Manish's Blog

My blog has moved

2010-12-18T20:36:00.001+05:30

I am in the process of moving my blog to http://manishkamdar.wordpress.com

Do update your bookmarks and your RSS feed readers (I am hoping against hope that a lot of you are reading my crazy blog:-)))))

Some movie this.... It is nameless

2010-12-08T16:27:00.001+05:30

Writing from Bangalore and the city is plastered with posters of this movie which has no name. All it has is this hand symbol and people are calling it "Super" so I guess the movie is now named super. What an ugh looking hero though I am told he is a super star here, Upendra. He badly needs a barber or will give Makarand Deshpande a run for his money. No I have not yet had the gall to go watch this movie nor do I intend to but the movie is a super hit I am told. I wonder how. Yesterday heard some song of this movie in the bus here in Bangalore. And honestly made no sense to me. I am sure they would be saying the same about Hindi movies.... But well, Bollywood sure has a bigger reach than Kannada films. You can read more about it (if you have the guts) here.

Indigo's new look

2010-12-06T12:06:00.001+05:30

My favourite, Indigo airlines has a new look in terms of the cabin crew's attire. While the dress is nice, I am surprised at the hair do. They have short hair and to add insult to injury, the air hostesses are expected to wear wigs.... The poor ladies are so conscious of it that they keep their neck stiff lest the wig fall off if they bend. Wake up Indigo. Natural hair makes much more sense than those flimsy wigs. Give up the crazy idea.

Unreliable Meru

2010-12-06T12:02:00.001+05:30

Success seems to have gone into the heads of the powers that be at Meru. Honestly I am a big fan of Meru and have waxed eloquent about them in the past. This morning was different. I booked a cab for 0445 yesterday morning at 7 am or so. Got the confirmation SMS. This morning I waited patiently till about 0455 but no sign of a cab or even the customary SMS with the driver details. I panicked and rushed out and caught hold of the good old yellow and black cab. Made it to the airport and was among the last few to check in. I will surely rethink about booking a Meru again.

PS: Bunty confirmed to me that this was a regular thing in Bangalore. Meru better get your act in place.

Rang De Basanti

2010-12-06T11:59:00.001+05:30

This movie was a big hit during its days but for some reason I chose not to watch it. Finally watched it on Tata Sky Video on demand over the weekend. It was an interesting take on the present day goings on and what we all feel about the political scene in the country. Of the cast I was impressed by Siddharth who is some Tamil hero or whatever. He had a very powerful role as Anupam Kher's son. Worth a watch....

Edubuntu it is.....

2010-12-06T11:57:00.001+05:30

Edubuntu is the educational flavour of Ubuntu and it is simply too good as a teaching aid to teach children. Kavya has an upcoming maths assessment and as a part of that she is expected to know tables of 2, 5 and 10 randomly. Came across this wonderful option, Tux Math in Edubuntu in which you can select the tables and randomly questions will fall like the space missiles or whatever. You punch in the correct answer and hit enter and it goes and destroys the falling missile. The level keeps going up and it is fun to play. Kavya could complete the task and at the end was so excited by "Congratulations. You Win". Then I would ask her "You want to play again?" Obviously the answer was a Yes and so changed the number and got her to solve the tables. All in all it was a game she was playing while she was studying..... Another reason for cheering Ubuntu and Edubuntu.

STD - What is that?

2010-12-02T23:05:00.000+05:30

Media has gone hammer and tongs yesterday and today about BSNL's new tariff plan which makes calls across the country at uniform rates (STD as we call it in India - Subscriber Trunk Dialing).The calls will now cost a measly Rs. 0.8 every 3 minutes. Truly the death of the distance. Compare that with the Bombay - Delhi rate of Rs. 24 per minute way back in 1997 when we were toying with the idea of Rincon. India has one of the lowest telecom tariffs in the world and this is adding fuel to fire. I remember in the good old days we used to have half charge from 7 pm to 8 am and then they added 75% discount between 11 pm and 5 am. I used to make calls post 11 pm then to cousins et al then.And now with such ridiculously priced no one bats an eyelid whether it is day or night. Competition sure has taught a thing or two to these telcos. And customers are enjoying it for sure.

Erin Brockovich

2010-12-02T16:19:00.001+05:30

Yesterday I watched Erin Brockovich for the umpteenth time and thoroughly enjoyed it. Julia Roberts is too good and enacts the role perfectly. A struggling single mother who fights for the rights of others. Despite being from a lawyer's firm, she is humble and humane with the people affected and is a bitch in the office (but that is what the character needed) All in all this is a must watch for anyone who hasn't. Small wonder that Julia Roberts picked up an Oscar for essaying the role of Erin Brockovich.

The best gift I ever got

2010-11-30T16:19:00.000+05:30

Sunday, November 28, 2010, afternoon as I was sleeping away to glory, Kavya wrote out on her own on the scribble pad and gave it to me when I woke up. I was so touched that I have scanned to electronically retain it for posterity sake. Also have kept the original in my wallet which will always lift up my spirits when I am traveling and in the hotel room all by myself. I am blogging about it just to express the joy I found. Thank you Kavya. I love you too very very much.

Kavya completes 6 years today

2010-11-29T07:13:00.000+05:30

The apple of my eyes, Kavya completes six years today. It is indeed a journey for me as her entry into my life changed me completely. She gave me something to look forward to in life. She has brought so much joy and I do hope to reciprocate the same too.

We had a small party at home with children and few of our friends and relatives on Saturday as Monday would be a problem for all. She was all excited right from Saturday morning (not that the excitement has died down as she is all revved up about going to school today and distributing chocolates). She had a blast and as a Father nothing could have brought me more joy than that smile on her face as she danced with her friends and played games too. The cake was selected by her and invitees too.

Today as she will wake up I am sure she will be smiling ear to ear just to tell all that please wish me yet again it is officially my birthday.

Love you darling.......

Yoga

2010-11-27T12:26:00.001+05:30

From May 1, 2010 started Iyengar Yoga at Matunga Gymkhana under Ms. Bhavana Rohra. Thanks to Sarju who literally forced me into it and I needed company so Vinit was pulled into it too. Almost 6 months down and it feels really good. Every Wednesday and Saturday mornings from 0645 to 0815, we have a our share of laughter and pain as we realise (or rather are made to realise) how stiff our body is and so many joints are just not worked upon for all these years!!! There are so many asanas which I thought were just unthinkable for me but am doing it with some assistance or props or whatever but bottom line is I am doing them. No I have not lost weight (as it is, the loss would barely be a drop in the ocean:-))) but then I was not going there for weight loss. And mind you I was under the impression that Yoga was simply sitting on your bottom and chanting Om Om Om..... There is much more to it than that. And you surely need to be regular (I tend to miss class when I am travelling but can't help that) and most importantly you need a coach who will ensure you do the right thing in the right manner. Thankfully our teacher does a fantastic job at that. Even when I sit in the office, I can hear her scream "Manish, sit on your buttock bone and not on your spine" So much is the effect of this dailog that Kavya too knows it by heart too. It is an experience but surely not something you can give up after a few months or years. You need to persist and I hope to persist with it for good.

Misuse of IVR leading to a disastrous customer experience

2010-11-27T00:19:00.001+05:30

Just arrived at the Mumbai airport from Chennai by Indian Airlines for a change. Meru had no cabs so picked up a phone which said EasyCabs. So far so good. Now this phone was a dumb instrument without a key pad something akin to what we see in the hotel bathrooms. When I picked up the phone, the IVR started rattling press 1 for this blah blah. Normally in the case of Meru too you are expected to listen and then the operator picks up. Easy Cabs funnily kept on saying "No Input. Please try again." Now how on earth does one input using a phone without a keypad??? And I wonder all these days they have not realised that they are getting NO bookings from these phones??? So dim witted are the people behind this? Gross misuse of technology and the worst customer experience.

Swimming Again

2010-11-25T07:53:00.000+05:30

Finally have re started learning how to swim with Kavya. Imagine father and daughter under the same tutor.... Just that I have always wanted to learn how to swim and despite enough opportunities as a child, I never made the most of them (Sorry Papa I goofed up big time on this one). Matunga Gymkhana has swimming classes and so got Kavya enrolled from November 1. Day 1 was when she was in the pool and I was twiddling my thumb sitting in the sun (No I don't think I need Vitamin D.... surplus of everything in my body:-))) Got inspired then and paid up for myself immediately. Classes on Saturday and Sunday from 3 to 4 pm so my Sunday siesta goes for a toss but what the heck? The next weekend Kavya was in Bharuch and I had some other commitments so skipped class. But last Saturday and Sunday was there with Kavya both days. Some day hope to swim without any float at the huge pool at Otters too. Hum honge kaamyab ek din.... man mein hai vishwas, pura hai vishwas....

Only for Ladies!?!?!?!?!?

