Sky is the Limit

Stationery Magazine - My First Online Venture

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:58:00 +0000

I have been working towards launching an online magazine for the office supplies and stationery industry in Australia for the past 6 months. And finally today we have launched the Website.

Please do check out the site and post comments here on things we can improve on the website.

A bit about what the site is all about:

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Stationery Magazine (http://www.stationerymagazine.com.au), a new online publication that intends to cater to the Stationery and Office Supplies Industry in Australia, launches today.

One of the few (if not the very first) web sites to target the diverse and complex Office Supplies Industry in Australia, Stationery Magazine wants to become the definitive and most reliable source to which the Resellers can turn to for their various needs. They will be providing the Industry Players with the latest, relevant and exhaustive information about the different Products, Promotions, News & Events.

Stationery Magazine will be acting as a central hub where Suppliers, Resellers and anyone belonging to the Stationery and Office Supplies Industry can come together and interact with each other for finding solutions to their business-related problems, publish editorials for free as part of their promotional efforts and also place paid advertisements towards enhancing their Brand- building efforts .

All those who are interested in joining the Stationery Magazine community in order to enjoy the full benefits offered by the web site can do so, by registering at the site for Free.

For more information, visit http://www.stationerymagazine.com.au

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Fingers Crossed!! Lets see what it turns out to become :)

Beautiful Bali - Part 4

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:10:00 +0000

Next day, we decided to visit Kuta beach, well known for its surf. We hired a cab to Kuta and the beach was completely packed. The holiday crowd was still there (including us). There were lot of surfers, both local and international, riding the waves. The rest of the people were just lying on the beach while some were walking around. It was too busy for a casual stroll.

We decided to go around and do some window shopping. We saw a few ladies braiding hair and decided to give it a go.

The process took time and hurt a tiny bit. They took a few strands at a time and started braiding from one end to the other.

I liked my new African look. I even had the right top to go with my new look ;)

We spent some more time in Kuta, had lunch from there and returned to the hotel at around 6PM.

After a quick shower we decided to try out restaurants just outside Nusa Dua gates. There were a row of restaurants on either side of the road. Plenty of choices.

As usual, we walked from one end to the other and back again on the other side, to see what was available. Most of it was seafood and the difference was in the look-and-feel and the add-on services. Some places had bands playing inside, others had western dancing and yet others had a rustic pub-like feel with high, wooden bar stools. The place came to life by 7 and tourists started to flood in.

We picked a place which had a band playing soft music. This time we had a Crab, Fish and a Lobster grilled in coal with rice and Sambal. The food was really great and cooked to perfection.

That evening, we booked a different cab for next day as Ngurah had gone to his village after the New Year celebrations. He was a great tour guide, reasonably priced and a good entertainer. We promised that we would let others know about him in case anyone plans to go to Bali.

His details, in case anyone is interested, are

Ngurah Sudarma
mobile: 08123606589
Perumahan TamanGraha Permai
JI Danau Batur V blok F 15
Jimbaran, Denpasar - Bali

Early next morning, we started our trip and first went to the Hot Mountain Springs. The water was warm and it looked a bit muddied, so we did not have a dip. This water flows down from the volcanic mountains and was filled with minerals.

There were lot of tourists staying in huts built on the slopes of the mountain. From afar, those huts looked as though they were hanging in thin air.

After spending some time wandering around, we had a Balinese lunch by the stream and headed towards Monkey Temple.

Monkey Temple was very beautiful and as the name suggests, it was filled with monkeys. We bought some peanuts and with our guide, we went inside the place. The leader monkey of the pack came to me for peanuts and scared away the rest of the monkeys. The monkey was totally cool.

The way to monkey forest

From the temple, we went to Butterfly park. The butterflies we saw were so colourful and looked unbelievably pretty. Was amazed to see some really massive ones. Some of these butterflies only lived for, like, 24 hrs or so. Felt a bit sad knowing that such beautiful creatures had only a short life...

We also saw a few stick insects and even got to hold them as well.

Next, we went to Tanah Lot Temple. Tanah Lot means Land in the Middle of the Sea.

When the tide is low, we can walk to the temple through the rocks. It was high tide by the time we reached there. The place was enchantingly beautiful. We hopped over the rocks and the waves crashed upon us. It felt a bit dangerous but somehow was really exciting too. There were people patrolling the place to keep an eye on you in case you got a bit too adventurous!

From Tanah Lot, we went back to the hotel and reached there at about 5 in the evening. That evening we went to the same restaurant to have dinner.

Our return flight was in the evening next day. So we decided to roam around Nusa Dua. We had another massage in Nusa Dua and spend the rest of the afternoon at Bali Collection before we finally returned to Adelaide.

Some random pics...

Bali is a beautiful place and the people are really nice and friendly. We had a wonderful, relaxing holiday in Bali.

If you would like to read the previous posts, please click here for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Beautiful Bali - Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:30:00 +0000

Next morning, Ngurah was waiting at the hotel lobby. He took us to Nusa Dua Water Sports Center. We decided to go for Jet Skiing and Flying Fish.

Flying Fish was something new and unique. It was not para sailing but close to it. Basically, you lie on a rubber raft and a speed boat pulls the raft. The wind then blows the raft up in the air and it will feel as though you are flying in the middle of the ocean. We could not take any pics of it but this video from YouTube says it all.

From there, we went to get a traditional Balinese stone massage. The place had a training center in the main building. Ngurah's sister was the head trainer in that center. Her job was to train massage therapists in resorts around South East Asia.

Outside the main building, there were many small thatched huts surrounded by greenery and these were the professional massage centers.

After a quick chat, we were asked to select an oil to use. There were choices ranging from Spiced oil to Rose oil.

After the refreshing massage, we had lunch at another local place. This place was a well known "Dhaba" for the locals and the interstate tourists. We tried interesting things like fried Pork skin chips, Dried Fish with small beans etc. The food here was nothing like we had ever tasted before but really really good.

We returned to the hotel by 3 and had a nap. Since it was New Year's Day, it was not that safe to go to the city. So we decided to go to Bali Collection, an open mini shopping town in Nusa Dua. The place had 10 to 12 restaurants and about 40-odd shops inside it. Bali Collection had its New Year's celebration with bands playing at the center stage.

