No match for Chronicles of Narnia. But significant for us. Spent a few days in Hyderabad with my sister, BIL and niece. Highlights were a meeting with Pratima for a biryani as planned, and a couple of outings for lunch (at Peshawar with a friend), and dinner. Also a lot of biryani at home too.
And celebrated Bhaubeej/Bhaidooj.
Apart from parents and close family, that is. Cannot be restricted to a number like 7, but here is a small attempt.
Alok Srivastava- a classmate from engineering, also a friend, philosopher and guide who inveigled me into going for a Ph.D. in the U.S. Helped my brother and me settle in, and improve our research skills. He is no more, but his memory lives on.
Mangala, a senior cousin, who had a family of musicians, husband and two daughters. They were all very hospitable, and I stayed with them multiple times at Mumbai. She was an enthusiastic traveler, and came to visit us in Clemson, USA too.. all 4 of them.
Saumya Sharma, who was my Academic Associate at IIM Indore, and helped a lot with anything I tried- downloading Youtube videos or grading some exams, and so on. Cheerful, and still in touch.
Gadgil/ Vijayakumar/ Dhanapal- We played a lot of Golf together, and therefore the clubbing -pun intended! Great guys, and we bonded over 18 plus one holes. I had my first Hole-in-one at Kodaikanal in their company. Inspiring!
Jogeswari- My student from KIAMS, Harihar who topped her batch of 2001, worked in Google, and went on to her current stint at Golftripz as a Director. A loyal friend. we meet up whenever we can, after all these years.
Savitha, also from KIAMS, a batch senior to Jogi (above). Varied HR stints in multiple companies and one of her own, a foodie and winey (!). Had many good times when we met.
Jayant, a cousin's husband, and a man who stood by his values. His involvement in Hindi films ranged from screenplays (Benaam) to film production (Ankahee). Hosted us at Shrivardhan for many New Year get-togethers in the late 90s. Lost him a couple of years ago, but his wife (my cousin) and her family- daughter, grandson continue to party whenever possible. She's also an actress, in serials and plays.
It came in different sizes and shapes. But enjoyable nevertheless.
Silent Movie by Mel Brooks was my first intro to his films.. later saw many more. A combo of slapstick and intellectual stuff.
Woody Allen's brand of comedy was different- philosophical, about neurosis in New York, some bold themes..
The Naked Gun was very funny, starring Leslie Nielsen.
A Fish Called Wanda again, had a great cast of three or four good actors working together to create a lot of fun.
The Loves and Times of Scaramouche was a period film that had many fun moments..
Peter Sellers acted in some good Pink Panther Films, and The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu.
My wife and I have lived in multiple places, and visited a few countries.. more than twenty, I am guessing. So some reflections about the places, though we are not particularly attached to any place.
Bangalore- great weather, great filter coffee, and many old friends.
Lucknow- good memories, professional and personal, bad weather, great kababs and biryani
Hyderabad- Great biryani, Irani chai, friends and some relatives too.
Delhi- bad weather, good metro service, bad traffic, good friends, positive attitude
Mumbai- bad traffic, efficient train service, professional workers, friends galore
Pune- Bad traffic, good bakarwadi from Chitale, great cultural scene, lots of relatives
Kolkata- Bad weather, good food, new friends who are nice, Chai addas, celebrations with gusto
USA- Some good friends, no domestic help, good National Parks, roads, no railways or autos..
Vietnam- Friendly people, no English, Ha Long Bay is world class
Cambodia- Cheap, Historic, nice buildings
Sri Lanka- Green, beautiful, good beaches, people
Greece- Chaotic, friendly, historic, Sea is amazing, islands too. Good food- Moussaka is my favourite
Amsterdam- Fun place with unique features
Rome, Venice- Good for long walks, bad traffic, Gondola ride like a Shikara in Dal Lake..
The world was supposed to have ended, in 2012 according to one.
That doesn't stop people from making wild predictions, about anything and everything. Most predictions fall flat, including those about the weather. Because there are so many variables accounting for an effect, and it's impossible to measure many of those.
Plus, unforeseen events like Corona, or lesser catastrophes happen more often than we acknowledge.
Right now, there's a spate of armchair forecasts about what AI will do to the world at large. Of course, other doomsday forecasters are not quiet either.
My response to all these know-alls is standard- How Do You know? Period.
I just learnt that today is World Students' Day. It is important to note that Teachers' Day is in September, and a different day! Anyway, irony apart, it's nice to celebrate students, if you are a teacher.
