Before I get started again on either beer or coffee, I have a piece of my friend's mind that I ought to share with the reader. He's a Colonel in the army, and a jolly good fella he his. Colonel lives by the side of my insti campus in a cozy little house on a small hillock. A bright red light illuminates the path that leads up to the lawn of his house and also shows the Gypsy in the shelter below.
One winter evening we had called on him. Over drinks he told a lot many things; and as it is said that grey hair does not prove wisdom of the soul, he was testimonial to that cliché that night. Two things stand out neatly in front of me as I key in this text:
1)Always, and ALWAYS reply to a message. A message is never simply a collection of words. There is an emotion behind any message and that emotion needs to be answered to. So Rule number One- even if it is your worst enemy, never leave a message unanswered.
2)In India, do not discuss your drinking habits in public.
These 2 principles have been guideposts for some pretty mundane activity and talks, but it has never the less served as a guidepost that I now believe the reader will find him/her self enriched with.
In Part 1 of this series , I had discussed how exactly I came around to sipping my first coffee; something that I've grown attached to over the passage of years. At this instant, the reader might find it unreasonable that all these bytes of space are being devoted to convey an idea so trivial. But this fades in comparison to what history has to offer. I recollect reading in a small yellow 'Unbelievable facts' book that a King, after spending a night in bed with his lady, devoted 2 entire pages of his journal writing about her bosoms. Talk of being descriptive!
At a wedding party in 2001, my Mom offered me my first sip of beer. Cheers to a lady who's thinking is so forward that I feel like the 'previous generation'. And as Colonel's advice goes, I shall refrain from saying any further.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
Beerability and Coffeeness: Part I
Any time that I've walked into a bar or a pub for a beer, I always wind up asking for King Fisher. One my best friends has taught me that the best beer is not KF; it is in fact the South African Castle Lager (though that's very subjective).And at one of our trips to Purple Haze I did make a conscious attempt ordering for Lager. And things worked out fine between us!I say this with a heavy heart though I hate to admit this, but the stark reality is that KF is at no. 2 while Lager is no.1. Why then do i instinctively order for KF?
The answer to that is because of a certain Dr. Vijay Mallya- The King of good times, whose picture inhabits my cupboard door to remind me each morning that good things in life cost money and they are fun. Having said this, I shall embark on a subject very dear to my tongue. To Dr. Mallya, I dedicate this piece. Here is Beerability and Coffeeness: Part I.
One Saturday morning, in the year 1994, I sat down to watch Pinocchio on the morning cartoon shows. It was around 7 o clock. I lived with my grandparents then. My mother lived in another city. And like any other 7 year old, I was given a 'healthy' mug full of Bournvita each morning.But that morning, thank heavens, we were out of Bournvita at home. And I asked Granny if I could try coffee instead. Reluctantly, she served me 'light coffee'. I took my first sip, and felt like I had just met by best friend from a previous life.
We are best of pals today- coffee and I. We hang out a lot together at almost any time of the day. When I moved to the hills three years back, we were briefly separated for a long time (!) And then I knew I couldn't take it any longer without coffee. And so now, at the end of each vacation, my stock of coffee is replenished from namma bengaluru.
to be continued
The answer to that is because of a certain Dr. Vijay Mallya- The King of good times, whose picture inhabits my cupboard door to remind me each morning that good things in life cost money and they are fun. Having said this, I shall embark on a subject very dear to my tongue. To Dr. Mallya, I dedicate this piece. Here is Beerability and Coffeeness: Part I.
One Saturday morning, in the year 1994, I sat down to watch Pinocchio on the morning cartoon shows. It was around 7 o clock. I lived with my grandparents then. My mother lived in another city. And like any other 7 year old, I was given a 'healthy' mug full of Bournvita each morning.But that morning, thank heavens, we were out of Bournvita at home. And I asked Granny if I could try coffee instead. Reluctantly, she served me 'light coffee'. I took my first sip, and felt like I had just met by best friend from a previous life.
We are best of pals today- coffee and I. We hang out a lot together at almost any time of the day. When I moved to the hills three years back, we were briefly separated for a long time (!) And then I knew I couldn't take it any longer without coffee. And so now, at the end of each vacation, my stock of coffee is replenished from namma bengaluru.
to be continued
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Hill'ffair 2007
I'm told this is a fine description. So here goes-
NIT Hamirpur is a gorgeous young woman in her early 20's. Many have spoken about her beauty. Fewer still have written about it. But seeing her up close and personal is the benefit of a handful. Each year,when it gets cold in the hills, the lady suits up, puts on her make up so her fair skin shows the fade blush and she steps out on the street for 3 days. Her grace instantly pulls passers-by to stare at her in awe. She is an enigma; and Hill'fair is the blush on her rosy cheeks.
