The goliath year

The year that started with everything, but ended with nothing. The year that proved that the big are fallible too. The sun about to go 'under water' near Cape Comorin, the southern tip of Indian peninsula.

Game Over @ LBS

I spent a jolly good 3months in LBS, meeting new people, learning skills, giving my opinion, understanding European lifestyle, managing my final few shillings, attending parties, travelling around UK and of course attending classes. I surely walkout as a different person and carry with me some intangibles that I will benefit from in my lifetime. Thank you LBS and London for hosting me.

S-Ex and the city

As my student exchange [S-Ex] term in the City draws to a close, there is still a list of unfulfilled aspirations.

Commodity trading at CBoT

Who wants to buy when the prices are falling by the day! Rod, you should have shorted and stayed out of trouble.

As the sun sets

in yet another eventful year

When the news made news

Known as the World's Greatest News [WGN], this Chicagoan goes down. But he shall rise again! just like in 1871.

Not all courts try criminals

This centre court in Wimbledon has let rackets talk globally for the last 130years.

Go long or short

that is the option now

Blue-blooded ones for sure

I felt at home with the Brit biker community at the International Motorcycle Snow in Birmingham

The real @Risk

The Hell Riders trio riding on the Wall of Death.

Golden Land in Bangkok

Wish to see this place in all its former glory.

Why walk when you can skate?

Some people turn a tough situation on its head and have fun in the process. While walking on thin ice is risky, skating isnt. You also get a few xmas lights thrown in.

Bridging the gap

between the known and the unknown will narrow the gap between the haves and havenots? The bridge, that keeps 'falling down' around the world everyday, stands tall in London.

Going... one up

After, Chennai, Chicago and Hong Kong, it is time to go one up in London.

Headhunters - on a prowl ?

...or, heads on a roll?

People and palaces

This morning, on my way to school, a young lady stopped me and asked, 'How do I get to Sherlock Holmes Palace?'. I pointed to the small house right across the road and said, 'Intelligent people like Sherlock Holmes, don't get to live in palaces'. True?

Waiting for the bulls

Stocks have nose-dived, a 'bailout' by the bulls is the need of the hour. National Governments should spend more on education, healthcare and general well being.

Hang on for the ride ahead

As the global economy hits rumble-strips [thankfully not spike strips], either hibernate and sleep it out or bravely go out for the hunt. You are better off either way instead of grumbling over spilt milk.

Weird structure

The feedback that I got for my thinking process.

Fading light

As the dusk settles upon my stay in London, time is fast running out for me to explore the unknowns.

Time for some change

even the Left is bathed in deep blue

Remember, remember the 5th of November?

only 25 more days to go for 26 to end!

Got change, now what?

A historic event with a futuristic impact? It is easy to claim too many things on today's event, but we must not consider this as the destination. This is one bright spot [ok, dark spot] and the world [that includes USA] needs several more.

British industries in bad weather

Jaguar Car Factory, Birmingham.

The heart and soul of the industrial revolution that changed the face of this world, are caught in bad weather. Starting from yarn, going all the way to hitech machinery, this sector is under tremendous pressure. I eavesdropped a couple of elderly gentlemen only to hear,"The industries that once defined Britain are dead and long gone, while all we have left are financial institutions(bonkers)". True, the government has bailed out the big banks [big bath?] from their demise paying Pounds 60 billions or more despite all the problems they brew. But, didnt act on protecting the local manufacturers by pitching in with a few timely millions. Negligence or selective politics? the havenots, as always, tend to be the losers.

Dont knock, push and the door shall be opened for thy entry

The days when we lived by 'da book', for some principles, with some people are passe! It is time to write your own book!


Balaji Temple, Dudley Road. Link :http://www.venkateswara.org.uk/Default.aspx

Food brings us closer

A HKUST MBA students reunion at an ornately decorated restaurant in Central London.

Straddling different timezones

and standing on own feet in different hemispheres, albeit confortably. But for how long? only time will tell...

At zero longitude, Greenwich

Sea change

Snow, for a change. For the first time in 70years, snow in London during the month of October.

An invitation for a disaster

Seen here, are the posters that were used to advertise the new ship, the largest one ever- Titanic. Though the ship was never moored at Liverpool, it was registered by the White Star Line at Liverpool.

Evil designs- Imperialism or its history?

The worst 'ism' this world has been through. But, the museum only mentions WWI through Iraq. Selective communication, some say...

Imperial War Museum, Manchester

Tracing the route: Manchester to Liverpool

The first ever railway route in the world, after nearly 180years of fascination.

An invitation to mix with the 'well-heeled '

I got an invitation to visit 'The Lansdowne Club' for an evening party and I jumped at the opportunity. The location, apart from serving as an insight into the customer behavior, also has a fabulous history unknown to most of my co-participants. Technically, this place is the ex-White House.

"In 1782, Shelburne, the Prime Minister, concedes independence to the United States in the Treaty of Paris, drawn up with Benjamin Franklin in the Round Room".

This is the sort of place where the waiters wear Armani while serving Champagne with Beluga Caviar. The fried prawns, they served, just melted in my mouth.

