The Pinch!!!!

This short – fiction (or probably a true) giggle - gig story of a guy named Steyn is dedicated to all those who can relate to an important event, because to be frank, my heart  really goes out to all those who have lost their loves to this magical city. Your love - whatever, a sleeky Blackberry, a smart Iphone, a hardcore Nokia, yes your phones, Cell phones, because every 1 out of 5 or 6 people living for quite a time in this city will tell you on how they lost their beloved device. 

  
The Pinch

Yes, The Pinch! That’s what this great Indian city Mumbai does to you sometimes. Mumbai, probably globe’s 5^th largest metropolitan, India’s economic powerhouse and home to a population of approximately 20.5 million has a story to tell you every day.

It was a pleasant lazy Monday morning and Steyn was still napping in the bus he took to reach Malad suburban station from where he was going to catch a ’local’ to his office in Santacruz,. Ignoring the fact that he was sitting next to the damsel whom he will stalk on the bus - station and try skip his breakfast to catch the bus the same time she did. It wasn't worth it though, an everyday affair of their eyes meeting, htne dropping, and i any of the two felt necessary, smile thrown out! That was it.

‘Holla Holla’…rang Akon…Err..I mean his month old Blackberry. He just brought new smart business phone, and infact a couple of days before changed his cellular service provider to enjoy the comfort of the services this phone offered.

“Hey Sweet Morning Steyn! Yo just missed it love. I wish you were here. It was a hell good of a weekend trip we guys had! We found a good new place to take a break off the city. Bon - fire, seek lunch..all fun! It’s better than your peacock garden, where one has to get up even before sun does. This place was full of migratory birds too and you already know you sitting in the office whole day in front of your machine  developing that fat old tummy right in front of you. So you gotta shake it and better dare it next time you miss something like this” - that was Preity, always full of life and yes, of course, the words.

“I know I did, I just checked the new pictures Niks added in there.”- I replied.

After the call, he gave a smile to the damsel sitting next to her. She smiled back. That was a routine thing that they both would do past a month. May be Steyn realizes, that it all starts and end with eyes meeting up and smiles ending it down.

He peeped out of the window. It was drizzling, it was all wet outside. The little drops entering his side. Smell of the rain - water hitting the ground, the best perfume in the world, which no French de toilette can match, brought him the freshness every being would wish for.

Beating the traffic but not the time off course, bus reaches the suburban railway station. Everyone around him is running, not exactly, but they atleast not walking. The damsel suddenly disappeared in the crowd. The everyday countdown has just begun to be witnessed. He gave a look at his wrist. It said 9.05 am already. “Gosh I gotta catch that 9.10 slow” - he murmured to himself. He turned a hungry man presented with a banquet, for whom the distance as far as his 1^st class on platform No.2 stand was his feast - a feast so staggering that everyday it completely destroyed his appetite.

After reading it with brisk walk, he prioritizes his task of reaching the 1^st class stand and accelerates himself. He walks up the steps of foot - bridge with something kinetic from crowd proportionally dragging him sometimes to his right, sometimes left.

There it is. Finally. Platform No.2 was full of life, I mean full of breathes. It was jam - packed, full of everyday business. The vendor stalls, the newspaper selling boys, the stinky fish smell, the ladies of all genre and the gentlemen, all looking hooked up. The south - bound trains passing the platforms with hancock speed, but you could feel the life, the freshness of the morning, if you could keep aside the raw stinky fish smell by blocking your nose with a perfume puffed handkerchief.

9.10 am Churchgate slow about to leave the platform, and people all ova it; the ‘no admission’ pavements, the straps of every car where hanging outside their capacity. Young bloods with handkerchief scarfed over their head were standing dangerously on the hooks in the middle of every car, ignoring the warning the sugar - coated voice from the announcement mikes was sharing especially for the commuters who loved flirting with their life, only to save some annoying 10 minutes of their day. And yes, sometimes, finding women hanging out of the cars too. The way they caught themselves

It was all a hasstle everyday. But, Steyn loved it. He loved the everyday energy this city generated. Charging up your life, spicing your life. He just loved the 25000 Volt energy this city generated and within 6 months of his new job, he was completely absorbed in loving this as always. Life was worth spicy - fast in this beach city, but he wished the climate helped the people enjoy it too. This city was dead humid, sweating you out even when you don’t feel like starting a day like that.