This November, gravity becomes a myth. Hill'ffair is the annual cultural experience of NIT Hamirpur. This is the melting pot of all action; where art, music, literature,hot coffee, drama, rivalry, fire camps, hot-dogs, tears and a broken guitar string are all very much at home. To say that the open air theatre that houses Hill'ffair is the nucleus of all activity would be an understatement. But this is where that little seed of excitement that was sown months ago blossoms into a beautiful shower.
The clock is ticking away. And soon the young woman will go back to where she came from. Catch her blush before it disappears.
This is an attitude. This is Hill'ffair.
NIT Hamirpur is a gorgeous young woman in her early 20's. Many have spoken about her beauty. Fewer still have written about it. But seeing her up close and personal is the benefit of a handful. Each year,when it gets cold in the hills, the lady suits up, puts on her make up so her fair skin shows the fade blush and she steps out on the street for 3 days. Her grace instantly pulls passers-by to stare at her in awe. She is an enigma; and Hill'fair is the blush on her rosy cheeks.
This November, gravity becomes a myth. Hill'ffair is the annual cultural experience of NIT Hamirpur. This is the melting pot of all action; where art, music, literature,hot coffee, drama, rivalry, fire camps, hot-dogs, tears and a broken guitar string are all very much at home. To say that the open air theatre that houses Hill'ffair is the nucleus of all activity would be an understatement. But this is where that little seed of excitement that was sown months ago blossoms into a beautiful shower.
The clock is ticking away. And soon the young woman will go back to where she came from. Catch her blush before it disappears.
This is an attitude. This is Hill'ffair.
Triangles, chai and biscuits
I have had the good fortune of playing important yet humble roles in many of the insti activities here. Being the head of two student bodies, chief eddy of the college mag, one of the 6 core members of a national level tech fest etcetera might sound impressive. And so it does. But to all this, there's a hidden truth.
This afternoon was our big meeting. The six members of the NIMBUS CORE (the insti's national level tech fest) were meeting at a plush restaurant. Courtesy: Shweta's treat! And so, as we sat there; The Rat, Ntse, Agam, AdiG, Shweta and I, it dawned on me what this meeting really stood for. On the agenda was to discuss the future course of Nimbus. I looked up at the others and said - “Guys, do you realise something? This is a landmark meeting. Say 10 years from now, NIMBUS will be huge. And we can say proudly that we were there when things were taking shape.” We spoke, argued, ridiculed, joked and smiled at those 3 three days in March. And we walked out of that dining hall with a sense of completion.
From here I can tell you one little thing. The cool tags your given in college, like 'Overall coordinator' or 'Secretary' or even 'President' can give you posture for sometime. But ultimately, it all boils down to putting up a show - it's all about arranging for the triangles (those triangular shaped name plates for guests on stage) and chai/samosa/biscuits for the gathering. And if you learn to do this well, you might find your pic in a newspaper like the 6 of us did. Someday.
We had chilly mushrooms in lunch. We also had a good time.
This afternoon was our big meeting. The six members of the NIMBUS CORE (the insti's national level tech fest) were meeting at a plush restaurant. Courtesy: Shweta's treat! And so, as we sat there; The Rat, Ntse, Agam, AdiG, Shweta and I, it dawned on me what this meeting really stood for. On the agenda was to discuss the future course of Nimbus. I looked up at the others and said - “Guys, do you realise something? This is a landmark meeting. Say 10 years from now, NIMBUS will be huge. And we can say proudly that we were there when things were taking shape.” We spoke, argued, ridiculed, joked and smiled at those 3 three days in March. And we walked out of that dining hall with a sense of completion.
From here I can tell you one little thing. The cool tags your given in college, like 'Overall coordinator' or 'Secretary' or even 'President' can give you posture for sometime. But ultimately, it all boils down to putting up a show - it's all about arranging for the triangles (those triangular shaped name plates for guests on stage) and chai/samosa/biscuits for the gathering. And if you learn to do this well, you might find your pic in a newspaper like the 6 of us did. Someday.
We had chilly mushrooms in lunch. We also had a good time.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
SACRED FROGG
In ancient Babylon, there lived a frog. His name was Frogg.
