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.

Day 24 - Nostalgia Unlimited

Last week was a difficult week in terms of my health.  This week was not as bad as the last one, but I am not yet 100%.  The throat is very still very sore, though most of the congestion seems to have gone.  What's more, the children seem to be catching the symptoms as soon as they leave me or Priya.  I have to admit that Mumbai has taken a toll on our bodies.  Priyanksh was especially suffering a lot on Friday and Saturday.

A quiet week at work; nothing worth mentioning. 

On the personal front, this week could be called the week of nostalgia, apart from ill-health.  Actually, it has been a continuing theme since we arrived in Mumbai.  After meeting Gopal last week, this week it was Rohit Khanna who was in town from Ahmedabad.  And guess what, he was in town to attend the 'second' wedding of Shirali Patel, a class mate in school as well.  Told my wife that I had a crush on Shirali when in school, which I am sure many of us, boys had!  However, couldn;t meet up with Rohit due to our conflicting schedules.

Friday evening was the high point of the nostalgia week!  Practically the whole gang from SHCIL met at Pritam at Dadar, except Vijay Lavate, who is still in Chennai.  Had a great time meeting up with Alok, Sailesh, Pankaj, Ritesh, Prabhat, Parag, Sujay and Wali!  Wali looks very different these days, with all the grey hair. 

Saturday was doctor's day for the kids, as Priyanksh's condition was becoming worse.  Did some shopping in the evening.  Needless to say I was on the edge all the time as Priya goes berserk everytime she sees a mall.

Sunday was Push's birthday.  Four of us went to Amba Bhuvan to wish her.  Went to Sion to meet Aparna, Priya's cousin, and her parents on our way back.  Driving on a Sunday in Mumbai is bliss! 

Had invited Ritesh and Ruby for dinner.  I was feeling very bad as I forced them to come even though Ruby had a very bad cold and a sore throat.  She could hardly speak!  The dinner and the conversation was good.  We might do a group outing together with a few other families in the near future.  But in the meantime, hope she gets well soon.

Take care.

Day 17 - Or Maybe Not!

One of the things that I said I would focus this year was on my health. The week started with me hitting the gym. However, by Wednesday, I was down with flu-like symptoms. Now, would normally not be flustered by such an occurrence. But, given that there has been a positive H1N1 case in the neighbourhood a couple of weeks ago, we were a bit nervous. Medication was started. Have still not fully recovered, but it is not as bad as on Wednesday and Thursday. Blame it on the fickle weather, which has dogged Mumbai for the last few weeks. Chills, ills & pills.

But flu wasn't going to stop me from participating in my sons' first Sports Day meet! Had fun at the meet on Saturday. Suryanksh won a gold medal and I won a silver! I won it in the parents' race; if anybody is wondering if I have now started competing with kids! Priyanksh should have won a silver as well, but was disqualified on technical grounds (he dropped the banana!) :-)) Father and sons celebrated the rich haul of medals with a pizza party, of which the mother was also a beneficiary!

This was also a week where I met two long lost friends. Amol Parte (a colleague at a previous organisations whom I had helped in the early days of his career) and Gopal Rohra (classmate at school). Was happy to see Amol making good progress in this life. Has paid off all his debts, got his sister and brother educated and is now focused on completing his graduation. Gopal has done well in the last four years as well. However, his challenges due to not having full vision in his eyes continue. But he now looks like a veteran in dealing with these challenges.

Looking forward to a more healthier next week...

Take care.

My Baby!

Day 10 - All is well!

I am sure the title of this post would tell one and all that I am in a great frame of mind while I write this and the reason is not very difficult to find out as well. Again the clue being in the title. But I will come back to it later in the post.

This week was interesting. A week of 'firsts'!

Dad and Manish were in town. Manish was in Mumbai for two days for business. Dad, a little longer, again for work. The only difference being, Manish stayed with us and Dad did not, as usual. Blame it on the many visitors whom he has to meet throughout the day. We did manage a dinner together though and it was good. My Mom would have felt a bit lonely, with the whole gang here! This was Dad & Manish's first visit to my place after I shifted to Mumbai.