Message tone beeps. ‘Good Morning Steyn! From Paris, with love :-p!’

From Paris, with love..no no the message wasn’t sent from Paris, nether was it sent by some Frenchmen. It was to remind Steyn what he and the sender missed before quitting their last job. An official visit to the romantic city of Paris for a month to support clients on the applications, which they both knew was coming their way, but they still quit. After all, they gave so much of effort to earn the position they both enjoyed in their last department. But, it was cheesy rather not smart at all of them to leave that opportunity, when they knew it wasn’t easy the next time with a new start..wasn‘t it!? Steyn retaliated with a naughty smile.

“Train arriving on platform No.2 is fast local for Churchgate. This train will not halt at ….”. The honey coated voice announced.

“Holycow! My cripes! I gotta wait for the next train. I just hope I’m not late for the 10 am meeting. I never wanna walk those steep skywalk steps in Santacruz at the heist of my breathe atleast this pleasant monday morning. “ -  Steyn said to himself.  This time he was standing on the other pole - side of the platform where he usually used to, only because he thought he would catch the 9.10, which was packed in and out.

He looked at his wrist again, realizing it was 20^th May. “Oh goodness! Its Sandra’s birthday! So stupid of me. How could I miss wishing her? She would queue, tray calling me at strike 12 on my birthdays!”  - his expressions turned embarrassing suddenly.

He took the phone out and called up Sandra. After wishing her up and apologizing for some 10 odd minutes, he realized that the fast train is gone and he could see the train he was looking ahead to catch arriving slowly to the station.

He hanged up and looked around. It was a normal busy day at the platform, and this train was an old rack. Not the latest racks with 9 bogies, unlike the 12 - bogie new racks that were introduced recently. So, he knew, his fight is going to be not that easy today.

He kept the phone in his right pocket of the trouser hurriedly and jumped towards the 1^st class compartment. It was a herd of people trying to catch anything whatever they could to make some space where even a rotten would hate to place itself. The raven - voices where all over shouting to make spaces..the time was short…. Steyn used his shoulders and pushed the herd inway to make same way for him to get into the train. The was then dragged in by a large chunk of crowd from behind. Today, 1^st class seemed to be more packed up than usual, or blame the old 9 - rack train they released at this peak hour. It didn’t make any sense.

The crowd behind him dragged him more to the already no comfort zone. Already, you actually don’t look for comfort, what you look for is some air to breathe in, and unlike the new rack, old racks didn’t have the best of ventilators. It was hollow dark inside. Steyn could all see were few eyes and struggling shoulders.

After 15 minutes of  troubled drag - and  - drop, It was Santacruz station finally. The compartment still looked more packed than everyday. The train slowed down and Steyn pushed himself out of the crowded queue which was looking to get down at the station. Steyn was on the platform. He could now breathe in some air. Sigh of relief could be seen on his and everybody’s face. 

He moved his hand into his right trouser - pocket to pull out his handkerchief. The old rack - train was still about to leave the station. Hold on! Where’s the phone? Steyn moved his hand again over the pocket.  He could feel his wallet but not the phone. It took him nothing of a time to realize that he was pinched. He hurriedly looked back and gave an eye into the compartment from where he got down. But, suddenly he stopped his nerves and calmed them down. He knew now it was all over and this wasn’t going to help.  He calmed his nerves and shrugged his head. A smile drew on his face which was the most sarcastic and lost mankind could ever imagine. He knew and it didn‘t take him much time to realize his phone was picked. Pair of or even more than a pair of eyes were watching him put that sleekly black device while boarding the train. Everything and everyone looked simple silly minding their business while he was boarding the train. Hmm.. He was right; everyone looked simple silly and few did mind their business well this morning.  He was pinched like many, the Mumbai way.

Konnichiwa to the Land of the Rising Sun!

In the last company I worked for, we had an office in Tokyo, the beautiful capital of Japan. I usually got chance to interact with the Project managers, colleagues sitting in the Japan office and must say they are so beautiful people to friend up with, always warm and welcoming. That's from where I learnt the word' Konnichiwa', meaning a Hello in Japanese from one of the colleagues-cum friend. That's Japan, intelligent, intellectual, cultural, and hospitable.

