Beyond the obvious.....

2003-06-24T22:33:00.000-07:00

The article argues why only 1 out of ten private sector banks in India in the past 10 years have been a success. The main argument is that the parent legacy or PSU culture at the parent caused the failures. I think another reason is that the state sector banks improved their service several notches up and never allowed a mass migration of customers. Today I would say that the SBIs and PNBs are as good as a HDFC bank.Success One Or Maybe Two

2003-06-23T22:41:00.000-07:00

This is simply great. IRCTC's online rail reservation. Now get your railway tickets delivered at home. Wonderful...what else can this e-thing do for us.
At times I think I should have been born a few years late. Atleast wouldn't have sweated out in those long crazy lines outside the reservation counters to finally end up being told - "You are waitlisted" :-((

2003-06-18T18:20:00.000-07:00

Sunshine! NICE BLOG

2003-06-17T22:53:00.000-07:00

Roadmap Optimism unlimited. A very nice article on how the economic recovery will take place. I liked the step-by-step way it explains the economic factors building up to indicate a recovery. Time for some stocks!!

2003-06-04T22:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a holiday in Hong Kong...and I made the most of it and went to Stanley to see the Dragon boat races. Stanley is my favorite beach and offers a splendid view of the sea and the mountains. Also it's green and clean. The races were pretty boring even though the spectators very interesting ;-) The Kerela races back home are much more exciting than these much-hyped dragon races. Infact I always think that we as a country haven't promoted ourselves ever. There must have been a 100 corporates sponsoring these races but nobody ever cares for our races.
Also saw back-to-back movies. I found "Two weeks Notice" rather disappointing. Sandra Bullock looks quite old and Hugh Grant is too predictable. But "Catch me if you Can" is worth the time spent.

2003-06-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

Finally the Indian Government has decided to give us 2 time zones. A good move. This Government has really come up with some much needed moves. Also this way, my city will have atleast something to boast about...always ahead of Bombay and Delhi. East-West time zones

The music of Chalte-chalte is very nice. After such a long time, some songs worth listening again and again. Even the plot sounds very interesting and with the very natural Rani Mukherjee, this is going to be a movie, worth watching. Again after a long time.

2003-06-01T23:10:00.000-07:00

Today, I begin my second year in Hong Kong. A few targets achieved, a few wishes coming true, many dreams still unfulfilled...and a few dreams shattered. Its been a mixed 52 weeks in Hong Kong and at FedEx.
It has broken a lot of myths and made me accept things rather than changing them and trying to make everything happen my way. Made me much more relaxed, less of a fighter, and a believer in Destiny. I still deny it most of the time but it seems to be there....
This piece on the Quarter-life crisis reflects how I felt when I relocated to Hong Kong. I don't go through most of them these days but then...the coming year is going to start some New Chapters in Life...And often I wonder, how will they come out ?

For those in their twenty-something's...This puts it all into words perfectly. They call it the "Quarter-life Crisis"
It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that
there are a lot of things about yourself that you didn't know and may or
may not like.

You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two,
but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.

You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends
that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people
you have ever met and the people you have lost touch with are some of the
most important ones.

What you do not realize is that they are realizing that too and are not
really cold or catty or mean or unsincere, but that they are as confused
as
you.

You look at your job. It is not even close to what you thought you would
be
doing or maybe you are looking for one and realizing that you are going to
have to start at the bottom and are scared.

You miss the comforts of college, of groups, of socializing with the same
people on a constant basis. But then you realize that maybe they weren't
so
great after all.

You are beginning to understand yourself and what you want and do not
want.

Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see whatothers are doing and find
yourself judging a bit more than usual because suddenly you realize that
you have certain boundaries in your life and add things to your list of
what is acceptable and what is not.

You are insecure and then secure.

You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life.

You feel alone and scared and confused.

Suddenly change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with
dear
life but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away
and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.

You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such
damage to you or you lay in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone
decent
enough to get to know better.

You love someone but maybe love someone else too and cannot figure out why
you are doing this because you are not a bad person.

You go through the same emotions and questions over and over and talk with
your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a
decision.

You worry about loans and money and the future and making a life for
yourself and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just
like to be a contender!

2003-05-28T22:45:00.000-07:00

This website just has good news about India. A concept difficult to digest but that is exactly what it offers...only good news, positive news, news about the unsung heroes of India and news about all those who contribute something to the country. It has some very interesting stories which surprise me...the quite reviolution happening in India.
India news... the good news!

2003-05-27T22:34:00.000-07:00

Top 10 Best Hollywood Movie Lines EverSurvey I am surprised they didnt feature Nicholas Cage in the "The Family Man" saying " I like Kids - on a case-by-case basis."

2003-05-25T23:07:00.000-07:00

Diary of a disillusioned banker. It was quite funny, rather amusing reading this. How more the things change the more they remain the same. Looks like my job's not that bad. I liked the way the author ends the article.... Diary

2003-05-25T21:49:00.000-07:00

How long are you going to live? It also tells you your real age as against you actual age.Check this out. RealAge

2003-05-22T22:57:00.000-07:00

The general time-pass movies are no longer fun. And I had enough of the DDLJ types. And even the Hollywood movies these days have the same ghissti-piti stories. Jajantaram Mamantaram is the movie I will be waiting for, from now. It's adapted from Gulliver Travels. Size does matter

2003-05-21T18:13:00.000-07:00

I liked the comments where the author links American business interests in India with India-Pakistan troubles. Its indeed true that once all these big Fortune 500s start having a significant interest in India, American attitude towards India will change. The BPO juggernaut starts rolling

Quite a nice attempt to quantify the worth of a Housewife. I am sure many women are going to make the $500,000 17 professionals argument. Anybody listening!!

2003-05-19T22:55:00.000-07:00

This is a fundu article. How to fake work at office. The footnote says it all "A beginner's guide to making it look like you're working when you're not" - one of the very finest i have read in recent weeks. Shirk Ethic Don't miss this one.