2010-11-16T17:20:00.003+05:30

This morning I had been to the DRDO Headquarters here in Delhi. Nothing spectacular but it was very funny. At the reception I was looking for a loo but found only one there with the words in red and all CAPS "ONLY FOR LADIES". I asked the security person for the Gents loo and he said this was the only one. I asked him jokingly "maar nahin padegi na?" which meant "I won't get smacked right?" He laughed and said that they all used the same loo. Inside I was shocked to see gents urinals as well. Wonder why they put the sign outside then? Are defence ladies different in some way ? Anyways I can now boldly use that line from Star Trek and say "To boldly go where no man has gone before". Been there done that. ROTFL.

Ginger Vivek Vihar, New Delhi

2010-11-16T12:32:00.005+05:30

I am a big fan of Ginger Hotels and this blog post in no way is to berate them. I normally stay at Ginger Rail Yatri Nivas in Delhi which is just outside the New Delhi railway station. Nice, clean rooms, comfortable desks and chairs and clean loos. And at a price which beats others hands down. This time, I was late for booking and was given the option of the newer Ginger at Vivek Vihar. The pricing was more than double but still it was a ginger so plunged headlong. Last evening, I finally arrived. The Location is bad as it is extremely far. Finding the place itself took away half the fun. Being a new property, one would have expected it all to be prim prom which unfortunately it wasn't. The room was smaller than Rail Yatri and the chair was most uncomfortable. They have a restaurant on the top floor which again is nothing to write home about. All in all yes I am staying here for another night as scheduled but henceforth, it Rail Yatri for me. Sorry Ginger the location sucks big time and many finer details which were hitherto ignored now just cannot be for the price I am paying.

Not Just Jazz by the Bay

2010-11-14T21:31:00.001+05:30

Not Just Jazz by the Bay is the erstwhile Talk of the Town of yore. What attracts me to this place is the menu. They have soup, salads and sandwiches for lunch and a buffet at it so you can pig out. The salads are amazing and the choice is worth it. Unlike Nirula's Pot Pourrie in Delhi you don't end up with that "Oh no that same old menu" feeling. The menu is rotated or so I feel. The sandwiches are good too and the vegetarian spread is phenomenal to cater to the Gujju clientele like me (Ethiopians as I prefer to call ourselves .... we Gujjus behave like we have never ever seen food in our lives and are starved day in and out.... No complaining though as I am from the same clan and "Been here done that" applies to me too). While I have not seen Jain menus mentioned, I am sure the sandwiches could be made Jain if the need arises or the demand is made.

Honestly I have yet to come across a decent soup salad joint in Mumbai other than this. There is Ruby Tuesday but the spread is the same day in and out and extremely limited variety. There used to be the erstwhile Golden Gate at Kala Ghoda but that has been renamed, rebranded as something else and I did not find the salad bar the only time I had been there so don't know. If anyone knows of any good salad only joint in Mumbai, please let me know.

Blowing your own trumpet

2010-11-14T09:08:00.001+05:30

I know the graphic alongside no way is applicable to the idiom Blowing one's own trumpet. The meaning of the idiom is to brag or to act in a self-promoting or boastful manner. No I am not talking about any single person but am talking of the Indian Media. While I do appreciate the exposes, the scams unearthed, the investigative journalism, yada yada that these guys carry out but what irks me is the blatant usage of "first reported" or "first exposed". Gimme a break. Every possible news channel / news paper seems to be claiming credit for FIRST exposing the Adarsh Housing Society scam. At home I read Times of India & Economic Times and on TV watch CNN IBN and CNBC TV18. Now in print, when I read, it is TOI that claims responsibility for reporting this first. On TV, it is CNN IBN and Times Now both. Is it some kind of a race? Jeez.... And the worst thing about Times Now is their statement day in and out "Your Channel did ....." Why my channel? I don't own it and just by saying Your channel will not make me stick on to XYZ channel. Grow up media. We are not a bunch of dimwits. Stop blowing your own trumpet like you have been doing it. Someday you will be relegated to the dumps thanks to your own trumpet.

The beauty of a logo

2010-11-12T15:19:00.001+05:30

According to Wikipedia, A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition. Yesterday in Pune, I came across this logo for Oyster and Pearl Hospital which is targeted towards the health of women and children. The logo conveys this message so nicely. The dark green represents a mother with her hands open for a hug and so also a child in the light green holding his mother's hands. Hats off.....

The pain of regret

2010-11-12T14:37:00.001+05:30

Sorry to start off with such a negative subject line but this is actually my state of mind as I write. My mama, Kumarmama passed away yesterday evening after a protracted battle with paralysis. I was to go see him on Sunday morning for Diwali and the New Year but had a bad stomach infection and for three days was grounded at home. After that office started and I thought well I will go see him during the coming weekend. Regretfully I will never see him. Like I found this quote which is so apt “Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable. - Sydney Smith”

I will rue this for the rest of my life.

Yet another day at home and yet another Angrezi movie

2010-11-10T14:15:00.001+05:30

Thanks to my stomach upset, I was grounded at home for the 3rd straight day yesterday. This means that I was at home from November 7th to 9th, 2010. After having watched 3 movies on Monday, I watched Bruce Almighty starring Jim Carrey (thanks once again to the Tata Sky DVR for recording it God knows when). This has been a much talked about movie and one that I had not seen (Not that I am an English movie buff) The movie was fun and the hidden message towards the end was worth driving home. All in all a well spent evening..... Worth watching the movie. Have one last recorded yet unwatched movie "You've Got Mail". Will finish that too.

Diwali Holidays - Ending with movies

2010-11-09T04:49:00.001+05:30

We had four days of holidays for Diwali (an extra day thrown in on Monday). No I did not end up going to the theatres to watch Golmaal 3 or Action Replay since reviews were nothing to write home about. In any case after having watched 2 back to back movies (Anjaana Anjaani and Jootha hi Sahi) without reading reviews ensured I would never commit such a horrendous blunder again. Monday morning watched Turbulent Skies on HBO which was honestly no great shakes. It started off as a thriller but in the end it was a damp squib.

In the afternoon, I watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button .... Thanks to Tata Sky I occasionally record movies and then watch them at leisure. That is another thing that I rarely end up watching them. This movie was different and only after having completed the movie did I check on the internet. So many Oscar nominations..... And I for one have always shied away from any movie remotely connected to the Oscars leave aside winners (Slumdog Millionaire was an exception but I admit it was surreal). This movie was a serious one but I enjoyed it. Reminded me of "You learn to love, not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly."

In the evening it was time for some good hearted comedy again recorded decades ago maybe in the form of Runaway Bride starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere (the same people who gave us Pretty Woman) Reminded me of My Best Friend's wedding again with Julia Roberts...... A good movie this one was as also were the songs. Maneater by Hall & Oates, U2's I still haven't found what I'm looking for and When you sang to me by Marc Anthony.... Lovely songs. All in all a day full of movies and enjoyed 2 out of 3 which is not so bad after all.

Butterflies at Mahim Nature Park

2010-11-06T16:54:00.002+05:30

This morning Kavya and me had been to Mahim Nature Park here in Mahim. It was thanks to my Dad for getting us the information. The place is like an oasis in the desert. So much greenery what with the many trees, plants, flowers but what amazed us were the butterflies. So many of them in varied colours and designs. God sure has put in a lot of creativity and a myriad of the colour spectrum into making butterflies. We walked along quietly but the butterflies would not be in one place. Photography of these insects is a job of patience. They barely remain in a place for a fraction of a second and if that opportunity is lost, you have to wait for God knows how much time to click again. I managed to click a few though.Birds wise, while we could hear some sounds, all we got to see were the same old crows whom Kiran at office feeds so passionately every afternoon.Explained the concept of the food chain to Kavya and also took some pictures. Diwali break well spent. Plan to take her to Nehru Science Centre on Monday morning so she can do some hands on experiments in Science.

Your Turn Now

2010-11-02T15:47:00.002+05:30

The other day on the way out from Matunga Gymkhana, I happened to read on the notice board about Your Turn Now which I thought was a unique concept in this man eat man world. It simply was to do with doing a good deed and spreading the smile so that it has a multiplying effect. I visited the site and registered myself and I got my YTN cards within the next couple of days. I got to know that this selfless act was being carried out by Rushabh Turakhia (who lives not far from me) and I must admit it makes a lot of sense too.

It encourages us to help someone in need. The other day I drove to Dadar station to drop someone and it was pouring cats and dogs then. Knowing very well how much my Mom has suffered as no cab plies the short distance from Dadar to home, I just asked some people standing if anyone was interested in a ride to Matunga and my car was filled with 4 people and one of them happened to be a classmate of my cousin too. Small world but it made a difference to them and it made me feel good too.

So what do you need to do?

You request a FREE stack of YTN cards and carry them with you. Don't worry, these are the size of your visiting card and so can fit smugly into your pocket or such. When you help someone in need, don’t forget to pass them a card and spread the word. You will need to tell them that that it is now their turn to return the favour by helping someone else out.

Three cheers for Rushabh.....

