, there was a lull until the intermission. The movie was pretty slow, with more importance given to teen romance. The focus on Half Blood Prince was completely lost. Where is the memory of Voldemort's past and his parents? It was disappointing that these were completely eliminated from the movie. To top it all, the climax when Dumbledore was being killed by Snape is next to nothing. When I read the book, I didn't expect this climax and so it made an enormous impact that I ended up in tears the evening I finished reading the book. I'm not expecting the movie would repeat invoking such emotions but it should have created atleast some impact. Harry and Dumbledore's journey to the lake in search of Horcruxes and the following Inferi attack could have been picturized well. Those scenes had the potential of bringing Rowling's words onto visual images in such an appealing fashion but the director failed there.

I agree that the sixth book is really a bridge connecting Voldemort's return and the final battle between Harry and Voldemort. So the action scenes were really less compared to other books. But the few opportunities could have been picturized well. I hope atleast the remaining 2 movies would be good. I still stick to my earlier comment that the first three movies were the best and the remaining three have been a disappointment.

the journey...

2009-06-29T22:13:00.004+05:30

My contribution to Cafe Writing - May/June project - Option #4

A regular Monday morning
I muddle along
the crowd walks past
I wander around

faithful to my instincts
I board the train
dare to travel
wherever it takes

not much to ponder
I take the plunge,
brain seems to wonder
is this who I am?

spontaneous decision perhaps
I am hit by the buzz word
the "bear run" ends
not in the capital markets sadly

the wheels start to move
going direction uncharted,
leaving behind its trails,
the journey is the destination

A memorable trip to the Northeast

2009-06-24T13:04:00.004+05:30

"This is not right. How come she is awake so early? It's still dark outside. Has something catastrophic happened? Or is it one of those rarest possible occasions?"
"You bet it is! Now run away and hide inside the crevices. I don't want to start off my vacation by hitting you"

This is the conversation that happened between me and the confused fat cockroach at 5 AM on Saturday, June 6th. Only a vacation can motivate me to wake up before the sun rises. A month long planning to identify new places, arrange logistics and pack stuff needed for a week has finally culminated in a perfect vacation to the North East region of India. Our taxi arrived on time and my husband and I left for the Bangalore International Airport. This was our first flight from the new airport and we were thrilled to see the beautiful roads and a nice airport of international standards. After the usual checkin procedures, it was time for breakfast. We were horrified to see a dosa priced at 90 rupees and a cup of tea (prepared with a tea bag, mind you!) for 60 rupees. Though the airport has many restaurants, the pricing seems to be standardized at this range.

The flight was on time and we reached Kolkata airport around noon. My dad and my brother had reached Kolkata directly from Chennai and were awaiting our arrival. We had two options - either to book a hotel for the day or roam around Kolkata the whole afternoon since our train to New Jalpaiguri was scheduled to depart at midnight. We went for the second option and hired a taxi. The driver took us to a perfect place for lunch - Haldirams. This place was just like a supermarket, the only difference being that sweets and savories are displayed on many different aisles. The restaurant inside Haldirams served a sumptuous thaali and we helped ourselves to yummy rasgullas. Our ride around Kolkata began with a trip to the Science City. With humidity at its prime, we prefered to lock ourselves in an air conditioned room. What better way than to watch a show about oceans inside the auditorium! It was an hour long interesting show on oceans and fishes. After Science City, we went to Kali temple but had to skip going inside since it was too crowded. Having roamed around the city, taking a glimpse of the Eden Gardens and the Howrah bridge, the taxi driver dropped us off at the railway station at 7 PM. With 5 hours to kill, we took refuge in a AC restaurant, ordering milkshakes one by one and sipping it slowly. There was another guy sitting next to us, sipping a can of Mountain Dew for nearly an hour. We were wondering how accustomed we have become with Bangalore's cool and pleasant weather.

"Once we board the train, we can just doze off", that was our plan. But it was not intended to be so. I would like to meet the famous guy who came up with this brilliant idea of having a side middle berth in train compartments. People were arguing and fighting for their seats for 2 hours. The seat numbers were assigned for a 81 berth compartment whereas the bookings were only done for 72 berths. Sometimes, people get more agitated owing to their egos that simple math and common sense no longer makes sense to them. It was a long and tiring day and finally the confusion over berth numbers ended at 2:15 AM.

The train was delayed by 90 minutes and we reached New Jalpaiguri around noon the next day. The Yatra representative (travel agency through whom we had booked the holiday package) had been waiting for us and he gave us all the details we need for the trip. After the first glimpse of the Himalayan hills, we felt refreshed, watching the flowing Teesta river and the greenery all around. Having skipped breakfast, we found a nice little place for lunch on our way to Kalimpong. We had been traveling for almost 2 days now and as soon as we reached the resort, we took a shower and slept like logs until evening. After taking a walk around for a while, we had dinner and declared the end of the day.

The next morning, we left the resort for a sight seeing trip around Kalimpong and planned to travel directly to Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim. Kalimpong is a little town with spectacular view points around the mountains. The half a day sight seeing trip took us to places such as the Deolo botanical gardens, Hanuman Mandir, nursery and a monastery. The numerous hairpin bends leading to uphill and downhill maneuvers finally took us to the border of West Bengal and Sikkim. After a light lunch, we set off on the beautiful roads of Sikkim with Teesta river accompanying us. We reached Gangtok in the evening and decided to stay at the hotel for the rest of the day. Little did we realize that was a mistake. The next day (Tuesday) was an official holiday in Gangtok and all the shops were to remain closed. We were unaware of this fact as we decided to roam around the market on Tuesday.

Our jeep arrived on time the next morning which would take us to Tsomgo lake that is considered sacred by the local people. The misty mountains, the clear streams and waterfalls created a pleasant feel to the 2 hour drive. After stopping for tea (BTW, we had loads of tea during this entire trip), it was another 30 minute drive on really bad roads. The Tsomgo lake was clear and beautiful. The blue sky created a magical reflection on the lake. There were yaks nearby the lake on which we sat down and took photographs, wearing a cowboy hat. There are some shops around where one could buy souvenirs of Sikkim. We bought a few paintings and also ate some spicy noodles. The Wai wai noodles is the most famous brand in Sikkim that you get them wherever you go. After returning to the hotel, we had lunch and played cards for a while. Having set a well laid out plan that we would go for shopping, we were disappointed because of the public holiday. This is one main glitch we found in the Yatra itinerary. If they had informed us about this fact, we could have planned accordingly. With sudden heavy downpour, the cold weather literally pushed me to dance on the streets of an empty MG Marg.

It was a short stay in Sikkim and I wish we could have stayed a few more days. Sikkim has been added to my visit-again list. I have heard some good feedback on other places of Sikkim. Anyway, we left for Darjeeling the next day. With summer season all around the country, both Kalimpong and Gangtok were not that cold as I expected them to be. Probably the best time to visit these places would be winter, I guess. As soon as we reached Darjeeling, we set out for a half a day sight seeing trip to a Japanese Temple, Buddhist Peace Pagoda, the Zoological park and Himalayan mountaineering institute. With a thick mist engulfing the town, we wanted to return back but the driver insisted that we visit the tea gardens. For the first few minutes, the visibility was close to zero but once the mist started moving, the tea gardens were a visual treat. We bought some tea packets and then roamed around the market area. The woolen sweaters and shawls are good stuff to buy in Darjeeling.

According to the itinerary, we were supposed to leave for Tiger Hills at 4 AM to view the sunrise over Mt.Kanchenjunga. I was excited about this trip but the mist played spoilsport that we could hardly see the sunrise. The driver suggested that the best time to visit this place would be between Sept-Nov. Yeah, point noted! Nevertheless, I bought a postcard which had the spectacular view of Mt.Kanchenjunga. On our way back, we caught a glimpse of the Batashia war memorial and Ghoom monastery. The logistics didn't work out well for the heritage rail ride and so we satisfied ourselves with pictures next to the train in the railway station. The Lloyd botanical gardens was a long walk through narrow lanes and in contrast to many botanical gardens I have visited so far, this was just empty with no tourists. It was a pleasant walk inside the gardens but the route leading upto it was bad.

