Kapil Bodkhe's Blog

I run, therefore I am

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Sun, 20 Apr 2014 13:05:00 +0000

If you are living in city living a sedentary lifestyle, exercise is not an option for you, it's a must. Running, brisk walking, swimming, gymming, yoga, dancing, cycling are some of the popular options available for people living in a city. Although a regular gym-goer, I personally vouch for running because of the following reasons:

1. Running is convenient. You can virtually do it anywhere and you can do it alone. You don't need any equipment beyond a pair of shoes (you don't even require these, if you go for barefoot running). So, running is cheap, easily doable, accessible, and easily maintainable even when you are traveling.

2. Very few exercises can be continued once you are past a certain age and running is one of them. I have seen more 50+ marathon runners than 25-. You can start running at any age.

3. One of the reasons people get addicted to running is the release of mood-enhancing chemical Endorphins (a morphine-like substance originating from within the body). Endorphins increase the sensation of pleasure (also called as Runner's High), which is why people feel euphoric after they complete marathons.

4. Don't even get me started on health benefits of running.

- Running is classified as a vigorous or high-intensity form of aerobic exercise. One minute of running works your body as hard as roughly two minutes of moderate-intensity activities such as biking or brisk walking. The calorie-burning effects of running are even greater in relation to other forms of aerobics.

- Running is one of the best forms of exercise for losing or maintaining a consistent weight.

- Running increases your levels of good cholesterol, boosts your immunity, and significantly lowers your risk of cardiovascular diseases.

- Not all of the benefits of running are physical. Running can provide an noticeable boost to your confidence and self-esteem. Running is one of the best ways of relieving stress and tackling depression.

- Running improves your sleep quality and can help you quit junk food and bad habits.

Of course, as with any other form of exercise, running is prone to injuries and fatigue. But with proper training and knowing your limits, you can easily eliminate those. Running will leave you feeling more energized, more focused, and you would be able to enjoy your life better than before. Happy Running!

Indian politics, corruption, states, etc.

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Sun, 11 Aug 2013 13:42:00 +0000

Corruption has spread its wings in never-heard-before things. Most of us were totally oblivious to the fact that corruption exists in a thing like sand mining. Kudos to Durga Shakti Nagpal for exposing the nexus between sand mafia and politicians. Suspending her was probably the worst decision taken by the UP government. It has only given her more power for the right cause with media, people of the country, and even the central government on her side now. People of UP had great hopes when a young Akhilesh Yadav took the reigns of the state government from look-I'm-a-rich-dalit Mayawati. People saw a fresh hope of a criminal-free, corruption-free state in their young CM. However, he seems to have completely failed the plot. In only one year, he doesn't seem to be any different from his father Mulayam Singh Yadav or any other UP politician for that matter. Hope he brings his young age to good use by bringing positive governance in the state for the rest of his tenure.

With the Lok Sabha elections round the corner, Indian politics is getting interesting. Congress has almost ruled itself out with anti-incumbency factor riding highly against them (not to forget the numerous scams and flawed economic policies during their tenure). BJP is relying highly on Modi and he is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to marketing himself. On the face of it, Modi is looking very promising to the youth. There is kind of a cult of Modi supporters in the social networking arena. But I only hope that he is much more than the claims made by the PR agency that he has hired (Washington based firm, Apco Worldwide, handles PR for Modi for 25,000 USD per month and has been known for doing the same for a few infamous people). I feel sad that most of the educated youth has gotten into thinking that Modi will solve all their problems like a magician. A similar hype was created for Obama in the US and we have seen the outcome. Excessive hype is never good. I think it is high time we understand that India's problems aren't too naive to be solved by a single person. The next Lok Sabha is inching towards an unstable coalition government with third and even fourth fronts playing kingmakers, which is probably the worst we can hope for. Hope India gets a single-party, stable government in her 16^thLok Sabha.

After a lot of hullaballoo for many years, Telangana is finally slated to become a separate state (29^thstate of India), leaving Hyderabad in a dangling situation for a few years. Now, demands for other separate states have gained momentum after Telangana. In my opinion, India does have a potential of having 50 states, but separate states have to make a geographical and economical sense, not just political!

No nation is perfect, it needs to be made perfect. Wishing you all a very happy Independence Day in advance!

My first 'Last day'

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:12:00 +0000

People talk about their first love, first job, first crush, first salary all the time. Well, for a change, let's talk about the first 'Last day at work'. Today is my last day at my first job. Last day at work can be as eventful as the first day - exit interview, last day email, formalities, surrendering the office paraphernalia, bidding adieu to colleagues, to name a few. Leaving a job for the very first time in my life, I'm having mixed feelings. While I'm sad about leaving this wonderful place, I'm equally excited about the new opportunity.

As I introspect my stay in my very first company, I definitely had a fantastic time here. I got to be a part of one of the leaders in the IT industry. I got to work closely with some of the brightest folks in this industry. I got to work in an area which is selling like hot cakes in today's world. I got enough opportunities to enhance my skills and expertise. I got to work under one of the best managers who gave me enough support and freedom to enjoy my work. I got appreciation when I did something good and I also got beatings on my mistakes, making me better at my job every single time. I got to work with people from all across the globe. I made a lot of friends with whom I wish to keep in touch even after leaving this place. We worked hard and partied harder. I never had Monday morning blues and that, I think, sums it all up. If I look back to my very first day at work, I feel, I have turned from a naive college grad to a disciplined and a mature corporate individual.

If I were to summarize my lessons in this job, here are the top 6 things that come to my mind:

1. It's not just your technical knowledge that's going to make you successful in your job. A lot also depends on your attitude, interpersonal skills, team work, motivation, humility, and your ability to handle criticism.

2. Don't make enemies and don't burn bridges. You never know when you will need the other person's help. So, keep your ego at bay next time you disagree with someone.

3. Don't reveal more than what's required. Learn to keep secrets. There's a lot of sensitive information flowing around in the corporate world and spreading it might put you and others in harm's way.

4. Share your knowledge with others. Not only will that make things clearer to you, but will also make others open up when you have something to ask. Seek help from others when required without hesitation.

5. You will find a lot of negativity around you. Don't let that hamper your work. If you are not happy about something, speak out and try your best to rectify the problem. If things still don't work out, move on rather than spreading more negativity.

6. Speak up what you want. People are busy. So, don't assume that things will be done for you by others. Say what you want clearly and keep following up until closure.

With all these great lessons and wonderful experiences, I conclude my first 'last day' and look forward to my second 'first day' at work.

Common English Grammar mistakes

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 09:12:00 +0000

I have a keen interest in English grammar, grammar of any language for that matter. Following is a list of a few English grammar mistakes that I usually come across, some of which even I make sometimes. I plan to update this list as and when I come across more of these. Feel free to add to the list, especially anything that you spot on this blog :-)

1. Incorrect: he didn't came; did you went?

Correct: he didn't come; did you go?

The tense is carried by the auxiliary verb 'do' -- not by the main verb.

