Arrival of a bundle of joy!!!

Well for starters its been a while since I even logged onto my blog...If you are wondering what was the reason, let me tell you...there was action on both professional & personal fronts. Got promoted at both ends! While on the professional front I moved on from Idea Cellular to join AirAsia as Country Marketing Manager for India & Sri Lanka, the most amazing thing which happened over the last 3 months or so was on the personal front.

We (Reema & myself) became proud parents of a baby boy on 09.10.11!!! Its been hardly couple of weeks and its still sinking in. Friends and family all over have just two things to say- Congratulations & 'Welcome to parenthood & long nights'...Its already happening. While parenthood is a reason for celebration for everybody around the world, its even more special for us because we both have gone through a lot- both on the personal and professional front...living through the dream all these days!

And finally the D day arrived. Thanks to modern science we were able to select a date. While it was auspicious keeping our parents' wishes in mind, we stumbled upon a date which would be 'cool' to write / speak about! Well you are right- our baggage of being in advertising / marketing has a lot to do with it. Finally at 07:30 hrs or so Reema did come out of the operation theatre (you won't believe how many Hollywood / Bollywood moments have played out in my dreams over the last year or so waiting for this day) with a huge ear to ear smile proclaiming "It's a boy." This brought an extra wide smile on appa & amma's faces too given after a grand daughter (my brother had a baby girl in Jan this year) they were praying for one! Soon all three of us, appa, amma and myself pulled our mobile phones to make calls to close friends and releatives to share the good news.

Meeting my Son!

ALmost 3 hours after the delivery the doors of the operation theatre opened to anxiously waiting parents, grand parents & other relatives. The doctor came out with a baby proclaiming 'Carnic - Reema' to which I walked up with a broad smile as if I was getting on the podium of F1 championship! And there he was...cute, fair, tiny, soft, innocent and ofcourse wondering about the 'new' world around him! A few moments later we handed him back to the caring hospital staff and went back to Reema's room all smiles

Announcing to the world!

While on the family front almost all our close relatives knew, we really hadn't told any of our friends...call it superstition, call it anxiousness or call it a surprise! While calling them all had an expression of surprise and glee. SMSes followed the calls. And a couple of days later I posted the news followed by photographs. More wishes arrived!

What do we name him??

We both did the customary search on google.com and also asked our parents and a few relatives to do the search. The brief was simple...the name has to be unheard of in the real world and in the online space...A few options did come which were unique. But then given our background and cultures we had to put the added filter of ' the name should be understood by both families'...We did finalise a few names and put up for voting (yeah crazy right). Wondering what his name is? Well we have narrowed down but not finalized yet!!! Will let you all know soon...

Over the last 12 days life has settled down around taking care of 'him'.... After all he is the bundle of joy we have been eagerly waiting for!!!

Sights & Sounds of Marina (Beach, Chennai)

Appa & amma are currently visiting us in Chennai. The weekdays fly in attending to the pressures at work. Sometimes it gets so hectic that am left with just enough energy to come home have my dinner and crash. And just about recover in the morning to rush back to work. As a result weekends are ‘recovery time’. This leaves amma at home through the day mostly bored.
So we decided to go out for a ride and stroll. With Chennai offering very limited options we headed to the largest and most popular of places during the weekend – The Marina Beach! Over the last year or so have visited several times. As soon as we reached amma recollected her days in Chennai over 3 decades back! Looking at the harbor she recollected the times when appa-amma came back from the Andamans by ship. Being a Sunday the beach was extra-crowded.

Every time I step out I wonder if I should carry my camera along and mostly decide against. This time I did the same too…soon to regret it. The sights and sounds of the Marina Beach were simply eye-catching – horse-riding, nomads performing rope tricks, traditional parakeet-aided future tellers, kids flying kites, rifle shooting, vendors selling sweet meats and finally scores of people taking a dip as the waves of the Bay of Bengal hit the shore. I look around as Reema asks me to estimate the crowd around which I estimate to be around 5-7000. Luckily I had my Nokia E75 camera coming to the rescue to capture these vivid images.

After a bit of strolling we settled down on the edge of the waves to soak in the gentle breeze…Sun god was kind enough to play hide and seek with the clouds. I wished we had a backpack with us…would have pulled out the rug and had a quick nap!
Couple of hours passed by…It was getting dark and skies had signs of rainfall. While I would have loved to stay longer, we left to get back home. With hours left for the weekend to end I was already thinking of another week ahead…Wondering that ‘Life has become part of work rather than the other way round’!

In the name of LIBERAL UPBRINGING

It was Saturday, October 25th and I was at the Mumbai airport trying to catch a flight to Raipur enroute to Rayagada. As I had a long day at work on Friday, I managed to hit the bed only at around 4.30 am. Inspite of this I managed to get up, pack my bags and leave by 11. Given the flight was going full thanks to Diwali I was at the airport almost 4 hours prior to flight departure.

