Day 253-2011 : Chennai Times

Last week I was in Chennai for a couple of days, which I guess, is no surprise to anybody who has been reading the copious amounts of status updates that I have been posting on FB, to mark the occasion!  I was there to attend the wedding of former colleague and friend (and fellow blogger!) Navin Kumar to Subhatra.  Having received the invite more than a month ago, I was determined to be there for the occasion, in spite of the two days in question being working days.  In fact, I was looking forward to be in Chennai after more than a year and was excited at the prospect of catching up with old colleagues and friends. 

I hopped on to the flight to Chennai last Thursday afternoon.  The differences between Chennai and Mumbai, especially the infrastructure, was very stark.  The taxi ride to Savera took just 25 minutes!  To cover the same distance in Mumbai would have taken more time.  The roads seemed to me like an ice-skating rink.  After driving on Mumbai roads this was pure pleasure.  There were fly-overs to be seen in places where there had been none a year ago!  New buildings have come up in record times.  The city of Mumbai, which is known for its 'pace of life', is being shamed by this southern metro city with its pace of infrastructure development and execution.

The wedding itself was very well-attended.  I attended both the ceremonies; the reception on the eve of the wedding as well as the wedding early next morning.  I was also honoured to meet Navin's parents, who I know were looking forward to this event since the last couple of years!

At Navin's reception

I met a lot of friends during both the occasions. It was also interesting to note how different some of them were looking, and how some of them had not changed a bit in the last one and a half years.  I was surprisingly at a loss of words when I met some of them. I made at least one mistake remembering a name...a slip of tongue, which probably was construed as me not remembering her name. So embarrassing!  And then, in the ensuing panic in my mind, I mixed her up with someone else.  Very very embarrassing.  Anyway, it was great to meet up with first and foremost, Navin and then all the others, namely, Vijay, Sukumar, Bonny, Dinesh, Karthik, Prem, Prabhu, Sathish, and Alagappan.  I met Jayanthi, Vandhana, Hari and Uma the next day morning.  It was also wonderful to catch up with Venkat (another fellow blogger!).  I was also a bit dissapointed at not being able to meet a couple of others like Chris, Raja and Murali.

In the more than adequate time that I had before my evening flight back, on Friday, I went hunting for Dumka Roat, a previously unknown commodity to me, but a delivcacy which is apparently in great demand amongst my colleagues in Mumbai!  I also picked up the mandatory Badusha for the better half.  I was trying to arrange a drop to the airport from the hotel (costing Rs.600!), when Sukumar suggested it was possible to go in the local trains as well.  So, I travelled for the first time in a Chennai local train from Mambalam to Tirusoolam for a princely sum of Rs.4!  Even the local train infrastructure reminded me of how woefully inadequate Mumbai's infrastructure is compared to Chennai.  The Tirusoolam station is actually connected physically to the Chennai airport through an underpass; Mumbai still does not have connectivity between its local train network and the airport! 

From the calm of Chennai (even the local train ride was very quiet) to the bustling 'visarjan atmosphere' of Mumbai, was quite a change.  Diversity, thy name is India!

Take care!

Day 66-2011 : The Artist In Her

The lady is just unstoppable!  And the kids are loving it! 



She has been eyeing the walls for some time now.  Ever since we moved into our new house, my better half has been wanting to paint the walls in the children's room by herself.  Sensing that I might have no objections in using the walls as a canvas, she went for it.  And the result is an oil painting of Tom & Jerry in the children's room.  Quite apt, I would say.

 

Tom & Jerry @ Mumbai!



The walls are her canvas!

Noddy & Co. @ Chennai.

I think Priya is very good at this.  Of course, she has always been a performing artist, having been trained in Bharatnatyam for a number of years.  But this is fine arts and that is a completely different ball game.  I guess she has a knack for this too.  And this is not the first time that our walls have borne the brunt of her artistic expressions.  She had converted the whole length of a wall in our previous house at Chennai into Toyland! With crayons!

The children are imploring her to do Spiderman next.  Warli painting on another wall is on the cards next, I think.  She has been talking to me about it for some time now, to test the waters, I guess.

I think it is time to invest in a proper canvas!

Take care.

Day 41-2011 : Time Out

It is an interesting fact, but it is true.  In the five and a half years that I lived in Chennai, I did not even once go to the Marina Beach, supposedly the world's second longest beach!  I must have gone to the famous shopping area of T-Nagar maybe a couple of times in that time.  I did not ever go to the Vandalur zoo.  Actually, I lived in Adyar for a couple of those years and in spite of wanting to, never visited the either the Theosophical Society or Kalakshetra!  And by the way, in the almost two years that I lived in Bengaluru, the city of gardens, I did not find the time to visit Lal Baug!  In fact, I could possibly come up with some places in my home town, Ahmedabad, as well, where I haven't been in my lifetime.

