Inspite of the almost all-year-round hot weather and occasional water scarcity, one thing that is awesome about Chennai is the un-interrupted power supply. Power cuts happen very rarely
and even when they do, the Electricity Board (EB) ensures that things are back to normal ASAP.
Compare this situation to say in Kerala, where apart from the official 2-4 hours of daily power
cuts (load shedding, as the EB calls it), there are unofficial power cuts that leave you sweating
and fuming.
With summer already setting in, nights are kind of hot and most people have started activating
their air-conditioners, though as of now, a ceiling fan is kind of enough. Yesterday night, power went off around three times for some 5 minute duration each time, which was surprising as it
was very unusual. Though power was restored fast, it made me think of how much of easily and freely available power we are wasting in Chennai and most other parts of India.
This comes in the form of solar energy, which in Chennai is freely available almost throughout
the year. The sun in Chennai is like a blazing furnace directed downwards and if it were not for
the sea breeze that we are blessed with, life could be hell.
The good thing is that this can be harnessed and used for a variety of applications. The traffic police had started an initiative some time ago to power the traffic booths with solar energy.
The solar panel on top of the booth would be enough to power a light and fan provided inside
the booth for the policeman on duty. However, from the looks of it, it seems this has been
ignored. I am not sure though.
As Chennai becomes a concrete jungle with more and more high rises (both residential and business complexes) coming up, isn't solar energy a viable and cheap option ? The terrace of these complexes should provide enough space to put up the panels and the energy could be
used for lighting purposes, thereby resulting in lessening the load on our thermal power plants
and also provide savings for the users in terms of reduced EB charges.
Our apartment complex consumes electricity worth Rs.4500 every 2 months. Of this, the bulk
of the usage (approximately 70%) is for powering the 4 water motors that pump water from
the underground sumps to the overhead tanks. I am not sure whether solar energy can be
used for energy-intensive applications like driving water pumps. However, it definitely can be
used for lighting up the complex which currently consumes the remaining 30% of the energy
drawn by us.
Ofcourse, the usual obstacle would be the initial investment for setting up the solar energy
system and for re-wiring the lighting system to be connected to the solar energy source.
This would require each flat owner to contribute some amount. Ofcourse all of the owners
are pretty well off and can easily afford this amount. However, they would look at this from
another point of view - what is in it for me ?
Well, to be frank, the only owners benefitting from this would be the ones staying in the flats, because the savings on power will be reflected in the reduced maintenance amount that they
pay monthly. So, those that have rented out their flats do not stand to gain much. And would therefore not be willing to fork out their share.
The tenants would ofcourse benefit due to reduced maintenance rates, but then they are there
only temporarily and thus would not be willing to contribute. So, finally it will be like running
around in circles, with nothing really happening.
One option is for the Govt to insist on new projects to compulsorily use solar power for the
exterior lighting. Just like rainwater harvesting was made compulsory.This would ensure that atleast new projects would make use of this huge source of energy, benefitting not only
themselves, but also lessening the load on the electricity supply system.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Friday, April 20, 2007
Bite the bullet
Another campus shooting in the US of A. Tragic, considering the number of lives lost.
Young ones at that. India also has reason to grieve - two of them were of Indian origin.
But does it surprise anyone who knows of the gun culture in the US and the easy
availability ? Years ago when I was in the US for the first time, Wal-Mart was to me
a shopper's dream come true. A shop that had everything under one roof - groceries,
toys, medicines, clothes, electronic items, white goods, and so on - you name it, they
had it. What could be more convenient ?
But I was surprised to see a section for guns too. That was new to me - never saw one
in India or even Europe. The only sighting of a store selling guns in India was a shop I
saw somewhere on Mount Road in Chennai years ago. Don't know the exact location,
but I guess it is somewhere near Wallajah Road signal. Never had any need to go to
that shop. And anyway I don't think we can just walk-in and buy a gun in India.
For some days or even weeks, we will have the media making a big noise about needing
gun control. Like in the past, these will stay in the media and in the public consciousness
for some time and then people will move on. Till the gun strikes next.
Ofcourse the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the arms lobby will come out in
defence of the gun culture. As in the past, they will use the argument that "the right to
bear arms" is enshrined in the US constitution.
Yes, the constitution has it. But remember when the constitution was drafted? Like 300
years ago. At that time, it might have been relevant. Then, might was right in the States,
with personal security being the responsibility of the individual. With a good law enforcement system in place today, citizens need not be personally armed to be safe.
And ofcourse, it is not like the constitution is something sacrosanct. It's just a guiding
framework drawn by a few guys and mainly relevant to the time when it was created.
When any part of it becomes irrelevant, it needs modifications. That's why we have constitutional amendments. Atleast in India, we do.
They will also say that "It is not guns that kill, it is people". Yes, morons, we very well know
that a gun can't go off by itself and needs a human to trigger it. But then, without guns
available easily, does it not make it that more difficult for a person to go on a shooting spree ?
Ofcourse the really determined criminal will still find a way to get his hands on a gun. But,
atleast it will limit guns from getting into the hands of school kids, due to Daddy getting a
gun easily and not taking care to lock it up safely.
There is no easy way out here. Control guns if you do not want things to spiral out of control.
Young ones at that. India also has reason to grieve - two of them were of Indian origin.
But does it surprise anyone who knows of the gun culture in the US and the easy
availability ? Years ago when I was in the US for the first time, Wal-Mart was to me
a shopper's dream come true. A shop that had everything under one roof - groceries,
toys, medicines, clothes, electronic items, white goods, and so on - you name it, they
had it. What could be more convenient ?
But I was surprised to see a section for guns too. That was new to me - never saw one
in India or even Europe. The only sighting of a store selling guns in India was a shop I
saw somewhere on Mount Road in Chennai years ago. Don't know the exact location,
but I guess it is somewhere near Wallajah Road signal. Never had any need to go to
that shop. And anyway I don't think we can just walk-in and buy a gun in India.
For some days or even weeks, we will have the media making a big noise about needing
gun control. Like in the past, these will stay in the media and in the public consciousness
for some time and then people will move on. Till the gun strikes next.
Ofcourse the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the arms lobby will come out in
defence of the gun culture. As in the past, they will use the argument that "the right to
bear arms" is enshrined in the US constitution.
Yes, the constitution has it. But remember when the constitution was drafted? Like 300
years ago. At that time, it might have been relevant. Then, might was right in the States,
with personal security being the responsibility of the individual. With a good law enforcement system in place today, citizens need not be personally armed to be safe.
And ofcourse, it is not like the constitution is something sacrosanct. It's just a guiding
framework drawn by a few guys and mainly relevant to the time when it was created.
When any part of it becomes irrelevant, it needs modifications. That's why we have constitutional amendments. Atleast in India, we do.
They will also say that "It is not guns that kill, it is people". Yes, morons, we very well know
that a gun can't go off by itself and needs a human to trigger it. But then, without guns
available easily, does it not make it that more difficult for a person to go on a shooting spree ?
Ofcourse the really determined criminal will still find a way to get his hands on a gun. But,
atleast it will limit guns from getting into the hands of school kids, due to Daddy getting a
gun easily and not taking care to lock it up safely.
There is no easy way out here. Control guns if you do not want things to spiral out of control.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Akshaya Trithya - start something new.
A brilliant new scam by jewellers to get the gullible public flocking to them to buy jewellery,
goes by the name of Akshaya Trithya. For the past few years, jewellers have managed to
build an aura around this annual event and given it an auspicious image, going to the extent
of implying that it is lucky to invest in gold (in recent years they extended it to silver, platinum etc) on this day.
Now even banks (ICICI etc) have joined the bandwagon to sell their pure gold coins and bars
and advertise heavily during Akshaya Trithya. I would not be surprised if they soon add
stocks, mutual funds, real estate, cars, bikes etc to the list.
Some 4-5 years ago, no one had even heard of this supposedly important day in the Hindu calendar. If it was such an important day, how come we never heard of it till a few years ago ? So, what is this day all about ? I did a check on Google about this and got the following info :
Akshaya Tritya : (Jain) This day celebrates the day when Lord Rishabha broke his first year-long fast by drinking sugar cane juice. To begin anything new is considered very auspicious on this day.
So, basically it is just about starting something new and not really about stocking up so much
gold resulting in a shortage in other parts of the world. :-)
We Indians (atleast the 50% that are women and some of the men too) are anyway gold
crazy and don’t really require any special day to go gold shopping. If you have a doubt,
checkout the crowds in any jewellery shop in Kerala or TN. Inspite of this, there might
be some periods of the year when sales lag and some bright guy (of World Gold Council)
came up with this whole Akshaya Trithya story. And to avoid you inconvenience / disappointment, they even take orders much in advance of Akshaya Trithya and let you
collect the gold on the big day. How about that for customer service ?