2003-05-15T22:21:00.000-07:00

The family of every person killed in a train accident is entitled to Rs 4 lakh compensation from the rail ministry, and this has been repeatedly upheld by the SC of India. The ministry still refuses to pay the amount. This is pretty senselss. Ok, We can't run trains on time and cannot ensure passenger safety. Every year-end, India makes it to the world reviews with its train accidents. But atleast have a thought for the sufferers. We have ruined their lives. Atleast now should not make them run around courts. Isn't there anything the SC can do, for violation of its orders?

2003-05-13T23:09:00.000-07:00

It was all a joke, or rather a hoax!! Mr Gates finally decides to leave us atleast in our Loos. The iLoo has now been called a hoax. Link

Also I found the latest offering of Google - Google News India as disappointing. India-based news content is hardly there. And they have put "Lord Ram" in the permanent news section. Wierd !!

And more weird is the concept of Blogshares. I think we are going too far with this blogging craze. What will a high valued blog mean - buyers? Another Rajesh Jain - not after Sify's experience. More, if one is interested in showing his trading skills, we have the stock markets. And if you dont have money, then try any of the mock portfolio games on several financial websites. Blogshares, naaah!!

2003-05-12T22:46:00.000-07:00

Atleast my Loo was the only place i could read my favorite mag and the daily newspaper. Everywhere else, the television, phone and the computer held sway. But Mr. Gates strikes again, this time on the Loo. What's next? My dreams....dreamMSN or e-dreams.. MSN Crafts Web-Enabled Toilet

2003-05-08T22:38:00.000-07:00

When I was just an accountant, they told me, Get a degree in Economics/Finance or a MBA. Now when I got it, they are telling me, accountants are more valuable to us Most lucrative college degrees What do I do? Start marketing myself as an accountant.

2003-05-08T22:31:00.000-07:00

IIMB is in the WSJ's Top 100 B-schools list and yeah, the only Asian business school to figure in the list. This is based primarily on recruiters' perception of the students. Guess, which batch placements immediately preceded this survey?... Mine. Neways, let's not talk about them. It's time for some celebration!!

2003-05-08T01:41:00.000-07:00

APOD: 2003 May 4 - A Sonic Boom Took me some time to understand...but is interesting

2003-05-04T22:52:00.000-07:00

A very interesting website. And this article on the typical Indian Boss is also humorous. Even then, i think he is better than the phoren ones. The Boss

2003-04-29T22:48:00.000-07:00

Marvellous!! It reminded me of each and every moment spent in IIMB. Made me go campus-sick and really wanting to go back to School. Ha!! those were the days. This is a diary aptly title "Snapshots from IIMB" by Prasar Sharma, one batch my junior at IIMB. Snapshots from IIMB Snapshots from IIMBExcellent, Prasar!!

2003-04-29T22:33:00.000-07:00

Pretty interesting. The IIMs have in recent years been focussing more on work experience leading to an increase in the average age of a batch. This is said to have been influenced by US B-schools. However its the reverse happening in US. This article highlights how the US B schools are now trying to get in more freshers and reduce the average age of their batch. Duniya Gol hai, confirmed!!

2003-04-28T22:27:00.000-07:00

How SARS is just not affecting our daily lives, but every company, sector, industry in the World. This article on Economist.com is one of the best summaries I have seen on the impact of SARS.

2003-04-15T22:43:00.000-07:00

How the SARS rumour about Hong Kong being declared as a quarantine zone was quashed using SMS The HK authorities are not as bad, as made to appear.
And this really surprises me. Nabbing terrorists through an SMS. That's what the CBI plans to do.Link Aaila!! No SMS Fun from now on...

2003-04-14T22:18:00.000-07:00

A nice article discussing the way to maximize the benefit from oil to the Iraqi people. Link

And yeah the SARS spread is getting more serious..Economist looks at the economic impact. Anyway, i am now getting used to my mask. Main aur mera mask aksar yeh batein karte hain :-)

2003-04-10T22:34:00.000-07:00

Wow!! A Billion Dollar in prize money. From Pepsi. But a monkey will decide whether to pay or not!! Link
And more interesting is that the "God of Stocks" Warren Buffett decides to insure Pepsi, in case the monkey decides to pay the Billion Dollars!! The entire thing is not only mind-boggling from the amount of money offered, but also represents the deal-savviness of Americans.

2003-04-09T22:56:00.000-07:00

My first article got published on sulekha.com. Going by the number of hits and the comments, people seem to have really liked it. I am indeed very happy.Chinese Torture Indian Style by Sundeep Bihani on Sulekha

2003-03-27T21:26:00.000-08:00

Its been almost 5 months since i have been home. Hong kong really seems to be getting more boring than ever (other than Saturday evenings). These days, i have even lost my appetite (for food). Possibly i have lost the art of cooking good food. Its becoming more and more bland. And I am longing to meet my folks back home. Aren't these enough reasons to go home for a week, and regain the energy and freshness necessary to survive life in Hong Kong?
Then why are my friends getting suspicious and questioning the purpose of my visit. Everybody's saying "so soon" "kya baat hai". Com'on most of you are staying with your folks and living such an easy life.
So I am off to Calcutta...no blogging, no cooking, no trying to cook till then. By the way, saw some great websites for the upcoming April Fools' day. April-Fool and Prankbot courtesy Economic Times

2003-03-27T02:51:00.000-08:00

This is indeed the Internet War. The best Weblog on the Iraq war among the few i have been to so far is The Command Post. Their motto is really interesting, "Making CNN look like the school newspaper." Even there are some Weblogs dearraed claimed to be maintained by bloggers supposedly in Baghdad and a few by US marines from their camps.

