The Gourmet in me…

I am a foodie. I am amused at how by mixing the same ingredients, you can create a different genre of food every time. Even though I do not enjoy cooking much; I love cooking non-vegetarian. Anything else would hardly make me go weak in knees as much as the chicken Frankie and rolls and fish curry. This made me to account few of the Indian delicacies which I had two years ago when I was on one awesome journey to explore the rustic India. I need not praise more; how scrumptious and flavorsome Indian food is. It’s already popular amongst people in the West and European countries. At last, every Indian would be in agreement with me on this. So here are the few amongst many in the menu of Indian cuisine.

1.    Maharashtra

Maharashtra, being my home state, I have grown-up having all the maharashtrain food, which is really healthy, and spicy? Well talk about spiciness and you have your tongue dancing after few seconds of having few chutneys and mutton curry. But if you the first-time visitor, here’s what you should try:

Puranpoli

Thalipeeth

Vada pao

“Varan-bhaat” (dal and rice) with lemon juice and pure ghee

Mumbai’s street pav-bhaji and pulao

2.      Goa

I had been to Goa just after my twelfth exams, with my CA coaching class trip. Beaches though not that beautiful now, were the influence for having hot and fresh fish curry. Goan fish curry is one of my favorites.

Vindaloo

Stir fried fish curry.

3.    Karnataka

Though I did not get a chance to particularly roam and eat kannadiga dishes, they were served on train. Dosa is easily available now-a-days and hence I am not referring to it as special food one should try when visiting the state.

Bisi bele bhaat

Mysore paak amongst sweet

4.       Kerala

Kerala is scenic as well as rustic. I have visited Kerala twice. And both the times I had sweet tasting coconut water with the coconut being almost the size of one huge watermelon.

Payasam is another dish

Organic coffee

5    Tamilnadu

With kannyakumari at its tip there’s a variety of food available like as the water. The confluence of Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and the Indian ocean.  Our train was halted at the Chetpet station for a day and was leaving late at 11pm from Chennai; I had Chicken chettinada in one of the shops on rail junction itself. Super tasty and filling. It would have been difficult for me if it wouldn’t be for one of friends to communicate with the shopkeeper. He wouldn’t understand my actions to give only the chicken curry and two rotis. Pongal was served for breakfast on train and rassam bhaat for dinner.

6.       Andrapradesh

When I think about Andrapradesh, all that comes to my mind is primarily the Nizams and fantastic delicacies they prepared. One of the best places to have biryanis in India. My friend who lives in Hyderabad was to leave the train as she had her doctorate exams in few days since then. And she was so generous to get me pack of Hyderabadi biryani from “Bavarchi’s”. The three main all time preferred places for biryanis’ in Hyderabad: - Bavarchi, Paradise and Baadshah. Though, any place you go in Hyderabad has the tastiest biryani ever made. Like literally. I have had it from the station shop the next year I went and also dared to have hyderabadi Pani Puri from the most unhygienic places one would dare to eat- immediately outside the station from the thellas. Lucky I took preventive medicines throughout my journey.

7.       West Bengal

During our travelling through Jamshedpur we were served Mishit doi - a sweet which a true Bengali would have it like crazy!

8.       Uttar-Pradesh

What more than the appetizing and aromatic lucknowi pulav and kebabs, biryanis’ and lucknowi chaat! We don’t get chaats’ like here in Maharashtra. May it be Mumbai then! I still remember   two of my friends had gone on a side trip on their own and while coming back got our group haldiram's dahi and lassi! Wonderful!

9.       Delhi

Delhi, being the capital city, one will find every type of cuisine there. Though chaat again is a specialty. People in Maharashtra are now gaining to know about preparing chaat and all. They try but it’s far from what the authentic chaat would taste like. For e.g., they say “bhel-puri” but there’s no “puri” only except in Mumbai.

10.   Rajasthan

Daal-baati is the plate you should look for in the menu. Actually you need not. It’s omnipresent in Rajasthan.  The most amazing part is when the ghee vessel is almost turned upside down! I didn’t like it much but anyways! And paani puri! Original place for puchkas’.

11.   Gujarat

Ah, Gujarat! This becomes my native place if you literally go by the meaning of “native”. Gujarati food is included in my daily meal as much as Maharashtrian food is included. And I love it nonetheless.