My first students were Undergrads in Business at Clemson University. The thing I most remember about them- around 25x3 students each semester was that they were courteous, ignorant about computer usage- I was teaching them that- and usually nice to me though I was a Ph.D. student from India. There was a giggling duo of girls, in one of my classes. And Melinda, one student walking past a vintage car parked on campus, modeled for me when I asked her.. I was clicking the car, and she posed alongside.
My last full time teaching assignment was at IIM Indore. I taught a variety of courses there to PG and Ph.D. students, and also Executive MBA students. There were also a few MDPs for specific companies, such as Trent of the Tata Group (Retail) or Hindustan Petroleum.
In between were students at Lander College, USA, Xavier Institute, Bhubaneswar, Vignana Jyoti Hyderabad, Kirloskar Institute Harihar, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IFIM, PESIT (occasional teaching), IMT (very little teaching, but met lots of students).
At Prestige university I really did not teach much, except a few classes of Marketing Research along with Sunil Gupta.
Mostly these were wonderful experiences, and I keep following Facebook and Linkedin updates on what many of them are up to, globally. Makes me quite happy. Also meet a few occasionally, on my travels.
It's a real reality check. But in accordance with the adage Know Thyself, I will do some analysis of the Self. It's like taking selfies, but deeper.
I have almost zero knowledge of Physics, Chemistry, or Medicine.
I only read good literature, don't write any.
My knowledge of Economics is limited to the current prices of vegetables.
I have not helped solve an India-Pakistan conflict, or an Israel-Gaza conflict, or a Russia-Ukraine conflict, or one in my backyard where dogs fight with man, or with other dogs. Catfights are also not my territory to solve- because they usually don't involve cats..
Which basically leaves me with other Prize options, like the following-
Greatest Golf Trainer in Asia Prize
Great at Forgetting People's Names Award
Most Regular Blogger at 65 Medal
Punek (Anek) Pun Creator Prize
Best Movie Critic Award
PJ forwarder and OJ Maker Award
Not a bad set.. what are you likely to win?
Brand-wise, JIS is restricted to West Bengal and a couple of other states. Scope for wider networking, higher awareness levels, and initiatives in outreach for admission diversity and placement performance improvement.
Strengths are a decent strength of students in Pharma, Computer Science and Law. Agriculture is low, but improving. Management, very low, but has a great location in town, so again it could improve.
We did have the first-ever alumni meet at the management campus, thanks to faculty efforts. Ph.D., MBA and BBA alums turned up, one from Bangalore- she works at Google. Annesha Paul by name. We plan to do a meet in Bangalore as well, for Computer Science and maybe other depts.
Also attended a couple of events at Delhi- one by THE WEEK, where JIS University was recognised as one of the top Eastern Universities. A lot of cultural activities took place on campus, and a big induction program for 2025 at an auditorium in the city.
We launched an online certificate course on Interfaith Dialogue, with some prominent speakers. Skill-ex is a good initiative, requiring entrepreneurial ideas to be showcased each Semester by groups of students.
A vibrant student community is an asset, but diversity could be better. Faculty diversity is an issue as well.
Quotes on Marketing, courtesy ChatGPT.
“The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself.”
— Peter F. Drucker
“Marketing is not the art of finding clever ways to dispose of what you make. It is the art of creating genuine customer value.”
— Philip Kotler
“Business has only two functions — marketing and innovation.”
— Peter Drucker
“Stopping advertising to save money is like stopping your watch to save time.”
— Henry Ford
“People do not buy goods and services. They buy relations, stories, and magic.”
— Seth Godin
“Marketing is really just about sharing your passion.”
— Michael Hyatt
“Good marketing makes the company look smart. Great marketing makes the customer feel smart.”
— Joe Chernov
“In the world of Internet Customer Service, it’s important to remember your competitor is only one mouse click away.”
— Doug Warner
There are replicas of the 7 Wonders at a park near us in Kolkata. Went there with guests yesterday for the first time. It's a vast park, may need two visits to see it all. Or three, if you want to play Golf there.
Anyway, here are some pics..
You thought only Hindi films have a formula? Or Hollywood? You are quite wrong. Social media posts have one too- or more than one.
One that is surefire hit, and will go viral.
X had a job. Or nothing. He/she makes/made Y crores by doing Z.
Or, his/her parents sacrificed everything to put X through college, or supported her dream. Tears streaming down their eyes, they celebrate the kids' success.
How X climbed a mountain, when everyone gave up on him/her, but with great self-belief, he/she achieved his/her goal of being Y- an IAS officer, an athlete, or a Golfer.. just kidding, Golfers are super-rich as they are born with a Silver Golf Club in hand.