Google Music

2010-11-01T07:14:00.001+05:30

Must admit that Google never ceases to impress me. Check this out.... You will find a massive library of music to listen to and I am impressed by the collection. My Mom can now listen to K L Saigal online and I can listen to Kishore Kumar songs. Also can listen to newer songs. I just found a bhajan I used to enjoy "Tera Ram Ji Karenge Beda Paar" by Hari Om Sharan. When in school (those days we had no FM) I used to come home and Mom being a big radio freak would listen to Vividh Bharati (Medium Wave - MW). At 2.30 pm every week day they would play Bhajans and I became a big fan of this particular Bhajan of Hari Om Sharan. It was more of a song for me in those days but repeated listening lets the song grow on you. This morning I just casually searched for it on Google Music and lo and behold I found it and heard it twice too... Re connected with my days of yore. Thanks Google. You Rock......

Encroachment in the name of the Lord

2010-11-01T07:02:00.000+05:30

Yesterday I had been to the famous Siddhivinayak Temple here in Prabhadevi. I like going to the temple mainly as it is a good 35 minute walk from home one way and so I get to walk for an hour+ and it was a break from the usual routine of the gym though it was walking in the crowd. No I did not go inside the temple (The stupidest reason but the truth is that I did not carry any money and to leave the shoes you need to pay a Rupee!!!). I had the darshan on the TV screen outside. That is fine with me and I am never keen on flocking with the sea of people. On the way to the temple I remembered the umpteen times I have walked here with my childhood friend, Hiten. We had a gala time. Anyways enough of reminiscing.

What struck me there was the way in which the security paranoia has taken over the temple. I strolled in from the exit and I was sent back by the cops and was made to go through the metal detector and frisking (That is another story that the frisking was absolutely an indifferent one .... more of an eye wash from a cop who was busy chit chatting and least bothered about what was going on). The entire periphery of the temple has been encompassed with very high walls with security cameras. And mind you these high walls are on the road. Secondly I was shocked to see the garden outside also coming up with some trusses and hence a permanent structure (I never bothered to ask who it was for.... no points for guessing). The public urinal in the garden was nowhere to be seen!!! I pity those people living in building near by. It must be torturous I am sure to live in such a high security prison (yes I am using these words) I have nothing against the Lord and am all for the faith but this honestly is stretching things too far.

Cracker free Diwali

2010-11-01T06:41:00.001+05:30

Diwali, the festival of lights, is just round the corner and yesterday I was telling Kavya about how children were being forced to work in those factories in Sivakasi in inhuman conditions. Also told her about how the smoke causes problems to the birds and the plants. This was done last year too and she did not want crackers then. She told me this time too that she was not keen on crackers. After an hour, at the dining table, Mom and Pauravi said that they would get Phuljari and such simple crackers and when I asked her she said she did not want crackers. So proud of you my princess!!!! I am sure you are doing your bit for the environment. But yes I have promised to take her to Matunga Gymkhana's Diwali party where they would have a fireworks show. Can't deprive her of the joys of looking at the colours of Diwali.

Request to all of you please do not burn up your pockets on these crackers. Just not worth it considering the terrible damage they do to the already fragile eco system.

An additional day in September

2010-09-29T10:48:00.000+05:30

Last Thursday (September 23, 2010) I traveled from Chennai to Mumbai by Spicejet. Now that in no way diminishes my love or respect for Indigo but the timings suited me the most. Spicejet is another low cost airline and they have an inflight magazine too. Found an advertisement there by one Bharat Scans of Chennai for something to do with the heart. They had some coupon on it and what grabbed my attention was the date - September 1 to 31!!!! Since when did September have 31 days? Another case of poor copy writing. Advertisers wake up!!!!

Common Wealth Mess

2010-09-22T12:13:00.000+05:30

The Common Wealth Games 2010 are supposed to be held in Delhi in 10 days times. Why am I saying "supposed to" is because it is such a messy affair. India has been mocked at here, there, everywhere. The corruption scandals, the security, the widespread dengue is all in the news. To add insult to injury, yesterday a foot over bridge collapsed and the minister called it a small matter. The Delhi Government nonchalantly said that that the bridge was meant for pedestrians and not for the athletes. Ms. Sheila Dixit, is it that the lives of the common man have no meaning for you? Only the firangi athletes matter?

Then the Australian media conducted a sting operation and carried a suitcase laden with explosives right under the nose of the policemen into the main venue. There is no end to this. I just wish we could fast forward time and get it over with. Seriously it is too embarrassing. Nothing is in place and nothing will be. Common Wealth yes considering the money that has been siphoned off but Games? No way. Shame yes.

And this picture was taken yesterday afternoon using my phone not in Delhi but in Bangalore. While the word Mess is used in this part of the country to refer to a food joint, honestly it reflects the image of the country.

Udaan - The movie

2010-08-21T19:45:00.003+05:30

Watched a Hindi movie called Udaan. This movie had rave word of mouth reviews and it was a low cost unconventional movie with a splendid story to tell. Worth a watch. The performances were amazing for relatively or should I say absolutely unknown lead actor and the younger brother was awesome too. Rohit Roy was the only known face in the movie and as a true autocratic father, he enacted his role perfectly. The movie is about a young man aged 17 who undergoes internal and external struggles to decide which way he wants to lead his life. An absolute must watch..... A Saturday evening well spent.

Dearth of copywriters in Bangalore?

2010-08-20T22:32:00.000+05:30

Last week in Bangalore, Rahul Gandhi, the scion of the ruling Nehru Gandhi family and heir apparent to the Indian throne was then visiting. The city as expected was plastered with posters welcoming the young leader. Just that all of the posters had a common error. All posters were "heartly" welcoming him. A gaffe yet again.... Looks like Bangalore is running short of copywriters or then there is a dearth of proof readers!

Unfortunately I did not click the photo from the phone else would have put it up here. Googled but could not find it either.

Day 4 Papa's 75th Birthday Celebrations and Mom's birthday

2010-07-31T19:15:00.003+05:30

Today is dual celebration time as Mom celebrates her 67th birthday today. We went to St. Joseph's home in Bombay Central. This is the same place where we celebrated Kavya's birthday last year and it was with a sense of deja vu that I entered.

This time we did not go to the creche as the children would be sleeping (1230 in the afternoon). We went to the lunch room straight and found children waiting for us to commence lunch. They mistook it as Kavya's birthday and everyone rushed to wish her. Then the sister there clarified... They wished Mom a very Happy Birthday and then said their prayers. Then the elder girls (must be 14 to 16 years of age) came ahead and manned the utensils with the food (consisting of pulao, garlic chutney, gravy, batatawada, papad and a sweet item). The younger girls came ahead one by one with their plates and were quickly served the food. Then came the other girls who were elder maybe 10 years and more and they collected their food. There were about 55 girls in all.

Kavya and me stepped out of the hall to meet a young girl, Andrea who was a year younger to her. Shy she was but then children have their own way of getting around with other children so Kavya and she smiled and got started. Some other girls also came and one of them even recognised Kavya saying "She had come last year". It was good to know that they do remember these little things.

Mom was really happy that she had the good wishes of so many people in the absence of her elders / parents. All in all it was time well spent. Kavya is keen to celebrate her birthday this year again at this same institution. Just that she wants to see the little ones as well so timings will have to be worked out in accordance to that.

Thank you Kavya

2010-07-27T11:26:00.001+05:30

My visiting card sports a title under my name "Proud Father of Kavya". Honestly this has struck up many conversations and it always allows me to talk about my most precious gift from God even during a business meeting. I never knew till a few minutes ago about the strong recall value. I was getting introduced to someone who had moved in from another organisation recently. Here is what he wrote 'Apparently I know Manish from my previous organization, I still remember a portion of his designation "Proud Father of his daughter"' Yes that is some memory.... Thanks Kavya. You make me popular.

Even God likes Humour

2010-07-26T17:01:00.000+05:30

Mahim is famous for the St. Michael's church and Wednesday Novena. It is situated barely 3 to 4 minutes away from the office on foot. They always have something intelligent written outside on the board which makes you smile and I make it point to read it as I turn left every day though it changes once in a week.

Last week was written "Come in. Google does not have all the answers." How relevant in present days when we google for any and every thing under the blue sky.