We had dinner in an small Italian restaurant inside Bali Collection and stayed there till midnight.

Next two days , we decided to take it easy and just hang around Nusa Dua. We lazed on the beach, went for walks in and around Nusa Dua, did some body surfing and used the swimming pool.

Me Trying to Body Surf

In the evenings after dinner, we would stroll within Hyatt itself. Walk by the private beach of the resort and within Nusa Dua. The hotel would light up at night with blazing fires and lights everywhere.

Every night, the craftsmen market came to life inside the resort. Around 15 to 20 craftsmen and women would come there to sell Wood Carvings, Paintings, Beautiful Jewellery, Semi Precious Stones etc. It was real fun to walk around this market at night.

It was a relaxing 2 days after the action-packed first few days.

If you would like to read the previous posts, please click here for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Beautiful Bali - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:54:00 +0000

Early next morning, Ngurah arrived at the hotel to pick us up. We first went to Puta Bali to see a traditional stage play. The play was around a mythical story and there were lots of actors clad in costumes with the accompaniment of traditional musical instruments played by cheerful Balinese people.

After the play, we had a traditional brunch from a local store. It was an A la carte with rice, chicken stew, pork fry, tiny fish fry etc. The food tasted different, with interesting flavours.

From there, we went to see an art gallery filled with beautiful Balinese paintings. We also went around the Arts Village where we saw hundreds and hundreds of paintings hung outside quaint little shops.

Then we passed through the Carvers Village. Again, hundreds and hundreds of beautiful wood carvings were displayed outside the small shops in that town. It was really amazing to see the sheer quantity.

All the galleries were situated inside beautifully-carved old buildings. The architecture was a real treat for the eyes.

Next, we headed towards Kintamani which is known for its active volcano. The place was a couple of hours away. On the way, we saw beautiful paddy fields and it looked very much like Kerala.

We reached Kintamani around 1.30pm and straight away went to the restaurant which was on top of a hill. We had to climb a few stairs to reach the restaurant which was in an old beautiful wooden building. It felt as if the whole building was precariously hanging on the side of the mountain. There was a clear view of the Volcano from inside the restaurant.

Without any warning, the whole place suddenly filled with fog and it was an absolutely beautiful sight. We drank in the beauty of the surrounding areas for almost 2 hours.

From Kintamani, Ngurah took us to a very special temple in Bali. I forgot the name of the temple but it was beautiful. We were asked to wear sarongs before entering the temple.

Temple Pond

From there, we went to see the step-irrigated paddy fields. This too reminded us of some parts of Kerala. Especially, Panjal and Pattambi.

Nykaj with Ngurah

Ngurah was a fantastic tour guide and we had a great trip that day. On our way back, we got caught in a traffic jam as it was New Year's Eve. We were held up for almost an hour since there were lots of local tourists coming to Bali from Jakarta. We reached the hotel by 8 and promptly crashed into our bed.

If you would like to read the previous posts, please click here for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Beautiful Bali - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Last Christmas, Nykaj and I had almost 2 weeks available for holidays and were scratching our heads wondering what to do. It was too short for a visit to India. The house construction had not started, so there was no point staying back in Adelaide.

After a few days of online searching, we found Bali to be the best bet. There were some great last minute fares available and we booked everything a week before our holidays.

We had made absolutely no plans on what to do when we get there. However, before we left, we asked a few of our friends about their trip to Bali. We were advised to find a local taxi driver for day trips. They would know all the key places and would be your local guide & driver for a negotiated daily rate.

As soon as we landed in Bali, we hired a local Taxi to our hotel. Grand Hyatt was 45 minutes away from the airport in a place called Nusa Dua. Nusa Dua in Balinese means Second Island. We chatted with the cab driver and he gave us some tips on a few places to see. From the way he talked, we got the impression that he did not seem to know much about the place. However, we took his details just in case we could not find anyone else.

Once we checked into our room, we quickly had a shower and decided to explore the hotel. The hotel was spread across a few acres of land and there were 4 to 5 different restaurants to choose from.

Inside Hyatt

We had a quick bite to eat and went back to our room to have a snooze. At about 4 in the evening, we called up the cab guy and asked him whether he would drop us at a place called Jimbaren beach. The guy was at a party with his friends and said that he could not make it. So we called another cab through the hotel reception.

The cab driver, Ngurah was friendly and he mentioned that he was a tour guide as well. While chatting with Ngurah we came to know that he was a true-blue Balinese guy. He seemed to know the place inside out and suggested a trip plan based on what we wanted. We decided to give him a go and booked him for the next day.

Jimbaren beach, is one of the most "happening" places in Bali. There are beach-front cafes lined up from one end of the beach to the other with made-to-order fresh seafood. The place was buzzing.

Jimbaren beach in Bali

Nykaj and I decided to walk from one end of the beach to the other to browse all the menus. The food and prices were more or less the same. Some of the restaurant beach fronts were not well kept. We picked Bali Beach Cafe as it had a great sea view and had a very clean beach front. By then it was 7 in the evening and the sun was slowly setting.

Sunset at Jimbaren beach

We went inside the restaurant to pick the seafood we wanted to be cooked. There were live Crabs, Fish, King Prawns, Lobsters etc to choose from. They spiced the seafood with their traditional sauce called Sambal and cooked it in coal inside a mesh frame. We had fish, a crab, some prawns with rice and one of their vegetable sides and washed it down with their local beer Bingtan, which was very light and nice. The food was delicious.

After dinner, they had a Balinese Dance with beautiful Bali girls dressed in their traditional attire. We got to take a picture with them, after the show.

Most of these beach restaurants provide free hotel transport as an add-on service since it is a bit difficult to find a cab late at night. We reached our hotel around 10pm that night.

It was a beautiful and relaxing day and we had a great time at Jimbaren beach.

If you would like to read the previous posts, please click here for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Our House - Substantial Completion of Brick Work

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:04:00 +0000

It has been 3 weeks since the frame was erected. The brick layers have completed most of the Brick Work.

