Gaurav's world

European Extravaganza

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 05:22:32 GMT

August 1. Switzerland.
Landed from a long but on-time flight from SF via Philly to Zurich, Switzerland in the morning. Rented a manual Mazda 3 with GPS from Avis and drove (45 mins) straight to Rhine falls on the border of Germany. Voluminous falls with a breathtaking view and a boat ride to a point above the falls made the experience memorable. A tiny mishap was quickly resolved before we could head to our hotel in downtown Zurich. A rainy day did not stop us from enjoying some fondue and rosti, before walking around to explore this underrated city along the lake with some great architecture.

August 2. Switzerland.
Started the day early with a great drive (total 2 hours, saw a painting style lake on the way!) via the quaint town of Lucerne to Lauterbrunen. Lucerne with its mystic charm was a nice short halt, with the wooden bridge and farmers market providing the ideal touch. Caught the train from Lauterbrunen to go up (2 hours each way) to the "top of Europe", Jungfrauch. At an amazing 14000 feet, its the highest snow peak of the alps. An amazing journey up, followed by some grand views, grand lunch overlooking the views and a visit to the ice caves and snow plateau. Retired in Interlaken after a couple of tiny mishaps and some Italian/french dinner and chocolate fondue. To be honest interlaken was a little too touristy for my liking.

August 3. Switzerland, Italy.
Early start with breakfast overlooking the snow peaks, followed by some dreamy views of the Interlaken lakes. Most of the day was spent driving (total 3.5 hours) across the Swiss alps to Lake Como in Italy. A stunning drive through the Swiss glaciers, involved a couple of stopovers before our destination across the border. First was the Miniature Switzerland outside Lugano which is a "cute" reincarnation of all sites in Switzerland. The other stopage was for lunch on the lake at Lugano, a nice lake town though I much preferred Lucerne. Finally arrived at Como in the evening to our nicely located hotel with rooms overlooking the lake! A desired short walk resulted in a cogwheel train ride straight up the mountain and a delicious Italian dinner on a balcony at a peak overlooking the lake and the city of Como.

August 4. Italy, France, Monaco.
Today was quite a day. Started off with an hour boat ride in Lake Como appreciating the character of the area with precariosly placed mansions on the hills. Then drove to Milan (1 hour) to see the Duomo, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world! Then drove (3 hours) through Italy to reach the absolutely gorgeous Monte Carlo in the country Monaco. A brilliant, rich city along the sea with more Ferraris and Bentleys than I have seen in my life. Also got a chance to drive along the F1 track on the streets of Monte Carlo. Had an amazing French dinner (salmon) in the old town of Monacoville overlooking the cathedral and palace. Finally crashed in Nice in France, ready to hit the beach the next day!

August 5. France.
A much needed late start was followed by a walk through the town of Nice, along the Mediterranean sea and stony beach, and through the farmers market. After a decent french lunch, drove through the Riviera to fantastic view points in Cap De Nice and the chateau at Eza. Hit the warm waters at the Juan Les Pins beach, before hitting Cannes for sunset and a gourmet dinner. Last night in the French Riviera before we drive back to the alps from these wonderful, "Californian" beaches.

August 6. France, Italy, Switzerland.
The long drive from Nice, France to Geneva, Switzerland (5.5 hours) zig zagging through France and Italy was nothing less than extra ordinary. The many castles scattered among the low clouds and mountains and snow peaks welcomed us to the Italian alps. Crossing into France we stopped at the highly recommended town of
Chamonix that sits at the base of Mont Blanc, the majestic snow peak and glacier at 14000 feet (the pen company derives its name and symbol from here too). Crossing the final border of the day we arrived at Geneva with the famous lake, old town and jet deu. A short stay in Geneva was made pleasant by the weather and drinks in the outdoors among the historic structures.

August 7. Switzerland, France.
A filling breakfast was a good start to a long but amazing drive from Geneva to Paris (5 hours). Stopped on the way at Pommard and Merseualt towns of the Burgundy wine region of France which is specially known for its Pinot Noirs (for anyone who doesn't know me, I am a Pinot maniac!). A tour of the Chateau de Pommard winery, the primary winery in the region that is all walled and makes just 75k bottles of only 1 Pinot Noir a year, ended with an unbelievable tasting. The 2005 was perhaps the best wine I have ever had, and had to get a bottle to take home. The drive through Burgundy was very scenic with castles and chateaus spotted in the picturesque vineyards and fields. Paris is all that and more, a city hard not to fall in love with at first sight. Staying next to the Arc de Triomphe, we walked down Champs Elysees to the Seine river where we took the must do night cruise. The city of light flaunted its jewels at night with the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Eiffel tower (lit up as the Euro flag) and the outstanding Notre Dame cathedral, among several others.

August 8. 8.8.8! France.
Our first full day in Paris started late with a trek to the Trecadero and Eiffel Tower. After battling the queues for 2 hours to reach the top of the tower, we finally were awestruck with a 360 view of the city with its many, many monuments and the flowing Seine. Next stop for the day was the astounding Notre Dame cathedral, an exceptional piece of Gothic architecture with its landmark chambers and spire. We stumbled upon the amazing Saint Chapelle with its detailed stained glasswork, and the Palais de Justice. Our final stop for the day was at Concorde square where the city seems to intersect and provides a central view to most of the must see attractions. Ended the day with a walk up Champs Elysees and dinner at Asian, a great local restaurant and much needed break from bread, cheese and pasta. We used the metro to get around which was convenient, although not as impressive as the underground in London. As a side note this is also the day the Beijing Olympics started.

August 9. France.
Began the day at the massive Musee du Louvre with its breadth of masterpieces such as Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Victoire de Samathrace. After Louvre we made our way to Montemarte by the metro and short cogwheel train. Sitting at a hill with a panaromic view of Paris, Montmarte houses the Sacre Coeur cathedral. Strolled around the fun and casual streets of Latin Quarter through the Luxemburg gardens, Odeon and Panthium, before grabbing french dinner at highly recommended Cafe Jade. Spent the last night in Paris at the Lido watching an extravaganza of music, dance, strength, flexibility, balance, fashion and production - worth every penny!

August 10. France, Switzerland.
Drove (total for the day at 6.5 hours) through the champagne region of France making a stop at the famous Champagne Pommery winery at Reims, with its smooth, sensational champagne. Continued driving through the east of France through the thick forests and the cities of Metz, Strassburg and Basel towards Zurich, Switzerland. Had one final local meal comprimising of fondue and Swiss beer, before calling it a night.

A fantastic, diverse trip that comprised of lakes, alps, beaches, forests, wine country, cathedrals and cities, and great food and wine, spread across 4 countries and 3000 km of road travel, comes to an end tomorrow with a long flight back to SF. Fortunately the next international trip is just a few weeks away!

