The long weekend of 27/28/29 March loomed over & reminded one of the taxes to be paid, financial year ending & what not.

Friends who had not met up for a couple of months decided to drive down to Daman/Silvassa for the long weekend from Bombay, Ahmedabad, Baroda.

The program began more than a month ago (more so because it had been tried 6 months ago & were let down by the ahmedabad team).

There were 2-3 from Ahmedabad; 4 from Baroda; 3 from Bombay.

• First there were bachelors
• Then with wives
• Then for 2 days
• Then Ahmedabad fell out again.
• Naren had a family emergency, having to rush to Indore for a couple of days.
• Mehul had to rush to Valsad with his family.

And so ended the plans for Daman. Whilst it did not really affect me too much, with Navratri already begun, a time when I do not imbibe neither do I eat non veg.

Relaxing, I get a call from Sumir that he is flying off to Africa & was to come with me from Daman back to Mumbai. Now with the change in plans, he & ajay another school friend planned to reach Mumbai directly & wondered if we could meet up with the others.

Barely had I kept the phone down, Husseni called saying another friend who was down to India after nearly a decade or more wanted to meet up.

So as was usual, the organizing had to be done….which was done by my super efficiency so I say to myself:)

An email laid the tone:

Morning - Arrival Sumir & Ajay by Rajdhani

Shower & Chill for a couple of hours.

1) Quarter Deck (Mahesh Lunch Home branch) @ Four Bungalows OR

2) Trishna on New Link Road

Husseni & Bharat would join us there, since they would not be coming in the evening, having committed themselves elsewhere.

Come back home by 3, take a power nap unless want to catch a movie in multiplex & take a power nap there:)

Wake up refreshed by 6, get dressed, complete last minute shopping (usual for Sumir) & reach Renaissance Federation Club for cocktails & some nice moghlai food.

Ajay to leave for Baroda Express, & would drop Sumir to the airport.

Mehul & Naren would join us for a while.

Mail end…..

Morning went as per schedule with everyone reaching QuarterDeck at precisely 12noon:) when they open at 12.30pm

Using Sooraj (owner’s name) went in & occupied the place…..beginning with beer, followed by some gin/tonic the evening progressed till 4.30 pm interspersed with Surmai tava fry; Pomfret; Sukka Chicken & finally Fish Gassi - moi abstaining from everything except the peanuts, cold drink….

The afternoon was full of - What Happened to him/her? with Sumir & Bharat catching up about all the Bwanas & London Gyan.

The fallout of this was - Husseni cancelled his appoinment, Bharat decided to forgot about calling up someone he was supposed to & reach Renaissance Club:)

So off we went - Husseni & Bharat to his hotel to take a snooze; Sumir & Ajay to take a power nap. Ajay reeling from a mild headache & queasy stomach (having overstuffed himself more than usual). By the time, I went across with an asprin, both of them were in nodding land.

Getting up at 6 pm; asked my daughter & wife if one of them had surfaced - absolutely not - finally after a couple of peeping into the room - both of them got up at around 7.15 pm

Then the followup to call Husseni started….side by side Sumir helped himself to some gujju Dhokla made by my mum, before I managed to drag him away, trying to complete his shopping.

Finished it & waiting for him in the car, received a surprising call from Mehul - who had given up drinking from Jan 1, 2009 in favor of the gym - saying he had already reached the club & hurry up guys, time is wasting.

Reaching there - no sign & call from husseni, both their numbers coming as not reachable; the glasses & ice were put to use…with the first pour, I realized that the 1 litre would be over, luckily Naren was yet to come, so he carried another one…and the evening began in earnest.

Amongst the regular sesame toast, chana chaat, the specialty of the day King Fish & Raan were ordered to accompany the beer & whiskey.

Finally Ajay left to catch his train from Borivali instead of Bombay Central; Naren & Mehul were dropped off at 12.30 am before Sumir & Bharat being packed off at the International Airport, with promises of meeting up again & planning of other visits, which Sumir has planned with Mehul & Naren when he returns back on the 15th April.