2003-03-25T21:35:00.000-08:00

Its just not Maharashtra and other Indian states. A lot of European cities are also having problems managing their deficits. But the intersting thing is, unlike just raising money by borrowing more, they are finding out interesting ways of financing themselves. I really found the German way of financing out of the US taxpayer's pocket quite interesting. Europe's Stricken Cities Europe's Stricken Cities

2003-03-24T21:37:00.000-08:00

With not much to do during lunch time ( you cant eat the vegetable masala food at Great daily, and McD sucks, and Pizzahut takes too long to serve), I was browsing some of the Indian weblogs. And this Wedding invitation on one of the very well maintaned blogs caught my attention. Don't miss it!!
And more interesting stuff from the mango man. This guy is really creative. Nice reviews on Bollywood. Where does he get his inspiration from? Is it the mango girl ;-)

2003-03-20T20:46:00.000-08:00

My biggest confusion, these days - where to invest? Recent studies ( Economist Investment)show that the equity risk premium, long estimated in the over-5% range could be as less as 2.4%. In that case, why bother to invest in equities?
I was waiting for this ever since the WC started. Two Indian fast bowlers in the World XI really delights me. World Cup Team

2003-03-19T21:35:00.000-08:00

Sony knows the way to the heart of the consumer. I really liked the way they are planning for the future. Economist on Sony .
Their annual report is a must read for every investor. 2002 Report
I did make it a point to go the Sony building in Central Tokyo and it was every minute worth it.
Also check out their (guess, so) Mission Statement Dreams
And to build on my dream, I tried the SonyStyle Homeconfiguration. Amazing but i don't have the money to do it!! too sad :-(

2003-03-18T21:21:00.000-08:00

For the astute number cruncher......Left is right to lift World Cup trophy

2003-03-12T20:48:00.000-08:00

The way the author has put it, it's amazing
As for Tendulkar, what can one say? Which eulogy has been left out that might be employed here? Let's skip the gushing and just whisper, on bended knees, thank you, God, for making him Indian!
Neways, I never knew Nostradamus' liking for cricket, as it seems with a current email doing the rounds. Over to Nostradamus....
The prince shall have one foot tied. Fearsome to his enemies, he shall make his sail rebound. Having joined battle with people of Africa, Moon shining, the little great one led off. The stone in the tree, the proud nation restored
THE PRINCE - Prince of Calcutta ,as Sourav Ganguly is popularly known
SHALL HAVE ONE FOOT TIED - We all know that Sourav hardly moves his feet while batting
FEARSOME TO HIS ENEMIES – Ganguly is feared by most opposition captains
HAVING JOINED BATTLEWITH PEOPLE OF AFRICA- India is now backed by the South Africans
MOON SHINING THE LITTLE GREAT ONE LED OFF - the little great one (Sachin) will lead Indiato victory.
THE STONE IN THE TREE – that is the structure and shape of the World Cup 2003
THE PROUD NATION RESTORED - India reaching the proud status of World Champions.

2003-03-11T21:15:00.000-08:00

The PSU way Quite interesting, as to what happens when a company turns from Privately-owned to a PSU owned. Should I, a shareholder in this company be changing too? I guess its time!!

2003-03-07T03:25:00.000-08:00

This part of cricket is missed here in Hong Kong True Lies However even if we had it, instead of the wife in the story, my office would have been the culprit. Offfice work is still killing....the work never ends, day in and night out. Pray for me guys, Pleazzzzz. This Q&A is also interesting

2003-02-26T21:27:00.000-08:00

Ek tha Bhuvan Lagaan mein
Dusra hai Nehra, Durban mein...and this one is a clear Oscar winner.
India vs. England. Traditional foes. Political history. Lagaan. Natwest Trophy shocker. Anderson. Tendulkar. Bare chests. Lord’s. A billion people. David Beckham. Shah Rukh Khan. Guy Ritchie. Devdas. James Bond. Nehra. Check out the image gallery at cricnext. Some of the best photographs of the Indian players over the years, in B&W.

2003-02-25T21:22:00.000-08:00

They may be wet, even a bit briny, and it might be hard to find a matching pair, but you won't find Nike Inc. shoes cheaper anywhere. Nike shoes. It's true except that I need to take the transpac flight to get them.

2003-02-24T21:32:00.000-08:00

Interesting article on, how India could potentially be exporting deflation for the World's Pharma industry. And why not...aren't we the best brains in the World? India's Little Drugmakers

Question - When can I buy this? Vertu
Answer - Lemme Think !!.................possibly never :-(

2003-02-16T01:25:00.000-08:00

I just couldn't resist putting this article on my blog. Simply amazing. Beaten black and blue

2003-02-10T21:35:00.000-08:00

No more Blogs for the next 20 days. I am not getting lazy, and neither am I taking a sabbatical. It's just the job pressure in office. I will blog again in March, if i am still ALIVE.

Till then, have Hapi daze with Dilbert andOffthemark

2003-02-07T22:39:00.000-08:00

Japanese are simply irresistible...the perfect hosts. Japan's also a time and game crazy nation. Everything moves second-by-second. Yeah it is also a very expensive place with a 20-minute taxi ride driving a 5000-yen hole in my pocket.
Akhibara Electric City is an amazing experience. Entire floors dedicated to laptops or cameras did make quite a view. After strolling around for 2 hours, I couldn't help falling for a cute digital camera. The walk down Ginza with its shopping malls and restaurants was indeed thrilling. The Sony building has more gadgets than one can ever imagine. I never knew the local food had so many vegetarian dishes. The restaurant was set in a typical Japanese-village setting, complete with all hi-tech gadgets one can think of. And good lord, Sake tastes better than any beer. Palette Town with its gaming centers, virtual sci-fi car rides and the huge wheel are something to remember for life. My sci-fi ride took me right down to the sea-bed with its whales and octopuses...and yes, the light snow-fall was just the perfect farewell I had dreamt. Oh yeah, Japanese women are very charming(cheeky too), welcoming and forthcoming(?;-), look pretty intelligent (a few sounded too) and thank God - not the HK skinny types.

2003-01-30T23:59:00.000-08:00

The land of the rising sun. and SUNdeep is going there. Yes! Tokyo was always one of my 3 dream cities to visit...the other two being London and New York. 2 down...1 to go.

2003-01-27T21:58:00.000-08:00

Billion dollar suits against Tobacco companies are passe. This article argues that the very same might be happening to the Food industry, given the recent suits against McDonald's and Hershey.
I have been a patron of McD, Frito-lay, Coke and Cadbury's for the last 8 months, and now a potential millionaire. Are girls listening ?