The Mind: An amazing place - Part 2

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 05:57:48 GMT

A world of its own. A tool to justify everything that happens to you, and interpret it to be good or bad. A constant warrior fighting the plights of competition, fear, sorrow and love; almost always in a battle with the heart. A warehouse of information, thoughts, feelings, procedures and anything else important to you, all jumbled together. A steaming juggernaut rolling along faster than a bullet, crushing all barriers along the way. A viscous circle with no escape in sight. The master of your universe, and perhaps everyones too. More powerful than a super computer, more vulnerable than a new divorcee. A lens that shapes your perception of the world, your life and others. A bottomless well, a shallow ocean. More complex than the most complex algorithm, though sometimes as simple as play-doh. A thick, tall cage trapping your thoughts and desires. An over-used filter, a rusted fence. Sharper than a knife, softer than a pillow. Never tiring, but everlasting. Too rational, and too biased. A leveler, adjusting for the highs and lows, for the good and bad. An oracle as well as a haunted ghost. A permanent storage device with limited space. The 40,000 feet view, along with the ground zero view. The details and the abstractions. The difference between insane and stable. The root of all good and evil. A constant learner and improviser. An incubation haven, an inhibiting shield. More beautiful than Mona Lisa, more stunning than a sunset on a beach, more captivating than a thrilling book. The nest of hope and belief, of shame and regret. The keyhole to an amazing world. The means to all ends, and beginnings. The deity to which we always bow and surrender. The key to success; and the sink to failure. The reason to life. And the answer to it too.

Part 1 (from Dec 2005) -
http://agaurav.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!84D47F2258BC1301!317.entry.

The Plight of the "Technology" industry in India

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 19:39:10 GMT

To the naive, it is the technology industry and the brilliant work by the thousands of engineers at companies like Infosys and Wipro that has positioned India to where it is today. It is the age of Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing and this is what will drive the Indian economy for the next fifty to hundred years. To take absolutely no credit away from what companies like Infosys, Wipro, TCS and Satyam have achieved in the first few years of this century - the wealth they have amassed, the name they have made for India in the services sector, the many international acquisitions they have completed, the millions of jobs they have created which have led to a growing middle class and the rare leadership they have shown.

But what India has achieved in the last decade is not what is going to drive it to a superpowerin the next fifty years. The focus thus far has been on customer service, implementation, customized solutions and execution. What has been lacking is innovation, leadership, drive and vision. As I see it services and solutions are cost to an organisation. Products and research and development are an investment for the future, a revenue source that will drive the business to greater levels. The Indian "technoloogy" industry has focused on the former, completely ignoring the latter. We have mastered services and solutions catering to customers from all around the world. But here is where the problem lies. The ideas, vision, innovation, business models and designs do not originate in the technology industry in India. They are formulated in countries like the US where corporations are making bang for their buck with the ideas. Unfornutaley, what has become of the Indian industry is knowledge-based manufacturing industry that churns out code with superior efficiency, once someone has drawn out the blueprints.

This is not as bad as it sounds though. Every industry must start somewhere with baby steps. For the Indian technology industry, it is the services and solutions space. But the time has come for the true leaders and entrepreneurs to step up and create new visions for a new industry that will drive India's growth in the future. And it's starting to happen, although very slowly. The key is to lay strong fundamentals and think of longer term gains not only for the individual business but for the industry and country as a whole. I am dissapointed in saying that today India has no true Technology company like Google, Microsoft, Intel or Cisco. And what is worse, is that in my recent trip back home I could not identify another upcoming company that will revolutionize the life of Indian people in the future. Like the investors of the stock market, the leaders today are focusing on shorter term profits, opportunities to sell out and expectations of a exponentially increasing stock. The large family businesses of India have indeed ventured into this space but they clearly lack the deep techincal insight of a Bill Gates or Steve Jobs.

Here is what I propose stands in the near future for India that will help kickstart new true technology ventures that will eventually lay the foundation for making the lives of the masses better, like the internet or PC did. Start small and focused, but think big. Like the growth of the Technology industry in China with Baidu, Alibaba.com and QQ, new ventures in India must focus on creating products not to compete with the great technology companies of the west, but to cater to the very large 1.3 billion market of India itself. Baidu did that with search outgunning Google in China, QQ did that with instant messaging killing MSN and Yahoo and everyone is aware of the recent rise of Alibaba.com competing head on with Amazon and others in China and Hong Kong. No one knows the Indian people better than the Indians that live and interact with them everyday. Taking advantage of this inherent knowledge to solve deeper problems in the country is not only good in driving the Technology industry forward and creating wealth and jobs, but solving some broader social and everyday problems. With this focus, international big guns will be unable to compete in this space as has been proven in other parts of the world. This would be a great launchpad for the Indian industry which would lead to greater accomplishments which will directly impact the remaining five billion people of this world. And lastly not to forget that any techology innovation that helps the Indian masses, could very easily be deployed in other emerging countries which comprise a majority of the population. Just one cautionary measure that must be taken is not to immitate all that is done in the developed world and customize it to India, since many if not most of the products do not apply to the Indian culture and will lead to another technology bubble.

The Concave World

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 20:28:11 GMT

Globalization. The world is flattening. Its an even playing field. Recently that seems to be the hottest topic for dinner conversations, New York Times articles or the latest Bestsellers. It is true to some extent, but I think more often than not it is blown to magnitudes greatly exceeding the truth. I think of the world as more Concave than flat today, still tilted towards the Western, developed world. Over the last decade or so we have seen significant changes that have shifted the pendulum and momentum to the developing world or emerging markets, but the Western world is still driving.

The transiiton continues though - a deeply western inclined world to a concave world to a flat or even convex world someday. The Dragon and Elephant are rising in a hurry. And majestically. The three stock exchanges with the best returns in 2007 were not NYSE, LSE and NASDAQ. Nor were they the Hang Seng or Nikkei. Infact they were three of the emerging market nations driving returns upwards of seventy percent - Peru, Brazil and India. Even the thumping Chinese markets had to settle for fourth. Agreed that the financial markets are only a fraction of the reflection of the nation, but its perhaps the most important fraction. But money can only solve shorter term issues in their entirety. Longer term, deeper and more threatening issues are driven by other factors besides money. Some of these factors include education, domestic and international policies, research and development, technology, opportunities, healthcare, tradition and corruption. A different combination of these factors are responsible for the major obstacles faced by the newer, developing nations in becoming superpowers and flattening the world. Despite their phenomenal success in the markets over recent times, Peru, Brazil and India have struggled with almost all of these issue. A look at the World Health Index which measures the health of a country by not only the GDP but also factors like corruption (example how difficult is it to start a business in the country?), health (what is the average life?) and education (literacy rate and working population), clearly demonstrated the concaveness. In my humble opinion, the World Health Index and not the GDP growth is the indication of a nation's success and what politicians and economists should concentrate on improving.

