I dont get this CWG thing at all !!

Some of the upper middle class reactions to the CWG crisis has been weird and/or stupid- varies from person to person. Why do I think so?

1. Reaction to corruption: We all do know that corruption is something that exists & we live with it. Even in stuff as critical as defense aircraft deals, there exists corruption & sub-standard deals ! Any reason the same shouldnt be there in something as non-essential or non-critical as a CWG? There's nothing to crib about in money having been siphoned out using these games as a front. It is part of the deal for an economy like ours
2. Delays/last mile execution hitches: Again, in doing something this large scale, there will be hitches. We will have more than a developed country would have. It works that way coz it is that way. We cant expect an India to execute this kind of infra like say a USA. Not yet anyways...Blowing up every small detail on national media is just plain vanilla stupid
3. Context: Lastly, the CWG is a bygone concept. If these were the Olympics or even say something like  a WC Hockey, the powers-that-be would have gotten involved earlier and ensured smoother execution. Our media doesnt have much else to report now and with every news of a snake or filth capturing national middle-class attention, they are loving increased TRPs. Some good journos in the HT have pointed how the Manchester & Melbourne editions had athletes staying in hostels ! even 8 a room..
And we dont need to make this into a "Indian image" or "India cant execute" kind of a thing. Its not really the "failure" of a nation if there are issues. Its more like a failure of that management team (whatever be the reasons, ranging from corruption to bureaucracy to inefficiency).

NGO for clothes

I have always looked for an NGO where I can give my many old clothes. Seem to have found one http://www.goonj.org.

Road ahead looks difficult

Its one thing to take a difficult road. Its another thing to have no clue about how to navigate around it. Time will tell !

Guess we will all evolve..

Even for a sports freak like me, its been shocking to note the following for the IPL. Watch IPL, news IPL, MTV IPL, bet IPL and then talk about all of the above rest of the time. Guess it tells me that we need to get on and do more stuff like trekking, travelling, social service etc as opposed to just sitting and making comments on those playing a game and being well-paid to do it !:)

Atleast he will try..

Cant control ability, potential or results..but can only try..& that he is gonna soon..hope he doesnt get it all wrong..:( :)

Will he ? Wont he ?

For the umpteenth time, he has set a date..March 5! Will he or wont he?

LCCs and segmentation

Everytime I take one of our low cost airlines (LCCs), I do have some funny experience or other. Tend to promise never to use them again, but end up doing so at times (largely for the scheduling).
I have noticed that all the marketing gyaan learnt on segmentation though comes true on these. You find a pattern on the kind of passengers and there are a few varieties who are always there:
1. The teenager travelling for the 1st or 2nd time , dressed in their very best (generally a guy with sunglasses on)
2. The middle-aged lady who sits at the emergency exit but will refuse to part with her dear luggage on the lap and will argue with the air hostess
3. Aggressive middle-aged men cribbing about the AC , the flight delay and/or the food
4. Large (read:obese) businessmen / small time promoters chomping away at whatever food they can get
5. Scared elderly passengers who have just come to the flight directly from the closest temple
Its funny that the 4-5 flights I have done have generally had the above profile. I must hasten to add that these LCCs are doing a great job..whats more, some of them are profitable too !!:)

Hyderabad

Was in Hyd last week. Whenever I am there, it strikes as being the very essence of our growth story. It used to be a sleepy city (many will argue, it still is :)) famous for the biryani. But a combination of the IT/ITES boom , some ambitious(& mostly honest) entrepreneurs & Chandrababu Naidu has given the city a major fillip over the last decade. Its got a lot of youngsters working out of the large office complexes , eating at restaurants, buying homes and spurring consumer businesses. A shiny new airport at par with the best in the world greets you on arrival and an awesome elevated 11 km expressway moves you into the city (Is Mumbai listening?).
And despite all of this, you have affordable real estate to buy & live in (relative to Mumbai, of course). Now only if they take quick decisions around Telengana etc and get on with development as opposed to wasting time...

Am in the wrong job..Much better at picking cricket talent !

I have been getting it right big time on my picks. I had picked A Mithun for the Indian team (largely based on press reports & cricinfo records analysis) and in one of my earliest posts, written about Travis Birt (after watching a domestic Aussie match). Mithun has now been picked for the India Test team and Birt for the Aussie T20 team. Not bad going !

Wierdos in the gym

All of us who go to these gyms (regularly or irregularly) wouldnt have missed several strange categories of people in there:
1. The struggling amateur- This is the guy who has just joined the gym but is clearly not cut out for it. He spends more time drinking water and walking around the gym than working out. When he works out , he typically gets the angles and body postures wrong.
2. The irritating floor trainer/s- The personal trainers are typically good but the floor trainers are a massive pain. The funniest thing I find about them is that Trainer No.1 may come and say that "Adjust your seat to position.4" . You would do so and continue exercising and then suddenly, Trainer No.2 will come & say "Too high- reduce to positon.3" . Damn bugging , especially for the struggling amateur.
3. The noisy muscleman- These are those Salman Khan varieties. Every gym needs them to be authentic. But , the loud grunt while lifting some 150 kilos is just unbearable and not done.
4. The treadmill hunters- 70% of the people come to the gym to just run up and down on the treadmill (i have never understood why). Typically, in a city like Mumbai, the treadmillls are always occupied. So- you have these guys who come up to you and ask you - "Aur kitna time??"
5. The pushy Mumbai local train types- These are two types of these:
i. Chappies who do an exercise and then leave their towel on the equipment. The towel indicates that they are gonna come back soon and that the equipment is "reserved" for them
ii. Folks who wanna finish off their routines first and so, will literally stand on your head whilst you are exercising to ensure that they can go next.
6. The sleeper abs- These guys get onto the abs trainer at the end of their routine. They are typically very tired, but to reduce that fat paunch, tend to (try &) do a lot of crunches. And invariably they lie down on the equipment and take "v long" breaks with their eyes closed between their sets.
Are they more? Maybe, the dainty lady , the elderly gentleman and so on...But the above were the top 6 that came to my mind. Happy gymming.

Someday , somewhere..

I have never been a fan of a restaurant biz model..of course, margins are typically huge. But, it takes money and time to build a brand, real estate is costly and most importantly, restaurant businesses are typically "fads" and thats the biggest risk.

But...
Someday, somewhere, I would wanna open a cafe (not a restaurant, but a cafe).

Where: City-center or a tourist area
Emphasis: On ambience and great food, but no fixed cusine type
Ambience: Cool, casual, nice music, glass facade, open feel, bright colors, loads of newspapers, a small micro-brewery
Cusine:Keep varying from week to week..some standard all-day items to always be around

Kabhi na kabhi...kahin na kahin...

The decline & demise of the Times..

I have been perpetually cribbing about the decline in quality of reporting in the Times of India..however, inertia means that I still get the ToI and ET every day ..

But weird campaigs like the latest launched Aman-Asha thingie leave me with no choice but to change.

Am waiting for the paperwala to come today so that I can shift to the HT + Mint combine..