2003-01-27T02:38:00.000-08:00

The height of stupidity Just look at this!! One of the most opiniated articles i have ever read.
The company was losing Rs. 40 lakhs every day of the Indian tax-payers(people like you and me) money. The government despite several restructuring exercises just could not manage it. Now that the government has sold it, it doesn't cost us a penny. And the government can rest in peace. Just applying common sense would suggest that the sell-off was a GOOD decision.

2003-01-24T03:39:00.000-08:00

An Investment Banker working in Hong Kong forwarded me the way of doing business in Hong Kong
You have two cows. You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters of credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank, then execute a debt/equity swap with associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax deduction for keeping five cows. The milk rights of six cows are transferred via a Panamanian intermediary to a Cayman Islands company secretly owned by the majority shareholder, who sells the rights to all seven cows' milk back to the listed company. The annual report says that the company owns eight cows, with an option on one more. Meanwhile, you kill the two cows because the Feng Shui is bad.

2003-01-23T16:59:00.000-08:00

The A2Z of the telecom battle in India...exciting enough to be part of this battle royale between Bharti and Reliance.
A new year and that calls for a new design for my blog. Please lemme know what you like and don't like in this new design by speaking into the "MindSpeak". Thankyou!!

2003-01-22T03:05:00.000-08:00

What do you think of the Future of Internet Cafes ?. There are two revenue models as of now - the "no frills" versions in Europe and the "cafe" versions in Asia. But with MMS, 3G, Wireless Internet access and 802.11b hotspots what is their future? My idea would be to promote internet cafes as "youth meeting points" or "nukkad addas" providing DJ music, big screen TVs, drinks, gaming, food tidbits and of course...be a ONE-STOP-SHOP for the modern youth.
Tip of the week
Never use an opt-out feature in an e-mail you never asked to receive in the first place. Most spam has an opt-out instruction, asking you to e-mail the sender if you don't want further mailings. In most cases, the sender's address is fraudulent and the message just bounces back to you. Actually all you've done is verify that you actually read the message and that your e-mail address is active. Instead of "opting out," you've essentially "opted in" for more spam.Spam

2003-01-17T02:52:00.000-08:00

Hmm... that is indeed a problem. No sex = No Bananas. I mean...Sex for Bananas. Actually i can empathise...me too Akela and without my favorite fruit kela, i will be more Akela

And believe it or nor, i had thought of this when i was 6 years old...bloody good old days

Quote of the Day
If a thing can't be done like Rajni , its not worth doing anyway...

2003-01-15T21:39:00.000-08:00

Everyday the frontpage of the South China Morning Post carries some news on the reforms taking place in different industries in China. Comparing China to India has almost become a favorite pastime for our group...we end up attributing our slow progress to the lack of ambition and our tendency to blame others for all our mistakes. An interesting ET Editorial on the same.

2003-01-12T21:51:00.000-08:00

Ask any Indian Investor about Mutual Funds and all you will get is a frown. This article reasons what makes investors all across the globe feel betrayed from MFs. Hits right on the nail.

And Eight Technologies That Will Change the world. Will it happen in my lifetime? Hollywood has made sci-fi thrillers on some of them..what about the rest?

Had a blast during the weekend !! Possibly, my best weekend in the past 8 months in Hong kong :-))

2003-01-10T02:33:00.000-08:00

Sorry Friends...
for not being able to make any posts here. Was quite busy with putting in place my new year resolutions. Have given myself 100 days to implement them. Wish me Luck!!
I have been tracking the Ambanis in Reliance and their strategy of market leadership over the last 10 years, specially the market for PTA/PSF. Their strategy has been very close to what Bill Gates does for Microsoft globally Microsoft Has a Vision
A new universal languageSmiley Dictionary. Most of us have being using some, but after a peek in this website, i am surprised to find how little we know? The whole would take a whole year to adapt. Any takers :-)

2003-01-02T21:56:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season to be jolly,
And to recall corporate folly.
For the year was rich in intrigue and sin,
And that is where the mirth begins.
Lyin', stealin', and cheatin', too
Sure was a helluva 2002.
So let us now turn to the newsmakers
Each of whom made headlines by the acre.
Thats impressive . 2002

2003-01-02T21:01:00.000-08:00

Bow wow Dow The so-called 'Dogs of the Dow' strategy of investing could be a big winner this year. If I apply the so-called 'Dogs of the Dow' strategy these are the MY Top Bow wow Dows for India with their DividendYield% along-side.
Tata Chemicals Ltd.9.00
Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd.7.00
Hero Honda Motors Ltd.6.00
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. 5.00
Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. 5.00
Tata Power Company Ltd. 5.00

2003-01-01T21:51:00.000-08:00

Ever since I have come back from Shenzhen I have been talking about why India cannot do what China has done. Some more comparisons are in these excellent columns by Mr. Rajesh "5000 million" Jain. Glimpses of China It is essentially a choice we Indians have made To sleep without electricity at night in houses without running water in sole exchange for the right to criticize our government and exercise our vote

The 10 most profitable resolutions for 2003. Profit from IT. Mine are quite close.