Tha most disturbing issue is the opposition offered by the developed world. Incentives always play the biggest motivation for action and that cannot be changed. But short sightedness of the developed nations is perhaps what might crush the developing nations and the world as a whole. Each one of the topics of trade, nuclear weapons, innovation and patents, globalizaiton policies, global warming and IMF funding are not only influenced but are dominated by the incentives of the developed nations. Dumping restrictions for imports, globalization demonstrations based on false reports of suffering in developing countries, funding allies only and promoting war and destruciton in starved countries are some examples. The US politicians trying to control enviromental standards in China and India, even though the US is responsible for forty percent of the worlds pollution and highest per capita pollution in the world, is just unacceptable. Developing nations are already sensitive to the issue of global warming and should have complete independence on their approach of tackling this issue. I think that each nation should be penalized for levels of pollution above a standard per capita. Ironically, developed nations that would have the heaviest penalties have no incentive to create or support such standards. With a majority of the votes driving the issues most impacting the emerging markets sitting with the already deveoped western nations, the future looks bleak. This single issue is what is preventing the flattening of the world.

August 3: A day of siginificance

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 17:14:22 GMT

I remember this day two years ago. About this time of the day I had just woken up from a completely hung over last night in Los Angeles. I was spending my last night as a LA resident with all my LA buddies hitting happy hours and doing shots on a Tuesday night. I felt miserable that morning for two reasons - I still had to load my car with luggage and then drive up to the bay for good; and I was leaving my beloved LA and the friends I had known best for the last 3 years. I was an LA and SoCal addict, prefering only Mumbai to this weather heaven. I was very sceptical about moving to the bay, since I had never been a huge fan, finding SF to be very touristy with some bad weather. Also I was moving to Mountain View and not the city, my first experience of the American suburb. I was not sure what hurt me the most - leaving friends behind or leaving LA and the weather, beaches and sunshine or my first job ever. I have never felt worse on a morning.

To go back five years ago, this was the same day I was driving to the airport in Mumbai, leaving behind 22 years of my life in Mumbai and starting my US experience at USC in LA. It was a day where the Mumbai monsoons were in full force. There were thunderstorms, roads were flooded, the elevator in my building had stopped and there was chaos in my departure. I had spent the previous week partying hard with the friends I was leaving behind, eating all the food I would miss, shopping and spending time with my family. To be honest, on that day I had absolutely no clue what I was signing up for and what I was going to give up for at least the next 5 years of my life. But I was optimistic and young and I had my friends by my side. Also I was heading into the social world of school life in the US.

It's amazing as to how clearly I do remember these 2 days. And how coincidental that they had to fall on the same day, August 3rd, 3 years apart. And how things change. Today neither am I where I was 2 years ago nor am I where I was 5 years ago. I have come to absolutely love the city of San Francisco and the bay area (and my love for LA has changed to a "Loved it while I was there, but could not go back" attitude), though the one thing that has not changed is my love for Mumbai. It's sad that with every year passing some memories of Mumbai dissappear. Even with my annual Mumbai visits, I now do feel like someone who has missed out on the last 5 dramatically changing years of Mumbai. I fear that I do not belong there anymore, and neither do I belong here. Its almost the shocking realization that you dont belong anywhere. But to console myslef I look at it another way - I belong everywhere!.

Half Whisky, Half Wine

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 07:10:46 GMT

A friend of mine "forced" me to take a personality test that determines what drink you are. After several refusals, I succumbed. Before I took it, I told her that I must be a whisky ... or perhaps a glass of wine.

Here are the results from that test:

It's a tie!
	You are a part Fine Glass of Wine. You are sophisticated and refined, but also complicated and hard to deal with. Not everyone loves you, but those who do swear that you're the coolest thing since sliced bread. One of these days the people that matter will understand you. Until then, you will be sitting on your throne as the distinguished product that not everyone has the taste to appreciate.
	You are a part Whiskey on the Rocks. You are tough and you know it. It takes a long time for people to get to know you but you wouldn't have it any other way. You don't care what people think, but sometimes that turns people off of you.

Pinot Heaven

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 21:15:55 GMT

A few days ago a friend and I endeavoured into the depths of marin county in search of some fabulous Pinot Noir. Having been to Willamette Valley, Central Coast (Santa Barbara County), Napa, Sonomoa, St Helena, Calistoga, Yontville and Rutherford, the northern area of Russian River Valley (RRV), Dry Creek Valley (DCV), Alexander Valley and Anderson Valley were the only well know wine regions remaining for me. I often have had some great Pinot Noir from RRV, but had heard greater things about the region itself.

Determined to get an early start we reached our first winery at 10:45am. Its much closer to the city than it appears - just a 1 hour drive north on the 101. We started off driving through River road heading towards our destination in Westside Road. After driving north on Westside and hitting a bunch of wineries, we continued up onto Dry creek road. I broke my all time record of 8 wineries (achieved in Central Coast), by hitting 11 wineries (tasted at 10). Another trip up to Alexander Valley Road, Olivet Road and Anderson Vally remains pending.

Below is a list of the wineries we hit in chronological order -

Moshin - Perhaps the best of the wineries, I bought a Pinot Noir from here as well as a Chardonnay. Ask for Julia here.
Porter Creek - A small, not so impressive or friendly winery, with some great Zin and Caragnane.
Davis Bynam - Arguably the best winery of the region with a fabulous flight of 5 reserve Pinot Noirs. I wanted to buy all wines I tasted here, but settled for the Lindsey's Knoll Pinot Noir.
Arista - The Pinots were good, but nothing I found worth buying. This is 5 year old family winery, still buying most of their grapes.
Hop Kiln - The most beautiful winery of the region, this is an old stone piece of architecutre, perhaps from the late 1800s. Wines were at par. A well made winery with some great cheese and free pork tortillas with some scintillating sauces.
Rochioli - This winery is very well known for its Estate Pinot Noir, but they are always sold out of it (as they were on the day)
Belvedere - Flood Gate is a brand of this winery which has some fabulous Pinot. A nice little park adds to the exuberance.
Everett Ridge - Atop a hill, this has a great view. I wish I could say much about the wines though.
Lambert Bridge - Did not drink here. $25 for reserve tasting, did not see the value. Also very commercial with a lot of people. Reminded me of Napa.
Passalaqua - In Dry Creek Valley, this had some great Zinfandel and Maple Zin.
Pappapietro Perry - More of a wine tasting room, some good wine, but bad service and a terrible looking place.