After a short walk through the local market, we left for New Jalpaiguri and after a similar route of NJP->KOL->BLR for 2 days, we returned home. What a nice trip it was! With no access to laptop or Internet for a week, this vacation was just great. As a person who likes to plan trips and also loves to travel, I enjoyed this trip to Northeast. There are many such new places I want to explore.

Recent reads

2009-06-03T16:22:00.001+05:30

It's a long pending book review, drafted in my mind but has taken a while to pen it down. A few weeks back, I managed to read "The tales of Beedle the Bard" by JK Rowling. Having been a huge fan of Harry Potter, I've been wanting to read this book of short stories ever since it was released. At a price of 600 rupees, I have almost been to the verge of purchasing it whenever I'm in a bookstore but dropped the idea at the last minute. Luckily I got hold of this book in my office library and finished reading on a lazy Sunday evening.

There are 5 short bedtime stories that are popular among the non Muggle kids. Every story is followed by Dumbledore's commentary who gives a background on the story and how it was perceived by the young witches and wizards. You could call it the Cinderella or Snow White of the wizarding world. Out of the 5 stories, I liked two of them - fountain of fair fortune and tale of three brothers.

In the past month, I also happened to read 'The Nordstrom way' as part of my book review assignment. Although it's not really an engrossing book, it paints a good picture of what customer service actually means and how Nordstrom was able to successfully deliver excellent customer service. The book brings together the elements that tie together the strategy and human resource functions of Nordstrom.

After a long time, I read Sudha Murthy's 'Gently falls the bakula' and finished it in 3 hours at a stretch. At the end of it, I felt like I'm returning from watching a Tamil movie. It's a typical story of boy-meets-girl, childhood friends, love and wedding. I admire Sudha's simplistic writing as a story teller and her great admiration for India. She has described many historical places and monuments and interwoven them into the storyplot nicely.

I have started reading RK Narayan's collection of essays that he had written for the Hindu in the 1940s and 50s. I can never get bored of his writings and am glad I have my own copy of his collection. I'm planning to finish this book in the next couple of weeks before my third year of PGSEM officially begins.

Nice weekend

2009-06-01T22:39:00.003+05:30

Although two was the target for May, I was able to plan out one weekend trip at last. Two trips would still have been made possible, if only my neck didn't get sprained from my third swimming class. For more than a week, I could hardly move my neck and as a result, I had to pause my swimming lessons. Hopefully I can get back to the pool soon and learn to float in water.

When I was looking out for short weekend trips from Bangalore, there are many places that popped out on the web. Out of the many, Yelagiri grabbed my attention. I love the hills and mountains and one of my life time goals is to visit all the hill stations in India. I'm almost done with most of them in the South and hopefully can cover a few in the East pretty soon ;-)

Hubby and I left for Yelagiri around 2 PM after packing some munchies for the road trip. Although not really a hill station, Yelagiri is on top of a hillock with 14 hairpin bends leading the way. The roads were just superb after one crosses Hosur. We stopped for a late lunch at Adyar Ananda Bhavan near Krishnagiri. As planned, we reached our resort (Taj Gardens) at 6 PM. It's a nice place with lots of trees, especially mangoes, guavas and jackfruits. We decided to take a walk immediately after we checked in. One of the employees of the resort suggested we could go to Nature Park and watch the musical fountain. The weather was pleasant and the chirping birds were a music to the ears. By the time we reached Nature Park, it became dark and we headed straight to the fountains. It was a 30 minute fountain show and if you had already seen the one in Brindavan Gardens at Mysore, then there is nothing new to see. It was a spooky walk back since it was pitch dark and there wasn't a single soul on the road at 8:00 PM. It's amazing that this place is so quiet with very few commercial establishments. The flip side is that one needs to rely on the resort for all meals. Thankfully, the food provided at Taj Gardens was palatable. The staff was courteous and it was good to see many families in the resort.

After a good night's sleep, we had a quick breakfast and walked towards the lake. We went for boating and took a long walk to a nearby Murugan temple. The sight of a small temple amidst forests and hills is so beautiful. After lunch, it was time to pack our bags and return home. It was a good and relaxing trip with music giving us great company. The irony is that the last song my iPod decided to play before we reached home was "Yunhi chala" from Swades. Kitni aseen hain yeh duniya!!!

Once again, I enjoyed being the travel planner, reading reviews from travel sites, looking at maps for the routes and calling up hotels for enquiries. I hope to plan more such weekend trips in the near future.

Exploring the unknown

2009-05-21T16:51:00.001+05:30

Dark and dense clouds looming large, waiting to open and pour down. Cold winds from the distant shores rocking the tiny catamaran. I open my sleepy eyes, hoping for a cup of tea. Little did I realize, I'm stuck in the middle of a huge ocean, with water all around and land no where to be seen. The sea is rough and stormy weather is irking to topple my boat. The huge waves seem to provide the needed support to the storm. I hold onto the piece of wood, with as much grip as I could. The freezing water makes my hands go numb. The hope slowly fades away, yet the piece of shattered wood is the only support I have right now. There is no point in shouting for help. A silent prayer could be of use. My mind is clear but there is no way I can prevent myself from drowning.

I woke up many mornings after being hit by such worst nightmares and pondering over why oceans scare me off so much. Perhaps, it's the fear of water, fear of drowning or just the fear of not being able to swim. This fear has to stop sometime, I decided. Thanks to the timing of inauguration of the swimming pool in my apartment and an instructor who was ready to train a bunch of interested people, I have taken the first steps to thwart this fear. The adventure has begun and I'm still trying to figure out a way to float in the water without any support. After 3 classes, my instructor must be wondering how on earth could a person be so scared. I always have the fear while gliding that he is going to let go off my hand. I literally had to plead with him not to do so. The best part is that I hold onto my instructor's hands so tightly that he couldn't let go off me even if he wants to.

As a friendly advice, my 9 year old neighbour friend who is an expert swimmer asserts with a positive tone, "You wouldn't drown in a 5 feet sized pool, aunty!". She demonstrates to me the different strokes she has learnt with ease. I wonder how long it will take for me to become an expert as her. Anyway, I just want to learn the basics in the next 2-3 weeks so that I can enjoy the process of swimming and imbibe a form of physical activity which is so desperately needed for my sedentary lifestyle.

Back to form!

2009-04-29T23:43:00.000+05:30

I'm not struck by a dreadful writer's block. In contrast, the words are being written out as strands flowing into Dumbledore's pensieve. Some ought not to be analyzed while the rest is not worth to be explored. The past few months haven't been very exciting. The daily drudgeries seem to continue and hog the limelight. There have been a few interesting moments although the key here is that there have been just a few. When one gets galloped in such routines, time just flies with no real purpose. Here I am, four months into 2009 and wondering how the days flew by.

I want to break the monotonies and what better month can it be than the hot summer month of May! Reminiscing over my past blog entry, I want this May to be very special as it used to be during my childhood. Although PGSEM will keep me busy until May 16th, I need to get out of this routine of office-pgsem-home. Many of my interests that have been put under the back burner need to be revived. My dear blog needs to be visited more by the hostess. My last visit to Landmark bookstore helped me fetch the voluminous "Chronicles of Narnia" collection. Although I have been a huge fan of Harry Potter, I haven't ventured out into other fantasy based novels. As an avid dreamer, I love fantasizing about distant dreams and friendly creatures. I’m hoping Narnia will be an interesting read, given that I have liked the movie “The lion, the witch and the wardrobe”.

My experimentation with cooking has to be restarted or else my hubby will throw out my carefully written down recipe notes which I have been noting down diligently from all TV shows. “Have you ever prepared any one recipe from this book?” is his everyday, innocent question. Hopefully, I can answer him positively.

