Life has changed with a BlackBerry


For long i wanted to change my mobile as my old low cost handset was having problem with its speaker. Also as a part of my new year resolution wanted to buy new handhelds and hack it. Other thing is i want to be a early bird for Web 3.0.

So as a apple freak i was almost about to go and buy an iPhone. But one of my friend confused me and didn’t allow me to buy an iPhone. He insisted me to go for a BlackBerry. He evangelized BlackBerry and still my passion for apple products made me blind and deaf.

Then for my birthday i got a combined gift from Balaji, Mom & Sister and it was nothing other than a BlackBerry curve. In two days i activated the email & IM options and within a day i fell for the product.

I’m using a BlackBerry for a week now and i can say there is a huge increase in my productivity. I don’t feel bored while waiting and I’m able to keep myself occupied.

For entrepreneurs i strongly recommend BlackBerry than any other business phones.

Mahabalipuram Thiruvizha


Last saturday we have been to Mayajaal to watch Vinnai Thandi Varuvaiyaa. We were there in the theatre by 8 o clock and we got tickets for 1.30 show in the midnight. We didn’t know how to while away our time till midnight.

We thought we can take one thing at a time and we went to Mahabalipuram to have dinner. Only on reaching the spot we came to know the day was Thiruvizha (Fair).

It was a pleasant surprise and we enjoyed every bit of it. We went there by nine o clock and were there till one o clock. We shot balloons, went for a ride on the swing, made some crazy purchase like;

  • Captain Imaged Watch
  • Yellow colored sun googles
  • Beads chains
  • Rings
  • Boll key chains
  • Beads bangles

I’m to a fair after a long time and it was a nice and surprise day out.

Birthday Treat for college buddies


What is a birthday without offering treat. I had to honor 3 treat on my birthday and one such treat was dinner for College & School buddies.

I always feel happy to be with my college buddies Vicky, Kuruvi & Sudhir which is a brotherhood’ly friendship. After a lot of confusion we finalized with Copper Chimney and as a strange surprise i was the first to be there.

Thing have changed a lot where in during college days friends use the be there before the person who is offering the treat. Those days offering a treat was forced and compelled one. These days it was a opportunity to have a get-together and time to have fun pulling each other.

After a long time of fun it was time to document the moment and here are the snaps. And i must thank guys for make it a memorable day.

My Birthday Party


This is a post which i must have made a week back. But because of hectic schedule i had to wait for long to make many posts.

One important post which i must share is that of my Birthday party. It all started on 24th a day before my birthday which is on February 25th. I know my sister would have planned a surprise and i wanted to prank her. So i asked Balaji to book tickets for some movie.

Then the evening as a coincidence my sister came home the same time i reached with a cover and there were lots of covers with cakes in kitchen i realized there is something special going to happen.

Then i told my mother and sister that i already planned for a movie with Balaji and immediately i got a call from Balaji telling his fiance has lost the ring he has got him. Initially i thought it was a prank made by Balaji. But when i came to know really the ring was lost i felt sorry for her.

Then my mom asked me to bring a bucket from terrace and when i went it was a surprise. To see Cake, my uncle, aunty, cousin brothers and sisters & Balaji handling the camera as usual. Then it was fun and time to shoot some snaps.

Then on coming down to home was surprised to see my college buddies Mr & Mrs. Vignesh, Sathish & Sudhir and it was all surprise and it is all planned by my sister. The came with Cake and gift and they took me back to my birthday we celebrated on 2000. I feel guilty that i never did anything special for her.

Then came a surprise gift from my mother, Balaji & sister. It was a Blackberry and today it is of big use as I’m not wasting time. Even when I’m in my rest room I’m making the time productive :). Thanks a lot guys.

Finally it was my sister who has won the day as she made it more memorable and she broke all my tricks to make prank of her.

Score – New Fitness Studio in Chennai


Day before yesterday i got an invite to the launch of a new fitness studio called SCORE. It was one big launch with

  • Full star studded audience & whose who of Chennai.
  • Launch was done by India Cements Srinivasan.
  • Snacks, beverages & food served by a star hotel.
  • High class fitness equipments.
  • On the main road of TTK road.
  • Uniform designed by renowned designer.

