That Day Yesterday


Driving in Chennai can be a daunting experience, especially with the ongoing metro construction that has shrunk main roads and led to digging on interior roads for drainage and metro water. But recently, I had to make a trip from Porur to Singaperumal Kovil with my friend and son, and to my surprise, it turned out to be a stress-free experience.

We started our journey at 9:30 AM, and despite the heavy traffic, I was able to drive comfortably while engaging in a conversation with my friend. My son, too, was occupied with snacking, watching videos, and talking to my friend. We picked up some materials in Vadapalani and continued our journey, a 50 KM drive to Singaperumal Kovil.

With my friend engaging my son and me, the journey felt effortless, and we completed the job without any stress. We returned home by 1 PM, and I decided to take my son back to Madurai, where he stays with his mother.

The drive back to Madurai, which started at 3 PM, was equally enjoyable, and my son’s occasional crankiness didn’t affect my driving. I took breaks to let him play in the play area of hotels, fed him, and continued driving without feeling any stress. We reached Madurai at 11:15 PM, and it was a great feeling to have had such a smooth and enjoyable drive.

Sometimes, things just fall into place, and yesterday was one of those days. Despite the challenging conditions on Chennai’s roads, the trip turned out to be a memorable and stress-free experience for me and my son

Flooded Marina!!!


It was a bliss to experience a bike ride on the marine lanes!!!

Wonderful experience!!!

Live Electricity Wire on a water logged road!!!


Got this as an Whatsapp forward!!! It is a Live Electricity Wire which has fallen on the road!!!

Looks scary and worried about the Value for human life!!!

We are far below third world countries 😡

Place: Avadi

Location: Chennai, TN, India.

Incident: During Chennai Rains 2017.

No Mobile Signal for OTP


Sometime’s calamities teaches us how we are dependant or addicted to technologies(or multiple technologies)!!!

It has been 24+ hours since I stayed without internet & mobile signal!!! Eventually there was no Facebook, Instagram, Email, Whatsapp or Talking to friends!!!

I didn’t know how to while away time as there was no radio or TV since there was no power!!!

Couldn’t venture out because of rains and winds and added to that, its all trees on the road!!! My own street was blocked by our mango tree which got uprooted!!!

After all this, I managed to while away the day with much difficulty… Once I woke up it was same situation on Internet, Power and mobile signal but the rains and winds have stopped, so I immediate decided to start to office!!! Nobody could contact me nor I could contact my office folks!!! Anyways I decided to goto office and check!!! To my surprise almost everyone was come before me!!!

Greatest relief after reaching was there was internet & electricity!!! And this is what I badly wanted!!! I couldn’t express the joy or relief!!!

After checking official email, the next thing is to update relatives and friends that we are safe!!!

Then wanted to do my banking transactions and tried to do a NEFT transfer!!! After crossing all the stages I got struck when I was waiting for OTP!!! Only then I realised there was no mobile signal to receive messages 🙂

OTP Screen!!
Waiting to receive OTP!!

Though it is going to take 2-3 days to get back to normal!!! I could sense a great feel of relief!!! Now it is time for FB and Blog!!! 

Then should get back to serious business ;)!!

Cyclone Vardah has Paralised Life


As it is a norm for every cyclone, life has come to an halt this time too!!

  • No electricity!!!
  • Roads water logged and travelling is tough!!!
  • No electricity, No TV!!

Also we have declared holiday for our Chennai office folks… So, not much work to be engaged. Just talking to Madurai office folks and working on all pending tasks!!!

It is time to move my loyalty from Naturals Salon



It is time to change my decade long loyalty with Naturals Salon… As a person who has seen their service for a decade, I can feel the deterioration in their service standards…

I remember during the early days there would be a hair wash before a hair cut… That process is stopped long back and when I questioned they said it was management decision to stop it…

Likewise I could see they are cutting down on a lot of things…

Let me share today’s experience!!!