It's been a long time since I visited my favorite bookstore "Crosswords" in Residency Road,Bangalore. It's a quiet place where one can browse through books for a long time, pick a few and enjoy reading them over a cup of coffee in Cafe Coffee Day. I'm adding this trip (any place farther than 10 kms in Bangalore has to be called a trip) to my agenda.

With four full Saturdays awaiting me, I want to plan out atleast two weekend trips. Ah, precious Saturdays!! Getting up late, sipping tea, browsing through newspaper, wondering what to cook for lunch, making an elaborate meal, enjoying an afternoon siesta, being lazy and at the same time, feeling happy there is one more day to the weekend – these are some of the things I’m trading off for PGSEM. I can’t believe it’s going to be two years ever since I restarted my academics.

In the past few months, my mood swings have been terrible, almost tracing an obtuse angle. At one moment, I feel elated and inspired by life while the other moment, I feel gloomy and depressed. Sometimes, I wonder if this is what makes life interesting. While I have tonnes of activities to do, I sit idle and feel bored. My productivity to a large extent depends on my mood. Thankfully there is Rahman's music, Jab we met, FRIENDS, bhel puri and tea that can lift my mood on days when I'm upset about certain events or people. Though I have watched all the episodes of FRIENDS many times, I can't wait to get back from work and watch the weekday telecast of FRIENDS on Star World.

I'm getting back in form and am eagerly awaiting the vacation month of May!!

New Earth

2009-03-12T22:18:00.000+05:30

I finished reading an interesting and thoughtful book "New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle. This book was suggested by my Professor Dr.DVR Seshadri sometime in Dec '08. Luckily, this book was available in my library but I was waitlisted for a few weeks. I got hold of the book a month ago and I have been reading it slowly, trying to assimilate the contents. This book touches upon serious topics related to consciousness, awakening, importance of being than doing, inner purpose and many such insightful ideas. Although some of these topics are interesting, this book demands a lot of attention while reading.

The book starts off with the dysfunction that has led to collective human unconsciousness and how the direction has shifted towards a form focus. In order to become more conscious, one needs to increase the level of awareness and be immersed in the present. The author calls it "the power of NOW". There are many barriers that have made humans to constantly think about past or future. One such important barrier is the ego which has made humans get associated and identified with materialistic things and different roles being played on a daily basis. Because of the nature of ego, our mind is cluttered with incessant thoughts, anxieties and worries. Our thoughts are filled with complaints and grievances, pointing fingers at other people and constant defending of our opinions.

One interesting quote mentioned is "Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?". How true that is! The author then goes onto explain the concept of "pain-body" which is considered as part of every human being and that thrives on thoughts that trigger pain in oneself and others. This is the energy that does not let go of the past and renews itself through negative thinking. Being aware of moments where the pain body tends to get active and triggered will help in reducing the effects that it can cause.

The book then talks about identifying who you truly are, the state of being and becoming space conscious. These are the few pages that tend to get repetitive and boring. Towards the end, the chapters turn alive by talking about one's inner space, using conscious breathing techniques and feeling of your inner body to increase one's sense of awareness and synchronizing your inner and outer purpose. I especially liked the concepts of awakened doing - when you are one with the present moment, your quality of work is improved. In order to improve awakened doing, the author suggests three modalities - acceptance, enjoyment and enthusiasm. Enjoyment is not something what you achieve in the end by doing an activity but rather doing the activity itself.

Key take-aways from this book for me are
- Nonresistance, nonjudgement and nonattachment are the three aspects of true freedom and enlightened living
- To be at peace in any moment, the key to remember is "This too, will pass". This implies being at one with what happens
- Life isn't as serious as my mind makes it out to be
- Inner purpose concerns with being and conscious awareness. Outer purpose concerns with doing and can change over time

After reading this book, I'm trying to become more aware of my thoughts and trying to be more aligned with the present moment. I am hoping to reduce the never ending stream of thoughts that strains my being.

I am

2009-02-28T20:31:00.001+05:30

My contribution to Sunday Scribblings #152 - Lost

Getting lost
in my own world
amidst the daily humdrums
A dreamer, they call me!

Staring at a distance
in search of someone,
amidst the gathered crowd
A loner, they call me!

Gliding through the clouds
seashore abound with footprints,
sulking in the beauty
A wanderer, they call me!

Feeling his presence
my heart skips a beat,
the sweet end to my quest
A romantic, they call me!

A musical week!

2009-02-26T21:55:00.000+05:30

Ever since the exciting news about Rahman winning the Oscars came out, it has been a musical week for me. My iPod and iTunes have been put to best use. Although I love to listen to music, it hasn't been such a continuous flow of beautiful songs one after the other from morning as soon as I login to my laptop until midnight when soothing melodies put me to sleep.

As every Rahman fan would say, Slumdog Millionaire isn't one of his best compositions. I was also of the same opinion until I started to listen to "Latika's theme" in repeat mode. What a magical tune that is! I can't seem to get enough of it. With just the humming and a caressing tune, this masterpiece makes me so happy. It strikes at such a deep, emotional level everytime I listen to it. The other songs of SDM are not so great.

Since 2008, Rahman has been churning out one album after another in quick succcession that one has very little time to get used to the tunes. With SDM taking the limelight, there is another beautiful album "Delhi-6" which shouldn't be ignored. The sheer variety of tunes in this album keeps me hooked onto them forever. "Rehna Tu" sung by the Mozart of Madras himself is just too good. The peppy number "Genda Phool" is so catchy and the singer's voice suits the mood perfectly. This could be the Bollywood equivalent of "Yaaro yaarodi".

A completely unpredictable album is Rahman's Connections. I'm hooked onto "Mann Chandre" for its soft beats and Sukhwinder Singh's superb renditions. The soothing instrumental to listen to just before you go to sleep would be the "Silent Invocation A". The mesmerizing flute piece cannot be explained in words.

Even the average album like "Yuvraaj" has an amazing number "Zindagi" sung by Sreenivas. I'm not sure how many people have actually heard this song but since this album didn't become so popular, it's sad that such a nice song didn't get the deserving credits.

There are a few such albums by Rahman which had brilliant music but somehow didn't become very popular. One such album is "KangaLaal kaidhu sei". I like 4 out of 5 songs in this movie. What a romantic melody "Azhagiya Cindrella" is! Hariharan's voice has made this song even more special. But the picturization was pathetic for such a brilliant song. There are many songs of Rahman which didn't get the appreciation because the movie was bad and it flopped. A few of these good songs below:

"Sevvaanam chinna penn soodum" from Pavithra (God only knows when this movie released but I know this is a Ajit movie!!)
"Sonnalum ketpadhillai" from Kaadhal Virus (Unnikrishnan and Harini at their best)
"Thoda thoda" from Indira (the least popular song in this movie)
"Kaathu kaathu" from Uzhavan (A peppy drizzle dance number)
"Orunaal oru pozhudu" from Andhimandhaarai (don't know if this movie was ever released)

If you get a chance, listen to them and you will become a Rahmaniac like me!

முதல் தேடல்

2009-02-15T21:37:00.001+05:30

காத்திருக்கிறேன் அவன் வரவுக்காக
கண்ணில் சிறு தேடல்
அதை மறைக்க கையில் ஒரு புத்தகம்

எதிர்பாரா நேரத்தில் உன் வரவு
என் கண்ணில் சிறு மின்மினி
எதையோ நினைத்து ஒரு புன்னகை
என்னவென்று கேட்க துடிக்கும் என் மனம்

அருகில் வந்து அமர் ந்தாய்
இதயத்துடிப்பு அதிகரிக்க
ஒரு சின்ன வார்த்தை "அலோ"
எத்தனை அர்த்தங்கள்
ஒளிந்திருக்கும் சிறு குறள்

மெய்ச்சிலிர்த்தேன் அத்தருணத்தில்
என் பேனா எழுத துடித்தது
மொழி கண்ணில் மறைய
உன் வடிவம் என்னில் கரைய

Break free

2009-02-15T21:23:00.001+05:30

I want to break free
from the entanglements of everyday rigmarole,
fly far until my wings show me their full potential

I want to break free
from the information overflow engulfing my thoughts,
seek serenity until my left brainwaves slow down their speed

I want to break free
from the noises emanating from all directions,
admire the stillness until my ears could hear soft music

I want to break free
from the responsibilities and society enforced restrictions,
walk with the full moon until my footsteps make rhythmic raps

I want to break free
from the pressures of time and mood swings,
romance around until my heartbeats echo my love

Dreadful word called "exams"

2009-02-15T15:54:00.000+05:30

During casual weekly conversations with my dad, he asks me "When is the final exam?". When I tell him that I don't have final exams this quarter, he wonders what kind of a course it is without a final exam. Currently I'm working on a business plan evaluation paper and trying to come up with a new business plan for my eBusiness Models course. These assignments demand a greater amount of effort and thinking than the conventional final exams that we are so used to giving after every semester.