Having skipped my breakfast I was feeling a bit hungry and walked into the Cafe Coffee Day outlet with the dual idea of having a bite and spending some time. Not surprisingly that place is very very expensive and strictly not recommended but then there are no options. After going through the menu I ordered a non-vegetarian club sandwich and a strawberry milk shake. While I waited for the stuff to arrive I browsed through the days newspapers and watched some TV. Looking around what caught my attention was a family of four sitting right in front of me. Husband, wife and 2 kids - a boy roughly 7-8 years old and a bespectacled girl 5-6 years old. They seem to have already ordered what they wanted. And while they were waiting for that to come the boy was speaking to his parents while the more bubbly girl was playing around with her brother and alone.

As I was getting restless with the delay in my order, I was zapped to see one of the CCD guys carrying a bottle of beer and 2 mugs to this family!!! As the kids looked on curiously he poured it into the mugs, the parents said cheers and had a swig. My eyes were parked on the kids...while the girl was still at her antics, the boy was curiously looking at both his parents, their mannerisms, the bottle, the mug, the swigs etc. I was just wondering that while his parents today are boasting of their liberal upbringing today, I don't think they will be too happy to see him ape these qualities when he is 17-18. As all others of that age he will probably start it without them knowing and by the time his parents come to know it may be probably too late. I hope somebody tells them that kids ape a lot of their parents mannerisms!!!

The parents am sure get lot of other opportunities to have a swig...they why in front of kids? All in the name of liberal upbringing!!!!

CLICK - The experience

October 2nd. It was a relatively quieter day with less traffic and I left with my colleague for office. After a not so great day at office and whatever followed, we finally left for home. After finishing dinner I went with Praveen (my colleague @ Kingfisher Airlines) to his residence. We sat watching TV. After the usual zapping we settled to watch an Adam Sandler - Kate Beckinsale flick titled 'Click' (got to know the name a little later). Warning: What follows is not a movie review.

It’s a story of a guy who’s happy go lucky what with him laying his hands on a Universal remote which will control his universe. He started using it to make his fantasies real, then forward things he was not too excited about etc etc. With nothing better coming on TV we continued watching. And soon we were into it completely. What kept us gripped is a simple, entertaining storyline which is a trademark of all Adam Sandler movies. While he's happy with the remote and the advantages he has he soon realises life is running too fast and soon getting out of hand. Daughter has grown up and goes partying, wife's got grey hair etc. In another fast forward his wife has married another person and he’s in the hospital for obesity treatment...another fast forward and his dad is no more. And some sequences later he's himself on his death bed. His kids meet him at the hospital upset and move on. Worried that he may never meet them again he runs out of the hospital and ultimately dies amidst his ex-wife and kids. And there was a timely commercial break after that. Expecting movie credits after the break we both wondered what the flick was all about...was it an Adam Sandler movie etc etc. We were in for a surprise. After the break we see Sandler happily sleeping in a big retail outlet. He suddenly wakes up to realise all that has happened to him was a big dream. Happy that he's still alive...happy that he still has his parents around him, happy that his kids are still as young as they were before, happy that his wife was still next to him he’s overcome with joy.

The whole sequence also makes him and along with him the audience realise that he got a second chance to enjoy life. And not let it slip by.

After a hectic day we, Praveen & me watched a movie which was...I wonder what would the right words be...amazing? thought provoking? inspirational? As many thoughts flicker around we both discussed that in a short span we were made to realise what was happening around us. In all a very simple yet beautiful movie. Would recommend it to all of you who haven’t seen it yet.

Just hope to keep it in the back of my mind and approach life accordingly.

Value for money - II

Its 05.05 am and am at the new and much touted Bangalore International Airport to catch a 06.50 am flight to my karmabhoomi - Mumbai! Wonder why? Value of money!!! Seriously. After a 3 day trip to namma Bengalooru courtesy an important business meeting, 3 days which flew away like probably 3 hours it was time again to pack! Hope this ends soon at least the frequency.

The whole of Friday went in the meeting, post which managed to catch up with an old colleague and good friend for a coffee. Updated each other on personal & professional life and future plans. Then went home and hopefully surprised my better half. Something which I'm somehow not good at. Dozed off in a jiffy to wake up only at 10 am. Haven't slept like that in a long time. Powercut saw wifey not able to make fish curry as she had planned. After some food from outside pushed off to Lintas ( the word itself brings a stream of memories happy & sad) to meet another old colleague and very good friend, Rajiv Chatterjee. Its been almost 3 years since we worked together but managed to keep in touch on & off. Spent a good 4 hours with him again discussing personal & professional lives. Went home had grub and crashed.

Sunday!

Had a full day to go but the early morning flight and the pains which come with were already playing on my mind. With power being kind enough wifey got busy preparing a quick breakfast and the fish which was overdue. Meanwhile I got busy working on official research. Was happy to spend some quality time and managed to get some really interesting info. In the evening we met up with a couple - Anjali and Santosh, good friends of ours. The venue was Firangi Pani. Post snacks when it was our turn to order dinner I was rather zapped to see a Roomali roti (for that matter all other rotis) costing Rs. 45!!! In all these years and all those eateries, big, small & fampous I have never hand such an expensive roti. Wondering whether it was really worth it, I ordered one. Soon I finished our dinner and went home wanting to have a quick nap.