Went to drop Manish to Mumbai Central on Thursday. Got my first look at the new Duranto Express. Not sure why they have wrapped it all up in a pathetic looking wall paper from outside! Will take this train the next time we go to Ahmedabad. Took the local train while coming back home and that brought back a lot of memories. The place hasn't changed a bit.

Memories was what I was probably chasing when on Saturday, I went to Fort to get my new address and other details changed in all my securities accounts. Saw CST in person for the first time after the 26/11 attacks! Walked from CST to Fort and memories came flooding back to me. Walked from Fort to Churchgate while coming back and that was fun too. Again, got a feeling that nothing much has changed apart from a kiosk here and there! In the evening, Priya had a sudden urge to go and see a movie. What guts! We were planning to see a movie in the theatre with both the kids for the first time! But, no gain without pain, and hence, booked tickets for the movie - 3 Idiots!

Sameer (Dave) had invited us for lunch at his place today as well. He stays close to R City Mall, which is where we were going for the movie. So had a sumptuous Gujarati lunch at Sameer's, courtesy Tina and Sameer's mother. We all loved the lunch! Went for the movie after lunch. A stone's throw away from Sameer's place.

3 Idiots - This is a movie, which richly deserves the high praise that it is getting in the media and the hot bucks that it is earning at the box office! I have read the book as well, but this was something else! I havn't laughed such a lot while watching a movie for a long long time! In fact, the scene where Chatur gives the annual day speech was so hilarious, that I couldn't stop laughing, choking myself and almost starting off an Asthma attack! Thankfully the kids slept through most of the movie, after the sumptuous lunch!;-)) And hence, all is well!

Take care. Cheers!

Day 3 - Ahmedabad Calling

The last couple of days, the first two of the new year, 2010, (somehow 2010 looks so much more aesthetic than 2009!) have been spent in my hometown, the place where I was born and brought up; Ahmedabad, with family and friends. The agenda: chill and relax! So, I stuck to the agenda and caught up on a lot of sleep. Taking a nap in the afternoons doesn't come easily to me, but I did exactly that for the last 2 days, which is in line with one of my resolutions for this year. Get at least 7 - 8 hours of sleep everyday, and more if possible!

One of the highlights was the dinner with Naren, Simran and their cute little daughter, Hridiya yesterday night. Had Gujarati thali at Mangalya at R3 Mall on Drive-In Road. The food was good; the drive even better. It has always been a pleasure to catch up with Naren and his family whenever I am in Ahmedabad. We missed Dhawal, Sumedha and their little son, Aditya. Naren, Dhawal and I were class-mates at school. Normally, all the three families get together at least once whenever I am in town. By the way, on our way back, we lost our way on S G Road...what else can you expect with Naren driving..:-))

One of the things that I have not failed to notice during my last few visits to Ahmedabad has been the tremendous work done by the local authorities and the state government in terms of infrastructure development. The recently launched BRTS is a great example. The pilot for the transport system failed in Delhi, but the Amdavadis are determined to make it a success. Also, the roads are great and getting even wider; at least in the new city area. Haven't been to the old city side for sometime, but I hear that the focus on infrastructure is all round.

Flew back to Mumbai today. Not the greatest of starts to the year.

1) A 3 hour delay for the flight; blame it on the fog! Have decided to take the train the next time when we go to Ahmedabad.

2) Once back home in Mumbai, Priyanksh met with a minor accident in the evening, falling down and cutting his forehead. Rushed to the hospital and was informed it wasn't too serious and will heal quickly. As far as he is concerned, he has already forgotten it as I see him jumping all around the house! Hyperactivity is the order of the day!

The new year begins at work tomorrow. Take care.

Cheers!

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.

Great Expectations

Two hours to claim one piece of baggage!