2. When used as an adverb, 'maybe' is a single word meaning 'perhaps'. When used as two separate words, 'may be' is a verb phrase showing possibility. For example, he may be creative or maybe he is just crazy.

3. 'cannot' is a single word. Its shortened form "can't" is also correct. However, writing it as two separate words 'can not' is incorrect.

4. 'up to' should always be two words. There is no word called 'upto'.

5. The adverb sometime (one word) means "at an indefinite or unstated time in the future." For example, visit our place sometime.

The phrase some time (two words) means "a period of time." For example, give me some time to think.

The adverb sometimes (one word) means "occasionally, now and then." For example, sometimes I get confused.

6. The possessive form of a plural word ending in 's' is formed by just appending the apostrophe in the ending 's'. For example, classes' opinions, boys' clothes, etc. The possessive form of a singular word ending in 's' is, however, formed by appending the apostrophe and another 's' in the ending 's'. For example, class's opinion, boss's treat, etc.

7. It's is a contraction for it is or it has. For example, It's a bird, It's been good to know you, etc.

Its is a possessive pronoun meaning, more or less, of it or belonging to it. For example, The bird is known for its ability to fly, It has its own place, etc.

Of Race, Rape, and Republic

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 15:17:00 +0000

Lance Armstrong has been in news for being stripped of all his Tour de France titles and being banned from cycling for life due to doping allegations. A few days back, he admitted doping in a "no-holds barred" interview with Oprah Winfrey. This news came in as a shocker to millions of his fans throughout the world and there has been a wave of anger, disappointment, and disgrace about him since then. I too have been a huge of his, especially after reading his novel "It's not about the bike" - one of my all-time favorites. I feel sad about him and did not expect his dream career to see this end. However, I liked the fact that he had the guts to admit it all and apologize to people openly. Though this doping news makes his fight against stage-three cancer a little less illustrative, I still think it was a phenomenal battle. I wish to see him doing something remarkably good for the society in the days to come.
The Delhi rape case has been in news for quite some time now. This has been one of the few cases where the media and the people haven't lost steam easily and have been following it up very closely. I think the sheer gruesomeness of this crime easily justifies the public anger and demand for the strictest punishment to the guilty. I feel that some of the positives that came out of this case such as public agitation and media attention urging the government to take faster steps to bring the guilty to book, steps being taken for making our country a safer place for women, public debates on critical issue like death penalty and juvenile justice act, and the potential amendments in rape laws would definitely help the girl's soul rest in peace.
Today, India celebrates her 64th Republic Day. I wish to see a resurgent, crime-free, and empowered India in the days to come.

Bangalore city needs some diversity

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 13:27:00 +0000

Every city has got problems of its own, and Bangalore is no exception. I feel that one of the primary reasons behind the various issues that are plaguing Bangalore today is the lack of diversity here. Unlike other cities such as Mumbai and Delhi where people of wide variety of occupations and income levels reside, Bangalore is majorly populated by IT professionals. The issues with this lack of diversity are manifold. Look at the traffic situation for example. Everyone travels to their workplaces during peak hours causing traffic jams; everyone thinks they are rich and travel alone in big cars adding up to the traffic woes; no one wants to travel in BMTC buses or any public transport for that matter. Needless to mention, these are the same people cribbing about traffic snarls in Bangalore every now and then.

Of all, one thing that annoys me the most is that even on weekends and holidays, people want to do the same set of things, as if weekdays weren't enough. Come on guys, get some diversity here at least! Everyone wants to watch a movie over the weekend sky-rocketing the ticket prices. I find it very difficult to digest the fact that movie tickets on weekends are in the range of Rs. 300-500 and yet it's very difficult to get a ticket, unless booked in advance. Everyone wants to hang out in a mall crowding the malls to the point of suffocation. Everyone wants to eat in restaurants leaving a long trail of vehicles from residential areas to the commercial ones.

I think we've already tested the limits of the city and it's high time we diversify a little bit, at least over the weekends.

Go, watch a movie on a weekday evening or watch it in a local theater over the weekend, if you must. Even better, watch a play once in a while. Ever been to Rangashankara? If not, you are missing out on a beautiful and serene place.

Go on a trek or on a long drive to a scenic place. Bangalore is blessed with many such places in and around herself. Explore!

Try giving back something to the society by engaging yourself in a social cause e.g., http://theuglyindian.com/, http://www.teachforindia.org/, http://www.indiaagainstcorruption.com/, etc.

Travel in a BMTC bus to work once in a while (I know you are rich, but still do this for the sake of the city). If traveling in a BMTC bus hurts your dignity (really?), cycle to work once in a while. At least do the car-pooling, if you must travel in a car. Please don't take out your land-cruisers when traveling alone.

Coming to the ritual of eating out. Bangaloreans are crazy when it comes to food. Restaurants in every nook and corner of the city are full to their maximum capacity most of the times. How about some local food joint for a change? Ever been to the food street?

Let's do our bit for solving the city's problems. After all, cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.

Thindi Beedi aka Food Street aka Khau Galli in Bangalore

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 14:59:00 +0000

I'm a foodie. And I feel lucky to be in a country that keeps my taste buds titillatingly happy. Every city in India has to have a food street, and Bangalore is no exception. It didn't take much time for the gourmet in me to discover the food street in Bangalore. The Food Street or Khau Galli in Bangalore is known as Thindi Beedi (Kannada word for food street).

How to reach:

It is located near Sajjan Rao circle in VV Puram. If you are taking a bus or an auto, get down at Sajjan Rao circle, and the food street starts right next to it. If you are driving, you can get the driving directions from google maps:

View Larger Map

General Info:

It's a very small street (hardly a 200m stretch), and the shops are located adjacent to each other. The street is open all days of the week from 6 p.m. till about 11 p.m. It's pure vegetarian, and it's local. Although the street might look crowded over the weekends, it is still less crowded than a food court in a mall in Bangalore, and I pity Bangaloreans for this. Most of the shops don't have any seating arrangement, but eating out on the street is an exhilarating experience in itself. The prices of food items are pretty low as compared with any other eatery in Bangalore. Even for a devourer like me, it's difficult to eat stuff more than Rs. 100 even on an empty stomach.

What to eat:

The street starts with the landmark V.B. Bakery, serving its customers sincerely for more than 50 years now. The bakery is known for its fresh products, especially the cream puff and honey cakes, and calling its bread soft would be an understatement.

V.B. Bakery (left), Honey cake (top right), Cream puff (right bottom)

Eating Ramu’s ghee masala dosa will make you go on a guilt trip, especially if you have watched him make the dosas, generously doused in ghee.

Ramu's Masala Dosa

I've had the best Idli in my lifetime at a shop beside Idli Mane. The Idli is so soft and fresh that it nearly melts in your mouth. You could also try other local delicacies here such as Paddu, Kolbade, Akki Roti, Ragi Roti, and Thatte Idly.

