mere size ka milega kya...

Finally it's here. Our much awaited moment is here. Like it always happens, some may call it the judgement day, others might call it moment of truth. I will take it easy. It's just moment. In a long enough journey, there are multiple junctions where one has to decide on some direction. It's a flip of a coin, how much ever science you claim to put behind it. What matters is the effort that is put after the decision.
It's just the start. Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost...

For now, let me share something it with you...

And if that does not give you enough reason, here is more on Why ZOVI?

Aashirwad

It's interesting to see Sa Re Ga Ma Pa auditions on Zee. While the judges are not as nasty as those in some other reality shows, somethings are same nonetheless. Every contestant makes it a point to touch the judges feet and take their blessing. While it looks straight from the heart admiration at times, at others it just looks as fake as Rakhi Sawant's attempt to talk sense.

The Dewarist had a memorable episode in season one with Zeb, Haniya, Shantanu Moitra and Swanand Kirkire. It's not just the song "Kya Khayal Hai" that is memorable, but the journey that was shared in that episode. Swanand tells us why he chose theater over music in spite coming from a family of musicians. He says it was the "touching the feet" culture of the music fraternity that he despised. He chose to take some other paths and luckily has been able to prove himself.

It's a very personal choice. What we see in Saregamapa is just a manifestation of this choice.I feel it's not just in field of performing arts that it happens like this. Politics is one more field where such adulation is very visible. Any common link - blind faith? nepotism? or indeed a true admiration?

marji hai aapki.. aakhi sar hai aapka...

Go Digital Or Go Black

What a threat!

I would imagine it coming from any of my neighborhood cable operator. But alas it did not. It came on the tv. In between those funny cute flipkart ads, they slipped one small little threat. Who are they and what gives them this right? They are our dearest tata, bharti and dishtvs of the world (or their wannabe clones) and it's some act from Government of India that has enabled them to be the God of our choices.

I've not yet gone in detail of this act and thus now know the reason and logic to forcing such a move. However, I can clearly see a good amount of hassle and pain coming my way. I'm yet to get over the Rs 500 shock that Tata sky gave me in name of "Premium Installation" over and above the Rs 175 charges for the regular relocation request. There is no reason I'll be safeguarded from this in future.

It's a very simple business logic: first sell a set-top box to a customer, then charge him heftily for a bundle of channels that he wouldn't want otherwise (mind you, yaha aana free hai but jaane ke liye paisa dena padega), then charge him for every extra bit of wire/screw/use of screw driver that will be required for the connection to operate smoothly over a next couple of years of usage. In marketing courses, we used to read examples of razor and blade (or printer & paper/cartridge) for phenomenon where a customer's  total value to a company is very smartly spread over a longer horizon than just a one purchase event of buying the razor (or printer or things like this). In coming years, these cases can be updated with more suited examples of DTH, broadband etc.

We are slave of these companies now and that's why are handling the shit they are dishing out to us in name of service. I hope there are checks and controls put (and of course somebody to enforce these) for all such future defining moves. For now, time for me to go back and fight with tata sky & airtels of these world to help me live peacefully.

just in case...

Just in case you are planning to get married... let me tell you...

• Your playlist will be named crap and you will have to listen to random senti mushy songs day in and day out.
• You will be asked to select between various options of Tata Sky which have Colors, Imagine, MTV etc etc amongst the only one possible option in name of chosing DTH for home.
• You will be asked a hundred times "breakfast me kya khaoge?" at a time when you are about to die of hunger.
• You will be tortured to taste half-cooked experimental new recipes (directly off the internet, or from call) in name of please check 'namak theek hai naa?'
• You will shop every weekend - for curtains, decorative items and a hundred other things whose only contribution to your life is a reduced bank balance and big credit card bill.
• You will be shouted at if you don't show interest in selection of Samsung's 21L microwave oven. Never mind if microwave oven is the last thing in this world you should have an expert comment on.
• You are bound to reply all calls, messages, tweets, blah blahs, no matter whatever time they arrive.

more to follow...