Buying / selling jewellery is anyway a big scam with the jewellers adding overheads
(wastage, craftmanship etc) when we buy and deducting the same or more when we
sell to them. To sum up, we get a bad deal either way.
In short, base your gold buying decisions on need and not on the basis of advertising spins.
If you really want to start something new, how about starting that exercise regime you
have had in mind for years. Or a visit to the local orphanage to spend some time with the
kids there and maybe even do a small donation. Or funding the education of a less
priveleged youngster in your neighbourhood. Or setting up a local Exnora to keep your neighborhood clean.
Lots of ways to make a clean beginning. Just the will is required.
goes by the name of Akshaya Trithya. For the past few years, jewellers have managed to
build an aura around this annual event and given it an auspicious image, going to the extent
of implying that it is lucky to invest in gold (in recent years they extended it to silver, platinum etc) on this day.
Now even banks (ICICI etc) have joined the bandwagon to sell their pure gold coins and bars
and advertise heavily during Akshaya Trithya. I would not be surprised if they soon add
stocks, mutual funds, real estate, cars, bikes etc to the list.
Some 4-5 years ago, no one had even heard of this supposedly important day in the Hindu calendar. If it was such an important day, how come we never heard of it till a few years ago ? So, what is this day all about ? I did a check on Google about this and got the following info :
Akshaya Tritya : (Jain) This day celebrates the day when Lord Rishabha broke his first year-long fast by drinking sugar cane juice. To begin anything new is considered very auspicious on this day.
So, basically it is just about starting something new and not really about stocking up so much
gold resulting in a shortage in other parts of the world. :-)
We Indians (atleast the 50% that are women and some of the men too) are anyway gold
crazy and don’t really require any special day to go gold shopping. If you have a doubt,
checkout the crowds in any jewellery shop in Kerala or TN. Inspite of this, there might
be some periods of the year when sales lag and some bright guy (of World Gold Council)
came up with this whole Akshaya Trithya story. And to avoid you inconvenience / disappointment, they even take orders much in advance of Akshaya Trithya and let you
collect the gold on the big day. How about that for customer service ?
Buying / selling jewellery is anyway a big scam with the jewellers adding overheads
(wastage, craftmanship etc) when we buy and deducting the same or more when we
sell to them. To sum up, we get a bad deal either way.
In short, base your gold buying decisions on need and not on the basis of advertising spins.
If you really want to start something new, how about starting that exercise regime you
have had in mind for years. Or a visit to the local orphanage to spend some time with the
kids there and maybe even do a small donation. Or funding the education of a less
priveleged youngster in your neighbourhood. Or setting up a local Exnora to keep your neighborhood clean.
Lots of ways to make a clean beginning. Just the will is required.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
The Malayalee's obsession with elephants.
Yet another temple elephant on the rampage in Kerala. See link, courtesy Kairali TV.
The video is gory to say the least. A young guy (the mahout ?) is thrown around by an
elephant, like an old rag. Once it is done with the guy, the elephant turns its attention to
another elephant, which it pushes to the ground and then tries to roll it over with its tusks.
Finally it pushes the poor thing into a building barely tall enough for the animal to fit in.
Elephants are an integral part of the Kerala psyche. And most temple functions cannot do without them. The Thrissur Pooram has quite a few of them lined up, amidst a big crowd of people and loud fireworks. BTW, the Supreme Court has recently banned fireworks at the Pooram, citing noise pollution issues. Not sure how exciting the Pooram will be sans the
fireworks.
It is a common sight in our town to see an elephant led along the streets with people offering
it coconut leaves, plantains etc. It is quite a sight actually with most of the small road blocked
by the majestic animal and even the biggies like buses, trucks etc giving way. The bell around
its neck can be heard from a distance and we would come to the gate to see the animal.
However, everytime an elephant runs amok, it leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Fingers are pointed at the drunk mahout who ill-treated it or who made it walk for miles to a temple function or overworked it etc.
Maybe it is time to take an hard look at whether we really need to have these majestic animals lined up in the temple grounds, standing for hours in the hot sun and amidst the din caused by loudspeakers etc.
I am not sure whether the rituals really call for elephants to be present. If not, it would be sensible to excuse these poor animals from our prayers to the Almighty. We would be also saving some human lives in the process.
The video is gory to say the least. A young guy (the mahout ?) is thrown around by an
elephant, like an old rag. Once it is done with the guy, the elephant turns its attention to
another elephant, which it pushes to the ground and then tries to roll it over with its tusks.
Finally it pushes the poor thing into a building barely tall enough for the animal to fit in.
Elephants are an integral part of the Kerala psyche. And most temple functions cannot do without them. The Thrissur Pooram has quite a few of them lined up, amidst a big crowd of people and loud fireworks. BTW, the Supreme Court has recently banned fireworks at the Pooram, citing noise pollution issues. Not sure how exciting the Pooram will be sans the
fireworks.
It is a common sight in our town to see an elephant led along the streets with people offering
it coconut leaves, plantains etc. It is quite a sight actually with most of the small road blocked
by the majestic animal and even the biggies like buses, trucks etc giving way. The bell around
its neck can be heard from a distance and we would come to the gate to see the animal.
However, everytime an elephant runs amok, it leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Fingers are pointed at the drunk mahout who ill-treated it or who made it walk for miles to a temple function or overworked it etc.
Maybe it is time to take an hard look at whether we really need to have these majestic animals lined up in the temple grounds, standing for hours in the hot sun and amidst the din caused by loudspeakers etc.
I am not sure whether the rituals really call for elephants to be present. If not, it would be sensible to excuse these poor animals from our prayers to the Almighty. We would be also saving some human lives in the process.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
The best Easter wishes I ever came across.
Got the following Easter greeting as SMS from a friend.
He had no servants, yet they called him Master;
No degrees, yet they called him Teacher;
No medicine, yet they called him Healer;
No Army, yet the kings feared Him;
He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world;
He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him;
He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.
Happy Easter.
Incidentally, I received this from a friend who happens to be a Hindu.
Which set me thinking as to how he came up with such a nice composition
which sort of sums up almost all that Jesus Christ stood for in a few words.
It would be tough for most Christians to sum it up so beautifully.
The chances of his having received this from someone are remote, because
Easter holds no direct relevance for him due to his not being a X'ian.
You won't wish a non-Christian on Easter, would you ?
So, chances are it is his original composition and if so, it is a brilliant piece of writing.
With this kind of understanding/tolerance/acceptance of other religions, no wonder
India is still in one piece, inspite of the rare Babri demolition or Gujarat carnage ?
He had no servants, yet they called him Master;
No degrees, yet they called him Teacher;
No medicine, yet they called him Healer;
No Army, yet the kings feared Him;
He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world;
He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him;
He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.
Happy Easter.
Incidentally, I received this from a friend who happens to be a Hindu.
Which set me thinking as to how he came up with such a nice composition
which sort of sums up almost all that Jesus Christ stood for in a few words.
It would be tough for most Christians to sum it up so beautifully.
The chances of his having received this from someone are remote, because
Easter holds no direct relevance for him due to his not being a X'ian.
You won't wish a non-Christian on Easter, would you ?
So, chances are it is his original composition and if so, it is a brilliant piece of writing.
With this kind of understanding/tolerance/acceptance of other religions, no wonder
India is still in one piece, inspite of the rare Babri demolition or Gujarat carnage ?
Monday, April 09, 2007
Fire, Earth or Vultures ? Take your pick.
The last time I was in God's own country, a close pal's Dad expired and our group
of friends went to pay our last respects to the departed soul. I usually avoid both
funerals and weddings, ofcourse due to different reasons.
With funerals, it is the overall gloom, the crying of relatives which saddens me and
thus I avoid them. With weddings, I hate waiting for food and then the jostling to
get to the dining area etc. More importantly, I hate people watching me when I am
eating. So imagine my discomfort when not only am I sitting to lunch/dinner with
hundred others, but also being videographed !!! So, unless it is unavoidable, I attend
just the wedding ceremony and skip the food part.
But there was no way I could avoid attending the funeral as the guy involved was a
childhood friend. Also, his Dad was a nice, reasonable guy with whom I always had
small chats whenever our paths crossed. So, we went to his home and as is expected
are greeted by the normal crying and breast-beating. His daughter was the one most
distraught by her Dad's demise and was recounting various instances involving her
Dad. It was heart numbing to say the least.