NOTE: Roshambo - This was highly recommended but was closed for renovation. They are supposed to have some fabulous Pinots.

RRV is certainly Pinot Heaven, perhaps only competition coming from Willamette Valley in Oregon. Zinfandels were outstanding in Dry Creek Valley, as Cabernet Souvignon's are in Napa. The best parts of wine tasting in this region is the beautiful drive through the winding, empty, green roads, the non-commerical nature of the wineries (3-4 tourist cars at each at most), free wine tasting at most, and the flights of 3-6 Pinot Noirs at each winery. It is perhaps the best wine tasting experience I have had to date, with my favorite wineries being Moshin and Davis Bynam. And I did buy 6 bottles, most Pinot Noirs!

Back to City Life

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 21:42:07 GMT

After a 1 year 8 month hiatus from the city life and adventures into the "American Dream" suburbia, the city's energy has drawn me back. A downtown city boy by heart, having lived in South Mumbai and downtown LA, the clean, green suburbs were just not for me. I enjoy the charging fire engines and police cars, the bums on the street, the lack of safety, the convenience of public transportation, the sight of strangers sprawling across the roads, the fast life and the sound of rushing cars as I lay down on my bed. The ponds with ducks and fish, acres of parks and greenery, the empty streets, no traffic, the clean air, the sight of families with toddlers doesn't do much for me. I wonder why I never made the move earlier. I guess I was curious to explore why living in the suburbs was an American dream for anyone. I can clearly see why many folks think that way, but the for breed of city dwellers like me it is just not an option.

What makes the choice easier is the fact that I now do live in the best neighbourhood in perhaps the most livable city in the country, if not the world. Great weather, delicious food, diverse entertainment, amazing nightlife, high energy, rich cultures and proximity to the most beautiful places in the country make San Francisco a desired place for all individuals. Another thing that has worked out well for me is that I make no compromises in my lifestyle - plush apartment, fast car and a fun lifestyle. I must say that even though this South Beach does not have a beach, it is perhaps the most desired place I could live at in the city - 1/2 block from the water, under the bay bridge, neighbourhood with the best restaurants and clubs, 7-10 minute walk to the stations, 2 minute drive to all freeways, 5 minute walk to the ballpark and within a 10 minute cab ride to all the hotspots in the city!

Next-Gen TV

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 20:42:57 GMT

I was in the sin city attending the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference and exhibit, the largest broadcasting event in the US with 25,000 attendees. I was there for a couple of days exploring the competition, evaluating where we are better and where we lag, eyeing the latest technology in TV, Mobile, Electronics and Media products, and trying to see if I can take some valuable ideas and feedback from what I have seen and heard from others including exisitng and potential customers.

The Panasonic exhibit displayed some fantastic new generation TV technologies including a 103 inch plasma ($75K!) and a touch screen/tablet plasma. Apple had a huge exhibit featuring Final Cut Pro 6 and other media/publishing/editing tools. Surpisingly I did not see any Apple TV exhibits. The Google booth was a bunch of guys with no real product - was not impressive. I spent some of my time walking around the exhibit and looking at fascinating equipment to cover media events including choppers, trucks and cameras. One amazing sports technology I came across was the statistics and field views and positions gathered by this company for a soccer game and overlayed on live broadcast feeds to give a unique experience to the users; this includes statistics such as team fitness, area covered and field positions of all players play-by-play.

My focus for the event was IPTV (TV delivered through the internet). Microsoft had an impressive booth with a section for IPTV, HD-DVD and HDI, TV Guide, Silverlight among other technologies. I spent some time at our booth watching customers reactions to the product, most of which was very positive. While seeing competitor products, I realized why most operators are using ours - it looks so much better! Speaking to people at the conference reiterated for me why IPTV in the Next-Gen TV experience and will change TV forever. It is expected that the next 5 years of TV will bring more change and innovation than the last 50 years! Some examples of what IPTV may provide in the future or already does - Ability to order pizza from your TV while watching a movie; answering conference calls and receiving voice mails on your TV; ability to purchase products you see in ads immediately through TV; personalized ads and recommendations targeted specially at you; interactive applications like GPS while watching a car chase; watching the same content on TV, PC and mobile with the ability to control any of the devices from the other; pause and interact with live sports programming content; Subscription Video on Demand services to replace stores like Netflix and Blockbuster forever.

You know you're not getting any younger when ...

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:12:46 GMT

... you celebrate your birthday laying in the hot tub, sipping on some exquisite Pinot Noir and Cabernet Souvignon and having great dinner at a Grill in a quaint little town, a majority of whose residents are from the retired community. It's quite different from 9 years ago when 3 good friends and I threw an all night party at a rocking club and danced and drank cheap alcohol into the wee hours of night. In this celebration, one bottle of wine accounted for the cost of almost that entire party! One of the only benefits of getting older - making some moolah. The other one being "experience". And the biggest drawback? The curse of knowledge.

Antigua

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 06:55:01 GMT

The Caribbean - blue skies, white beaches, crystal clear water, sunshine and great weather. That's what most people think of when they do think of the Caribbean - and frankly it wasn't quite different. It was a trip planned for almost a year - 4 guys, 2 games, 1 island, 5 nights and 6 days. The original aim of the trip was to watch some great cricket with Inda playing Australia and New Zealand. Since our darling cricketers decided to crash out, we inturn decided to ban the sponsors for a month (Pepsi etc) and make a complete vacation of it.

After a grueling journey - San Francisco->New York->San Juan->Antigua - we flew in over the blue waters into the VC Bird International airport at the stunning Antigua. An island of 50,000 inhabitants, the second richest of the Caribbean and one of two islands that form the nation of Antigua and Barbuda. Biggest industry by far, and not surprisingly, in Antigua is tourism ... and perhaps weed. A "third-world" country with broken infrastructure, the island boasts of 365 beaches, one for each day of the year. The flag infact reflects everyday life and the island country very well - the beach, water, sky and sun. The currecy in Antigua is the Eastern Caribbean (EC) dollar - 1 US$ = 2.6 EC$.

We decided to live it up a bit. We rented a villa on the water at Jolly Harbor on the west side of the island - a spacious 2 bedroom 2.5 bath pad with a large deck, a pier into the lagoon and a boat to chill on. The villa was perhaps the highlight of the trip since you can go to beaches and go to islands but how often can you have this setting to wake up in the morning to? We spent plenty of time laying on the deck, drinking Rum Punch, Red Stripe and Wadadli (local beer and the original name of Antigua) and listening to house music. We also decided to rent a car to explore the island to its fullest - a Nissan that would just about work and wake anyone from their sleep when we drove by. It was a great move to be mobile since we got the opportunity to explore every part of the tiny island (11 X 14 miles) on our own time.