A string of pearls

I ve been attending a string of recruitment presentations by leading companies that are still seeking people...as opposed to seeking empty chairs. They all echo one opinion, that is an epochal shift in the global environment - thinking outside the west.

...in the eye of the beholder

I got a free ride on the London Eye. Even the famous British weather cleared itself up to gift me a spectacular view of London for the very first time.

Trying to revive the fallen spirits

"The Voodoo Room" - tucked in a remote corner in the centre ;) of Edinburgh, Scotland. Took us 1hr of walking to find out!

...so I took the train and headed up North to Scotland

and visited Glasgow and Edinburgh and their umpteen castles, old style buildings and locks. I never liked Nessie much. A detailed report with photos will follow soon.

My road to Europe ends here

This may sound silly, but I wanted to travel on TGV, ride a Ducati in Bologna and explore the major cities by walk/bicycle. But all this came to a dead-end today when my visa was rejected for the second time because of some silly rule that means nothing. But thankfully, the person at the counter was friendly and unlike the fickle one from my last experience. In a positive light, I have saved a lot of money in this process!

Winners and Losers, the race is still on

Why do winners always take home the trophies? Why not award the fighters and the gracious losers when you need them for the game? Why do we make heroes of winners and boo at the losers? Are we those fickle-minded people that our parents warned against?

Food, food, everywhere!

but not a morsel to EAT

Betting on the underdogs

I have my doubts against the people who bet on the winning horse. What is the thrill of winning when everyone knows you are going to win even before the start?

Steeped in tradition

Evaluated by performance

Salomon Oppenheim Jr.[1772- 1828] turned an entrepreneur when he was just 17 and laid the foundation for what it now the world's largest privately-owned bank. I spent my summer working under the direct command of his portrait's line of sight. Thanks to Jonathan for the picture.

Good samaritans are closer to you

Good samaritans are closer to you than you are to them

I realized the importance of being in a group of good samritans - the people who care for others, who go that extra mile to make a difference, who give up small benefits for the greater good of humanity, who are selfless, who are less attached to material possessions. In short, these people seem like God at times. Recently, I went through a bad patch because of sheer bad luck, and was desperately in need of 'some help'. I ran from pillar to post hoping that some of my 'well-wishers' would help me, but I only found shut doors. Even those who derived direct benefit of my association turned their backs on me leaving me literally on the streets. This led me to some deep introspection...

As always, my good samaritan emerged out of an unusual place and saved me from hitting the rock bottom. I owe this person and those like him a zillion thank you notes, but these people are not looking for thank yous as they ve probably earned several of them and probably have gotten tired of them. All they want you to do, is to become more like them, start helping others and pass on the good deeds instead of paying back, for some things can never be paid back. So, for every help you get from someone make sure you multply it and pass them onto others in need - just like you. Probably, this will make this world a better place to live.

For the third time in as many years

I spent 24 years in one country and then the next 3 jumping across continents as many times, with all those carbon footprints! This was not fueled by my wanderlust, but by a sequence of moves that will benefit my life and hopefully open new options for my career. This also takes away from me certain things while also teaching me some of life's hard earned lessons. I certainly miss the people network, the food, the comforts of the familiar... as always to acquire a new set of everything and the process repeats itself again. This is usually accompanied by curiosity, joy, sadness, frustration, flooded memory et al. My diminutive memory is the first to be exposed and it starts with phone numbers, addresses, events, bus and train routes and so on. But as always time is a great healer!

Wrapping up 1 year in China

With every international flight out of Hong Kong's Chep Lap Kok International Airport to NYC, SFO, London, Madrid, Paris, Mumbai, Beijing and Shanghai, I am having one classmate less to talk to. The next batch of MBA students have already set up camp and are swarming all over the place reminding me of the eventful one year that has just gone by. A year filled with expectations, success, joy, frustration, sleeplessness and of course 21 languages. Interestingly, the successful Beijing Olympics serves as the backdrop of my stay and is an example with its fair share of victors and fighters. My Chinese classmates were a treat to watch during the last few weeks, no need for guessing, China has run circles around competition and walked away with its biggest haul of medals. India got three, sort of a mini victory. Thanks to Michael Dorsher, my friend from PG Hall II doing his Masters in Economics, for his estimate that said India will win three medals has been proven beyond doubt. How many for London 2012 Michael?

08.08.08.08:08:08 at Beijing

With only a few minutes to go before the dream of 1.3Billion people becomes a reality, there is a lot of excitement around me. Certainly a lot has happened in the last one year in the build up to the games. Lots of wested interests [intentionally misspelt] used the games popularity to free ride and gain publicity. Then that fatal day put a tear in many an eye. Full marks to the country that withstood this negative publicity and natural disasters to rise like a true champion - an Olympian. The pic sums up all that is China. Rising tall, rising fast, a bit hazy, but green [red in China] lights all the way!

Contours & Colours: An Organic Focus

Three weeks of isolation from the 'fully-loaded' MBA student life doesnt mean that I ran out of objects for interesting observation. I focussed my lens on the contours and colours of my own home in which I have never lived for more than 2weeks at a stretch. My home is a humble attempt to live a colourful life!