Category: Personal

  • Moving on!

    Life has its own way of dealing with things. And when time is up, you must decide to move on. I have been through that situation recently, a very difficult but an important step in my career.

    Oh yeah, that is it, the time is now,
    It is time to move on and on and on,

    Why and where I don’t know,
    It is exciting when there is nothing planned down,

    Head to a place where you can grow,
    A place where you be on your own,

    Saddle the ride and thrive,
    That next level of excitement,

    Take a break, you deserve it,
    Go and talk, and have fun in it,

    Life ain’t a game,
    A game of dice,

    This is a phase, and your premise.

  • Why you must keep reading?

    I was having a conversation with my team members about the impact of reading and was surprised that people had so limited view of what is in store for them. Blame it on them not having met me before :). Jokes apart, they never got anyone in their family or circle of friends tell them these things. It is another matter that they should feel it within them, but it never occurred to me before I started as well so can’t blame them.

    I spoke to them about the tiny islands of Tokelu and Tuvalu from my list of must visit destinations before I die, and they were totally surprised such places even exist. Showed them what Aurora means, how fascinating it is and what causes it. However, I could not digest the fact that they did not even recollect the difference between nuclear fusion and fission they learned in schools. (more…)

  • TATASky: This is your stupidity and pathetic service! (update)

    TATASky: This is your stupidity and pathetic service! (update)

    I have to say that this the most pathetic service I ever got from any company. I have been subjected to many scenarios across many companies but so far they have managed to outlast all others and stoop to such levels. What is worst, they send you reminders that they haven’t paid the money to keep the account active, and also ensure feedback calls are made to customers!

    Yes I am talking about you Tata Sky!

    It’s been 10 Days

    TATASKY Work Order completed even before the scheduled time!! Of course when no one is visiting to check the issue, they saved time so it is bound to closed before time…

    It has been 10 days since I lodged the second complaint (first one was on 8th March when only a few channels weren’t available) and to my utter surprise the request has been closed on pretext of having completed the work order within ONE MINUTE! Look at the time difference in the above screen: 5:50 pm I receive the message that my request was scheduled for resolution and 5:51 pm it is resolved?  All this while no one turned up at my house to check the complaint at first place. Absolutely not.

    True, when TataSky was unable to assign someone to work on my problem, they gave me 5 days (3 days first and 2 days later) of subscription extension as a benefit for the delay from their end. But surprise, SURPRISE! If my connection itself isn’t working what am I supposed to do with that!!!

    Who was supposed to resolved issue? TataSky Kalyan Installation Center, but no one turns up from there. 

    Surprise! SURPRISE!! If my connection itself isn’t working what am I supposed to do with bonus credits for 5 days!

    (more…)

  • Analytics: 2013 In Blogging – A Year that didn't change much

    So JetPack sent me an email with a report that did impress me. It was good to see a different perspective of your blog using analytics. There were things that really did surprise me, which included the fact that all my blockbuster (if you can call them that) posts were published before 2013, and the best one was published in 2009. It has also recommended that I write on topics that have performed well in the past. Well, good advice I say. 🙂

    Below is a snap shot of how Indianomics performed in the year 2013.

    Crunchy numbers

    The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 19,000 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 7 sold-out performances for that many people to see it. In 2013, there were 35 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 78 posts.

    The busiest day of the year was October 2nd with 209 views. The most popular post that day was A Place for Lovers & Couples in Mumbai.

    This report only shows data since you connected Jetpack.

    Mismatch

    Some of the things mentioned here are a mismatch and the report still is not bug free though. For example, it said I added 35 new posts in 2013, totaling the archive of my blog to 78 posts – but in actuality, my blog has 287 Posts in all.

    The 2013 JetPack report for Indianomics.

  • My New Year Wish List

    So Amazon has this wonderful feature that other shopping sites (most that I used) did not have till now. Or so I think. The reason why I have a Wish List on Amazon is because I know they have it and my shopping experience with Amazon has been better than Flipkart (recently).

