Offerings of FMCG & Vijayawada....

It was a breezy cold night at Darjeeling, where I was enjoying my holiday with my parents and sister when my mobile screamed “Lose Control.......”. It was Ramani, my friend and to be colleague, he said “macha, me posted in Lighting @ Kochi and U in consumer care @ Vijayawada”. I literally lost my sleep that night because I was expecting a posting at Hyderabad, where language wudnt b a problem for me, i rate myself 3.5/5 on hindi and just 1/5 in telugu. I said to myself “Chalo beta, jo hoga so dekha jayega” and slept like a wooden log as usual.

Joined @ Bangalore on 5^th May 2009 and the first week was fantastic with recruitment formalities and initial pampering with classroom sessions, the first shock was that v had to undergo the medical test on a Sunday. L. The second shock was that the HR team cudnt arrange neither a flight nor a train for me n put me in a Volvo to Vijayawada from Bangalore. Its a 14 hour journey and I had a tough time reaching Vijayawada.

Guess wat welcomed me @ Vijayawada, scorching sun @ 43 deg, startled I checked my watch, the time was jus around 9.00 am. With sweat dripping all over me, I reached the hotel and expected my guide to give me half a day’s time to relax and later come down to the office, instead he said “Son, please get ready within half an hour and reach the market  (One town, as it is called) in another 45 mins”. Sum it up, my expectations were broken into pieces.

After a week in Vijayawada, with the usual formalities of finding a place to live and other necessities completed, I sat down in my rented house and I was deeply thinking whether I had made a wrong choice of making it to FMCG... Jus then my inner conscious spoke to me, (remember the tamil movie, FEB 14^th).. It said:

“Dai macha, everything in life has two sides, the positive and the negative – c wats that the FMCG industry and Vijayawada has offered, then make ur conclusion”

The positives:

1. Opportunities to learn the market dynamics by being in the market for a considerably long time, Meeting new and different people, I shud tel u this, I haven’t met such namoonaes in my life before, each one is "one big item (crazy creature)"
   
2. Moreover these hard times in the early part of ur career where u don ve a spouse to pamper or to b pampered, ;-).
3. Loads of time for ur friends and family bcse u get posted in a place where U mite not know another soul - as in my case.
   
4. Learn r refine a language that u already know.
   
5. Adaptation to uncertainty and unfamiliarity.
   
6. Loads of time for urself, ur interests and hobbies.
   
7. Most important, almost not a monotonous life because it involves people and people doesn’t behave identically, Finally taking things with a smile. Like this J
   

Some negatives:

1. Neither AC nor fan, wander in the market @ 45 deg making sales, no office r desk work.
   
2. At times, make u think whether is this wat u ve done ur MBA for??
   
3. Physically isolates u from ur friends... bcse most ppl get placed in a s/w r financial institutions which are located in tier I&II towns
   
4. Adjustment and accommodation becoming an absolute “pissing off” factor.. some are Public transport, long distance travel, Lunch @3.30-4, screams and rubbish from retailers etc.,
   

To be continued.....

The Man - The Music - The MAGIC

AR Rahman - The word on every Indians lips... Many people wud ve and will keep writing abt him. So i refrain from writing abt him.. But still, his music is so much a part of me and my life that I am not able to control it - primarily because I grew up with him and his musical compositions.. I still remember the huge poster I purchased from Rajpath during his concert @ New Delhi prior to the Republic Day celebrations.. I was all tears watching him sing Maa Tujhe Salaam, especially the Tamil version "Thaai mannae vanakkam..."

I owe a lot to him because its his music that has brought me out of stress and loneliness, kept me moving, made me smile and wat not.. I was all excited wen he won the oscars - many ppl mite say that Slumdog was not his best one and there are many other compositions of his which deserve the Oscar.. I feel that the issue was not alone with the music - the film, the universal recognition and the blending of the music with the storyline is also important. Nevertheless, Rahman victory is an example of the saying "Good things comes to people who wait - Patience rewards..." Is it not???

I believe Rahman is a very strong brand - in a marketers language.. The brand that stands for commitment, compassion, excellence, determination, patriotism, humbleness, humanity and achievement... The words that he spoke after winning the oscar - "dedicated to MOM", "God bless", "ellam pugazhlum iraivan oruvanukae" conveys what he is.....