Back to the airport

Given my flight timing, had 3 options, share cab pick up at 3.30, walk about 500 meters for a bus @ 3.30 am or order a cab for 5 am. The third option was ruled out given it would have costed Rs. 800 and not really worth it. Share cab for the same timing costing Rs. 400 was also ruled out. Decided to take the 3.30 am bus. Got ready by 2.45 am and walked to the pick up spot by 3.15 am. Had already spoken to the bus driver informing him about my travel. Bus was there at 3.30 am and within an hour I was at the airport. Feeling a bit hungry I proceeded towards Barista. By the side was another place offering Indian food, from steamed idlis and medu vadas to pav bhajis & biriyanis. I decided to go for a good old hot pongal. Hot it hardly was, over that it costed Rs. 90! Pongal for Rs. 90!!!! Medu vada sambar for Rs. 90! The bouncer was idli -sambar for Rs. 90!!!!!!!!!!!! If yesterday was about the most expensive roomali roti, today was the day of most expensive Pongal!!!

100 rupee notes don't have a value anymore. 500 & 1000 rupee notes go off in a jiffy...almost. If a salary of 5000 Rs. was not enough in 1999 so is a salary of Rs. 50,000 and more today. And in the race to make a decent living, time is flying, hair's turning grey faster and I think am increasingly missing the whole point of 'You have only one life, enjoy it as much as you can'....

Value of a Rupee!

Born into a family of farmers, both my parents had an upbringing in a rural backdrop. Appa took to engineering diplomat and followed it by joining the Indian Air Force. Amma did her B. Sc in Mathematics. Situations didn't allowed her to study further. Even in the Air Force appa had a humble beginning. I still rather vividly remember the stories both appa & amma told us (me & my younger brother) about their upbringing and along with it the value of a rupee.

These stories were repeated right through our childhood and our upbringing. While it may sound like we know these stories by heart but still we would listen to them with the same amount of enthusiasm & eagerness. When on our summer vacation both appa & amma will show us places they stayed, played and studied...the trail they followed to their school and college etc etc.

Right from our early days we were taught to value money. We both also realised how they have and are struggling to give us a good life. We would never complaint about anything...never ask for anything unduly. I still remember I would ensure the stationery would be used wisely..would take care of my shoes to make them last for almost 3 years etc etc. Every year after the half yearly and annual exams the gift was an outing and lunch at Haldiram Bhujiyawala (Nagpur). We did well in our studies. In my 6th standard appa got me a BSA SLR bicycle which was with me for the next 7 years!!! And appa-amma would be happy to note that. During summer vacation whenever we visited our relatives as a custom we would be given money which we promptly would give to appa telling him to deposit in our accounts and give to us when we ask for it :)

If am not mistaken it was in 10th standard that we started getting pocket monies. And my first pocket money was a Rupee. Initially I was not keen on taking it but then I took it. Would buy tit bits or chocolates once in a while as otherwise this money would get collected. Amma would be surprised that once in a while I would spend 10-15 rupees on some household expense and curiously ask where it came from. She would be very touched to realise that its the pocket money which appa gave us. In 11th standard the pocket money became 2 rupees. And that year I remember came an icecream-walah who would sell rose bars for a 50 np and milk cream bar for Rs. 1.50. I would save up money to buy the milk cream bar on alternate days.

Growing up I always noted that appa used to meticulously note down the day's expenses, category wise... item wise. When on his trips he would make a note in small pieces of paper and then enter them in his diaries once hes back. I would ask the purpose and he would sit down and explain the importance of keeping track. Growing up I somehow always thought it was a waste of time....at least the detailing. I would jokingly ask what would be the spends on tomatoes in his married life and he would claim he can give an answer! Appa always wanted me to have the habit. I would never bother...

Soon I finished my graduation and shortly my MBA, both from Madurai. I started my career at Lintas, Bangalore at a small salary. At that stage Appa always (even now) had only one thing to say...work hard, earn well, spend wisely. Given I was only 22 yrs old I always thought let me become serious about money & life from the time I was 25. Time flew and I was 25. And I did taking life a bit seriously but failed. Salaries started increasing as years went by and so did my expenditures, though I was not the spendthrift types. I somehow couldn't do the 'send half the salary home at the starting of the month'. But yes, I managed to send money once in a while which will at least take care of all the investments on my behalf. And then salaries were never good...they are not even now.

Now am 31, married, with a different sent of aspirations, ambitions, dreams etc etc. After a great struggle I managed to push myself to the limits and invest in a flat. My wife, Reema has stood right next to me in all this. I know she has her own dreams and aspirations, which she of course doesn't share. And with the funds becoming tight is when I started realising the value of every rupee. Days and months of proper planning went into purchasing of the flat. And that had to be followed by strict financial control...I wish I had done it before...but then its OK. Its never too late as they say.

As I was putting my thought down I was constantly reminded of the AIG TV commercial 'Kid - meri pehli salary'!

Today am at a stage of life where I value a rupee much more than I would before...