One of the many good aspects I like about my PGSEM program at IIMB is the evaluation. In the past 1.5 years, I have done many group projects, individual assignments, case analyses, role plays, a couple of self reflective papers, two business plans, a movie review etc apart from a few exams/quizzes. I like this variety of options offered in different courses. Although it involves considerable effort throughout the quarter unlike the last few days of preparation in my engineering days, I am having fun as I work through these evaluations.

It would have been a different learning experience if a similar evaluation was adopted for Engineering courses as well. The one final exam where 100% is at stake does not auger well for our engineering education although people who write "Made Easy" books have become richer year after year.

A story on change

2009-01-18T17:45:00.001+05:30

Thanks to a recommendation given in one of the panel discussions at IIMB, I managed to read "Our iceberg is melting" today. It's a simple and thoughtful fable narrating the process of change and the steps involved in influencing change. The characters - Louis, Alice, Fred, Buddy, NoNo and many such penguins in this story are not new to us. They exist in different forms at our workplace and society. Change is inevitable and it is the only constant in life's equation. Yet many of us dread even a minor change in our day-to-day routines, let alone the bigger impact ones.

The 8 step change process suggested in this story seems to be very useful and I plan to refer to it as often as needed. I admire the approach used by the author to discuss the important concept of change management using a simple fable. I highly recommend this book and one can finish reading it in a couple of hours.

Happiness

2009-01-05T14:24:00.001+05:30

I've enrolled in a very interesting and thought provoking elective this academic quarter called "Reinventing through intrapreneurial/entrepreneurial leadership" by Prof.DVR Seshadri. With six sessions having gone past, this elective has been feeding lot of food for thought, exploring many facets of life. I'm currently pondering over life's biggest and toughest questions which we safely keep aside due to fear of facing uncomfortable questions from our subconscious mind. As part of the course requirements, we have been asked to view a set of videos depicting the views of different philosophers on happiness, hardship, love, self esteem etc. One such interesting video is about Epicurus views on happiness. I found his ideas to be simple and yet very much profound that everyone can easily relate to.

Many of our daily ambitions are linked to being happy. But we don't really set a plan to accomplish this goal on a daily basis. We search for happiness in worldly possessions and perceptions in the viewpoint of others. They could provide momentary happiness but they don't seem to last forever.

Epicurus suggests that happiness is directly linked to freedom, friends and an analyzed life. When I look back at times when I was unhappy, the moments can easily be traced to either lack of freedom, friends or an analyzed life. It is startling to me with this discovery. When our Professor asked us about what makes us happy, we gave a bunch of answers which he was able to fit within these three parameters. All of them are equally important and therefore our quest should address achieving all of them in certain proportions.

Though I haven't read much of philosophy, this course seems to give a glimpse of many ideas and thoughts which will provide guiding directions in my life's journey.

A dream or reality?

2009-01-04T16:55:00.002+05:30

My contribution to Cafe Writing - 2008 Holiday Project (Option two)

I lay on the soft sand, admiring the distant stars and the crescent moon. It is a beautiful night accompanied by the roaring waves singing a lullaby and the salty breeze sweeping my rambling thoughts. I wonder whether I would be visible from the twinkling bright star at the horizon. I'm at peace hearing the clinging of the wind chimes hung from the tender branches of the coconut tree. The magical feeling of special someone caressing my forehead puts me into deep slumber. My dreams kindle my imagination at a steadfast pace. Riding the canoe, I reach for the deep ocean, with the waves pushing me forward. It's getting darker and the voice of the seas slowly taper down.

The land is no longer visible but the bright star seems to appear closer, just an arm's stretch from the earth. I jump, hoping to catch the star in my tiny palms and carry it back to light up my land. Playing hide and seek with the clouds, it twinkles happily and makes my ambition more alluring. The majestic waves looking at my plight push me higher and closer. "It's reachable and I can do it", I assure myself. With no care about the time, I keep trying hard. The distant sun sets ablaze at dawn, letting the bright star go to sleep and waking me up from my purposeful dream.

2008 in review

2008-12-31T22:36:00.002+05:30

The curtains for 2008 are slowly closing down, with a glimpse of 2009 in the near horizon. The year has been eventful in many ways. Here's a summary of how 2008 fared for me, just for records that I can look back after a few years. (Flashback - 2007, 2006, 2005)

- The most important event has been relocating to our own cozy little nest which was worth a four year waiting period. It's a new and interesting experience for both my hubby and myself to setup a new home, buy required stuff and get everything in order.
- The excitement of a new home became very visible with us celebrating Navrathiri, Diwali and Christmas in our own unique ways - our first Kolu (arrangement of dolls) and our first Christmas tree decorations. Keeping traditions alive and celebrating every festival in a simple, yet memorable way is one of the rules of our home.
- From work perspective, I got a promotion this year and also made a role change.
- Getting DML award in PGSEM is a special moment.
- Visited three new places - Madikeri, Mangalore and Marari Beach. What an unplanned 'M' coincidence!
- Managed to read a few books although I would have loved a slightly bigger list

A pocket full of rye by Agatha Christie
Fire on the mountain by Anitha Desai
Ladies Coupe by Anitha Nair
The goal by Eliyahu Goldratt and Jeff Fox
The 3 mistakes of my life by Chetan Bhagat
A year by the sea by Joan Anderson
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Talkative Man by RK Narayan

- My writings got published as a chapter in a book. First baby steps towards my dream of a writing career.
- Listened to Dr.Abdul Kalam's speech in person for the first time
- Stayed in a college campus (IIMB) for the first time as part of a 3 day leadership workshop. Having been a day scholar throughout my school and college days, it was a new experience.
- Watched a cricket match from Chinnaswamy Stadium for the first time. Wish the match had been more interesting!
- My blog hasn't been very active this year but I want to keep it alive as much as I can.

I am hoping 2009 will be an interesting and challenging year for me. Here's wishing you a very happy, bright and colorful new year!

Original better than a remake

2008-12-29T18:54:00.000+05:30

Ever since Aamir announced that he would be remaking the Tamil blockbuster "Ghajini", I had been waiting to watch it. I absolutely loved the Tamil version where Surya did a remarkable job and ofcourse Asin portrayed a beautiful role. A couple of songs by Harris are still playing in my iPod as my favorites. Talking about the Hindi version of "Ghajini", I'm completely in love with the romantic melody "Guzarish". Sonu Nigam's hummings throughout this song is just too good. Only Rahman can offer such magic to ears. Although I'm not a fan of "Behka" (I still prefer "Oru Maalai" from Tamil), "Kaise Mujhe" makes up for it - a haunting sad song and an excellent instrumental rendition.

There is not much of a change in the screenplay except for the climax. Aamir fits the role perfectly as the one with short term memory loss, chasing the villains and bashing them. But I'm highly disappointed with the younger looking Aamir, falling in love with Asin. There were no emotions between the two which made both of them look out of place. The chemistry between Surya and Asin was one of the highlights of the Tamil version which was missing. If I could spot something better than the Tamil version, that would be Jiah Khan's normal acting (Overacting by Nayantara was so irritating!) and the climax (am glad I didn't have to hear the bad dialogue that Nayantara says in a serious tone "Oruthana mattum konna suyanalam, rendu peraiyum konna podhunalam").