Papa's 75th Birthday - Day 3

2010-07-25T19:31:00.002+05:30

Today Sunday, July 25, 2010..... we are now 2 days away from Papa's 75th birthday. We (Papa, Kavya and me) had been to the Thelma J R D Tata Anand Kendra at Worli. This is a home for destitute boys started in 1954. They have a capacity of 40 boys and they had 33 inmates today with 4 expected to join them soon. Children greeted us when they opened the door. Age group was from 8 to 16 years. Just before us, the student of St, Xavier's college had visited them and there were two young men who were distributing Cadbury's éclairs to the children. The person in charge spoke in chaste Marathi and he showed us the facilities they have. A large dormitory in which were stacked mattresses meant for sleeping. They had cupboards on one side for the clothes. There was a huge shoe rack with shoes neatly stacked and all school satchels neatly arranged. They also had a computer room with 4 PCs and CRT monitors and children learnt basics of computers there every weekend as also a music room. We asked him what was the routine for today. He said being a Sunday the children would wake up at 0630 an hour later than the usual 0530. They would then have breakfast, clean up the dorms and have a bath and then study. The children assembled and said a prayer for Lord Ganesh and then each of them took their steel plates from the rack, washed them and lined up at the counter for their meal. The meal was daal chawal, roti and vegetables. Today they were also served bhajis (pakoras) and sheera (a sweet). Each of them got their food and sat on the tables and relished it with gusto. Just before they started they said a loud Thank You to us. While standing there briefly, you could see the paradox of life. They had 3 bathrooms between 40 of them and here we were with 3 bathrooms between 5 of us in the house. Their location is prime as they are located right next to Atria mall in Worli (common boundary wall) but that is another paradox. While standing in the lunch room, we were looking outside the balcony and what we say was the Atria Mall and the Navnit Motors showroom (India's first Rolls Royce showroom). So people there were buying a car worth crores of Rupees and children across the wall were craving for food! We spoke to the person in charge there and the children were from single parents (but this was not an adoption centre) and also they had children coming from Child Welfare committee or such. They had one boy who cleared his SSC (Class 10) last year and this year they have 2 children appearing for SSC. After SSC what? They tried to place them with their donors in Pune or Mumbai as office boys or such hoping that they made a living for them in the future. Just hope they are able to make a decent living now and forever.

Day 2 - Dad's 75th Birthday

2010-07-19T11:00:00.003+05:30

Yesterday, July 18, 2010, we had sponsored meals for the homeless / needy through Sunday Friends. Sunday Friends feeds such needy people every Sunday and they do it with passion. Hats off to them! This was my 4th experience with them (Twice before at Don Bosco, then last month outside Amulakh Amichand School and then yesterday). They served Idlis and Medu Wadas with Sambhar and chutney to about 100 people at the Sai Baba temple at Chunabhatti. Kavya and me accompanied Papa. Papa started by serving a few people but then due to the delicate nature of the plates, Kavya and he backed off and I was serving them. It was a sight not to be missed. Each one finished every morsel of food served and they were hungry enough to ask for refills which we obviously gave. One rule they have is that you should eat whatever is served (not waste) and you are not allowed to take it home. That way all the needy people are served. After a couple of rounds, there were some more people who came in who were served with equal gusto by the team of Sunday Friends. Some people go the extra mile in spreading happiness. And in a way, I am glad to be associated with them even if it means this way. Normally the 75th birthday is celebrated by inviting friends and relatives over dinner coupled with some music and then some flowery speeches. I am so proud that Papa took this route. There is no music and there are no flowery speeches but yes there is a satisfied smile on the faces of people and that smile is worth much more than any of the dinners or speeches.

Dad's 75th birthday - Make a difference

2010-07-17T14:25:00.005+05:30

Dad completes 75 years on July 27th and he wished to donate for a cause / feed the needy. Since it falls on a Tuesday, we are visiting different places over the weekend. Today we started by visiting The Shanti Avedna Sadan in Bandra. This is an institution for the terminally ill patients suffering from cancer. These are patients who are awaiting their chance to pass into the other world and medicines have no effect on them.

It was touching to say the least. The inmates were young as well as old (For those who even read this and who are either smoking or are chewing tobacco / pan parag etc. please visit this institution and get to know what are the ill effects of this habit). The Doctor there was a very nice lady who showed us around and she was laughing and talking to the inmates ostensibly making them smile in their times of suffering. She would ask each and every patient if they had their lunch and then make some small talk which would bring a smile on their faces. I saw one particular man whose face was distorted beyond recognition thanks to the swellings all over the face. He was completely on liquids. There was a Kenyan man breathing heavily with his wife beside him reading what I guessed was the Bible. They could not move him to Kenya as the airlines wanted a doctor to accompany the patient. The doctor told us about how the old people were left behind and no one would come to meet them for weeks. The patient would naturally crave for some attention from his loved ones and so the doctor too would send messages but no respite. Then they would have to resort to the worst and tell the relatives that the patient was very critical and then only would someone show up. Same happens for the dead body. She has had to call the police to help out in getting the relatives to claim the body.....
All in all what I gathered was that the terminally ill craved for love when they lived and wanted to die with dignity. Worth a visit.

A new symbol for the Indian Rupee

2010-07-15T17:55:00.002+05:30

Today the Indian government announced a new symbol for the Indian Rupee. Media has gone out all guns blazing about the new symbol as if it was a God sent solution to the multitude of problems with the economy. Yes it is good to have a symbol etc. but does it solve any of the problems we have on hand? The spiralling inflation, fuel price issues, the infighting, the terrorism..... too many to list down honestly and here we are sitting on a new currency symbol. Wake up Mr. Prime Minister, wake up and smell the coffee please.

Funny Sight

2010-07-10T17:00:00.003+05:30

This picture taken at Delhi Airport on July 8, 2010 says it all.... While I am sure they have no ill intentions at heart, I found it too funny not to have captured it honestly.

The use and throw culture

2010-07-10T16:18:00.002+05:30

We Indians used to pride ourselves in our ability to use and reuse stuff for it's full worth. So much so that we were never used to these disposable things like tableware shown alongside. No I am not waxing eloquent about plastics etc. We had a well grown "repair and use" service vertical in India but now that is gone. Take the case of the ubiquitous Bata slippers. There used to be a time when I would wear the slippers for years till the soles / base wore out. And now Bata does not sell the strips that go across your feet so you are forced to buy a new pair if the strips rip (which is always a casualty). Even pens in India have become so cheap that people carry tons of them around / have them on their desk. Once the ink is over the sealed pens have to be thrown and replaced with new ones. Sales are increasing yes but are we looking at the fact that the product is not even 20% through it's life? There ought to be some restriction on this use and throw culture as it leads to a lot of wastage honestly.

Kishore Kumar, R D Burman - True Legends

2010-07-05T08:14:00.001+05:30

This morning on my flight to Delhi (by the ever faithful Indigo) I am entertained by the evergreen melodies sung by Kishore Kumar, the legend. I have a good collection of his songs on my iPod and believe me he still rocks. I have yet to come across someone who can sing and convey so many moods.

Another legend without whom Kishore Kumar would never have been able to show his talents is Rahul Dev Burman or Pancham as he was popularly known as. R D Burman is the greatest composer I have ever heard. So many songs and so many different types. I am listening to the songs from Harjaee, which has music by R D Burman and Kishore Kumar as the lead singer. For those of you who haven't heard the songs, please do so .... truly amazing songs.

The duo of Kishore Kumar and R D Burman has give some really lilting numbers and these melodies have remained hits even till date. Indian Idol 5 had R D Burman special a fortnight ago and I have it recorded and watch it often. People try and imitate the two but they are just way too ahead. Both of them unfortunately died premature deaths and left a void which has yet to be filled in. We miss you Kishoreda and Panchamda.

Lack of Education in India - a malaise

2010-07-05T08:05:00.001+05:30

Today (July 5, 2010) has been declared as the Bandh in Mumbai as in other parts of India. Taxis were not plying or rather were scanty so I was forced to drive down to the airport for the flight to Delhi and took along Sanjay who served me as a chauffeur for 2 or 3 months in 2009 to get the car back. Sanjay is a 21 year old boy and doubles up as our building watchman at night. He looks like a kid just out of school or junior college but is married (just as the whole of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar probably are). His Father is almost 80 and he is the 7th of 9 children. His younger brother also does the same thing ie chauffeuring as a profession and doubling up as a watchman. Sanjay is married already and this morning I discovered that he already has a son who is a year old. I was shocked. Education of any sort is just not there in rural India. Sanjay is a dependable guy but has not even completed his 10th. I asked him what his wife does and he said she is at home sewing clothes or mending them.... She does not want to study. I told him that without studying she can't come to a city to which he said she is not interested in moving to the city. How I wish I could drill it into his head that for the sake of their child, they move to the city and educate the little boy. Else we will have another generation of the same kind. Seriously someone needs to take the cudgels to educate the rural population. We are already #2 in the world population and at this rate we will be #1. Thanks to this illiteracy, they elect politicians who milk them dry. Thanks to this illiteracy, they still believe in having a male child, in dowry, in menial jobs, the list goes on and on and never ends as it has been on for generations. We need to do something for sure.

Aashiqui - A musical disaster

2010-06-10T11:29:00.006+05:30

Last Sunday, June 6, 2010 on our way back from Ooty I had the misfortune of having to watch an atrocious movie, Aashiqui starring Rahul Roy and Anu Agarwal. The movie had brilliant music and so I was all for it but it was a complete waste of time and energy. The movie had no story, absolutely nothing but good music. I checked on the web and the movie was a hit in those days purely because of the music and I couldn't agree less even after 20 years or whatever.....

