Petals!

I was so thrilled when I found this old pic of Adi. He had to dress up as a hunter for a sports day cultural event in school. It took ages to get him into this costume because obviously, he wasn't too thrilled about it initially. Then, we got him excited by describing the adventurous life of a hunter (personally, I don't endorse hunting) and we got him ready for his performance in school.  While he was performing, my heart was beating so loudly that I feared everyonelse in school would hear it too:)

In September 2010, I went to Kochi, my home town and spent some weeks there. I used that time to dig out old snaps, mostly childhood pics. As usual, I forgot to take mine from home but thankfully, I didn't forget to take my hubby's pics. I scanned many of our family pics, they are old and therefore, not very clear. However, I thought I will upload my favorite ones anyway. Here is one of my favorite pics. This pic is of Sanand (my hubby) and his sister Nandini. What I loved about this pic are their expressions. The sweet innocence of children cannot be hidden away because it just glows in their young faces. Loved this pic and I wanted to share it with all of you who are kind enough to spend time visiting this blog.

In Seth Godin’s Purple Cow, I liked some case studies that the author delved into. There were many interesting case studies about ideas and products that worked their way to success. In particular, there was one case study about Lionel Poilane, a French baker who came to be known as the ‘best baker in the world.’ Not content about being just another family baker, he set out doing extensive research, analysis and worked very hard to understand the baking techniques of the French. He found out a very simple method of baking bread with just flour, water, starter, sea salt and then had the bread baked in a wood fired oven. Though his work of simplicity was initially rejected, it became the ‘in’ thing to have. The result was that every restaurant worth its reputation in Paris serves Poilane bread. His company ships loaves all over the bread and according to Seth Godin, this amazing young baker-turned-innovator sold over $10 million worth of bread in 2001. Another interesting example is ...

You are bound to be glued to Seth Godin’s Purple Cow , not just because of its snazzy cover with white and purple patches, but because it redefines fundamental marketing principles to make your ideas work remarkably. This is a book worth reading and revising, not just for its unconventional critique of marketing and advertising but the passion with which it delves into case studies and hard facts, without sounding over the top or dead pan boring. Best of all, Godin drills into readers one hard hitting truth: ‘BORING IS RISKY BECAUSE BORING IS FAILURE.” Seth Godin cites Peppers and Rogers, in their book, The One to One Future , where they state that it is cheaper to keep an old customer than it is to get a new one. He is right. We know the difficulties that we face to get people interested in a product. I liked Godin’ detailed explanation of Moore ’s idea diffusion curve. What he identifies is that the curve comprises of the innovators, early adopters, early & late majorit...

This is a very personal post. Read this at your own risk but please don't ridicule my beliefs. I am trusting you to honor what I am writing here as you would if I were a part of your family. On this understanding, I seek your permission to begin. Close your eyes and imagine a place on earth where thousands and thousands of human beings radiate bliss, love and peace. Actually, it is hard to imagine such a place even with your eyes closed. For me, it isn't that difficult. From the year 1987, I have lived in such an atmosphere and been nourished by the tremendous power of divine love and energy, not of a miracle man alone but of every human being out there. Believe it or not, when thousands and thousands of people gather together in a spirit of unconditional love, the energy and radiance all around such a place can make impossible things happen just by the volume of it. Maybe I am not talking sense because you need to visit Puttaparthi to believe that this place is for real. P...

Isn't she a sexy lady? That is the menu I am referring to, of course. What did you guys imagine I meant? Well, if you are visiting Delhi, don't miss eating some of the delectable cheesecakes and yummy stuff at Khan Market's Big Chill Cafe. There is always a huge rush but it's worth it, folks.

For me, a visit to Kerala is never complete without a visit to its most popular and revered temple, the Guruvayur Temple. Right from the time I was a kid, my parents visited this temple at least twice a year. So many legends continue to sweeten the experience of devotional ecstasy that one feels at this holy place, where the little Lord Krishna is worshipped and pampered as the deity named "Guruvayoorappan." The famous playback singer Dr. K.J.Yeshudas is an ardent believer of Guruvayoorappan but the temple has stringent rules about permitting only Hindus to enter. That reminds me of the famous devotional song that Yeshudas sang because it resonates in the hearts of every Malayali,: "Guruvayoor ambala nadayil oru divasam njaan pokum, gopura vaathil thurakam, njaan gopakumaraney kaanum." Sorry for the poor translation but this means, " One day, I will go to the Guruvayoor Temple, the door leading to the sanctum sanctorum shall open someday and I wil...

When I was a kid, I had heard so much about the heroism of Robinhood - The Prince of Thieves, the robber who stole from the rich so that he could share it with the poor. However, when I opted to watch Joshey's movie, Robinhood - The Prince of Thieves - I had mixed feelings about the way the protagonists were depicted. The story revolves around Ventakesh (starring Prithviraj) who is a Physics professor but that is just his disguise because after midnight, he is a professional criminal who robs huge sums of money from a bank's ATM. The Assistant Commissioner of Police (starring Jayasurya) is baffled about the increasing number of incidents, following which the bank appoints a private detective called Felix (starring Naren) who happens to be the ACP's enemy number one. The private detective has a great time, flirting with his lady assistant (starring Bhavna) and becoming a great friend to the neighbor, yes, the Physics Professor. The plot is so obvious and amateurish that...