Similar to how Rahman is always a part of my heart, his music a part of my life, this post a cherished part of my blog....

Congrats Rahman Bhai - I believe that every composition of his right from Chinna Chinna AasaI to Arziyan & Rehna Tu deserves a oscar... koduka maateenguraangale pa.. :-(

Trip to the GODs own country – Part I........

It was during the first week of Jan’09 that me and my group of friends had a thought of reality. The last chance in our college life to go on a trip together was then, as some of them had their joining dates immediately after college. It was then v decided that the best place to plan for, in a short span, to relax and to booze (for some of them) was “KUMARAKOM”. As in most cases, responsibilities were assigned and everything was planned. Since some of us hailed from the Coimbatore, w e decided to start our journey from there. Friends accompanied us to our homes and the van was planned to start the pick ups from 23.00 hrs on 7th Jan 2009.

The van started from RS puram, then Gandhipuram and headed to Singanallur where some of our friends had jus landed after their exams in the afternoon. The van then speeded towards Harish’s home where a bigger group was waiting. Our photo sessions began at his place. After completing the photo shoot we went to the famous RAMBA bar (opp railways station) where Mr. JUS 10 (JK, aged 29), kaBEER (Mahe) and MG were already on a high. It was already 00.30 hrs and we set out towards our destination. The journey saw two pit stops – one at the famous Vadakanchery and the other on the outskirts of Chalakudy.

Hmmm, @ the early hours of the day – 06.00 hrs, when most of my friends were fast asleep we entered the town of Kumarakom. There was hardly a soul out on the roads. We finally reached the office of the Boat house @ 06.45 hrs and relaxed just to find out that our boat house will be available only @ 11.00 hrs. We were wondering as to how to spend the next 4 hrs. Like in most trips we set out on a walk to explore, as always, accompanied by photo shoots.

It was almost a quarter past 8.00 hrs when the owner came and invited us to his place for breakfast. A very kind person at heart, he made arrangements for all 18 of us to refresh and have a nice breakfast @ his place. We thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality. It was jus around 09.30 hrs and we had a good 2 hrs in hand to spend. Ther is a bird sanctuary in Kumarakom and we decided to explore the same. We never had an idea of what was waiting for us.....

We started walking and found that they were literally no birds in the sanctuary. Finally v saw a bird sitting alongside the lake. Unaware of what it was, v decided to name it a MYKA.. wondering wat it means?? It is a hybrid of Myna (Cuckoo) and the KAKA (Crow).. After reaching the side of the lake, our group of 18 split.. Some of us decided to take a ride on the row boat into the backwaters of Vembanad Lake, having a glimpse of the resorts in and around Kumarakom – a one to mention is the TAJ resort...

V then regrouped at the parking stand and set out towards the banks to board the INDRAPRASTHA boat house (a real big 4 bedroom one) in which we wud spend the next 24 hrs..................

To be Continued..........

The MUMBAI Terror Attacks...

I just don’t get the idea. People talk about lighting a candle to remember the innocent people who died during the terror attacks at the TAJ in Mumbai. My heart is full of resentment, pain and seeking revenge. For how long, how many days and most important how many times will v keep saying, “its OK.. We know about the terrorists, we can work out a plan and be well prepared when they strike the next time etc.. “. The truth is it just doesn’t work. Ya, it is a known fact that its not an easy task, but its not an impossible one either.

People have hoisted our national flag in front of the Taj is wat i came to know. N may i know the reason why? Oh, is it bcse v conquered the terrorists? But the core is that v killed 9 of them, captured one, but how many innocent lives did v ve to pay for it? Enough of this thought saying peace and non violence. It works only for those people who have some concern for humanity and human lives. I just see no victory and absolutely not a reason to celebrate. Just 10 people had the power, the thought and intelligence to screw up an entire nation’s sleep and peace for 60 long hours. Doesn’t this thought burn inside u? I have always felt proud about calling me an Indian. But this time, I broke down. Revisit the memory lane, not a long distance, just the recent past. How many terror attacks? It’s become so easy that the Indian security can be by passed and bombs can be plotted anywhere and anytime, at will.