Khandvi

Handwo

Phaphda-chutney (normally papaya chutney goes awesomely with phaphdas)

Daal dhokli is again one of my favorite

And paani puri. When I am in Ahmedabad or Baroda or jaiselpur/jaitalmer, paani-puri is the only food I live on. Unlike here in Maharashtra, the paani-puri wala bhaiyya counts on the number of puris and not as per one plate. And its all the more fun having them with friends when we have competitions with each other.

Havmor’s ice creams are the ones you should not miss.

Ice-golas near law garden and ice-cream fares in the night in Rajkot!!

The Prejudice...

…It was pre-dawn.  The skyline had a beautiful azure due to the overnight drizzling; A chill in the usual breeze and a peculiar silence in her room. The book was lying open through the page she was reading last night. An I-pod was lying still on her computer desk. A bowl of her usual snacks of peanuts and jaggery was claimed by ants till now. A glass of water half full residing just besides it. And there she slept on her chest with her black and grey checkered boxers and a simple white sleeveless t-shit.  It has been quite a while since she had a peaceful sleep. Each night it would be one more effort for her to fall asleep. And today, was no different. She twitched, and then turned sides. Her eyes were sore.  She laid there with apathy and a blank mind. The moment her mind wandered, it nestled onto one person- HIM. The sole reason of her state right now. Person who had made her like that. He; who made her cry like a baby; crying yet cannot explain why. And yet she was invariably in love with him. No matter what he did, she couldn’t agree to hate him.  The thought flowed from the memories back to one single question, she had thought of almost every single day: Why does she love him? There was not a single prominent quality in him that she liked. Neither had she liked his persona nor any of his attributes. But she loved him. Crazy, one would definitely say. Even she thought it was pointless and crazy. Yet there was something…something which was not easy to know of, which was holding her back. Not as if she did not strive to move on. It was practical. After about 4 years of so-called relationship and continuous fights between them due to different temperaments; usually more aggressive just because till that time both had started to loathe the idea of talking with each other; they were practically in a cold-war nevertheless they would talk. Sometimes with I-would-prefer-dying -rather than-talk –with-you periods between them. This usually meant avoiding each other for few months and eventually end up talking again. And the odd part was she didn’t know if he is normally that psycho or just behaving like one. She didn’t know any of the things which were going on currently with her, or which happened to her. She just wanted to be relieved. Relieved from the heaviness of the heart. Relieved from the melancholy of the emotions. The unmanageable tension and her pregnant thoughts day in and day out. But where was the answer? What was that one thing that behold her from being happy?  She knew that happiness is within oneself and all that and she tried everything but in vain. It was first blush by the time she was back to her consciousness of her vicinity. Her mom had called her from the kitchen for morning tea, wiping her tears she went with a bright smile on her face.

Bucketful of Wishes...

Empire state building at dusk.

US.Open

Everyone has a list, plan or at least an idea of what they want to do, achieve or even not to do. Precisely, life does not blossom to everyone as they perceive and is one bizarre river winding through blinded turns. Every moment we wish, if the situation would not have been what just happened or else should have happened. And I tell you, it’s damn difficult to remember each of our desires, especially when there are thousands on the list :D So here’s to my bucket list. Looking forward that I will achieve at least, if not all J


1.      Become a CA.

2.     Buy a bungalow for my parents.

3.      Get a job in one of the big four.

4.     Visit Darjeeling, Jammu-kashmir and Andaman-Nicobar islands in India.

5.     Travel around Paris with my spouse.

6.     Become a CPA

7.     If time and circumstances prevail, get a MBA from Harvard, Wharton or GGU.

8.    Do a charity to orphanage and old age homes from my earned money.

9.     Support a child for its education

Santa Clara

10. Appear on the TV. (in 2008, while at Kanyakumari, panel discussion with Dr. R.A. Mashalkar, he had a chat with me on the dious.; Kishore Chaukar as well)

11.  Travel to Spain, Italy, and London.

12. Travel to United States of America and probably settle there.

13. Buy houses in Santa Clara :D, Pennsylvania and New York.

Summer Solstice

14. Travel to Australia.

15. Experience a solar solstice in Alaska.

16. Have a place equipped with what I want, at my hometown.

17. Go for a mini world tour (few of the selected places) with my parents, my spouse, and my in-laws :D

18.Visit the most number of cities and places in the world. E.g.: Rio de Janerio, LA, long beach, Florida, Malaysia, Phuket and surrounding islands...etc... You think the list would end here?!