Bricks Delivered

Concrete Mixing

Brick Laying

Ground Floor Completed

Facade

Starting Work on First Floor after Scaffolding

Substantial Completion of Brick Work

Next week, they will start Roofing, finish Brick work and also the internal Electrical wiring works.

Things are moving as planned... Fingers Crossed!

If you would like to read Part 1,2 & 3 please click Part 3 , Part 2 Part 1

Behind The Scenes - Making of a Website

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 02:18:00 +0000

Having a website is a fundamental requirement for every business in this internet age. So learning the basics of getting the site ready was of utmost importance to me during my preparation period. My aim was to identify a platform that is simple to use and can be updated and managed easily.

Before this, I never even knew that there were open source platforms like Drupal, Joomla, Word Press etc., using which we could build full-fledged websites. While searching online, I found a lot of paid platforms, however none of them came close to open source. Maybe I am biased here, due to the cost factor :).

With a multitude of free platforms, it was rather tough to pick one. I knew what I wanted, but mapping my requirements to the appropriate platform was taking more time than anticipated. I had to tackle this a bit differently.

My first instinct was to seek professional assistance of a web developer. But then I realised that I would only be given a suggestion based on what one person knows or is exposed to. If, at a later stage, it turned out to be wrong, I would be in big trouble. To be on the safer side, I had to ask at least 8 to 10 professionals to reach a final decision. But the tough part was to find these professionals and secondly, even if I find them, would they care to help?

Linked-in was the answer to my problem. I posted a few questions about what I was looking for and in reply, a lot of experts around the world shared their point of view. I got a really balanced and informed opinion about each of the available platforms and within a few days, was able to make a decision! Thanks to social networks!

And Joomla was the winner.

The next task was to select a hosting provider. When I typed in web hosting, there were hundreds of companies that came up in Google, starting from Free sites to those charging $500 per month. The range of options was too vast and it was hard to make comparisons! I started going through a few of the plans and had to research further when I came across words like Dedicated, Virtual, Co-hosting, Grid etc.

I realised that I had to first determine the type of hosting that I need, before looking into the nitty-gritties. Once I had a fair idea of the different hosting options available, I framed a few questions around my requirements and posted it in Linked-in to get expert opinions. I also put posers on other websites like smartcompany.com.au to get a local perspective. The suggestions were more or less similar - Dedicated Virtual Hosting looked like the best bet.

Once I decided on Dedicated Virtual Hosting , I had to find a provider. The available options were narrowed down as I was looking for a DV provider within a certain price range. There were 4 or 5 providers that always came up in searches and there were a lot of comments available on the web about each of them. From there, it was an easy pick.

The choices around the website were finally made; all thanks to the internet and the online communities ever ready to help.

Our House - Progress so far

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:40:00 +0000

The framework of our house has been completed. For the past 3 weeks, I have been going on-site every day! It was really exciting to see the shape of the house evolving.

Timber framing the ground floor

Fixing up the front

Starting work on level one

Getting the roof done

Half way through the roofing

Final Touch up on the sides

Windows fitted

Frame work almost done

Being there, I just felt like all the hard work is starting to pay-off finally.

Next stage is brick-laying. Once they complete laying the bottom half of the house, the Scaffolding will go up. Waiting for that to happen!

If you would like to read Part 2 please click here

If you would like to read Part 1 please click here

Testing the Waters, Toe by Toe - Which ERP system should I pick?

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Wed, 27 May 2009 22:44:00 +0000

The second question in my mind, was around the accounting package for my business.

Having managed a couple of SMB Accounting Packages and having had to grapple with the complexities associated with them, I figured that I needed something that is really simple to use.

I certainly did not want to get mired in the complexities of managing a software application on site. Things like

1) Backing up the software application

2) Taking daily Server Snapshots for disaster recovery

3) Paying license fee for using the Software

4) Paying license fee for Users on the Servers

5) Paying for Terminal Server Licenses ( If I wanted remote access)

6) Paying for software upgrades

7) Paying for software management and support

etc. were aspects sometimes overlooked. I have seen people in various businesses going through this and tearing their hair out. The main point here is, it is hard to notice money flowing out in trickles.

Anyhow, I did not want to take this path when other options were available in the market. The solution for me was to find an application that sits on the cloud which would solve all the above issues at one go.

I was not sure how to go about finding one. As always, I started with a google search and it came up with a few applications. Figuring out how each of those apps work was taking a lot of time. I realised that if I go on like this, I will be researching forever and will not be able to reach anywhere.

I suppose one of the best (and the quickest) ways to learn is from others' experiences. So I decided to search for articles and blogs that talk about cloud computing and software-as-a-service.

I stumbled upon an article written by Brendan Lewis around "Accounting on a Cloud". The article really helped me to narrow down my search. I checked customer feedbacks on each of the software apps Brendan listed in his article and found Saasu to be the best fit for my requirements.

The best thing about Saasu was the ease of use & the simple layout. I figured out how to use the basic application in just a couple of days. I also did my BAS (Business Activity Statement) reporting in one minute.

I just had to run a report and it gave me all the totals and step-by-step instructions on which value goes to which column of the BAS statement.

Doing my BAS was a big deal for me as it was my first time. The other reason being, I have experienced first hand what happens when the accounting package fails to give correct BAS totals thereby forcing the accounts department to manually do the calculations!

In addition to all of this, the pricing of Saasu was phenomenal. They had a great pricing model where the cost was based on volume of transactions which was capped after a point. So worst case, I knew how much I would pay. Best case, I did not have to pay anything as it was free till a certain number of transactions per month.

Lastly, it was a web based application which followed the software-as-a-service model and I could access it anywhere and anytime I wanted. I would not need to worry about system crashes, changing backup tapes, renewing server licences, and so on...

Phew! Finally got that question answered!

Read Part Four - Business Structure

Kangaroo Island - The hidden Gem of SA - Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Sun, 17 May 2009 21:31:00 +0000

We decided that we will take it easy on the last day of our trip and checked out of the B&B at 9 in the morning. We headed towards Paul's Farm via Pardana. Had a quick Brekky there and continued our journey.