But after taking a much needed off this Thursday, I reach office on Friday (March'11'2011) and google the latest news to realize that Japan has been struck by a massive earthquake measuring 8.9 on Richter scale, with a Tsunami warning. I remember just few days back also I saw a similar news saying Japan was hit by ab earthquake of some 7 richter scale(if i'm not wrong). To be honest, I couldn't frame out how intense an earthquake of almost 9 richter scale can be. By the time, I'm out for a luncheon with colleagues at 13.00 hours IST,  I watch people, stewards, all glued on the news channels streaming videos showing how Tsunami has hit Northeastern  island of Japan.

Japan - the land of the Rising Sun. Japan or as the Japanese call it - Nihon, is one of the culturally rich and one of the most wealthiest and technologically advanced countries in the world.

People of Japan have lived so much to the fact that they belong to the LAND OF THE RISING SUN, that they actually get up and defeat any event that tries to knock them down. So, true, the Land of the Rising Sun, where people actually rise to the occasion whenever there is a need. 

Today, Japan is again challenged by nature and we are all pretty confident that together can and they will again rise to the occasion and show everyone what makes them been called the people from the Land of the Rising Sun. They will rise, and get up again! That's Japan! 

And, this time they are not alone, the world is all with them, because we know what Japan can deliver and are confident that it will beat the heat it is facing post the Friday's devastating 8.8 Richter-scaled earthquake, one of the largest, that unfortunately also triggered a massive tsunami. 

Japan's geographical location has many times  been frequented with earth-quakes, and this is because the Japanese island is located in an area where many continental and oceanic plates meet. And, the people of Japan live up to this fact. They have been prepared always to defeat this natural calamity everytime it strikes them. Back in school, I used to read about the ways the people of Japan build their houses and belongings to curb the quakes. Japan's preparedness to beat this natural calamity has been outstanding. It has been in the past and many times, have faced massive earthquakes, and they have all raised themselves  to the occasion and turned life to normalcy.

Not just the natural disasters, the fact remains and the world still salutes the spirit of Japan when they actually resisted the biggest man-made disaster in the worst war ever fought on the planet. World still salutes the spirit with which Japan overcame the aftermaths of Hiroshima Nagasaki nuke bombing and made the world realize their spirit  when at once everything was thought to be over for Japan. I can bet each and every nation and the beings that know about the Hiroshima Nagasaki disaster still salutes a hats-off to the people of Japan. This island country on the pacific ocean has built themselves up as the world's one of the most powerful economy and culture. 

There are news that this unprecedented natural disaster has moved Japanese land by 8 feet. We also have been hearing the news about the blast at one of the nuclear reactors, and the leakage from them, as few generators supporting the reactors have stopped working post tsunami waves. The nuclear radiation and contamination is now a big worry for the island nation post tsunami-quake, and the nation, along with the globe is already concerned. As of now, the people  and the government's strength and courage in fighting the aftermath is amazing .

I don't know if any Japanese may be reading this, but we, the world, know and are sure of the fact, that alike past, Japan will surely defeat this unprecedented natural disaster. And please do note you're not alone, We all stand with you. the people of Japan and We support and salute your spirit to defeat any calamity that strikes you. Just like you have done in the past, everyone on this planet is  all sure of the fact that Japan will again emerge and rise more prosperous and strong nation than before. I (just another mere human being on this planet) am sure many people from  every corner of this planet have good wishes for you in their prayers, because we believe you have proved and  you are the people from the land of the Rising SUN, and will RISE just like the beautiful sun rises AFTER dark! Globe's wishes are always with you!

Making a Blunt edge!

Mood: Business Practices

Archie Andrews has always been my favorite comic strip. We have all grown up reading comic strips, watching cartoons. I still remember, my train journeys from one place to another wasn't without a comic book. But, I recently read in a journal about MBA studies abroad as how these strips can teach us Business practices. 

I wondered how funny, and then I kept thinking sipping my hot chocolate at around 3am at a wintry night all packed in my blanket  yester-night. I had in front of my eyes, all the examples, that I have learnt from people around me & known to me, including a vendor to a friend who has started his own venture. According to what i have been thinking, it's looks so damn simple fact that best Business practices can be learnt from our day to day life happenings or what we see.

