My visit to the United States - V

Its been a while since I encountered snow. Well, this time I did and this time the snow more than made up for the separation.

The backdrop was the picturesque Seattle. It snowed for a couple of days before I arrived. After half a day's break it continued to snow overnight and then again the next evening and the next as well. I was informed that the last it snowed like this was about 10 years back. It was a punishment to go out in this weather. However, I had my flight to the windy city and had to leave. My poor brother in laws Pratik and Vikas were the guys to bear the brunt and had to drive me to the airport. The roads were filled with ice and snow. The trees had a white cover. It was as if the whole city had turned white. It was an over whelming sight. Driving on ice was a dangerous task but was handled very well by Vikas.

After an hour's drive we managed to reach the airport around 7.30 in the morning. The scene inside was something like I'd never seen before. I was scheduled to take the Alaskan airlines flight bound for Chicago via Reno departing Seattle at 8.45. There were hundreds of people queued up to check in at Alaskan. The que went on for what seemed like miles. People were in the que since as early as 4 ! Most of them had already missed their flights and were in the que to get re-booked. I realised that there was no way that I would make it in time and so went from one airline to another seeking seats for any possible connection to Chicago. "No seats until the 24th" said one rep. A few airlines had cancelled all their flights out of Seattle that day. The snow took its toll on everyone. As for me, I had no other option but to cancel my trip to Chicago and take the hour long drive back home with Pratik and Vikas.

My visit to the United States - IV

I realised today that this series from my blog is running into several parts. Now that's not the problem. The problem is that I started using the Roman numerals which are now becoming problematic. Until 3 it was a cake walk but thereafter ?

While I keep mentioning visit to the United States I must also add that I did also visit Toronto for a day. So, technically it is my visit to North America. Anyways, this particular trip is my shortest US trip till date. In almost all my trips there is a day when my checked baggage does not arrive with me. Wonder why this NEVER happens in India. With all the sophisticated technology and all you'd wonder how come such things happen and that to so frequently.

Well, on this instance the scene of crime was Seattle Tacoma airport. Due to my frequent travel on the Star Alliance network of airlines my bag was tagged as a priority. I was always under the impression that "priority" meant that the bags would be taken care of and would arrive before everyone else's on the carousal. However, Air Canada and United Airlines have sworn to crush my beliefs. They keep trying and trying until one day I stop expecting the bag to come at all. This way when the odd day the bag does turn up I feel highly about them !

Getting back to the carousal waiting for my bag to come. I waited and waited and finally the bags from our flight were being sent on the carousal. The rounds went on for about half hour before a group of us accepted the fact that today was our turn to face the music. It turned out that the entire "priority" group's bags didn't arrive. We all stood in line to file the claim. After another 10 or 15 mins.the rep at the counter asked the baggage handlers to re-check if there were any bags left and sure enough the guy replied (after the re-check) that there was indeed a trolley full of bags that were missed out. Finally, after the two hour trauma I got my bag.

The worst part of all this is you can't even take out your anger on the reps in the United States. You can't shout at the people and lighten up from within. At least in India you shout a few abuses at the person at fault and feel light from within !

My visit to the United States - Part III

Most times on arrival into the States I keep awake for a few hours and then go to bed around 7 or 8. This way I have no jet lag etc.and get back on track immediately.

However, this time I was very sleepy and took a nap in the evening. It was dark at 5 in the evening ! This little nap messed up the start of my trip and I felt sleepy the next day as well. From then on things were fine though. There was a lot of gloom all over which was aggravated by the dull weather. I expected to see a very vibrant US around this time of the year, being Christmas but it was not to be.

I wonder what is it with the sun and how one feels from within. I feel very energetic and active when the sun is around during the day. The day the sun isn't there is an instant dullness. I pity the places where the sun doesn't shine for 6 months. What the heck would I do were I to go there !

My visit to the United States - Part II

Hey there !

On this trip I took Singapore Airlines, which according to me is the finest. I always try to get to fly on this rather than the rest. There are a number of reasons to do so. I think the service all through, be it on the ground and in air is absolutely fantastic. The food is good and the in flight entertainment is very good. The seats also seem to be a bit more spacious vs the other airlines. Of course, the icing on the cake are the air hostesses. There is just no match in this category !

How much ever I try to convince my wife otherwise, she firmly believes that I opt for Singapore Airlines because of the air hostesses ;)

I've had the opportunity to travel in several airlines and truly believe that Singapore airlines is a class apart.

My visit to the United States

Off I am to yet another trip to the United States.

As I await my boarding announcement I got a few moments to post this blog from the wonderful lounge at the majestic Hyderabad International Airport. It is truly a fascinating airport at par with the best in the world with regard to style and amenities. It is a totally different world in comparison to the old airport. Although the journey to the new one is significantly longer than to the old one, which was basically in the heart of the city.

However, once at the airport, at every point there is a marked difference to the old one. To start with, there are a large number of brand new trolleys waiting by the 'drop off' zone. Once in the terminal, there are several counters for every airline with the most courteous staff guiding anyone needing assistance. After checking in the immigration is also a pleasant surprise as the 10 odd counters (against 3-4 of the old airport) make people breeze by in no time. The well stocked duty free welcomes every passenger after which there is a long isle with eateries and shops on one side and a seating area on the other. The lounge is very well done and has a good selection of food and drinks; a few lap tops for those wishing to browse the net (from where I type presently) and also a shower area.

Well.......that was just my boarding call. So got to go. Will keep you on track with the rest along my journey.

My visit to Dubai - Part II

I take off from where I left in my last posting.