View Larger Map

By 11 AM we reached Paul's farm but it was closed. As we found out, there were two opening times - 12 PM and 3 PM. We were an hour early and decided to head towards Stokes Bay which was 10 minutes from there.

It appeared to be a tiny inlet of water and was filled with multi-coloured pebbles and beautiful stones. On one side of the inlet there were large rocks stacked high one upon the other in such a way that we could not see what was on the other side.

We walked over the pebbles for some time and then decided to do something else as there was nothing more to see. Suddenly we saw people coming through the gaps in between the rocks. We were curious to find out what was going on and decided to explore the place a bit more.

The path between the pile of rocks was magnificent. We were really excited, not knowing what to expect on the other side. We went deeper through this path (which was almost like walking through a cave).

The beach was amazing! It was really beautiful and had crystal clear water with white sand... We walked on the beach, soaking in the beauty of the place.

I also found an orange Starfish washed down by the waves. Had never seen an orange one before (except in the cartoons).

We lied down on the sand for some time, enjoying the sun and left for Paul's place just before 12 PM.

As we neared the place, we saw that the entrance to the farm was packed. There were 8 to 10 vehicles waiting to get in. At 12 PM, Paul arrived in his UTE to open the gates and we followed him into the farm. The cars were to be parked outside the farm and we had to get in by paying a modest entry fee.

The place was filled with animals. There were Kangaroos, Alpacas, Ducks, Hens, Sheeps & Peacocks walking amongst people. The animals seemed pretty friendly and used to being around people. First, there was an animal show and I got to carry a Roo in my arms. That was fun.

We were then taken to another area in the farm where we could see other kinds of animals. Emus, Deers, Ducks, Hens etc...were just a few of them and of course, more Kangaroos. We got to feed these animals too. I was a bit scared of the Emus as they were massive and looked none too friendly, to me!

Next, Paul said that he would bring out a "secret" creature from the small cabin and asked all the men whether they would like to volunteer their wives to hold the creature. Nykaj got excited and he wanted me to volunteer so he said that his wife is bold enough to eat a cobra's heart (I don't know how he came up with that! :) ). No one else came forward as the whole idea was to scare the lady in question, so Paul suggested that I do it to test my courage. I was asked to close my eyes. All the kids were screaming when Paul placed the creature in my hands. I opened my eyes and presto, a Marron!

From there, we went to another section of the farm where there was a Koala and couple of snakes on show. We got to carry the animals and take some pics.

Next we went to the area where birds were on show. I tried to get the birds to sit on my shoulder but they flew away and instead, went on to sit on Nykaj's shoulders. It seemed that the birds liked only men!

The entire show was really great! We had a fun time and by the time we got out, we were starving. We decided to go to Marron Cafe and have lunch.

The Cafe had its own label called Two Wheeler Creek. They also farmed freshwater crayfish – Marron. We went around the fish farm and saw how they farmed the Marrons.

Afterwards, we tasted a few of their Reds and ordered some Marron and wine to go with it. The food was delicious.

After lunch, we went to Kingscote and visited the Honey Farm and tasted some honey. We were tired by then and returned to Penneshaw before the sun set. Our Ferry arrived at 7.30 PM and we reached home by 11 PM.

We had a great time at Kangaroo Island. I would suggest whoever visits the place to spend at least 2 days to enjoy the beauty and the variety the place can offer. It is truely the hidden Gem of South Australia!

Kangaroo Island - The hidden Gem of SA - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Tue, 12 May 2009 22:00:00 +0000

Next morning, we drove to the other end of KI which was about 175Km away from Penneshaw.

View Larger Map

On our way to Flinders Chase, we stopped at Pardana and had breakfast. Pardana was a small and extremely quiet town. We must have spotted a couple of tourists and three or four locals around. That's it. The rest of the area looked deserted and it felt a bit eerie.

We reached Flinders Chase in 2 hours and got Passes to enter the National Park. Our first stop was to see the New Zealand Fur Seals in their natural habitat. For the visitors to have a really close look at the seals, there was a wooden pathway that stretched out about 500 meters or so from the Cliffs.

The view that met our eyes was surreal. We must have spotted around 50-odd seals lying lazily all over the place. Some of them were hard to spot since it appeared as though they took on the same colour as the wet rocks.

After watching the seals for an hour from the deck, we moved on and then stopped at the Lighthouse.

The next stop was at Remarkable Rocks. And remarkable they really were... Massive granite boulders shaped by the forces of wind, sea spray and rain for the past 500 million years or so.

Next, we went to Andermel Marron Farm and Cafe to have lunch and afterwards, we headed towards Seal Bay to watch some Australian Sea Lions.

View Larger Map

The Seal Bay was a restricted area and we had to pay a fee to get to the beach and have a look at the seals at close range. It was a guided tour with 5 to 10 people in a single group. The guide gave a detailed description about the different families of seals, the behaviours of males and females etc etc...All Nat Geo stuff!

There were about 100-odd sea lions scattered around the beach. We ended up watching them for almost half an hour. They were lolling around on the beach. What a life! Or, so I thought.

But, as it turned out, these poor creatures have to go deep into the ocean searching for food, for 3 days at a stretch. If they do get back after managing to avoid the various predators in the ocean, they will sleep for the next 2 to 3 days and then, do it all over again. On second thoughts, not such a great life.

On our way back from the beach we spotted an Echinda.

It was almost 5 by the time we left Seal Bay. We had to get back to Penneshaw before it got too dark and 2 hours of driving were ahead of us. We were bone weary by the time we reached our B&B and dropped dead (well, almost) as soon as we finished our dinner.

Part 3 - coming soon!

Kangaroo Island - The hidden Gem of SA

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Sun, 10 May 2009 23:40:00 +0000

Kangaroo Island (KI) has been one of those places Nykaj and I have always wanted to visit but never got around to doing. We have heard from a lot of our friends that the place is almost surreal in its beauty. Finally, a week before Easter we decided to head off to KI.

As usual, planning our trip at the last minute meant that we were in the waiting list for both accomodation and Ferry Tickets. Luckily we scraped through and got everything booked. Every time something like this happen, I would think to myself that I should be a bit more organised in such matters, but I guess, last minute planning is a great catalyst to ignite our holiday and adventure spirit.