Domains and e mail IDs

2010-06-07T17:51:00.001+05:30

I have seen a lot of web sites hosted with e mail accounts of yahoo or rediff or such. I always have wondered at this since all domains have a catch all email account which can be used for e mail IDs. Maybe someone needs to educate them on these facts. Also a lot of people have not known that they can get their emails hosted on Google for free - YES ABSOLUTELY FREE. You have the gmail advantage on your official mails too. Maybe another education issue!

Kavya and Papa reminiscing

2010-05-21T12:38:00.006+05:30

Last night, Kavya and me were looking at pictures and video clips of her as a baby and the progression gradually. I must admit it was a treat reminiscing and she was always asking 'was I able to talk this day?'. Those of you with young children please take in as many pictures and videos as possible. I am sure you will relish those moments as you relive them. Kavya and me just did.

Switching over to Linux

2010-05-19T17:57:00.003+05:30

Thanks to Bhavesh for sending me this article. It is something that I have gone through honestly when I switched over from Windows to Ubuntu (No I did not venture anywhere else near Fedora or such). Worth going through for anyone who is toying with the idea of a switch.

English gaffes again

2010-05-19T11:19:00.004+05:30

The first picture (about eatables being prosecuted) was taken at the Forum Mall in Bangalore on May 5, 2010 during my visit there.

The second picture was taken this morning (May 19, 2010) at Goa Airport. English is being murdered. Maybe the Queen can save it:-)

Jetlite - Crossing all limits of a low cost carrier

2010-05-12T22:21:00.002+05:30

Writing from my flight from Rajkot to Mumbai and am flying Jetlite. Just asked the hostess for some water and she informed me that water is 20 Rs. after take off. This is really the limit. No one offered us water before take off nor did they inform us that post take off they would begin charging us and now I am being asked to cough up money!!!! I have flown a lot of LCCs (low cost carriers) but no one has ever made such an outrageous demand. Needless to say I have not paid Rs. 20. A 55 minute flight is not going to kill me.

Revisit to my school after 27 years

2010-04-29T14:58:00.003+05:30

This morning I went to the school (referring to it as the School as it is Kavya's as well as mine) to collect her Sr. KG Progress Report. It was a journey back in time. 1983 was when I appeared for my SSC and thus left the school and here I was walking up the stairs and entering the class room on the 3rd floor after 27 long years. Her report was to be collected from her Sr. KG Class room and that happened to be my class room when I was in the 3rd standard when Mrs. Periera was our class teacher. I remember she had once got some foreign body in one of her eyes and so was covered in one eye. She had to go to the doctor and so I was in charge of the class and was asked to read out aloud some story or such. And the last few words of sentence were: and they lived in peace and I had said and they lived in a peace. Mrs. Pereira had entered by then from the back of the class room and she corrected me. That particular scene flashed before my eyes today as I was standing in the same class. Nothing has changed in the school except that it is much much hotter now than in those times. As I walked out of MY classroom, I saw diagonally opposite my classroom of the 4th standard when Ms. Iyer was our class teacher while Mrs. Rodrigues was for the other division. So many memories today. What a wonderful life it was in those days of yore.

Elliptical v/s Treadmill

2010-04-24T14:15:00.003+05:30

These days I am doing 40 minutes in 2 tranches of 20 minutes each on the treadmill. Earlier I used to do 20 minutes on the elliptical and 20 minutes on the treadmill. I was wondering if the treadmill was best for me or what. I googled up and found this answer which was interesting. So from tomorrow a change will be in.

Cadaver donation

2010-04-21T11:14:00.002+05:30

I read this morning about a brain dead girl who suffered a car crash on her birthday. Her family took the noble step of donating her kidneys, corneas and liver. Thereby she is now living in 5 different people. May her soul rest in peace. Even in death she lives thanks to this noble act.

I have not seen my late grandfather but he had donated both his corneas way back in 1965. Even my grandmother in 2000 did the same and went a step ahead by donating her skin as well (skin is needed for grafting in victims of burns) . This awareness sure will go a long way in helping so many so please tell your kin that you wish to donate your organs. Let us get over our superstitions about moksh and all that crap. If one doesn't donate, at best it will burn or rot away. Does it serve any purpose? Please do consider this appeal.

Increasing parking woes in Matunga

2010-04-16T05:54:00.003+05:30

Last evening, I returned home to find the entrance gate half blocked by a Hyundai Accent. I had to make multiple reverses and forwards to get my car in which normally is done in a single reverse. I was so livid that I deflated not one but both the rear tyres. I had learnt my lesson years ago when I was wrongly parked in Chembur and the person deflated all four tyres. I just hope this person learnt his / her lesson from this experience. Funnily I was told that he / she drove away without even realising that there were two deflated tyres.

Pigeon menace

2010-04-12T07:28:00.003+05:30

The menace of pigeons has afflicted our house and honestly it is a terrible malaise. They may be poor cousins of the birds of peace (doves) but honestly they are lousy. It started off with laying an egg in the potted plant in the balcony and we put up with it as a one off. The little bird was born and it flew away after a few weeks. The next egg was around soon (Talk of procreation abilities!!) so we got rid of the egg itself and then also moved all plants away from the balcony. Thinking they would go but how wrong we were.... They shamelessly laid an egg on the bare floor of the balcony. We got rid of that too. For the next couple of days they kept off and I was thinking they had learnt their lesson but they got bolder and now have started coming into the living room and going under the sofa. The DVR of Tata Sky is a favourite spot for them as well. We are so fed up and now planning to imprison ourselves using a net or such. Better than keeping the door shut and avoiding fresh air coming in. They are a very dirty lot must admit, peace or no peace.....

Kavya's first bicycle

2010-04-11T13:39:00.002+05:30

Finally Kavya now has a new cycle, her first one. Just went and got her a red Hero Cycles' Tango. Infact I am tempted to get one for myself too (not the same size or structure obviously). I bought it from the same store as my second cycle. The first one, a BSA SLR maroon colour, was bought from somewhere in Lohar Chawl / Kalbadevi or such when I was in the 3rd standard. This was stolen when I was in the 9th or was it 10th and then I bought another BSA SLR same colour. This was the one I used all through junior college and even Engineering till two more wheels came into action in the form of a Fiat. I am hoping Kavya too derives the same pleasures of cycling that I enjoyed. Who knows I too will end up with one so can ride it to office on Saturdays or such. Environmentally friendly and yes I can always do with some exercise.

Positivity in Delhi

2010-04-10T23:18:00.003+05:30

While I was walking towards an office in Delhi, I came across this unique signboard on one of the offices on the floor that said "Salesmen and donation seekers welcome on Sundays". The exact words can be seen alongside but it sure was a positive way of telling unwelcome visitors to keep off.

Punctual Indigo

2010-04-10T23:09:00.007+05:30

I am writing from my Indigo flight from Delhi to Mumbai. This time all 3 flights have been Indigo only. One thing that strikes anyone is their punctuality. All early morning flights are on time being the first flights but I took the last flight from Bangalore to Delhi and was surprised to see it take off on time (Infact we were air borne at the appointed hour) and it landed about 20 minutes ahead of schedule. The flight now too has taken off bang on and should land too the same way. Another thing I am impressed is that the air hostesses address you by your name. Gives a personalised touch despite being a low cost airline. Simple things but they strike a chord. Yes you have to buy food but then there are no free lunches in life:-)

Delhi heat

2010-04-10T23:09:00.005+05:30

The heat in Delhi has been horrifying. The maximum temperatures hover above 40 degrees C already and we are not even in mid April. Phew!! I was roasted literally. My lips have dried completely and my skin burns. Maybe I am just not cut out for such kind of dry heat. Evening at 21 degrees C set on the AC at night, I was feeling uncomfortable. I wonder what will happen to me in May and June which will be peak summer in Delhi. I think I will hum that song "I will survive":-)

A new phone finally

2010-04-10T23:04:00.002+05:30

I eventually ended up buying the Nokia E72 on Tuesday, April 7, 2010 from Bangalore. Why Bangalore? Well they have lesser VAT there and so the phones are cheaper. Also I could trade in my HTC Touch Viva or should I say I got rid of that piece of junk. Looked at the Blackberry phones too but I felt they were too delicate so opted for the E72. Besides the TCO for a Blackberry is still high and Nokia could do the work for me. A good phone and all is well so far. Hopefully it will continue that way.

Overdose of IPL T20 Cricket

2010-04-10T22:57:00.004+05:30

The Indian Premiere League Season 3 is on and Indians being cricket crazy, the powers that be are milking the viewer ship dry. While the first half was interesting, the second half is a drag. Wish they would have just a single match between teams at the league stage and then jump to the semi finals and the final. But well so much moolah at stake so might as well milk it dry.

Height of Indianisation

2010-04-09T01:00:00.005+05:30

On Wednesday when I was in Bangalore (April 7, 2010) I chanced to see an advertisement on a truck featuring Pav Bhaji Pizza from US Pizza. This to me was a real shocker. For those unaware, Pav Bhaji is a typical Mumbai dish in which they make a hash of boiled vegetables, garlic and onions and serve it with buttered pav (which is bread). Now to add that to a pizza is stretching my imagination a bit too far for comfort. What is this world coming to? Soon a dhokla pizza who knows? Catering to the gujju clientele maybe? As the Adidas tag line says, Impossible is nothing.

