Kerala

 I had visited a lot of Kerala in 1983, all the way from Cannanore (now Kannur) in the north, to Quilon (Kollam) in the South, for my internship, doing some market research- my headquarters was Kochi (Cochin at the time). But I actually went to live there in 2003, and worked at IIM Kozhikode (Calicut, where Vasco Da Gama had landed before me, in 1498 or so- he came by sea).

During those two years, I spent some time exploring the nearby places, and the beach in town. I don't remember a lot of the names, but remember going to a lake in Wayanad someplace, a dam and a beach not far from Calicut. There was also a bungalow called Casa Marina by the sea which we sometimes rented/went to, for a day-long party. There was also a restaurant called Paragon that was a favourite, especially for its seafood. Another was Sea Queen, on the beach, for its location.

I also played a cricket match in the local club, with my friend Ravi, and did pretty OK with my batting. He had the small Daewoo car that went out of production later. Also a Bullet bike, and collected gems. Uday Damodaran, my classmate, was also with me on the faculty during those two years. 

IIMK's campus was very picturesque, and I visited a couple of times on invitation. Some pics- 

At the campus on a visit recently, looking out of my room.

Dheeraj, a Malayali ex-student from KIAMS (left), whom we met in Chennai a couple of years ago.

IIMK campus- pretty, ain't it?

Above and below- Munnar, where we went Golfing in a foursome- Vijayakumar taking the tee shot, and Dhanapal, me and Ravi Gadgil looking on.

Pics IIM Kozhikode or Calicut

I worked at IIM Calicut a couple of years, many years ago. I still think it is the prettiest IIM campus. If you don't believe me, see for yourself-you might just agree!

In Praise of the Malayali

I am not a fan of boiled rice, but I used to like the seafood whenever I ate it during my stay at Calicut- Paragon was one restaurant we frequented. Fish Moily in particular was one dish that I liked a lot.

People from the state of Kerala have been pioneers in the art of working abroad, and though many have focused on the Gulf/Middle East, there are some in all parts of the world. And invested their earnings back home, making Kerala prosperous. Those that lived outside also were cosmopolitan in outlook.

I have had lots of students of Malayali origin at Kirloskar Institute, and they were generally very good students. A couple are in these pics.

Some names that I remember are Dheeraj, Vidya TC, Sandhya Sajeev, Pooja Daniel, Smita Mohan, Sujit, Mamta,...of course, I have had Malayali students at other institutes too, but not as many in number. And, Uday Damodaran has been a friend since IIMB days, and a colleague at two  B Schools.

I once met P.T. Usha, the athlete, at IIMK (her hometown is close by)-a highlight of my stay. The memories of Calicut and the staff there at IIM are good. Years later, my secretary at IMT Ghaziabad was from Kerala too. Though there is a lot of commie activity within the state (leading to near-zero industrialization), the greenery and generally nice behaviour one-to-one compensates. This (Calicut) is the only place where I had a home (rented) with a Jackfruit tree, pepper creepers, and coconut trees. A pic taken in the house, with my brother and the kids, below.

Speaking from a marketing academic's standpoint, they have probably had the best advertising campaign for tourism- God's Own Country was the branding slogan.

Chef- Film Review

This is the one starring Saif Ali Khan and Padmapriya. My major motivation was to watch the latter in action (she was my student at KIAMS), and I came away impressed. There is a simplicity to the plot (it is not original, but a remake of an English film), that makes it an easy and enjoyable watch.

The parts of Kerala you glimpse in various shots add to the charm. At one level, you could call it a story about Father-son bonding. It is also about a relationship gone sour but one that both partners are dealing with to the best of their ability, putting the son first when they can, while pursuing their own dreams.

The film picks up steam once the food truck/bus comes in, and becomes a kind of road trip which gives some scope to introduce Goa and Raghu Dixit into the script. The song that results is fun ( a lungi song?) and natural.

Having lived in Calicut, I was able to connect to the Labour Union demands and the toddy shop (yes, I have visited one). Must mention Milind Soman, and the actor who acted as the kid. Both were very good. There is situational comedy, and understated acting in general, a welcome change from the over-the-top stuff we get from Bollywood.