I went for a haircut, shave and oil massage…


Once I was made to sit and in less than 5 min there was power cut… There was one other guy who was having a haircut at that time…

Both the guys who were attending us started wandering as though they had the responsibility to fix the situation… Then the supervisory/incharge called some other guy who knew the process… The guy attending us went up for helping the other person… The left us with a partial hair cut to load the Genset with diesel… There was no courtesy to ask for an excuse from us…

Then after my haircut it was shaving and the person didn’t apply aftershave… This even a roadside salon guy will do it without fail..

Then went for an oil massage and already they have cut down on their time a lot… Now after doing the massage for 10 min he called me for a head wash… I told him until last time I would be put on a heater after my massage… I told him during early days they use to do a massage post heating and that process cut… Now they have stopped putting heater too…


I can understand that focus on customers falls when one concentrates on expansion and monitising the opportunity…

From next time on I’m planning to try some upcoming small or one shop beauty salons which put the emphasise on customers…

Honoured to meet Traffic Ramasamy SIR!!!


Got the privilege of meeting Traffic Ramasamy SIR!!!  

He asked us to be brave!!!

   
Yours truly with Traffic Ramasamy SIR!!!

 
That’s Bala with Traffic Ramasamy SIR!!

  
That’s Ravi SIR with Traffic Ramasamy SIR!!!

   

Anamalai to Chennai Drive


Got up early in the morning and started driving from Anamalai to Chennai… Once started my drive it was full of calls just reached A2B near Perendurai Bypass!! 

Until now it was call all the way;

  • Got a call from Rooban and it was a general catchup call!!!
  • Get got a call from Vadamalayan Hospital that our HR met with accident.
  • Coordinated my IamCJ co-founder Dinesh to attend her in hospital.
  • Upon reaching the hospital Dinesh called and said HR has fractured her leg…
  • Then spoke to our Ravi Sir about the ESI mediclaim process and that was facilitated by him..
  • Had a SOD call with Swami and things were planned for the day…
  • Then it was a call with Bala about the franchisee agreement..

The advantage of having Bluetooth speaker really helps in improving the productivity on the drive…

Now it is continue the drive and work on follow up calls…

Also please pray for the quick recovery of our HR…

PS: Let us not open the debate of talking on the drive!! I believe talking over a hands free device is not a crime, but open to interpratations!!! Following article talks about the perceptions and let me open up a blog post separately for this debate!!!

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-is-handsfree-cell-talk-a-traffic-offence-2039068

Identifying different States/Cities in India


Scenario 1: Two guys are  fighting & a third guy comes along, sees them and walks on..

That’s MUMBAI!!

Scenario 2: Two guys are fighting & a third guy comes along and tries to make peace.. The first two get together and beat him up..

That’s CHENNAI!!!

Scenario 3: Two guys fighting and third guy comes from a nearby house and says “don’t fight in front of my place, go somewhere else.” 

That’s BANGALORE!!!

Scenario 4: Two guys fighting third guy comes along with a carton of beer.. All sit together drink beer and abuse each other and go home as friends..

You are definitely in GOA!!!

Scenario 5: Two guys are fighting. Both of them take time out & call their friends on their mobiles.. Now 50 guys are fighting..

You are in PUNJAB!!!

Scenario 6: Two guys fighting. Third guy comes and shoots both of them.. 

You are in BIHAR!!!

Scenario 7: Two guys fighting. Third guy comes and finds if his cast then beat other cast guy..

Then you are in Andhra Pradesh!!!

Ultimate Scenario: Two guys are fighting. A crowd gathers to watch.. A guy comes along and quietly opens a tea stall there..

That’s KERALA!!!

Looking to Invest & Partner in a Manpower Services Staryup


Looking to partner with a ManPower Consultancy as an investor / mentor / working partner.

These are the specifications for the type of company I’m looking at;

1.) Core competency should be on recruitment services. Preferably a Training and placement company.

2.) Must be a less than a year old startup.

3.) Preferably a sole proprietor company. However, not more than 2 partners.

4.) Must be headquartered in Chennai.

If you are one such startup or you have any reference kindly send an email to anand@cogzidel.com