If you imagine even the baddie villains we watch in a flick can also be picked up as a best example for Business practices! A wicked looking person we see in Mission Impossibles. They all carry an entrepreneurial imperatives to extremes. Ultimately, a villain (keep aside bollywood movie gentlemen) can be a person who says "Do hell with ethics, I'm gonna bend it my way." They actually start out with a good dream, but then end up with methods that are repugnant.

Example of one Anaconda movie, Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid that was showing up on HBO. the guys start with a good intentions to find an orchid flower, but then one of them just goes blind and crazy, keeping aside the life of his own so called colleagues & friends. 

So, what does it says? Its simple if we actually give it a thought. It says you did start up with a good theme, but then you lost yourself in midst looking out for profits, despite the fact that you knew it wasn't the right way to get it. The Spiderman movie, where the person looses control over his own machine on his body. It's just like the way few business practices growing wrong.

Business Administration can be learned from any1 you see or are impressed with. And, we don't just need to follow just the success stories, but also the failure stories. Even the happenings in our life may be a perfect example of Business practices & administration.

Now, can you imagine, how just a thella of a vada-pav sellers, has evolved them into an entrepreneur & starting a chain of outlets!! Richard Branson, for example never started a business with a deep-strain knowledge of it. He just gave a thought & wanted to do it. Just planned a little strategy of connecting to people & there he is, way too ahead. Ratan Tata has taken an almost out of market,Tata name to every household, not only in India, but also in United Kingdom. It's all about how we learn & look at things. 

Now we do know how Apple has always evolved around one person, Steve Jobs. When not being in Apple Co., he himself started the Pixer Animation, a never-miss-name when it comes to entertainment industry. Apple just didn't exist without him. And, when he was back in Apple Co., they are for-tuning their glory.To raise on what I have been pointing, Steve Jobs himself says his idea logy of Business is actually derived from his favorite band-Beatles!He says his model for business is the Beatles- "They were four guys that kept each other's negative tendencies in check; they balanced each other. And the total was greater than the sum of the parts. Great things in business are not done by one person, they are done by a team of people."

BPL Mobile, have been hearing this name from as long back as 7th grade, when I even didn't know about mobile phones & pagers were still in existence. This oldest Mobile operators in India unfortunately have failed to make a mark, despite being the best operator & brand in India's Commercial capital-Mumbai. It all started when Rajeev Chandrasekhar returned back from to India with his idea & started the company when he was just 27. He almost revolutionized mobile operations in Mumbai, and consecutively, India. But then, today I don't own a BPL sim card, because it probably failed to make appropriate business practices & the one time smallies at that time like Airtel ramped the mobile operations in India. They all turned a huge success, but BPL Mobile failed to capitalize on what it should be credited for in India. BPL Mobile now named as loop mobile, is searching for markets & many probably even fail to know what it is. The one time success story for mobile operations is still fighting the market with other giants.

So, how can a simple Vada-Pav seller can beat the heat of the fast-food joints in it's area whether it's McDonalds or KFC to make its presence felt, what BPL Mobile could not, despite being the starters in their own race? How simple mere common men from little known hamlets are making it big in our neighborhood streets by just selling Vada-Pavs or Pav-Bhajis.There are many such examples to watch on the suburban financial streets of Mumbai & Ahmedabad.

A lot of companies complain about factors like recession! All, what I think is, factors like this do not really govern your business practices, because even if it is a recession or it is not, people don't stop eating, people even before recession never wanted to have 2 televisions at one go. Recession can obviously a factor, but it shouldn't be the excuse, because there are businesses that still did run well even during recessions.

 It's all about how they time their entrepreneur ideas, which they have learnt from life and have actually practiced. Wooing clients is just a big bullshit. If people are not happy with what you serve, how will you woo the clients & keep increasing them? The Confectionery store from where we have been ordering our sweets in festive seasons in Ahmedabad from a decade, have slowly transformed their shop into outlets, and now I see their advertisements on national news channels. Its about the way they time, the way they consistently keep the quality of what they serve, and then, at last, the way they try to keep their 'clients' lists increasing.