To start with the airport has more than doubled in size with the added new terminal. Its quite different in architecture in comparison with the older one. The modern elements are made visible with the designing and colors. The security remain the same though :)

There are no more free rooms. In fact, one needs to be in the category of "who's who" or at least be sent by one to afford a good hotel room in today's Dubai. There are no more close hotels. Everything seems far thanks to the tremendous surge in traffic. I could hardly see the open sky anymore. All I saw were towering sky scrappers of the finest and most unusual architecture. It was quite a sight. During my stay I did have the opportunity to visit the same mall I had visited years back and although the layout remained the same the brands have changed. In smaller local brand has made room for a larger international brand. Global brands embrace each and every inch of shopping space in the mall and on the large hoardings outside and on the roads as well.

Every street has some on-going construction. The roads are packed with the best of vehicles. I can't think of any other city with a Lexus taxi ! The city buzzes with activity. People value time and are on the move always.

The city has created one icon after the other and continues to do so. The most famous of them the Burj Al Arab which stands majestically in the Arabian Sea just off the coast. The more recent

landmarks are the palms and the world which are man made islands which have literally made impossible, possible. Then there is the world's largest tower - the Burj Dubai, the world's largest shopping mall (supposedly) - the Dubai Mall, the list goes on.

My visit to Dubai

It was my first international trip in the year 2001. I was extremely excited to step on-board the Emirates flight out of Hyderabad headed for Dubai and thereafter a connecting flight to Milan. Travel was not so common those days and hardly any international flights out of Hyderabad. Emirates had some great offers which attracted people like me. Of-course, the most attractive was the price. However apart from that they also offered a night's stay free of cost at a four star hotel for transit passengers.

As this particular blog is about Dubai I am skipping the European leg of my journey, which I can come back to on another day. I took my transit stay offer on the way back from Europe to Hyderabad. After the little more than 5 hour flight I reached Dubai and was scared at the sight of the Arab security guards. They do look menacing. Well after all the formalities at the airport I was escorted in a chauffeur driven car to the 4 star 'Airport Hotel' which was a wonderful hotel near the airport. It was luxurious from within and for a first timer, I felt like royalty. The next day I headed to a mall nearby called the City Center, Deira. I was amazed at the sheer size of the mall and needless to say ended up buying some necessary and a lot of unnecessary things. I didn't have much time and therefore couldn't see much of the city.

I would do injustice to Dubai had I not mentioned the airport. They literally had several palm trees all through the terminal with an array of glittering shops on either sides. It was a spectacular sight to see them make a shopping mall right inside the airport. This "mall" too was packed with visitors buying any and everything to take back to their homeland.

I came back with fond memories and thought how developed they were until I returned back to Dubai for my longest stay (over a week) in the city in November, 2008. I could never have imagined the kind of transformation that this city has gone through in the last 7 years. If I thought they were very developed in the year 2001, then words cannot describe what they are today.....................
(to be continued)

RISK.....What a game !

Last night, almost all my family got together for dinner at my cousin's house. The evening started out with the usual chit chat with some great 'chaat' (Indian junk food). We had all gathered on a balcony and for a long time heard all the idhar udhar ki baatein from our elders. When we (the young guys n gals) couldn't take the crap any more we headed down stairs and decided to play the game - RISK !

I remember the wonderful time we used to have as kids playing this game. This goes back about a decade or so. It was a perfect setting for the game, which needs a lot of people who are full of energy prepared to negotiate, manipulate and try everything under the sun, in this case, under the lights, to make one team fight against another.

This board game involves tiny soldiers who are placed on territories and have to fight soldiers from the neighbouring territories with a roll of the dice. While there is a lot of luck needed to win the game, it also requires a lot of strategy. The best part of the game is the suggestions, comments, etc.that fellow players give one another. I would strongly recommend this game to a budding politician to hone his/her political skills.

At the end of yesterday's game, as usual, I turned out victorious and controlled most of the 'world' with the most number of soldiers also. I am now waiting for the next get-together for another round of the wonderful game - RISK.

Gossip !

I am an admirer of my brother Kamal's blogs http://www.kamaldshah.com/. I am quite addicted to it to the point of being disappointed when there isn't anything new written on a particular day.

His present blog regarding Gossip reminded me about one more attribute that some women have which is to tell a person a "secret" and tell that person "not to share it with anyone". Now, that would normally seem OK. However, the funny part is that the same women would tell the same "secret" to various other people and tell all of them to keep it to themselves. This is most commonly done while informing about someone else's secret.

Where are the laughs ?

Comedy.....oh comedy, where have you gone ?

I miss the days when our family used to go for the saturday evening show of a Govinda starer. That was the period when everyone left their brains at home and filled the theatres to get thoroughly entertained watching the comic brilliance of Govinda. The combination of Govinda and David Dhavan meant a roller coaster ride from the first frame to the last. All the movies from this jodi were super hits.

I miss those days....I miss those movies. Be it Coolie No.1, Saajan Chale Sasural, Aakhen, Hero No.1......the list can just go on and on. There were other hilarious movies which I would do tremendous injustice to if I were not to mention them on this topic. Masterpieces like Andaz Apna Apna and Hera Pheri will forever be remembered. Each and every character has left an indelible mark on the minds and hearts of the viewers.

There are movies of different genres being exhibited these days which is wonderful but among all this the one type of movies that aren't quite up to the mark are comedies.

Go out there and BUY !!

I have never claimed to be a master of the stock market. I do my little bit and keep in touch with whats happening around though.