Munnar Musings

Going to God's own Country, Kerala, makes you susceptible to musings. Atal Behari Vajpayee mused when in Kumarakom. So did I, between bouts of Golf in Munnar. We drove from Coimbatore there, but you can also drive from Aluva or Kochi in Kerala, the nearest points of entry by air (known to me)-about 4 hours by road. Trichy or Madurai too, a little longer I guess-5-6 hours, maybe. We saw a lot of windmills turning out power on the drive from Coimbatore. Chinnakalan is actually where we stayed (at Sterling Resorts, pic below), about 20 kms. away from the golf course which is close to the town. It is a town that reminded me of Coonoor, or Kotagiri

.

The quiet greenery only turns boisterous in the town centre, with lots of taxis (jeeps are ubiquitous), autos and tourists jostling for space. The wannabe guides are many, wanting to show you around. Since we were focused on golf, we did not use their services.

Half the town is owned by the Kannan Devan plantations of the Tata group, and another quarter by the Harrisons Malayalam group, both into growing tea. The Malayali tea shops were in good numbers all over, and so were the shops selling fresh crop from the plantations, along with spices, oils and home-made chocolates. It rained in the afternoons, but we managed a good game thanks to the friendly staff, in the mornings.

My major musings were that-

1. We make too much of a fuss about the small things, while the big ones remain unattended.
2. It takes (a lot of) practice to get good at anything.
3. It is great fun to go on road trips with a bunch of guys you know well.

And no, we did not take a selfie! Nor did we eat Muesli while we mused.

Impending Vacation

I like my vocation because it entitles you to a vacation, against the norms of corporate behaviour, where anything other than value-added stuff contributing to the bottom line (wonder why it's at the bottom) is frowned upon.

So this animal called a vacation seems to be drawing close, with some prospects of Golf with friends being a part of it. There is a planned trip to Munnar to play and sip some signature tea, I hope. I stayed in Kerala for two years but never got around to going there.

While on the subject, I started playing some Golf on our own cricket ground in IIM Indore today. I intend to train colleagues if any are interested in the game, and maybe students if the numbers are manageable. The ground is large enogh to do some shots with a medium distance iron, and that can give you a good feel for it, and make you feel good that you know some of the great game. Trust the Scots to invent all the highfalutin stuff! They must have been itching to be different from the boring Brits!

Dry State of Kerala-Its After-effects

This is bigger than an earthquake, and its after-shocks will be felt for decades, and not just in Kerala. I am talking of prohibition in Kerala, just announced by the state. This is a look (you know where the tongue is) at those mammoth consequences.

1. The Kerala State Beverages Corporation, the biggest money-making (or the only?) enterprise, will go ka-boom, as they eloquently say in comics.

2. The entertainment that common citizens have, of standing in long lines to buy liquor from the KSBC counters will be taken away. This is actually more fun than what happens after consuming the liquor- nothing.

3. Bootleggers will have a new territory to expand their business. How long can you survive on just one (state, not peg)? (sorry, Lays campaigners)

4. Dubai duty-free will go out of business, and that will have global repercussions.

5. Foreign (and domestic) tourists will abandon God's Own Country and go to Hell, or Satanic places where they have the freedom to drink.

6. Border areas will have a booming liquid economy. Wine tourism will grow in Tamilnadu and Karnataka.

7. Demand for toddy will go sky-high, higher than the Burz Al-Arab/ Burz Khalifa.

The Malayali Mind

A strange dichotomy seems to exist in Kerala. The average guy there is intelligent but avenues to use the intelligence don't seem to exist anywhere in his own state. It is racked by the wrong kind of politics, one which does not let any enterprise thrive. We all know what it did to West Bengal over the years. As a result, any intelligent student has to migrate out of the state to get a decent education in any field, and the average worker to the Gulf for a decent job.

Why the state cannot create good educational institutes in any field is hard to understand. When even so-called backward states have a few good institutions of learning in all fields, it should be a priority for Kerala too.

In contrast, places like Pune are an educational hub and attract students from all over. Even Tamilnadu gets a lot of its students from Kerala, and so does Karnataka. There is an old movie called Hum Nahin Sudhrenge, and I hope this does not continue to be the case with Kerala's job and education scene.

Tourism and IT could perhaps be job generators of even greater potential, aided by Ayurveda and medical tourism. But quality higher education must also fit in somewhere, for Kerala's own sake.