28th March 2009

A lot of hurrah, had been made by media - social & otherwise about this date.

Newspapers spoke about it, as if it was something that would be followed by everyone; notices were put up in buildings, banners etc. spoke about it.

Being a bit of realist, decided to conduct my own little experiment in my own way:

1)   Sent email to nearly 700+ known people

2)   Sent a text to nearly 300+ people

3)   As a society member, spoke to members (50+) about observing this.

4)   Convinced my mother, a TV addict to switch it off during the hour (succeded partially thanks to my wife)

5)   Decided to go around the area, try & take a couple of photographs.

AND now the results…….

Email - No response at all, not even a “will try” or whatever.

Text - Received around 10 - saying thanks for reminding, will try, will do it etc.

Society had the best experience………

Children - Yes Uncle! we will do it, at least in our room. Duh? Why not the house? When we told pappa/mummy they said, this is all nonsense; you have to study for your exams etc.

Neighbors -

i     Let’s do it & then promptly forgot about it

ii    What is this all about? This from a young 35+ neighbour, whose Dad had posted it on the notice board.

iii   His wife said, Yes we should do it, let’s do this tomorrow between 7-9 pm:)

iv   Another young lady said, please switch of one phase (I was delighted with the suggestion) & followed it up with  a qualifier ‘ Wait till 10 pm, we are getting dressed & leaving for a wedding’

v    And the biggest howler from a Businessman - Yes, Great initiative, Australia & other countries have already done it so I’m sure we do not need to do it.

Finally, went out to see how the area was reacting. Some photographs tell a nice tale.

Some thought provoking answers from Shop Keepers -

a)     Why should we do it? Bizness ka time hai.

b)     First ask Reliance & BEST to lower charges before asking us to switch off lights

c)     Company has not told us anything (vodafone & bigflix)

d)     Yeh drama harroz ka hai.

And so there ended my experiment & tale.

Yes! on twitter & elsewhere, people from New Bombay etc. said they have load shedding everyday; some sent messages that they had followed it thru etc. which is definitely positive.

But what really gave me reason to smile was the next day, No newspaper - at least the 7 I get carried anything about it:)

So Earth, India rocks, we do not need you:)

After meeting with a lot of reputed dietitians decided to work out a common diet plan, which should work for me.

During this period, I stuck to the following rules 100%
1) Only 2 pegs (30ml) once a week
2) Fried stuff only once a month
3) At least 11/2 liters of water everyday

The objective here was to see whether I could begin to discipline myself, without doing some drastic stuff.

Yes, It did work for me, Lost 8 kgs during this period, not a great achievement, but at least I was down on the quantity aspect.

Here’s the dietplan2009mar-june

With everyone talking about economy, recession, job cuts & what have you; the scenario sounds depressing, whereas it actually is not.

Talking about this with friends from various industries, though primarily from the Jewelery business, advising them, I decided to pen down the basics, because even in such times a winning strategy can be executed, keeping the fundamentals of business in mind always.

Some basic mantras that can help tide you over:

1. PRODUCT - stick to the basics

i. Focus on profit, not volumes - The time is to rein in the volume push, concentrating on profits. It would be better to maintain profitability on existing volumes, rather than grow volumes.

ii. Innovate within existing Formats - Take cognizance of the different formats of sales/distribution. Aligning & offering more products, offers at a S-I-S (shop in shop) may be much better than trying to push a high street/stand alone store during these times.

iii. Maintain standards - Continue maintain laid standards, do not start switching off AC’s, lights (instead tone them down; use reflective visual merchandising to help). Do not compromise on service levels, staffing drastically.

iv. Let product innovation take a back seat - Continue investing in innovation, but do not invest time, effort, money into completely new products that may only be on the shelves after a couple of months or next season.

2. Promotion - Focus & Creativity

i. Do not blindly take decisions on cutting down advertising & promotion. Take a step back, analyze & implement.

ii. Yes all experiments may be held in abeyance OR better still targeted at niche, catchment areas before being rolled out.

iii. Above all do not get into deep discounting, just because everyone is doing so. It is the worst decision to get into herd mentality.