Rocket Singh - Salesman of the year

2010-04-09T00:52:00.004+05:30

Just finished watching Rocket Singh - Salesman of the year

I must say I was very very impressed. The movie may not have fared all that well at the box office but I am very happy having spent two plus hours watching it (in two tranches though). And Ranbir Kapoor as an actor has really matured. Must have done his parents really proud. The movie is worth a watch any day. Thanks to all the people who recommended this movie so strongly to me. I am glad I heeded your advice.

eMails!!!

2010-04-05T14:34:00.003+05:30

e Mails have been a life line we know but I never knew until today how many e mails I would ever have sent. Due to the machine going into limbo, I had to hard reboot it. Thunderbird in what frame of mind, is now indexing every message in the folders. As I write, the count has crossed a whopping 1.08 million which has my business e mails and few personal e mails over the last 13 years atleast. So even if we take (13 * 365 days), my average mail traffic per day is 227.... Something is amiss or then I must get off my e mail addiction faster than one can think.

Gone is that LIVE feeling on radio

2010-04-04T17:44:00.002+05:30

I have always loved to listen to the radio (FM) and so have had my fair share of fun (in the Win 94.6 days). Played pranks which were LIVE as in I was on the phone, Malishka was calling up the bakra and post the call I have immediately received calls saying you were on air etc. Malishka would always make it a point to ask "Your friend will not swear on air na?" But now a days the same Malishka plays pranks on 93.5 Red FM and honestly these are recorded pranks. The LIVE feeling is sorely lacking. Infact the interviews they do are also recorded and questions are recorded and interposed. Radio has changed so much. I feel some of her pranks too have a scripted feel to them. Win 94.6 and Gautam Radia, I really really miss you. The Breakfast show which launched Malishka was something that is sorely lacking from all radio stations of now. Come back Win 94.6, you still are "Mumbai ka #1 hit music radio, Win Win Win Win 94.6"

Sachin Tendulkar, an Indian, A legend....

2010-03-28T22:26:00.002+05:30

Indians are a cricket obsessed nation and there is no proof needed for that but what separates India from the world for over a decade now is one man, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. You can google up and read more about him but believe me no one I mean no one can have enough of him. He just surpasses all possible records. On February 24, 2010, Sachin broke the previous world record for highest individual run scorer in an ODI and became the first to score double century in ODI. He scored 200 runs and broke the previous record of 194 runs jointly held by two others. I will not forget that day as we were in office and were glued to the screen as Sachin was giving a mauling of his life to the bowlers. Towards the end we got hold of a website which was streaming the video of the match and then as he neared the 194 mark, the link would not refresh probably thanks to the overload of hits as people I am sure were pounding on that link to make sure they would not miss history in the making. We asked all to stop surfing etc. so that we could conserve bandwidth and finally we got to see him reach the magical mark of 200 which was just a dream till then. That night all that people were talking about is Sachin's batting prowess. Way to go man.... You rock SRT..... Hats off to you.....

Paa the movie

2010-03-28T19:11:00.003+05:30

Today is my day off watching movies. Watched Paa, a very poignant story about the relationship between a child suffering from progeria played by the inimitable Amitabh Bachchan and his father played by Abhishek Bachchan. They are real life father and son and they switched roles in this movie. The mother's role was essayed by Vidya Balan. A very nice story with a needless political sub plot in it but come on guys they have to do something to stretch the length. All in all it was a touching movie and worth watching. From the artistes, no one dare compare the Big B with anyone else so full marks to him for the the role of Auro. Hats off to you Sir. Vidya Balan, as the mother was very very impressive. Abhishek Bachchan was good in parts but the movie was all the way @ Amitabh Bachchan and Vidya Balan. The grandmother referred to as Bum in the movie played a good meaningful role as well. Kudos to R Balki for making such a wonderful movie on such a moving subject. There were very emotional scenes especially towards the end and needless to mention I was moved.

Sivaji the Boss

2010-03-28T19:05:00.002+05:30

Thanks to Tata Sky, I can record movies when they show up and then watch them at ease. I finally watched Sivaji the Boss starring the southern super star Rajnikanth. The movie is supposedly a big hit down south. It was the dubbed version in Hindi. I personally did not find anything earth shattering about this movie. There was an overdose of melodrama and the entire love plot was completely unwarranted. All in all a completely avoidable movie and a sheer waste of one's time and senses.

Opensource finally

2010-03-20T08:42:00.004+05:30

I have finally migrated to Ubuntu last week and it marks a transition after decades of "non open source" usage. It is definitely a mind shift change as you are so used to certain features and here you have to dig out where it exists (maybe if someone using Ubuntu for so long would migrate to the other end, he too would find the same challenges). I would recommend a switch for all users like me who are only using Internet, e mails and the Office suite functionality. Yes there are some software which do not work with open source but then we can always find alternatives..... A change for the better....

2 weeks of travelling

2010-03-14T11:59:00.004+05:30

Finally am back home on terra firma after a 11 days of travelling. Started off on Tuesday, March 2nd when I went to Bangalore in the morning and returned in the evening. Next day morning was on the flight to Delhi and returned the next day in the evening. Friday was my Father in Law's knee replacement surgery so was there for most part of the day. Saturday worked from home and left in the afternoon for Dubai. Came back early Wednesday morning. Friday was in Gandhinagar for the day. So all in all had 8 flights in a span of 11 days. Man I was sick and tired of planes.... As a child such a prospect would enthral me but now no more. Finally am back home and am working away using my lap top and thanks to the Wi Fi can work on the dining table while Kavya does her preparations for upcoming assessments. In the last two weeks have barely been to the office but thanks to Internet and the connectivity have been in touch with the office most regularly.

Holi(day)

2010-02-28T10:42:00.003+05:30

Finally we have 2 days back to back holidays. Today being a Sunday and tomorrow is Holi, the festival of myriad colours (not to mention the festival of getting really dirty). Relaxing indeed. I for one have not played Holi in the last so many years or should I say decades.... Just don't like the mess it makes though I do encourage Kavya to play as that is part of her growing up. Hope to capture some moments tomorrow. Just wish there is no water being wasted tomorrow as Holi is when people use coloured water and also wish that the colours used are eco friendly and not the ones with the nasty chemicals.....

From Outlook to Thunderbird finally....

2010-02-20T21:00:00.004+05:30

I finally took the plunge during the week and migrated myself from Outlook to Thunderbird. I have been a devout Outlook fan for the last few years and swore by it but then the fees were getting too much to bear so have moved now to Open Source. Outlook data has now been ported to Thunderbird and MS Office is now replaced by Open Office. Yes I do admit that the transition has been tough and the road ahead is tougher as getting used to Thunderbird itself is taking some time so getting used to Open Office's components will mean more time but then I am not complaining. Change is the law of nature so here I am a devout Outlook user converted to Thunderbird.

Internet and how it has changed me

2010-02-02T18:06:00.003+05:30

The internet has really really changed the world. What started off in 1997 (remember we had the silly shell accounts then where we used LYNX for 5000 per annum on dial up) has now evolved into a way of life. I am working from home today... resting as am not feeling well. But thanks to the internet I have been able to do so much work sitting at home. I am that way hooked to it save and except for the fact that I do not have a Blackberry (resisted the temptation till date) and have been very happy with the Sony Ericsson P1i. I have GPRS enabled on that and so can check mails sitting anywhere especially when traveling. Then have this high speed stick from Tata Indicom which is a boon as my lap top can be connected at anytime any place and I can send and receive my mails or do anything else. Technology has evolved tremendously and the Internet has changed all of us.

Halla Bol

2010-01-31T18:39:00.003+05:30

Last night I watched Halla Bol thanks to the late night arrival and the disturbed sleep cycle. It was a different movie and not the run of the mill stuff. A film made by Rajkumar Santoshi which I am sure failed at the box office. I liked the movie though..... Ajay Devgan delivered a performance with a punch and Vidya Balan too showed her acting prowess. Pankaj Kapoor as usual rocks... A movie worth watching...

Traffic at Mumbai Airport

2010-01-31T18:27:00.004+05:30

The traffic at Mumbai Airport is getting just too much. Last night I was returning from Bangalore by Indian Airlines ooops Air India with a scheduled arrival at 2330. We were as usual circling in the air near Pune for some time and landed at 0005. So far so good as the delay was just 35 minutes.

Then started the torture.... after touch down they decided to park us in some remote corner of the airport.... It took a while for the step ladder to be put into place and then the bus ride to the terminal was ugh. There was massive traffic on the road from the plane to the terminal resembling something like Mumbai roads during peak hours. It took us more than 30 minutes post touchdown to get inside the terminal. Finally made it home at well past 0115. I felt it really was too much.