Over the last year or so, markets all over the globe have been battered down. Blue chips have also been beaten down to the extent of 70-80% from their peaks. While there are some pointers to justify a fall, there is absolutely nothing to justify this kind of a fall. Agreed there is a liquidity crunch, manufacturing has slowed, demand has slowed, jobs are being lost, etc. However, there is a silver lining in all this.

The crux of the problem, the US banking system, has learnt a bitter lesson they would never forget. They are being over cautious presently, which is understandable. One must understand that they are banks and they MUST lend to make money. The federal banks across the world have taken bold steps and injected big money into the system. This will ease concerns of banks which will sooner or later result in money flowing into the hands of the genuine borrowers, which to a large extent are corporates. Most companies, have put on hold or shelved expansion plans due to the volatile environment. With availability of credit back many would take advantage and resume their plans, if not to the extent earlier planned. This directly creates jobs, which ignites spending and gets the growth of economies going.

Coming back to stocks, there is a difference between a broken down stock of a broken down company and a broken down stock of a good company. Stocks are just a value that an investor is willing to pay for a portion of a company. As indicated on my earlier blog, stock prices quote many a time at irrational levels, not reflecting their fundamentals. We, in India got a glimpse of extreme greed in January when the sensex touched the 21000 level. Over the last 11 months, this extreme greed turned into extreme panic. A classic Warren Buffett scenario. Not surprisingly, the Oracle of Omaha went and picked up a chunk of Goldman Sachs. Indian stocks are overly dependant on foreign institutional investors. Unfortunately, owing to the collapse of their respective institutions in their home markets, these institutions were forced to sell left right and centre to get cash. At the receiving end were stocks of great companies.

We all know, the Indian story is still on. While the world worries about recession, India is expected to grow between 6.5% (most pessimistic opinion) and 8.00% (most optimistic opinion). This is the sort of growth that investors go after. When the dust settles and people start acting rationally India will be one of the biggest benefactors. India, unlike any other major economy, has several things going for it. Being a major importer of commodities, declining prices results in huge savings. Strong domestic demand and lesser dependence on exports augers well in the recessionary atmosphere abroad.

Stocks are trading at historically low levels. This means lowest price to earnings ratios (PE) are the lowest in years. This is the time for those who do not have much of an exposure to enter for a long run. At these levels the risk-reward scale tilts fully in favour.

The storm has settled. It is time to rebuild !

Mastercard

US spending in Afghanistan war - USD 172 billion

US Spending in Iraq war - USD 653 billion

Other war related spending by the US - USD 34 billion

See a Homeland Security Code "GREEN" at the end of the day - PRICELESS !

Great Expectations !

One of the great scriptures had stated "कर्म करो, फल की चिंता मत करो", which when translated meant, do what you have to without worrying about its fruits.

In today's times especially, is this possible at all ? I mean, can we just keep doing whatever the heck we do without worrying about the result. This is what saints are made up of. In fact, today not many saints could claim to practice this. Expectations are bound to arise, especially from our loved ones. Sometimes, they are met and sometimes, they aren't. As humans, we tend to remember the ones that weren't and keep nurturing those thoughts in our hearts. Those seeds keep growing and become so big that they begin to hurt.

A very simple example is that of a movie. When the expectations are sky high, even a quite good movie seems very bad. Had one gone and seen that movie without any expectations, the reviews would have been much better. Similar is the case with relationships. The more one expects, the greater the chance of dissappointment.

It takes a lifetime to build a relationship. We must not let a few moments break it. We must learn to forgive and forget. Let's stop fretting about not being wished by someone on your birthday or not getting a dinner invite from someone who is close or not receiving help when needed. Remember, there are always two sides to a coin. There can always be a reason behind things not happening the way you intended. Let not mistakes of the past bother you in the present and ruin what could be a wonderful future.

Past has passed, Future is a mystery, today is a gift......that's why its called the Present !

Thanks......is it so tough to say ?

Two of the most commonly used words that the British left us with are 'Thanks' and 'Sorry'. Now, I know that many (sometimes, me included) find it difficult to say the word 'Sorry' which in part could be because they don't feel that they are wrong. However, many a time its the EGO that makes the word difficult to utter.

While I do understand that, it just doesn't make sense for me as to WHY people can't say the word 'Thanks'. When one goes about one's daily activity there would be a zillion times when one could effortlessly make use of the beautiful word. However, especially in India, it is unfortunate that people don't make use of it. I've seen people in my office receive their tea and coffee from the office boys everyday and not one says 'Thanks'. I have been fortunate to have it in me to thank the guy who serves me my coffee. Another place where I see absolutely no usage of the word is a restaurant. Why can't we thank the server ? Why can't we thank the person on the street who has helped with directions ? Why can't we thank the valet for bringing our car ? Why can't we thank someone who has done something special for us ?

Wouldn't we love to hear a 'Thank you' from someone for whom we might have done something, small or big ? I'm sure there would be more and broader smiles on every face the day this attitude changes in people. We tend to thank God (sometimes) for anything good that happens to us but couldn't care to offer the same appreciation for the lesser mortals.

Lastly, let me end by thanking you for spending your precious time on my blog !

The charm of the festival season

I, like most whom I have grown up with, will never ever forget the wonderful childhood that we've had. Things were a lot simpler those days.....no wonder people call it 'the good old days'. I'd give everything up to re-live those days of my life.

I remember the beautiful festive days around Diwali when our entire family would get together and have a pooja at our office followed by idli, wada and some sweet. I remember all my uncles, aunts, cousins and us having a blast. We then followed the day by visiting all near and dear as a group and creating a riot everywhere we went. A few uncles were famous for their loud voices. On occasions I'm sure some neighbours would have contemplated moving out of that locality or even the city for that matter.