3. Price - Be determined.

i. Sure, create a lead in price but always keep competition in mind. Studies, Analyze but never blindly follow them.

ii. A good idea would be create closer price ladders in similar products, designs.

iii. And create, increase opportunities for standard pricing across designs, sub brands, collections.

4. Proposition

i. Communication is the key here. During tough times, customers look for a tangible benefit & hence imperative to give them a good - great value proposition.

ii. Also deliver a much higher perceived value by add on and other related adjacencies.

5. People - recognize, own, connect, cherish, celebrate, reward - This goes for consumers as well as own people.

i. Take the lead in identifying changes of consumer behavior.

ii. Keep a constant & consistent dialogue about brand, product, and industry.

iii. Consolidate distribution

iv. Continue investing in the team; creating a sense of joint ownership.

v. Celebrate people’s (own & consumer) achievements.

vi. Infuse pride in people.

I am sure, there would be more points & would welcome inputs, thoughts.

The Gym at the Renaissance Club, which had seen me visiting it a couple of days a week, decided it had enough & gave way in December 2008.

With the management putting it under renovation - whatever that meant - it was back joggers park.

During this month, which also has my birthday, that was celebrated by my friends in my wife’s absence.

Coming back from her trip, hearing about the closure, she made a couple of trips without telling me; till one fine weekend in January, she took me to Fitness First - one of the most happening, latest & posh Gym this part of the town!

She had GIFTED me with a GYM membership!

Could not believe my ears & eyes……

Man…O…..Man, this was like a dream come true. Enough machines to keep one happy, steam, sauna, private classes on a whole lot of exercise & what have you!

So on 3rd of February joined the Gym! After the first couple of days of showing me around, I was told that it would be good to have a Personal Trainer - when I heard about the cost - I freaked out, almost stopped going:)

On thinking it thru, I realised that this was their Sales Technique & why should I object….Did I not tell my people to Upsell everytime someone entered the store…..

Sitting down with them, explained in no unclear terms my requirements & goals (short term 3-6 months)

• to be enthusiastic to attend the Gym 4-5 days a week
• to have a treadmill & cycle free, where beginning with 5-7 minutes, reach upto 20 minutes each.
• to initiate basic free hand exercises for arms & legs to get the stiffness (thanks to the ligament tears) rotating out.
• to build stamina; followed by strength
• finally lose weight.

This was drawn up & we began………

Some observations during the month…….

• 80% of the people attending the Gym do not need to attend, but spend the maximum time there.
• Most of the trainers are good, however 1on1 training is where there is maximum focus.
• The facilities are extremely good, well maintained.
• 20% of the people attending the Gym do need to attend & thanks to the ambiance start spending more time.
• Everyone drinks different protein shakes & what have you.

Status End of February:

Attended 20 days.

I could do 18+10 minutes of cardio (treadmill & cycling) one day & the next day 10 minutes of treadmill followed by 2 sets of 2 legs & 2 arms free style exercises.

The Turmoil that rocked me professionally during 2007 also helped me focus on family, friends, health in no particular order.

Visited Bangalore twice during the period of 15 months, catching up with friends, Kenny, Sanjar of Panache, Sundar, amongst others.

During one of the visit, ended up with a torn ligament in the right leg….(a different story involving sanjar tells it how?).

Trying to set it right with physiotherapy, one fine evening, at Juhu Natural, managed to twist my other leg & hand, thanks to BMC open gutter…..

So whilst the orthopedic surgeon wanted to avoid, any invasive surgery etc., bed rest was the only solution, leading to a weight gain still.

In the meantime, somebody had recommended Naini Setalvad & another dietitian; both whom did not last more than a month, for different reasons.

It was in August 2008. 16 August to be precise, when during my wife’s birthday, I decided to write down what I wanted to do & how I would do it…..

Having met, visited so many experts; read about it, a couple of facts stared me in the face….

1) The subconscious is an internal thermostat controlling success level. If it does not believe in loosing the weight, no diet can reduce weight.