    Being a person with love for Website Designs, I used to browse through many designs and landed up on some of them which had a Gift List – in US, you can have a Wedding / Birthday website created with a wish list which people can send as gifts. They know what you need, and that way will not give you things you won’t need. Simple. 🙂

    In India, this is not a tradition yet. Especially with Indians being so vary about online shopping (things are changing though) it is even more difficult. One of the strong reasons Indian online shopping stores have not brought in this culture. Wedding websites are still a not made for more than 5% of the wedding (I had mine done, though) and integrating such a list is not being thought upon. And with a trend of requesting a “No-Gifts” wedding, this does not even make sense.

    Well, not any more with my Amazon Wish List, or so I think. So any of you who think of gifting me anything this New Year and Holiday season, you know what I want.

    Go to Amazon and send me a gift and be my Santa… Ho ho!

  • The craze for wild life, travelling and science TV Channels

    I am sure most of us have had faced this situation. At home, your dad / wife / mother / sister have all their time slots defined. At 8 it could be a serial at Colors, 8.30 at Zee, 9 at Star Plus and 10 at Life Ok (of course, for Mahadev). Do not go by the time I have mentioned, I never kept a track of these time slots anyway.

    And in afternoons, there is repeat telecast of the shows and your wife / mother / sister missed because there were seeing other ones which clashed.

    And I have to blame Ekta Kapoor here. She is the one who convinced Star to move Prime Time from 7.00 pm to 10.00 pm with Kyuki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and the likes. You know, they caused a drastic change in the lifestyle of people, and their bio-clocks. (more…)

  • It's a small world! Really?

    Today I was dining with one of my colleague Raghav, who happens to know this person, and said that this guy was his manager in his previous organization. I have often seen this guy with my colleague and even shared the same dinner table, but never spoken to him, even though we do share the typical Indian “wink” gesture and couple that with a smile.

    While at the dinner, my Raghav suddenly sprang up and said to me “You know, it is really such a small world out here. You will not believe, I am surprised to know this myself but I am even more surprised that the world is so small”. At this point, I am curious on what he thinks makes the world so small? He then, for the first time in many months, introduced me to this guy – Hiren. And added up saying, Hiren and your wife had worked together for 3 years.

    Wow! Here I am, sitting with my Raghav who does not know my wife so well and I am left wondering how in the world does he know Hiren (here I dont know anything about him, I thought so) used to work with her? My mind was in the state of… I was normal… but just wondering what is happening and was clueless. Hiren then spoke to me and told me that, my wife was in his team 7 years ago at the same company where my wife is still working but he had moved on.

    At this time, I recollected my wife telling me many times over, about her one Project Manager who had a huge impact in her life – Hiren. Wow! This is the same guy, who my wife has got inspired off? For whom she has not left a word behind in his appreciation? It was really a small world, isn’t it? I wanted to be sure, so I dialed my wife and told her about him, and she was game to speak to him. They spoke, pleasantries were exchanged and he explained how all this connection thing happened, how did he know I was her husband. Damn, Facebook does connect people.

    Small World? Really?

    No, not really. The world is real huge to call it small. What makes it feel like small is the connections we all have.  In today’s age, mobile/smart phones and sites like Facebook connects people more often than it used to in yesteryear. These connections we mortals make are key to creating a circle of people known to us. You will come across these pretty often, or not so often depending upon how well connected you are. And these happen, completely and entirely, when you least expect.

    There is a thrill in it, unless you experience something like that, you will never know how it feels. 🙂

  • The New Dawn

    I am sure regulars at blog are no longer regular any more, because it’s been ages since I posted my last blog post. Things have been both difficult and challenging for me of late, both personally and professionally. It’s the phase of life and I am happy that it is happening to me. Seriously it was very difficult for me to keep away from blogging and other things were just of higher priority.

    To make myself happy, I got myself a little bit of time and a gadget. The Samsung Galaxy Note. It did cost me a bomb though. And my first Android phone. Even after that I am not able to utilize it to blog often, which ideally should have been the case. 

    What this last three months have thought me is phenomenal. The learning am going to take through all my life. From being challenged at every step to find out the secret of managing time, sailing through difficult moments, health issues and hospitalization and what not. It been a ride through hell.

    I believe this is good in a way, may sound like hell right now and those who are close to me know how it is like. Sometimes I feel it’s a new me! I am today doing things I never wanted to do at first place and feel worth it too. Though I crib about it, but that’s just me 🙂

    So it was Independence Day Celebrations at office and I was adjudged as the winner best dressed Male.

    image

    PS: Do join me at the IndiBlogger meet at Mumbai at Taj Lands Ends, Bandra.