Updates

Bangalore rocks. It still does. And it does it big time.

I am in love with this city. Every time I come here, I spent some of the best moments of my life.
It's my friends circle here, that makes it the way it is.

3rd May is a very important day. Some of the most brilliant person on this world are born on this day. Here is wishing them a very Happy Birthday.

I am so happy that I don't have words to describe it. Just take it from me, that I am the happiest person in this world right now.

There are some incomplete tasks, some of them awaiting me in Chennai. So today is the day to get geared up for them. Looking forward to hit the road in full enthu now. :D

My First Weekend in Mumbai

Friday:
First local train journey of this summer
Movie Fast & Furious 4 in Andheri Cinemax

Saturday:
Lunch at Shiv Sagar on the Juhu Beach [Try south Indian stuff there, it's nice. Don't miss the Strawberry with Cream (no ice-cream, just cream). It's 'orgasmic' as one put it]
Haji Ali Dargah
Faluda or Fruits with Cream or Fruit Juice at Haji Ali Juice Center just outside the dargah
Mahalaxmi Temple
Heera Panna Mall [Just for a break. It's more like a Singapore/Burma market type]
Mahalaxmi Race Course - Saw a glimpse of Indian Derby practice session. There is public entry from Mahalaxmi station side if anyone is interested.
The Dark Knight in IMAX 3d Dome in Wadala [This place is now called as Big Cinemas, but IMAX is still the popular]. It's very far from normal Mumbai hassle so finding a cab for this place is little pain. Still the experience of watching a movie in 3d is simply amazing. So the pain is worth it.
Dinner at Mini Punjab in Bandra [Nice north Indian food, non-veg lovers will love this place. Veg food is not bad either]
IceCream at Hokey Pokey in Bandra

Sunday:
Churchgate [one of the four gates that were part of fort ages ago. Well known now for the station by the same name]
Flora Fountain [Situated at Hutatma Chowk, a beautiful piece of architecture. Gothic style, looks brilliant in night]
St. Thomas Cathedral [Beautiful marble work on the walls, do spend some time reading those tablets on the walls. They are nice and give a sneak view of Mumbai history]
Banker's street [I am not sure if the street is called by that name, but trust me if it is, Banker's street is right name for the street. Old historical buildings house the offices of some of the biggest banks in this country on this street. A nice view of old and new architecture, with lots of Parsi influence]
Horniman Circle Garden [A meeting place for many, it overlooks the banks Asiatic Society and other milestones in this area]
Asiatic Society [Majestic building. For all you movie buffs, this is the same library where Munna Bhai first meets Mahatma]
High Court, Mumbai University [Walk down the road and you can see the beautiful buildings that host some of the most important offices in this town]
Fashion Street [It doesn't need any introduction. Super cool stuff and even cooler price. Be prepared to bargain hard. From what I heard is that the trick is to start from 1/4th to 1/3rd of what is quoted]
Marine Drive [Shown in umpteen number of movies, this place is a must visit if you come to Mumbai. Evenings at Marine drive are simply superb. Walk down the road, or enjoy a nice cup of tea watching the waves, a nice champi maalish or just observe people enjoy their life - you can spend hours sitting here. There are some nice eating options around here.]
Natural IceCream [Nice flavours, try the seasonal specials. I heard the ice-cream with coconut flavour is the best. Alas, it was not available when we went]
Chowpatty [No introduction needed for this place]
Bachelor's IceCream [An ice cream cum snacks cum chat place, serving the foodies since 1940. It's opposite to Chowpatti, next to the walkover bridge. Try their Green Chilly IceCream. Most innovative ice-cream flavor I have tried so far in my life. Falooda is good too.]

ps: I guess I have listed out almost everything that I did over this weekend. It was a superb weekend. Met so many friends, spent nice time with old buddies. And ate like anything.
Looking forward to more such weekends. :D

Hokey Pokey

Predefined menu serving you 100s of option are the norm these days. You are served what the person on other side believed is the most popular choice. And this is exactly where ‘Experience’ goes for a toss. I remember reading about Starbucks in a number of case-studies in our first year classes. They strive on making the perfect cup of coffee for each individual. Teach those customers so that they know what exactly their taste is. I have never been to Starbucks but yesterday Hokey Pokey gave me a feeling that I imagine is very close to ‘the Starbucks experience’.

