Why You Could Teach

I am going to try and sum up why I am into teaching, and let you figure out if you should.

I worked in industry after my MBA for two years- advertising and marketing research. Then I got a chance to get a Ph.D. in the U.S., and went for it. I started teaching as part of my scholarship, and found I liked it. After the Ph.D. in 1989, I started full-time teaching, and haven't stopped. Just a few years' break for admin./leadership roles, but I am back into full-time teaching now.

I find it's one of the most fulfilling professions around. Maybe barring a few-very few. Firstly, you are with young people, and that rubs off on you. You see lots of people who are idealistic, like you were (or are), who think they will change the world. Some actually will.

Given the numbers today, you may not remember every student by name, but they always remember you- for good or bad. I still remember most profs. who taught me in my MBA and Ph.D. classes- some more than others, because they gave me an A. Or their classes were different. Though I specialised in marketing, I remember the Org. Behaviour classes the most (in the MBA). In the U.S. the profs.' openness was amazing.

You can innovate, because in the class (and in exams) you are the boss. The only limit is your imagination.

The feedback is instantaneous. A bored look, an appreciative smile, a confused countenance, or whatever.

Plenty of scope for doing your own research too, if you work in a good B school. You can write cases, write data-based papers, attend conferences, organise them, work with bright, quirky people, in short have a lot of fun at work. And of course, read a lot as part of your job.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil- Film Review

A serious film review may not serve much purpose, because this review is a bit late- half the population would have seen the film, either because of Fawad Khan, or to snub Raj Thackeray-oh yes, Ranbir too (not to snub him, his fans). Also, it's a Karan Johar film. So I will only give you a summary of where I think he has copied from, various segments of this film.

First, the last segment is a straight lift from Sweet November- the cancer bit.

The first segment seems like some leftover shots from Tamasha, with Anushka getting into Deepika's skin. Maybe technology has advanced to enable directors to do that.

The party shots are copied from Irrfan Khan's spoof on party songs. And the club remains the same, no matter which country Ranbir and Anushka are in.

In between, Farah Khan's influence shows- no story, Bollywood songs of yore, and cuteness overload. Shah Rukh too.

In summary, though an hour too long, it's not a bad film, if you keep expectations at floor level.(surprise..I was impressed most by Aishwarya) ...and at the risk of alienating my female readers, Fawad is no big deal, as Ranbir keeps insisting in the film. But then, I am not a female.


Three No Trumps

This is what you may bid when you are playing the card game of Bridge. I am into more mundane pursuits right now, like making Trump jokes. Because it's the done thing, and I may not get a chance to do them after November (the elections).

Trumpeting. Trump (without an elephant's trunk) talking about himself.

Ta ra rum pum pum.. reactions of people to Trump claiming to be the right man to lead a democracy of mostly sane citizens.

Trumped up charges- Founders of ISIS are Hillary and Obama.

Trump tax returns- Even Columbus would find it taxing to discover any money there!

Trump Debate- Everyone is an ***hole, but me.

Trump Home- A Wig-wam.

Donald's score - a Duck!





Theatres in Hyderabad

I saw a lot of movies while growing up in Hyderabad. This is a tribute to the theatres I saw them in.

Sangeet was an upmarket theatre in Secunderabad, that mostly screened English films. Lawrence of Arabia, The Poseidon Adventure, Patton, are some films that I saw there.

Ramakrishna 70 mm was a grand theatre near Abids in Hyderabad. Guns of Navarone was one film I vividly rember seeing there. And Sholay in 70 mm, a visual treat. Sanjeev Kumar's voice sounded fantastic on their sound system. The 35 mm cousin is where I saw Rajnigandha, and Chitchor. I think Shareef Badmash too.

Ashok, Navrang and Vikranti were all on the same road, in Jambagh. Saw many movies there, including Anand, Agent Vinod, and Patthar ke Sanam. Damaad too, an Amol Palekar comedy.