Akki Roti, Thatte Idli, Paddu, Kolbade (Clockwise from top left)

The next must-visit stall is the one that sells bondas and bhajjis. Aloo bonda, chilli bhajji, onion pakoda, banana bhajji...the list goes on...the capsicum masala is a must try.

Capsicum Masala Bhajji (left), Assorted Bhajjis (right)

You could also hog on some of the North Indian delicacies such as paranthas, gulab jaamun, and pav-bhaaji or some chat items like bhel, pani-puri or some Chinese ones like gobi manchurian.

Chat items

Another must-try stall is the one selling holige (puran poli). Coconut holige is my personal favorite. Even the plain Dal Holige drenched in desi ghee is sumptuous.

Holige stall

Towards the end of the road stand the corn sellers stocking over ten varieties of corn including the slightly puzzling "lemon butter baby masala corn". You'd also find fruit vendors selling fruit plates at this end.

Fruit plate (left), Corn (right)

And the last but not least - Shivanna Gulkand Center. Your trip to the food street isn't complete if you haven't tried some of the unique delicacies at this center. My personal favorite ones are:
Exotic fruits + Gulkand + Ice-cream = Butter Gulkand Fruit Salad with Ice Cream
Masala Pepsi

Shivanna Gulkand Center (left), Butter Gulkand with Ice-cream (top right), Masala Pepsi (right bottom)

There are still so many items that I haven't tried yet even after numerous visits. I wish I had two stomachs to devour more food. If you are a true foodie, then you wouldn't be in front of your computer by now :)

Disclaimer: Most of the pics in this post are taken from various sources on the internet.

Buying a new house in Bangalore

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 15:45:00 +0000

A well settled job, a dream house, a car, and a loving wife...that's the dream of the middle class in India. Anything over and above this is a bonus :) We talked about marriage in the last post. Let's talk about the dream house in this post. I've tried to compile the info I gathered in the last few days by reading through some online material and through discussions with a lot of people. See if you find the following info useful while buying a new house in Bangalore.

Time:

When should one buy a house? Well, the simplest answer would be: As early as possible. Real estate prices in Bangalore are shooting up day-by-day. So, if you can't afford to buy a house today, chances are very bleak that you'll be able to afford it tomorrow. Contrary to the common misconception, real prices never come down. Even in the worst recession of 2008-09, the real estate prices remained leveled, to say the least. The only difference during the recession times is that it's difficult to find buyers. But that stage is generally temporary. The real estate prices in Bangalore are still half-way through the prices in Mumbai and Delhi. I personally feel that Bangalore has a potential of reaching Mumbai or Delhi in the coming few years.

Budget:

This is the time you'll realize how you have fared so far since you started earning. The savings thus far will give you an estimate on your spending habits. While this might teach a lesson to a few, some might get a sweet little shock. The following things might help you in deciding your budget while buying a house:

You need to pay at least 20% of the total cost from your pocket upfront. Make sure that you can manage to accumulate that much cash in a short period of time.
Banks will give loan only up to 80% of the total cost. Public Sector Banks like SBI are very strict in this regard, whereas private banks can give even up to 85-90% of the total cost, depending upon your financial status.
Banks will sanction loans keeping in mind that your EMI should not be higher than 50-55% of your monthly take-home (after all the deductions). Again, private banks are a little generous in this regard too. Just google for EMI calculator and you'll find tons of those available online. Try out different combinations of the loan amount, tenure, and the rate of interest, and check your affordability.

Location:

Choosing the location can be a real headache, when you begin your search. Bangalore is expanding in all the four directions and this can give you a nightmare in deciding your location. You should not decide on your house location depending on your current working location, because you never know where you might land up a few years down the line. A few things that might help you in choosing your location:

Subscribe to the Times of India (I hate to say this), especially the Friday edition. Real estate ads is the only useful thing in ToI, which otherwise is full of crap.
Read through some of the online resources such as blogs, real estate forums like www.indianrealestateforum.com, etc.
Talk to people. Talk to your friends, office colleagues, acquaintances who are staying in different localities. The actual residents are the best sources of information of any locality.
Many builders arrange a site visit (free pick-up and drop) to the property. You can leverage those. Otherwise, you can go on your own to a particular area and see all the properties in and around that area.

Type of house:

Type:	Apartment	Independent House	Villa
Pros:	closely knit-community, common amenities, secure, easy to put on rent, you get everything ready-made	you own your land, you get to choose the building architecture and floor plans, more free space for gardening, playing, etc., you can control the quality of construction	you own your land, more free space for gardening, playing, etc., secure, common amenities, you get everything ready-made
Cons:	you physically own a very small land share, limited or no flexibility in choosing the floor plans, no control over the quality of construction	not very easy to put on rent, security concerns, no common amenities, more time and efforts in building your own house	generally expensive, generally in the outskirts of the city, not very easy to put on rent, limited or no flexibility in choosing the floor plans

Builder:

The prices of renowned builders could be at least 20-25% more than a normal builder. Although the prices of smaller builders are on the lower side, their projects are very prone to the following issues:

Many-a-times, you won't get what was promised.
Delays in completing the projects.
Legal issues.
Compromised quality of construction.

Some of the projects of even the renowned builders are plagued by these issues, but chances of such issues surfacing are lesser with the renowned builders, hence the premium price (same logic as for branded clothes, etc.). There's also a common belief that properties of renowned builders tend to last longer and would fetch more resale value a few years down the line. However, if budget is a constraint, you can get a good house by a smaller builder in a good locality. But do verify thoroughly on the above-mentioned aspects as much as possible before finalizing.

Renowned builder or otherwise, do bargain on the final price of the house. In most of the cases, as much as you are desperate to buy the house, the builder too is desperate to sell it.

Do make sure that the property you are buying is approved by the various renowned banks, especially SBI. These banks do a review of the legal documents, etc. of the project before giving approval. SBI is supposed to be very strict in this verification.

Loan:

A lot of options are at your disposal as far as home loan is concerned. If they find that you are capable of repaying the loan, banks will chase you like anything. I was advised to go for SBI by most of the people who had opted for private banks. SBI generally offers a lower rate of interest, and doesn't have any hidden charges. They are also pretty strict in verifying the property documents before approving the loan. However, you may have to run around a bit, if you choose SBI, whereas private banks will come to your doorstep.

Banks will try to enforce you to take home loan insurance, along with the home loan. However, as of today, there is no mandate from RBI on taking insurance for the home loan. I personally prefer taking a simple term insurance plan, which would cover even the loan amount, than going for a home loan insurance.

If the house is under-construction, you will have an option of going for either pre-EMIs or full-EMIs. For an under-construction property, the loan amount is disbursed in stages by the bank to the builder. In pre-EMIs, you pay only the interest component of the amount that's disbursed by the bank to the builder at a particular stage. So, you will need to pay smaller EMIs in the beginning until you get the possession of the house and the full-EMIs start. However, your loan tenure would generally increase if you are opting for pre-EMIs, as the repayment of the principal component of the loan starts only after you get the possession of the house. To cut a long story short, go for pre-EMIs only if you are really short on cash in the initial stages of the loan. Otherwise, always go for full-EMIs.