No wonder it has such big launch since because it is launched by one big man Mr.Ajith Shetty who was previously with FitnessOne.

I immediately enrolled on the launch day and still i was the 34th member. Hope this place would be happening for couple of days.

How Challenges Becomes Opportunity


I’ve a decade of experience as an entrepreneur. It was an experience filled with challenges and issues which only helped me to become a man of great character and stature. To be frank I became an entrepreneur as an incident rather than a planned one. Only after stepping in I came to know it is not everyone’s piece of cake and by the time I realized it I was lost in deep jungles.

Since I was trapped in a deep jungle I have no way out and only option when you don’t have a choice is to walk further until you find your way out. There were lots of adventures, accomplishments, experiments. Many a times I worked on more intuitions rather than plan. But with lots of perseverance I was able to overcome all the challenges and also found out a way out of the jungle.

I’d like to share one of my personal experiences where I was able to convert a challenge into an opportunity.

As I always repeat about my academics that I was a poor student I didn’t have the guts to disobey my parents as they always negotiated / blackmailed me about my results. I never had the guts to disobey them and when I told them that I had the desire to become an entrepreneur after the completion of my under graduation (UG). They immediately de-motivated me that I can’t be a successful businessman as I didn’t hail from a business community and also because I was poor in my academics.

They admitted me in a college for Post Graduation even when I was in my UG final year. After completing the final year in UG I failed in Discrete Math’s and I was treated as a failed guy in life. My mother and grandmother were crying day in and out adding a sense of insecurity which only demolished my confidence.

Then to stay away from all these negativity I started a business and started working from my friend’s office. Within a year I got a lot of self confidence and also I cleared my arrear. The very next year my parents forced me to join PG which I refused to do. When they asked me to get out of the house I was prepared as I had developed my self confidence by this time.

Thought it was a tough two months I has to pass after getting the exam results I always think I’m an entrepreneur today just because of the failed result. If I passed at first attempt I’d have joined PG and would have taken a job after it and would have been on the list of guys who never followed their dreams. 

Today I had discussion with one of my Director about the financial crunch we are facing because of Paypal and also because of poor collections. All I told him was we have to learn the lessons and to dig for the opportunity hidden inside the turbulence. At this time what I expect from my team members is to believe in their skills and stay focuses and break the way to success.

All I can tell at this point in Tough Times Doesn’t Last!! But Tough People Do…

Trip to MegaMalai


Last week went for a days outing with my friend who wanted to introduce me to his Friend who wanted to invest in some Software Company. Since that person was in Theni we thought having a meeting in some adjoining hill station would be a nice spot and we freezed on Meega (Cloud) Malai (Mountain).

We started from Madurai by around 5 PM on thursday and we reached Theni by 6.45 PM. There we picked the investor friend and brought all snacks, food and spirits from Theni. En route to Madurai was a highly scenic with Lust Green Fields, Mountains, Lake and in-between small towns where in you can get all local stuff. I came across this Karupatti Mittai (Chocolate) which is hand made and famous in this District. Then there was this temple where every vehicle which passes by stops and offers prayers and donation.

By the time it was 8 o clock in Theni and we proceeded to MeegaMalai which was some 4 KM from there. On the plains of the Hill there was a Check post set by forest department and we were told entry is closed after 6 PM onards. Since one of my friend is an Advocate we were let in because Advocates in Tamil Nadu enjoy unrealistic benefits. We were told road to the hill was bad but after driving a certain distance we found that there was litrally no road at all. Then we were caught on another place where there is a Panchayat check post where in they collected Rs.50/- for entry. Still i cant figure why we paid that money as we found there was nothing done by Panchayat.

Then we reached the hill top by 10 o clock and we had to wake up a Hotel Owner whom we were asked to contact to get a room. Then he took us to a Panchayat Guest House and we were told that was the best guest house in the place. We paid Rs.500/- for a day and the room was mediocre. That day we slept after having Dinner.