We started early and drove around 120 Kms to reach Cape Jervis. From there, we caught the 12.30 Sealink Ferry to KI and reached the Island at around 1.20PM.

We checked into our B&B, Sunset Retreat, in Penneshaw which was just 2 minutes away from the docking area. Gail ran the place and it was well kept. I think she and her husband have been living there since their retirement. Anyhow, after unloading our stuff, we had a quick chat with Gail and got a few ideas on how to plan our trip so as to make the most of our visit.

We were starving by then and stopped at Dudley Winery. We ordered our lunch and also did some wine tasting. We really liked their Shiraz and Merlot and ended up buying a few of those.

After that nice meal, we headed towards Kingscote which was 60Km from Penneshaw. We drove around Kingscote a bit and all of a sudden, spotted a few pelicans by the sea.

We parked the car and walked down to the beach. We were a bit wary of approaching the pelicans but managed to walk stealthily towards them and gingerly lowered ourselves to sit beside them. As it turned out, the pelicans were least bothered. So much for our caution.

The sun was about to set and the place looked beautiful. On one side, there was the vast blue Antarctic Ocean and on the other side, happy holiday makers having a BBQ on the beach with their friends and family. An idyllic setting.

After we left the beach, we managed to locate Kingscote IGA just as they were closing for the day, sped through the aisles of the supermarket; grabbed some chicken and pasta and checked out.

From there we headed towards Sunset Winery. Their Sparkling Shiraz was one of the best of its kind we have tasted. We stacked a few bottles in the car and suddenly realized that it was getting darker by the minute. We had to watch out for the Roos, so decided to call it a day and returned to the B&B.

Testing the Waters, Toe by Toe - What business structure should I adopt?

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Wed, 06 May 2009 22:50:00 +0000

The first question I had in mind was about my Business Structure. I had a basic understanding of this, all thanks to the Accounting Course I took during my MBA. There was only one problem; I did it 4 years ago!

So I needed a bit of a brush up. Since I wanted to bootstrap my business, going to an accountant at this "very early stage" was out of the question.

My first step was to find relevant free online resources and they were aplenty. I stuck to Govt. sites and while browsing through them, I stumbled upon DTED's (Department of Trade and Economic Development) web site. DTED is the South Australian Government's key economic development agency.

I was excited to see that DTED provided "Absolutely Free" training to people starting their own business. I went berserk and registered for all the available courses I thought would be of help to me. There were courses ranging from Accounting & Finance to Exporting for Beginners.

These courses were run normally from 5.30 PM and lasted 3 hours. The classes were facilitated by people who ran multiple businesses over the years and/or subject matter experts. I found this very useful as the training was relevant and comprehensive.

The other advantage was, the attendees were mainly Small and Medium Business owners. This meant that I was able to understand the common issues and possible solutions pertaining to the Small and Medium Businesses.

Coming back to where I started, I attended a course on Business Structure and it made all the concepts clearer. After the course, I was beginning to think that I should start as a sole trader and set up a company & trust once it makes sense to do so. However, after a few days, while I was discussing my plans with a couple of other Business Owners, they suggested that I should go for the company structure by buying a shelf company online.

They also talked about the Tax and Legal implications that I would need to consider. I got a bit confused. I realised that I really should consult an accountant after all, but I did not want to go to the one we already had!

I was not sure where to start as there were so many accountants in Adelaide. A situation similar to the one we encountered while searching for a builder for our home...

When I did the Business Structure course, I found that, in addition to training, the center also provided Free Mentoring. The mentors were volunteers and veteran business owners.

My mentor gave me the details of a few accountants but added that ultimately it is a personal choice and that I must feel comfortable talking to him/her. The other important aspect to consider was to see if the accountant was proactive in giving appropriate suggestions and updating the client with relevant information. The advice he gave me really made sense as I could relate to the "proactive" bit, with my current accountant!

A few days later I went for the "Understanding Business Finance" which was a follow-on to the "Business Structure" course. It was run by an Senior Accountant at BDO who gave the attendees a free 2-Hour consulting session.

I decided to make use of it as a part of my "finding an accountant" saga. Luckily, I was quite comfortable discussing things with him and he knew exactly what he was talking about. He gave me some good suggestions based on my circumstances and he also gave me a simple plan of action which really made sense.

Finally, that piece of the puzzle was solved!

Read Part 3 - Testing the Waters, Toe by Toe

Testing the Waters, Toe by Toe

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:43:00 +0000

After winding up my full time job in Feb, I seriously started thinking about what business I should dive into. I had 4 or 5 ideas in my mind, ranging from Wine Export to an Online business.

I could not do everything at once even though I would have loved to. Thankfully, better sense prevailed. I did not want to spread myself too thin and increase the probability of failure.

Before I jumped into anything definite, I decided to set aside a few months as my "Thinking Time". The whole idea was to utilize this period to analyze what other businesses were doing, understand their pain points and hopefully, manage to avoid those pitfalls myself at a later stage.

In addition to the above analysis, I had to define the skeletal structure of my business. This part was very important to me as the very foundation of my business was going to be built upon it.

Aspects such as

What business structure should I adopt?

Which accounting package (ERP system) should I pick?

How should I manage the record keeping?

What Customer Relationship Management Tool should I use (CRM system)?

Do I start with a simple Direct Marketing Software?

How do I go about building my Web site?

Given the choice, should I go for an Opex or a Capex model?

How should I tackle Scalability from the beginning itself?

How do I go about getting my business plan done?

etc... were just a few of the basic questions that needed to be answered. I had to look at one question at a time even while deciding on the direction of my first step.

There was a mountain of work ahead of me and only so much time.

Read Part 2 - My Own Business - A leap of Faith

Light at the end of the Tunnel

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:27:00 +0000

Nykaj and I have been working on the Project, to build our Home, for just over a year now. Around this time last year, we were positive that our home would be ready by early 2009. We had no idea what was in store for us to just get this project off the ground, leave alone completed.

We were too optimistic about the timelines and thought that we would find a builder in 2 weeks, get the draft ready in one month and obtain all the council approvals and the planning part completed in 2 months.