If you have not seen the Tamil version, then I would recommend watching Aamir's Ghajini. Or else, if you are a big fan of Aamir like me, then you shouldn't miss it!!

listening to talkative man

2008-12-15T22:42:00.001+05:30

The unpredictable Bangalore traffic on a Friday night enabled us to reach the bus stop an hour earlier. Thanks to the talkative man, I was able to escape the boredoms amidst squeaking honks and crowded waiting rooms. No, I didn't meet a friend or a stranger but one of RK Narayan's novels "Talkative Man". What better way to break the reader's block than to pick up a RKN novel and enjoy the familiar territories of Malgudi! This is the first RKN novel I managed to read in 2008.

The protogonist TM narrates his experiences with a visitor named Rann in his home town Malgudi. Characters like TM (his actual name not once mentioned!) are very common in small towns, with their stories and gossips doing the rounds in streets and lanes. Thanks to ancestral property and wealth, TM leads a comfortable life and focuses his time and energy as a journalist writing about incidents that happen at Malgudi and sends them across to leading newspapers, with a hope of getting the words in print. With Rann's entry, TM's normal routine gets affected by Rann's intimidating personality and his background activities. These two characters form the main crux of the storyline. Sometimes, you feel sorry for TM and even angry at him for his passive stance against Rann, allowing him to stay in his home and not questioning his activities. The new visitors of Malgudi have made TM quite a listener!

"Talkative Man" is an interesting and quick read (~ 120 pages) except that it lacks the wit and humour that's so prevalent in RK Narayan's other novels. Even the emotions seem to be missing for a change. It's definitely not one of the best RKN's novels.

Breathing some life

2008-12-12T09:15:00.000+05:30

Lately the number of my blog posts have come down drastically. I find it difficult to put words on paper, call it the writer's block. There is another block that has hit me hard these days - the reader's block. It's been a while since I have read a novel or a non-fiction (last was "The Kite Runner"). My attention span has been reducing as time progresses. So many thoughts and questions arise which I safely put aside and do not dare to ponder too much.

December is usually a month of joy and happiness, with Christmas and New Year, wondering about my new year resolutions which I hardly keep up. But it used to be fun, just to pen them down. This year, the mood is different - globally due to recession, economic slow down and horror faces of terror, with a few of my dear friends getting impacted hard. I cannot wipe off their sorrows or frustrations but I'm trying to just listen to them so they can talk and let out their anger which might help them feel a bit relieved.

I don't have to watch "Vaaranam Aayiram" to understand this but whatever happens, life has to go on. Speaking of VA, it's a wonderful movie narrating the relationship between a father and a son. I have never felt so touched by any movie. The protogonist is a common man who undergoes similar events of trials and tribulations like the rest of us. Surya has done an excellent job and has evolved into a versatile actor. The movie is definitely worth a watch.

Anyway, I can't wait to shatter my reader and writer blocks and get ready to bid farewell to a not-so-good 2008 and welcome 2009 with lots of hopes.

A trip to Mangalore

2008-11-23T18:47:00.003+05:30

Although I have been living in Bangalore for six years, I haven't explored much of Karnataka except for the nearby Mysore. I feel it's quite strange given the fact that I love to travel. Early this year, I visited Madikeri with a bunch of friends and it was a fresh experience. Last weekend, it was the turn of Mangalore. With a big group of friends interested in this trip, our travel planner took the efforts to book the tickets and a place to stay.

A big surprise came to me when I noticed the cranky side middle berths in our train. The railways would be making great profits but it's so very inconvenient for common people. A person of short stature like me found it hard to fit in my head. I wonder how the tall guys or girls would manage. The morning breeze and the scenery reminded me of my numerous Kerala trips. After a quick shower at the hotel, we got dressed and were ready to satiate our hunger pangs over complementary breakfast at the hotel restaurant. The hotel manager would have dropped the idea of free food, looking at the way we all hogged the dosas.

We spent the sunny afternoon at the Ullal Beach playing a game of ring. After lunch, we headed out to the enchanting Bekkal Fort. This is the place where Manirathnam shot the Uyire song in Bombay. A stroll around this fort with the breeze and the sea for company is a perfect way to spend an evening. The beautiful sunset and the rocking waves were so romantic.

The next morning, I was so looking forward to visiting St.Mary's Island. I felt it wasn't worth the hype. But I collected some cute sea-shells, adding to my collection. After a quick visit to Krishna temple at Udipi, we rushed back to catch the train back to Bangalore. When we thought the fun was over, we were wrong because a game of UNO in the train made the trip even more interesting. An interesting weekend got over and it was time to get back to the routine. Karnataka has so many beautiful places to see. Hope I could visit more new places next year as well.

Goodbye Dada!

2008-11-10T21:34:00.000+05:30

After reading Skely's post, I felt I should note down this day in my dear blog. I'm glad that we won against Aussies with all the might and strength. A convincing victory it was! But I want to write this post for a different reason. One of the three veterans has signed off today from test cricket; yes, I'm referring to Dada a.k.a Sourav Ganguly. I have been following his cricket career completely ever since the England tour in 1996 where he made his test debut. His back-to-back test centuries, many successful opening partnerships with my idol Sachin in ODIs, the way he smashed the Pakistani bowlers in Sahara Cup at Toronto, his aggressive captaincy inspiring many youngsters like Yuvraj and Kaif and most importantly, his classy off drives and cover drives making him "next-to-God in offside batting" - He used to be my second most favorite Indian cricketer (Do I need to say who the first one is!).

The time will come when the other two will also face the same day. I want to scream what Joey says on Rachel's 30th birthday, "Why God, Why you are doing this to us?".

An emotional read

2008-11-02T20:07:00.001+05:30

I have never felt this way while reading a novel - eyes welling up and emotions stirred. "The kite runner" provided this new experience and am glad I read this book.

With 5 hours to spare in a train journey and with a couple of magazines in my handbag, I wondered how I would be able to while away my time. I don't know if I'm fortunate or otherwise - my reading speed is pretty fast and I was confident that I could browse through the magazines in an hour. I suppose God has heard my thoughts. An old man was selling a bunch of books and I chose "the kite runner".

The initial part of the story was a beautiful narration of the childhood friendship between Amir and Hassan set in the backdrop of Afghanistan. There were funny and playful moments until a disaster happened which changed their lives forever. I stopped at this juncture during my train journey.

After more than a month, the Diwali break provided a good relaxing time to continue this superb novel. Following the disaster that hit their lives is an emotional journey of Amir, his quest for his lost friend, his journey from Afghanistan to Pakistan to United States and back and most importantly, the unfolding of the political situation in Afghanistan. The journey is painful, nostalgic and sentimental. We not only understand the emotions of the characters but also the transformation of the country.

A power packed writing of human emotions, turmoil, guilt and redemption makes "The kite runner" a must read.

Interpretations

2008-10-29T11:56:00.000+05:30

While browsing over the newspaper this morning, two contradictory news items struck hard on me that has been disturbing my thoughts ever since I glanced at them. One was the unbelievable rent rates (around 10 lakh rupees a month....you read it right! it's for one month and not for one year) that high flying corporate executives are ready to shell out on exclusive villas in Bangalore. Although newspapers tend to exaggerate the figures, even if I reduce this amount by 50% and consider it as 5 lakhs a month, it's still a huge figure for rent which I'm not able to digest.

I turned a few pages, wondering how people are ready to shell out such monstrous money on rents. Another article caught my fleeting glance. Because of lack of growth hormones, a 22 year old woman in Gulbarga district still has the physical and mental traits of a child. Since her family couldn't even afford a single meal in a day, they couldn't spend on the hospital expenses to get this defect on her pituitary gland rectified. She has to live with this defect all her life.