After an hour or so, the elders decided that it was time to move on. Some of them
looked around the parambu (yard) and identified a mango tree which will be cut
down to provide wood for the funeral pyre. Hmmm. That was a new one for me.
Never knew the significance of mango trees in this context.
Anyway, some guys got onto the task of bringing the tree down and then chopping
it into logs. A pyre was made with the logs in the yard itself and after some rituals,
the body was placed on top of it. The son lit fire to the pyre, all the while crying and
everyone moved away due to the heat and dense smoke.
Having been mainly brought up in cities, which either have their cremation grounds
or electric crematoriums, this ritual of cremating dead in their own yard was new to
me. Infact this was the first time I even saw a cremation. Have attended some
Christian funerals where the body is buried.
Another city-slicker friend (and a X'ian) standing near me whispers, "Man, ain't it
strange that people burn their loved ones ? It looks so odd when compared to
burying them."
I gave it a thought. Yes, it does seem odd to burn your loved ones. But then how much
better is it to bury them 6 feet under the earth with tons of soil weighing upon them ?
Given the fact that I am claustrophobic, I feel suffocated just thinking about it.
My thoughts turned to the Zoroastrian way of saying goodbye to their dead - leaving
the body in an open elevated place (the Tower of silence) for vultures and the elements
to feed on. They consider Fire and Earth too sacred for the dead to be placed in them.
Different religions, different practices. To each his own. What remains in common is
the void left by the departed person, the memories associated with them and the
absolute fact that they are gone for ever.
P.S.: One practice followed in Chennai (or is it all of Tamilnadu?) that outsiders find
very odd is the ritual that happens when the dead body is taken to the cremation
ground in a procession with young men dancing, bursting crackers etc. Almost as if it
were a happy occasion. Inspite of spending half my life here, I still find it odd.
of friends went to pay our last respects to the departed soul. I usually avoid both
funerals and weddings, ofcourse due to different reasons.
With funerals, it is the overall gloom, the crying of relatives which saddens me and
thus I avoid them. With weddings, I hate waiting for food and then the jostling to
get to the dining area etc. More importantly, I hate people watching me when I am
eating. So imagine my discomfort when not only am I sitting to lunch/dinner with
hundred others, but also being videographed !!! So, unless it is unavoidable, I attend
just the wedding ceremony and skip the food part.
But there was no way I could avoid attending the funeral as the guy involved was a
childhood friend. Also, his Dad was a nice, reasonable guy with whom I always had
small chats whenever our paths crossed. So, we went to his home and as is expected
are greeted by the normal crying and breast-beating. His daughter was the one most
distraught by her Dad's demise and was recounting various instances involving her
Dad. It was heart numbing to say the least.
After an hour or so, the elders decided that it was time to move on. Some of them
looked around the parambu (yard) and identified a mango tree which will be cut
down to provide wood for the funeral pyre. Hmmm. That was a new one for me.
Never knew the significance of mango trees in this context.
Anyway, some guys got onto the task of bringing the tree down and then chopping
it into logs. A pyre was made with the logs in the yard itself and after some rituals,
the body was placed on top of it. The son lit fire to the pyre, all the while crying and
everyone moved away due to the heat and dense smoke.
Having been mainly brought up in cities, which either have their cremation grounds
or electric crematoriums, this ritual of cremating dead in their own yard was new to
me. Infact this was the first time I even saw a cremation. Have attended some
Christian funerals where the body is buried.
Another city-slicker friend (and a X'ian) standing near me whispers, "Man, ain't it
strange that people burn their loved ones ? It looks so odd when compared to
burying them."
I gave it a thought. Yes, it does seem odd to burn your loved ones. But then how much
better is it to bury them 6 feet under the earth with tons of soil weighing upon them ?
Given the fact that I am claustrophobic, I feel suffocated just thinking about it.
My thoughts turned to the Zoroastrian way of saying goodbye to their dead - leaving
the body in an open elevated place (the Tower of silence) for vultures and the elements
to feed on. They consider Fire and Earth too sacred for the dead to be placed in them.
Different religions, different practices. To each his own. What remains in common is
the void left by the departed person, the memories associated with them and the
absolute fact that they are gone for ever.
P.S.: One practice followed in Chennai (or is it all of Tamilnadu?) that outsiders find
very odd is the ritual that happens when the dead body is taken to the cremation
ground in a procession with young men dancing, bursting crackers etc. Almost as if it
were a happy occasion. Inspite of spending half my life here, I still find it odd.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Bhima, Hanuman, Draupadi and gang arrive in style at Chettikulangara temple
I had timed my Kerala trip last month to coincide with the Kumbha Bharani celebrations
at our local Chettikulangara Devi Kshetram (Mallu for Temple). The last time I had the
pleasure of seeing this was in 1988 during my pre-university days in Kerala.
So, instead of just going to Kerala for the weekend, I took the Friday (23rd Feb 2007) off.
The TVM mail dropped me at Mavelikara on time (well almost) and after a quick bath, I
headed off to the place where they assemble Bhiman (Bhim of Mahabharata). Each kara
(a kind of parish) has one deity and for us at Mattom North, it is Bhiman. The assembly
takes place near a huge banyan tree (aal thara) with a steel crane like structure erected only
for this purpose. Work starts in the morning itself to assemble his limbs and torso all made of
wood. The head is attached and then the structure is dressed.
From morning, people come to offer vazha kula (bunch of bananas) to Bhima, which are hung
around his fingers and all around him. These are auctioned off by the temple the next day.
By around 2PM or so, Bhiman is fully ready to be towed to the temple which is like 2kms away.
Enroute we have Hanuman and Draupadi and the various therugal (temple cart) joining him to
the temple. By evening, the roads are all blocked by people walking along with these deities.
It is something to be seen and experienced. Photos cannot do justice to the event. Still, posting
a few snaps for those that cannot make it to the actual event.
1) Bhiman getting readied for the occasion
2) A close up of Bhiman
3) People offering banana bunches
4) Hanuman getting finishing touches
5) Draupadi dressing up for the big day that comes only once a year
6)The theru from Anjilipra at the temple grounds
7) In this pic, the crane used to put up Bhima can be seen.
8) Bhiman being led to the temple in a procession.
9) The theru from Pela being led in procession to the temple.
10) The theru from Kaitha North being led in procession to the temple.
11) Friends from Chennai infront of the temple on a rainy day
at our local Chettikulangara Devi Kshetram (Mallu for Temple). The last time I had the
pleasure of seeing this was in 1988 during my pre-university days in Kerala.
So, instead of just going to Kerala for the weekend, I took the Friday (23rd Feb 2007) off.
The TVM mail dropped me at Mavelikara on time (well almost) and after a quick bath, I
headed off to the place where they assemble Bhiman (Bhim of Mahabharata). Each kara
(a kind of parish) has one deity and for us at Mattom North, it is Bhiman. The assembly
takes place near a huge banyan tree (aal thara) with a steel crane like structure erected only
for this purpose. Work starts in the morning itself to assemble his limbs and torso all made of
wood. The head is attached and then the structure is dressed.
From morning, people come to offer vazha kula (bunch of bananas) to Bhima, which are hung
around his fingers and all around him. These are auctioned off by the temple the next day.
By around 2PM or so, Bhiman is fully ready to be towed to the temple which is like 2kms away.
Enroute we have Hanuman and Draupadi and the various therugal (temple cart) joining him to
the temple. By evening, the roads are all blocked by people walking along with these deities.
It is something to be seen and experienced. Photos cannot do justice to the event. Still, posting
a few snaps for those that cannot make it to the actual event.
1) Bhiman getting readied for the occasion
2) A close up of Bhiman
3) People offering banana bunches
4) Hanuman getting finishing touches
5) Draupadi dressing up for the big day that comes only once a year
6)The theru from Anjilipra at the temple grounds
7) In this pic, the crane used to put up Bhima can be seen.
8) Bhiman being led to the temple in a procession.
9) The theru from Pela being led in procession to the temple.
10) The theru from Kaitha North being led in procession to the temple.
11) Friends from Chennai infront of the temple on a rainy day
Monday, March 26, 2007
A day at the Race Track - Track Day March 2007
This was one chance that I did not want to miss. Especially since I missed the last track day
organised by the Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC) in 2006 at the track at Irungattukottai,
just opposite the Hyundai factory and few kms before Sri Perumbudur. It is like 30kms from
Nungambakkam, just to give you an idea of the distance.