2002-12-30T21:55:00.000-08:00

O.K. me went to shenzhen, just across the border into China in the weekend. And it was just splendid, almost as if i was in a european country. Infact, we passed through Hong Kong immigration, obtained a China visa-or-arrival, cleared through Chinese immigration and Customs - all in 15 minutes flat. With the chilly winds welcoming me into China, I pinched myself to confirm that I was in Shenzhen and not Hamburg. The six-lane road in front of me made me feel like on the Autobahns of Germany. There's not a single road in any of our cities thats half as good as Shenzhen's. Our hosts were among 100 odd Indian software developers working for the telecom division of Huawei Technologies. The Huawei Technologies’ Campus is spread over 200 acres with beautiful apartments surrounded by parks and sports’ courts. After the customary introductions, we had dinner at the Indianised-restaurant next door and retired to our guestrooms. Actually all that reminded me our own IIMB campus and Guru's.
The next day we went to the “Windows of the World”. They have erected all the major tourist attractions in the World. And so we walked up to a volcano emitting lava in Italy, had a safari-coaster ride through the Amazon, took a bath under the Niagara falls, marveled at the Manhattan skyline in New York, romanced at the Taj Mahal, saw the Russian ballet, looked behind the Sydney Opera House, leant against the Tower of Pisa, went to the top of Eiffel Tower, crossed London bridge to visit the Queen at the Buckingham palace, met the mummy at the Egyptian pyramids. The best experience was definitely skiing in the mountains of Alps. It was minus 5 degree and we played with snow. By the time we came out, our faces were all red with cold. Finally we did some shopping at the market which had one shop for every country/culture. By the time we finished, it was 8 PM. After a quick dinner, some of us went to a Pub. Actually i was so glad with the place as well as our hosts that managed to have five full-mug beers. HaHa. And all thru out we ended up comparing India to China and finding reasons/excuses for not making the mark. China is indeed a relevation. Hats-off to Mao, Ziang and all the Chinese dictators.

Wish all a very Happy New Year
Feliz Año Nuevo
Nuovo Anno Felice
Glückliches Neues Jahr
Nouvelle Année Heureuse

2002-12-29T21:48:00.000-08:00

Delhi Metro Trains run out of electronic tokens after commuters steal them as souvenirs. Emergency intercom on the Metro trains is turned off because passengers were buzzing the driver to tell him to go faster. Delhites are simply unputdownable

And Bikini-clad women to tackle rebels in Colombia. How about giving it a try in Kashmir.

2002-12-26T22:14:00.000-08:00

Me going to ½»Í¨Ö¸ÄÏÖ÷Ò³ Shenzhen. Let's see what the Chinese did which we Indians couldn't do. Wait for my post on my experiences.
BTW, Hong Kong had its coldest day of 2002 yesterday when the temperature plunged to -0.3C at Tai Mo Shan. It was really breezy late night and reminded me of the night in Nice,France last year. Most urban areas hit a low of 8C while the rural areas fell to 6C. For Hong Kong, that's bloody cold, considering the bulk of dwellings have no built-in indoor heating. Today is shaping up to be no better. The only saving grace is it's still too warm for snow to develop. But with the humidity at well over 90%, we are getting cold rain. Can we please have some snow? Me alone, but still...that will be something romantic :-)

2002-12-22T21:58:00.000-08:00

The sequels to Matrix Matrix took a time to digest, what with some of the scenes still puzzling me. Now comes 2 sequels to Matrix, and they sound much more visually entertaining and otherwise, confusing. 2003 is indeed going to be the year of “The Matrix”. Oh no..have to revisit my fund allocation for movies in the expensive HK theatres :-( Tuf Luk!

2002-12-19T21:41:00.000-08:00

Playboy Researchers from Austria and Canada selflessly analysed the bodies of centrefold models in 577 consecutive issues of Playboy, from the magazine's launch in 1953 to December 2001....
When do they invite applications/resumes for carrying out such research? I am dying to be on their payroll hee hee hee

2002-12-19T02:13:00.000-08:00

My friends wrote me fantastic responses on my article, show of which are...
Good show boss ! i really liked your style of presentation...its so narrative and everything was like a movie before the eyes...well scripted and edited...Shalabh
Great article....good break on another hectic day.....keep them coming ...:) Divya
bihani what talent...it was really funny...you must definitely write more often...Deepika
Bihani yaar...tum to HK jaake pure shayar types ho gaye ho...i said it b4 n will say it again...lagta hai kuch gadbad hai...Minaxi
Simply amazing comedy !!! I have been laughing throughout your document and half my office feels I have gone mad. Really Good yaar. WAC ( Jayanti ) learnings have finally had an effect :) I suggest either you send this doc to all in our batch( iimb2002) or I will fwd it from your side !!! Its really a good attempt...Sumeet
Good article...Manav
Nice one...kapilan

Thankyou friends...your response gives me a reason to smile in HongKong and an encouragement to write more :-)

2002-12-18T21:52:00.000-08:00

Blame the GODs Wherever you look, there is bad news. There is global slowdown. There are no jobs in the market. There is no happiness, no reason to celebrate. IndiaTimes.com has a solution. A internet mahayagna to appease the GODs. No, me not joking!! So next coming up would be a mahayagna for the Indian cricket team in the World Cup, sponsored by Coke!!