And it gave me a chance to be kid again. Enter the shop and you see kids of age 5 to 55. All lavishing ice-creams, which they themselves have designed. Yes, 'design' is the word. Mix and Match. And the best part of it is that you see your ice-cream getting prepared. It’s an art not a science – if I can define the way they were preparing the ice-cream combos.

Creativity is the soul of this place. From the design of on-the-wall menu to look and feel of store. Their website gives you a glimpse of the same. Great show guys.

What to try there? Go and try anything. For some of your lazy asses, there are some predefined combos too. Spend some time at the counter and see them making those combo and you will get a hint of what might come your way in your flavour.

They are present in 6 locations in Mumbai, check out their website for more info.

PritS’s Final Say: Highly Recommended. Just go for it.

Rajwadu - the royal treat

And I got lucky again. After the hectic schedule of last week, this week seems a chiller. Last few days of first years were turning out to be uneventful. Luckily today was a little different. We went to Rajwadu for lunch. Abhinav has been mentioning about this place for some time now. We made plans but could never actually go there. Today finally 6 of us (Me, Saafi, Fochu, Tichki, Hottiii & Bajao Singh) jumped into two autos and headed to treat ourselves to a royal lunch.

Rajwadu is a theme restaurant specialized in serving traditional Rajasthani and Gujarati food. We visited it for it's Daal Baati platter. Daal Baati in student mess is just the namesake of what is actually served in rest of the world. We really needed to train our taste buds back to the real taste of Daal Baati. And Rajwadu did that for us. Nice and soft Baatis served with spicy Daal & garlic chutney. Churme ka laddu to go with it. We ordered some starters to, just for trying some new dishes. Patra is essentially a saag kind of preparation (for uninitiated, it is like spring rolls) made out of Arabi leafs. There were some Muthias (something like cutlets) too made from Methi and Palak. And ofcourse, variety of sweets to end your meal. We ordered Mal Puva, and trust me all of us will vouch for it.

Try anything here but do ask what it is before ordering. Else you will end up having a Kadbuj (watermelon) juice with salt and masala added to it. :D

One warning - Daal Baati is heavy stuff on your stomach. The thaali is more than sufficient to fit one's appetite. So do not order lots of starters before the thaali. There is no fun in eating Daal Baati on half-filled stomach.

And the best part, this place is cheap. For 99 rs, the thaali is value for money. Add to it, the ambiance and service - the place is worth it. In evening the place is lit with Kandils and there are arrangments for puppet show and pottery wheel. Do go there when you want to treat yourself royally.

I recommend.

ps: Location and directions - link

Sunday -the 15th March

Masala dosa in the student mess
Tea at the kitlee in front of the college gate
Narial Paani in the fruit market
Grapes in the fruit market
White imlee near fruit market
Kesar kaaju lassi at Girish juice shop
Amchoor and sweet amla
Gatagat and other mouth freshners
Tea at The House of Mangaldas
Choco bar at Wadilal (the oldest shop, the starting of a brand called Wadilal)
Samosa Chat in student mess
Expresso coffee in Shambu's cafe
Cold coffee in Danny's coffee bar
Regular dinner with icecream

That was sunday -the 15th March for me. :)

100% Fresh Fruit Icecream

Tried it in Internation Kite Festival 2009. Amazing taste as well as the method of preparation.
I have their contact number, if anybody needs it, let me know.

ethics survey...

Calling all the loyal readers (and others) to help Nams by filling up this survey -
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=p7hmTlQtfMV2igOhX9hU7dQ

Thanks in Advance...

Did we miss it???