A view of the track as seen from space. A run of the long loop would mean the whole track which
comes to around 4kms, while the short loop (half the track) would mean a lap of approx. 2 kms.
Only track Esteems (rented) and owner-driven street cars were allowed on the long loop. Those
driving FISSMEs, LG Swifts and LG Hyundais were limited to the short loop.
Track Days are events organised by the club to enable laymen like us to have a chance to
experience driving on a real track without any traffic signals or pedestrians playing spoilsport.
Drivers have two options - drive their own street cars on track OR rent cars (race Esteems or
Formula Indian Single Seater Maruti Engine (FISSME) or Formula LG Swifts or Formula LG Hyundais).
So, was eagerly waiting for the 24/25th March'07 weekend. Reached the track around 8:30AM.
Registered for a session (5 laps on the short loop) on the Formula LG Swift by paying 700 as
car rental and 300 for track rental. Well worth every second of the 10-15 minutes spent on the track.
First to go on track were the superbikes (usually 600cc and above).
All brands were there - Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha etc.
Then was a Formula car session. These cars look like the Formula cars we see in F1, but fitted
with either Maruti800 engines or Maruti Swift engines or Hyundai Accent engines. In racing/dragging,
the power to weight ratio is a big thing. A Swift engine that makes 87bhp in a normal Swift weighing
thousand kg has a ratio of 0.087. Now put the same engine in a Formula chassis that weighs just
200kg and see the ratio zoom up to 0.435.
What this means is that the car is now super quick and needs expertise to be controlled. Drive it
like you drive your street Swift and you would end up in the grass or the barriers around the track
or worse could get into a bad spin on track.
Getting into the Formula Swift was tough even for me who is just 67kgs and average frame.
The C.G. is so low that you are almost sitting on the ground with your legs parallel to the ground.
The steering is pretty tight (intentional I guess) and the gears are not as smooth as your normal car.
Since I was the first to be flagged off, I got 2 laps more than the 5 that I had paid for.
On the straight section it is fun - the car roars and speeds like mad. However, could not take my
eyes off the track to the speedometer to check the max speed. The curves are tricky if you do not
take them properly. A guy spun around in front of me at a curve and I could avoid hitting him only
because I had reduced speed while entering the curve.
There were atleast 3 Porsche cars, a Nissan Skyline GT R (700 bhp), a Mitsubishi Evo, to mention
the big names. Ofcourse there were guys racing their normal cars too (Baleno, Honda city, Ford Ikon,
Santro, Palio, Lancer etc etc).
There was also a dirt track where you could drive Polaris All Terrain Vehicles (ATV) for 5 minutes for Rs300.
Pictures :
1) The awesome Porsche Carrera 911 (this car & driver combo beat the pants of all the rest on track).
2) The Nissan Skyline GT R & the Mitsubishi Evo
3) Superbikes
4) The Polaris ATV
5) Me getting ready to roll
organised by the Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC) in 2006 at the track at Irungattukottai,
just opposite the Hyundai factory and few kms before Sri Perumbudur. It is like 30kms from
Nungambakkam, just to give you an idea of the distance.
A view of the track as seen from space. A run of the long loop would mean the whole track which
comes to around 4kms, while the short loop (half the track) would mean a lap of approx. 2 kms.
Only track Esteems (rented) and owner-driven street cars were allowed on the long loop. Those
driving FISSMEs, LG Swifts and LG Hyundais were limited to the short loop.
Track Days are events organised by the club to enable laymen like us to have a chance to
experience driving on a real track without any traffic signals or pedestrians playing spoilsport.
Drivers have two options - drive their own street cars on track OR rent cars (race Esteems or
Formula Indian Single Seater Maruti Engine (FISSME) or Formula LG Swifts or Formula LG Hyundais).
So, was eagerly waiting for the 24/25th March'07 weekend. Reached the track around 8:30AM.
Registered for a session (5 laps on the short loop) on the Formula LG Swift by paying 700 as
car rental and 300 for track rental. Well worth every second of the 10-15 minutes spent on the track.
First to go on track were the superbikes (usually 600cc and above).
All brands were there - Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha etc.
Then was a Formula car session. These cars look like the Formula cars we see in F1, but fitted
with either Maruti800 engines or Maruti Swift engines or Hyundai Accent engines. In racing/dragging,
the power to weight ratio is a big thing. A Swift engine that makes 87bhp in a normal Swift weighing
thousand kg has a ratio of 0.087. Now put the same engine in a Formula chassis that weighs just
200kg and see the ratio zoom up to 0.435.
What this means is that the car is now super quick and needs expertise to be controlled. Drive it
like you drive your street Swift and you would end up in the grass or the barriers around the track
or worse could get into a bad spin on track.
Getting into the Formula Swift was tough even for me who is just 67kgs and average frame.
The C.G. is so low that you are almost sitting on the ground with your legs parallel to the ground.
The steering is pretty tight (intentional I guess) and the gears are not as smooth as your normal car.
Since I was the first to be flagged off, I got 2 laps more than the 5 that I had paid for.
On the straight section it is fun - the car roars and speeds like mad. However, could not take my
eyes off the track to the speedometer to check the max speed. The curves are tricky if you do not
take them properly. A guy spun around in front of me at a curve and I could avoid hitting him only
because I had reduced speed while entering the curve.
There were atleast 3 Porsche cars, a Nissan Skyline GT R (700 bhp), a Mitsubishi Evo, to mention
the big names. Ofcourse there were guys racing their normal cars too (Baleno, Honda city, Ford Ikon,
Santro, Palio, Lancer etc etc).
There was also a dirt track where you could drive Polaris All Terrain Vehicles (ATV) for 5 minutes for Rs300.
Pictures :
1) The awesome Porsche Carrera 911 (this car & driver combo beat the pants of all the rest on track).
2) The Nissan Skyline GT R & the Mitsubishi Evo
3) Superbikes
4) The Polaris ATV
5) Me getting ready to roll
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
TN tops the wife-beater list
As per the National Family Health Survey-3, Tamilnadu tops the list in spousal violence
among the four southern states. And Kerala ranks at the bottom of the list, not just among
the southern states, but also in comparison with the other states also.
The national average is 37.2 % women suffering domestic violence and the listing of the
various states was as below :
Tamilnadu : 41.9%
Karnataka : 20 %
Andhra : 35.2%
Kerala : 16.4 %
Bihar, as usual topped the list at 59%. No surprises there.
So, what do these figures show ? Does literacy have any bearing on these figures ?
Kerala is the topper in literacy figures among Indian states. Does literacy help women's
empowerment ? I would guess so.
As was expected, politicians had to come out with their own theories of why things are
the way they are. The PMK leader is sure that liquor is behind this wife-beating and the
surefire way to remove this blot from TN's face is to ban liquor shops or atleast ban the
bars attached to the liquor shops. Rationale being that drinking will reduce as most men
will not be able to drink at home or afford the costly bars in hotels.
If liquor were the culprit, how does Kerala not figure above TN ? Kerala has one of the
highest per capita liquor consumption figures. And still the spousal violence figures are
much lower than that of TN.
Maybe it would be more worthwhile for him to goad his rank and file to go attend adult
literacy classes, instead of spending time blackening Hindi (and recently English also)
sign posts with tar or uprooting trees on the highways.
among the four southern states. And Kerala ranks at the bottom of the list, not just among
the southern states, but also in comparison with the other states also.
The national average is 37.2 % women suffering domestic violence and the listing of the
various states was as below :
Tamilnadu : 41.9%
Karnataka : 20 %
Andhra : 35.2%
Kerala : 16.4 %
Bihar, as usual topped the list at 59%. No surprises there.
So, what do these figures show ? Does literacy have any bearing on these figures ?
Kerala is the topper in literacy figures among Indian states. Does literacy help women's
empowerment ? I would guess so.
As was expected, politicians had to come out with their own theories of why things are
the way they are. The PMK leader is sure that liquor is behind this wife-beating and the
surefire way to remove this blot from TN's face is to ban liquor shops or atleast ban the
bars attached to the liquor shops. Rationale being that drinking will reduce as most men
will not be able to drink at home or afford the costly bars in hotels.
If liquor were the culprit, how does Kerala not figure above TN ? Kerala has one of the
highest per capita liquor consumption figures. And still the spousal violence figures are
much lower than that of TN.
Maybe it would be more worthwhile for him to goad his rank and file to go attend adult
literacy classes, instead of spending time blackening Hindi (and recently English also)
sign posts with tar or uprooting trees on the highways.