I also remember the card parties within the family and a few very close family friends. As a kid I enjoyed seeing my elders laughing and joking with each other. At the end of the party, no one really ever lost or won big time. All were just happy to spend a few hours together.

Those were the days when people knew how to live a life. Today, sadly, life's become a roller coaster. Families rarely ever meet and even when they do the love and happiness seems clearly faded. The good old office no longer hosts any celebration. There is, however, a smaller event at one of our shops which is attanded by a far smaller number of family members. There are no more card parties and nothing much to cheer about around this wonderful time of the year.

When a patient......be patient !

Last week my son went thru a minor surgery at a local hospital. The surgeon was referred by our child's pediatrician, whom we truly trust and like. After discussing with the surgeon, we decided to have the operation at the hospital which was very good and close to where we live. However, this was not one of those big hospitals yet it was a hospital where my wife delivered my son a few years back and we were quite pleased with the facility and the docs during that period.

Coming back to this surgery, on the day of the operation we reached the hospital on the dot at 7am as told to by the doc. I can't seem to understand why do docs call a patient to the hospital an hour in advance on an empty stomach. It becomes very uncomforting for a small kid to keep hungry added to the fear of having to undergo a surgery soon. Anyways, this problem pales in comparison to what all of us had to go thru later on.

As the time for the surgery came closer, a couple of assistant docs came to the room asking to bring the patient to the operation theatre. They wanted to take him themselves but looking at our teary eyed boy we just had to accompany him to the room adjacent to the theatre. However from there he had to go in alone as the docs very sternly refused any one of us to get in the theatre with him. It was extremely difficult for us to see our son being 'taken away' from us. He cried and so did we.

We waited with bated breath outside the theatre for the operation to finish. After about half an hour one of the docs came out and informed us that the operation was over and everything was fine. This was very relieving. As parents, even when you are absolutely sure that there is no chance for anything to go wrong, you are still very tensed hoping that your son is fine.

After a few minutes, our son was brought out of the theatre. He was on a stretcher covered with a thin sheet, dazed and shivering. This sight will not be easily forgotten by us for a long long time. Are the doctors and their assistants blind ? Can't they see that the boy needs a thicker sheet ? Couldn't they have reduced the cooling in the theatre seeing his condition ? We went into the recovery room with our son and requested the nurses to get some blankets. Although my son was given anesthesia, he wasn't sleeping and was clearly in pain and crying constantly. We asked the nurses to call a doctor to check and do something. My son felt like passing urine and we asked the nurses for the bed pan. We kept repeating the requests over and over but neither the doctors were seen nor the bed pan. My son continued to cry. I ran down the stairs to ask the reception to send a doctor immediately. The person kept saying that he would send the doctor but wasn't actually calling for anyone. After my repeated requests to do something immediately, he stated that there was no doctor in the hospital at that time (it was a very earthly hour of around 9am on a week day). I couldn't believe the attitude of the people who were supposedly taking care of the lives of our near and dear. When I ran back to the recovery room, one of the nurses had got thru to one of the doctors on the phone, who told my that the necessary pain killers, etc.had been administered and that we would see it having affect very soon. We were trying very hard to make our son sleep and the loud mouthed nurses didn't help one bit. While being fully aware of our plight they did nothing but make things worse for us. After I reacted angrily they were trying to put the buck on us stating that we were too many in the recovery room and that was what was disturbing our son.

We were informed that there was space available in one of the rooms where we could move. With great difficulty, we moved our son over there. After an hour or so he started to sleep. I took this opportunity to go meet the insurance guy from the hospital. I was amazed at the kind of work atmosphere in his office on one of the floors of the hospital. It was like a raddi shop (scrap dealer's shop). There were papers lying all over in a very bad mess. Anyways, initially he plainly stated that the insurance company would deny the claim. I told that we would try none the less. I filled the form and handed it over.

I got back to the room and sat by my son for a long time. A while later a very loud mouthed person entered the room and enquired about my son's wellness. His loud voice almost woke my son up. This man was the director of the hospital. One would have thought that a person at his designation would understand the quiet atmosphere that was needed in a hospital. In fact, even outside a hospital we see signs of 'no horn'. My son got up in sometime and seemed a little better. After a few hours, the surgeon visited us and did a little check and certified a discharge from the hospital. I contacted the insurance guy enquiring about the claim. He asked me to make the payment to the hospital and get discharged. Upon getting the approval / denial from the insurance company he would contact me and my payment could be either refunded or the denial letter would be handed over to me to pursue the case with the insurance company. I made the payment immediately and took my son home.

After two days I went to the hospital to checked again with the insurance guy about the status. The guy informed very plainly that the claim was declined. I asked him to give the denial letter. He said that the letter was not yet received and the denial was over the phone with the insurance company. He did not even have a name of the person who had supposedly denied the claim. I asked him to give me the claim form which would enable me to follow up with the insurance company. The guy searched the whole place like a raddiwala, under racks to files, in drawers, on the floor, again an again and after about half hour luckily found it. I immediately called the insurance company and was shocked to hear that the claim was approved on the very day of its submission. They had also faxed the approval to the hospital immediately. They then emailed me the letter of the approval sent to the hospital. I called the insurance guy and informed that my claim was approved. Then the guy calls back after about half hour and confirmed the approval. For me, it was quite obvious that the hospital wanted to earn money twice for the same surgery - from me and also from the insurance company. Unfortunately, they didn't deal with a guy who took their word for granted.