You almost end up paying double the loan amount by the time you repay the loan completely. So, stretch your limit as much as possible and take only the minimal required loan.

Income tax benefits:

Loads of stuff is available online on this:

http://www.raagvamdatt.com/income-tax-it-benefits-of-a-home-loan-housing-loan-mortgage
http://www.onemint.com/2011/11/30/section-24-income-tax-benefit-of-a-housing-loan/

Maggu's Dilemma - Love Marriage ya Arranged Marriage?

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 10:04:00 +0000

Maggu was good at studies since his childhood. A bachelor's degree in Engineering from IIT and an MBA from IIM spoke volumes about his academic achievements. Working for a top-notch Consulting firm with a hefty salary package, he was living the dream of today's Indian youth. All was going well until he reached the age when it was time to get married. Having devoted his whole youth to studies and career, and having studied in a highly-skewed-sex-ratio environment, he hardly had time/opportunities to interact with women (of his age). So, when most of his not-so-qualified (non-IIT, non-IIM) friends were getting married to their girlfriends, Maggu felt an intense peer-pressure.

Having been under pressure many a times in his academic life and having come out with flying colors in such situations, he was confident about tackling this situation quite easily with his meticulous planning and hard-work. He planned to solve this issue just the way he had been cracking the client use-cases in the Consulting world. He decided to first brainstorm on the issue at hand, then list out the possible solutions, evaluate those, and finally arrive at the feasible solution. To begin with, theoretically, he had two choices at this juncture: Love Marriage and Arranged Marriage. He decided to brainstorm on Love Marriage first. (In his calculative mind) "hmm...Let me see...For this, first I've to fall in love with a girl. Then, I've to convince her to fall in love with me. This would entail a substantial amount of investment in time and money. Also, going by the scracity driven high-handedness developed in the so-called decent-enough girls, the probability of finding such a suitable girl is going to be very bleak, especially given that I'd be finding a very little time for this extracurricular activity in my tight work schedule. Then there are certain other issues such as convincing the parents if the girl is from other caste/religion, be the mediator if any party raises any concern, etc."

All in all, this looked like a very time-consuming and stressful activity and the RoI (Return on Investment) didn't appear that appealing to Maggu. So, he decided to brainstorm on Arranged Marriage now. (Again in his calculative mind) "hmm...Well, for this too, I've to search for a suitable bride. Here again, finding such a suitable match isn't going to be any easier, given the number of constraints that come into picture such as religion, caste, horoscope, education, career, looks, family background, etc. The bright side in this is that my parents would be helping me in finding the suitable match and my strong academics and career would play a valuable role. But then there are certain open questions such as how can I decide to spend the rest of my life with a person in just a couple of meetings? What if my parent's choice and my choice are way too different? What if I'm not able to find the kind of a girl I've in my mind? What if our frequencies do not match after marriage?...and so on..."

These questions created chaos in Maggu's otherwise sharp mind. Evidently, there was no clear winner. As the time was passing, his anxiety and confusion levels kept increasing. Maggu started to have a feeling that he was too late into the game and should have delved into this issue much earlier. Such was the intensity of this pandemonium that Maggu went into depression and his performance at work took a hit too. Amidst all of this confusedness, forget about the resolution of the issue, all he could come up with were more and more questions: What's the use of my IIT-IIM qualification if I haven't found a girl to marry yet? Why did parents keep telling me not to mingle with girls and rather concentrate on studies? Are my non-IIT/non-IIM friends much happier than I am, even though I've toiled a zillion times more than they have done so far? Why didn't they have a course in college on getting girl-friends which I could have topped and not be in this situation? What went wrong?

And this was the first time Maggu felt in his life that he had failed in something. He realized that there are many other important things in life than studies and career. He also realized that certain things in life can't be solved even by the best analytical minds; such matters are better left to the heart to deal with.

Disclaimer: All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. This post was written for the IndiBlogger contest on LoveYaArrange.

Satyamev Jayate and the great Indian ‘cynical’ middle class

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 14:39:00 +0000

Having grown up watching the serials of the kinds of Vyomkesh Bakshi, Malgudi days, Chanakya, Surbhi, Bharat – ek khoj, etc., the quality of today’s tv shows (barring a few) makes me vomit, to the extent that I’ve stopped watching tv for quite some time now. Gone are the days when we used to wake up to the tunes of mile-sur-mera-tumhara and all the family members used to be glued to the tv for watching 7pm news. (Well, the less said about today’s news channels, the better. Another topic, another day…).

This spirit was rekindled when Amir Khan launched his much awaited tv serial – Satyamev Jayate. The concept is so simple, yet so catchy. Behind the glory of ‘shining’ India, lies a bitter truth which no one is daring to unearth. The idea has been very well conceptualized, thoroughly studied, and perfectly executed in a way that it touches a wide range of audience. Having seen the deteriorating conditions in villages (which constitutes more than 70% of the population in India) first hand, the so called glories of a handful of city population doesn't impress me much. The show has thrown some light on a number of critical issues that are plaguing Indian society today. While a major section of the society has welcomed this initiative with open arms, a certain section of the society (the cribbers) is cribbing about certain things such as Amir Khan using this as a platform to promote himself, the show showing India in a bad light, etc. While I certainly feel that the show has its own shortcomings, I still think it's a very good beginning towards a great cause. If Amir Khan is able to promote himself with this show, so be it. As long as the show is spreading awareness about the problems that the society is facing, I think it's a well spent hour of the week. More importantly, it's bringing back some value to the television.

I've observed that most of these cribbers belong to the great Indian middle class. This is the same middle class which has always been finding some way or the other to be unhappy in whatever situation they are in. Having been through a lot of hardships throughout their lives, some of us have become so much cynical that we have lost hope. Seeing a myriad of issues surrounding us, we've lost faith that this situation could ever be reversed. The bad is when we lose faith that we can do something good to the society, but the worst is when we try to pull back people who haven't lost faith yet. In my humble opinion, we have no right to question someone's intentions, when we ourselves have done zilch towards such a cause. I think it's high time we stop throwing mud on each and everyone, and at least appreciate the good things being done by a handful, if not contribute towards it.

When should we drink water?

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 15:59:00 +0000

We all know that water is good for our health. It helps in cleansing the body of toxins, helps digestion, increases metabolism and so on. The most common question I've seen people asking about water drinking habits is: how much water should one drink in a day? And there are various standard answers available to this question. Some go by the "8 by 8" rule - drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day, while some customize it further depending upon the body weight. In a nutshell, we do have some concrete answer to this commonly asked question.

However, I haven't seen many people bothered about when one should drink water throughout the day. And perhaps due to this lack of interest in this question, I'm yet to see a concrete answer to this question either. I've seen people recommending drinking/not-drinking water at all the possible times throughout the day: before the meal, during the meal, after the meal, before the workout, during the workout, after the workout, so on and so forth. People have proposed various theories supporting their claims on when one should drink/not-drink water. Out of those, I'm convinced about the following two things so far: Drink water the first thing in the morning and Drink water some time before the meal.