Monday, February 05, 2007
A cartoon is worth a long essay.
It's so amazing how cartoonists manage to convey such a lot in a picture, that
would take a long article with thousands of words to achieve. The cartoon in the
last issue of the Outlook magazine was one such.
Check out for yourself. No article against the foolish and illegal Iraqi occupation by the U.S.
could make more sense than this cartoon by Mr.R. Prasad.
Courtesy : The Outlook newsmagazine.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Does literacy not come with common-sense as an add-on ?
Kerala is associated with many things - monsoons, greenery, beaches, hills,
highest liquor consumption in the country and last but not the least literacy.
It is supposed to be 100% literate, in the sense that almost all the population
can do some basic reading, writing and arithmetic.
The people are in general well-read and can be depended upon to carry a
conversation about basically anything under the sun. And they have their
own opinion and viewpoint too. Here, I am not referring to the educated
guys, with a school/college education. Even those that have not had a proper
schooling, are pretty much aware of what is happening and do not miss the
daily newspapers.
However, every now and then, some news item about Kerala crops up which
makes you wonder whether it would have been better to add some basic lessons
in common-sense along with the adult education classes. Infact, why limit it to
the newly literate ? Even the school/college educated crowd could do with a
strong dose of common-sense.
The immediate provocation for this post was what I saw on the Kairali channel.
It was a program about a girl (aged 10 or so) whose parents died of AIDS, and
had only an aged grandma as the sole surviving relative. The kid wants to go to
the nearby school, which you would agree is a pretty normal desire.
However, what was abnormal was the opposition from the public, especially from
the parents of the other kids studying at the school. They do not want her mingling
with their kids, just because she happens to be afflicted with AIDS. I was like, "How
stupid can people be that they discriminate against a kid that is in that state due to
no fault of hers ?". What use is your being educated or literate if you have such a
mentality towards a kid ?
It was heart-rending to watch the program. The grandma is really old and thus the
kid takes care of all the work at home and then rushes off to school, where she is
kind of segregated from the other kids. How much would it hurt her tiny heart to
be subjected to such behaviour ? The kid should be admired though for maintaining
a cheerful demeanour even in the face of such crappy behaviour from the people
around her. She was calmly talking to the media about the problem she was facing.
The good news is that after the intervention of some sensible people and NGOs, she
is able to attend school, though some kind of passive discrimination still exists.
Actually, this not something that would happen only in Kerala. It could be any
other state. But, it hurts more when it is Kerala, because the citizens are supposed
to be educated, well informed and in tune with stuff happening around the world.
We even had cases where professionals like doctors and nurses refused to treat
AIDS patients. If that's how aware the medical fraternity are, why blame laymen ?
I just hope that Indians in general and Malayalees specifically treat AIDS patients
without any discrimination and be aware that normal interaction with them does
not lead to them getting infected, as they believe.
highest liquor consumption in the country and last but not the least literacy.
It is supposed to be 100% literate, in the sense that almost all the population
can do some basic reading, writing and arithmetic.
The people are in general well-read and can be depended upon to carry a
conversation about basically anything under the sun. And they have their
own opinion and viewpoint too. Here, I am not referring to the educated
guys, with a school/college education. Even those that have not had a proper
schooling, are pretty much aware of what is happening and do not miss the
daily newspapers.
However, every now and then, some news item about Kerala crops up which
makes you wonder whether it would have been better to add some basic lessons
in common-sense along with the adult education classes. Infact, why limit it to
the newly literate ? Even the school/college educated crowd could do with a
strong dose of common-sense.
The immediate provocation for this post was what I saw on the Kairali channel.
It was a program about a girl (aged 10 or so) whose parents died of AIDS, and
had only an aged grandma as the sole surviving relative. The kid wants to go to
the nearby school, which you would agree is a pretty normal desire.
However, what was abnormal was the opposition from the public, especially from
the parents of the other kids studying at the school. They do not want her mingling
with their kids, just because she happens to be afflicted with AIDS. I was like, "How
stupid can people be that they discriminate against a kid that is in that state due to
no fault of hers ?". What use is your being educated or literate if you have such a
mentality towards a kid ?
It was heart-rending to watch the program. The grandma is really old and thus the
kid takes care of all the work at home and then rushes off to school, where she is
kind of segregated from the other kids. How much would it hurt her tiny heart to
be subjected to such behaviour ? The kid should be admired though for maintaining
a cheerful demeanour even in the face of such crappy behaviour from the people
around her. She was calmly talking to the media about the problem she was facing.
The good news is that after the intervention of some sensible people and NGOs, she
is able to attend school, though some kind of passive discrimination still exists.
Actually, this not something that would happen only in Kerala. It could be any
other state. But, it hurts more when it is Kerala, because the citizens are supposed
to be educated, well informed and in tune with stuff happening around the world.
We even had cases where professionals like doctors and nurses refused to treat
AIDS patients. If that's how aware the medical fraternity are, why blame laymen ?
I just hope that Indians in general and Malayalees specifically treat AIDS patients
without any discrimination and be aware that normal interaction with them does
not lead to them getting infected, as they believe.
Monday, December 11, 2006
And the search for "indian dream girls" continues ...
This is kind of funny. I had a sitemeter installed on this blog recently.
More than knowing the number of visitors to my site, my intention was
to get an idea of the places from where they came from. The bonus was
knowing how and from where they linked to this site.
There were some that were searching for 'Danes' or 'Tranquebar' and Google
led them to "The Danes were here ?", my write-up on the Danish Fort at
Tranquebar. And there were others that were led here due to their searches
on topics that were written about on this blog.
However, the largest number of visitors that stumbled in here were those that
were looking for "indiandream girls". I am not sure what's special about this
variety of girls, but something tells me that the intentions were not really good.
Hmmm. Not the target audience that I was looking for, if at all.
More than knowing the number of visitors to my site, my intention was
to get an idea of the places from where they came from. The bonus was
knowing how and from where they linked to this site.
There were some that were searching for 'Danes' or 'Tranquebar' and Google
led them to "The Danes were here ?", my write-up on the Danish Fort at
Tranquebar. And there were others that were led here due to their searches
on topics that were written about on this blog.
However, the largest number of visitors that stumbled in here were those that
were looking for "indiandream girls". I am not sure what's special about this
variety of girls, but something tells me that the intentions were not really good.
Hmmm. Not the target audience that I was looking for, if at all.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
No friend, no beer
My friend Dilip had dropped in from B'lore on work. And, as is the norm whenever he is in
town, I dropped in at his hotel room on my way back from work for a few drinks. Being the
extrovert, friendly guy that he is, there are others in town who look forward to his frequent business visits. This time it was a couple of girls who worked with him at his previous job.
Since their joining us at the hotel would not be very appropriate for conservative Chennai,
we decided to meet at a bar.
We ordered our usual vodka and I was expecting the girls to opt for coke (or atmost a beer). However, they preferred to go along with us in the choice of drink.
Hmmm. Traditional/conservative Chennai sure has come a long way.
I had always wondered how women in Chennai source their liquor (retail). Though tagged
a conservative city in general, I am sure quite a few of the current generation drink. But
since I didn't know one who did, the answer had always eluded me.
Now was my chance to get my doubt cleared. In all of Tamilnadu, the retail liquor business
is done by the state-run TASMAC shops. The way these shops are, the kind of crowd that
comes there, etc make it almost impossible for a woman to get her liquor from there.
Ofcourse you could drink in the many bars available at hotels, but what if you were in the
mood for a beer at home or wanna party with a few of your girlfriends at home ?
I voiced my doubt to the ladies and their answer stumped me. They have a male friend who
gets it for them. What if he is not available or gone out of town ?
"No beer", was the reply in unison.
I imagined a role-reversal and wondered about the situation if we men were stuck like this.
It's a Saturday evening and I need to have a few vodkas. But my friend is not around to go
get it for me. It sucks.
For those girls that are not in the know and who do not have a handy male friend to go get
their liquor, one good option is the premium version of TASMAC at the upscale Spencers
Mall. It's not your typical dirty TASMAC shop and you needn't worry about anyone staring.
My bit of public service for women who drink. :-)
town, I dropped in at his hotel room on my way back from work for a few drinks. Being the
extrovert, friendly guy that he is, there are others in town who look forward to his frequent business visits. This time it was a couple of girls who worked with him at his previous job.
Since their joining us at the hotel would not be very appropriate for conservative Chennai,
we decided to meet at a bar.
We ordered our usual vodka and I was expecting the girls to opt for coke (or atmost a beer). However, they preferred to go along with us in the choice of drink.