Am not sure, but this has been making some news for last few days (or is it weeks). :)
Check out new logo for pepsi.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31870561@N07/

I guess this is official photos from Pepsi on flickr. Are we seeing a new trend in marketing???

Be Born Everyday

Chapter 1:
I had this particular exercise as a part of an application form. I really enjoyed doing it, thought will share it with you.
a. We see lots of "How to" books around today. People want to share their experience and make life easier for other. If you were to write your own "How to" book, what will be its title?
b. Readers generally buy a book after reading about its theme on the back cover. What would you say your book is about on the back cover of your book?

Chapter 2:
Have you seen the new advertisement for Titan? One with Aamir and the new punch line "Be Born Everyday" One of the shortest motivational speech you can ever get. Brilliant use of visual medium, backed with an even better script. And to top that Aamir. Just go for it...

It's the time

I guess the time has come. 24 hours from now, I will be rushing to Railway Station to load my belongings. 7:30 pm there will be a signal, and it is good bye Bangalore (in 2008). The "(in 2008)" part is there because I know I would want to come back to this place. The place that has helped me become what I am today.

RVCE, Riverstone, Lucent, Alcatel-Lucent, Juniper, Rotaract Club, Rangashankara, Forum, CCD, Pure n Natural, Samarkand, Mysore Road, Avenue Road, Chitrakala Parishad, Nandi Hills, Bungee, Palace Ground, DreamADream, Jaynagar, Ananya, Alliance, Airlines hotel, Prism Bookshop, Majestic, SP Road, 4th Block, 1st Block, IIMB, Brigade Road - memories are unlimited. I am going to cherish them all.

Moving On - it's very difficult thing. Especially when you know that you are leaving behind a really important part of life. But I guess there is no other way. Something you gotta do.

The-Hangar - my home and my family for last three years. Aditya, Chandu, Ravi, Nikhil, Joyesh, Saurabh, Arpit : guys, I know I have not always been there with you, but trust me, I know what I have missed coz of that. I owe a lot to you. You have helped me reach this stage. You simply rock. Needless to say, it's not yet over. We are a family. And We will remain one.

I am going to miss you all. You have been part of my life for so long and I will cherish each moment I spent with you.

Bbye Bangalore.

ps: I am leaving for home by Karnataka Express on 14th May. I want to make it a memorable night tonight. You all are welcome home, please drop by if you are free.

I will be away from internet for some time. You can contact me on 9986006563 in case of any need.

Fruitshop at Greams Road

This is the service I was talking about. I just love the passion with which the owners are running this place. I know the mail I got may be a auto-reply. But the fact that they have kept such a personalized message, makes me a big fan of this place.

Hi,

Thank you so much for your sun-shine mail ! We are delighted that you enjoyed your visit to our shop at Greams Road.Banglore has been on our mind over the last few years and God willing,we hope to have an outlet open there soon.

Thank you once again for your custom.We do hope you will continue to enjoy our juices as much as we love making them for you !

Warm regards,

Salim & Harris

On 4/27/08, Feedback - Pritesh <the_pritesh@yahoo.co.in> wrote:

Message from: Pritesh


Branch: Greams Road
Quality of Juices & Flavour: Excellent
Cleanliness: Excellent
Service: Excellent
Ambience: Excellent

Note: It was my first visit to Chennai and my host mentioned that the visit can not be complete without a visit at "Fruitshop at Greams Road." I said "Why not, lets go to the place where it all started." And we visited the main outlet on Greams Road. It was a fun-filled experience. I truelly enriching experience. Nice decor and amazing taste. Please keep the good work up. And please come to Bangalore soon.

I pledge for Shashank. Do you?