For the remaining timings, I'm still searching for the right answers...

Brown Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Wed, 02 May 2012 02:26:00 +0000

Having started exercising on a regular basis, I've also started keeping an eye on the food that we eat. Through one of my friends, I came to know about the benefits of brown rice. I did some research about brown rice on the internet and here's a succinct summary of my findings:

§ What is Brown Rice?

Brown rice is also called 'unpolished rice' and is brown in color. It is actually how the rice would look before it goes through the entire process of polishing. Every rice grain has an outer layer of a slightly stiff cover called the 'hull' or husk. The husk is always removed from the seed for both white and brown rice. Under this layer is a thin brownish layer called the 'bran' layer. This brownish layer on the rice seed clings to the seed and is removed through a polishing process. In the case of brown rice, the brownish bran layer is left intact and only the top stiff cover is removed.

§ Health Benefits

The most important benefit of brown rice is that it is rich in fiber, which is present in the brown bran layer of the grains. The health benefits of a high fiber diet are being stressed by medical experts and this alone is a very good reason why you should eat brown rice instead of the regular white rice. The health benefits of high fiber content foods are numerous, it reduces the possibility of heart diseases, helps avoid abrupt spikes in sugar levels, helps digestion and reduces constipation etc. Some medical tests have indicated that the health benefits of brown rice could include controlling high blood pressure. Besides high fiber content, brown rice also contains other nutrients like, B vitamins, manganese, selenium and iron. By eating brown rice, you will also get the health benefits that such nutrients give the human body.

§ Pricing

If you thought that brown rice would be cheaper than white rice as it is only partially processed, you are wrong. You will find that in most shops and grocery stores, brown rice costs much more than white rice. This is primarily due to the shorter shelf life as comapred to the whote rice. Brown rice develops a rancid flavour if stored unrefrigerated for more than 5 to 6 months. This is due to the natural oils in the bran layer becoming stale with time. Another reason could be that brown rice despite its growing popularity, has a total consumption that is less than white rice. The economies of larger production scale work in favour of white rice as far as pricing is concerned.

§ Storage

If you look at the brown rice grains, you will notice the brownish bran layer that clings to the grain. In the normal process used to get white rice, this bran layer would be taken off in a polishing process. It is this bran layer that can be affected by prolonged storage and give the brown rice a rancid flavour if stored for more than four to five months. The rancid flavour of brown rice when stored for long periods, is due the natural oils in the bran layer of the rice grains becoming stale. You can increase the shelf life of brown rice by refrigerating the (uncooked) rice. However if you make a direct comparison, white rice has a longer shelf life as compared to brown rice. When you shop for your brown rice, check the manufacturing date on the packet and choose a store that has a high customer turnaround.

§ Taste

If you compare the texture of brown rice and white rice after cooking, the brown rice will have a much firmer texture than white rice. It is this nutty kind of flavour that makes people love brown rice once they have tried it. White rice on the other hand gets a little more soft when cooked. Brown rice has an appetising flavour of it's own, on the other hand white rice is often enhanced with other flavours. Some Asian countries have become experts in adding flavour and fragrance to white rice. This is very rarely done in the case of brown rice and the natural flavour of this rice is one of the reasons for it's growing popularity.

§ Cooking

Most of us are quite used to cooking white rice and the basic concept remains the same when cooking brown rice too. However, when you make brown rice make sure that you allow the rice to soak in the water for around 25 to 30 minutes before turning on the heat. This is the right way to cook brown rice as the grains are a bit more tough and stiff. Soaking in water before cooking the brown rice helps to soften the grains. Cooking the brown rice with too much of water makes the grains stick together and feel like a paste. On the other hand using too little water to cook brown rice will, make the grains too stiff and will also not bring out the full flavour of brown rice. Many cooks would offer advise on how to cook brown rice, but it is best for you to learn the basics and then do the fine tuning to suit your taste. When working out the proportion of water to be added to cook brown rice, start out with a 1:2 ratio. This means that you add 2 cups of water to 1 cup of brown rice. Complete the brown rice cooking and check the texture of the rice by eating a few cooked grains (allow to cool sufficiently before trying this). This will give you a starting parameter to work with and you can then make subtle changes to the time that the rice is soaked (before cooking) and also the proportion of water and brown rice.

§ Suggestions

If you have never eaten brown rice before and would like to make a start, a good idea would be to mix one portion of white rice and one portion of brown rice when cooking. Gradually reduce the proportion of white rice and allow the brown rice to be the major portion in your rice consumption. You will soon start liking the full, rich nut like flavour and texture of brown rice. Continue with your brown rice diet and if you ever try white rice again, you will immediately feel that it has a bland and starchy flavour that does not impress you. Few people change back to eating white rice after having eaten brown rice for a couple of months.

Make sure that you see the packing date on when you buy brown rice. You should ideally consume the brown rice within 3 to 4 months from the packing date. Refrigerating it in a tightly sealed plastic bag can increase the shelf life to around 5 to 6 months. Storing brown rice beyond this period gives the rice a stale rancid flavour.

You might find that some brown rice seeds are very brown while others look like they have been partly stripped of the bran (brown layer). This is because the polish process may be completely left off (fully brown seeds) or partially done. In cases where the brown rice is partially polished, the seeds could appear to have a lighter shade of brown or even appear a bit patchy with brown and white patches. The cooking time and soaking time for the rice might differ based on the extent to which the rice is polished. A little practice would enable you to work out the right amounts of soaking time and the right quantity of water to be added when cooking your brown rice.

Rat Race

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 04:31:00 +0000

I finally found out the perfect definition of Rat Race in the book 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad' by Robert Kiyosaki. Here's an excerpt from the book:

"If you look at the life of the average-educated, hard-working person, there is a similar path. The child is born and goes to school. The proud parents are excited because the child excels, gets fair to good grades, and is accepted into a college. The child graduates, maybe goes on to graduate school and then does exactly as programmed: looks for a safe, secure job or career. The child finds that job, maybe as a doctor or a lawyer, or joins the Army or works for the government. Generally, the child begins to make money, credit cards start to arrive in mass, and the shopping begins, if it already hasn't.

"Having money to burn, the child goes to places where other young people just like them hang out, and they meet people, they date, and sometimes they get married. Life is wonderful now, because today, both men and women work. Two incomes are bliss. They feel successful, their future is bright, and they decide to buy a house, a car, a television, take vacations and have children. The happy bundle arrives. The demand for cash is enormous. The happy couple decides that their careers are vitally important and begin to work harder, seeking promotions and raises. The raises come, and so does another child and the need for a bigger house. They work harder, become better employees, even more dedicated. They go back to school to get more specialized skills so they can earn more money. Maybe they take a second job. Their incomes go up, but so does the tax bracket they're in and the real estate taxes on their new large home, and their Social Security taxes, and all the other taxes. They get their large paycheck and wonder where all the money went. They buy some mutual funds and buy groceries with their credit card. The children reach 5 or 6 years of age, and the need to save for college increases as well as the need to save for their retirement. .