2002-12-18T02:39:00.000-08:00

I wrote my first article today in Hong. My tryst with destiny
Finally it was 4.30. My family had been waiting since morning or rather since the day I arrived in Surat for that moment. All this time, my aunt had been teasing me with all sort of questions Ms. X would be asking me. I took pity on my poor uncle trying to imagine his ordeal. Same questions, I guess? Atleast I had got training from Mac and Bcg, poor he…just out of college and into the hands of my aunt.
Ever since college, I had always found girls staring at me. First I thought it were the smart guys with me. Then I suspected my zippers. Soon I started to believe it were my ‘Rahul Dravid’ looks that did the about-turns. But after 4 years of abject, dismal failure to hook a girl I took comfort in my friends’ opinion that it was Dravid’s bad performance on the field that were the cause of my loneliness.
And finally the day had arrived. The only thing I could read about Ms. X in her BioD was that she is a CA. Now this is not exactly a qualifier having myself gone through the pangs of CA, but more of a disqualifier. Reflecting on a marwari wedding BioD, I wonder what has a guy to do with a girl’s uncle’s business, the girl’s grandfather’s birthplace and the girl’s mom’s favorite dish? A typical BioD would have the entire autobiology and geohistory of the girl’s family, but nothing about the girl. And to meet the undekhi, unjaani pagali deewani si, i left home.
There she was, a cross between Meg Ryan in “You have got mail” and Sonali Bendre in “Diljale”. I must admit I was taken aback by her smile with a small dimple reminding me of pretty Ms. Zinta. Three actresses in Three seconds and all my thoughts on late marriage, career, disqualifier CA went out of the head. And in came, sweet little things I wanted to talk during those twenty minutes of solitude, her and me. And then I bumped onto the front seat, the car having come to a screeching halt. We had arrived at the house of Ms. X
Sundeeeeeep, Hello. I am Sreeeeevijaynath, Sreeeee for short. This is my wife, your-would-be-sister-in-law" Mr. Sri introduced a big woman wearing a kilometer of saree to me. And at the same time, pangs of pain and hurt engulfed my brains. If the mini-elephant whom Mr. Srivijaynath Timbaktu, calls my-would-be-sister-in-law then I am definitely going to be meeting up with atleast a panda very soon. And if this guy is already calling her my-would-be-sister-in-law with so confidence, I suspected my uncle giving his ‘zabaan’ to convert their ‘dosti’ into ‘rishteydaari’ in true ‘hindi philum’ style.
"Hello," me said shyly. "Nice meeting you Auntiji. Er, umm, bhabhiji. No, I mean sisterji."
They had told me on campus. First impression is important. And here I was, doing the opposite. But then it was better rather than being hugged by a panda and feeling like being LIVE on National Geographic for the rest of my life. I felt like a sacrificial lamb being led for slaughter
How much do you earn? Why Hong Kong? How much will you save? Will you ever come back? Is it a courier company? ……………Three men, in mere-se-jyaada-safed ultra-surf washed kurtas were firing questions from all sides. I was sure they were from the Mafia with the “Godfather” inside me shouting, “Go for the mattresses”. I was being questioned “Chinese torture” style. And just when I decided to run like mad, one of the three musketeers said, “She’s my daughteeer”.
All my ideas on pandas and bear hugs proved wrong. My GOD, she was a fully-grown elephant. There she was, a cross between an old TunTun and a young Guddy Maruti. Her sister now seemed to be just a khate-pite gharane ki sweet little thingie. The elder sister now came and told me to go inside and have a one-on-one chat with her. She added, “Stay at least four feet away from each other and don’t take too long”.
I would stay ten feet away from her, for fear of being crushed to death if she falls. I decided to run, run like mad and maybe break the world record and win a Olympic medal for India. But I couldn’t…I tried hard…the sisters had caught my hand and were pulling me towards the cage…none of my mba school fundaes could have helped me. I was about to be a martyr on the altar of lust and greed. And I cried hard ‘No, let me go’ and suddenly there was a big thump. I felt as if they had broken my hand. A strong pain ran across my body. And I saw myself lying on the ground. I had fell from the sofa I had been lying on the last night, watching “You have got mail” in my bunker-room in Hong Kong.
Oh!! a nightmare….Not again.

2002-12-17T20:43:00.000-08:00

12 more days to go for 2002. And the Top 10 lists for all sorts of things are already coming up everywhere. And there is a Top 10 unheard of in earlier years. That is the Corporate Scoundrels Top 10 for 2002. Top 10 I am not there :-(

2002-12-16T21:23:00.000-08:00

BusinessWeek article argues that the decision to not issue Qrtrly estimates(my last blog) is bad for Coke's stock. To Quote
The fundamental flaw in Coke's logic is ignoring the fact that the primary problem in Corporate America is not with investors' short-term focus on quarterly results, but with management's desire to achieve short-term goals.
And when the investor is looking more at Qtrly-EPS figures instead of the long term performance of the business, managers are bound to make Quarter based decisions. But then isn't a manager's supposed to keep the investors in the company happy? Its more a question of principal-agent relationship. So the problem is definitely investor's short-term focus. And Coke is right!!
Well done, Mr. Buffett !!

2002-12-16T02:19:00.000-08:00

Prince Harry's DNA Very stupid. Infact the British fetish to lap-up whatever is there in the media about the royal family(and specially Diana) is driving their media to greater stupidity. Now they are after Prince Harry's DNA to ascertain his parentage.

2002-12-15T21:44:00.000-08:00

Till now Wall Street regulators had been addressing the symptoms. Finally, a company(coke) does seem to be addressing the problem. The Coke revolution. Similar measures by other big corporations would solve the problem of CEOs managing 'quarters' rather than 'business'. And the small shareholder - well he is same as before.

2002-12-13T21:48:00.000-08:00

Indian Institute of Percolation HaHa one of the finest satires on IITs. I must say, there was one(who prides himself on solving mathematical puzzles) i met recently who told me "Obviously, you are not interested in mathematics" as soon as i told him that i am a commerce graduate.

2002-12-13T21:23:00.000-08:00

CNN's Pakistan Bias. Combine this with the media stronghold on the American populace and you have a strong recipe for hatred towards India. While staying with Americans last autumn, I could feel them having a strange symapthy with Pakistan(before 9/11). This petition was long overdue. After all, managing media is an art the Pakistanis have excelled in. But the natural receipient of this petition should be the Indian government. Managing our image is long over-due

2002-12-11T21:47:00.000-08:00

As good as it gets...cyberbegging. Our own ET shows the article(Source: Reuters) on the art of ebegging. You can also see some of these creations here on cnnmoney

2002-12-10T21:59:00.000-08:00

Hamtaro Hamtaro is owned by 10-year-old Laura and speaks a secret hamster language with his hamster pals, known as “The Ham-Hams.” Together they maintain a protective watch over Laura and their owners, Laura’s friends. Going by the following this cartoon character has generated, i would love to see it sooner than later. Originally from Japan, its being now released in the US. My second most-awaited tele-program, after Mr. Potter II.
"Lower executives play touch football. Middle-class executives play tennis. Top executives (John Snow, Treasury Secretary designate) play golf. MORAL: The higher the executives, the smaller their balls."
-- --The latest from cnnfn

2002-12-06T23:38:00.000-08:00

Indian Air Force
An interesting comparison of capabilities and resources of the IAF and PAF. As in all many other things with us, IAF seems to be having resources but completely mismanaged. Any war could prove to be disastrous for India and gives us reason enough to sit back despite all the terrorism.

