Time of flux and frustration

Currently faced with the perennial question, after one has exhausted the opportunities in the current frame of reference, how do you move on to bigger and better things!!

This is certainly a happy time in life, where we are now expecting our first baby by the new year!

However, Iam also faced with a period of flux, where Iam consciously trying to move back to india and startup my career there on a strong footing! Iam Currently discussing a good set of leads, but none of them moving to a conclusion....all hanging in the air, for more than a month now!

This is a period in life where iam just generally feeling frustrated and impatient, looks like life is again teaching me a lesson in patience :-(

I am just hoping and praying for some positive news soon, so that we can enter the next phase of life for the three of us , where growth is balanced with happiness......the two things which invariably never go together :-)

Waiting, getting frustrated and hoping for a breakthrough soon!

More later......and good news I hope.

All over europe

Recently, I have had to do a bit of travel to Europe and much more to follow very soon.

A couple of quick trip to Milano...saw the duomo cathedral and a huge castle in the centre of town! The hotels so far have been quite bad..even the hilton was pathetic for the money paid.

The place is not too great in terms of food....I ate the same chicken sandwich 3 days in a row for dinner.....the pizza and pasta in italy was not upto my expectations!!...all in all Milan was boring.

Next up is paris, then off to Holland and belgium for a few days and then finally a possible trip to the UK.

I know that all this travel seems fancy and nice, but when you have to do this on work...believe me, its not pleasant!

I always wanted to see new places and experience newer cultures, but i think iam growing older and tired of all the experiences now!! I think i just want holidays now, not travel on work!!

Thats it form me now....see this space for much more exciting news very soon.

Cheers...

My first house!!

Well...I guess I am following the general trend! Like every other normal tamilian boy who is turning the bend of 30, I have now invested!!...This is quite a change for someone like me, who has never saved or invested in the past! Well, I guess this is a good start...

The funny part is, I have ever seen this house, nor did I visit India at any point during the course of the signing, this was completely remotely managed from here :-)

Cheers, thats it for now.

Busy Busy....

Well..the last six months have been one of the busiest times in life! Constant travel...to the extent that my wife sends me a message one late evening " When do you plan to visit my house " :-)

And if I thought it would be over now, fate has it that I already have a packed travel schedule well into the next 4 months at least!

Well...At least I am getting closer to my plan of travelling to as many places as I possibly can, when i can!

the IPL3 is here and that's the only solace nowadays, apart from an otherwise slightly boring personal life.... don't get me wrong, but we seem to have saturated practically everything there is to do in Dubai!

Guess have to get more creative here, to spice up the evenings a little more.

i am blogging after a long time, coz I have just not been inspired enough to do so. I have lost touch with a lot of my friends and family and Iam making too many new friends either.

I guess this is one of those phases in life!

Well, Thats it for now....more later, hopefully.

BTW... Iam off to Milano for a couple of days...hope i will get to go there for a full fledged holiday!

Ramadan Slowdown

Well...sigh! Yet another Ramadan season is upon us and what was already slow has now trickled down to a snails pace!

Well, I am trying to get away from this place...Me going back to India for a reasonably long break and I am really looking forward to it now. This will be my break after practically one whole year......

On the work front, i have now been promoted as a senior manager, with PnL responsibility for a significant market close by. well, it certainly is going to mean a heck of lot more travel and hopefully a lot more excitement in the coming days!

Next month we have also managed to organize a mini break to Kodaikanal...hopefully it will do my attitude and energy levels a world of good!

Another big reason for this trip is basically for a complete physical overhaul. Over the past year, I have truly suffered with Backaches ( which has later been diagnosed as a Disc prolapse), persistent Allergic cough and also one of blood tests suggests that I might be Anaemic!

Well...i hope to come back refreshed, renewed and with greater levels of vigor and excitement into my new role here.

Well that that's the update from me....More soon I hope.

cheers!

My trips to the Maghreb! Tres Bien!!

Well, I am finally back after a loong time. I just haven't been motivated enough to write anything on this blog till now.

Over the past couple of months, Life experiences have certainly been interesting and times of change. Finally, my family in Dubai is complete with the arrival of my wife for good. We moved into a new house, which has a full fledged club house with an awesome pool, steam n sauna...the works....

Now finally I feel a little settled in this country. Apart form this, work has been interesting to say the least. I have been travelling to Algeria ( not Nigeria !!) quite often recently, helping a client with their market entry strategy. It has most certainly been an eye opening experience. This whole region is Franco-Arabic and the language barrier is immense. Very few people speak English and I absolutely don't understand French or Arabic. Well I did overcome this handicap with the use of a a lot of sign language and contextual understanding. I think learning deal in such difficult environments enhances your ability in understanding situations, and also does help in removing the fear of the unknown!

From a marketing perspective, We Indians don't fully realize the potential Brand India has across the world. I was literally a superstar, just for being an Indian in Algeria!! Indian products and services are in great demand thee and we command huge respect form the locals...they seem consider us very smart, cultural etc.l and look up to India for some strange reason.

Anyways, I have one last trip left to the Maghreb and the Mediterranean beaches and then a trip is pending back to Spain for the final presentation.

Net-net, things are OK now, hope I can keep up the momentum.

ta ta till I visit the next exotic location :-)

A Wii bit of magic

Finally, something truly fresh and interesting to write about....with my own twist on a business concept I have been mulling over for a while now......

 I recently got my a Wii gaming console with a whole bunch of exciting games.....Now I have tried the PS2, PS3, PSP....the works...but nothing comes close to the interactive element this brings to the table. A brilliant idea which the converts the sedentary gamer into an energetic one....The concept being simple: What do people really want in this day of closed doors and self sufficiency? To be able to bring home everything they needed to leave home for.....Home Theatre systems are good examples of the same and so are treadmills at home.

Now, when you play a game of tennis or boxing in Wii, you can actually interact with another entity, either the machine or a competitor....

 Swing your arms, learn the visuo-spatial tricks and truly experience the outdoors...but indoors!

 My question from a marketing standpoint though…..is this the future of things to come? Will computers in the future be made like this? Will this be the equivalent of touch screens in mobile phones?

 Wait n watch I guess….One thing it has succeeded in is….bringing non-gamers into gaming….. and made it into a pastime…rather than a niche hobby for youngsters!

 I believe, gaming parlors based on the Wii have already opened up in different places…..just imagine the possibilities!! This will make the next wave in general entertainment, not just the movie theater or the amusement park. It’s the new virtual reality entertainment business coming your way very soon. Keep an eye out for it.

 I can’t wait for it to unfold.

 Ciao