Hmmm. Traditional/conservative Chennai sure has come a long way.
I had always wondered how women in Chennai source their liquor (retail). Though tagged
a conservative city in general, I am sure quite a few of the current generation drink. But
since I didn't know one who did, the answer had always eluded me.
Now was my chance to get my doubt cleared. In all of Tamilnadu, the retail liquor business
is done by the state-run TASMAC shops. The way these shops are, the kind of crowd that
comes there, etc make it almost impossible for a woman to get her liquor from there.
Ofcourse you could drink in the many bars available at hotels, but what if you were in the
mood for a beer at home or wanna party with a few of your girlfriends at home ?
I voiced my doubt to the ladies and their answer stumped me. They have a male friend who
gets it for them. What if he is not available or gone out of town ?
"No beer", was the reply in unison.
I imagined a role-reversal and wondered about the situation if we men were stuck like this.
It's a Saturday evening and I need to have a few vodkas. But my friend is not around to go
get it for me. It sucks.
For those girls that are not in the know and who do not have a handy male friend to go get
their liquor, one good option is the premium version of TASMAC at the upscale Spencers
Mall. It's not your typical dirty TASMAC shop and you needn't worry about anyone staring.
My bit of public service for women who drink. :-)
Monday, November 20, 2006
Divya's trump card to keep the bully away.
I am not much of a phone guy. Infact, unless I am talking with friends calling from the US
on weekends (when they are drunk, they just want to talk to someone), I am usually short
& crisp. But one call that I look forward to is the one made to my lovely & adorable niece,
Divya. It is fun talking to her. All of 7 years old, yet such a lot of stuff to share with me.
The last time I called her, the conversation went something like this.
Divya : Uncle, I am going to give a speech in front of the whole school during morning assembly.
Me : Wow ! That's great. What is the subject ?
Divya : e-World.
Me : Hmmm. Great. Let me know if you want any pointers.
(Man, at that age, if someone had asked me about e-World, I would have stared blankly into
space. Heck, there was no e-World to speak of, back then.)
Divya : What time is it there now ?
(A favourite question of hers, since the time I called her from the US many years ago and she
was introduced to the concept of time difference.)
Me : I am at Madras, babe, and the time is same as yours. It differs only when I am in the US.
Divya : OK. I have another thing to tell you. Unnikuttan (her cousin & 1 year younger to her) is
always fighting with me . When we (her group of girls) are playing, he disturbs us.
Me : Oh, OK. Tell him that I will be in town next week and will beat him to pulp.
Divya : (Giggles in that cute way only girls can). OK, that would shut him up. He is very afraid of you.
Me : Just let me know when he is mischievous and I will do the needful to set the brat right.
Divya : (More girlie giggles). Don't forget to take him to task on your next visit, OK ?
Me : Sure, babe.
Unnikuttan is the typical boy that we all were at that age. He finds fun in pulling the ponytail
of his cousins, playing pranks on them, bullying them etc. Even though she is elder than him,
girls being girls, at times there would be only so much that she could do when dealing with a
brat like him.
And when everything else fails, she would invoke her trump card which I am assuming,
would be something on the lines of, "Behave yourself, brat. Else, I am going to tell my
uncle (yours truly) who will make mincemeat of you."
From what I hear, this threat is enough of a deterrent for Unni, who would try to buy
peace to ward off the threat from this uncle in Chennai.
Ofcourse I have no intention of hurting Unni. I just love Divya so much that I play along.
Keeping Unni in check is just a bonus.
on weekends (when they are drunk, they just want to talk to someone), I am usually short
& crisp. But one call that I look forward to is the one made to my lovely & adorable niece,
Divya. It is fun talking to her. All of 7 years old, yet such a lot of stuff to share with me.
The last time I called her, the conversation went something like this.
Divya : Uncle, I am going to give a speech in front of the whole school during morning assembly.
Me : Wow ! That's great. What is the subject ?
Divya : e-World.
Me : Hmmm. Great. Let me know if you want any pointers.
(Man, at that age, if someone had asked me about e-World, I would have stared blankly into
space. Heck, there was no e-World to speak of, back then.)
Divya : What time is it there now ?
(A favourite question of hers, since the time I called her from the US many years ago and she
was introduced to the concept of time difference.)
Me : I am at Madras, babe, and the time is same as yours. It differs only when I am in the US.
Divya : OK. I have another thing to tell you. Unnikuttan (her cousin & 1 year younger to her) is
always fighting with me . When we (her group of girls) are playing, he disturbs us.
Me : Oh, OK. Tell him that I will be in town next week and will beat him to pulp.
Divya : (Giggles in that cute way only girls can). OK, that would shut him up. He is very afraid of you.
Me : Just let me know when he is mischievous and I will do the needful to set the brat right.
Divya : (More girlie giggles). Don't forget to take him to task on your next visit, OK ?
Me : Sure, babe.
Unnikuttan is the typical boy that we all were at that age. He finds fun in pulling the ponytail
of his cousins, playing pranks on them, bullying them etc. Even though she is elder than him,
girls being girls, at times there would be only so much that she could do when dealing with a
brat like him.
And when everything else fails, she would invoke her trump card which I am assuming,
would be something on the lines of, "Behave yourself, brat. Else, I am going to tell my
uncle (yours truly) who will make mincemeat of you."
From what I hear, this threat is enough of a deterrent for Unni, who would try to buy
peace to ward off the threat from this uncle in Chennai.
Ofcourse I have no intention of hurting Unni. I just love Divya so much that I play along.
Keeping Unni in check is just a bonus.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
How sensible is it to use white skin to sell to the brown-skinned ?
The other day, I was showing an American colleague around Madras and he was staring
wide-eyed at almost everything, just like any tourist. Being a Sunday, traffic was almost
nil during the day and I could give him a good tour of Mount Road, the Marina beach,
Eliott's beach, etc.
Like any guy new to India, he had lots of comments and questions, most of which I was
able to answer satisfactorily. However, one question stumped me. Actually, it was one of
those things that we have come to take for granted over the years, without even giving a
second thought. That is, until the time, someone raises it & then you fumble for an answer.
My colleague was wondering how appropriate (& logical) it was to have white-skinned guys
(and gals) sell stuff to us. He had noticed that most of the hoardings had white people selling
stuff to us. Be it apparel or electronic items or undergarments or liquor, he noticed that the models were mostly caucasian & in some cases even black. He wanted to know the marketing logic behind the same and whether it helped increase sales, if the models were foreigners.
Well, I had never given it another thought till he brought this up. And could not think of a suitable answer. Even though I am not in marketing, I am intrigued by the whole business
of marketing. So much that it led me to pursue a programme in marketing, and which admittedly gave me a whole new insight of how marketing works. Still, I did not remember reading about this particular practice, and whether it yielded any dividends.
How much sense does it make to have a white guy, dressed in formals, sell us the idea of a
nice set of formal clothes ? Does it create any additional aspirational value in our minds, if
the model is white ? Will we drink more of a particular whisky because Ricky Ponting is advertising it, as compared to our buying behaviour if Dhoni was to model for it ? Are the chances of our women buying a particular lingerie brand more, if a white women were to
pose alluringly in the said stuff ?
Frankly, I would actually not give a hoot about whether the model is white or black or
brown. I do not buy stuff because it is modelled by someone I like - I buy it if it suits my requirements. Infact I would usually avoid stuff modelled by stars because it makes me
aware that the huge pay packet paid to him would be spread over the product cost. So,
I would be paying more for such products. I am a big fan of Jothika, but studiously avoid products endorsed by her.
But I am also aware of people who actually buy a particular brand because it is endorsed by
their favourite personality. And contrary to popular belief this is not a behaviour restricted
to illiterate, rural consumers. My friend, an MBA from a premier institution, bought a car
(Hyundai Santro) just because his favourite star Sharukh Khan was endorsing it. Going by
this, I guess there is a case for the success (atleast partial) of brands that have cine/sports personalities endorsing the products.
But, is their any logic in having personalities of a different race, endorse products meant for
consumption by another ? As a race, apart from the very visible difference in skin color, we
are quite different from the caucasians in build, behaviour, culture etc. If so, what's the logic
that marketers find in selecting white models while selling to us ? Beats me.
wide-eyed at almost everything, just like any tourist. Being a Sunday, traffic was almost
nil during the day and I could give him a good tour of Mount Road, the Marina beach,
Eliott's beach, etc.