The prime reason lies in the strength of our security force. The training that these people receive is far below level when compared to the training that the terrorists undergo. The difference lies in the training, the arms and ammunition used and the compensation paid for giving up their lives. The thought that “Wars are won by the might in the heart than in the supplements (arms)” might hold good for arguments and debates, but it jus doesn’t work. I can have the might of an elephant in my heart, but without guns, I can’t do my duty. I am well aware that my opponent can gun me down in seconds. “Knowing this really well, how can the government expect me to lay down my life just like that??” is the question on every Jawans mind. The guns used were far below par, infact some reports indicate that these were similar to the ones used during the world war II. I suppose the London newspapers highlighted the same.

Not only this, there are reports that the bullet proof jackets weren’t available. Only ten jackets were there. There were footages depicting the ATS chief trying out various jackets. The question to be asked is that why don’t these people have a tailor made one. The same was highlighted in the Devil’s Advocate too. The papers also indicate that some of the jackets that the commandos wore were “riot-jackets” and not “bullet-proof” ones.

The other reasons were “our system”, “our intelligence agencies”. The question remains that “in spite of receiving repeated alerts from various sources that there are possibilities of a terror attack, we weren’t prepared”. People might say that its a false news, but the fact remains that all leading newspapers in the US and UK have quoted that this information was passed on to our Indian officials many times. A leading UK daily has also mentioned that the Officials were informed that TAJ could be one of the potential zones. But we didn’t pay enough attention to it, look what it has cost us? 220 people dead. The NSG which should have reacted in 20 mins to one hour took almost 20 hours to reach there (As quoted by the news papers). Reasons – no dedicated transportations planes or copters.

Where is all the money going? I personally feel that the Indian Government needs a major restructuring, young blood needs to take it all up, bloody (pardon me), those at the top should realise that the post held by them and they are accountable to all that is happening. I hope that these shouldn’t repeat in future. We should no longer wait. Its all action hereafter. “Thorn for a thorn” is wat these people understand. Its high time that we fight and put an end to these terrorist attacks.

History behind the worship of Sabari Sastha...

The customs of the pilgrims to Sabarimala are based on five worshipping methods; those of Shaivites, Shaktists, Vaishnavites, Buddhists and Jainists. At first, there were three sections of devotees – the devotees of Shakti who used meat, liquor and other drugs to worship their deity, the devotees of Vishnu who followed strict penance and continence, and the devotees of Shiva who partly followed these two methods. It was then that the Buddhists and Jainists entered, spreading the concepts of Ahimsa. Another name of Lord Ayyappa is Sastha which means Buddha. This is a prime example of the reach of the Buddhist beliefs to this part of the world. All these can be seen merged into the beliefs of pilgrims to Sabarimala. The chain the pilgrims wear comes from the Rudraksha chain of the Shaivites. The strict fasting, penance and continence is taken out of the beliefs of the Vaishnavites. Ahimsa is taken from the Jainists. The constant and repeated utterance of prayers reminds one of the Buddhists. The offering of tobacco to Kaduthaswamy can be considered to be taken from the Shaktists.

Those who decide to go to Sabarimala need to observe strict celibacy. The procession of Malikappurathamma to Saramkuthy and her return without any exuberance shows one the patience, endurance and mental strength a man can achieve. The ghee filled coconuts in the blazing fire hearth symbolizes the burn off of one’s selfishness. A bath in river Pampa stands for driving away the sins one committed in his life.

The striking significance of the beliefs about Sabarimala is the absence of the touch-me-not-ism among the upper castes of Hindus. All are equal before Lord Ayyappa. Even the deity and the devotee are known by the same name – either Ayyappa or Swamy. This is the only such belief in the entire world.

Through the observation of strict penance, fasting and continence, one learns to control his senses. He gives up his lust and other human desires. He remoulds himself. On reaching his destination, he realizes the meaning of Thathwamasi – ‘That is You’. Thus he recognizes the enormous power, restraint and resilience from within. Another importance which is more relevant these days is the oneness of diverse religious beliefs. It is one temple in the world, with doors open to all, whatever be their beliefs. The triumvirate of Ayyappa, a Hindu; Vavar, a Muslim and Kochu Thomman, a Christian speaks volumes for this factual truth. It is here that Sabarimala becomes more of a reality than a myth.