It took us 6 months just to find a builder! We changed 3 builders during this time. The fact of the matter was, we were pretty much given the run around. Things like returning our phone calls only after a week, taking 4 weeks just to draw the initial draft, taking another 6 weeks to come up with the second draft, etc... were some of the "small" issues we had to face during the journey.

As soon as we faced a few bad experiences with one builder, we would move on to the next one. We wanted to make sure that we picked the right builder, even if it meant the project getting delayed by a few more months. It was a frustrating exercise but we had to go through it!

Some time in October last year, one of our close friends from Melbourne came over and helped us pick the builder. Since they were from the same Industry, they told us what to look out for. Their advice really helped us to find the Right Fit for us and since then, everything has started moving in the right direction.

We got our council approvals early this year and completed our selections within the last couple of months.

The actual construction started this week! As soon as we got the news that the ground was dug up, we hopped into our car and sped off to the site eventhough it was already 9PM! I was in seventh heaven when I saw the block.

The next day, after breakfast I drove down to the site just to have a peek again :)

Today the foundation of the house has been laid.

Guess we should be ready to move into our house in another 7 to 8 months! Hurray!

If you would like to read Part 1 please click here

Flinders Ranges - South Australian Outback

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:56:00 +0000

Most of the time, Nykaj and I make holiday plans at the last minute. It was the first long weekend after we bought our Jeep and we decided we should make good use of our 4WD during the holiday. We were like 2 excited kids with a new toy. A couple of days before the long weekend, we figured that the best place to go is Flinders Ranges.

I searched the web for good accomodation deals but most of the places were fully booked. We never thought that it was going to be this busy. We should have known since the weather was perfect and it was long holidays! Someone had cancelled their holiday unit booking at Rawnsley Park Station at the last minute and luckily we called them at the right time and were able to book the last available cabin. We were excited about the whole trip as it was the first time we were going for such a long drive to the South Australian outback.

It was close to one full day of driving to Rawnsley Park Station with a few stops in between. We started early in the morning and drove through many little towns on the way. We stopped at Two Wells to fill up petrol and when we went into the shop, we were surprised to see the shop filled with Rodeo gear! I was expecting to see something similar to a Servo shop.

From Two Wells, we hit the highway again and in a couple of hours, I felt hungry. We drove into the next town which was Port Germein and thought of having lunch at the local pub, but it was closed! The beach was near by and we decided to stretch our legs a bit. There was a rather long jetty which turned out to be the Longest Wooden Jetty in Australia (as we found out later). We started walking and it kind of never ended! However the scenery was breathtaking. On one side, you had the start of Flinders Ranges, on the other side a crystal clear ocean and above, the beautiful blue sky with patches of clouds. A must-see if you ever head that way.

From Port Germein we headed straight towards Port Augusta. From there we took a diversion to Quorn to reach Wilpena Pound where Rawnsley Park Station is situated. I think we drove around 700Km in total that day.

View Larger Map

We had a typical Aussie pub meal at Quorn; chicken schnitzel and beer. Quorn is a small town where a lot of miners live. Their families stay back while the men folk go away for a few months to work in the mines. The local people were friendly and helpful. We were given Hot tips on must-see places and towns we should visit.

Just in front of the pub, we saw the historic Pichi Richi Railway Station where a timber-bodied diesel carriage was on display. There were a few tourists waiting to board the train. I think these trains are around 100 years old.

From Quorn it took us about 2 hours to reach Rawnsley Park Station. The Flinders Ranges was magnificent. The drive was really spectacular as you see endless stretches of barren land with red and orange dust. The Ranges are a riot of colours. Sometimes they look yellow, other times they look orange and yet other times they are blue in colour.

By the time we checked into our unit it was too late for another adventure. The main reason being, you might get hit by Kangaroos while driving at night. It seems the Kangaroos would jump in front of the car at night and get hypnotised by the lights. As you are driving, on an average, at 110 Km/hr your car will be smashed and the roo will die. As we did not have a roo catcher in front of the jeep it was not advisable for us to venture out in the dark. So we decided to freshen up and drive around Wilpena Pound and just explore the area surrounding the station.

The sun was setting and Wilpena Pound suddenly lit up and became golden in colour. I was reminded of the movie Mackenna's Gold where Mackenna waits for the sunset to find the hidden path! It was that beautiful.

After enjoying the sunset, we came back to our little cabin and had a snooze before heading off to the Woolshed Restaurant for dinner. It was an old Woolshed converted into a restaurant and it had that rustic charm about it. The food was good and both of us had steak and some wine to go with it and off we went to sleep.

Read On - Ranges Day 2 & 3

Flinders Ranges - Day 2 & 3

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:40:00 +0000

Next morning we woke up just before sunrise and packed our gear for our next adventure. We reached the Flinders Ranges National Park gateway and paid the permit fees to enter the reserve area. The interesting part was that it was an unmanned post. We had to write our own receipt and drop the money and a hand written ticket into a small pay box. I found it a bit amusing.

The drive was real fun. Nykaj and I took turns to experience the joy of driving in such a rough terrain. It is a bit hard to sit in the passenger seat when you are going up, down and sideways. We went through Brachina Gorge which was absolutely spectacular. You find yourself in a different world, one which you never even thought existed. We stopped at almost all the Lookout points to immerse ourselves in the beauty surrounding us.

On the top

The ranges we were going to cross

Inside the gorges

All alone in the middle of nowhere

We continued our journey and went to Parachillna via Blinmen. We stopped at Blinmen which is an old, copper-mining town. We had a coffee and cake at the Wild Lime Cafe. The Cafe also had an Art Gallery with lots of Aboriginal Art Works on display.

The Wild Lime Cafe at Blinmen

Afterwards, we walked around Blinmen a bit and found that the town was having one of its local Food and Wine Festival. The place was packed and we saw people camping and cooking, outback style. They had coal burning on the ground and old pots filled with slowly cooking vegetables, meat etc. Also, some of them were baking bread over coal fire.

