It was a quiet afternoon and one of her favorite TV serials Shanti had just ended. There was no particular reason why it was her favourite. Of course she was captivated by Mandira Bedi's large eyes and impeccable attire. And fascinated by the lives of 'rich people' as shown on DD2. However these weren't reasons why she watched Shanti. In an odd sort of way she didn't have much choice. The only other serial during that time of the day was Swabhiman where the Tamil dubbing was worse. Well, she could have done other things; like build a toy kitchen with Cheruba (the only other pre-teen in Officers' Colony) or play running and catching with her baby-sister (who had just started kindergarden) or solve that week's crossword in The Hindu, Young World. But she chose to watch Shanti instead. If not anything, Shanti's life was richer and more exciting in all senses. After all, as a 11 year old, she better get trained to face the real world soon.
Once the serial displayed its customary 'To be continued tomorrow' message, Parvathi would spend the next half hour reading Champak or Gokulam sitting on her jula. She could never really understand why Swabhiman wouldn't immediately follow Shanthi. That half hour in the middle seemed like days. Although she preferred Shanti over the longer and weepier Swabhiman, she yearned to see the handsome face of Rishabh. At 11 years, her secret love for Rishabh was one of the most promiscuous things she had ever done. And she tried to conceal her impatience to see Rishabh on screen as she read the moral stories in Gokulam. Honestly Nancy Drew and Five Find-outers would have been her idea of 'reading' in the afternoon. However she made a conscious choice to reserve the thrillers for the night. It somehow made the entire experience more chilling. And she liked that edgy feeling...the goose-bumps on her hand when Nancy decides to explore the ranch by herself...
And so she continued on her jula, humming the Shanti title song that was stuck in her head...
2008 for me has undoubtedly been the year of travel. Beginning from New York, to New Jersey, Ohio, Miami, Orlando, Key West, Tampa, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Mexico, Los Angeles, New Orleans and now Chicago!
I was at Chicago for the labour-day weekend and Fun refused to take a break. It began with a it-is-not-so-surprising-that-it-was-delayed AA flight at 11.30 on Friday evening. On the flight, I had loads of fun reading the palms of my co-passengers and surprising them with what I could say about their past...Lol!
On Saturday morning. We headed to the world renowned Art Institute of Chicago. While the museum itself did not live up to the hype around it, I was fascinated by the intricate work of the Thorne Miniature rooms that elaborately captured the decor of European, American and a few Japanese houses from the 13th century until the 1930's.
Our next destination was something that deserves an entire post being dedicated to it. It was the musical Wicked that transported every single person in the audience from the heavily ornate Oriental Theatre to a world of wizards and witches. It is by far the most amazing live production that I have ever witnessed. I can rave about the brilliance of the actors, their costumes, and the jaw-dropping eccentricity of the props and stage. I will reserve that for another post and tell you that Wicked was simply magical!
With an entire evening to ourselves we walked the green grass of the Millenium Park, enjoyed the architecture that dominates the Chicago skyline, clicked crazy pictures at the Cloud Gate sculptute (that resembles a drop of mercury), sat on the edge of the it-cant-be-more-blue lake and dined at Kan Zaman, a very beautiful Lebanese restaurant. The night was wasted in the happy lounges of Zed and Billy Goat Tavern on Red Bull and water...As they say even fun felt like resting after a long and tiring Saturday...
I am not sure if I am in love with everything Google ever manufactured in its labs. I use gmail, orkut, blogger, yada, yada and...Chrome! It excites me! May be not as creatively as Apple does...But in a very snobbish kinda way. I love the way we download chrome, discuss how Google is going to take over the world and look at that company in awe and a biting lip!
While I am not certain if the simplicity, snobbishness and sophistication itself is creating an aura around the brand...I only know whatever it is, Google has this secret fan following and it only managed to strengthen it with Chrome..Those of us that suck up to its services and write articles on BusinessWeek that debate its recent Microsoftish monopoly games...
So you see, I can't comment on Chrome being open source or not...But I can say excitedly that I love the way the tabs open (they are cool), the way I can search in my address bar (it is making life less complicated) and I can access my favourite pages without bookmarking them! Reminds me of a class about "customer delight" long ago... (And no points for guessing that this is my first post using Google Chrome!)
Having said all this though, it is not like I am going to give up on /using Firefox so easily. Firefox has what marketers would call core competitive advantage. It has a reputation, a brand name and a strong and positive user experience that will not be easy to erode. In a very corny emotional way, I like the Mozilla's honesty better than Google's "Do no evil"!
While I ought to wait and see how Google markets Chrome, the thought of a good-bad browser war certainly excites me...