H-1 B for Indian Barbers A case for Indian barbers being granted H1-B visas. After my last hair-cut, i am all for a few of them in Hong kong.

2002-12-05T21:59:00.000-08:00

Teen Fashion
In the US, the number of high-school students who say they’ve never had sexual intercourse rose by 10% between 1991-2001.
Reason: a sense of their own unreadiness, the desire to gain some semblance of control over their own destinies, religion, parents. Haha. Visit any posh colony or hep school in India and one will realise, we are goin to overtake the Americans in this field too. Did i hear someone saying, Christina Aguilera’s video !!

2002-12-05T21:34:00.000-08:00

Agree
China exporting deflation due to low labor costs. Thats the only way to ensure employment for its huge working population. Better to ensure 2 meals for every citizen rather than 4 meals for half and empty bellies for the rest(a sure fire way of social unrest, we keep talking about this in India). I sound like a capitalist-turned-communist :-)
Disagree
China should start spending those greenbacks to import more, rather than maintain a trade surplus. The article ignores the fact that China with its huge NPAs and money-guzzling state enterprises needs these trade surpluses for quite some years to clean the state sector.

2002-12-01T21:37:00.000-08:00

American shoppers spent $1.43bn on 1 Day (day next to thanksgiving) at just one shoppingchain, Walmart. Now thats equal to 12% of the annual sales of Reliance($11.7 bn), the biggest private sector company in India. India's largest FMCG company HLL annual sales is $2.2bn. Whew, where are we?

2002-11-28T03:33:00.000-08:00

This email again made me campus-sick.....i dont know whether i will ever get out of that mould.....
The image for the outer world is that IIMs play host to all sharp minds with high IQ levels who don't enjoy Life. Though this might well be true and the fact was that Life inside the campus was really a tough grind and there was indeed a lot of hard work ...especially in the mess in biting the chappatis but that did not mean that we did not have a life otherwise. The campus did bring out what was the best in a person. Of course not all were happy with what they got but there is no socialism in these matters.
In fact Life did not have us. We were larger than Life...well at least that's what we thought. We were at the top of the world and were there for two years till the world dropped us off. Life of course went on even after but everyone of us took a piece of those hundred acres with ourselves. Most of the guys who walked those chequered brickpaths walked them out wanting to become the masters of universes. Time.. that great judge ..duly announced the verdict anyway. Whatever the verdict, we knew we had the best lawyer. I still remember each and every minute spent on that campus. It is difficult not to. Those wild days, the even wilder nights and the perfectly tame grade sheets. Sometimes I think, in life the only things worth treasuring are your memories because only they are permanent. Everything else is not.

2002-11-27T03:13:00.000-08:00

With massive layoffs in the banking and consulting sector, people are now pointing at the brighter side of life in traditional jobs - 50 hr weeks, family life etc.(nobody talks of the differential pay). This article also talks of the all the good things which one enjoys when not in banking. But there is a problem there too. Having worked 80 hr weeks, it then gets difficult to adjust to a 40 hr week. I haven't been in any of these glamorous sectors(why is another story) but have worked quite long hours earlier. And now, with 40 hr weeks i get simply bored in the remaining hrs. Wud love to get back to those 80 hr non-stop work schedules. Alas!!
My boss doesnt read this blog:-)

2002-11-23T01:48:00.000-08:00

Saturday..chutthi day. Me getting bored, so needing entertainment. Laloo providing lots of it..with his hinglish. Chk it out. Now you know what happened to me after reading this. I stared for an hour on my orange juice container marked with 'Soft Drink Concentrate' 'Capacity 500 ml' and wondered where in the world is 'capacity' located. Any ideas or me gone mad with boredom!!

2002-11-22T03:14:00.000-08:00

After pricing swaps, futures, stocks in B-school, i thought i knew all. But how about pricing your kid? Here's the A2Z price formulation for a Indian middle-class baby. Well, with the economy down in the dumps and all their previous stock-tips falling flat, i think the business magazines have nothing else to write on these days. But i disagree with the word "Middle-class". Those costs seem to be very Uuuuuupper-class.

2002-11-21T21:08:00.000-08:00

I am BACK!! Sorry for not having posted anything...........got just too caught up in the BUSINESS of LIFE in HK.
After seeing excess supplies in all markets, finally US has a market where demand exceeds supply far more than could be quantified - The Market For VIRTUE. And the article(subscription required) points at Rudy Guiliani as one of the A-grade guys for this market.
Dividends will be soon back into fashion. And companies like MS, Cisco and Dell will soon be forced into paying dividends. The reason: reduced growth prospects. Quite a change, after the 90's mad-rush for growth. Article

2002-11-01T02:00:00.000-08:00

yipeee!! I am going home…for 203 hrs, I will be with my family.....yo…it’s a much deserved break and i have been waiting for the whole of last month...I want to relish each moment of it..alas I will spend 64 hrs just sleeping..how I wish we wudn't need to sleep when we wished… my colleagues tell me "u wont feel like boarding the flight back to hongkong" and i cant agree more. hmmm..i have been home earlier too with 3/4 mnth breaks and this time too, its after 4 mnths. But i have never felt so senti b4? and i promise myself...i am not spending anytime on the net. period.
A very Happy Diwali!!

2002-10-29T21:50:00.000-08:00

Warren Buffett One of the most interesting collection of articles on the GOD of STOCK-PICKING. And he's been right ten times out of ten. That's against all the laws of average. Will he trip the eleventh time

2002-10-28T20:52:00.000-08:00

China this year is going to attract more FDI than the US. It's being now compared to a "black hole sucking manufacturing" and a "Taiwan but on a 50 scale". . And the formula for success is in its people...they have the "fire in their belly". And the article speaks on all things that China has done and India hasn't

2002-10-27T21:44:00.000-08:00

It's the new kid on the bloc. Very soon, it should be part of the IMF showcase on economic reforms and open markets. The article indeed gives a good idea about how fast the country is changing. Romania.