2) Irrespective of what you eat….it is the quantity that matters.

3) Irrespective of your diet control, you need to exercise.

Then the process started…..

Exercise:

I started going to the Jogger’s Park, parking the car & walking….initially slowly, dragging myself for 5-10 minutes & then collapsing on a bench. Finally managed to get up to a decent continuous 15 minutes!

Then, loosing interest, went to the Gym at the club where I was a member. Was reasonably regular, 4 days a week, doing 10 minutes of treadmill & 10 minutes of cycling.

Diet:

From September 2008, I started eating 5-6 times a day

8-9 am     Breakfast 1 Cup of Tea with 11/2 Khakhra or 5 Marie biscuits

11 am       4-5 walnuts/Rasins/Fruit

12.30-1   Lunch - 2 Roti, dry veg, dal, dahi

4-5.30     Fruit - apple, pineapple etc./Sandwich

8.30 - 9   Dinner - Soup/Subway/Idli/Eggs/Tandoori Chicken/Fish

Drinks came down to maybe once a week, then also only staunch whiskey with water.

Cultivated eating something before going out/drinks.

Made an exception on Sunday, where I allowed myself a vada or shared a pizza against earlier couple of vadas & pizza.

Oh! Yes, from 2 bottles of thumsup/coke a day, gave it up nearly except maybe once a fortnight or similar.

Water consumption went up from a couple of glasses to 1.5 litres.

During this enforced rest, did everything I wanted to……..

Having gone grey since I was 22/23 years old (hereditary to an extent & circumstances:)) finally decided to stop contributing to L’oreal’s bottomline & went Bald, realising that the new Salt & Pepper was the In thing:)

George Clooney, I was not, but the Change had begun & was visible.

I have never been an athlete in my Life! though would always be on the playground, trying to be one.

I have never played sports in my Life! though played a bit of cricket, learnt a bit of football.

I have always been finicky about food - i.e. loved the good food,  but only cooked in a specific manner, at specific places etc.

I am a vegetarian who also eats non vegetarian:) but regularly irregular. I started eating chicken in 1981/82 maybe once in a month or so. Fish in 1990, with red meat once in a couple of months maybe! And this is primarily outside when entertaining or being entertained.

And learnt the Shotokan style of Karate (Brown Belt) for a couple of years.

Post college, work started, moved across India, traveling, so on! With the rapid growth on the professional level, came the sedentary life style, with the industry change, came more luxurious travel, entertainment so much so that for a couple of years lived out of the suitcase.

When traveling tried the delicacies there & then when back, wanted home cooked food that the wife made……AND the photographs say it better…….

Sedentary lifestyle; Partying; Entertainment did me in, so to speak.

During this period of 1988 to 2007 I had tried out the following:

1) Talwalkars’s in Mumbai during 1996-97…..on the recommendation of Mehul but the travel(which made it difficult to be regular) & the insipid trainer (who helped strain my back with his enthusiasm) put paid my gymming.

2) Anjali Mukherjee during the same period & 2000 when I consulted her & she in turn consulted me:) And Yes there were changes, however the near drastic lifestyle changes did not sit well with me, so left it at that.

Magar Abhi toh Picture shuru hua hai mere dost!!!!

One hand of help,
One word of sympathy,
One act of humanity,
One smile of charity,
One message a week-
can change someone’s Mood & Life for the week. Have a good one!

I had become a member of ryze.com way back in 2004 after receiving umpteen invites as is the wont when some new fad takes over.

Whilst I am not completely technologically challenged, I prefer my Networking to be off line, face to face….you probably get the point.

However, I attended a couple of Business Mixers as they are called offline, the first one being in Bandra on the corner of hill road opp. Globus. There were some 70+ people (if my memory serves me right). Meeting them, exchanging cards & more improtantly thoughts, views the evening flew past - never managed to try out the starters & just barely managed to have a drink.

Over the next 2 years, attended other mixers - bindas bol; rum mixxa - but they were more fun evenings rather than really networking so to speak.