Marketing a product is only possible when people actually like what you have. So, why Sacha hullaboo over marketing? Companies hire marketing professionals to woo & increase clients, and this just makes me laugh out. I mean a lady calls me from a bank & asks me to buy their credit card, she keeps trying to please me buy it, & when I deny, she just keeps the fone down in a very shrewed way. So, even if i ever agree too swapping  credit cards, that bank would not be in my list of probables for sure. Marketing is about being true to your product and your clients. Working on its drawbacks, and not about selling them in actual.

So, if companies want to define marketing as something they want for wooing clients and increasing the list, they obviously shouldn't name it as 'marketing'. Marketing was all about making your probable clients know what your product is all about, its features, how it can help them. But, this is not the way for obvious. 

With all the examples I have been seeing all these years, I certainly believe each and every business in the world reaches a phase where they can dominate a certain market and are on their highs. It does happens in every business practices. It's at that very point, that the business administrators must not play with the quality & only look for profits, by thinking that they are now on a dominating score. Nope, it's very then that you are actually & unknowingly are destining your business into doom. They may earn some marginal profits at that stage, but in a bigger scenario, they are all waving for a steep fall. 

It really shocked me, when a steel giant like Ispat group faced heavy losses & closed down their plants near Mumbai. And, now the news is, they are taken over by Jindal Steel Works. Ispat has had the best staff in the industry, they had the best mechanism, they had the required torque to sustain themselves in the market. But, still, how could they have a fall? It's more to do with the way we actually look at our business. Profits & losses are a part & parcel of any business practices, but then the attitude that you carry to towards your business is the most important phenomenon. Ratan Tata, obviously stands as a big example. Despite having a very talented team, he seems to be handpicking & looking into every venture he gets into personally. It's not a magic wound for anyone big or small, else the globe would have never seen a Gates, nor any Ambani, nor Mittals. 

Business or anything related to it, starts with the idea we actually want to do, if we are talented in it & what are our demerits. that may wound down our business at any stage. Patience & delivering to the needs 'with a smile' is main essence to be gulped down, that's what i believe. Whether. it's a person coming from a small hamlet & starting a thella or a person with an adequate financial capital to venture into one.

There was a time, when Rajasthan saw very less railways connectivity. The only option to reach quickly to even it's mega-towns like Jodhpur & Bikaner was through roads. The state roadways buses where obviously never thought to be luxurious & affordable people faced a lot of problem traveling. It was then, that a famous bus travel agency opened up with brand new  & luxurious buses. It was instantly a hit. But then, after few many years of dominance, it started losing it's market. More to do with new agencies coming up & the arrogance they were up with their services. the fares would change constantly. It soon lost a elite class bus agency tag amongst the masses to a new bus travel agency, which only had the same bus fares round the season & believed in better customer satisfaction & time-to time picking up & drop. Today, a large section of people from financial city of Ahmedabad to Udaipur prefer traveling through this agency, because of their timely services( because still the railway connectivity between Ahmedabad & Udaipur is a narrow gauge slow line & flying to 250 kms far Udaipur from Ahmedabad isn't a brilliant idea).

It's an easy saying: 'If you aim for the stars but only make it to the moon, remember there are people who have not yet made it to the moon.' Steps and steps are the only way to reach a destination. we humans obviously cannot fly.My college wasn't a pretty well known they started education, but they were smart to make a name in the elite Engineering colleges' list. They went step to step & catered the best slowly and gradually. They built the first two floors of hostel, and then started building next with growing intakes. It was far more sensible in my eyes than the other few colleges, who built a 5-star look ups, but the education staff wasn't the best ones.

So, when people talk about business and new trends that I keep reading about, all I think is what are they doing, because, the only best thing to do is work on what you have & then deliver it. If you really going well with it, market it, else let your marketing people work on it. 

IT obviously helps a hell lot in business & the way the business is driven. Their is nothing without IT these days, whether even talking to your friend. Now, you do not need to obviously ask people been to Shimla for best hotels in the hill station, if you want to back-pack, Just google or go yahoo and you have the best answers. You can look for rates, you can compare them. So, IT helps in enhancing any particular business practice. Because, in today's world wide web, if you not on the net, you don't exist. In fact, you & your business is not considered one.