"That happy couple, born 35 years ago, is now trapped in the Rat Race for the rest of their working days. They work for the owners of their company, for the government paying taxes, and for the bank paying off a mortgage and credit cards.

"Then, they advise their own children to `study hard, get good grades, and find a safe job or career.' They learn nothing about money, except from those who profit from their naïveté, and work hard all their lives. The process repeats into another hard-working generation. This is the `Rat Race'."

Things to remember while riding a motorbike

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 04:07:00 +0000

Here are some of the lessons I’ve learnt while riding motorbikes in various parts of India:

· Choose a bike with wide tyres. Bikes with wider tyres are stabler and have a lesser tendency to skid.

· Don’t overuse the clutch. Use it only while changing the gears or coming to a complete stop. Don’t use it while riding downhill. Excessive use of clutch wastes fuel and also reduces engine life.

· Switch off the engine while waiting at the traffic signal. Avoid excessive throttling while waiting at the signal.

· Slow down on the speed-breakers. Speeding on the speed-breakers can cause severe back pain.

· Always keep an eye on the tyre pressure and stick to the recommended settings. Insufficient tyre pressure not only reduces the life of the tyres, but also increases fuel consumption.

· Refuel the bike only at the selected and trusted fuel stations. Constant variation in the fuel quality might affect the performance of the bike.

· If you are riding in a group, keep the headlights on even during the day. Makes it easier for your fellow riders to track you.

· A simple rule to check whether a person driving ahead of you is able to locate you (especially for the trucks that don’t have the center rear-view mirror) - if you can't see the driver in his rear-view mirrors, then he can't see you.

· If you are being chased by a dog while riding (very common in India), don’t try to speed away in panic. Just stop for a while. Most of the times, the dog will stop chasing once you stop. Dogs have a tendency to chase moving objects.

· Enjoy the scenic views, the gushing wind, and the adrenaline rush while riding!

www.facebook.com/CastrolBiking

The great Indian obsession with the currency 'change'

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 16:09:00 +0000

A subtle incident at a tiny shop in a railway station prompted me to write about something I've been curious about for a long time. I purchased something priced at Rs 4 and gave the shopkeeper a 10-Rupee note. I think I held my expectations too high when I thought that getting Rs 6 back in change was no big deal. As usual, the shopkeeper asked me if I've Rs 4 in change, to which I replied in the negative. The shopkeeper asked the same question again, and this time I had to show some genuine concern to his recurrent request and I reached my pocket. I somehow managed to dig out Rs 3 in change and told the shopkeeper that that's all the change I had. I think I underestimated the preciousness of the currency change, when I expected that the shopkeeper would ultimately relent, and return Rs 6 to my 10-Rupee note. The unexpected happened, and to my surprise, the shopkeeper agreed to accept Rs 3 for an item priced at Rs 4. (Ain't it a defiance of basic rules of business?)

I've always been amazed by the way currency of smaller denominations is valued at the various stores in India. How many times have you seen the shopkeepers reluctant to give away the change? How many times have you seen the shopkeepers ready to lose profit instead of giving away the change? How many times have you seen the shopkeepers saying they don't have change and then ultimately digging out the precious change from their gallas when left with no other option?

How can the otherwise profit-conscious businessmen succumb to a futile thing like change? Either there is a serious scarcity of smaller denominations of currency or there is something wrong in the system. Or wait a minute...is there something bigger going on here...something of the sort done by Dhirubhai Amabani, who used to collect Yemeni coins and then melt those to sell for a bigger profit?

I'm really clueless about these questions. With my limited business acumen, the only thing that strikes my mind is to open a currency exchange shop, which would shell out smaller denomination currencies in lieu of the higher ones, keeping some profit margin.

Sodexo: An evil in disguise?

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 06:48:00 +0000

Recently, there has been a huge hullabaloo about Sodexo coupons. Retail stores stopped accepting Sodexo coupons all of a sudden from January 2012. I've always been curious about the Sodexo business model and this incident acted as a catalyst to my curiosity. In trying to understand more about this issue, I've come to know more about the Sodexo business model as well. I'll try to summarize what I've understood thus far.

Sodexo (erstwhile Sodexho, wonder if this was inspired by my post) is a French conglomerate which is into food services and facilities management worldwide. Although I do not have any confirmed sources, but they must have invested a lot of money in govt machinery upfront to get a few laws passed. According to one of these laws, an employee gets tax benefit, subject to 3000 maximum per month, on the money spent on food and non-alcoholic beverages during working hours at offices. Most of the IT companies give coupons worth 2200 per month (assuming 22 working days and 2 meals per day and 50 per meal). Since the employer cannot pay more than 50 per meal to the employee, the denominations of the coupons are always 50 or lower. The use of these coupons was later extended to restaurants and then to grocery purchases. Many retailers accepted them for non-food purchases as well, but when income-tax authorities started questioning this, most organized retailers put systems in place to ensure these coupons would be accepted only for grocery items. Following are the key role players in this business model:

Employee: Employees pounce on every little opportunity to save income tax. Since Sodexo coupons offered a tax free money, employees jumped to this opportunity. Assuming an employee gets 2200 worth coupons every month, this effectively saves about 660 in tax, assuming the employee is in 30% bracket. Even though many employees did not use office cafeteria services, they could use these coupons in retail stores and restaurants.

Employer: Employers started giving these coupons as perks and marketed it as an extra money in the employee’s pockets, since it’s tax free. Apart from the administrative headache, the companies didn’t have much to lose.

Stores: Retail stores and restaurants started accepting Sodexos to attract customers. Employees wanted to dispose of the unused coupons outside and this provided a great avenue for these stores to attract these customers. The stores redeem their Sodexo coupons for a 5% discount i.e., for every 100 worth coupons, Sodexo redeems 95 to the stores. This process usually takes 20-25 working days, compared to 24 hours taken by the Credit Card companies. One cannot rule out the possibility of these stores bloating the prices of certain items to compensate for this loss.

Why did shops stop accepting Sodexos?

Small denominations of Sodexo coupons implied increased processing times at the billing counters resulting into increased waiting time in queues for the customers. Apart from the administrative headache, there’s also a possibility of fake/damaged/expired coupons. To add to this, Sodexo is said to be asking for an increase in the commission (hitherto 5%) and at the same time an increased payback time. The only reason shops accepted Sodexo was because their competitors were doing so and not accepting meant losing customers. When Sodexo strong arm tactics were unbearable, supermarkets teamed up and decided to stop accepting, so as to force Sodexo to revert to earlier norms. And what better time to register the protest? Employees are given to choose Sodexo options in the months of March-April every year.