Business Networking Mixers happened pretty regularly & attended them, never for a moment looking at them as a business opportunity, more to socialize, observe people, understand the entrepreneurial bent of mind - since most of them were that..

Met people like Unni, Rajesh, Ranten, Ian, Soeb, Sailesh the SAI, Jiten, Venkatesh, Lalit, Ivan, and others too numerous to name, though remember most of them except the ones I don’t need to.

As we became friends, maybe did business together, if relevant, started an informal off line network MNDFCK - read about it here & here. BUT they became an important part of my Rolodex.

2006 onwards till March 20, 2009 I was completely off Ryze, its Mixers & what have you. There were a variety of reasons for this:

• Too many mixers - most of them sub sets - you ended up meeting the same people, chewing the same fat - not worth the time & effort.
• Too many groups, sales pitches & not enough substance.

AND my personal Peeve!

As one of the few people who worked for an Organization, I became the target - the moment I walked in - a lot of people became extremely pushy - trying out their aggro sales pitch - give them your card finally & they immediately asked for your mobile number/direct number etc. And then without even understanding the position would start badgering you for something you already had, did not need or could not help them.

• Just a presentation about something completely irrelevant (hello! first research the needs)
• Use your name, when they met someone in the organization (don’t allow my family to do this)
• Used you as a reference without checking with you (the bane of my existence)
• Friend, Relative introduction to you or for you (Don’t I have enough of my own???) And so on.

All this was as if they were doing you a favor!!! (as if I need one without asking for it) When you did not entertain, promptly start bad mouthing you.

During the time I went off Ryze also; I heard, learnt from the Network Owners of the losses they incurred because of people who promised, did not turn up & did not pay!! irrespective of the announcement etc.

A couple of weeks back, I received a message on FaceBook from Unni about a Mixer. Ignored it for the most, though circulated it around. Got some responses also….I have urgent meetings; Flying that night; travelling; is the price not too expensive; how many will come….most of these I ignored:)

How many will come? Go register & find out!!!

Expensive - Yes! for those who are going to measure ROI instantly. Attending for the first time with lot of expectation. For others, who commit & never attend how does it matter? And because there has to be a commitment on number of people to be given, the expense goes up!

A couple of days, speaking to Unni on some other matter, he said why have you not registered?? forcing me to get off the fence & say AYE…..

And so the evening began…..Pictures tell the story…..but some observations……

40 confirmed & 22 maybes = 32 attended, (out of which 8-10 were gate crashers) with a variety of out landish excuses thrown in or phone un reacheable, by the others.

Felt like a Private Party.

Quite a number of new people around, some of them extremely enthusiastic, so much so somebody had printed special visiting card.

Were unable to understand some pitches.

Guess food could be had at leisure & there was enough for everyone.

AND YES! the organisers made a substantial LOSS

Some offered to share the losses which was gracefully refused!

However, this has not diminished Unni’s passion! He has committed himself to a June Mixer that has some value proposition & would like it to be smaller.

Have been meaning to try this out for a long time. Got an opportunity yesterday. Passing through, stopped for a while. Reading the menu….decided to try out the only thing that makes it strongly Bong for me.

Egg/Chicken Roll - Ordered one. The chicken was heated, the rolls were created fresh from flour & 3 different sauces were put in, before it being handed over. The chicken was succulent, the sauces nice; but tame for me….I need more vinegar chilly…but good enough.

Then got to talking with ATIF the young owner, who says all of them are from Kolkatta & asked me to try out Biryani etc.

However, had to promise him that would order in during the course of the week, he also promised that for a minimum order of 150/- he would deliver to four bungalows.

Before leaving, took some photographs that may not be good since they were from a phone camera.

And noticed one thing that, the delivery boy took a long time to deliver close by; so till the logistics are not worked out, would prefer to eat there (a problem since no space to sit except a couple of stools) or pick it up personally.

Shop No. S-5/A-13, BMC Colony, Link Road, Opposite Mega Mall, Oshiwara, Andheri (W), Mumbai
Phone 32075574, 9702007569