That is the amount of time it took me to retrieve my baggage at the international airport in Mumbai recently after a 9 hour flight. While there has been an effort to develop our airports by the Airports Authority of India and its private contractors, a lot still needs to be done in terms of services at these airports. There is no signage anywhere. Most of the times, utter chaos prevails. Compare this to Heathrow, Schipol or a Changi and you should know the difference.

The weather in London was really depressing, dull and dark (and wet, for good measure). However the visit was very productive. And I got to travel once more on my favourite public transport system, The Underground! The tube has changed, the traffic seems to be more, but it is nowhere near the Mumbai local train rush. The only regret, apart from the bad weather in London was not being able to meet up with some of my acquaintances in London due to the busy schedule.

Back home, got Suryanksh admitted to school (Jr.KG). The fees is probably equal to the entire spend on my graduation and post-graduation studies! And guess, what I might lose it all if I decide to enroll him into another school! The education sector makes great business sense to me, actually!

Next in line was my continued hunt for a car. After extensive research I did do a couple of test drives this weekend and have FINALLY booked a car! I just hope that it gets to me before Christmas begins.....

Speaking of Christmas, the New Year is not too far either and so is...resolutions-making time! Have been thinking about that lately and hence my next blog might just be all about my resolutions, which would, of course, last for a couple of days!

Till then...

P.S: By now, it should be amply clear, that the title of this blog has nothing to do with one Mr. Charles Dickens!

Problem of Plenty

One of the last items on my to do list before I relocated from Chennai to Mumbai was to sell my 'value for money' car. The reason I decided to do this was, to avoid all the hassles of obtaining a NOC from Tamilnadu RTO, re-registering the vehicle in Mumbai, pay a truckload of money as road tax in Mumbai and claim a refund for the same from Tamilnadu RTO. Most importantly, I guess, it was my phobia of dealing with the bureaucratic government machinery (read RTO), which encouraged me to cordially part with my 'Rampyaari' in Chennai. Which is what I did, on the day I left Chennai.

Little did I know that once I reach Mumbai, the search for a new car would be an even bigger headache! Solely because of such a wide variety of products on offer! It is so confusing!

The last few days I have been doing some research on various car brands & models trying to ascertain what is right for me, and my pocket! I have already discounted the Germans, the Czech and the English brands because they are out of my reach. The Japanese, the Koreans, the Americans and last but not the least, our own home grown Indian brands are what I am looking at. To begin with there are so many competing brands. Each brand has a suite of models to cater to each segment of the Indian market. Each model has at least 3-4 variants depending on the features included in the variant! Phew!

Consider this: A Indo-Japanese (now almost fully Japanese) brand has 15 different models of cars. One of the models has 8 different variants! The difference between each of the variant is only the existence / non-existence of one or two features!

Given this landscape, how does one decide which product to buy? And I have not even stepped into a car dealership to look at the actual cars!

The problem of plenty confronts the consumer. We were probably better off a few decades back, when the only choice that one had was between an Ambassador and a Premier Padmini!

Scale Trouble

For any service organisation, the ability to manage scale is a huge advantage. If not managed carefully and adequately, the consequences can be disastrous, resulting in eroding the brand equity, very quickly. This is a no brainer. I am no management guru.

I have been having immense trouble trying to track the status of a high value cheque that I deposited at the ATM of the largest private sector bank in this country, more than 10 days back! I have been told that the only way I can know the fate of my cheque is to know the cheque number. As luck would have it, I did not record the cheque number on the counterfoil of the deposit slip.

I find it quite surprising that a bank of this size and scale does not have a Plan B! Being an operations professional myself, I felt it necessary to comment on the fact that such a huge bank with lakhs of retail clients, does not have adequate processes to track the transactions of its clients. I have been told that multiple agencies internal to the bank like Relationship Management, Service Management and Branch Management are on the job to search this elusive instrument!

I see this as a classic case of too much, too soon. I am sure I am not the only client having trouble with this bank, which has grown its client base as well as the product portfolio so fast. Probably there is little time to worry about servicing those clients & products.

Meanwhile the search still continues.....wish me luck!