Watches - my love for them

2010-01-28T20:27:00.001+05:30

I am very passionate about my watch collection though do not possess the Vacheron Constantins or Cartier or such. This morning on the Airport Express bus from Bangalore Airport to the city, I saw an old man ahead wearing an equally old watch and I recalled my first watch which was a Time Star winding type (14 Jewels or whatever it was) which Papa bought for me when I was in the 5th standard. Gosh I now feel I used it as if it was rough and tough piece of trash. I remember it was a metallic strap and a simple analog watch.

After that I bought a Rico or was it Ricoh which was a shining blue automatic watch so no winding needed. This was a much bulkier watch and was bought when I was in 6th or 7th. After that Parul got for me a black digital watch (It was a super craze then in the Casio hey days when they were NOT mass produced as they are now). That was followed by a Quartz citizen watch which Shaileshkaka got me from the UK in 1983. That watch I will not forget as that is the reason why Parin and me got talking at the orientation of Ruia College (I think it was June 28th, 1983) and till this day we yap endlessly for atleast an hour everytime we talk.

After that there were watches galore ... different brands starting from Titan, moving on Swatch, Esprit, Calvin Klein, Citizen... Must have about 15 of those in my chest (with the batteries removed of course). The last one I bought was my most expensive purchase till date and I have used it continuously since 2004. It is a Tissot chronograph. After that watch Kavya came into our lives and so now any watch I look at first tells me - "It is just another device that will tell the time. I have enough of them at home so do not waste money on watches. Instead invest it for Kavya's future" So here I am done away with my penchant for watches.

A Sunday with fish and birds

2010-01-24T21:18:00.005+05:30

Kavya and me decided to go for the exhibition conducted by Sanjeevan at MET College Bandra. We both first went to Otters for me to vote for the elections and after that went to MET College. I was apprehensive looking at the crowd but it was time well spent. Different varieties of exquisite fish for sale. One of them even was priced at a whopping Rs. 45000 which is like a 1000 US$. Wow!!! It was some Monkey head fish!! Monkeying does earn money. There were several other species of fish.

The birds were there too. We saw different species of macaws in all their different colours and even saw 2 Emus, flightless birds from Australia. All in all we had a great time and it was worth the time spent even if we missed the other exhibition. When we came out the queue had spilt out on to the road.... People were waiting in the blazing sun at 1230 to get in. Thank Heavens we got in early and came out in time.

English Gaffe yet again - this time I am bewitched

2010-01-20T14:10:00.002+05:30

Yesterday evening happened to be at good old Mani's for a cup of filter Kaapi near Ruia college. This picture was taken then at the next door shop. I was bewitched...... Reminds me of the 3rd standard when Mrs. C Pereira was our class teacher. She had asked us to write plurals and I had spelt sandwiches in this manner so had got a big red cross mark..... Those were the days.

For old time sakes

2010-01-19T11:14:00.007+05:30

Last March I made a post on the Juhu Aeroplane Garden in which I mentioned about going there as a child and getting photographed by my Dad. Yesterday I found the picture, which was so carefully retained by my Mom (thanks Mom). Have scanned it now for posterity sake. Maybe will act as a reminder of my figure then and now and what I should be doing to get back into shape:-)

Another very old picture that I found was this one in school.

Row 1 Manish Vakharia, Bhavesh Mehta, Mihir Achrekar, Bimal Mehta, Yours truly, ???
Row 2 Red house guy who is from Jain Society Viral or such was his name but don’t recall, Yashesh who was with us then, Nilesh Shah (lived in or around Tejookaya Park then who left us in primary I think), Sanjay Shah (Doctor), Samir Savani

Solar Eclipse

2010-01-15T13:54:00.003+05:30

Today is the longest annular solar eclipse of the millennium. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Sun and the Earth so that the Sun is fully or partially covered. Mumbai could witness a partial eclipse and we viewed it through the window panes of the pantry. This picture was taken by Bhavesh then.

Kavya's first fancy dress competition

2010-01-14T10:43:00.003+05:30

Today is the first time Kavya is participating in a fancy dress competition. The subject was God's creation and thanks to Priti and Amey, she is the human brain. The picture may appear weird but it shows the brain on her head with a crown on one side and the devil's horn on the other. She has a heart on her t shirt and her hands are painted with red and brown lines to depict the nervous and circulatory systems. Her speech is good. Just hope she is loud as she was so carried away by the colours on her hands and the brain on her head that the speech became secondary importance..... Anyways have been emphasising on her that it is the participation and giving your best shot that matters while winning is not important.

Adoption and Sushmita Sen

2010-01-14T10:18:00.006+05:30

It was very heartening to read this article this morning about Sushmita Sen, former Miss Universe adopting the second girl (she is a single mother of Renee, another girl she adopted in 2000) As per the Hindu law, you cannot adopt two children of the same sex (weird ... I know) but there is some change in laws now which allowed her to adopt another girl. Hats off to you Sushmita..... Her statement was "Adoption is about reverence, it's not charity. More people should adopt. We believe in ties of the heart, not just of blood, I will adopt as many children as I can raise." I could not agree with you more on the fact that adoption is not charity..... It is a bond of hearts. Your thoughts rock. I have suddenly so much high regard for you now.

English Gaffe yet again

2010-01-14T10:15:00.003+05:30

Saw this yesterday at the Reliance Time Out store in Bandra. Needless to say I was shocked at this "shock circuit". Thanks to Kiran for the quick picture on his phone.

Love Aaj Kal

2010-01-10T18:05:00.003+05:30

Watched Love Aaj Kal once again on Friday evening as I flew from Delhi to Mumbai (Another benefit of flying Indian Airlines other than the Taj Sats catering:-) I had seen the movie before too but this time it was special as Kavya had danced to the tunes of "Twist" at the Shiamak Davar show on December 12, 2009. The movie was cool but Deepika looked gorgeous.... The rest of the cast was so so except for a very very brief appearance by Neetu Kapoor nee Singh who has been a rage in her times and still can give the present day girls a run for her money. The plot is a convoluted flash back of 2 stories but all in all the music rocks.... Apart from Twist, there are some other great songs too. No wonder the movie was a hit.

Dancing and Kavya

2010-01-10T17:59:00.004+05:30

Kavya is so much into dancing that she is glued to the TV watching Dance India Dance on Zee TV. She starts the next class at Shiamak Davar on Tuesday and I hope to have her continue with her dancing rather than do all this phonics and mathematics or abacus. She loves to dance so why not cultivate that habit that she is passionate about? Of course this time there will be no stage performance like in December but who cares? She is all excited as ever about going back to Shiamak.

Terrorism and mobile phones

2010-01-08T19:50:00.004+05:30

Just heard on TV that the terrorists in the Lal Chowk attack in Srinagar yesterday were in constant touch with the perpetrators from across the border. This is the same story repeated as the Mumbai terrorists. I fail to understand what is the big deal in keeping the mobile network up and running once you know that they are getting instructions from across the border? Can't we just switch off the network in that area? Fine there will be a hue and cry about the networks going down but then who cares? This is national importance.... Wish someone is listening to me for a change and not the mindless commentary from across the border on what to do next....

PS: Tried to get some image to match my post but do not want to glorify terrorists or terrorism and so am refraining from that.

Fogged out & cold Delhi

2010-01-08T19:40:00.004+05:30

I am in Delhi as I write this post. Today (January 8, 2009) is the coldest day in 5 years in Delhi as per news channels on TV. I landed yesterday morning even though I was skeptical about the flight itself taking off. Right from the time I landed at the airport the news channels were flashing news about the heavy fog in Delhi. Thankfully Indian Airlines has pilots trained on the CAT 3 landing system and so we took off 30 minutes behind schedule and landed the same way. It sure was foggy. But they announced that the temperature outside was 10 degrees C so I was quite relaxed and walked out without a jacket on (Lazy enough not to take it from my lap top bag!!) The cold breeze took me absolutely by surprise. As soon as I got on the bus, the first thing I did was to put on the jacket. Once in the cab, you felt a little warm and the daring in me compelled me to roll down the window. First 30 seconds or so was bliss as you experience the cold wind hitting your face and then reality struck as I had to roll it back up faster than it had come down. Finished the meetings and got into the hotel, not to step out except for dinner. This morning it was all fine in the comforts of the room but moment I stepped out of the hotel, I was once again struck by the cold wind. You might wonder why am I harping endlessly on cold when the temperatures were barely 10 degrees C or so. Well coming from Mumbai, cold is when the temperature goes below 18 degrees C and if it touches 13 like last year, it will be the hottest topic of discussion. Anyways it has been a very very foggy day and I never saw the sun all day today. And I am glad our driver, Vijay was a good one. Made it to the airport in one piece despite all the maddening traffic all over today. Waiting for the flight now in an hour....

Rush hour traffic getting worse

2010-01-04T22:31:00.004+05:30

I drove this evening from Chowpatty leaving at 5.45 pm in the middle of the peak hour. Was I horrified? I am not used to rush hour traffic as I am always avoiding that. Home and office are not far and so 15 minutes is good enough for me one way. I have built my routes against the traffic and so the day I have even the slightest traffic I am jittery. Today took the cake. It took me over an hour and 25 minutes to get home. A stretch that I normally would cover in 20 minutes at night. I now know why people who drive long distances to work end up extra stressed. Just not worth it honestly.