One morning, Frogg hopped all the way from the tree where he lived to a nearby lake for a drink of water. While at the lake, he noticed two other frogs quarrelling. With the intention of diffusing the situation, he hopped up to the fellows and inquired - “What's happening, fellows? Don't you know your not supposed to be quarrelling? This is, after all, the time of the Great Ancient Mesopotamian Civilisation that we are in. Take shame in your act. The King shall not be too pleased to learn this.”
The 2 frogs stopped their fight and looked up at Frogg. One of them was a big guy; he bloated up his throat and blared out - “Shut the hell up, Twinkie. You have no idea what's happening. Go find someone else your size that'll hear out your bullcrap. Maybe you should try the little mouse that lives in that hole there.”, and the fight resumed. Little Frogg was aghast at hearing this. He had always been a frog with a dream. He wanted to make it big in the world; he wanted to bring about change. It hurt him to see his fellow beings squandering away their precious time over petty issues.
Frogg returned back to the tree. He shut his eyes and prayed in silence - “Dear God!I thank you for putting me at this great time in history at a place as divine as Ancient Babylon. I also thank you for giving me the ability to dream big. I wish that my fellow mates could do the same. On their behalf, I ask of you to show them a path in their lives and not let them squander it in meaningless ways. I'm glad that in my hands, you have placed such a bright future.” And he fell asleep.
Months later, Frogg's dream came true. He became the first animal in the world to be dissected and studied in great detail. He was given the name Sacred Frogg after that. Today amongst the frog community, Sacred Frogg is a hero. Nowadays, when a baby frog hops around spelling some mischief, Mama Frog confronts him and says - “Sonny, buck up! You will be like Sacred Frogg one day!”
One morning, Frogg hopped all the way from the tree where he lived to a nearby lake for a drink of water. While at the lake, he noticed two other frogs quarrelling. With the intention of diffusing the situation, he hopped up to the fellows and inquired - “What's happening, fellows? Don't you know your not supposed to be quarrelling? This is, after all, the time of the Great Ancient Mesopotamian Civilisation that we are in. Take shame in your act. The King shall not be too pleased to learn this.”
The 2 frogs stopped their fight and looked up at Frogg. One of them was a big guy; he bloated up his throat and blared out - “Shut the hell up, Twinkie. You have no idea what's happening. Go find someone else your size that'll hear out your bullcrap. Maybe you should try the little mouse that lives in that hole there.”, and the fight resumed. Little Frogg was aghast at hearing this. He had always been a frog with a dream. He wanted to make it big in the world; he wanted to bring about change. It hurt him to see his fellow beings squandering away their precious time over petty issues.
Frogg returned back to the tree. He shut his eyes and prayed in silence - “Dear God!I thank you for putting me at this great time in history at a place as divine as Ancient Babylon. I also thank you for giving me the ability to dream big. I wish that my fellow mates could do the same. On their behalf, I ask of you to show them a path in their lives and not let them squander it in meaningless ways. I'm glad that in my hands, you have placed such a bright future.” And he fell asleep.
Months later, Frogg's dream came true. He became the first animal in the world to be dissected and studied in great detail. He was given the name Sacred Frogg after that. Today amongst the frog community, Sacred Frogg is a hero. Nowadays, when a baby frog hops around spelling some mischief, Mama Frog confronts him and says - “Sonny, buck up! You will be like Sacred Frogg one day!”
Monday, September 3, 2007
CONVERGENCE
I noticed it first when Pratik bought a Pim-Pom lollipop from Uncle ji's dukan. This was a simple and non-threatening dollop of flavoured sugar enclosing a chewing gum, both supported on a thin stick (if you haven't tried the Pim-pom, go do that). This lollipop is testimonial to a whole new wave of societal change that we are at the outset of experiencing. The change that I'm referring to is convergence.
In a layman's language, convergence is the combination of multiple unrelated fields to solve a common purpose. The case of Pimpom can be analysed thus: there are people who like lollipops; and there are people who like chewing gums. If the two products can be combined to give one single product, the target group of customers is simply a little less than the union of the 2 sets of initial customers. Hence, for the manufacturers of Pimpom, the customer base has risen all of a sudden just by placing the gum at the centre of the lollipop.
On a slightly advanced level, convergence shows up with the rise of the Prosumer. Since Adam Smith, economics has always been studied treating the producer and the consumer as separate entities driving the market system. With the onset of the information age (thereby driving the digital revolution and forcing in the cyber world), convergence of the producer and the consumer is starting to show up across various layers of society. In the near future, it will become essential for us to 'produce' a part of what we are to 'consume'. Take the whole concept of a self-service restaurant. A conventional restaurant might make the best noodles in town. But the noodles is not really is the product the restauranter is selling. The restaurant is not in the noodles business; it is in the service business. The guy who makes the noodles and the guy who serves them at the table and gives you the check at the end of the meal are both 'producers' of the service which is being 'consumed' by you and me, the customers.
