Figures dont lie. Never do. 10 has always been an iconic number. Bo Derek redefined figures and curves in the movie 10, Nadia Comăneci delivered the perfect 10 performance in an Olympics many moons ago and a little man called Tendulkar gave the sport jersey a life
of its own after sporting a 10. 6/10/2014 was equally historic as 10 hours in India redefined ecommerce as we know it. Flipkart took up hoardings and front pages in prime newspapers making it a first for any black friday kind of scale in India. Snapdeal and Amazon joined in to make it real huge. And then the mayhem started.
Even we are educated and we also look up Google. So, please don’t teach us… thundered Ignoramus 1. We want him captured and sent back to where he belongs , shrieked Ignoramus 2. As the room was filled by the shrieks and sounds of these 2 gifts to mankind, my mind drifted to a very powerful monologue by Amitabh Bachchan in Agneepath, ( the original one). Amitabh in his rich baritone voice explains to the erstwhile Commisioner of Police the food chain in the jungle. He ends the powerful monologue with the line sher bhediye ko chabaa jaata hai., stating the obvious that in the jungle the Lion is King. But here in the real world, the poor sher and cheetah are no match for the all powerful aadmi in the cities. Its a fact!
Many in Mumbai find it hard to have 1 decent vacation a year. My kind boss allowed me not 1 but 2 five day breaks within a month ! The first was an all boys out Safari to Pench. 5 AM safaris, dusty roads, vodka and bollywood evenings and some great bonding in the jungle meant that the boys really did have all the fun. The second was a nice little family vacation in Poovar & Kumarakom in Kerala. The highlight – our first vacation with our sometimes devil , almost always angel little daughter – Mysha. This one was all about running behind Mysha for her feed, her taking to the pool like a fish to water, long boat rides, running behind Mysha for her feed ,multiple car journeys, screaming on top of our voices like children, running behind Mysha for her feed ( yea we did that a lot …).
I had great company in both, fab service levels in the hotels that we stayed in and met hospitable people wherever I went. There were goof ups in both the places too – Missing tiger sighting, small skirmishes with guides, running behind Mysha for her feed – ( Oh, did I cover that already ! ). But, as I look back at these mini vacations , I think I have learnt a very important lesson. The first one is obvious – never let out your preference about 2 diametrically opposite trips in public – hehe.
The second one is vacations are all about moments. Little ones. Big ones. The first Tiger sighting on a trip, the bonding over a masala David Dhawan film, your baby’s first outing in a swimming pool, her not letting her parents go out of sight even for a moment in 5 days, her crying papa- papa as you approach the window of your cottage, the family sitting quietly in a boat not talking a word but being the perfect family in that moment. Someone once told me I visualise in pictures and images… But when I reminisce about these 10 days, its not a set of pictures but a beautiful movie montage playing out against some terrific slow music. It’s this montage which keeps playing in my mind that makes it oh so perfect.
As we all go back to our daily chores for the next 6 months or so before the next 10 day break, I thank my wife Sunita, our little angel Mysha, My best pal Mayur, Daksh, Suraj and all the people I met for this perfect 10 day vacation – The montage wouldn’t have been possible without you folks 🙂
The title of this post could have easily been the end of experience in shopping centres… but then going by what most malls did in India for Diwali, experience is not a marketable idea. Instead, a car, gold or an International vacation were better options or were they?
First the good news: Most “Live Malls” or should I say malls that were ALIVE and KICKIN’ did better business than last year.
Now the truth: Most did not do as well as they expected.
Its an interesting story really. Developers expected to get above average returns. They knew the economy was bad. The decision was so easy- Lets just bribe the consumer this time. A sub par performance meant – It was expected, hence we didn’t spend. An above par performance will mean – see we spent little and still got the returns.
The Only Truth: The only sufferer was the MALL BRAND !
The relationship between retailers and malls is not an easy one. Malls seek big brands in an attempt to get easy footfalls. Retailers bank on mall marketing to get the footfalls they want. 0 or close to nothing spends on marketing and over confidence on their brand pull means consumers have stopped caring as to where they headed.
The plethora of malls coupled with their reluctance to invest in branding means, consumers no longer go to a shopping centre X or a shopping centre Y. They go to the mall to buy from a Shoppers Stop or an Allen Solly. Loyalty is nothing.
Infact with almost every mall giving away gold or a car free, the better option would be to go to the mall with lesser footfalls – the odds of winning get significantly better- 1 in a lac vs 1 in a million.
Whichever way you look at it, these are exciting times to be a consumer. You will either be rewarded with an experience or at least have a 1 in a million chance to own a free car… … and so are the chances of the mall developing itself into a world class brand
Hey folks. So, I took up photography a year and a half back… Sorry. Bought a DSLR a year and a half back, thanks to recommendations from a host of friends. Must say, it’s been an enlightening journey thus far, and I can today truly be termed as a serious amateur photographer. Umm. yea. No more.
