Today’s Facts:

• Big house but small family.
• More degrees but less common sense.
• Advanced medicine but poor health.
• Touched Moon but neighbour untouched
• High income but less peace of mind.
• High IQ but less emotions.
• Good knowledge but less wisdom. &
• Lot of humans but less humanity.

This is something I had read some years ago, in the book ‘Execution’ by Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan (confirmed by Soeb yesterday) followed it ever since, quite successfully.

1) Know your people & your business
2) Insist on Realism
3) Set clear Goals & Priorities
4) Follow Through
5) Reward the Doers
6) Expand People’s capabilities
7) Know Yourself

During the past 1 year have had occasion to travel by Rail a couple of times.

My experience with their website has been good & bad, more to do with connectivity, traffic issues, I would guess. But I was thankful that at least the booking could be done from the safety of my office/home with options that I could play around with.

However, the call center service really blew me off on all counts.

• Picked up promptly every time
• Pleasant modulated voices
• Knew answers or how to get them
• Helpful when you sounded confused

All those which maybe some years ago were not expected from the Railways. Did Laloo Yadav do it, I do not know, neither do I need to know.

The fact remained that they consistently delivered what I required. On the other hand my Cell phone company, credit card company are supposedly more sophisticated hire only MBA’s yada yada but do not please me!

This has been a major irritant to me for the past 10 years or more, particularly since when the so called automation has taken place.

Earlier the complaint had been bad handwriting, carbon paper amongst other things, but everyone thought computers would change it.

However, invoices started looking nice, since they were printed on Thermo Sensitive Paper (Fax paper to the uninitiated) which over a period faded. The terms & conditions said you needed to carry the Receipt for exchange!

So, there you have a classic scenario created by the Indians, for the Indians! Read the rest of this entry »

FINAL CLOSURE UPDATE October 20,2009 3.30 pm :

Personal Details - (Personal+ Professional+FB+Linkedin etc)

Email    500 x .50

Texts 300 x .50

Blog & Calls 180 x 5.00

Gifts 8 x 100

Total Rs. 2100/- Rupees Two thousand one hundred only.

Tuesday October 20, 2009

Mission Accomplished. #deepwish finally raised Rs55,000 for Goonj. Rupees fifty five thousand only. Say it again. Rs55,000. Wow.

43 people. 36 hours. 64.75 per wish = Rs 30,821. On Twitteristan. Those were the effort of 42 people on per tweet basis.

Then there are some silent do-gooders, who prefer not to reveal their names. They have given a lumpsum of Rs24,179 for #deepwish.

Read the rest of this entry »

Infiniti Mall, New Link Road, Lokhandwala, Andheri (W), Mumbai

Sirf Thali!

I had planned to visit this last year when the fire in Infinity Mall ensured everything was shut for months together, giving me no chance.

Diwali Lunch for the last 10 odd years has always been a Thali Lunch, trying out different places. Read the rest of this entry »

Shop No.1, Royal Classic, New Link Road, Andheri (W), Mumbai

Quite Good

Tried the French Loaf out first in Pune….I loved the sandwiches & my daughter their cakes.

So decided to try out the panini sandwich here, perfect except the price - somehow not really VFM.

The small pack of mawa cakes is also exorbitantly priced.

The partries, puff, pattice are lovely as are the whole grain bread.

Shop No. 16, Link Palace Building, Lokhandwala, Andheri (W), Mumbai

By the Slice

Extremely close by, meaning to try it out. So my daughter went to pick up the menu. Did not want to end up eating a full each, luckily they had Slices - quite a nice idea.

Ordered two slices of Margherita(classic pizza with mozzarella & basil) & Marinara (Tomato, garlic & fresh oregano) with a portion of cheesy garlic bread with dip.

Margherita - Crisp base with just the perfect cheese spread & basil tinge.

Marinara - Tomatoes were fine, better than pizza hut etc. but garlic pods! guess they have yet to discover garlic crusher & unfortunately the base was not crisp enough.

Cheesy bread was ok, whilst the dip was amazing, thick with taste buds exploding.

Expense - approx Rs. 200/- worth it. Definitely need to try their other pizzas & pastas

9, Standard House, Opp. J. W. Marriott Hotel, Juhu Tara Road, Juhu, Vile Parle (W), Mumbai

Simbly Thali

Started some years ago as a ’simbly’ thali restaurant with fair amount of custom. Changed in between to Bar & Restaurant that also serves Thali. A good combination for those not wanting only gujju/rajasthani thali but want to have a couple of beers or a drink. The thali taste remains reasonably authentic for most of the items and service is pretty decent.

“Circumstances do not make a man, they reveal him”