The whole episode shook my faith on the medical system in India. People are out there only to make money in fair means or foul. When a patient is coughing up any amount to the doctors and hospitals, is it too much to ask for to get the best of treatment and aftercare. Is the job of the doctor and hospital done by just getting the surgery over with ? The agonising part is that a patient can't raise any such question with the doctor or hospital as they can really screw one's life or even take it away...no questions asked. It is strange that the patient, who is supposed to get relief with the sight of his doctor from the feared disease/ailment actually fears the doctor as well.

Most Admired Business Leader

The global economy, it seems has collapsed. There is gloom and doom on every corner. However in the Indian context we have seen a few wonderful business leaders that instill confidence in the stake holders of their respective companies.

I have jotted down a few from that lot and invite you to vote for your most admired leader in the following week.

First from the lot, ofcourse in random order is Mr.Mukesh Ambani who is shaping the Indian dream in petrochemicals, oil refinery, retail, etc. The Reliance group employs the most number of Indians either directly or indirectly. I remember one analyst comment recently that if Reliance sinks then it would mean a Good Bye to the entire Indian economy.

The next leader that comes to my mind is the firebrand and aggressive Anil Ambani who has turned the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani group into a financial powerhouse. The stock price of any company that Anil Ambani invests into surges as the news leaks out. He has given the most in turns of returns to investors in his group. While there has been a bad taste to several investors in the Reliance Power IPO, his name still generates tremendous confidence.

Moving on to Mr.Ratan Tata who can no longer be called only an Indian business leader. Under his able leadership, the Tata Group has ventured out all over the globe buying companies everywhere, at times companies thrice the size of the buying entity. With businesses spread into industries such as Steel, Autos, Software, Hospitality, Tea, Chemicals, etc.there is a lot that is at stake for Mr.Tata, who has made Indians proud the world over.

Finally, I must mention Mr.Narayana Murthy who has taken the Indian software company Infosys from scratch to be one of the most respected companies in the world. People hold the shares of Infosys with a lot of pride like some sort of a trophy. Mr.Murthy developed Infosys with a lot of integrity and dedication. Inspite of the fantastic growth of his company, he lived a very simple life which has inspired millions of Indians.

In today's turbulant times, we need more of such leaders to make the Indian economy stronger and more resilient to any future crisis.

VOTE for your Superstar

Amitabh Bachchan was the 'SUPERSTAR of the millenium' !

Rajanikanth's name is ALWAYS preceded with 'SUPERSTAR' !

Aamir Khan, the 'PERFECTIONIST', has always been called the best actor !

Shahrukh Khan is popularly called 'BADSHAH' of Bollywood !

Akshay Kumar is now being called the 'Hit Machine' !

Show your loyalty and love for your favourite superstar by casting your e-ballot on the right of this blog. Remember, you can vote only once (from each computer), so get going !

Gmat and CAT are unfair

The question that I was faced with recently is - Why do CAT or GMAT test the ability of an aspiring management student in the ares of geometry, algebra, etc. ?

How can top notch educational institutions accept such a biased test that obviously tilts the balance in favour of the engineering students as opposed to those from commerce. A large number of applicants aspiring to get into prestigious institutions have to encounter either a GMAT or CAT test. The two broad categories in both these tests are Maths and English. Most of the commerce graduates would not have been in touch with Maths for several years which affect their chances of scoring a higher grade than those from the engineering stream.

It is no wonder then that the number of applicants finally making it thru to these institutions are from engineering. Although one would think that the natural higher education for a commerce grad.is an MBA and that of an engineering grad.is a masters in tech, science or something on those lines.

It is also very disappointing that none of the educational institutions have a problem with such an unfair system. Although, I it was nice to see India Today point out this in one of their recent issues.

In today's competitive world institutions must provide a level playing field to everyone and then make a judgement about the most deserving of the lot.

....and the Oscar goes to TZP !

Wouldn't that be a dream come true. Taare Zameen Par is one of the finest movies to have been made. It is probably the only movie which made the audience thank the producer/director. It surely is the most deserving nomination from India for the Oscars.

Aamir Khan has done a commendable job as a director while Darsheel gave the performance of a lifetime in his first film itself. For the few who have not yet seen the film, it is a moving tale of how a dyslexic child overcomes his shortcomings with the help of a teacher. I am quite certain that a large percentage of viewers of the film had tears in their eyes. It is a must watch for everyone, especially for a parent and especially in today's times. One could find some interesting information on the movie's official website - http://www.taarezameenpar.com/

I would also strongly recommend everyone to go buy a DVD of the movie, the presentation of which is also a treat and very unlike the packaging of any other DVD. One does expect this only from Aamir Khan. He is not called 'the perfectionist' for nothing.

All the best Aamir. You have a Billion behind TZP !

US Visa

Waiting in line outside the US consulate for my turn to get in, I smiled to myself and wondered how things were the last time I was here.........waiting patiently for my turn to come with a bated breath when the visa officer signalled me to approach the window, I had cold yet sweating palms and at the end of the 30 second interview when I was informed about being granted my visa, I felt as if I had won a gold in the olympics (not that I really know how that felt but I'm sure it would be a similar feeling).

Anyways...here I was again at the consulate. I was fortunate enough to have received the US visa on a few occasions which enabled my several trips to the United States over the last 7 years. This time round I was much more confident and had absolutely no doubt in my mind of being granted the visa and so I was.

