Category: Personal

RIP My Samsung S2


Yes… It happened yesterday night…. As always my phone slipped from my hand and the display glasses cracked badly…. Just realised how amazing Nokia phones were as they survived my slipping hands several times UNHURT :)…

Thought I’ve been using this Samsung S2 for 20 months… It is a compromising use… The phone mother board crashed and it took 50 days to get it repaired and also the camera was not working… I was badly in need of a smart phone and I compromised on the camera and was using it without a camera all these days…

Yes you hear it RIGHT… Used a duel lens camera phone without the camera all these months…. Had a real bad experience with Samsung and my next phone is iPhone and not a Samsung….

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Should I go for a New Samsung Galaxy S3


A year and half back got my Samsung Galaxy S2 and hardly used it fir 20 days… There was a motherboard failure and the replacement took 55 days… Such was the pathetic case of their service center service…

Once I got my mobile back I camera was not working abduction this time I was not ready to have another wait as in 3 months I just used the mobile for 3 weeks…

Also I wanted the mobile badly as were just ventured into mobile app development and I wanted to explore… Also camera didn’t affect me a lot as I was not blogging during that period…

Now I’ve couple of compelling reasons;

– Need to extract the benefit of Ice-Cream Sandwich…
– Cope with company’s culture on clicking any moment and sharing it…
– Missing a lot of blogging opportunities without a camera…

In spite of the compulsion I’ve been into lot of financial commitments because of my dads hospitalization…

Though I’ve the funds to buy one… Should I buy one now or wait for some more time???

My Blog Kindles Nostalgia


Just realized after seeing Roobans Facebook feed that it has been 3 years since we went on a Vagabond trip…

http://www.anandnataraj.com/blog/2010/03/21/sleeping-in-the-car/

Couldn’t believe its 3 years as events still remain in front of me and it looks as if it happened yesterday…

While we 3 musketeers were driving on OMR and planning for a routine weekend… Kavi in his own ways asked if written can drive long?

Immediately without hesitation Rooban and I agreed…. Immediately we took a U- Turn and the rest is history…

Immediately after the experience I blogged it and today the blog took us to Nostalgia… Today definitely the memory lives…

Am typing this blog without seeing what I blogged 3 years back… But these are things I remember;

  • Started driving to Yelagiri by 11 from Chennai…
  • Stopped in a road side dhaba for some food and drink somewhere neat kancheepuram…
  • Reached Yelagiri by 4ish in the morning…
  • Slept in the car…
  • Booked a room for an hour to refresh and for bath… Quarreled with the owner for being harsh…
  • Had break fast in a road side bhai kadai…
  • Saw a guy who met with an accident and offered our mineral water bottle…
  • Met a Thala fan…
  • Saw a guy who was constructing gate villas…
  • Went to Fab end and had ice-cream in a shop…
  • Spent some time on a tower near the lake…
  • On way back took a pic of a school van which had something wrong…Rooban bro do you remember what was wrong?
  • Briyani at Khaja Restaurant at Ambur by evening…
  • Back to Chennai by 8…

Should I go for New Mobile


I’ve been using a Samsung Galexy S2 for almost a year and half… Within 20 days of purchase my mobiles mother board was gone and it took 55 days for me to get it replaced…

Once that was replaced my mobile camera was not working and I was not ready to was another long battle for a replacement request or for a repair…

I badly wanted to try my hands on Android to build apps… Also in-between I stopped blogging for some time and didn’t feel the utility for a camera…

For last 3 months I’m back to active blogging… I’ve missed on lot of opportunity to do a photo blog… Also now there is a culture in our office to grab every crazy moment and upload it in FaceBook courtesy to our CTO Mr.Swami…

Since my warranty is over I’m not hat eager to go for a paid service… Also I want to try the power of ice-cream sandwich… Started considering to buy a Samsung Galaxy S3… Still fighting over priorities for the money I’ve in hand…

Interesting Phase of Life


It has been 100 days in last 180 days in a Hospital… This is the biggest stretch as it is 45 days and counting in the hospital… This last 6 months has given a lot of time and lessons…