Sodexo: Sodexo is the biggest winner in this business model. First of all they receive 5% commission from the stores. They return the money only after 20-25 days. That is, they have had the money for a full 20-25 days without paying any interest. In fact, from the time the coupons are given to the employee to the dy Sodexo pays back to the store, it's practically free money to the Sodexo. Sodexo coupons usually come with an expiry date. No store will accept the expired coupons resulting into 100% profit for Sodexo. There’s a complex process by which one could renew the expired coupons, but very few people have the patience and perseverance to go through this process. Hats off to the French baniya who came up with this business model!

After going through so much inconvenience, I’m sure many of the employees have already decided to stop subscribing to these coupons in the next financial year. The result of this turmoil remains to be seen, but my opinion is that given the unrest in the employee section, Sodexo has no option but to concede to the shopkeeper’s demands.

My 2-cents:

The government allows 800 a month as conveyance allowance without asking the company to issue travel vouchers. Then why make the distinction for food? The only party losing out in this deal would be Sodexo and hence they'd do their best to resist this model.
I wonder if Sodexo is losing money due to counterfeit coupons. If people could imitate currency notes, making fake Sodexo coupons should be a piece of cake.
Switch to electronic coupons at the minimum, which would resolve half of the issues at hand. Again, Sodexo would resist implementing this because with Electronic cards, processing becomes faster, which means Sodexo will have to reimburse money to shopkeepers much faster.
How many times have you driven to a far away supermarket / restaurant just because they accept Sodexo coupons? How much time have you wasted in supermarket queues because everyone wants to pay by Sodexo? How many times have you bought the stuff you don’t really need just because you can use Sodexo? How many times have you lost money because shopkeepers don’t return change when you pay by higher denomination coupon? Taking into account all these points, does it really make sense to boost this parallel economy?

Happy New Year 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:10:00 +0000

Happy New Year to all the readers! Wish you all a wonderful and eventful year ahead! Not being a great believer in the 'End of the world in 2012' hogwash, I happened to join this event on facebook: I Will Still Be Alive In 2013 :)

Adios 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:20:00 +0000

One of the most eventful years in my life comes to an end, and I'd like to share a famous quote here: “Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning, but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.”

Looking forward to what's in store for the new year!

Things NOT to do while in the USA

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 04:28:00 +0000

Not get your driver's license in India and depend on friends/colleagues for commuting and weekend trips.
Carry a driver's license which is in a non-English language or which looks more like an application form than like the license itself.
Not get ECNR (Emigration Check Not Required) stamp on the passport and put doubts in minds of the immigration officers whether you passed the 10^th grade or not.
Get yourself screwed at the Customs counter and almost get deported.
Get caught for over-speeding.
Sleep in the back seat of the car.
Sleep in the front seat of the car.
Make random long-drive plans late in the night and get caught for jumping the signal.
Get your car towed away and stand helplessly on the road at midnight.
Take a trip back home in the towing truck.
Try to get out of the car before the cop reaches your car.
Try to bribe the cop.
Argue with the cop.
Get out of your car to see what was happening when the cops block the road in front of you.
Spend a couple of hours in burning audio CDs for the long drive, when data CDs too work in the car stereo system.
Think that you look old enough not to carry any age proof while purchasing alcohol.
Not keep the door open for the people following you and let it close on their face.
Not understand the question "For Here or To Go?"
Not tip the waiters or tip them less than 10% of the bill amount.
Go on a shopping spree since it's so easy to order things online.
Blog about the things you did in the US.

The day I decided to jump from the plane

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 17:27:00 +0000

I was (well, not anymore!) acrophobic - scared of great heights. In childhood, I could not even look down from a 3-storied building. To obviate this phobia, skydiving had been on my to-do list for a long time. Most of us fantasize about flying like a bird. Skydiving is the closest a human being can get to flying. Since skydiving is not available in India yet, I decided to check this item off my list during my first visit to the US. Monterey Bay was the nearest skydiving destination from the place I was staying while in California.

I decided to finish it once and for all on one of the weekends. I convinced three of my friends to accompany me. They hadn't gathered enough courage for the skydive yet and hence they had decided to visit Monterey Bay Aquarium instead, during the time I'd be doing my skydive. I won't boast of my convincing power, but by the time of registration, they were all in for the kill ;-) We did all the registration formalities and signed on a number of documents declaring that we ourselves would be responsible for our own demise. We were given a few instructions by our jumpmasters and were given harnesses and goggles to wear.

The next step was to board the plane. It was a small aircraft with 12 of us in it, including 4 of us, 4 jumpmasters and 4 cameramen. We enjoyed the bird's eye view of Monterey from the top and the plane came to a standstill at the height of 18,000ft. That's it. It was time. It was time to inhibit all the fears. It was time to fly like a free bird. It was time for the jump. I could hear my heart throbbing. I dragged my feet towards the exit door. I looked down from the door and my heart nearly came out of my mouth. I was ready to pay any price, if someone could get me out of that situation.

The jumpmaster shouted "Jump" and before I could fathom anything, I was falling down from the height of 18,000ft at the speed of more than 120 mph. I shouted, I cried, I shrilled! I was flying like a free bird! A strong wind was blowing and I could feel my skin fluttering like a lifeless piece of cloth against the strong wind. Those were the most interesting and thrilling seconds that I have ever experienced. After a few seconds, I came to my senses and could see my cameraman filming my free fall. I did some air maneuvers into the camera. It was a beautiful view from thousands of feet above. The Sun kissing the sea on one side, mesmerizing land holding tiny people on the other. A random thought crossed my mind that I should have learnt swimming in case we end up landing in the sea.

After about 90 seconds of free-fall, the jumpmaster checked his altimeter and gave a "5-5" signal to the cameraman. The parachute opened, I felt a little jerk and the next thing I know...we were floating in the air like an eagle. My jumpmaster, a nice chap, taught me a couple of lessons in parachuting. He pulled a cord and the parachute went round and round and round. What an aesthetic experience it was! We flew our parachute to the drop zone and to my surprise, we landed very smoothly on the ground. I was so ecstatic, as if I saw the land after a million years. While a cab was taking us from the landing back to the waiting lounge, we hardly spoke anything. So much had happened in the last few minutes that we needed some time to soak in all the beautiful memories. Bliss!

My 2-cents:

Skydiving is a must-do activity and everyone must try it at least once in their lifetime. I can guarantee you that it will be an unforgettable experience for you too!
Do wear a cap to shield your ears against the strong wind. During the free fall, the wind was so feisty that I was sure it had ruptured my eardrums.
Don't hesitate to shell out a few extra bucks for the video shooting. It's totally worth the price. They do a nice job of compiling the video and you also get to choose the songs to be embedded in the video. Remember, you can do your first skydive only once.
Wear a collarless t-shirt for the skydive. They anyways instruct you to tuck in the collar, if there's one. The wind is so wild out there that it wouldn't mind digging a hole in your skin with the collar of the shirt.
Please check over the phone before going there, whether skydiving is available on that day. They sometimes cancel the dives if the weather is rough.
Contrary to my belief that it would be very cold out there at that much altitude, it was pretty sunny and warm up there. Thankfully, they had instructed us against wearing a jacket on that day.
Wear comfortable shoes that fit in properly. One of friends' shoe nearly came off and most of his dive time was wasted protecting the shoe from falling down. Again, don't waste time protecting the shoe if it comes off. The price you pay for the dive is much more than the price of your shoe.
Don't make a fool out of yourself in front of the camera. The video will remain with you for the rest of your life or perhaps even after that.