2002-10-26T00:57:00.000-07:00

Met a very dear friend on msn. Haven't met him for a long time and had a lot to talk, specially on the golden moments since marriage. And boy, he has changed so much. He drove me crazy with his description of his experiences since marriage. He is smart with a great sense of humor, but just falls short of her. And finds that with the change in his appearence(obviously suggested by her), he has been getting more glances than ever.

Did a lot of shopping today - watches, perfumes, clothes and am all set to fly home next weekend.
and finally here's the no brainer....i never knew about PDAs also stand for 'Public display of Affection'. And as mumbai starts going the Hongkong way, the police is getting ready to stop PDA. HaHa

2002-10-25T04:47:00.000-07:00

Just looking at all my spam emails make me wonder, how big the business of selling personal databases is? But then thats the price i pay for using a free account. Just summarising the spams i got over the last week
Lose 50 lbs in 10 days My weight is apprx. 140 lbs.
Get a second mortgage on that home. Home!! I live in a rented bunker.
Pre approved unlimited credit card/ Loans upto $50,000. Not once they get my bank balance details
Double your life insurance at no extra cost. Then what marry and poison me
A new Social Security Number. It will take another 500 years for my countrymen to have one
Hmmm...now the stupid ones
“Sexy teens XXX!!!!!”
“College Girls LIVE!!!!!”
“Largest collection of Celebrity Nudes!!!!”
Obviously, I've clicked on all these links. They are free!! But only upto the main page. Thank my wisdom, i dont have a credit card. The one i got at my B-school was returned as soon as i graduated.
Have a good weekend. Next weekend i am home for DIWALI!! yippee

2002-10-23T22:43:00.000-07:00

Is Disinterested anyway different to Uninterested. Not if u read thisMatthew Yglesias. wow!!

2002-10-23T04:32:00.000-07:00

NRI - Sending money to India: Tax Implication Sending money to India: Tax implications

2002-10-23T03:45:00.000-07:00

The GE-Honeywell merger was blocked by the EU commission last year. Now an European Court has questioned the commission's very competence to make such decisions. Jack Welch would be happy !!

Ok this is news to me. Best Finance website for 2001, Egg.com. Who decided Yell.com
Com'on give me a break. Otherwise these pages will declare this blog as the best blog for 2002.

2002-10-22T03:56:00.000-07:00

Read an article on capital efficiency by Tom Copeland . What a state of my mind that i had to read it twice to get a grip on the topic.
Liar's poker was a craze on my IIMB campus. You had to read it if you were applying for i-banking(and all do!!). Read a similar satire on Asian investment banking. It's definitely humorous but at times appears to be exaggerating. First 6 chapters are free online
Now i will go and pump some iron in the gym. Even though my body doesn't show any improvement, it's a good time-pass. I like the music they play.

2002-10-21T04:09:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend saw Mongkok...People, people and people. It was crazy. And everywhere there are the same shops...seemed to be just another crude version of causeway bay. But cudn't see people buying expensive, designer goods. Most of them were window shopping. I did my customary $100 worth of shopping.
Read this on the different types of Indian airline travellers to the US or for that matter any Western country. Definitely humorous
Again a stupid day@office ... now getting used to it...what do they reach at, dont know ? and will never know ?
Finally the day ended on a bright note....Hey got to chat with an old campus friend. And got an email from my chote bahisahab. Ah, And he even did some shayari.
Jab dosti ki dastaan waqt sunayega, humko bhi koi shaks yaad aayega,
bhool jaayenge zindagi ke gamon ko, jab aapke saath guzra waqt yaad aayega.
Jaisa aap kahen, Deevik Bhai jaan!!

2002-10-19T01:56:00.000-07:00

Ha..finally friday got over...yesterday it seemed it might just never end....work, more work and still more work..and dont even know whats it for ...something which i have never believed in doing..and so it becomes difficult to focus or concentrate. But it was my first day in this job when i really felt strained. The number crunching atleast was good for the brains ..shook them out of lethargy. Am going today to the most densely populated district in the world..No its not India but right here in Hongkok. It's called Mongkok.
Saw a very creatively designed set of websites called mysticgal. Very Impressive!!

2002-10-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

Point well made !!
During the 1972 Olympics at Munich, Germany, Palestinian terrorists stormed the athletes' quarters and took several Israelis hostage. Israel refused to negotiate and, in a botched rescue attempt, all the Israeli hostages were killed. When the then Israeli ambassador was asked about the tragic loss, he replied, "In the war against terrorism, all Israeli citizens are soldiers and like soldiers they know that they may die! If we give in to the terrorists once, the hijackings and hostage taking will only increase. We will not negotiate with the terrorists." ........from rediff
How i hope, we can take the same stance :-(

2002-10-10T21:40:00.000-07:00

Superb...it makes you laugh crazy ...and hey it happened with me so many times. That is what i call, really creative.
and the only GOD on earth is celebrating his 60th birthday AB
TO update me on the latest Indian TV commercials, my friend's website has this link...quite nostalgic!!

2002-10-09T23:01:00.000-07:00

My moments with frustration well i shudnt be calling them moments.....it has been with me all thru the past few days...but the fact is, whom do i cry to........it is something i know i can't change.....they didnt teach me this in my MBA or CA...just crib....what ELSE ?

2002-10-08T22:26:00.000-07:00

One of my friends email me with his latest philosophy

Hope is the rope of life

Well said, Shalabh

2002-10-08T22:22:00.000-07:00

kat rahi hai aur kaata raha hoon......this is the state of affairs :-(
Nothing much to do...passing lunch time as usual...reading on the net about the dreammerchants. Now i also know how to spend a million Link . But alas, even i dont earn half of that!! My OB prof at IIMB used to say, "Hum honge kamayab ek din, lekin kaunsa din aur kaise yeh nahin pata?".

2002-10-06T22:36:00.000-07:00

Bought a Canon digital camera yesterday from Broadway. Specially liked the Stitch function wherby i can stitch together 2 photos taken together at different times into One. Allows me to also record moving images with audio. This website was really helpful http://www.whatsthebest.net/camera/.
Otherwise not a very exciting weekend, but indeed gives me a lot of time to introspect and learn.