Antigua is one gorgeous island with the best beaches in the world, amazing reefs and a breathtaking landscape with rainforest and hills, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Carribean Sea. Perhaps the only things that did not live upto my expectation - a little expensive, the weather (it was a little muggy and humid for a Californian like myself) and the food (locals eat at KFC and it's hard to digest BBQ chicken, fish burger, beans and rice for almost a week). One morning we rented a boat and headed into the deep blue waters for a snorkeling trip. Watching the schools of blue, red, yellow and black fish leisuring over the corals was quite an experience.

The island boasts of some great variety in nightlife. The Coast was a full-on nightclub in the heart of St John's downtown with a good mix of locals, students and tourists dancing it up to reggae, house, pop and hip-hop music. We had perhaps our best night out dancing into the wee hours in the rain with a Red Strip in our hands. Bikini Sunday at the Sandhouse in Dickenson Bay was another unique experience. A hardcore local club, we were the only non-Antiguan folks at this bar with a stunning location - open air on the beach with a full moon providing the only source of light. The most tourist bar scene was atop Shirley Heights with a spectacular view of the English Harbor and the Caribbean Sea. There was a reggae band performing in full spirit and this was where we spotted the Australian cricketers Adam Gilchrist, Greg Blewitt and Damien Fleming.

And of course the cricket. I must start by saying that the World Cup is a farce and this is most definitely the last sporting event to be organized in the Caribbean. The Sir Vivian Richards stadium was fantastic with a capacity of 20,000 - but with an attendance of barely 5000. Empty stands at a cricket game definitely don't add to the excitement. We watched a couple of hours each of the Australia-Bangladesh and New Zealand-Bangladesh games, just to see the minnows being manhandled by the favorites of the the tournament. I must admit though it was fun to watch cricket live after 6 years. Only if they had priced tickets lower for the locals., it would have been an awesome experience.

After a fun, relaxing 5 days, thanks to the ever-so-reliable American Airlines we were routed to New York instead of making our way back to SFO. A day missed at work and a 17 hour delayed arrival meant we spend a day in Rainy New York City. Nothing really like hanging in the village and a early morning-late night snack at Mamoons. Its safe to say that might be the last ticket I ever buy on AA.

Overall a trip to be remembered for a lifetime. Next on the list? Monterey and Vegas in the next 10 days!

G's Cricket

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 22:59:20 GMT

I was at the World Cup a few days ago, when I realised how boring my once beloved One-Day cricket had become. People yawning, some sleeping, some rubbing there eyes, some entertaining themselves by having Red Stripe and Johnny Black, while others just admiring the sun. It's become almost impossible to concentrate on the game for 8 hours, specifically between the 20 and 40 overs.

35 years ago the innovative minds created One-Day cricket from the Five day test game. There was opposition, but One-Day cricket today has completely outdone Test cricket, from a spectator point of view anyway. I think One-Day cricket has reached the same stage today and we need some more innovation. We need to be able to compete with the fast, energetic sports like Soccer, College Football and Basketball.

20 20 cricket is a good start, but it is so flawed it is just unbelievable - 10 wickets for 20 overs!. And let me not get started on Power Plays and Super Subs in One-Day cricket. Those ideas just support my view that management at the top of cricket is brainless with no innovation at all. Here is what I propose.

Rules of G's Cricket:

20 overs per side, 8 ball overs.
A maximum of 6 wickets per side.
30 minute break between innings.
11 players - 6 batsman, 1 wicketkeeper, 4 bowlers.
Specialized roles - Batsman only bat, Wicketkeeper only keeps and Bowlers only bowl.
All 6 batsman bat, last batsman with a runner
Each Bowler can bowl a maximum of 5 overs each.
One optional Bowling Sub (must substitue a bowler only), who can be brought in by the captain at any time. Sub can bowl a maximum of 5 overs. But if the bowler he is replacing has bowled X overs, he can only bowl (5-X) overs.
One optional Fielding Sub - can be brought in only for injuries.
Two different and mandatory 3-over power plays. Can be taken anytime during the innings, must end before the start of the 16th over.
Maximum of one Bouncer per over.
Each captain/coach has 1 "challenge" per inning to challenge the umpires decision (including LBW, catches, boundaries/sixes, run outs, bouncers, wides, no balls). Challenge is determined by TV replays.

What this does is introduce the much needed adrenaline, keep the strategy in the game, make it a good lenght, even the playing field, make bowlers and batsman even, focus on specialized roles taking the sport to another level (imagine bowlers bowling 110 mile balls), remove the lax period of the game.

This may remove the concept of All-rounder but enables the player to focus on one thing and become the best at it. For example, if a player is good at batting and bowling he could then be played as a Bowler OR a Batsman. With this, bowlers dont waste time trying to train to bat and vice versa. Similar to the special teams concept in College Football.

Anticipation

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 11:36:50 GMT

Anticipation is the most exciting time of our lives ... much more fascinating than when the event which we anticipate eventually occurs. It's a time of build up, uncertainity and impatience. The anticipation is what we live for, and not for the event. Anticipation is a game our mind plays to get a blood rush and to get a new found motivation and energy.

There are plenty of examples from everyday life. When standing in line for a roller coaster, the anticipation of fear, thrill and a rush of blood, are often better than the actually ride. The engagement period in anticipation of the big day of marriage is way more memorable than the wedding itself. When listening to house music, the progressive build up often leads to a dissapointing break. The fear of examination during preperations far exceeds the fear we face while taking the test. Anticipation of huge days like graduation or promotions often lead to an "expected", and maybe dissapointing, feeling on The day. The anticiaption, fear and excitement of starting a new job or education far exceeds the moment when it arrives. And perhaps this is one of the biggest read for infidelity and crime - the anticipation of true love or fame or money that is finally just replaced with a sense of regret.

If only the event would every live up to the hype and excitement of the anticipation that has captured our minds. If only events far surpassed our anticipation of the event or the results. It happens sometimes, but ever so rarely. What if life was that perfect and events exceeded their anticipation? A dream in its true sense.