During my 'visits' to the consulate in Chennai, one frequently asked question always gets answered - is it luck ? Although I would like to believe that sure, luck might be an added element, merit is the underlining factor. However I am proved wrong time and again. It might be just my perception and there would be well documented guidelines with the officers, but I can say without doubt that the mood of the officer and one's luck play a major role. Those 20 or 30 seconds can make a huge difference to one's life.

I must end this on a lighter note. A guy recently was talking to another and was asked about whether he went to America. "I went to America day before last year !" shot back the reply.

Whats Cooking ??

I've got to admit.....I would probably walkaway with Gold in the 'don't know how to cook' category.

For some reason, I never quite involved myself in the kitchen. My mom's a terrific cook and now, fortunately, so is my wife. As long as I got that sumptuous meal it never quite mattered what went on behind the scenes.

However, all of a sudden I decided to put a rest to all that today. I told my wife that I would be the chef today and she can 'help' me a little if she wanted. I went into the kitchen menacingly and took complete charge, all charged up. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I actually was curious about everything and wanted to know why this and why that. My wife brought me some veggies and basically guided me thru the entire time. Although she gave me instructions all the time about what goes in and in what proportion I was standing there all the time and....cooking. I had made, with the help of my wife, one of the finest 'Paneer Takatak' and 'Fried Rice' for dinner.

While we sat down for dinner my wife thanked me for the effort and admitted about me being the finest vegetable chopper in the world. Now thats a start....ain't it. I loved my first step in this direction. Not that I want to switch my job but when not busy from my work I would love to throw up a dish or two without my professional 'help' as well.

Fannie and Freddie to be taken over by the US Govt.

A historical developement in the United States today. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two of the largest Govt.backed conpanies whose porfolio included about 50% of the US housing market, was going to be taken over by the US Govt.

As we all know the entire financial mess that we had to witness over the last year or so had its roots in the US housing market. Just to give a very brief history of the problem in simple terms - People kept buying properties more so as investments to see the values rise in the short term and then make a killing by selling the properties. This was being fecilitated by poor banking procudures whereby several banks would pass loans to undeserving applicants with imperfect credit history. However, as the value of the purchased properties were rising so astronomically the banks were sure that even if the applicants defaulted on the loan they would be able to sell the mortgaged property and still make a profit. The banks made millions of such deals. They then bundled up several such loans, few of which were to the deserving and few subprime (not deserving) and sold them to bigger banks and financial institutions across the world.

The bubble burst all of a sudden when the US economy showed signs of slowing down. Fresh purchase of property was not as strong as it had been. This back fired on one and all involved in the system. Lack of buying led to property prices declining thereby resulting in defaults by those who couldn't afford the loss on their property and couldn't afford to repay the banks as well. The banks in turn were left to deal with their losses and the biggest chunk of such a loss was being borne by the bigger banks and financial institutions. It was a ripple effect.

Once bitten, twice shy goes the saying. Over the last year banks have obviously been over cautious in sactioning new loans due to which several deserving applicants have also been denied loans for new houses. Needless to say, the housing market collapsed and property prices have plunged.

The scenario has changed in view of this turmoil. There is a good portion of people who are waiting to buy their new properties but hoping for a further decline in prices to make that purchase. Interest rates are at their lowest level in years. The time is ripe for a rebound. All the market needs is a trigger. AND THAT TRIGGER IS HERE !

STABILITY in home prices is what everyone fears. With Fannie and Freddie's the US Govt.has sent a signal that they will not let the US Housing industry collapse any further. Mortgages will be offered at lower rates than before and investments will be protected. I see the US Housing industry stabilize from hereon. It is inappropriate to assume that prices would see an immediate rise and everything would be back on track by tomorrow morning's coffee. The housing problem is a huge problem and will take time to come back on its feet. However this is the bottom.

Hopefully, we would see new purchases commencing, which would result in new constructions in a few quarters. There would be job creation as the US housing industry was a big source of jobs in America. The added jobs would generate more spending which would rub off on other industries and the economy as a whole would be in a much better shape.

I give the US treasury secretary Paulson a two thumbs up for a very proactive role in dealing with an issue of such magnitude.

Is Rajanikant India's biggest Superstar ?

Milk was being poured all over Rajanikant's poster not only in Chennai but also in Delhi ?!

Yet another movie, yet again the familiar frenzied scenes all over. If Sivaji was a super hit, Kuselan promises to be better. Fans waited since 4am outside the theatres in Chennai for the opening day opening show. Its mass hysteria all over and the nation is gripped with Rajni mania once again. All news channels have snap shots of the movie. Interviews with celebrities and fans who were 'lucky' enough to get to see the premier show the night before the opening are being aired all over.

One must ask the question - Is this all for real ?

Can Rajni turn any movie into a super hit ? Do people not care about anything while watching the movie if their God makes a few trademark gestures ? While there is certainly a huge percentage of the superstar's loyal fans who throng the theatres only to get a glimpse of Rajni, there are also others who might be lured in to see the movie due to the hype generated by the media.

The fact is NO other star in India can generate this sort of a media frenzy. It really doesn't matter if you're a Big B or a King Khan, Rajni has showed time ang again that he is certainly the 'BOSS'.

Proud to be an Indian !!

You dont know what you have till its gone !

I dont know which great guy phrased this line but it is an amazingly true fact of life. Although I have always been a person who loved my country and like most, felt it to be the best in the world, I have never felt more proud to be an Indian when I travel abroad.

It is a stale fact that India is fast becoming an economic super power. In all other fields as well India is rising and shining.