After a few hours at Blinmen, we headed towards Parachilna. The Prairie Hotel at Parachilna is famous for the Ferrel's meal they provide. We ordered their signature dish which had Emu, Roo and Camel meat in it. Was really good. They had put tiny flags on each meat type which looked rather cute.

A stick on every meat type stating what it is

After that heavy meal, we wanted to see what is there further up. We knew that the Desert was somewhere up there. We thought, maybe if we drive a couple of hours we might get lucky and hit the desert. After 2 hours or so of driving, we had managed to reach only Leigh Creek which is another mining town bordering the desert.

We asked a few local guys about heading to the nearest desert but it was getting late and I think it was another 3 to 5 hours away. Time was against us so we decided to postpone the Desert trip for another day and returned to Wilpena Pound via Hawker.

View Larger Map

The route we travelled through the ranges

We were really tired and as soon as we reached our shack, we crashed into the bed for half an hour. At around 7.30pm we had dinner at the Woolshed Restaurant.

The next day, we woke up early in the morning and headed back to Adelaide. It was a 6-hour drive @ an average of 110 Km/hr. The journey back was as breathtaking as the onward one. I took a few pictures from inside our car.

We reached home at around 4 in the evening. Nykaj and I were in the dream land of Flinders Ranges for another month or so! It was a wonderful holiday and I am sure we will visit the Flinders Ranges again, one of these days...

Liked this post?... Then Read our Kangaroo Island Trip

My Own Business - A Leap of Faith

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 04:48:00 +0000

It has been one long year since I have written anything in my blog. Lot of things have happened during my absence, the main thing being I quit my Job.

I worked for WC Penfolds for three full years. I was busy with work and was helping the business grow, however, it was getting a bit mundane towards the end of the third year and I was not learning anything new. I lost the motivation to be creative and to try new things out.

I must admit that the first two years with the company was really good in terms of what I learnt and what I could achieve. Once the trust was built, I was given free reins and was able to execute new ideas that worked towards making the overall business better (of course with the CEO's consent). However, by year three, I personally felt that I had hit a wall, reached the boundaries of the organisation (so to speak) and could not do anything more. I felt that it was time for me to make my next move...

I had two paths; the first one was to get an answer to the question, When will I be the CEO of the Company? and the second one was to start my own business.

With the first option, I wanted to have a set career path and a well defined timeline to become the CEO. When I realised that this goal would not eventuate within couple of years, I understood that it was time for me to do something else as it would be more or less status quo. I did not have time to sit around and wait.

The second option was something that was equally scary and exciting. I had a gut feeling that it is time to leave but doing it is the hardest part. I knew that I had a burning desire to start something on my own, but it is not everyone's cup of tea. Questions like
What if I fail?
Will I be motivated to put in the effort?
Will I have all the answers?
What if I cannot manage this?
Would I know what to do? etc... kept on spinning in my head. I thought long and hard about this decision. Talked to Nykaj and we decided that we will think about it during the holidays which was just a couple of weeks away.

We went to Bali on holidays in December. It was a great place and had lovely people. Somehow the trip gave me good clarity. I figured that my venture into the unknown is like going on a holiday to a new country. Unless I try it out myself, I will not know what's in store. We agreed that I should give myself one year to dabble around and experience the joys and pains of starting a business. The decision was final!!

We came back from the holidays and the first thing I did was to put in my resignation. Within a few days, I placed the necessary job adverts and assisted the company in finding two new guys to replace me. Trained them as much as I could and officially left the job early Feb.

I am really happy and excited about this new beginning! Guess time will tell how things would turn out! :) Fingers Crossed.

Read Part 1 - When Will I start My Own Business

Building a house? Not as easy as I thought!

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Mon, 26 May 2008 02:23:00 +0000

We have decided to call Adelaide Home for the next 5 years. Once this decision was made, the first step was to buy a house. During weekends, we would check real estate web sites and visit open houses. So far, we have been to 30-odd open houses during the last few months, but nothing really caught our attention.

It was really difficult to find the right house we needed in the right location at the right price! Finally we decided to go the other way round and build a house. It is easier to find a location and the rest is in your hands. Building a house is a bit of hard work and time consuming but we thought "What the heck! Let's give it a go! ". At least you won’t be blaming someone else for something that is wrong in your house:)

Next, we identified an ideal block of land in a picturesque location. The process was really long winded since demand was high. As prices are rocketing, people are scurrying around to buy houses and land as quickly as they could. Since the area that we were eyeing was being landscaped by a developer with plans to have man made lakes, reservoirs and a playground around that area, it was even more difficult. We first had to register our interest with the developer. They then invited us to one of their land release events where we were given tokens with numbers.

Then they picked out random numbers from a box and people whose numbers were called could choose from the remaining available blocks. Luckily we got the block we wanted. It was a triumphant moment but a heart wrenching experience. Talk about a bizarre system... What demand and supply does to things around you!

The next step is to find a builder and we have been running around the last 2-3 weeks to find one. There are too many around and that makes it hard to pick.

Anyhow the ideal time frame is to get the house completed by Feb next year (2009). It is a bit too far fetched. There is a lot of work involved with long and hard weekends as well as weekdays in front of us. But it should be fun and I hope the end product comes out well.

I am a Movie Junkie

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Mon, 05 May 2008 02:32:00 +0000

Nykaj and I got addicted to watching movies during our MBA years... In the Uni lodge we stayed, most of the students saw loads of movies every week.

Students would hire 5 or 10 DVDs a week depending on the Ezy DVD or Blockbuster Movie Specials they get for that week. After everyone gets back from Uni, the movie sessions normally would start around 9 PM and would go on till 5 in the morning. As the movies are played in the building's common room, everyone gets to watch the selected movie.

There were 4 buildings for students in the same compound and each one had its own TV and DVD player. If you did not like the movie in one building you could go to the next one and watch what was playing there. That is, as long as there was a place to sit!

Most of us had movie rental membership cards and an un-written roster system was formed where someone gets a set of movies and few days later another one gets another set. During these 2 years Nykaj and I must have seen around 400 movies. No exaggeration here!

As students, you don't have anything much to do after your studies. Given the fact that your funds are limited, you have to attune yourself to cheap forms of entertainment like watching movies, playing indoor games like Table Tennis or swimming in the pool. Movies were an affordable form of entertainment and highly addictive.