Claire Goulthorpe is a senior principal consultant with CSC and she is my mentor in graduate school. She is a fabulous person and a fitness freak. And how does she maintain work life balance? By volunteering, including teaching a high school class about how to choose a "career with a purpose". Find Claire's coffee tips below!
With recession tales on, b-school students cannot but worry about the job market. As a mentor what tips do you have to offer students? - Try to predict which industries will be booming in future, such as biotech.
- Consider how your core skills and strengths can be applied in a variety of different fields, not only the one you prefer.
- Package yourself to have "general appeal", especially with a good MBA.
Don't stress too much about possible recession. You will probably see many booms and busts in your life and you will survive them all!
A consultant's job is highly demanding. Tell me how you achieve a work/life balance.- Keeping physically healthy is very important, So I work out every day
- I request alterations to menu items to make them lighter and healthier
- Find a work out routine which you can do anywhere, such as running or strength exercises in your hotel room.
Don't become your job!
- Keep in mind there is another world out there.
A lot of us are taking up internships this summer. What is that one thing you would advice your students to take up/train etc?- Meet as many people as you can in the organization.
Branch out to departments and functions other than your own. You'll get a great understanding of their business which could make you more valuable to them, and of course raise your visibility.
And it will give you a chance to consider what other types of role might also suit you.
After much deliberation and efforts to make 'Coffee with Ash' a 10 minute video session, I have, for the moment settled for a quick coffee bite. On my debut, I invite Michelle Peluso , CEO Travelocity, for an exciting espresso shot. And remember, no questions on the impact of oil prices on the airline industry.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------We have always known her as the woman transformed Travelocity into the happy global brand it is today. Michelle Peluso is one of the most powerful and influential women in Texas and she hates soft beds...Alternate Career
Well...if not for the travel business, may be I would have been in politics.
Biggest 'Kick' from being powerful and influential
I don’t think I am! But working with the Travelocity team each day is tremendously inspiring to me.
We have some real rock stars here, and it’s a privilege to work alongside of them.
Hotel fetishI hate polyester comforters and soft beds!
Blog’ you do wouldn’t miss for anythingAmy Ziff’s travel blog
DVD/book you are devouringI’m always reading – but right now I’m just about done with Team of Rivals about Abe Lincoln – it’s fantastic
Travel wish I’d love to spend more time in Africa
Secret ingredient that makes you the best in the businessI know how to surround myself with exceptionally talented people – and to put them first.
Comment on “Americans are insensitive to the culture of their destination (during trips)”This is certainly not true for most Americans. But I do think we all have an opportunity to travel more, see more countries, and respect the great diversity of this wonderful world.
Your travel tipWhen you go on vacation, take a day or two out of your trip to volunteer, especially if you are in a foreign country. You can learn about opportunities through Travelocity’s Travel for Good program. It’s a great way to feel good about yourself, to spend time with your family, and to experience your destination more richly.
Random question: If you were a wrestler, what would be your finishing move? Hmm . . . I’ve never been one for sports, but if you throw me a question about going to a spa, I’m sure I can answer it!
After a claustrophobic 'international' journey on American Eagle, we made it across the border to Monterrey, Mexico. Half our class is here on a 'Foreign Studies' trip and honestly it is refreshing. Well, lets say the sultry weather is not exactly my idea of 'refreshing'...but the fact that we are chilling out in a quaint hotel in Mexico and not sitting in a classroom lecture is.
And in a weird way this country reminds me of home, of India. The lazy bus ride, the authentic smell of oppressively hot air, the Delhi-like air terminal, the Mexican Peso that resembles our own 20 ruppee note, the smudge from car leaks at parking lots..Oh this is so close to home.
Initially ofcourse I had my own doubts about this being an 'foreign' studies trip. Well, it is Mexico and it took us less time to reach here than it took me to fly to Jersey. But the more I think of it, I realize how this could be an intenrational trip in so many ways. First, given the fact that Mexico is emerging as one of the most favoured destinations after China and India in outsourcing, it will be interesting to visit businesses here and see what Mexico is going to be offer to the rest of the world. And second, I am convinced that the company of my 'multi-ethnic' colleagues in a non-class room setting, a group that is stuck here in its own company for the next 7 days is going to be very interesting...Atleast it already has been...
From trying to find some traces of vegetarian food, buying an international calling card that actually works, watching Shrek II in Spanish and communicating with people who look sympathetically and helplessly at my franctic expressions, it has been a thouroughly enjoyable sultry day. I feel like how 'Lin Baba' felt on his first day in Bombay...at home with a country that he was visting. And sure thing, I am looking forward to the week ahead!