A Child's Mind

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 09:25:40 GMT

How often have you heard people say or have said this yourself? - I do not remember my trip to XYZ because I was too young. So here is my question - how come we just assume that our minds are not developed enough to remember anything as a child. Even though it is common belief that a child's mind absorbs everything around - movies, violence, abuses, language, education. But alas it cannot remember beautiful memories from the best countries and tourist destinations in the world. It can remember that action sequence from the Jet Li movie, but cannot retain the charms of culture, wonders and people of the world. Is this a justified assumption we make or is it just an excuse to not exercise our minds, or perhaps not take our kids out to the world? How come when some one is 50 years old, they clearly remember what they did and where they traveled at 20, while at 20 you seem to have lived an absolutely different life at 10. At a time when the child's mind is said to be a "sponge" and absorb any information you provide, it forgets memories. It captures all other details in life, and erases memories. Sometimes I wonder if this is due to the excessive information we drill into our children's heads (classes, music, sports, school, tuitions etc), that is causing them to forget the most wonderful thing that man can experience and remember for life - memories.

My Oscar Picks

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 14:54:48 GMT

Best Adapted Screenplay

Departed

Best Original Screenplay

Babel

Best Foreign Film

Pan's Labyrinth

Best Documentary

An Inconvenient Truth

Best Animated Movie

Cars

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Mark Wahlberg- The Departed

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Forest Whitaker - Last King of Scotland

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Helen Mirrin - The Queen

Best Director

Martin Scorcese - The Departed

Best Picture

Babel

Buddha's gift

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 17:32:55 GMT

I was in the red-light city three weeks ago, and while I was visiting the Golden Buddha statue, this is the fortune I was showered upon with:

"Parting from loved one envisaged, may be for a long time before reunited. Cooperation needed in conducting activities. Avoid taking role as a leader. Patient recovering. More likely to win legal case. Hidden ones still not found. A baby boy forthcoming."

I admire the Buddha, but I do not see how any of the above is forthcoming:).

India Rising - A reality check

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 07:36:51 GMT

India rising. Incredible India. Team India. New India. India, the new superpower. Service India. These are just some

of the slogans you hear floating around on the television, radio, newspapers and when you meet people. How much of this is

accurate? I have been away from India for 12 months, and in this time heard the above and other great stories of India's

rise. How India is already the place to be, competing with Hong Kong, US, UK, Japan and of course China. Here are some of

my thoughts on what I have heard, read and seen on my annual trip. I love India and I totally see the potential. But these

are some unbiased thoughts and observations which I may have never had if I lived in this country.

20 things that are prominent about the India today:

1) Divide - There are two Indias - a new India and an old India. The new India is the belt consisting of Hyderabad,

Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi and Gurgaon. An India that in many ways was very advanced even 5 years ago. An

India that is scaling new heights, is driving the growth. An India of the nouveau riche, and land where the rich become

richer. The India we hear of on BBC and CNN. And then there is the old India - the rest of the country. Which hasn't

changed much, is still very much a "developing third world". Still grappling with the pains of survival, where half the

population is still under the poverty line. India will only progress and become a developed country when this difference

between the old and new is minimized.

2) Short Sightedness - A fear that most people and even corporations and the government will overlook the long term needs of

the nation in order to accumulate wealth in the short term. Short sightedness has already played a part when you see the

chaos and disorganization of important cities like Mumbai and Bangalore. Loads of people still, at all different levels, are

focused on making short term money. They have no concerns about the India they are creating 20 years down the road. India

is on its way to become a superpower, but the vision is not crystal clear in everyone's mind. Speaking to some builders I

came across the fact that the reason Mumbai has still not gone "vertical" is because of a limit placed on the height of

buildings in the past. This kind of short sightendness is intolerable in a rising economy. Mumbai could have been a

Shanghai or Hong Kong already.

3) Opportunity - Huge, Huge, Huge. With a billion people and the brightest minds, the opportunity for both local and global

businesses, both established corporations and new ventures is immense. There are tons of opportunities even for fresh

graduates out of school. Even with a billion people, companies in cities like Mumbai are struggling to find talent. The

untapped potential of India in various fields like research and development, management consulting, genetics and technology

startups is absolutely unbelievable.

4) Dependency - This is a problem which seems to be genetically induced into every Indian. Dependecy in the small things of

every day life to dependency on family for luxuries, wealth and career to dependency on other individuals and organizations

to get work done. Perhaps its a result of the large number of people or the family culture in India. Perhaps its the effort

to provide employment to others, which is causing us to become dependent souls. But this is one huge difference from the

developed countries, which might come back and bite India. This must be demolished as this is the primary cause of bribery,

corruption and frustration. Independence is essential to the overall development of every individual and the society. This

is the one main reason NRIs who have studied or worked abroad do not want to return. They see a potential halt in their

personal development in India. People bloom when given the opportunity to discover themselves, even at the cost of some big

blunders.

5) Infrastructure - As is very obvious, this is a massive problem. The scale of this problem is beyond belief, especially in

cities like Mumbai. When I first landed in Mumbai, I was very impressed by the improvements in immigration - only to wait

for an hour at baggage claim in the utter chaos. Things are definitely improving. But at a snail's pace. I hear about ten

to fifteen thousand people migrate to Mumbai everyday to follow their dreams. Mumbai is now the second most populated city

in the world, and the highest in terms of density. I recognize the fact that Mumbai faces the geographical challenges of a

Manhattan or a Hong Kong. But that cannot be said of Delhi or Bangalore. If India is to be a prominent part of the new

global world, it must focus all its money, time and labor on this issue. Infrastructure along with Education are two biggest

problems that actually have a forseeable resolutioin. These two alone will lead to a better and brighter India.

6) Population - 1.05 billion people. 1/6th the world's entire population. Phew! It's quite unbelievable really. But this

is how I look at it. For the first 55 years of India's independence people complained and the government used it as the

biggest excuse. In the last five years, this has changed and we have seen the subsequent effects. The population can be

seens as India's biggest strength and not its biggest challenge. Similar to China, India must (and has already started) use

the strength of its population - its diversity in race, religion, skill, culture, background, education. It must use its

population to successfully fill all levels of the hierarchy effectively. A good example has been the explosion of BPO, KPO

and other services. Personally I would love to see the Indian population being utilized in efforts that will make a great

economy rather than the service industry - for example research and development.

7) Supply vs Demand - Indian economy is growing at 8-9% yearly. But it seems like the business, government and infrastructure

cannot keep up with that. This must change. People have told me that they cannot keep up with the demand. A city like

Mumbai has only 5000 five star hotel rooms, with the demand being many multiples of that. Effeciency in the processes as

well as good forecasting should solve this problem. Huge demand should typically be nothing to complain, but it could lead

to bigger problems which will give China the edge.