Any more that strike a chord with you? You can always make up a new formula that works- if it does.
It has been a rainy monsoon season in Kolkata, but there's some sunshine (mixed with showers) so far in October second week. Not sure how the rest will pan out, but there's hope of dry days (not THOSE dry days).
May help me to move around a bit. Though I may spend Diwali in Hyderabad, and stuff myself with some local biryani there. Pratima of IIM Indore fame and me never miss a biryani when we meet.
Osmania alums also might meet up, it's been a while now.
We did have early celebrations of many of our birthdays in Pune earlier, but why not continue? Life is a celebration- while it lasts, right? And biryanis are meant to be savoured.
Making friends, keeping friends.
These two things can keep you occupied for good! For life, maybe. Even if you work, you can make friends with some. In rare cases, with the boss too!
It happens to be my 65th birthday, therefore these profound thoughts are occurring instead of the mundane thoughts that usually do. Celebrated with my newly made friends/workmates at JIS University, Shrabani and Karanjyot Kaur who also got a cake made by her sister, who is a Hotel Mgt. graduate from the JIS group itself. Proof of the pudding below-
Had an eventful Mumbai trip with family. A visit to a cousin- Suhita- and a lot of chatting, playing games. And a car breakdown in the ghats. A complete package. Also did an interview with Miskil for Chat Masala- my Youtube channel.
Some pics of the journey and fun there.
Met Bhavna Oza in Pune where she works with a Solar power company. We met in 2023 at Prestige University where she was a student. Also during her Internship (with Silky and Dheeraj, her classmates) in Gurgaon last year, before I left Prestige.
Gurgaon meetup at a mall for Chaat. With Silky and Dheeraj, June 5th, 2024.
We are always talking about what we do-and ask questions around it, one way or another, to those we keep meeting. But whatever you may be doing, it's more important whether you like it, and if you are able to contribute meaningfully, and whether it gives you satisfaction at the end of the day, week or month.
I think Hoe you do something is as important as what you do. Are you bringing in new ways of thinking? Are you helping a colleague do better than he/she would have? Are you spreading cheer around? A movie called Bawarchi directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee comes to mind. A dystopian household with a lot of problems hires a cook- a bawarchi- who brings sunshine into the house. He helps each one in the house to achieve what they only dreamt of till then. More importantly, he teaches everyone to love and respect one another! In another film of his, Anand, the hero knows he's dying from a rare cancer. But while those around him are grieving, he spreads joy among them till his last breath, because he wants to enjoy whatever is left of his life- looking at the positives.
It is possible, in most cases, to be able to do more than the minimum, whether it's a job or your own enterprise, or something else. The joy of doing it- anything at all- is infectious, and can help you and others to enjoy it to the fullest. Many jobs are dull and repetitive, but you can inject some fun into them if you try.
Try it.
A get-together to celebrate our birthdays in September-October and early November. Organised by Prarthana and Pooja at our residence. Pics randomly taken- karaoke was a part of it!
Went to their office recently (not the Mountain View one) in Gurgaon, to meet an alum who works there. Thought I should know something about them since they know so much about me- corrected the imbalance to an extent.
Now I know why they are rated so highly n Best Places to Work and similar surveys. Less bureaucratic than most, friendly atmosphere, great food and relaxation areas, flexi timings for those who want them, and more. Some pics from meeting Bhuvneet Raheja and another alum -Surjo Sankar sarkar- that we ran into from IIM Indore's IPM -5 year Integrated Program in Management. He recognised me, and is a Facebook friend too.so we took a photo, pronto - the third pic here.
Based on observation (one method of doing research), these are some types of airline passengers-
Corporate and Pseudo-corporate - they are usually carrying a laptop which they pretend to work on during the flight. Some carry a coat-case, while some wear a jacket- without a tie, as per prevailing fashion.
Mom or family with noisy kid- The kid makes a racket, and the Mom/Dad lovingly look on.
Loo-minous ones- always visit the loo, two times or three, starting within five minutes of the flight. Leaving airport loos much cleaner, I guess.. not sure about the in-flight ones.
The Demanding Customers- they demand things which they wouldn't at home. Usually male, wanting water, tea or extras that they haven't paid for.
Rude Rushers- they rush around and push people as if there's a Gold Medal for the fastest exiter.
Mindful Monks- they rarely speak, nod once or twice, and keep to their meditation mostly.