Recently during my spring break, when I was done with indulging in the pleasures of the beautiful Miami beach and riding monster coasters, I jumped into the bottomless pit of indoor games.
Some friends and I literally relived primary school days playing Monopoly, Rummy, Ace of Spades, Snap, Pictionary and Scrabble. And if that weren't enough to drown one in the memories of an innocent childhood, we indulged in the traditional version of Snakes and Ladders. The game board read
Parama Pada Sopanam (translated to mean a step to the highest place) and the play was endless! We wrapped up the show with a game of
Pallankuzhi (another traditional board game played with shells).
But the fun did not end there...There is something that I noticed throughout the week's play. I believe that the games we played are fine examples of the game theory concept of an iterated prisoners' dilemma where the players, based on the memory of at least one previous encounter, choose to either 'betray' or 'mutually cooperate'.
In a strategic context Putnam and Holmer 1992, explain this as 'Framing' where "bargainers conceive of ongoing sets of events in light of past experiences". It was interesting how after some rounds of different games, a couple of us began to unintentionally frame each other. Our cold postures, sharp verbal exchanges and not-so-subtle comments directed at each other only further triggered memories of outcomes of previous games and the emotions that ran alongside!
These might be straightforward truths of the games we play, but it was amazing to notice the pattern, observe the language cues and handle the candidness when it struck us...
Yesterday, I was lucky to attend the '
Mozart: Piano Concerto No.15' and the
'Dvorak Symphony' at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra (recognized as one of the world's finest concert halls). It was then for the first time, I realized why a
symphony (meaning -
sounding together) is called that. For, although I could not recognize the music, I sat there hypnotized by the alchemy of the performance. The concert was so finely put together that it seemed like the players were engaged in some kind of a vibrant and meaningful prayer.
The prize of course was pianist Andreas Haefliger who performed Mozart as if he was solving a very basic math equation. He played and explored with such elegance that it made me wonder if I were sophisticated enough to witness the artiste. I felt like Charlie in the chocolate factory, excited and over whelmed about his first-in-a-lifetime experience. (So much that at some point I was scared to breathe loudly at the fear of disturbing my neighbour's concert experience!) But as the show progressed I fit more comfortably and began to relax, taking in the moment, second by second.
For someone like me who could not name more than half the instruments at the ensemble, the experience was certainly an unparalleled learning experience. In my mind, the repertoire of synthesized hand movements that produced the music was more like a dance (something I can relate better to), may be a static dance that I will cherish and wish to revisit over and over again.
Have a $2.7 million and don’t know what to do with it? Buy a Superbowl 30 seconds spot this year.
It seems like neither the number of zeros or the fear of recession, will desist the Pepsis and Unilevers of the world from spending a few million dollars during the game.
But at this point, the argument has gone much beyond the biggest bang for the buck theory. It is less about a massive reach and more about brand ego and engagement. It is not the marketers fault that a lot is now dependent on the concept, production and execution of the ad. Catchy jingles, unforgettable characters and feel good stories are becoming redundant already. Our expectations are higher. And we are much smarter. We want a celebrity driven, highly-digitally modified and living-upto-the-hype campaigns. That will make us brand the commercials the favourite part of the game. That only bottomless purses can ensure.
This is not wholly unrealistic either. Insurance company Nationwide announced its decision to stay out of Super Bowl. It was not a financial decision they claim, but more of the lack of a concept/idea that will match consumer expectations.
And the battle doesn’t end here. Brands need to sustain the campaign thread. The ideas must be full enough to spill-over. To bill boards and home pages. The campaign must connect at all levels and on all platforms. Surely when you are spending a $2.7 million you must have a clear idea about the form and rate at which the reach can be multiplied.
While it is not surprising that Victoria Secret is making a come back or that Dell will makes its debut on the commercials game, I am wondering what will be this years turn-on? Pepsi has managed (as always) to create a hype with its 1 minute silent ad before the game…Will there be another halftime scandal? Who will be the victor in the battle of the brands?
Only the sundae party will decide.
As a part of the new year initiatives, I am planning to launch a chat show on Coffee House. 'Coffee with Ash' (forgive me for the lack of originality) will be a series where I invite and interview some of my 'celebrity' friends.
A popular IT consultant who is an independent film maker, a famous lawyer who runs her own international NGO or a well-known radio jockey, model, theatre personality all rolled into one... 'Coffee with Ash' is where they will express their 'other' self, share their life-changing moments and answer trick questions over a virtual cup of coffee...
I am still fine tuning the format, and connecting with people you enjoy meeting. It will be great if you can share your ideas/expectations/recipes for the coffee session...