8) Education - This along with Infrastructure is huge. Perhaps even more critical to the future of India. There are major,

major flawas in our education system. Everyday there are 3-4 articles on the front page of every newspaper about the

greatness of IIT and IIM. The question I ask is why does the majority of the population care? A very tiny percentage of

the population gets the opportunity to go to an IIT or IIM. And IIT and IIM have been very well established institutes

forever. The schools are great and the alumni are greater, but when only a tiny fraction of a percent of the entire

population can attend these schools, why all the emphasis. The need is in improvement of the education system which the

majority (99.9999%) of the population attends. That will improve India ground up, and not further improvement of an already

matured IIT or IIM, which infact only feeds the western world with talent. Focus should be on two unique things - increasing

education across rural India and reassessing and defining the education system. The second is more complicated. Refining

the system to focus on practicality, choices in careers and overall personal development rather than theory and examinations.

9) Harmony - A big, big plus. Unlike the US, there is harmony in this country. For the majority, people are happy and

believe in the government. The government should realise this and use it to its advantage. The government has done well

over the last years to sell its vision of Incredible India to the people. And the people have bought it really well and are

doing well to spread this across the globe. A stable country (religiously and politically) will do wonders to a rapidly

growing economy. The belief in India is incredible and should be kept up.

10) Optimism - As relates to harmony, optimism in the everyday person's mind is unbelievable. People see Mumbai already as a

New York or London. Everyone is thinking big and the air of optimism is energizing. Only fear lies when people get over

optimistic. And reality becomes an illusion. Ideas, planning and vision is great. But execution is only that much more

important. As long as over optimism and ego does not take over the positive energy, India will be set for greater things.

11) Inflation - India is developing and so is the cost of living in a city like Mumbai. When restaurants, bars and hotels

charge double than the western world and when NRIs earning in dollars find Mumbai expensive, you have to start wondering -

How can the everyday person afford living here? When real estate prices are higher than Manhattan, the bay area or London,

the thoughts of a bust are bound to appear. Rs. 22 crores ($5 million) for a 3,000 square foot apartment are mind boggling.

As long as the central and state governments do well to keep real estate and other prices in bounds, this can be mitigated at

its roots.

12) Family and culture - One of the oldest cultures in the world, India must make sure to preserve it well. The culture

makes India unique and a major attraction to the western world. Its the family ties and Indian culture which makes Indian

people across the globe distinct and leaders. Though we need to be prepared to be less rigid with the possible influx of

other nationalities into our global cities.

13) Economic Divide - A major issue which will start dissapearing with the resolution of the education and infrastructure

problems. Currently with India rising, the rich are become richer and poor are becoming poorer. A rapid conversion of poor

to the middle class is required. A distribution of 15% poor, 80% middle working class and 5% rich will do wonders to India

in the next 5 years. Going forward leveling this out would be the ideal scenario. Creating an economy like the US, where

almost everyone is in the middle bracket, should be India's target for the next 20 years. Its disheartening seeing a child

sleeping on the pavement and someone driving past her in a Maybach.

14) Need to socialize - Indian people in general love other people. The everyday life of an individual includes meeting at

least 100 other individuals. An Indian celebration like a wedding involves hundreds of people. Unlike the western world,

the people have a "need" to socialize. This is a huge benefit compared to say other countries like China and the western

world. The hospitable and sociable nature of Indians makes them famous across the globe. It also makes them naturally great

at professions like consulting and anything that has a social touch to it.

15) Competition, Unsatisfaction and Ego - Every individual must make a sincere effort to overcome these in order to grow. In

India success is often defined as money, title and comparison with peers. All this does is lead to unsatisfaction and

discontent. Every individual must be able to define happiness and success as he wishes to. If this means feeding his

family, educating himself or traveling - society should accept it. In India, the number one reason for any break in

relationships is jealousy and comparison. With bigger things at stake, Indians must start to overcome that. They must put

aside their egos to look at the huge opportunity this country has at the moment. They must unite and not fight amongst

themselves over petty, meaningless issues.

16) Diversity - India's biggest strength. No other nation in the world has that many religions, races, cultures or

languages. No other country has that strong a history. India must utilize the diversity of its lands and its people to the

fullest. Exploit the diversity in its landscape - the Himalayas, the beaches of Goa and Kerela, the desert of Rajasthan and

the wild life sanctuaries of Ranthambore and Jim corbeet - to further drive the tourism industry. And more importantly

exploit the diveristy of its people - culture, languages, thinking, education and experience.

17) The NRI Factor - Non-Resident Indians who have taken the risk and pursued education and/or work overseas bring with them

a weath of global education, experience, perspective, contacts and money. India must attract these talents by providing them

opportunites to improve the growing country. Efforts are already very visible and many NRIs from top corporations as well as

entrepreneurs have already set shop in Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Delhi. Emergence of Venture Capitalists blooming in

Mumbai and Bangalore is just a taste of what the NRI community can bring back to India. They can help redefine the much need

change to the education system to help India meet the global competition in the future. NRIs today will play a much bigger

part in the rising India than they have in the past.

18) Western Influence - Mumbai today has everything to offer. There is nothing you will not find in Mumbai that you find in

the US. But to be fair, Mumbai has always been very "western". But western influence can be seen across India with the

awareness and easy availability of IPods, laptops, german cars and a large English speaking population. The western

influence is great in making India a global place where people from across the world feel at home. But I stress once again,

Indian culture is a big strength and western influence should not impact that.

19) New Ventures - India has always been an entrepreneural country. Recent studies have shown that of all new companies in

the US, Indians are responsible for starting at least 7% of those. That figure is huge in a country where the Indian

population is still behind other Asian populations like the Chinese, Vietnamese and Phillipino. In India too, we are

starting to see the emergence of startups and small businesses focused on new business ideas which can improve India -

technology, water purification, energy, pharma, biotech. The new ventures along with its talented staff will help further

drive India.

20) Boom - And finally yes there is definitely a boom in India right now. And this will last a while if India can get the

above factors right. If you are an entrepreneur, there is no better time to come to India and experiment with that idea you

have. If you are a professional, salaries in India are over the roof with people earning almost half the US salaries in some

cases. But perhaps the infrastructure and work style, still might make you wait a bit longer. India is in much need of

young professionals with foreign degrees and experience, to help guide the new India in the right direction.

Driver or Passenger?

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 02:55:54 GMT

There are primarily two ways to live your life - as a Driver or as a Passenger. Your personality often determines which way you lead your life. But not always. It's often in your very own hands. This pertains to your everyday life and more visibly pertains to the times where you have to choose. A relevant referance can be made to that great poem "If" to better explain the times I mention above. Like in the poem, we often come across a time in our life when we need to make a decision and choose the path we will tread upon. Both paths may lead to happiness or both may lead to doom, both may lead to obstacles or both may lead to laurels. It is at this crucial time that you have to decide whether you are an individual who drives his own destiny or are you an individual that lets destiny drive you.

