Now this is what you call an aggressive ad

Source: http://epaper.livemint.com/

Living up to LE's aggressive ways.

 

Technorati Tags: Oracle,Larry Ellision

The 'Samosa Index'

The eyes lit up! The excitement and buzz was back in office today. All it took was sight of the enticing Samosas on the plate.

One of the shouts that could be heard was "Is Recession Over, kiya?!?" besides the regular "Wow!", "Awesome!" and the "Arre Wah Singara!". Singara being the local parlance of samosa.

Alas it was not the case, it turned out to be one of the more benevolent colleagues way of celebrating a small success at office.  Here in Kolkata offices, we are simply crazy about this sinful flour paste and potato fillings, deep fired in saturated fat. 

Economists talk of the McDonald Burger Index and Underwear Index. Why not the Samosa Index then?

Till mid of last year, the evening office snack - samosa used to be a regular feature. Now in Kolkata, the city of joy and more so the city of foodies, Samosa holds supreme as a evening time snack.  If the company is not offering it, the foodie will fight monsoon rains and summer humidity to have it from the road-side store.  

For the organization it is a necessity that they are offering to the employers, as the "overtime incentive". Its a different matter altogether that people slog it out for a good 10-12 hours anyway. If Chai is the stress buster and then Samosa has to be boredom killer.  

With recession in the high tide, alas SAMOSA the evening office snack was the first of the many cutbacks. So we can safely deduce within the confines of this old office building that as and when the Samsoa makes its comeback as the regular evening office snack recession would have gone back to its shell!

Hey! You mighty Samosa, make that comeback. Bring back the joys to the office-goers in this office.

Recession Simplified ~ Capitol Hill Baby-Sitting Co-op - Goes through the Business Cycle

Paul Krugman quotes the Sweeneys' anecdote to explain recession.

Economy ~ 100 odd yuppies in Capitol Hill form a Co-op for baby-sitting.

• Couples baby-sit for other couples in exchange of COUPONS
• COUPONS can be redeemed for free baby-sitting hours by another will couple
• Each couple is given a fixed COUPONS on joining the co-op.

Buyers : Redeem the COUPONS for bay-sitting hours

Sellers: Earn COUPONS by selling bay-sitting hours

Central Bank role ~ Board members managing the co-op

Business Cycles comes to play. Over a period of time couples start saving their COUPONS for future use. More couple are willing to earn COUPONS rather then use COUPONS. Not enough are willing to spend or redeem their COUPONS for free evening. SAVE SAVE SAVE!

Liquidity Crisis ~ Not enough COUPONS are in circulation. Members of this economy are focused in earning the COUPONs rather then consuming the goods.

Cash in this economy ~ COUPONS

Goods or Services in this economy ~ Baby Sitting Hours

STIMULUS PACKAGE ~ Central Bank ~ Offers a stimulus packages. Increases circulation of COUPONS in the economy. The economy bounces back.

A foodie's guide to Goa

The Portuguese had come for the spices. I was there for the spicy Goan delicacies. The idyllic South Goa beaches, Old Goa history, the Aguada & Chapora Forts was the bonus.   :)

Breakfast @ Sea View Guest House, Patnem, Canacona, South Goa

After previous day's tiring long travel from the airport to South Goa, nothing like a sumptuous early breakfast to pep you up for hectic sight-seeing through the length & breadth of Goa.

American Breakfast: Coffee/Tea, Bread toast, Bacon, Backed beans, Mushrooms,  Eggs made to order,  a choice of fruit juices   (Price: INR 150)

Cornflakes with curd : (Price: INR 35)

My take: Filling :)

Lunch @ Ritz Classic, Panjim, Central Goa

When the hunger pangs kicks in and attempts to find the highly recommended restaurant takes you close to 2 hours, the spicy Goan curry is your only saviour from your visibly irritated wife.

Goan Fish Curry : Plain rice with curry, Fried fish, with two vegetable side dish (Price 100)

Chicken Vindaloo: Red hot fiery chicken curry (Price INR 150)

Lunch @ Lobo Suza, Calungate Beach, North Goa

The sea facing restaurant has an elaborate menu of Goan dishes. The crab peeling attempts just added on to the fun.