We were able to see so many movies only because our MBA was not "full on" as it is in US, UK or India. It is more relaxed in Australia. Basically,we had classes 3 days a week. And each class went for 3 hours only. In a week, you get 4 days off. All we had to do was finish our assignments, do some reading and study. That would take around 2 to 3 days depending on the time of the week.. The rest of the free time is all yours. We had movie marathons!

We still enjoy watching movies and go out or hire movies once in a while. ;) Now, that's an understatement...long live the movies!

When will I start my own Business!

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:21:00 +0000

Some days I get this crazy feeling that I should have my own business! I have no clue what it should be, but I just have ideas spinning in my head.

I have no reservations and am open to anything. The only condition is that I should be able to manage it! As simple as that :). Sometimes I think I should open my own coffee shop then other times I would think, maybe a restaurant. Or maybe some export business.

I see and read articles about people and my friends who have taken the plunge and it "looks" really inspiring and exciting. But, I kind of pull myself back and think, "Hey, you are not ready yet".

I got into this "My business" dream when I was working in Bangalore, India for Cisco. This was my first job fresh out of Engineering school. It was exciting and fun for a couple of years as I learned a lot while working there. But, after 2 years, I started feeling that my work was getting a bit monotonous. I wanted something more! I figured out that the only solution to the inevitable monotony and boredom was to ultimately be my own boss.

I had a close friend from Korea and we used to live in a "shared accommodation" apartment in Bangalore. One day we were having some mangoes and she said that they do not get Mangoes in Korea! Together, we said that we should export this stuff to Korea! The entrepreneurial bug had bitten her as well. We decided that we should do our MBA, gain experience and then get together after 7 or 8 years. So I packed my bags to Australia and she went back to Korea after studies. We are in touch with each other and are going through the motion! I guess when the right time and opportunity arises we will know.

In Australia, my husband and I, with a few other friends almost did get into the initial stages of starting up our own business. This was during our MBA days but we later realized that it is "safer" to first have a strong financial base and accumulate some solid assets before actually plunging into anything. I guess we are more risk averse than we thought!

So we are back into the workforce now. I am working for WC Penfold as the Marketing & Business Manager doing a combination of IT, Business Management and Marketing. So far, I am enjoying my job. I guess one day I will get bored and the "itch" will be unbearable and I will have to give it a go!

Harbhajan Lost the Plot!

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:57:00 +0000

My sister rang me over the weekend and asked me to google "Sreeshanth Crying"! She gave me a snapshot of what happened during the IPL match (Punjab vs Mumbai). I watched the YouTube video clip and he looked like a young boy who was sobbing after a bully snatched his ball!

Shame on Harbhajan! Yes, there are always two sides to a story and one wonder what could have instigated such a reaction in the first place. But "Slapping" is old fashioned, outrageous and a hotheaded reaction! Anyway, he kind of dug his own grave, I would imagine!

Btw, I tried to find out the video clip of the actual "slap gate" incident, but could not find it... I guess it will have to be left to our imagination.

On a lighter side, below is a funny video created around the event.This video is inspired from a joke doing the rounds of why sreesanth got it and why he cried as per the creator Cinosh Mathew.

Patience Pays Off

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 01:57:00 +0000

Australians love their sports! During the sporting season it gets a bit crazy at work as most of my male colleagues would be checking scores online, talking about the game in the coffee room, debating about incidents during the game and so on. They would be practically "living and breathing" sports.

During the Cricket season, especially when Aussies play against India, I become their main target. They would pull my leg by making fun of Indian cricket players and claim that Aussies are much better players than Indians. I tend to watch cricket once in a while but am not an ardent fan of the game. The perception my colleagues have about Indians is that, if you are an Indian, Cricket is your Religion.

When India was touring in Australia last time, we had major debates at work ranging from the racist comments of Harbhajan Singh to how well Australians played the series. It was a real "war of words" kind of event and I quite enjoyed it. As long as you don't take anything to heart, it is fun!

During one of those days, there was this particular conversation where we were talking about the biased decisions made by the Umpire in the Sydney Test and how India could have easily won the game .The debate was going well for me as I was covering all angles for each and every counter argument that was thrown at me. However, out of the blue, one of the guys suddenly changed the tangent of the conversation and said “Anjana, you win some you lose some. There is no point blaming the umpire for it. He must have had a bad day, that's all. If you put all the games together, there would be a few games where the umpire would have made unfavorable decisions for Australia too. At the end of the day, it is just a game”.

Now I was lost there, as the point was a very logical one. I could not think of a quick retort that could withstand such a logical response. I decided that the best option at that point was to laugh it away and acknowledge that it was a good point indeed and then wait for the right time to strike back.

A few months passed by and it was the Australian Football League season. There are many home teams across the country that play against each other. The guys at work support different clubs and the discussions are full on and aggro as competition is within.

The guy in question religiously supported a local club called the Port Power. During one of the weekends, Port played against Crows (another local club) and lost. Monday morning came and Crows fans at my office were, as usual, needling Port supporters. This particular guy was really aggravated as his team lost and was going on and on about how Port could have won. He said Port was winning initially but started losing towards the end of the 3rd quarter and blah blah blah...After a few minutes of listening to his continuous bitching, I told him “Mate! Don't get so aggro. You win some you lose some. At the end of the day, it is just a game!"

My Initiation into the World of Blogging

noreply@blogger.com (Anjana Rames) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 01:54:00 +0000

I never thought that Blogging is such a hard thing to do. Especially writing the first post! When I used to skim through multitude of blogs, I used to be a bit critical and mentally categorize each of the posts that I read.

After attempting to write just one post, I have experienced first hand the effort one has to undertake and the pain one has to go through to be creative. I guess experience teaches you a lot :).

All of this is new to me and it feels as though I am starting school at 30 but I want to experience first hand what others are gaining by writing blogs. The number of blogs seems to be increasing day by day so there must be something right about blogging!

My blog will be just a small drop in the ocean where I want to share my ideas and thoughts, my aspirations and anything under the sky that I find interesting. The sky is my Limit!