In a self service restaurant, the definition of service becomes slightly skewed. True, the guy inside still makes the noodles. But the customer is required to walk up to the counter and pick up his order. Effectively, a part of the service production is shifted back to the consumer. As a result the cost that he incur es on the noodles should be lesser than if he were served. Similarly, across every field of the economy today, we see the rise of the prosumer happening. It is only a matter of time before we stop talking about 'production' and 'consumption' as separate terms and start talking of a new converged activity called 'prosumption'. Will supply-demand economics apply to prosumtion? Yes. And no. However, we will need the laws of economics altered to fit this evolving mould.
In academia, our universities run degrees in sciences (BSc), arts (BA), engineering (B.Tech/BE), commerce (B.Com), architecture (B.Arch) and many others. These are field specific. It is expected that an individual completing a B.Com degree will go on to become a banker or a CA and serve his base of clients in that domain. Reading the problem backwards, it is expected that a client(consumer) will go to the banker(producer) for fulfilling his financial services. Or in other words, the consumer is being domain specific and expects the banker to do nothing more than fill out his loan application or manage his assets. But the prosumer of tomorrow is not that domain specific. He would walk up to one single person and expect the latter to fill out his loan application, take his pulse rate and help him find a copy of Don Quixote off the book shelf. This would immediately imply that the latter would have to be educated in multiple disciplines. And this is something that the education system will have to evolve out of need. In the future, we might see a student specialising in accountancy, bio-sciences, literature and cooking - all covered under one degree. We just don't know what we would call such a person. Maybe the degree would be a B.ConS, as in Bachelors in Converging Studies!
In a layman's language, convergence is the combination of multiple unrelated fields to solve a common purpose. The case of Pimpom can be analysed thus: there are people who like lollipops; and there are people who like chewing gums. If the two products can be combined to give one single product, the target group of customers is simply a little less than the union of the 2 sets of initial customers. Hence, for the manufacturers of Pimpom, the customer base has risen all of a sudden just by placing the gum at the centre of the lollipop.
On a slightly advanced level, convergence shows up with the rise of the Prosumer. Since Adam Smith, economics has always been studied treating the producer and the consumer as separate entities driving the market system. With the onset of the information age (thereby driving the digital revolution and forcing in the cyber world), convergence of the producer and the consumer is starting to show up across various layers of society. In the near future, it will become essential for us to 'produce' a part of what we are to 'consume'. Take the whole concept of a self-service restaurant. A conventional restaurant might make the best noodles in town. But the noodles is not really is the product the restauranter is selling. The restaurant is not in the noodles business; it is in the service business. The guy who makes the noodles and the guy who serves them at the table and gives you the check at the end of the meal are both 'producers' of the service which is being 'consumed' by you and me, the customers.
In a self service restaurant, the definition of service becomes slightly skewed. True, the guy inside still makes the noodles. But the customer is required to walk up to the counter and pick up his order. Effectively, a part of the service production is shifted back to the consumer. As a result the cost that he incur es on the noodles should be lesser than if he were served. Similarly, across every field of the economy today, we see the rise of the prosumer happening. It is only a matter of time before we stop talking about 'production' and 'consumption' as separate terms and start talking of a new converged activity called 'prosumption'. Will supply-demand economics apply to prosumtion? Yes. And no. However, we will need the laws of economics altered to fit this evolving mould.
In academia, our universities run degrees in sciences (BSc), arts (BA), engineering (B.Tech/BE), commerce (B.Com), architecture (B.Arch) and many others. These are field specific. It is expected that an individual completing a B.Com degree will go on to become a banker or a CA and serve his base of clients in that domain. Reading the problem backwards, it is expected that a client(consumer) will go to the banker(producer) for fulfilling his financial services. Or in other words, the consumer is being domain specific and expects the banker to do nothing more than fill out his loan application or manage his assets. But the prosumer of tomorrow is not that domain specific. He would walk up to one single person and expect the latter to fill out his loan application, take his pulse rate and help him find a copy of Don Quixote off the book shelf. This would immediately imply that the latter would have to be educated in multiple disciplines. And this is something that the education system will have to evolve out of need. In the future, we might see a student specialising in accountancy, bio-sciences, literature and cooking - all covered under one degree. We just don't know what we would call such a person. Maybe the degree would be a B.ConS, as in Bachelors in Converging Studies!
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