In sports, for example, the Indian Premier League (IPL) turned out to be entertainement par excellence. It attracted the very best talent from all over the world. In fact some players were ditching their National team to be a part of this event. There were spectators in the stadiums from all over the world as well. Ofcourse most matches were greeted with packed houses. A prominant cricketer also commented that Cricket was an Indian game accidently discovered by the British. In contrast to the Indian Premier League, the American baseball league has a tournament which has only domestic players and yet they call it 'World Series' ! We have world class sportsmen and women in cricket, hockey, Tennis, Chess, etc.

The Indian film industry is the biggest in the world and is attracting big production houses from the US to not only distribute but also produce Indian films. Shah Rukh Khan was honoured with the 'Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters' (Officer dans l'Ordre des Aris et des Lettres) title by the French Government for his contribution to Hindi cinema. The Big B and SRK are known the world over. Superstar Rajanikant is a huge hit in east Asia upto Japan. Recently Akshay Kumar was in Toronto to unveil a huge hoarding of his new flick - 'Singh is King'. This was a proud moment for the Indian film industry as for the first time there was such a thing being done for an Indian movie.

Indian doctors, engineers, scientists are making their presence felt in all spheres all over the world. Our fellow citizens have won the nobel prize in various fields. The illiterate 'Dabba wallahs' of Mumbai teach professors and students from leading management institutes in America and the UK about management skills. Our airlines treat us like kings in comparison with any foreign airline. We are treated to a welcome drink, news paper and a royal meal even in an hours flight. Compare this to a packet of pretzel / peanut (less than the size of your palm) and a small glass of coke that we get on even a 5 hour flight in the US. Our airlines still deliver much better corporate results than the ones in America. We wait at a baggage claim a little more some day and crib about it, I have personally lost my bag on almost every trip of mine to the US for a day or more.

We stand out as a shining example in a divided world. World leaders understand and appreciate the wonderful and peaceful co-existance of people of all communities, languages and regions. But we do lack where it is most important, within India. We are obviously not a perfect nation. As people we fail. We literally hate each other. We dont respect life here. We dont have respect for a person doing a supposedly low kind of a job. We dont loose a second to hurl abuses at one another especially in trafic. We all love to thrust our beliefs on others. We dont respect other's way of life. If we need to improve as a nation, we first need to change ourselves. We need to love each other. We need to respect everybody, whether the person is a chairman of a big company or a waiter at a restaurant. We need to treat everyone as an equal.

We love our country but forget to love our fellow citizens who make up the country. Lets change that, lets help one another to make our country the envy of the world. Jai Hind !

Jaane tu....

Aamir Khan must be upset with me. I did not watch his movie in the first week !

However, after reading my review he surely would be at ease. I've got to be honest with my readers. The movie lacked stars, the music was bad, the performances were not award winning, there was no great comedy, action, etc. Inspite of this Jaanu tu...ya jaane na connected with me. The innocence in the performances of all actors was refreshing. All characters were someone you could relate to. While there was no great comedy, the entire movie was fun filled, simple and light hearted. I certainly liked Imran Khan and expect him to take over the reigns from his mamu over the years. Genelia was good but seemed uneasy with her Hindi. The supporting cast was very good as well. Paresh Rawal was wasted, which was a let down for me. The other let down was Mr.A.R Rehman - I actually doubt this was his music.

All in all a nice film certainly worth a watch. No wonder that the AMC 30 theatre at Barrington, Illinois, USA which screened this flick was crowded. Just to mention the screens with Will Smith's Hancock (supposedly a block buster) were greeted with empty chairs as against an almost full upper house for Jaane tu....Way to go Indian film industry (Mr.Amitabh Bachchan and I do not like to use the term 'Bollywood') !

I would give the film 7.5/10 !

Screw the bandh !

Diesel prices is increased by the Govt.and the good old left parties call for a nationwide strike.
Shrine board in J & K gives up some forest land allotted to it and BJP calls for a Bharat bandh.

What is the meaning of 'Bharat Bandh'? Why does India have to shut down ? Who has the right to shut India down ?

Doesn't the ordinary man want to work every day to make a living. How then can a bandh call be forcefully implemented. Why doesn't the Govt.or courts issue an order against this or better still arrest the goons who indulge in such forceful implementation of such bandhs. In fact they are the guys who get paid to work on such days. So, technically they are not following the bandh call that they are actually implementing !

Man.....the fuel prices are already hurting everyone of us, don't make things worse for the companies and individual businessmen by not allowing them to work and earn their livelyhood. While it may sound like a nice holiday for a few employees what they do not realise is that if such stupid breaks are not there their company would probably have better profits which would in some measure be passed on to them as well.

Why should I not work if some guy decides to give up land in J & K ? I mean I'll probably work even if my land is taken away. Although, sadly I have none due to rising land/home prices. Now I guess I should give a Bharat bandh call ! Is the left or right or anybody in between listening.

Stop fleecing the common man and do something about the genuine problems being faced. If you can't do anything please don't screw things further.

Politics Vs Nuclear energy

The last couple of days has proved yet again how the country is held ransom to the whims of a few politicians. It is a well known fact that India needs alternate energy sources, nuclear surely being one of them, to keep growing in the years ahead. The coal resources are depleting and might not cater to the growing needs of a resurgent India. What on earth do the left parties mean by saying NO for every bloody thing that the government tries to move ahead with. How on earth does India become the United States' slave if the Nuclear deal goes thru ?
Why then would the left want to block a deal that is essential in meeting the energy demands in our country ? Dr.Singh has finally learnt that the LEFT should never be at the CENTRE and should really be just LEFT alone.
Now, one can expect the left to say no for everything but how about the other political parties -
RJD - believed to support the congress now as they do not want an early election in which they might not perform very well.
DMK - cut off ties with one of their allies (PMK) recently and therefore need the congress to support them to retain their position in Tamil Nadu. Now they too support the deal.
BJP - wanted the cooperation when they were in power. Now they oppose it coz they are the opposition and feel that their job is to oppose anything the government does.
SP - they dont have a clear stand and want to see how thing move - if congress helps them to come back to power in UP they support the deal, otherwise they remain good friends with the left parties and reject the deal.