Like any guy new to India, he had lots of comments and questions, most of which I was
able to answer satisfactorily. However, one question stumped me. Actually, it was one of
those things that we have come to take for granted over the years, without even giving a
second thought. That is, until the time, someone raises it & then you fumble for an answer.
My colleague was wondering how appropriate (& logical) it was to have white-skinned guys
(and gals) sell stuff to us. He had noticed that most of the hoardings had white people selling
stuff to us. Be it apparel or electronic items or undergarments or liquor, he noticed that the models were mostly caucasian & in some cases even black. He wanted to know the marketing logic behind the same and whether it helped increase sales, if the models were foreigners.
Well, I had never given it another thought till he brought this up. And could not think of a suitable answer. Even though I am not in marketing, I am intrigued by the whole business
of marketing. So much that it led me to pursue a programme in marketing, and which admittedly gave me a whole new insight of how marketing works. Still, I did not remember reading about this particular practice, and whether it yielded any dividends.
How much sense does it make to have a white guy, dressed in formals, sell us the idea of a
nice set of formal clothes ? Does it create any additional aspirational value in our minds, if
the model is white ? Will we drink more of a particular whisky because Ricky Ponting is advertising it, as compared to our buying behaviour if Dhoni was to model for it ? Are the chances of our women buying a particular lingerie brand more, if a white women were to
pose alluringly in the said stuff ?
Frankly, I would actually not give a hoot about whether the model is white or black or
brown. I do not buy stuff because it is modelled by someone I like - I buy it if it suits my requirements. Infact I would usually avoid stuff modelled by stars because it makes me
aware that the huge pay packet paid to him would be spread over the product cost. So,
I would be paying more for such products. I am a big fan of Jothika, but studiously avoid products endorsed by her.
But I am also aware of people who actually buy a particular brand because it is endorsed by
their favourite personality. And contrary to popular belief this is not a behaviour restricted
to illiterate, rural consumers. My friend, an MBA from a premier institution, bought a car
(Hyundai Santro) just because his favourite star Sharukh Khan was endorsing it. Going by
this, I guess there is a case for the success (atleast partial) of brands that have cine/sports personalities endorsing the products.
But, is their any logic in having personalities of a different race, endorse products meant for
consumption by another ? As a race, apart from the very visible difference in skin color, we
are quite different from the caucasians in build, behaviour, culture etc. If so, what's the logic
that marketers find in selecting white models while selling to us ? Beats me.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Not exactly his master's voice ...
The poodle has finally decided not to toe the master's line. After years of blindly following
the leader, the poodle has finally had a viewpoint different from his master.
The master has worked behind the scenes to get Saddam a death sentence for crimes
which the US has been doing for years and has gotten away with. However, this is one
area where Blair cannot toe the Bush line. Not because he does not want to or because
he differs in opinion, but just because the European Union of which the U.K. is a part,
has a strict view on capital punishment.
The E.U. has always been against capital punishment and Blair cannot be seen differing
from that view. Hence his difference with the master, however reluctantly.
When New Labour overthrew the Tories many years ago and Tony Blair took office as
Prime Minister for the 1st time, I was among the many that applauded. I have no vested
interest in U.K. politics, nor have I stayed there. A 4-hour transit at Heathrow airport
many years ago, does not count as a stay anyway.
My interest was because the country was getting a young leader who I expected would be
more efficient and proactive. Unlike the leaders that we are cursed with, who are reluctant
to give up power even when they are having one feet in the grave.
However, the Iraq invasion exposed Blair for what he actually was - a white colonialist,
working with another of the same ilk, who rushed into Iraq among other things, to avenge
the insult that his Dad had faced many years ago. Ofcourse, it helped that there was lots
of oil around & the opportunity to provide companies owned by friends, lucrative contracts,
in the name of rebuilding Iraq.
I am happy that Blair will be moving out of Downing Street pretty soon. Good riddance.
the leader, the poodle has finally had a viewpoint different from his master.
The master has worked behind the scenes to get Saddam a death sentence for crimes
which the US has been doing for years and has gotten away with. However, this is one
area where Blair cannot toe the Bush line. Not because he does not want to or because
he differs in opinion, but just because the European Union of which the U.K. is a part,
has a strict view on capital punishment.
The E.U. has always been against capital punishment and Blair cannot be seen differing
from that view. Hence his difference with the master, however reluctantly.
When New Labour overthrew the Tories many years ago and Tony Blair took office as
Prime Minister for the 1st time, I was among the many that applauded. I have no vested
interest in U.K. politics, nor have I stayed there. A 4-hour transit at Heathrow airport
many years ago, does not count as a stay anyway.
My interest was because the country was getting a young leader who I expected would be
more efficient and proactive. Unlike the leaders that we are cursed with, who are reluctant
to give up power even when they are having one feet in the grave.
However, the Iraq invasion exposed Blair for what he actually was - a white colonialist,
working with another of the same ilk, who rushed into Iraq among other things, to avenge
the insult that his Dad had faced many years ago. Ofcourse, it helped that there was lots
of oil around & the opportunity to provide companies owned by friends, lucrative contracts,
in the name of rebuilding Iraq.
I am happy that Blair will be moving out of Downing Street pretty soon. Good riddance.
The Sena to the rescue. Surprisingly...
A news item couple of days ago had my interest. The Siv Sena through its mouthpiece,
Saamna, had come out in support of Saddam Hussein, and condemned the US-influenced
death sentence imposed on him by an Iraqi court.
Wow, that really made for interesting reading. A rabid anti-Muslim organisation coming up
in defence of a Muslim ??? I am sure this is a first for the Sena. I am no fan of communal / regional / casteist organisations and would like to have these formations removed from the
face of the Indian political scene. However, the viewpoint deserved looking into and some
of the points made in Saddam's defence did make sense.
Saddam was one of the few Muslim rulers to be on India's side in its tangle with Pakistan
over Kashmir. While other Muslim countries would blindly support Pakistan just because
they shared the same religion, Saddam chose to dwell on the merits of the case.
Saddam also was one of the few leaders that did not allow his country to be a base for
terrorists. Surprising, eh ? More so, because the US plank for invading Iraq was his
support for terrorists, apart from the non-existent WMDs.
And the item blamed Indian leaders for not coming up in support for Saddam. Forget
supporting another country/ruler, our leaders would not have the guts to stand up for
our own country, if it were under seige. And don't dismiss that as a crazy thought.
A bully is a bully, anything is fair game for him. Our nukes might be the perfect excuse
for the world's leading nuclear proliferator to invade us.
But then, the bully also knows whom to pick on. Observe the silence when it comes to
N.Korea, which is not without reason. The bully knows the extent to which the dictator
would go, if forced into a corner. And a nuclear flare-up is going to be costly for all parties concerned. Hope better sense prevails atleast there instead of the foolishness that led
them into Iraq.
Saamna, had come out in support of Saddam Hussein, and condemned the US-influenced
death sentence imposed on him by an Iraqi court.
Wow, that really made for interesting reading. A rabid anti-Muslim organisation coming up
in defence of a Muslim ??? I am sure this is a first for the Sena. I am no fan of communal / regional / casteist organisations and would like to have these formations removed from the
face of the Indian political scene. However, the viewpoint deserved looking into and some
of the points made in Saddam's defence did make sense.
Saddam was one of the few Muslim rulers to be on India's side in its tangle with Pakistan
over Kashmir. While other Muslim countries would blindly support Pakistan just because
they shared the same religion, Saddam chose to dwell on the merits of the case.
Saddam also was one of the few leaders that did not allow his country to be a base for
terrorists. Surprising, eh ? More so, because the US plank for invading Iraq was his
support for terrorists, apart from the non-existent WMDs.
And the item blamed Indian leaders for not coming up in support for Saddam. Forget
supporting another country/ruler, our leaders would not have the guts to stand up for
our own country, if it were under seige. And don't dismiss that as a crazy thought.
A bully is a bully, anything is fair game for him. Our nukes might be the perfect excuse
for the world's leading nuclear proliferator to invade us.
But then, the bully also knows whom to pick on. Observe the silence when it comes to
N.Korea, which is not without reason. The bully knows the extent to which the dictator
would go, if forced into a corner. And a nuclear flare-up is going to be costly for all parties concerned. Hope better sense prevails atleast there instead of the foolishness that led
them into Iraq.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Saddam Hussein sentenced to death ...
Finally the court trying Saddam has pronounced judgement and sentenced him to death.
The newspapers were agog from yesterday about a possible death sentence and they have
been proven right. Looks like this is the time of capital punishments - first Afzal, then the
lawyer in the Maattoo case and now Saddam Hussein.
