Several bookstores host a small but distinct corner of their ample floor space for snacks and coffee. You sit with a companion and contemplate the purchase of a book in your hand's grasp,discuss some old classics and even rattle out names of authors/books that should figure in the store's racks.
Again, it was SG and I at the spot, exchanging ideas and thoughts. He'd picked up this fighter plane book;it was a big broad hardbound make having a jet plastered across the cover. Every young boy's spark. I didn't know SG was into planes.
So we ordered for some coffee while SG flipped through some familiar models in the book and read out highlights of each. He was very fascinated with planes;I could tell he was going headlong into the book already. He told me about a plane that had the ability to somehow fold back it's nose during flight - yea, jaw dropping stuff I know - which gave it a sort of handbrake action to stop short in its path. A pursuer would fly past and you'd have your man in the firing line within seconds. Bam! Another bird had a selection scope of 24 planes within the radar, shortlisting 6 lucky targets for heat seeking missiles. So long fellas.
We called for some Chicken Nuggets;they were alright. Great aroma though. That's a good strategy actually. Set up a make-do kitchen in the premises and set off a nose twitchin' aroma that'll pull in the crowd deeper into the store. And as these losers (I was one of them today) wander past the aisles, they spot a book they'd like to have. Voila! There's your sale recorded at the register.
So anyway, I bought myself a book about the Indian Railways turnaround. I'm bloody excited I am. Let's see how it turns out.
Oh, and did I forget to mention the delicious Ham & Cheese sandwich at the snack spot?
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
See? .....Saw!
A complete turnaround from yesterday. Today I got jacked royally at work.
Just the whole routine that got to me and the fact that some stubborn vendor was not trying enough to have an issue resolved. A critical problem to make matters worse.
We were discussing how in our workplaces, we note certain slowcoach elements that drag everything back a decade. Or so it feels like. And we wonder how they survive. How they last long enough to drag the system into degeneration. Possible.
How does HR select these guys anyway? It's a shame. Quite a sham.
When it came to discussions, SG & I worked together on several (enjoyable) and long drawn out dissections of various topics. Both of us had a knack of querying more about the same thing in different ways to arrive at multiple possibilities. This is what I liked. This is what gives you more out of something that's constant or fixed. Extract more juice from the orange till its completely dry. Then move on to the next with the same consistency. Repeat. We'd build a little synopsis of the scenario and then move on to the next topic.
And you know, we picked out random topics. Today we pondered over the 12 year delay that McDonalds took to launch McNuggets, after having come to India back in 1996-1997. At the end of it, we took home some points to think about and a hunger well satiated.
Courtesy Pizza Hut.
Just the whole routine that got to me and the fact that some stubborn vendor was not trying enough to have an issue resolved. A critical problem to make matters worse.
We were discussing how in our workplaces, we note certain slowcoach elements that drag everything back a decade. Or so it feels like. And we wonder how they survive. How they last long enough to drag the system into degeneration. Possible.
How does HR select these guys anyway? It's a shame. Quite a sham.
When it came to discussions, SG & I worked together on several (enjoyable) and long drawn out dissections of various topics. Both of us had a knack of querying more about the same thing in different ways to arrive at multiple possibilities. This is what I liked. This is what gives you more out of something that's constant or fixed. Extract more juice from the orange till its completely dry. Then move on to the next with the same consistency. Repeat. We'd build a little synopsis of the scenario and then move on to the next topic.
And you know, we picked out random topics. Today we pondered over the 12 year delay that McDonalds took to launch McNuggets, after having come to India back in 1996-1997. At the end of it, we took home some points to think about and a hunger well satiated.
Courtesy Pizza Hut.
Monday, July 06, 2009
Rain
Orissa rain hits in the second week of June. This year it's been way out of line. We're in the 2nd week of July and the monsoons haven't had the slightest coming this way.
Gusty winds. Now that's a phrase I can place in Bhu. This one time, a retailer opposite the office, who was excessively pampered with operator boards stacked one on top of the other had his day. Just like any other dog would've. This Aila thingie, it just smashed his exhibits to smithereens. (inclusive of the !dea board)
The next day this tapering structure of boards was swaying in the breeze. Airtel and Idea had been ripped off completely. Aircel was the first on his roof so it had weathered the storm. And by afternoon, the Voda guys came along and placed a new one above it. Tata just had danglers in the shop. Reliance doesnt even count. Maybe DoCoMo boys will come by soon.
Today was a great day at work. Things were happening fast. I was remembering many to-do list items and checking them off too. Unearthed new issues and resolved them within an hour or so. Felt good. And all this, alone. When you're handling the entire portfolio at the circle, the feeling of added responsibility gives a kick. WHen you take decisions, another kick sets in. Your hands are full but you love it. Because you know you're learning. And you know thats growth.