I had aversion for blood, anatomy, surgery and all medical things… I hated zoölogy for that and I didn’t think in my dreams that I’d be living and sharing space seeing such people and interacting with them…

My dad who is my hero as he has fought with life from his younger age… I’ve never seen him low in confidence or crying… Now I had to see such a man and some one who I love a lot CRY… Yep watched him cry and I was helpless…

Underwent the real fear in life… The fear of loosing someone close to heart… I’d say that is the worst experience someone can have… All other man-made fear like loosing money, legal disputes and fighting or competing with someone were the previous scary situations to me… But now I’ve been thru the fear shown by the almighty… I learned you can’t mess with super power…

The importance of knowledge and information… Though we are not medically literate we have to do our part if research because we might be exploited for ignorance and can fall prey to human error & negligence…

Last but not least understood and realised what FAITH is… What true faith will give you and how blissful it is… This time around did a lot of things which I once considered stupidity and superstition… Not sure which force stood by us… But I experienced FAITH… My day was filled with prayers 24/7…

Paying a Premium and Living with Sub-Standard Service


Not Touching Lives
Not Touching Lives
It has been a month at Apollo Speciality Hospital Teynampet… I fondly call it a premium government hospital for its worst service…

  • Had to live with the abuse and fuss from Lab technician to get CTI Scan images in a CD…
  • In pharmacy had to deal with the store keeper who tells his colleague to five medicine only if I tender exact change… When I questioned him he said I can complain anywhere…
  • We are paying nursing fee everyday but not getting duly attended… We are additionally hired a 24 hour special nurse to overcome their under staffing…
  • No floor boy or girl to do sponging (towel wash) and for clearing napkins… My sister and I help the special nurse to do such cords… Which has to be provided by the hospital…
  • A supposed to be 24 hour canteen will be locked most times in the night and after 2 AM the shopkeeper neatly sleeps…
  • Also canteen keepers also refuse to service if exact change is not tendered…
  • Floor nurses take patient utilities to other room patients if the fail to indeed them on time and they fail to replace them… Though this has happened 3 time in this one month I couldn’t accept this taken for granted attitude…
  • Security guards are another bunch of fools who pretend as if they are duty conscious… They follow crap process… With obey attenders pass we had to convince them mostly to get in… Else we have to talk to the security officer or ask my sister to give me the pass while changing over… There are also some understanding guards…
  • Also some guards are most corrupt and they allow people incidence CCU by getting bribe which Ian dangerous for other patients…
  • House keeping boys fuss to come answer clean the room for 2nd and 3rd time in a day…

In spite of all this issues from this not service and only money oriented hospital we are accepting and living with it because the have most of the best doctors… For my Dad I show a lot of restrain…

Still there is service centric hospitals like Narayana Hirudhalayala where everything is cheap like a meal is just rs.25 and a max cost of a coffee in Cafe Coffee Day inside the hospital is just Rs.30 compared to their premium pricing… Also a suite room cost in NH is the cost of a single room without a rest room cost of Apollo…

Apollo is definitely not touching lives… Over all I respect Apollo for treating my dad and not for any other single reason….

Thanks to Thala (GK) & Roshan


Yesterday got an invite from our Thala and Roshan… They gave me a treat for my birthday and they gifted me a wonderful Sunglass…

As planned we all met at Suguna Vilas Sabha and it took some time for thala to finish his calls and join us… In the mean time had spent some time with Roshan as it has been a long time…

By the time Thala joined us it was Roshan’s time on the call… But it was really nice to get such a time with a person like thala…

It was an unpublished rag to rich story… Where a person from a village coming to Chennai… He started his business with hardware to electrical to TNHB contract to Travel Agent to Construction Business….

In every venture he was successful and every venture has lots if case study for entrepreneurs to learn…

I had to cut short the conversation as I had to come back to hospital… I need a casual meet with him for sure and need to interview him and document his case study…

I thank Roshan for facilitating a meet with Thala… And thanks to Thala for sharing his story… You are really interesting and motivating…. You have really made my day….