I face such contradictions often and I keep questioning myself and searching for justifications. I don't want to argue whether capitalistic or socialistic beliefs is the right way to go forward - each has its own positives and negatives. I haven't understood either of them in a deeper sense. But there are lots of questions for which I'm searching for answers. It could be that my inclination towards philosophy is increasing.

Bon South - a premium menu

2008-10-20T13:21:00.000+05:30

Email that I had sent to my Consumer behavior (CB) Professor and my projectmates at PGSEM on Sept 02 2008 below:

While coming to work today, I came across this restaurant "Bon South" in Koramangala which specializes in South Indian veg and non-veg cuisines. This initiated some CB related questions on brand associations and culture in my mind.

1) The exterior ambience of this place somewhat looked like a continental/Italian restaurant. Will someone looking for a South Indian cuisine identify with this exterior?

2) The brand name (Bon South) itself sounds non South Indian. How can consumers relate to it? I feel this is where the restaurant "Malgudi" has touched a chord. The external appearance, the doors resembling traditional Chettinad homes and ofcourse, the brand name has clear associations to South India.

3) Most importantly, the menu offered by Bon South (got this info after some Internet search) has a range of options from all four South Indian states at an exorbitant price (similar to their vegetarian counterpart "South Indies" in Indira Nagar). Typically South Indian cuisine is less expensive than North Indian cuisine. I'm not sure how charging 120 rupees for a plate of Dosa will work. I might be hitting the "people are like US" syndrome. Serving on fancy cutlery with delicate forks and spoons may not work for South Indian menu. Krishna Cafe charges around 100 rupees for a typical South Indian meal on a banana leaf. Though it is expensive, this place is always crowded because the offering strikes a chord with the consumers.

We can say that "Bon South" is trying to offer a different experience. Their success depends on the target segments (upper class and NRIs) as well as their core offerings (menu variety and quality).

But the brand associations, food habits and internal reference prices also play an important role. Isn't it? Something to ponder over.....

After a long Diwali shopping experience, my husband and I decided to have dinner at this new place "Bon South" in Koramangala. Although my initial perceptions of this place was not so great, there was an urge to validate my perceptions. We got our table as soon as we entered (8:30 PM is too early for a weekend dinner, I suppose). To our surprise, we were given wet towels to freshen up. This is the first time I see this kind of service in a restaurant and not inside an airplane. The menu had listings from the four South Indian states though I wish vegetarians were given more options.

While waiting for our starters, a neat bowl of fryums (vaththals) was placed with 3 different kinds of chutneys - coriander, coconut and tomato flavors. I have never tried fryums with chutneys before. It was a new experience which I could try out at home on one of the forthcoming cold evenings.

As expected, the pricing was on the premium end with the starters and mocktails priced 150+ rupees. We ordered a plate of vadas made of plantain flowers. It was good and tasted very much like the typical masala vadas. For the main course, I went for neer dosas and maammidikkai curry (raw mango and lentils curry) while hubby ordered his favorite aapams and some chicken curry. It was a satisfying meal and at the same time not so heavy on our appetites. The best part of the dinner was yet to come. We were in two minds whether to go for a dessert or not. I'm glad we chose the former. The elaneer payasam tasted divine with tiny bits of tender coconut floating in sweetish milk. It was a perfect way to wrap up a good meal.

The service was superior and of high quality. By the time the bill arrived, the waiter promptly took our valet parking receipt to bring our car back to the entrance. As a thank you gift, we were given a small sapling. A nice gesture, I should say. I'm not sure if this attention to little detail, a high quality service and pretty good food will compensate for the exorbitant price they are charging (Meal for two could easily exceed 1000 bucks). I would recommend this place if you don't mind splurging on a South Indian full course meal.

First experience at Chinnaswamy Stadium

2008-10-14T17:09:00.000+05:30

My first tryst with watching a cricket match live from a stadium occurred long time back in Chennai. It's been more than six years since I shifted to Bangalore but never got a chance to experience live cricket from Chinnaswamy stadium. This indeed came true last Sunday on the fourth day of India v/s Australia test match. With tickets being booked online, all we had to do was reach the stadium on time. I was expecting a huge crowd on a Sunday morning but people started thronging the stadium only after 11 AM. As I entered the stadium, I realized that this is the last series for Ganguly. Although I am not a big fan of him, I felt a little sad because Sachin's last series may not be that far. My childhood hero (he still is!!) has started to play lesser number of matches due to injury concerns.

When the players were busy with their net practice, we settled for good seats in our stand. After a while, the stadium started to erupt in loud cheer. While I was wondering what the fuss is all about, the two umpires were walking down the pavilion. I guess only in India the umpires get such a warm welcome! The innings progressed slowly with occasional fours from Zaheer. It was rather a slow day compared to my previous experience in the Chennai test match. We expected India to wrap up second innings of Aussies by the end of fourth day but to our disappointment, Australia stuck there and ensured India didn't get an upper hand. At one point, the innings went too slow that we started to play UNO cards. The occasional Mexican wave and the few wickets gave us a chance to cheer and shout from the top of our voices.

It's been a long time since I followed a cricket match the whole day. During college, I didn't mind sitting in front of the TV and watching cricket for eight hours. Those days, I used to watch the county matches when no other international matches were scheduled. My interest levels have dipped in the past two years but these one-off experiences seem to revive my interest.

The first drizzle

2008-10-08T09:27:00.002+05:30

My contribution to Cafe Writing - Sept & Oct Project

dark clouds beckoning to pour down
mist traveling from distant mountains
Cool breeze adding to the glory
I stood there contemplating

A tiny droplet caressing my palm
announcing the arrival of monsoon
injecting a fresh stream of energy
I stood there motionless

glad to have caught the first splash,
the murmurs of threatening thunder
passing cryptic message from the heavens
I stood there in awe

hot cup of tea awakening my pallid senses
rivulets flowing swiftly by my side,
swooned by this magical evening
I stood there feeling blessed

அலையும் நானும்

2008-10-06T10:53:00.000+05:30

Rambled this piece during a quiet evening date with the sea and the waves at Marari Beach

கரையை தொட்டுச் செல்லும் அலையே
என்ன சேதி கொண்டு வந்தாய் எனக்கு

என்னை ரசிக்கும் உனக்கு பரிசுகள்
பல கொண்டு வந்தேன் தொலைதூரத்திலிருந்து

உன்னிடம் எதையும் எதிர்பார்க்கவில்லை
உன் புதிர் மொழியின் அர்த்தம் தேடும் வேளையில்

எதிர்பாரா நேரத்தில் உன் கண்களின் பிரகாசத்தை
உணர இதோ கொண்டு வந்தேன் ஆழ்கடல் சிற்பிகள்

எத்தனை அழகு எத்தனை வடிவம்
என் சமர்ப்பணம் இந்த அதிசய சிற்பிகளுக்கு

வெள்ளை கூடை கொண்டு சேர்த்த
பல வண்ண பூக்கள்
தொட்டு எடுத்த என் கைகளும்
நிறம் மாறிய அற்புதங்கள்

ஆதவன் மறையும் வேளையில்
மேகக்கூட்டம் ஆடும் நடனங்கள்
அமைதியான இந்த தருணத்தை
எடுத்து செல்ல முயலும் வார்த்தைகள்

தென்றல் தீண்டிய என் கூந்தல்
கவிதை எழுத துடிக்கிறதே
அதை கட்டுப்படுத்தும் என் கைகளும்
போராடி களைக்கிறதே

காற்று திசை நோக்கிச் செல்ல
கால்கள் இரண்டும் பறக்கிறதே
மேகத்தின் உள்ளே நீந்திட
என் மனமும் அலை பாய்கிறதே

Word clicking this moment

2008-10-04T00:18:00.001+05:30

With the clock striking midnight and my fingers busy typing a case analysis (and one more case to read for another course), the stress that's building up is automatically cooled down by this brilliant romantic yesteryear melody "Gazab kaa ye din" from Qayamat se Qayamat Tak. What a superb classic! This perfect moment has to be recorded in my dear blog. Music can be a coolant, a refresher, whatever you might want to call it. Sometimes I wonder if my iPod (and iTunes) has some artificial intelligence abilities. Because the songs it picks up in shuffle mode suits my mood so nicely (thanks to Apple!).