I got a call today from a manager in another circle. He wanted to know what we were doing in Orissa that was raking in helluva moolah on voice. Oh, that felt great too. Not that I was doing some rocket science or the like, just that people had indirectly started acknowledging (in some small way), the efforts put in by the team here.
Let this streak continue!
(And it's just started raining here)
Gusty winds. Now that's a phrase I can place in Bhu. This one time, a retailer opposite the office, who was excessively pampered with operator boards stacked one on top of the other had his day. Just like any other dog would've. This Aila thingie, it just smashed his exhibits to smithereens. (inclusive of the !dea board)
The next day this tapering structure of boards was swaying in the breeze. Airtel and Idea had been ripped off completely. Aircel was the first on his roof so it had weathered the storm. And by afternoon, the Voda guys came along and placed a new one above it. Tata just had danglers in the shop. Reliance doesnt even count. Maybe DoCoMo boys will come by soon.
Today was a great day at work. Things were happening fast. I was remembering many to-do list items and checking them off too. Unearthed new issues and resolved them within an hour or so. Felt good. And all this, alone. When you're handling the entire portfolio at the circle, the feeling of added responsibility gives a kick. WHen you take decisions, another kick sets in. Your hands are full but you love it. Because you know you're learning. And you know thats growth.
I got a call today from a manager in another circle. He wanted to know what we were doing in Orissa that was raking in helluva moolah on voice. Oh, that felt great too. Not that I was doing some rocket science or the like, just that people had indirectly started acknowledging (in some small way), the efforts put in by the team here.
Let this streak continue!
(And it's just started raining here)
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Modern Times
I've realised a disinterest in watching television. Now is that a good thing or bad - I'm not sure.
Today I missed the Wimbledon final. But I got to hear everything about it as it was happening. People on FB had these crazy status updates every few seconds. On chat, the first few lines of a conversation started on the same note. I got 3 SMS' about it too. Guess I don't need to watch anything. Everyone knows the latest updates through networking across various platforms. There's hordes of useless reality shows nowadays. Even the News channels exhibit the most senseless material which is all a waste. But you get to know of it all. And quick.
Choosing to stay away from mass media like this, I wonder the impact it has. As a cautious consumer, I'm being selective in my choice of media for relevant feed. Look at FB. It's caught on so terribly fast, you have to spend 5min each day going through silly requests for games/applications/quizzes on your 'wall'. And the second you give your consent to one, more will come along the same lines. Evil it is. Again, everyone knows what the other is upto. Someone started a Doordarshan quiz. In about an hour after that, I saw 20 odd people on my list who'd taken it up.
And look at Twitter. One bad twit about your experience with ABC and you have the company chaps at your feet, ready with a gratification package. Recently, a firm got back to a customer within 19min of his grievance post on the social networking site. And of course, got him to remove that reputation killing message. Its amazing.
Welcome the information age.
Today I missed the Wimbledon final. But I got to hear everything about it as it was happening. People on FB had these crazy status updates every few seconds. On chat, the first few lines of a conversation started on the same note. I got 3 SMS' about it too. Guess I don't need to watch anything. Everyone knows the latest updates through networking across various platforms. There's hordes of useless reality shows nowadays. Even the News channels exhibit the most senseless material which is all a waste. But you get to know of it all. And quick.
Choosing to stay away from mass media like this, I wonder the impact it has. As a cautious consumer, I'm being selective in my choice of media for relevant feed. Look at FB. It's caught on so terribly fast, you have to spend 5min each day going through silly requests for games/applications/quizzes on your 'wall'. And the second you give your consent to one, more will come along the same lines. Evil it is. Again, everyone knows what the other is upto. Someone started a Doordarshan quiz. In about an hour after that, I saw 20 odd people on my list who'd taken it up.
And look at Twitter. One bad twit about your experience with ABC and you have the company chaps at your feet, ready with a gratification package. Recently, a firm got back to a customer within 19min of his grievance post on the social networking site. And of course, got him to remove that reputation killing message. Its amazing.
Welcome the information age.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Running Out of Steam
This engine above the headline; it's running out of steam.
Each time I visit this page and attempt to write something, I fail. Terribly. I have many things to write about. Wait - I have instances I would like to write about. But it doesn't stick. By the time I reach this URL, I'm like, "Nah. Forget it."
Need a fresh start. I think I'll take a short break before I return. After that there's going to be a change. There will be unexplored sights and sounds.
New experiences in retro city.
Each time I visit this page and attempt to write something, I fail. Terribly. I have many things to write about. Wait - I have instances I would like to write about. But it doesn't stick. By the time I reach this URL, I'm like, "Nah. Forget it."
Need a fresh start. I think I'll take a short break before I return. After that there's going to be a change. There will be unexplored sights and sounds.
New experiences in retro city.
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