As an amateur with no formal training I have relied as most would on luck and plain instinct. Have seen and read tutorials more than I have practiced the skill, I have always found it difficult to use functions instinctly what I would have read. It is usually a hindsight realisation of what I should have done and therefore, more often than not find myself waiting for a déjà vu moment to perfect my imperfect capture the next time. Luckily I have gotten better with time. Enough to break a few myths and share what would be the 5 most important points for those digital camera users who are planning to take the wonderful leap to an entry level DSLR.
1.Lenses are more important than the DSLR itself
Only a matter of time before we go from your kit lens to a host of lenses.. choose wisely. Do not spend too much time on looking for a DSLR. Spend more time trying to figure what you enjoy shooting and therefore the lenses you will use. Lenses play a far greater role in getting a great pic than your DSLR itself.
2. Party room, landscape, buildings , portraits : Different Lenses
Every different shot will need a different lens. You may need a walk around lens for general use. But, if you want a buying your DSLR to capture pics like in the travel brochure, the answer is different lenses. I have a lot of friends who shift to a DSLR and try their first shots at home in the evening with their family. Their first shots are as hazy with their kit lens as their digi cams and they wonder why their hand shakes so much. Probably the getting used to or the fact that the DSLR is too sensitive. Rubbish. It’s the lens. Shots
Lenses will make all the difference
taken in homes and parties which have dim lighting require a lens with a high aperture value, so that your shutter speed is still high and your photo is crystal clear … Did I just speak Greek ? This brings me to my next point – Learning a new language.
3. Learning starts… again 🙁
Photography speak in the beginning can be quite intimidating. Almost like a new language. However, look around enough and you will realize that help is at an arms length. From free ebooks, to free videos and hacked tutorials to actual classes and workshops. You can take whatever route you want, but basic techniques of exposure involving shutter, aperture and ISO are a must. There is no going to level next and figuring out yourself is going to take a lot of time and tons of missed opportunities. Investment of time In training will be crucial.
4. Oh, and there is the investment of course
Time will not be the only investment you make. Serious photography means you will be buying a heck of a lot of things as your progress. Lenses are expensive, and as the lenses get bulkier and heavier, you will need better tripods , and gimbal heads and sandbags and monopods and camera bags and… Well the list goes on and on. If the idea of buying a DSLR camera was to take it on holidays, there will come a time when you will postpone a holiday because you need to invest in a lens that will help you take relevant pictures in that holiday. Yea. true. Also, a word of advice. DO NOT SHY away from second hand lenses. The world is full of photographers like yourselves and me who keep on moving to level next. Almost every photographer keeps his equipment as spic and span as a Parsi who looks after his car. So, go ahead and pick up second hand lenses without fear… But after duly checking it of course.
5. A weighty issue indeed
My final tip. Get used to carrying a big brick on your back. As you gradually move from being an enthusiastto a amateur and then a professional, you will need to carry your bag around all the time. The thought of going from using a digital camera that fits into your pocket before taking off on a holiday to having a separate 5 kg bag is unnerving to most. But, one needs to get over the fact quickly. Soon, you will be traversing miles with that load on your back… Trust me, it will only get heavier with time but you will never regret a single moment.
So there it is folks, 5 checks before you take the leap to a DSLR. The golden rule of photography: If you are shifting to a DSLR because you are going for a holiday – Don’t. If your doing it for the sheer love of photography – hit the websites now for research.
MSD does the impossible once again as he takes 16 runs off a single over in a low scoring game to beat SL in the final of the tri series championship in WI.
One finds inspiration in many places. One finds inspiration at any age too.
Squirrels playing, a family of parakeets whizz past, the Koels nibble on fruits, magpie robins keep themselves busy all day… just how far does the average suburban Mumbaikar need to travel to see this. A few kms at least I would think. I get to see this from my house. No kidding straight out of the window! Welcome to Hiranandani, Powai folks. Sadly, this is also thethe last year when i can continue to pursue the incredible past time of what I term as arm chair birding.
Early morning cycling is great fun. While it burns the kilos ( at least I hope it does), it also gives me the chance to scream my guts out at errant drivers, BPO cars, pedestrians, transport vehicles, autowallahs and motorcycle riders. No one is spared as I take on the role of the holier than thou vigilante spewing venom on every mistake I see people make.
4 am starts. 5 am line up. 6 am checkin to office. 10 am checkout. 2 pm line up again. 7 hr drives on rocky roads. Imagine a life where every strategy starts with Telia and ends with well Paazahar. What’s that you say ?
For most safari and wildlife tourists or enthusiasts the few days they spend in the jungle are a bliss. 4 am mornings are supposed to refresh you. The sight of dawn in the jungle just revs up your brain with a plethora of ideas. Sightings of the Tiger and Birds of prey literally send a thousand tingling sensations to your brain. Like a recent ad goes: ALIVE IS AWESOME. Indeed.
So , how do 2 companies that shaped an entire industry manage to go kaput in 2 years. Clearly Nokia and Blackberry rode the wave and fell hard. But just as you thought they had it in them to face the best in the world and resurrect from the brink, they unleash unpardonable ads. Ones that do no justice to their brands, their partner’s brands or just the wonderful products that they have just introduced. Begs the question – What are their marketers thinking ?