Fish Masala Fry, Crab Curry, Chicken Vindaloo, Fish Xacgute

Dinner @ Martin's Corner, Verna,  off NH17

Upmarket crowd. Live Music - 70s & 80s. Exotic Fish platters

Goan dishes again?  Bring it on:).   Xacgute, Vindaloo, Shark fish masala fry.

~ The Mumbai Stopover ~

How does a foodie spend 6 hours in Bombay ?

Snack @ Gateway of India, Colaba, Mumbai

Samosas with cutney from the road side hawker (Price INR 10)

Snack @ Leopold Cafe, Colaba, Mumbai

A visit to Colaba without a visit to Leoplold is highly unlikely.

Club Sandwich (Price INR 120)

Snack @ Cafe Mondegear, Colaba, Mumbai

Draught Beer Mug (Price INR 100) to while away an hour.

Lunch @ roadside restaurant, Domestic Terminal, Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport

Lassi, Pav Bhaji & Egg Burji is a perfect finish to this 3 day frenetic gastronomical affair. (Price INR 110)

Games people play:

Beating about the bush

Blame Game

Passing the buck

#$*&!@@@

Videocon Logo

The new logo reminds me so much of the Sony Ericsson logo. Brand image transformation to a fun brand - connecting with the youth and at the edge of technology.

MJ :(

Aila!!!

The cyclone that was always predicted to hit Kolkata but never came every Monsoon since I have been here, finally came through on Monday. 

So I have made a list of 5 things not to do when hit by a cyclone, as I have learnt my lesson:

1. Don't shift into a new place on the day the cyclone

2. Don't take the roads in Kol in the worst affected place as you have protestants blocking the roads against the power failure

3. Don't work for the local electric supply co as the power and water deprived citizens might become extremely violent to the technicians

4. Don't wear good formal clothes to office on such days cos you might need to walk back home as none of the taxis, autos and rickshaws would be willing to take you back home.

5. Don't haggle with the taxis and autos. Its their day today.

Things that I noticed when I made the valiant effort to reach office yesterday but couldn't make it

9 AM All roads were blocked in the area that I happened to pick as my dwelling place for the next 3-6 months (hopefully this does not get extended!)

11 AM Taxis were unwilling to take you anywhere. Finally the one that agrees takes you through the longest possible route. Then you are stuck in a Bypass as the protestants create a road block to restore power at their homes. If you don't allow the traffic to pass how do you expect to restore normalcy after the biggest cyclone in 100 years.

12 PM A couple of youngsters desperately trying to reach their destination to take the university exams. And all that I could do was provide a lift to the nearest place from a metro station.

3 pm The road blocks were conveniently removed and the power didn't return either. So did it pay off that the roads were blocked.

6 PM People shopping for their daily rations in the most crowded market of the worst affected area. The power is still not restored.

So that leaves a couple of questions in my mind:

i) did it pay off that the roads were blocked?

ii) did it help that we kept on cursing the electric supply company?

iii) did we respond as an united community in the face of the worst disaster in recent times for the local population?

Aila! I getting all ......

Wonder Boy gets the youth enthused!

Boy Wonder has got me enthused about Indian politics as much as the Grand Old Man had done over the turn of this century.  Maybe its because Success makes one look sexy and today India politics definitely does.

Elections 2009 will mark the coming of age of young and smarter (? time will tell) politicians. Hope to see a couple of them take up cabinet ranks this time on.

My Take 3 on Elections 2009

• Urge to Vote - though turnout % is around 59% this seemed like the real "Jagoaree" for the urban consciousness. I am guilty of not voting but I really felt the urge to vote this time around
• Supremos - spoilsports of last LS - eating the humble pie.
• Wonder Boy redeeming himself in the largest state by going it alone

Recession Era TVCs

Super TVCs in the last few weeks

• Limca -
• Hero Honda Passion -
• Vodafone - Zoozoo

The first 2 are simply mesmerizing with a Music Video kind of jingles. Infact ET refers to the Limca ad as a new age advertising where the Music Channels keep on beaming the ads for the music content at ZERO cost. Recession era advertising solutions? Hero Honda Passion ad is also on the same lines

Move over Cheeka here comes a cuter and more interesting ZooZoo.  Simply taken over the average channel surfers mind by storm. Recently got a forward on the making of the ZooZoo ads. Will upload the same soon.

HNY 2009

Know its a bit to late to say this, but could not help it as I have been away. far far away.