I am reminded of all of this because of a chance visit to the Chowpatty in Mumbai recently.  Yes, you probably guessed it right.  I did not go to Chowpatty specifically; I just happened to be in its vicinity.  However a strong urge to stop the car and to go and have a look overtook me.  And there I was, at 11 AM in the morning, savouring the bright Mumbai sunshine on Chowpatty beach.  I like the vast expansiveness of the sea; with the South Mumbai and Walkeshwar backdrops, the landscape was even better.  This experience however triggered a curious train of thought in my mind.  Why did I not do those things which I mention above in the first paragraph?  Why, even after more than a year of coming back to Mumbai, I haven't been to the Chowpatty, or the Gateway of India, or closer home, even the Juhu beach?



@Chowpatty after a long time!



I feel like I have lost out on the opportunity to intimately get to know these places by not being more adventurous.  Yes, driving in our cities these days is adventurous!  I can think of many reasons though, for not having explored these cities more.  And I am sure, I am probably not the only one who feels this way.

First and foremost, I think is the antipathy to crowded public places.  I hate crowds.  I guess T-Nagar is explained now.  Second, and it is related to the first one, is the lack of convenient public transport and the lack of available parking spaces.  I hate to be driving in circles trying to find a parking space.  If I do find one, the need to squeeze the vehicle into a buttonhole turns me off.  If I do indeed get there, the constant fear of a traffic policeman with a greasy palm makes me a nervous wreck!  Third, is time; or the lack of it!  I haven't had the time to think about visiting all these places in the last few years.  Even if I did think about it, I could never get down to actually doing it.  Modern urban life keeps one busy at work and even at home!  On the weekdays, you are trying to get things done at work.  In the weekends, you are trying to get things done at home!  Work, home, spouse, kids, friends (and yes, social networking sites too now) occupy all our available hours. 

Come to think of it, I haven't had a proper vacation since 2006, when myself and Priya went to Goa for our babymoon.  Even that trip came about because we had to attend a friend's wedding there!

However, now that I think I have missed out on these things all these years, I am determined to correct it.  I am going explore some of the interesting public places in the city in the next few months.  And I am definitely determined to plan a family vacation (or maybe even two!) this year!

Take care.

Day 170 - Bengaluru Beckons

This past week was spent preparing for the Bengaluru visit and then travelling to the city of gardens.  The purpose of the visit to Bengaluru was to attend a cousin's (Shivakumar) wedding.

It was great fun because we went as a group to Bengaluru after assembling in Mumbai as the base.  My parents, brother and sister-in-law arrived just before we departed to Bengaluru on Saturday.  We were also joined by other cousins and their families.  The flight from Mumbai to Bengaluru was pretty much uneventful, except for the pranks of both my little ones at the airport. When we arrived in Bengaluru, the weather was heavenly.  It was cool and pleasant unlike Mumbai's humidity. It was also raining sporadically.  The drive to the city from the airport was full of greenery.  Incidentally, I met Adwait at the Bengaluru airport and he looked fresh and sporty.  Looks like he is enjoying his time at JPMC.

Now, Bengaluru is a city where I have spent close to 2 years of my life.  It is also special, as Priya doesn't forget to remind me, because we started our married life in this city.  Hence, there are a lot of memories attached to the city.  The fact, however, is that , this city has undergone a massive change in the six years since we left Bengaluru for Chennai.  Some of the roads and places are completely unrecognisable.

All the infrastructure projects have been completed.  Grade separators are functional at Dairy Circle, Silk Board and Jayadeva Hospital!  These were just starting to be built when I last saw these places.  Malls have sprung up everywhere.  New residential complexes which did not exist before have suddenly surfaced.  Bengaluru, being a city of bungalows, looks strange with these new age skyscrapers.

I also like the city because of its meticulous cleanliness.  Generally, I have found the southern cities to be more cleaner compared to the north.  It would, of course, be a joke to even compare Mumbai with Bengaluru or Chennai on this aspect.  The other thing that I liked about Bengaluru, and which is completely absent in Mumbai, is the attention to details in the construction of roadways.  You see sign-boards at each junction / traffic signal, clearly telling you the directions to various places.  The roads, dividers, etc. are properly painted / adorned with reflective material.  You see attention to detail everywhere.

On the flip side, like in all other cities in India, the traffic has exploded.  The number of private cars on the roads must have increased 5 folds in the last 6 years!  And given Bengaluru's narrow roads, this causes endless traffic jams.  Again, not as bad as Mumbai, but still a lot worse than it was 6 years ago.  The other pathetic aspect of the city, and for that matter any other city in the south, is the complete absence of a service culture.  You go to any shop, restaurant, hotels, cinema halls, etc. etc. and the people there will treat you like dirt and as if they are doing you a favour by allowing you to be there.  Drives me nuts all the time, as I myself work in the service industry and expect better standards.

The trip, otherwise, was very enjoyable.  I met up with some relatives after a long time, and some for the first time!  By the time we started for Mumbai on the Wednesday, rains had hit Mumbai too. Various rumours about air traffic being diverted from Mumbai due to bad weather were floating around.  However, we landed in Mumbai with only a 30 minute delay to normal weather.

I am at home for one more week and thus, look forward to the rains in Mumbai. 

Take care.

Day 103 - Here, There & Everywhere...