19. Do water rafting.

20.  Able to hear others thoughts for a day.

21. Able to read others’ mind’s for a week :D

22.  Able to go into meditation like that of the saints.

23. Hold shares on my own wealth and see them making it large.

24. Street-perform a musical song with a band.

25.  Meet, Roger Federer, Sachin Tendulkar, Shahrukh khan, Ratan Tata, Rafael Nadal.

26.  Out of body experience

27.Fly in a hot air balloon in Las Vegas.

28. Learn to gamble and try my luck the Bond way at Las Vegas.

29. Have a vacation in Vegas and say “ what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” :P

30. Learn a new language: may be Spanish or Bengali after French.

31. Start my own practice as a CPA or CA J

32. Learn a few dance styles.

33. Learn to play guitar.

34. Give a surprise to someone.

Pune at Twilight

35. Go for a midnight drive with friends.

36.  A candlelit dinner on a beach.

37.Organize a pool party at my place.

38. Write a book.

39. Counsel someone.

40. Make a difference in somebody’s life J

41. Have a costume theme party

42.Learn to cook my favourite meals.

43.  Conquer my biggest fear.

44. Make a difference to my country.

45. Donate blood.

46. Build a sandcastle

47.Visit the seven wonders of the world. Have visited just one for now- The Taj Mahal.

48. Go for Underwater walking.

49. Kiss dolphins and swim with them.

50. Visit a volcano.

51. Fall in love again :D

52. Stay in love forever J

53. Go on a blind date sometime :D

54. Visit a desert.

55. Meet the person I want to, but somehow couldn’t after all these years.

56. Kiss in the rain.

57.Be the highest paid employee. :D

58. Open a leisurely business

59. Open my own charity foundation.

60. Die before my parents do and my spouse do.

61. Travel in a cable car in San fransisco.

62. Go on a cruise.

63. Learn skiing

64. Learn to surf.

65. Visit Hawaii

66.  Attend a tennis match between Feedex and Nadal.

67. Attend a football match of Manchester United.

68. Go to the Oktoberfest.

69. Own a Harley-davidson

70. Own a golden retriever.

SOCIAL MEDIA : GREAT ASSET TO ONLINE BUSINESS

This One is one of my articles, which I was going to submit for my college magazine hadn't it been for my perenially gay computer and its weird and mysterious way of behaving when i need it the most. Nevertheless, now I am posting it just because I want to preserve few of my written articles.

Disclaimer: The statistical part and few of the expert analysis is not made by me. I have just collected them from few sources online and otherwise.

Social networks are vibrant and constantly evolving. Yet the fact today is that Social media is beyond adding friends and sharing status. More and more people are getting involved in this area to perk up their business.But social media doesn’t stop with sharing information and interests with other people. By gathering people who you build relationships with, you also build possible business ventures and of course build more traffic for your online business. According to Jody Nimetz, author of Marketing Jive, there are five major uses for businesses and social media: to create brand awareness, as an online reputation management tool, for recruiting, to learn about new technologies and competitors, and as a lead gen tool to intercept potential prospects.
The following are the top ten company's which made a huge revenue and ofcourse customer relationship out of social media used by them. Facebook being the premier one.

1. Coca-Cola


Coco-Cola social media case study is one of the best examples available out there. The company was also named by Slate’s The Big Money as the brand “making the best use of Facebook,” and their well-publicized Expedition 206 campaign is billed as the company’s largest social media project ever. Coco-Cola has used several ways such as blogging, sharing photos/videos, tweets, social media apps to promote their brand and achieves huge success.

2. X-Men

During the movie release of the X-Men-3, “Last Stand”, it used the social networking site to promote itself. It added that all the users who will add the X-Men profile as a peer can use certain exclusive functionality. As a result of this media plan, almost 3 million members of the myspace.com community added X-Men as peer in just 1 month. The movie got a huge opening and it became the fourth-biggest movie in box office history.