All this really shows the sorry state of our country. The people whom we bring to power thinking they are the best for the country's developement, clearly put their personal goals, greeds before the nation. Why dont we every hear a left leader criticise the Chinese for their incrusions into sikkim ? In fact what bugs them if India gets to have better relations with America. The communist countries like China are creating records with the amount of business they do with the US. Then whats wrong with our communists ? Mr.Karat, Mr.Yechuri, Mr.Raja and the likes would have to answer the public sooner than later.

Who said Rajni can't ??

Once, Newton came to India and watched a few Tamil movies that had his head spinning. He was convinced that all his logic and laws in physics were just a huge pile of junk and apologized for everything he had done.
In the movie of Rajanikanth, Newton was confused to such an extent that he went paranoid. Here are a few scenes -
1) Rajanikanth has a Brain Tumor, which, according to the doctors can't be cured and his death is imminent. In one of the fights, Rajanikanth is shot in the head. To everybody's surprise, the bullet passes through his ears taking away the tumor along with it and he is cured !
2) In another movie Rajanikanth is confronted with 3 gangsters. Rajanikanth has a gun but unfortunately only one bullet and a knife. Guess, what he does? He throws the knife at the middle gangster & shoots the bullet towards the knife. The knife cuts the bullet into 2 pieces which kills both the gangsters on each side of the middle gangster & the knife kills the middle one.
3) Rajanikanth is chased by a gangster. Rajanikanth has a revolver but no bullets in it. Guess, what he does. Nah? not even in your remotest imaginations. He waits for the gangster to shoot. As soon as the gangster shoots, Rajanikanth opens the bullet compartment of his revolver and catches the bullet. Then, he closes the bullet compartment and fires his gun. Bang... the gangster dies...
This was too much for our Newton to take! He was completely shaken and decided to go back. But he happened to see another movie for one last time, and thought that at least one movie would follow his theory of physics. The whole movie goes fine and Newton is happy that all in the world hasn't changed. Oops, not so fast! The 'climax' finally arrives. Rajanikanth gets to know that the villain is on the other side of a very high wall. So high that Rajanikanth can't jump even if he tries - like one of those superman techniques that our heroes normally use. Rajanikanth has to desperately kill the villain because it's the climax. (Newton is smiling since it is virtually impossible?) Rajanikanth suddenly pulls two guns from his pockets. He throws one gun in the air and when the gun has reached above the height of the wall, he uses the second gun and shoots at the trigger of the first gun in air. The first gun fires off and the villain is dead. Newton commits suicide...

Sarkar ka nahin hai Raj !

Well...what I never understand is WHY would anybody have the BigB in a film and not use his genius to the max. Especially after the wonderful Sarkar, my expectations from the sequel were obviously sky high. To my dissappointment the movie gave Mr.and Mrs. SmallB a lot more footage than the trump card.
The movie does not engross the viewer like Sarkar. Although I would not say it is a bad movie and is surely watchable. Performances by all are good. The length of 2 hours is a pleasant surprise and the correct length for a film of this nature. However the audiences could have sat thru without budging had Ramu given Amitabh more time on screen.
Story was OK; no songs - actually let me say there was 1/2 a song; background score was nice; etc etc...
To sum it all I would give 6/10 for this one.

Stock Market and the Casino !?

Its very facinating to see the movements in the stock market (Indian). I feel I am well informed and in tune with everything. But.....can anyone claim that ?


There was an expert who had done some analysis and stated that historically in any given 5 year period the stock market has always been the best performing asset class. For those who want simpler lingo....asset class means any form of investment that gives returns. I will wait for another three years before writing to that gentleman that his theory is a piece of shit ;) Although I do feel he is right.

Where the heck if the other part of the title linked to the topic ? Well my dad used to say that stock investment is just 'satta' or gambling. He used to be a day trader and never really invested or researched a company before trading. He used to go to our broker, look at the screen and buy anything that was going up and sell it immediately after the price went up a little more after he bought. Well, obviously this method could work on a few days but then days like those would always be just that - FEW. Over the last year however, I have been successful in changing his opinion. He has begun investing in certain companies that have good potential over the long term.

There are somethings all of us (aam aadmi) should learn from the few intelligent and sane investors out there. One gentleman a while back stated - Be greedy when everybody is scared and be scared when everybody is greedy ! In other words, when you see every single person you know or don't buying stocks of a company its time you stay away or better still, sell. A classic example would be the Reliance Power IPO - whole world knows what happened there. It became Power OFF toh India OFF !! Just to inform you the name of the gentleman whose great words I have mentioned above is Warren Buffett.

Until next time....happy investing !!

Whats up ?

Cant help but accept that I was influenced to create my blog after all the recent news from the big stars related to their blogs.
I thought the blogs from Aamir were very humourous and should have been taken in the right spirit. SRK has on several occassions poked fun at Aamir, which were very enjoyable as well.
I happen to be a big fan of both these stars and have enjoyed these tit bits from them and wish we get a bigger dose from both in future as well !!