Here is a mail from Shashank. My personal request to go through it. If you are interested to pledge for him or want more info, feel free to contact him at given mail id. Or else you can always contact me at jain.pritesh@gmail.com

Heylo! J

I am back with my Marathon running! :)

Short personal update:

For those of you who are interested in knowing where I have been all this while as far as Marathon running and pledge raising is concerned, here is what has been happening:

Mumbai Marathon, Jan '07, where I participated in the Full Marathon (42.195 km) I got injured. Although, I completed it but I nearly gave up running after that. Recently after some medical help, I have been training for the upcoming Mumbai Marathon, Jan '08, in the Half Marathon Category ( 21.097 km).
The good news has been that it has been going on well! :)

What am I doing:

Off I go to Mumbai to participate in Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon ( http://scmm.indiatimes.com/) in Half Marathon category on 20^th January '08.

Why I am doing so:

Apart from my personal passion to run, I dedicate my run this time for Ananya children.

Ananya management needs funds for construction of hostels for children thereby attempting to reach out to more children in the society.

What you can do:

1) Just call/write/say to me that you support me! J

2) Pledge for me, i.e. donate money to Ananya!

3) Forward this note of mine to as many people as you can. Ask them to pledge for me.

Your pledges will not only reach to a really passionate NGO but will also encourage me in effort! J

How can you donate:

· Visit the page that I have created at the GIVE India Site.

http://www.giveindia.org/give/pledgepage/ShashankGupta

The website helps you out with how you can proceed.

· In case, you have any problems or don't wish to donate via website, write a mail to me at:

Shashank Gupta amitabh.bachchan.bigb@gmail.com

I will be eager to help you out!

After you donate:

You will get receipts from GIVE INDIA. Ananya can accept money in INR/UK Pounds/USD. So, feel free to contribute from wherever you are! J

Final word from me:

Sometimes my well wishers have felt apprehensive thinking that I may not appreciate a small amount pledge considering the fact that my target is in 6 digits. Please rest aside such inhibitions and support me with however you can! For me the spirit is more important!

Thanks a lot for your taking time to read this mail of mine. I will be back with more updates!

Best regards,
Shashank Gupta.

About Ananya: ( http://ananyatrust.blogspot.com/).

Ananya is an NGO working with underprivileged children providing them with food, shelter and education. Education in this school is 'non-formal'. They do not follow classroom, standard system and the education is customized based on the capacity of a child. Respecting the uniqueness of a kid is one of the core values Ananya has been practicing and preaching for close to 10 years now.

About Marathons:

Marathons are often seen as fund raising events for charities. A lot of people run in Marathons dedicating their run as 'Run for Cause'. They run to convey a message to the world about their passion and belief about some cause of their thereby generating awareness and seeking support.

Broken Mirror

Just came to know about this production from my friends.
Sharing the link to their website. I am looking forward to watching their work. Will update as soon as possible.

http://www.brokenmirror.co.in/

Go Shira and Sumojee... You rock...

Rangashankara Sept-07

Here is the schedule for Sept 07.
Interestingly not many English plays this month too.

Click on the image to enlarge and save.

I am a kid again

I always wondered why do we adults get attracted to animation movies like Ice-Age and Cars? Why we sit and watch "Tom And Jerry" cartoons, even though they are mostly repeat telecasts? Why Malgudi Days still makes a lot of sense to us and we can read it again and again?

There is a kid inside each one of us and it is this kid that makes us what we are.

Yesterday I found the child within me to unleash once more. "The Ungrateful Man" by BLT group which is showcasing over this week (and weekend) clearly brought the kind inside me out. I laughed and enjoyed each moment of it. It was a laugh riot throughout. For the first time I saw a play for kids and trust me they seem to enjoy like anything. And of course I had my share of fun too.

Brilliant acting and narration. The production is up to the mark. Just perfect.

This is one play I would recommend to each one of you. If you have kids at your home or whom you can take to this play, please go asap. They are going to enjoy it like anything.

Not to forget this play is staged in aid of DreamADream, an NGO working for kids from underprivileged backgrounds. All the more reason to watch this play.
The play is happening at Rangashankara, show timings: 7:30pm [sharp]
There are noon show also on weekend [3:30 pm]
More info can be found at this link.

The Ungrateful Man

This is a must watch play. JUST GO FOR IT.

Coverage for the same in Hindu