3. British Airways

The airways launched the program Open skies. This program used social media and community marketing to promote itself. It created a corporate blog to influence the globe trotters. Managing Director Dale Moss even shared a blog with the common people so that they get to know about OpenSkies development. Then he discussed about the meal service and showed people the cabin classes.

4. Dell

Dell is usually known for its cost-effective methods that it uses and so it jumped in social media to reach people. Back in December, Dell reported that offers from its Dell Outlet Twitter account has booked more than $3 million in revenue attributable to its Twitter posts. It might sound like a small percentage for a company that books $16B in revenue annually–but a nice number however, especially in a dreary economy.
5. SAP

This third largest software company in the world faced a challenge in the year 2002. It wanted to become a platform company using NetWeaver. The company had to open its platform and allow the other developers to use the platform in order to solve their business problems. The company had to interact with several developers across the globe. As a result of which, the company gained global collaboration and adoption of new SAP products increased.
6. SeaWorld

The main aim of the Journey to Atlantis social media program was to develop contact with the coaster community and bring about alertness regarding Journey to Atlantis. Influential people said that social media will give a chance for SeaWorld to make inroads. So, 22 coaster enthusiast blogs and forums were recognized during its beginning period.
7. British Telecom

Corporate intranets use social media tools to promote their interests. Unlike other companies, BT has completed web liberalization project. The company wanted all its employees to excess social media sites. According to the company, these networking sites, gives a chance to change the way our employees relate with one another, with the customers, partners and also with the suppliers.

8. Starbucks

Mystarbucks.com got to know about the company and their customers through various social sites. They also used social media in order to promote their ideas. Moreover, the company has forums where the customers can directly interact with Starbucks representatives.
9. HP

HP social media case study is another good example, HP social media managers engaged experts who work daily with customers to develop relevant marketing content grounded in true client need and real-life business issues. By combining podcasting with blogging and traditional tech-media syndication, HP now validates its messaging via an extensive buyer audience review process that yields vetted, relevant content that HP marketing can deploy in its ongoing sales and marketing efforts.

10. StackSafe

Marketing professionals use social Computing technology in order to startup a community conversation platform. It resulted in better understanding between the company and its customers.


Every other product seen on televison now a days comes with a facebook page. This shows that this social media has gained momentum by getting used as one of the major tools for marketing, advertising, research, development there on, polling, etc. it's easy to use. Just create a business page and promote it ethically. so what are you waiting for? If you are one of the business person reading this and are still unaware of such a hype going on around you; you need to log in to one of the social networking sites and join the crazy carnival out there...!

Things to do when it's raining...

1. Breathe with joy, experience it

2. Take a walk... alone

3. Go for a bike ride

4. Make pakodas

5. Switch off the fans, feel the cool breeze

6. Sip hot coffee

7. Go for a long drive with a friend

8. Stand at a highest point and sense the gushing wind

9. Lie back on the lawn

10. Play with your dog

11. Throw mud-balls

12. Go swimming

13. Sit and stare at the nature…just stare

14. Write a poem

15. If you are on the beach…run with the wild waves

16. Harvest rain water

17. Think of someone

18. Call your friend and have a chat

19. Dance like a duck gone wild

20. Sing like a frog gone wilder even than the duck

21. Stand in your college ground and get wet

22. Cry…

23. Listen to the rain drops

24. Wash up yourself if you haven’t had a bath :D

25. Watch the earth changing…

26. Go trekking

27. A cutting chai from the dhaba

28. Play music on loud

29. Louder even on your headphones

30.Do a bollywood song

31. Smell the sand

32. Appreciate the azure

33. Stop that leakage from your terrace :p

34. Enjoy the day out with your family

35.Eat ice creams and chicken

36. Scream out your heart

37.Go for a walk with your sister in a park

38. Fight with your brother in the rain

39. Play in puddles

40. Run…

41. Kiss your lover

42. Plant a sapling

43. Have a candlelit dinner when no electricity

44. Get scared

45. Be aware from the lose electric wires

46. Play a sport

47. Get bored of wearing a raincoat every time you go out

 

48. Sit wet in your lectures

49. Make paper boats :-)

50.. Last but not the least for sure; thank God for such a wonderful season…