What is a blog?

2010-01-04T10:19:00.004+05:30

I have often wondered what exactly a blog meant and what was my blog to me? I found the answer from Wikipedia on what it meant. Coming to what my blog means to me... well for me it is and will continue to be something like a journal where I can put down my thoughts as and when I can. The idea is to have all the memories complete with pictures in one place so someday, Kavya can read and enjoy it. Even I have sometimes gone back and relived those days.... Fun.

Back to the gym

2010-01-04T10:12:00.002+05:30

Monday morning today and it was the first day of school too for Kavya and hence for us as well. Woke up at 0500 (back to the grind) and hit the gym after almost a month..... Had planned to do so yesterday with Vinit but due to some last minute commitment could not make it. Made it today after all. 20 minutes on the treadmill as usual but did only 10 minutes on the elliptical. Will get back soon into the groove.

Good old Bhakti Park

2010-01-04T06:24:00.004+05:30

As part of our garden tours of Mumbai, yesterday I had planned to go to Powai but thanks to women being so much ahead of time when it comes to getting ready, we left home well past 5.30 pm and settled from Bhakti Park closest to us before it got dark. Having spent more than 3 years there, it was time for nostalgia (not that I have not been there in recent times but I was headed this time for the garden). Pranav who is visiting us from Bangalore accompanied us. From the time I entered, I was engulfed in memories. Kavya's first independent slide ride was here and I have the pictures too. So many times Papa had been walking around with Kavya in her stroller. I remember I used to walk here in the mornings speaking to Malishka in the Win 94.6 days and remember the last day of Win 94.6 when I was talking to Prince first and then her. I used to swing of course on those swings meant for children and the security staff screaming at me to get off but I still hold those swings very dear to me even if they have broken now (who knows my mass may have started the rut:-). Remember during those days when they were shooting for Lage Raho Munnabhai and all the vanity vans being parked there. Walked around and found that the entrance to the 3rd garden was blocked:-( Remember the time I got emotional after having bagged the largest order then when I was walking all by myself (This was before Kavya;s arrival). Life changes..... Bhakti Park when we were there was so quiet and now there are so many people.... Life moves on. Coming back to what Kavya did... She enjoyed herself on the slide as usual and once dark we had to force her to leave and on the way back the typical catch me game which she so naturally wins. We then walked from the garden to Silver Arch where we spent our initial days with Kavya. Also met some old neighbours. An evening well spent.

New Year's day with Kavya

2010-01-02T14:05:00.004+05:30

Yesterday Kavya and me went to Colaba Woods which is a garden maintained by Tata Electric Companies in South Mumbai.... It is just across Sea Wind (The present residence of Ambanis) The garden truly is amazing. Lush green is the colour all around. Tall trees, walking track.... It is not that big as one would expect but it was very nice. Kavya and me had a blast from say 5.30 in the evening till about 6.45. We walked around and then played some catch catch game in different formats (She called the shots as expected) All in all it was a very pleasant evening and a great way to kick off 2010. The idea of going there was thanks to an article I read on my flight to Kolkata about gardens in Mumbai. I decided to take her to different gardens as and when possible so that we both could have a blast.

3 Idiots

2010-01-01T09:22:00.003+05:30

I am not a guy who will watch a movie in the very first week without reading reviews... But 3 Idiots had rave reviews from one and all and my FaceBook friends had plastered its brief reviews so yesterday I finally watched (at Aurora - cheap tickets, cheap snacks and good air conditioning... Do visit it as Aurora will be vanishing soon who knows). The movie is good especially the first half. The second half is stretched and a tad far fetched but then this is Bollywood so disconnect your mind. The jokes are all heard (With internet these days there is no such thing as fresh jokes) but the movie is refreshing. Worth a dekko any day.

Happy New Year 2010

2010-01-01T09:21:00.002+05:30

Happy New Year to one and all. Last night I put my cell phone in silent mode as did not want to be disturbed by the SMSes that would arrive at unearthly hours thanks to network congestion. However year on year I have see this mind boggling trend.... People send SMSes en masse to their entire address book without putting their name. Quite often I am puzzled as to who is wishing me (mind you I have my entire address book of 2500+ contacts synched to my phone). I wish there was someone who could teach them basics of SMSing as otherwise they are wasting their own hard earned money.

Another case against the girl child

2009-12-30T10:21:00.003+05:30

I was shocked to read this in the papers this morning.... If we "so called educated" Mumbaikars are going to behave in this fashion against the girl child, how do we expect the illiterates from UP, Bihar etc. to understand what is right and what isn't? And to think that the Doctor even explained to the in laws (surely they were outlaws) that the sex of the child is determined by the father and NOT the mother. Gosh I am appalled.

Another Matunga icon goes...

2009-12-29T11:07:00.004+05:30

Matunga is now becoming a real estate zoo. Another icon will soon be downed as per DNA today .... How I wish there would be a limit to all of this re development. Matunga is so crowded now and traffic is mind boggling. With these kind of structures, where will the already challenged infrastructure end up? We already have water crisis across Mumbai and even in Matunga. The next question will be on sewerage. Gosh why don't the powers that be wake up and smell the coffee?

Jab We Met

2009-12-29T10:59:00.004+05:30

I was driving down this morning and was listening to the radio when I realised that Jab We Met is one movie I have not written about even though the songs are superb and the movie too was / is even today. The movie was released in 2007 but continues to be on TV every Sunday even after 2 years. The songs are brilliant and continue to be played on the radio till date. One amazing movie that I loved and continue to love. The first movie in which I liked the lead pair and of course both of them have evolved in their film careers as well post Jab We Met.

Another English gaffe

2009-12-28T11:16:00.004+05:30

Wow.... Christmas seems to be the time for such atrocious English.... Another pointer to this "XXXX is currently working on this ticket, due to Holiday season he is currently on vacation and will be back Jan 4th, your patient is appreciated" English as a language is going down the drain faster than I thought..... And whatever happened to punctuations? We badly need a primer / reference guide for these things also now.

Another English blunder

2009-12-24T11:09:00.003+05:30

Just received an auto responder from our Principals which says "As we are only operating with skeleton staff ....." Too many skeletons falling out of the closets these days:-)

The murder of English language

2009-12-23T15:20:00.004+05:30

Here is the exact copy of a mail received in office. "server OS may be curreped. we check the same with our pc vendor & update the same." (He actually wants to say Server OS may be corrupt. We will check the same with the server vendor and update you on the same) If this makes me squirm, imagine what would Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Milton and the ilk be going through? Pathetic usage of grammar and spellings!!! English language murdered in cold blood unfortunately.

Listening and seeing Dr. Narayana Murthy

2009-12-21T06:37:00.005+05:30

Yesterday (December 20, 2009) as part of the VJTI Alumni meet, we had the privilege of having Dr. Narayana Murthy, founder of Infosys as the chief guest. He arrived on time and the event started off on time. His speech was brief and to the point on the pitfalls in the education system of India especially us Engineers. What struck me was his humility. He arrived in an Innova with a chauffeur sans the entourage of body guards or black cat commandos or such that the politicians bundle with themselves as a package deal. He talked about water and energy conservation. Such a big man and has a bath with half a bucket of water. Why? As he and his wife believe that there are a lot of others who need the water. He switches on a light in his home only if necessary and has illuminated his home with LED lamps. He spoke of how he envisioned Infosys when he was wrongly arrested in Romania... Very humble person, very humane.... Hats off to you sir. I am proud of the fact that I could listen to you in flesh and blood atleast once in this lifetime.

Golden Jubillee of DPYA High School

2009-12-20T12:44:00.005+05:30

Friday, December 18, 2009 was the Golden Jubilee function of DPYA. I never attended any of the functions since Kavya joined the same school as Paritosh, Amey and me. This time I just went for kicks as Priti had an extra pass. It was fun albeit a tad too long. Kavya was not dancing on stage but Amey was the wicked witch in the Wizard of Oz, a part well enacted is his all green painted body!!! Amey was awarded the best student of the middle section and it was good I could get some pictures (thanks to Vinayak carrying his camera). They rattled out so many of his achievements during the year and it went on and on... his list of multi talents.... The surprising part was when they showed Paritosh's picture in KG on the screen. I was shocked and so were Mom, Dad, Pauravi and Nanna.... Paritosh's achievements were announced and he was felicitated along with another alumnus. Wow!! It was something.... a proud feeling to see two Kamdars felicitated on the same day. Way to go..... Have some photos which I will get from Vinayak's camera and upload soon.

Thomas Crown Affair

2009-12-20T12:39:00.004+05:30

Looks like I am using the weekend for movies and movies alone. Watched The Thomas Crown Affair last night. I have always liked Pierce Brosnan in a crafty role from his Remington Steele days and this one on Star Movies was nice to watch. Thanks Star Movies... Enjoyed it.