Next day we went to Pechiammal Hotel and had our Breakfast. Then we went to a Dam and from there we went to a Tea factory. This factory and the entire hill was leased by Brooke Bond and subsequently it was sold to some Indian company. There are nearly 5000 people working in this factory and they were given facilities like houses, schools, medical aid, subsidized food etc. This entire hill belongs to the company until 2046 when the lease expires. We were told roads and facilities were of high standards when it was under the control of Brooke Bond. Today there are litrally no roads.

Also the company is not interested in developing infrastructure which will lead too much inflow of tourist. So, until this company is there this Hill will always be isolated. But in general we were happy as we were given access to explore the factory run through plantations and then we also had business discussion and there was noting for me to complain about.

The very evening we reached Madurai and it was business at night as usual.

Missing


I’m almost about to complete 3 decades on this earth. Firstly i can’t believe how fast days have run as i still keep thinking that I’m just out of school as i still keep thinking about my Farewell party thought it has been 13 long years.

On rewinding back to the past it it mixed with Joy & Bitter experience. Some of the bigger bitter experience has always been loosing good friends who has to part ways for several reasons ranging from reasons like Career, Quarrel, Family etc.

I also miss the golden Schooling days and College days. Today i got an opportunity to sit alone and think back the past and cherish the golden moments which i’ve come across.

I remembered how i bunked classes for playing cricket and for watching movie, fighting for barring first & for a extra bite of samosa, how 3-4 guys travel in a 50CC bike, planning all crook methods to pass an exam et more.

There are several friends who have come across in my life but some are really special and live close to heart. Of them i miss these folks;

  • Vignesh (Thankfully he is back from US)
  • Balaji Murali
  • Aravind
  • Balaji Kandan (Don’t know if he has time for me after marriage 😦 )
  • Kuruvi
  • Sudhir
  • Senthil Nathan
  • Prabha
  • Biju
  • Anand
  • Stalin

Though i’ve good number of friends i miss the above list as i’ve spend some memorable moments with them and no longer they have the same time for me these days.

Now times pass and there are bunch of new friends who fill the gaps. But there can be no replacement as each one contributed to my happiness in their own way.

When ever i get an opportunity to meet these folks i never missed the opportunity to meet them. Latest in the list being Stalin & Anand whom i met at Stalin’s engagement.

Now it is time to think more about the golden days and have a dream where i can be with my missing buddies.

Watched a man die’ing


Went to a Hospital in Madurai to see one of our employee who got admitted. He was in ICU and went in to see him. Sadly a guy next to his bed was die’ing and this happened in front of my eyes.

On enquiry the man was trying to board a running train and he slipped to catch the handle and fell down injuring his head.

When he was dieing his wife was with him watching him die and we were watching the monitor where pulse was falling. Doctors tried their level best pumping his heart. Atlast they declared him dead.

It was a very miserable experience in my life where in i watched a human die & seeing his wife handling the situation was even sad.

God mist be crazy to expose me to such experience.

Experience in Train


Normally i’m a unplanned person and i never planned my travel ahead. So, most of the time i’m left with no other option than to travel in Bus. Also the distance of Railway station from my house in Chennai and Bangalore made me not to even think of traveling in train.

But in Madurai my house is less than a KM from the Railway station and also my friends say Train travel is much cheaper. Only then i realized Train is 300 – 400 times cheaper to Bus travel.

Then i booked my tickets to Madurai a day before in Tatkal and thankfully my tickets got confirmed. I was such a nerd that i didn’t know any nuances of railway terms and for everything i had to call my friend and disturb him.

Then i got a parcel for my lunch and i boarded my train. It was so crowded that people were standing and traveling and every time i got to stand near the door to stretch my legs i return to see someone sitting in my seat.

Then it was time to befriend fellow passengers and talking to them about their profession, where they belong to etc. Then we exchanged phone numbers and not even a single person has called me ever since.

In eight hours train reached Madurai and the Journey was mixed bag as i didn’t have any like minded fellow passenger. But i enjoyed the experience of traveling alone in a Train.