This last week has been really hectic.  At work and otherwise.  Even the weekend has been the same.  The reason:  Too many conflicting priorities and pulls.

1) Have to plan to be in Chennai as soon as possible to complete the formalities of the house sale.

2) However, the next week (and the one after that!) is very busy at work. Can't spare even a day except for this Friday.

3) However, Friday is Priyanksh's second birthday and I want to be at home with him.

4) Am looking to buy a house in Mumbai, however cannot move forward unless I complete the Chennai sale!

5) Amongst all of this, I have to be in Pune next weekend.

How do I go about resolving this maze of priorities?  Prioritize, some would say.  How to prioritize when all of the above are equally important, and more importantly, inter-linked?

While my small little brain struggled with matters of such great significance, I did visit the MCHI Property Exhibition at BKC on Saturday.  The real estate market sure has hit boom time by the looks of the crowd that was in attendance at the fair.  Bad news for me.  However, I think the trick here is to look for good value for money properties after cutting through the hype. 

Did the same on Sunday.  Took off to Girish's place to look at various properties in Thane.  Was dead tired by the end of the day; more so due to the blatant hard sell of the lady broker accompanying us rather than anything else.

I expect the next few weeks to be equally tiring and busy.

Take care.

Day 31 - Wardrobe Malfunction...and more!

Imagine that you are standing in front of a group of 40 people and addressing them, and someone informs you that your fly is open....!  Embarassing?  :-))  No.  Very embarassing!  :-(( This is exactly what happened to me on Friday at Chennai, when I was talking to my former team mates at Olympia.  Thankfully, the group pretended that they never took notice of this 'wardrobe malfunction' to avoid embarassment for me.  Thanks team for that!  And, yes, thanks Bonny for limiting the damage.  Janet Jackson, Carole Gracious, you have company now.

This week was very hectic at work, with a lot of visitors from across the globe.  One invariably tends to end up doing nothing other than 'meeting-hopping' throughout the day in such situations.  But at the end of it all, I thought the visits were very useful. 

After a long time I saw the entire Republic Day parade at New Delhi on television on 26th.  By the way, it was so foggy that one would find it difficult to distinguish between a battle tank and a cultural tableau.  Even this day was hectic as lunch was with the FMS gang and dinner at Hari Chitappa's place, celebrating his birthday.  It was good to meet up with Daddu, Dhiru, BG, Roopa and Danda after a long time.  A good session at Banana Leaf, with Dhiru assuming the role of a quasi-host!

Flew to Chennai on Friday morning and was there for a couple of days, to deal with the formalities of taking over possession of my apartment.  Thanks to Sukumar for playing the gracious host while I was in Chennai.  Dinner with my erstwhile team and Bonny on Friday and BN and some intense discussions late into the night on both days.  A lot of food for thought, I am sure, especially for me, Suku and Akhilesh!

Another busy week, or for that matter, busy month, awaits!

Take care.

The Wonder Years!

Another year has gone by. And with it, the first decade of the the 21st century has gone by!

2009 has been an eventful year, to say the least. And this decade has probably been the most important ten years of my life. I call them the 'The Wonder Years!' because a lot of important and wonderful events in my personal as well as professional life have happened in this decade. Some of them are:

1) A fast paced 10 years at work working in diverse organisations with a diverse set of people. Huge amounts of learning with great fun! Some 20 hour days actually felt like 20 minutes.

2) I travelled abroad for the first time in my life during the past decade. It is another matter that I hate it a lot now! Especially the longer duration ones.

3) Got married to my childhood sweetheart / crush!

4) Became a father; not once, but twice! Two brats at home; tough to manage, but worth it all! In any case, managing them is a breeze compared to managing my lovely wife...;-p! (I hope this tongue in cheek comment doesn't land me in (or my cheek!) in trouble.)

5) Have been fortunate to have lived in a diverse set of cities; Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai.

6) Bought my first house in Chennai!

7) Bought my first (and now second as well) car!

8) Have worked with some very inspiring colleagues and seniors; who have played a key role in shaping my attitudes and behaviours. (Yes, it is not my fault. It is all their fault!;-p)

Thinking about the decade not only gives me a great sense of satisfaction but also spurs me on to challenge myself to make the most of the next 10 years!

Coming back to the year gone by: An eventful year. A year which began in uncertain times due to the financial crisis around the world. A year when I was awarded a deferred bonus; still not sure why, though! A year in which I decided to move back to Mumbai, closer to my parents and my in-laws. A year when I uprooted myself and my family from our cozy existence in Chennai to put up anchor in the hustle and bustle of the city of Mumbai. Painful, but worth it.

So, what is in store for the new year, 2010!? Who knows? The motto is to give everything my best shot and go with the flow. Because the golden rule applies: One can control only one's own thought and actions! I did promise though, in my last blog, that I would be thinking about my resolutions. After scratching my brains to come up with challenging and achievable resolutions, I could come up with only the below:

1) Spend more time with the family. More quality time.

2) Lifestyle changes to become more disciplined about my health. Weed out some of the undesirable habits in make room for some healthier ones!

I am determined to take care of myself and my family. Please take care of yourself.