P.S.: After reading this blog, if someone decides to experience skydiving, then the blog has served its purpose.

Welcome to the roads of United States of America (Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 04:21:00 +0000

It's all happening here, baby...San Francisco...11:30pm...signal turns yellow as we are crossing it...cop follows our car...almost points a gun at us...car stopped...claims we jumped the signal...we argue...cop claims invalid driving licence...we argue...vehicle towed away...we are left stranded on the road shivering in the cold...see you in the court!

(Taken from: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=211819975530122)

Welcome to the roads of United States of America

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 04:17:00 +0000

4 people driving from Los Angeles to Redwood City...US Route 101...90mph...police vehicle follows and stops their car...manage to escape without a fine, but with a warning...1am...65mph...a car zooms past...at least 120mph...one cop vehicle zooms past and starts chasing the speeding car...another cop vehicle zooms past...3..4..5..6..7 cop vehicles one after another...4 people still driving at 65mph wondering what's going on...smoke...was there a shoot out?...police vehicles block the way right in front of 4 people's car...leaving a long trail of vehicles behind them...cops take position with guns and rifles...some of the cops start marching towards the side of the highway into the woods...probably a criminal/terrorist running away from police...vehicles are allowed to pass by from a side lane while the operation still continues...4 people still wondering what had exactly happened...was the criminal caught?...feels like a sequence taken right out of a Hollywood movie...welcome to the roads of United States of America!

(Taken from: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=205485416163578)

Things you might not know about China (Part-2)

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Wed, 18 May 2011 16:32:00 +0000

This is a continued version of the original post Things you might not know about China.

Two-wheelers and three wheelers are banned in big cities like Shenzhen to restrict pollution. Only electric motorbikes are allowed in Shenzhen.
Unlike those in India, most of the restaurants in China don't give tissues for free. They charge you for those, if you wish to use some. This is the reason most of the Chinese people carry a bunch of tissue papers with them whenever they go to restaurants.
They don't give any mouth fresheners like saunf in restaurants in China.
You need not give tips at the restaurants in China.
Unlike in India, they don't serve drinking water at the restaurants in China.
Chinese women like to wear mini (sometimes micro/nano/pico) skirts even in freezing winters. This is one equation I'm yet to resolve.

Things you might not know about China

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 15:40:00 +0000

I happened to visit Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macau for a business trip. It was a really amazing and memorable trip. Got to know so many new things, met so many new people and made so many new friends. I'd like to share some of my observations about China here:

Contrary to my belief, Chinese people are very friendly. I'd rate Chinese people among the highest so far on the friendliness meter.
Chinese people have a very amicable attitude towards tourists. They are really helpful and protective of tourists. They don't quote astronomical prices when you go for shopping, they don't pick-pocket you and taxi drivers charge the same amount to the tourists as to the localites. Indians need to learn a thing or two in this space from their Chinese counterparts.
The controversial one-child policy was introduced in China in 1978 to control the population growth. More than one child would entail more taxes, more fines and fewer benefits for the parents. However, there are some exceptions wherein the government allows for more than one child to a family. For example, if both the husband and wife are the only children of their respective parents, then they can have two children.
Chinese people have lunch and dinner very early compared to us Indians. Their normal lunch time is 11:30am and dinner time is 6:30pm.
Since Chinese names are difficult for foreigners to remember and pronounce, people working in international companies are given an option to choose an English name. That is the reason they have two different names, one English and one Chinese.
All Chinese citizens must attend school for at least nine years. Government provides the education for the economically backward citizens. They start going to school at the age of six or seven (compared to four or five in India). Master's degree (at least in Engineering) is of three years, compared to two years in India. Hence, most of the Chinese employees are older than their Indian counterparts by a year or two.
Hong Kong and Macau, which were British and Portuguese territories respectively, although a part of People's Republic of China (PRC) today, are given a special status of special administrative regions (SARs). They have separate visas and their own laws for all issues except in matters of foreign policy and defence.
Shenzhen, where our office is located, is one of the most successful Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in China. So, lotsa multinational companies have their offices in Shenzhen. It's also home to many of the electronic goods.
One of the big problems that China is facing today is the ageing population, a consequence of the one-child policy. By 2050, half the population will be 50 or older. (India's 65% population is below the age of 35, which is an asset to India)
PinYin is an official system to transcribe Chinese characters. It is used to enter Chinese characters into computers. So, there's a standardized mapping between a Chinese character and the corresponding English characters.
Many Chinese people do not consider Taiwan a separate country. They also do not support the independence of Tibet.
Corruption is prevalent and rampant in China too.
3 Idiots and Slumdog Millionaire are the most popular Hindi movies in China.
Chinese people are really fascinated by the dancing and singing skills of their Indian counterparts. In China, they don't have a culture of dancing at marriages/parties (Can you believe it?).
QQ is the most popular social networking site in China. Facebook is banned in the Mainland China. Baidu is the most popular search engine. Google, although not banned, is censored.

Disclaimer: The content is exclusively the personal opinion of the author based on his own observations. The author does not warrant the correctness or veracity of any content subject to this disclaimer.

(Some more observations can be found here: Things you might not know about China (Part-2))

Of Name, Complexion and Luck

noreply@blogger.com (Kapil Bodkhe) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 17:04:00 +0000

Three lessons I learnt today:

1) I was under the impression that ‘Kapil’ is one of the easiest names to pronounce. However, today I was taken aback when one of our counterparts in the China office, who happens to be on a visit to the India office, had a really tough time pronouncing my name. I didn’t dare to ask her to pronounce my surname ;)
Lesson learnt: Don’t assume things. The World is a big place.

2) Today, I went to a hair cutting saloon to get a haircut. Snippet of my conversation with the saloon guy, who happens to be a local Kannada guy with a little knowledge of Hindi language:

Saloon guy (complementing on my fair complexion): Kya khata, joh itna color aata?

Me (trying to match his Hindi dialect): Main joh khata, usse color aata, lekin baal jaata aur pet badhta...

Lesson learnt: We always yearn for what we don’t have and don’t appreciate what we have.

3) The news of Liz Hurley getting a divorce from Arun Nayar is doing the rounds, thanks to the Spin King Shane Warne (maybe, someone needs to ‘warne’ her). I happened to come across a news article, speculating that Liz may lose a major of chunk of her money to Arun Nayar, if the divorce goes through.

Lesson learnt: You get to do Liz Hurley and you make a fortune when you are done...Arun Nayar is one lucky bas**rd! ;)