Also thanks you both for the Sunglass…..

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My Birthday 2013


This has been a very different birthday without party, glamour and fun… This time spending time in hospital to care take my dad… This time I’m glad that the first person whom I got blessed was my dad… From mid-night there were calls, wishes thru FaceBook, email and text messages…

Tough this birthday is something unusual compared with my usual celebration… I’m enjoying this moment too…

  • Got wishes from Cogzians
  • Wishes form MOM, Sister & Wife
  • Wishes from 300+ friends and relatives and still poring
  • From Hemang K Bhadani (former cricket player)
  • Director Vikraman Sir
  • Suresh Menon Sir
  • Actor Prem
  • Actor Vimal

Another good news in the morning is one of my good friend Satheesh Seelan has become a proud father of a baby boy and he happily said from next year it is going to be 2 birthday celebration this day…

Also big thanks to Mr.Vipin Sachdev Chairman of Willi and Burgandys for offering me 25% discount voucher on my birthday… A special thanks to you for your gesture SIR!!!

Also it is pouring text wishes from Corporates too…

Text From Franklin Templeton

Dear Anand Nataraj S Birthday Greetings from Franklin Templeton Investments. Looking forward to celebrating many more special days with you.

Text From Standard Chartered Bank

We at StanChart wish you a very Happy Birthday and a wonderful year ahead.

Text From HDFC Bank

Dear Mr.ANAND NATARAJ SIVANESAN,Wish you A Very Happy Birthday,May this year bring you all the Success,Joy & Happiness.Regards HDFC Bank Ltd – Retail Loans

Text From Vodafone which also gifted me with 25 free text messages… Thank you Vodafone…

Hello! Mr. ANAND NATARAJ S , Birthday Greetings from Vodafone! Have a great year ahead.

Dear Customer, on your special day spread happiness with 25 FREE Local and National SMS being gifted to you from Vodafone. Thank you for being with us.

Gift Zone

Got this special gift from my loveable better half and she made my day… Thanks a lot honey…

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Then it is Anand gifting Anand… Yes I wanted to buy As The Crow Flies and I placed an order in FlipKart on Saturday and just it got dispatched… And what an experience it is to make a self gift…

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This would be my bed room cum wardrobe soon…


Am fond of carpentry and modular designs… When I came across this marvel somewhere online I’ve decided this is going to be mine one day…

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It is OK to disobey Parents


Normally an Indian middle class family has too much of caring and intrusion into the upbringing of children… For Indian parents their kids remain a kid always… In my case which is common Indian parental syndrome I still;

  • get approval for taking decisions…
  • career choices had to be discussed…
  • show credit card bill and explain the reason for expenses…
  • tell them the reason for terminating a policy or for delaying any payments…
  • liberty to read my personal emails and mails…
  • liberty to police my blogs and social media posts…

Over a point our parents gets out dated and most parents resist to update themselves… In such cases it is better to disobey them… In India disobedience means a big crime and you will have to face the warmth of relatives and neighbours explaining them why we are irresponsible… In my case;

My parents and grandparents look at me a different person as I took entrepreneurship and my approach towards things… My practical approach has often or always offends them and they keep complaining my behaviour… In reality from my angle they look different 🙂 which they don’t realise…

If you are a person with dreams and a prisoner of parental obligation it is ok to break it by means of ignoring or disobedience… What all it matters if success and when you can surpass tough times and show success you can always win over their confidence… Sometimes even when they don’t recognise your success or efforts there is nothing to worry as they are tuned to be ordinary…

Overall folks don’t bother much about disobeying because;

  • Gandhi got us freedom because of civil disobedience movement and today we are calling him father of the nation…
  • Many successful entrepreneurs like Dhirubhai Ambani, Naraya Murthy, Muchael Dell disobeyed their parents and ran behind their dreams
  • We wouldn’t have got a SuperStar Rajini Kanth if he had obeyed his father

Though emotionally it is tough and difficult to disobey our parents we have to do it considering we have a genuine dream and goal which is not against law or anti social…