  • My Vacation to Kerala

    I am set sail to my home town finally! Yay!

    Its been 4 years since I have been to my home town and it was finally today that I could travel to the place where I spent my beautiful childhood. My home town, Alleppey in Kerala. Yes for most of you who do not know me yet and surprised to hear it being my home town, it indeed is my hometown. My dad was born and brought up there and so am I. Its common for fellow Malayalees to be surprised to hear me talk Gujurati, Kutchi and Malayalam at the same time. Its been happening me with ever since I first interacted in all these languages in their presense.

    Or it maybe my surname that brings this thought about. And I am very much comfortable and used to it.

    As I travel back to my childhood in my thoughts while travelling from Panvel to Alleppey in the Happa Express, there are so many of things that are coming my way. Truly, childhood and college are the best times of your life. And I am unfortunate not to live the later life as I had other responsibilites on my shoulder and opted for distance education.

    I am eager to see how much my town has changed or if at all there are any changes from my last visit.

    Looking forward to keep my blog posted with events from my visit on a daily basis.

  • Kutch – my favorite place to be!

    Kutch (or Kachchh)

    Kutch, by far is the largest district in India. Kutch literally means something which intermittently becomes wet and dry and it is called so because large area of Kutch is shallow wetland which submerges into water during rainy season, and is known as Rann of Kutch. The Rann is famous for the salt flats which become snow white after the rain water dries up.

    Sunset from the Train - on the way to Bhuj via Train
    Sunset from the Train – on the way to Bhuj via Train
    Banni Lands
    Banni Lands

    In Kutch is also my ancestor’s village. Unfortunately, I visited this beautiful place for the first time after I was 22 years old. I never grew up here but this is a place I am so fond of and I never miss a visit at least once in a year if not twice. The villages in Kutch are really awesome to be in and stay over. Life is here is very much laid back unlike Mumbai where it is too fast and one strong reason why I love to spend my vacations there.

     

    (more…)

  • India's most innovative companies

    When I saw this news, I was surprised at first and then when I read more about, I felt proud.

    Two India’s youngest companies which made it big found their names into this prestigious list prepared by FastCompany. Redbus.in and Narayana Hrudayalaya.

    “Narayana Hrudayalaya is Walmart meets Mother Teresa” is what FastCompany has to say about the hospital run by Doctor couple in India.

    Read more in detail about Narayana Hrudayalaya on Fast Company’s website.

    Organizing the scattered Bus travel industry in India takes Redbus.in to this list. A sorely missed alternative after success of IRCTC’s online railway reservation, Redbus.in managed to pull off what can be easily termed as a “mamoth’s task”.

    Read more in detail about Redbus.in on Fast Company’s website.

    Last year, another Indian company was featured by FastCompany was Shaadi.com. This is certainly a prospective proposition for other Indian comapnies to do things, differently.

  • Weekend Mania

    My definition of weekend is lazy. Yes that is what I love the most abt my weekends. I love to sleep for long times, lying on my bed still after I have woken up and having my beloved iPad in my hands, listening to my favorite numbers, even to the level of having my food on my bed.. Wait a minute, did I tell you that am absolutely in love with my bed.

    Its one place where I am at peace, its one place where my thoughts run aground, I wander in my dreams and absolutely love that idea.

  • Sweet lil Baby

    She sleeps so cute,
    As smooth as a flute,
    Love to see her sleeping,
    She is my baby cute,

    Her glowing skin,
    And her tiny chin,
    Closing her eyes,
    I think she is dreamin,

    What i wonder,
    I may never know,
    But i am living my dream here,
    Seeing my baby sleep,

    Softly she breathes,
    Brusing few strands of her hair,
    I wish I could kiss,
    Her lovely forehead,

    I wanna be her pillow,
    On my thighs she would rest,
    Caress her hair,
    Reassuring her of no fear,

    Her face is bright in this dim light,
    I see her beauty,
    Damn I wish i could touch her,
    In one of the coldest nights,

    I wanna hug her warm,
    So she can sleep at peace,
    I love her charm,
    Pressure to hold my love would ease,

    She is beautiful,
    She is gonna be mine,
    I would remain forever faithful,
    Today and every time,