Farheen was a 70 mm theatre, where I saw Where Eagles Dare with Richard Burton and Clint eastwood-magnificient. Zamarrud nearby, is where I saw Ijaazat, and Phandebaaz, a Dharmendra comedy.

Venkatesa is one near Kacheguda that I saw Mohra in- the Raveena-Akshay movie of the Tu cheez badi hai mast mast fame. Another theatre in that area was Maheswari, with an escalator as its claim to fame, where I saw Namak Halaal. I saw Don in Tarakarama, next to Maheswari.

Palace was another old theatre, and Lighthouse, housed in a  dilapidated building. Plaza in Secuunderabad was also an old style building, where I saw a few Western films, with Cowboys and blazing guns.

Manju in Secunderabad was where I remember seeing Darr. Tu mere samne, main tere samne..


Cambodian Fantasy- Pics

Phnom Penh, near and in Royal Palace. Above, and two pics below.


Standing tall. Angkor.
Apsaras (not kidding, they are called Apsaras) on walls.
Poetry in stone- Angkor Wat temples, Siem Reap -below (with the Missus) and above.

Blog Metrics

  These are stats from my blog for the week. Using this as an example for the digital marketing course, where we discuss metrics- or measurement of content you put online for marketing purposes. Promoting your blog on your facebook page increases possible reach, as the stats here demonstrate. Headlines/keywords too play a role.
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Digital Marketing Course

I am currently teaching a course on Digital Marketing to MBA students at IIM Indore. This is an interesting subject, amenable to using a few digital media live during the course. We have already started blogs on the subject of digital marketing, and intend to measure their effectiveness, and discuss why certain blogs did better than others. Nothing like a live project whose results are measurable instantly- like the digital marketing metrics themselves.

We will also try other things such as web design, writing copy for display ads or email marketing as we go along. I also have a couple of cases that I wrote specially for this course, one of which was presented at an international conference recently. Lots of my former students are doing some form of digital marketing at their jobs, and have volunteered interesting tidbits.

In another class, we have a facebook group formed to share any links on useful articles that anyone may find and want to share. Using the power of social media as a learning tool.

Lots of interesting insights will follow from this one, I am sure..

Fifty Six and More

How long you live is not known. But you do have aspirations for yourself in the years that you do. Here are some of mine.

That I have lots of small joys every day. An unexpected mail, or meeting. A smile, or a guffaw, a shared joke..

A well-made cup of tea, with the right amount (for me) of milk, sugar and the tea. With music.

A nice book.

An intelligent, witty comment, or turn of phrase from someone on a facebook post. Or a funny forward.

A beautiful photograph, of a person, place, thing.

A pleasant memory coming back to haunt me.

A great biryani at regular intervals. Hyderabadi, preferably.

7th Pay Commission being implemented ( a sour note? I just want the govt. to be more efficient).

Opportunities to travel, as long as the limbs can move.

To see the sea, every once in a while. Hoping to make it to Sri Lanka in 2017.

Peace (no news channels, hopefully they'll disppear from the face of the earth one day).

Otherwise, the Deluge

Some famous Queen supposedly said, "After me, the deluge." She thought she was the centre of the universe, I suppose.

But there are many journalists/columnists who sing the same song. As in..

If we don't privatise,...

If we don't cut interest rates,...

If we don't devalue the currency,..

If we don't de-regulate power, ...

If we open up the country to retail giants like...

If we give reservations to X, Y, Z, community/caste...

If NGOs are allowed to get unlimited foreign funds,..

If we don't catch the murderer of X,...

Most of these pieces, about 1000-word long, argue very persuasively that the world is about to end. Even if a couple of nuclear bombs were to be used by a lunatic, the world is unlikely to end anytime soon. The Chinese and Indians alone will ensure that humans as a race will suvive even if depleted marginally. Therefore, there's no cause for worry. But if I don't end this post here,....


Comedians as Heads of State

 Seriously (!), it's not such a bad idea. We already have the Ukrainian Prez., the Punjab C.M. and in the past, Trump and Bush (OK, not ...

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