This song reflects my fantasy in some way - getting lost in an isolated forest with my loved one where no laptops, TVs or mobile phones will ever work. The innocence and fresh feelings the two characters portray in this song is just amazing. When I listened to this song first time in Doordarshan long time ago (remember Rangoli on Sunday mornings!), it brought a smile to my face. Aamir was so cute and I don't think anyone would have made a better pair to Aamir than Juhi.

And guess what....the next song that's playing now is "Shauk hai" from Guru. I'm telling you, iTunes has a way to read my mind :-) Now I can get back to my case with no complaints.

The Marari experience

2008-09-17T14:51:00.008+05:30

When a three day vacation is in the offing and you will be starting from Dindugul in Tamilnadu, what better place to visit than the lovely Kerala? It has almost become a ritual for me to visit Kerala once a year. And everytime I go, I want to keep coming again and again. Combining this vacation with my wedding anniversary celebration, the travel planning part of my brain got activated. I looked into different resorts and travel possibilities, booked the train tickets and finally narrowed down to Marari Beach resort in a village named Mararikulam near Alleppey. I love planning a vacation and it makes me realize that travel planning could be considered as an alternate career :-)

The resort is around 60 kms from Ernakulam railway station. With the exorbitant charges for pickup claimed by the resort, we decided to arrange on our own. Thanks to the taxis right outside the station, we were able to reach the village for a reasonable price. The vast expanse of the greenery inside the resort took us by surprise. After the registrations, hubby and I headed to the restaurant for a cup of tea. We couldn't wait to go near the quiet beach. It took us some time to accept the fact that the clean beach was all for ourselves. A few fishermen were setting off at a distance. Since this is the end of off-season, very few visitors from abroad were staying in the resort. A row of hammocks beside the shore was a perfect way to relax and unwind. While admiring the serene surroundings and the tall coconut trees, our stomachs started to growl and we had a nice, sumptuous breakfast. There are many activities that one can take up within the resort. Country Boat rides and sunset cruises are also available but at an extra cost. As we have already experienced these boat rides in Kumarakom, we decided to spend the time in the resort for the next 2.5 days.

The naturalist took us around the resort, explaining about different flora and fauna. The vegetable garden, recycling mechanisms, bio-composts and other treatment plants show the environment friendly mechanisms they have been adopting. He is a very good photographer and helped us to take some amazing snaps for spiders, butterflies and fishes. It was a bright and sunny day and our moods were upbeat. Lazing around on the hammocks with the breeze gradually taking us to a short nap - one might appreciate the complete relaxation. We spent the evening in the beach, enjoying the sunset and collecting sea shells. Even the waves didn't want to disturb the peace prevailing in the beach that they decided to keep it low.

Cookery show by the chef gave a glimpse of the preparation styles of traditional fish curry of Kerala. Having shown tremendous interest during the show, the chef was wondering why I didn't taste the dish. A vegetarian by nature but doesn't mind watching the preparation of non-veg dishes - that's me! The day ended with a romantic, candle light dinner and live classical music.

Thunderstorms and heavy rains woke us up the next morning. We prayed that the sky clears up fast so we could get bathed in sun's rays and get tanned. Our prayers were answered and we celebrated with a bicycle ride around the village. The roads were very bad but there was just no traffic. While hubby enjoyed a swim in the pool, I finished reading an interesting book "A year by the sea". To wrap up the relaxation process, we tried out some meditation in the evening along with a guide. The next morning was the tryst with beautiful butterflies in the garden, with my camera trying to capture the beauty as much as it can. After a heavy lunch, it was time to bid goodbye to the resort and head to the railway station. The sun didn't want to bid farewell so it had sent its dear friends, black clouds and downpour.

We just loved this place and it was a memorable experience. CGH Earth does it again, after our superb Coconut Lagoon experience. A trip to Marari Beach can relax, refresh and rejuvenate.

let the rambling begin

2008-09-17T13:49:00.000+05:30

Although unattended and unvisited, I don't want my blog to end up like the hundreds of blogs that started around the same time as mine. I wouldn't call this huge gap as a writer's block. I believe a block would occur when you sit down to write something but words don't come out. But this didn't happen to me, rather I was busy shuffling between many things that I didn't happen to sit down in the first place and ponder. I need to allocate some time to reflect and analyze my course of action.

This brings to my mind an interesting book that I got to read - "A year by the sea" by Joan Anderson. Although the perspective is different, I can relate to the protogonist's feelings in some way. Joan aged 50 years feels that she has been living her whole life running around with family responsibilities and taking care of her kids' demands. One fine day, she decides to let go of everything and move to a small cottage by the sea shore for a year. Living by her own means, reflecting on how her life turned out to be and drawing inspiration from the sea and seals, she turns out to be a strong and happy person. With no rules to abide by, she sets a course for herself, takes risks and tries out many new activities like selling fish which she wouldn't dare to dream about on a normal day. It was an interesting and thoughtful read.

One starking perspective was the engagement with nature that can be a healing and a rejuvenating experience. Living in a metropolitan city like Bangalore with rushing around all the time, such engagement seems to be rare but those few moments can have a big impact. For instance, the other day I went to a nearby grocery store to get some vegetables. It was a weekday evening and so the crowd was comparatively less. The fresh vegetables of varied colors and shapes, the aroma of coriander and mint leaf bunches and the sheer variety of vegetables got me all cheered up. I bought minimal quantities of different veggies and my refrigerator is now neatly stocked up. I have been trying different South Indian dishes for dinner these days, call it the repercussion effect.

Last Sunday was rather a special tryst with nature. With cloudy and gloomy days gone past, the sun was shining brightly. The afternoon rays entered my living room through my orange colored curtains, giving a bright orangish feel to my home. The mini red roses in my garden blossomed like a flower bouquet, adding more sheen to the green grass. The squeaking squirrels were running around and the tiny butterflies were playing with the flowers. Such a beautiful afternoon cannot be complete without a hot cup of cardamom tea. It was a heavenly feeling and hoping to have more such moments every week.

The view

2008-08-07T15:35:00.001+05:30

My contribution to 3WW - XCVIII

The sun so close to slumber
clouds creating hues and shapes
in the canvas of blue sky,

a loner bird alongside
vast expanse of the lake
wings flapping briskly

Reaching for the million stars,
unnoticed but unruffled
time bound but unflurried

rhythmic movements in the air
a linear flight to be admired
the view spectacular and gorgeous!

No mere coincidence

2008-08-07T10:09:00.000+05:30

There is one name that I'm associated with in one form or another in the years of my life so far - be it a friend, a neighbour, a hero or a class mate. And that name is "Karthik". My childhood friend who used to be my neighbour is "Karthik". I had another younger friend in my apartment with a similar name "Karthikeyan". In high school, one of my friends who used to be a big fan of cricket, updating me with scores regularly in class hours is "Karthick". As though real characters are not enough, the fictional characters came to the limelight.

My most favorite Tamil movies are Mouna Raagam, Kaadhal Desam and Alai Payuthey. Guess what, the heroes are "Karthik"s. Karthik's character in Mouna Raagam, although it's a guest role is etched in my memory forever. The few scenes between him and Revathy have portrayed beautifully, the playfulness, fun and love. I cannot stand the fact that he gets killed due to unforeseen circumstances.

Kaadhal Desam has two heroes - a poetic, simple and down-to-earth Karthik, a charming and handsome Arun. The short verses that Karthik writes thinking about Dhivya (the heroine) are simple and adorable. Wish I could write such poetry! Madhavan is perfect for the role of Karthik in AlaiPayuthey. Although Indian cinema has seen many movies of the genre "Rich boy falls in love with poor girl", Alaipayuthey is different in its execution and style.