It would be wrong to say one is better than the other, even though the more ignorant would vote for the driver. As I said, it often depends on your personality. Its fine to be a passenger as long as you do not blame and curse "the driver" at all times. The driver in this scenario refers to your destiny, luck or the one making decisions for you. You calmly accept what life offers and not run behind something you do not desire. If you can live your life through the obstacles that life offers and not blame the driver, you are a happy, satisfied individual. And you are often happier than any driver would be.

On the other hand if you are the driver, you are a satisfied individual if you can come to terms with your bad decisions. And more importantly humbly acknowledge your great decisions. Once you let the driver get influenced by the results, you are bound to crash into the river along the road. A driver always learns from his mistakes and uses his learnings to make enhanced decisions ahead. A driver may refer to a risk taker and a passenger an analytical soul. A driver may end up in the dumps while the passenger has jumped on to the wagon of another driver and has scaled peaks. Or a driver may cover continents while the passenger sits in the dumps with a doomed driver.

Life has many turns and you are bound to get tossed around a couple of times. Thats when you learn to either drive slow or put on your seat belt. But then again, whats better than learning the hard way. How often would you rather learn the hard way than someone give you valuable but unsolicited advice? Almost always.

I conclude with one thought - Are you the driver or are you a passenger?

A tale of 2 states

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 00:41:25 GMT

In the last week, I have been away from my beloved California, in two very different states - Nevada and Washington. There is absolutely nothing in common between those two states, right from the people to the weather to the industries to the scenery. Thought they both do have something in common with California - and of course its not the weather. That's one of the main reasons I will be a Californian forever (at least till I am in the US).

I was first in Vegas on a fun trip with 17 other friends We decided to make a road trip from the bay to Vegas, with a beautiful 8 hour drive through the Mojave desert. The way back of course wasn't half as fun with the night darker than ever, and the traffic as slow as the 405. It took us a good 13 hours to make the journey home after an exhausting weekend. Only to wake up an hour later to catch a flight to Seattle. We did see the Worlds largest Thermometer at Baker though :)

Besides the drive back, Vegas was a blast as usual. A summary - great food, awesome nightclubs, bad music, a well produced show, an i-want-more rollercoaster, a morning at the spa, an afternoon at the pool, King Tuts exhibit (finally!), stretched limousines, another USC victory and an endless number of people. We stayed at the Mandalay Bay - loved the hotel, but considering the "beach" was closed for renevation, they really should not be selling this tshirt - "I got my tan at Mandalay Bay". We had some great food at Little Buddha at the Palms and Tao at the Venetian (both Asian Fusion with a sushi bar). Clubs and Lounges we hit - Playboy lounge @ Palms, Tao @ Venitian, Tryst @ Wynn, The Mix @ Mandalay Bay. Watched Ka @ MGM - an awesome production with some great sets and music. And of course most of our travel was in stretched limousines fitting 14 people. That can always be fun. I particularly enjoyed the day at the spa, getting a massage, watching some football and spending some time in the pools. The trip ended with a nice, cheap (much needed) brunch at the Omelet house - something I highly recommend.

Coming to the other state - Washington. After a grueling Vegas trip, a trip to rainy Seattle is never fun. But what makes it worse is when you're stuck in the middle of a snow storm. I have complaining for a while that I have never seen snow fall. I can check that off the list forever. I saw more snow than I would have liked yesterday evening. I was up for a conference - Asian Pacific Leaders Development Conference. It was a great conference focused developing leaders amongst asians - too bad the second day was cancelled. Talks on 21st century leadership, How to overcome the fear of risk and How to manage your career were just getting me going. Anyway it turned out to be one of those days where you are forced to relax. I had some good lunch at Wild Ginger (Fusion Thai) and got some deep sleep at the W hotel in downtown. I now await my flight back to the land of persistently good weather (almost) ...

Stanford football 2006

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 18:28:45 GMT

I spontaneously decided to go watch the USC v Stanford game at the Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto last Saturday. The only reason really was to finally see USC blowout a poor Stanford team and regain some confidence after their ugly loss last week to Oregon State. I figured tickets at the stadium would be no issue, considering Stanford was 0-8. What I did not figure was there would be more SC fans in the stadium than Stanford fans. And that the stadium would only be half occupied. These are the games that make Pac-10 look weak against the SEC, who have 98% attendance over the season.

I must say the Stanford stadium is sub par. And the total game experience is much below par and no game at Stanford is National Television worthy. They do charge a measly $19 for a ticket as compared to the $45 charge at the Colisieum. But there is a great reason. Stanford football is so terrible, that I am very confident of them going 0-12 this year. Maybe its because of their very, very poor band or of their hideous mascot. It was a joke seeing the Stanford band playing noise in conjuction with the great USC marching band. And the mascot - The tree - looked like something made up by kindergarten kids and probably the ugliest mascot I have seen in my entire life. This browin cone thing, with a large tounge, and some leave hanging of the top, twisting fanatically almost causing me to throw up.

Half time shows are supposed to be entertaining and fun. Something to keep the audience hooked on and looking forward to the second half. Not presentation of footballs to all the geeky Stanford professors. It was easily the worst half time show, forget about mascots racing or some band performing, this was a pure geek fest.

Luckily coming back to the game, it was as I had hoped. A true slaughter of the Stanford Cardinals. 42-0 with John David Booty and Dwyane Jarret at their best. A brilliant block fied goal attempt which resulted in a SC touchdown was a phenomenol play. With 4 huge games (Oregon, Cal, Notre Dame, UCLA) coming up in the next 4 weeks, this is just what we needed. Fight On!

Photo Album: Europe Aug 2008

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:27:11 GMT

Europe Aug 2008

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Photo Album: Mexico City March 2008

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:39:25 GMT

Mexico City March 2008

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Photo Album: Marin Headlands Aug 2007

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 17:20:30 GMT

Marin Headlands Aug 2007

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Photo Album: Sonoma Aug 2007

Sun, 19 Aug 2007 21:10:11 GMT

Sonoma Aug 2007

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Photo Album: LGBT SF June 07

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 18:33:01 GMT

LGBT SF June 07

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Gaurav's world

European Extravaganza

The Mind: An amazing place - Part 2

The Plight of the "Technology" industry in India

The Concave World

August 3: A day of siginificance

Half Whisky, Half Wine

It's a tie!

Pinot Heaven

Back to City Life

Next-Gen TV

You know you're not getting any younger when ...

Antigua

G's Cricket

Anticipation

A Child's Mind

My Oscar Picks

Buddha's gift

India Rising - A reality check

Driver or Passenger?

A tale of 2 states

Stanford football 2006

Photo Album: Europe Aug 2008

Photo Album: Mexico City March 2008

Photo Album: Marin Headlands Aug 2007

Photo Album: Sonoma Aug 2007

Photo Album: LGBT SF June 07