Mobile-watchers- after Kingfisher went bust, the TV screens disappeared. So these guys make up by watching some unwatchable muck throughout the journey.
In our history of monarchs, Tughlak became famous for quirky decisions which went unchallenged because he was the King! Now Trump seems to be giving him a run for his money.
Making sense used to be one of the benchmarks for administrative decisions- at least ostensibly. But new benchmarks are being set in a so-called Democracy. Is there nobody who can stop him? MAGA is likely to be Make America Grovel Again, looks like..
Well, everyone has an expiry date and so will he.. so what are our options as a common man? Take the R.K. Laxman view, and laugh at his quirky decisions which make zero sense, on the back of whatever America has stood for, all these years.
Luckily, I don't need a visa to go to the U.S... I went in saner times, when Universities weren't persecuted. When it was actually Great!
I taught a class (one session) on the subject after a long time. Two authors who I recommend on the subject are Seth Godin and Guy Kawasaki. I used the book e-Marketing by Rob Stokes when I was teaching this as a full course at IIM Indore a few years ago. I also taught a Doctoral Seminar based on Journal papers on this subject. Some pics from the latest outing at Austin Tower campus of JIS University.
I always liked photography, as my parents introduced me to it. I have many memorable pics taken from places around the world. Some good, some that could have been better, but great memories usually.
Writing I got introduced to in college magazines as an occasional writer. I am proud of a piece I wrote about 100% attendance- a rule at IIM Bangalore. I titled it- "Of Godliness and 100% Attendance." A satirical piece, of course. It evolved into writing a lot for the wall magazine and Year Book, and later, books of two kinds. Technical, as in Marketing related, and an autobiography- self-published, unlike Chetan Bhagat's books. And of course, this blog..
I like punning too, and PJs. Many are spontaneous, and related to the conversation going on. I also ask questions on Facebook that test the creativity of friends, drawing them into answering the (sometimes silly) questions. My 'engagement' score is pretty high, I am sure.
A combo of all these is good for being social, at least on social media.
Generally, it brings new perspectives, and learning which you cannot get any other way. Also makes life less boring.
One way I made life interesting for myself is by working in all corners- and centre- of India, from Lucknow to Calicut and Bangalore to Indore. A senior friend once told me I wouldn't survive North of the Vindhyas. But I did survive for a limited period- actually a long time in Indore.
All universities must strive for diversity in their constituents- students, faculty and administrators. This difference is striking when you compare an average American University with an Indian one. I learnt by interacting with Chinese, Nigerian, Iranian, Turkish and Portuguese classmates during my Ph.D., in addition to American students.
Also, in my American workplace later, I had a Venezuelan colleague, as also a Korean, in a faculty of size 12.
It would be a nice goal to have a gender diversity goal, in addition to other kinds- regional, ethnic, religious etc. in any cohort of students, if possible. It makes classes engaging through peer learning too.
I have also been to conferences that had multiple nationalities participating- Sri Lankans, Bangladeshis, New Zealanders, Canadians, Vietnamese, Australians and so on. Sometimes held in Singapore, or Japan, or Sri Lanka, or Vietnam.
We launched this unique Online Program today. Will run from Sept. till Jan 2026, twice a week. Free, online. We had representatives from the Bramho Samaj of Raja Rammohan Roy, ISKCON, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism, apart from Belur Math of Ramakrishna Paramhans, whose disciple Swami Vivekananda was. Pics from the launch event held at Austin Tower campus, New Town-
I will mix up countries and Cities/Towns.
A- Amsterdam
B- Belgium
C- Cambodia
D- Detroit
E- El Paso, texas
F-France
G- Germany
H- Holland
I- Italy
J- Japan
K- Kitty Hawk, North Carolina (Wright Bros.' first flight)
L- Los Angeles, California
M- Malaysia
N- Negombo
O- Orlando, Florida
P- Phoenix, Arizona
Q- Quepem, goa
R- Richmond, Virginia
S- Sri Lanka
T- Thailand
U- Ubud, Bali
V- Venice
W- Washington, D.C.
X- Xanadu, a mythical place I first found in Mandrake comics
Y- Yellowstone National Park
Z- Zurich
For some reason, each department does their own celebration- making it tough for me to attend all. Anyway, what I saw at the Law and Computer Science depts. was good. Creative impersonation of faculty - many of them, and dances and songs were the highlights. One shayari performance too. We enjoyed it. Pics-
No match for Chronicles of Narnia. But significant for us. Spent a few days in Hyderabad with my sister, BIL and niece. Highlights were a m...