When I thought that association with the name "Karthik" cannot go on for so long, I meet my soul mate whose name is "Karthikeyan". One of my best friends in the past six years is "Karthik" although everyone calls him by another name always.

I'm not sure how many more "Karthik"s I am going to meet in the rest of my life. Although it's a very common name in South India, this irony in my life seems to be interesting.

Another meaning to DML

2008-08-04T16:58:00.000+05:30

Ever since I started learning about Oracle database sometime back in college, DML always meant Data Manipulation Language. But from July 2008, DML means something else and also a special one. I'm one of the top rank holders in the first year of PGSEM 2007 batch and I'm part of the Director's merit list (in short, DML). It's a nice feeling to get this award since the competition among the 140 students in my class has been intense throughout the year. Although I was aware about this award when I enrolled in PGSEM, I never aimed for getting this award until Quarter 4 started (I swear!).

Due to the initial enthusiasm, Quarter 1 went really well for me. In Quarter 2, there was a huge monster called Macroeconomics which pulled down my good CGPA very badly. In Quarter 3, another not-so-huge monster called Law swallowed some more decimal points from my CGPA. At the end of quarter 3, I was at rank 15. That was when I realized I have a chance to get into top 10. With encouragement from good friends and little more hard work, I finally made it to DML.

Yippee....I can now proudly frame the certificate and hang it on my living room wall :-) The year that started well and ended well! Something to cheer about after a busy year of work and studies!

Seeking solace

2008-07-28T15:36:00.000+05:30

My contribution to Sunday Scribblings - Solace

As the day dawns, ushering in hope and inspiration along with a bunch of to-dos hovering in the air, the much needed solace is a hot cup of tea. My morning begins with switching on the gas stove, brewing tea and mixing it up with hot milk. No matter what, I can never skip this routine. Although my hubby keeps suggesting that I should either wake up early or skip having tea on Fridays and Saturdays when I have to rush for my MBA classes, I can never give up my special tea (might skip breakfast, though). Infact, I claim that I can make better tea than the ones served in many restaurants. This obsession with tea didn't begin until around 6 years back when I moved from Chennai to Bangalore. Coffee, Boost and Bournvita used to be my favorite beverages then. Tea is something I prefer to have anytime of the day. I'm working on a term paper for my Consumer Behavior elective and guess what - the topic that is assigned to me by chance was "link the current trends of the tea industry with respect to consumer attitudes". Isn't that a good irony?

The challenges and pressures of day-to-day demands and the expectations set by myself sometimes need to take a backseat when I indulge myself in the music of A R Rahman. Regular readers of my blog would have noticed how crazy I am about his music. For every mood, there is a perfect song to give me company. When I want to reminisce the first feelings of falling in love, there is "En Swasa Kaatre". When I feel romantic, there is "Kannukku mai azhagu". When I feel nostalgic about someone I've been missing for a long time in my life, there is "Shauk hai". My day doesn't end without hearing to his magical tunes. When I'm sitting in my cab going to office, when I'm working on my projects, when I'm relaxing, when I'm about to sleep, his music is always there. My ipod understands my liking for Rahman's music so much that it plays his tunes mostly when it's in shuffle mode.

A hot cup of tea with a soothing melody of Rahman is a perfect solace that can comfort and cheer me up anytime.

Exciting journey

2008-07-17T11:01:00.001+05:30

With a year just whiffed past offering an experience to remember for a life time and another year and a half to go, I'm sure the zeal and passion I have for my PGSEM course will continue. So what if I like to be the first bencher, not bunking classes and being attentive? I'm having my share of fun. During my engineering college days, I used to hate attending many boring lectures that I would bunk and sit at home. But at IIMB, every session is packed with action that there is no reason to bunk. Every week is brimmed with varied activities - be it quizzes, assignments, case analyses and ofcourse, exams that test your application of the concepts and not your memory. Along with 13 core courses in the first year, I also learnt how I can squeeze time out of my daily routine, prioritize the tonnes of work that land up in my plate and optimize my workload.

The confidence that gave me in first year led me to take 4 electives in this quarter. "You have taken 4 courses and one of them is CB!! Oh my God!", my friends asked me in the first week of this quarter. With a slight puzzled look in my face, I replied, "Yes, I hope I can manage...". CB stands for Consumer Behavior, a very interesting but at the same time demanding course. In the fifth week of this quarter, I'm managing 4 electives, although the other three are not as demanding in terms of workload compared to CB. I guess I made a good choice in selecting the right balance of courses, if you could say the right balance falls within the domain of marketing. I have taken 3 electives in marketing - "Consumer Behavior, Advertising management and Product management" and the other elective in the Public Policy area - "Business, Government and Society". All four courses are unique in their own aspects. The literature and the articles that are distributed to us as part of the reading materials (apart from the usual pillow size textbooks) are an excellent compilation, giving more of a practical understanding of contemporary issues and viewpoints.

I have made the right decision in joining this course and am sure the next year will be as interesting and engaging as the first year. Many of my acquaintances think that PGSEM is not its worth without the official placements. People perceive the benefits of a product or an offering in different ways; for some, it is placements; for some others, it is networking; for a few like me, it is the overall experience that makes this programme unique. I just want to sail through and gather myriad shells of learnings and experiences.

A dream come true!

2008-06-26T09:00:00.000+05:30

Having been an ardent admirer of Dr.Abdul Kalam, his books and his vision 2020, I always had the dream to hear his speech in person. This dream turned a reality at IIMB last evening. I got to experience how a good opening of a speech can make a powerful impact, a lesson I learnt from Toastmasters. He started off with the following verses:-
Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow.
Don't walk behind me, I may not lead.
Just walk beside me, and be my friend.

Dr.Kalam painted a picture of his vision 2020 and highlighted different areas such as infrastructure, energy and agriculture where management graduates can play a vital role. He also urged on the importance of employablity and put forth key leadership traits such as vision, exploring the unexplored, courage and integrity. Creative leadership means being a coach rather than a commander and a mentor rather than a manager.

More than his talk, I admired the way he tackled the questions. When a guy listed down a series of problems that India is facing, he encouraged him to think about what he could do to solve some of these problems. Youth should enter developmental politics and not political politics.

As a fitting end to the evening, he made the audience take an oath that we would work with integrity and succeed with integrity. An experience I would cherish for a long time!

Not so long ago!

2008-06-23T18:08:00.000+05:30

Seeds of leadership were sown when I fought for the fundamental rights of kids - to play and have fun.

As I sit in my balcony trying to make sense of the extremes "business of a business is business" and corporate social responsibility, the kids in my apartment complex are enjoying the company of each other, playing some games and shouting on top of their voices. I could feel myself being transported back to 14 years when I was one among them. Every evening, after school it was a fun evening with my neighborhood friends. Being the eldest, I came up with new games and activities.

"My son is preparing for CA. Do you know how tough the exams are? Go home and stop playing every evening" - my neighbor uncle blasted us one day. I boldly replied "Ask him to close all the windows and study". I didn't care much about his son's studies then.

When I look at the kids today, I regret the fact that I have grown up. I sit here, admiring these little kids and their tantrums. Although kids have become more sophisticated these days, the basic premise remains the same. Amidst their games, they stare at me wondering why this aunty (???) is looking at us and not her books. Do I tell them that they are more interesting than the Milton Friedman's article? :-)

fine to falter and flounder

2008-06-19T11:03:00.001+05:30

My contribution to 3WW

a horrendous job to
wade through the dark forest
dried leaves, brown sticks
strewn around everywhere

holding hands together
frequenting this wonderland
quite often, hoping for
a treasure to get exposed

someday rain played spoilsport
drenching the brown mud and rocks
making the grounds slippery
bringing alive the sucking leeches

undeterred by the lashing wind
unscathed by the oozing blood
determined to discover the trove
working diligently, we dug deep

an old wooden box
locked tight by its side
with intricate carvings
revealed itself with pride

fine to falter and flounder
the only objective to open,
there she lies, our sweet pie
the cute kitten, feeling shy