I guess opinion is divided on whether Afzal should be put to death or not, with our own
Arundhati Roy using up quite a few pages of the latest Outlook mag for his cause. I am
not sure I really buy her theory though. Regarding the lawyer, general opinion is that
justice has been done, though delayed. The crime was pretty heinous and would look
like it deserves the punishment doled out.
Coming to Saddam Hussein, the crimes attributed to him, have been committed by many
a dictator, and in most cases with the active support of the US & other western countries,
that are working behind the scenes to have him crucified.
This is not to say that he is innocent. The guy has quite some blood on his hands and needs
to be punished. But then, do not Dubya and Blair deserve the same or more stringent punishment for killing so many innocent Iraqis (6.5 lakhs as per latest reports) ? And that
too without any real reason. They invaded a country just like that, bombed it to dust, killed innocent men/women/children and in short turned it into a mess. Agreed that Saddam was
no just ruler, but atleast the people had the basic necessities and there was no chaos like
what is seen today.
The 1st Gulf war was started due to Saddam invading Kuwait and which was a blatantly
wrong thing to do. However, if reports are to be believed, he had an informal go-ahead
from Bush Sr., who later went back on his commitment. Either ways, it was wrong to
invade another country and Iraq paid for it, along with Saddam. However, there was no justification for invading Iraq the 2nd time. Even if he did have WMDs, they would have
been sourced from the US only.
So it has been such a sorry joke - first arm dictators, then invade them after accusing them
of having WMDs which you only provided them in the first place.
I was in college when the 1st Gulf war happened and people in Kerala keenly followed the happenings as it had a large number of its people working in the Gulf countries, who would
be affected by war breaking out. Even as I conceded that Saddam was at fault, I admired
him for taking on the world's bully. He might have lost the war, but no one can accuse him
of not putting up a fight. The Yankees might have won finally, but the world got someone
who could stand up to a bully.
The 2nd time around, there wasn't much to fault Iraq/Saddam of and still the US and UK
invaded it. The Americans have seen a thousand odd of their soldiers returning home in
bodybags and many more maimed. The way these guys are bogged down in Iraq, this does
not seem to be the end of casualties. Sentencing Saddam to death is only going to add fuel
to the fire.
The US is already aware of the grave mistake it did by getting into Iraq and this is one misadventure they are not going to forget for a long time. But then, I am not betting on
that possibility either. They forgot Vietnam, didn't they ? As someone aptly put it, "The
only thing we learn from history is that we do not learn from history".
The newspapers were agog from yesterday about a possible death sentence and they have
been proven right. Looks like this is the time of capital punishments - first Afzal, then the
lawyer in the Maattoo case and now Saddam Hussein.
I guess opinion is divided on whether Afzal should be put to death or not, with our own
Arundhati Roy using up quite a few pages of the latest Outlook mag for his cause. I am
not sure I really buy her theory though. Regarding the lawyer, general opinion is that
justice has been done, though delayed. The crime was pretty heinous and would look
like it deserves the punishment doled out.
Coming to Saddam Hussein, the crimes attributed to him, have been committed by many
a dictator, and in most cases with the active support of the US & other western countries,
that are working behind the scenes to have him crucified.
This is not to say that he is innocent. The guy has quite some blood on his hands and needs
to be punished. But then, do not Dubya and Blair deserve the same or more stringent punishment for killing so many innocent Iraqis (6.5 lakhs as per latest reports) ? And that
too without any real reason. They invaded a country just like that, bombed it to dust, killed innocent men/women/children and in short turned it into a mess. Agreed that Saddam was
no just ruler, but atleast the people had the basic necessities and there was no chaos like
what is seen today.
The 1st Gulf war was started due to Saddam invading Kuwait and which was a blatantly
wrong thing to do. However, if reports are to be believed, he had an informal go-ahead
from Bush Sr., who later went back on his commitment. Either ways, it was wrong to
invade another country and Iraq paid for it, along with Saddam. However, there was no justification for invading Iraq the 2nd time. Even if he did have WMDs, they would have
been sourced from the US only.
So it has been such a sorry joke - first arm dictators, then invade them after accusing them
of having WMDs which you only provided them in the first place.
I was in college when the 1st Gulf war happened and people in Kerala keenly followed the happenings as it had a large number of its people working in the Gulf countries, who would
be affected by war breaking out. Even as I conceded that Saddam was at fault, I admired
him for taking on the world's bully. He might have lost the war, but no one can accuse him
of not putting up a fight. The Yankees might have won finally, but the world got someone
who could stand up to a bully.
The 2nd time around, there wasn't much to fault Iraq/Saddam of and still the US and UK
invaded it. The Americans have seen a thousand odd of their soldiers returning home in
bodybags and many more maimed. The way these guys are bogged down in Iraq, this does
not seem to be the end of casualties. Sentencing Saddam to death is only going to add fuel
to the fire.
The US is already aware of the grave mistake it did by getting into Iraq and this is one misadventure they are not going to forget for a long time. But then, I am not betting on
that possibility either. They forgot Vietnam, didn't they ? As someone aptly put it, "The
only thing we learn from history is that we do not learn from history".
Friday, November 03, 2006
The Mallu blogging scene.
Even though I have been blogging for sometime now and also have been a regular at some
nice blogs like waiterrant, clublife, Crystal blur etc, I never knew that there were a whole
lot of Mallus blogging away, and in style.
I somehow did not associate Mallus with blogging. I realised how wrong I was when I
stumbled upon the well written and humorous blog of Silverine. Silverine is a Mallu girl working/based at Bangalore and describes herself thus, "Cancerian, happy go lucky girl
who likes to sock life in the face if it gets too serious".
On her blog are links to a whole array of Mallu blogs dealing with varied topics. Have not
had the time to go through them yet, but will try to sample them as and when possible.
Till then, all ye Mallus, blog on, you have nothing to loose but your inhibitions.
nice blogs like waiterrant, clublife, Crystal blur etc, I never knew that there were a whole
lot of Mallus blogging away, and in style.
I somehow did not associate Mallus with blogging. I realised how wrong I was when I
stumbled upon the well written and humorous blog of Silverine. Silverine is a Mallu girl working/based at Bangalore and describes herself thus, "Cancerian, happy go lucky girl
who likes to sock life in the face if it gets too serious".
On her blog are links to a whole array of Mallu blogs dealing with varied topics. Have not
had the time to go through them yet, but will try to sample them as and when possible.
Till then, all ye Mallus, blog on, you have nothing to loose but your inhibitions.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Kerala Piravi - Golden anniversary of the creation of Kerala state
It is 1st November again and a big day for all Keralites. OK, not as big as Onam maybe,
but nevertheless important. And this year it is extra special as it is the Golden Anniversary.
A Happy Birthday to GOD's Own Country.
Lots of emails from Mallu friends with photographs capturing the beauty of Kerala.
Actually, is it really possible to capture her beauty using a camera ? I have tried many
times and even though the photos came out pretty good, I always felt that it looked
much better in reality.
Of all the photos (of beaches, backwaters, kathakali artist, pookkalam, tea estates,
waterfalls etc) that came in, what really attracted me was the following caricature
and the accompanying lines (which I am told were written by Malayalam poet Vayalar).
Pardon my ignorance as inspite of being a Keralite, I have spent almost all my life outside
Kerala. Well, what's new about that, right ?
A rough translation for the benefit of non-Mallus would go as below :
Are there people who have lived in this place to their heart's content ?
Are there people who have lived here and loved to their heart's desire till their last breath ?
Please give me another life on this beautiful shore,
Please give me another life here...
but nevertheless important. And this year it is extra special as it is the Golden Anniversary.
A Happy Birthday to GOD's Own Country.
Lots of emails from Mallu friends with photographs capturing the beauty of Kerala.
Actually, is it really possible to capture her beauty using a camera ? I have tried many
times and even though the photos came out pretty good, I always felt that it looked
much better in reality.
Of all the photos (of beaches, backwaters, kathakali artist, pookkalam, tea estates,
waterfalls etc) that came in, what really attracted me was the following caricature
and the accompanying lines (which I am told were written by Malayalam poet Vayalar).
Pardon my ignorance as inspite of being a Keralite, I have spent almost all my life outside
Kerala. Well, what's new about that, right ?
A rough translation for the benefit of non-Mallus would go as below :
Are there people who have lived in this place to their heart's content ?
Are there people who have lived here and loved to their heart's desire till their last breath ?
Please give me another life on this beautiful shore,
Please give me another life here...
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