Lufthansa A380: The Bigger Perspective

"Those vigilant eyes that mumble….
The quixotic onus that twinges…
The bruise of intersecting dreams…
The choked face of fate…
Too many dreams…
And the dearth of elbow room…
Your ‘wish’ becomes a delusion…
And wings deformed before you fly…
Still they ‘dare to dream’…
And sing along in carousal….

Up above the world so high, 

Like a diamond in the sky…..."

Since sky is the limit, perhaps we are on the right track here…we are on the verge of creating history in the field of Indian Aviation. Before I proceed, let’s take a look at one of the analytics drawn from one of my good old studies on “The Indian Conveyance and the Preference Factors” as a part of a management curriculum. The rationale behind this study was primarily to assess the change in preferred modes of transport and communication over the years, & the result of one of the survey’s (as conducted in 2013) has been furnished below. The 3 main parameters of analysis primary revolves around the 3 C's of the travel-framework- Cost, Comfort and Congeniality; it goes without saying that the contest prompt has given me the leverage to variegate & add a new twist to my groundwork. The interesting aspect is, I got a chance to revisit my unfinished study & this time the reach was better owing to the bliss of sophisticated social networking websites, the results might be deemed to be fairly accurate. The 3 C's are :-

Survey Analytics: The basic framework of the study that is based upon 3 essential components:
Cost, Comfort and Congeniality / Analytics Copyright: Sammya Brata

The survey that was floated around 7-8 days managed to attract responses from over 200 people coming from different socio-economic strata and as a result the divergence, to some extent has been catered to. I did try to keep the questions simple with a limited number of answer options so that a pin pointed response could be tracked down. The survey results say the number of passengers travelling via air is increasing exponentially with every passing year; with an average of 10 million people across the globe flying daily, you can well imagine the enhanced level of popularity of this ‘advanced’ mode of transport. However, as per CAPA’s (Centre for Aviation) stats, India’s domestic air passenger growth has slowed to 8% in Dec-2011 to less than half the pace of growth experienced in calendar 2011 and down from the 17-22% growth rates seen between Jun-2011 and Oct-2011. According to their research, India’s domestic passenger numbers increased 16.6% to 60.7 million passengers in 2011, averaging out at 5.1 million passengers per month, and up 74% from 2006 levels. Yes, there have conceptualization of schooled principles ranging from using data inputs in form of passenger arrivals, baggage volumes, immigration/customs risks per flight to form decision oriented business cases for efficient flight management, making worthy use of simulations to regulate aviation resources, staff augmentation to leveraging technology for the benefit of the passengers…we taken it to the next level nevertheless. However, the ticket prices have risen by a substantial 12% in the last 5 years…the obvious question here is whether the passengers find it “worthy” enough to travel via air, or is it more of an exigency in terms of saving ‘valuable time’. Believe it or not, even my dad expresses his displeasure when it comes to the price-vis-à-vis-assuagement assessment when it comes to domestic air travel. “Things have changed”- He says…”And I’m not liking it….paying INR 8K for a one way travel with almost zero entertainment, average quality of the exorbitantly priced sandwiches and absolutely crammed passage? Where is the balance?” – He resented. Well, I have similar opinions from my team-mates as well. Seems like there’s a piddling quandary in here, and that, my friend prompted me to float this survey. Infact, I randomly interviewed my co-passengers during my last business trip to Delhi last week. Let’s see what the Indians have to say…

Survey Analytics: An excerpt from one of my old studies on the various preferred modes of transport, 
the respondents being Indian passengers / Analytics Copyright: Sammya Brata

Survey Analytics: An excerpt from one of my recent surveys on the 3 favorite picks on-air services,
the respondents being Indian passengers / Analytics Copyright: Sammya Brata

Survey Analytics: A comparison between domestic and international flight services, 
the respondents being Indian passengers / Analytics Copyright: Sammya Brata

Well, well…as expected there have been some staggering revelations through the comparative analysis as stated above. The point is, when we drill down…we do observe that the ‘infrastructure’ and the quality on-air services are of prime importance when we calculate the ‘overall satisfaction quotient”. And it is interesting to note that people, on an average are ready to pay more when it comes to availing services ameliorated services in any form. I remember one discrete incident when a person stationed at the window seat of a domestic airline, threw up on the seat itself just because the leg-space was too small for him to quickly move out and head over to the washroom; that, my friend, could be pretty annoying for the co-passengers. In-fact, the regular ordeal in terms of lack of ‘stuffing’ space for hand-baggage’s doesn't leave a good note either. The “concern” con-volutes in-case of the senior citizens and the infants; peace and comfort are perhaps their only prayer. Why not? These are the same people who struggle hard to catch the last over-crowded bus / metro on the way to school or office; they are crammed for standing space…literally sandwiched in the mobbed freight-age. Yes, we are desperately in need of ‘breathing space’. By the way, I have often seen the air-hostesses facing considerable quagmires in their quest for walking space during the “Swadisht Jalpan Sewa” phase; deplorable is the word. I had read somewhere that the legendary Salil Chowdhury had written the iconic song “আমি ঝড়ের কাছে রেখে গেলাম আমার ঠিকানা” (I leave my address to the incoming storm) while sitting in an aeroplane….perhaps that sense of ‘re-assurance’ and contentment can bring out such glorious specimens of creativity.

Coming back to the abstraction, the major highlight of the survey outcome shows that in their subconscious mind, the Indian migrants have an underlying ‘trust-factor’ in favor of the International air-carriers; yes.. some of them through personal experience, some through word-of-mouth and some through the ‘general perception’. Either way, the implication is ‘collateral’… they prefer “world-class-amenities” at an affordable price that includes luxury, comfort, gratification and of course ‘warmth’...

Survey Analytics: Outcome of an independent survey done by a professional agency on the on-board activities

Voila!! Seems like the good people of Lufthansa have been paying utmost attention to all these qualms for a long, long time. In-fact, they had chalked out the mitigation plan keeping the pre-defined 3 C’s in their mind. No points for guessing, the headlines that read “Lufthansa will fly Airbus A380 aircraft on Frankfurt-Delhi route from November 8 2014. Lufthansa is the third airline to fly A380 planes to India after Singapore Airlines and Emirates, which ply the super jumbo aircraft to Mumbai” marks the red-letter day in the history of Indian aviation. And why not? The world’s largest commercial passenger jet, with a seating capacity of 525 passengers (with a maximum of 853) in a typical three-class cabin layout, that gives top-most priority to the passengers’ comfort and receptiveness is indeed a classic addition. Let's take a look at what's 'cooking' inside...this should be a thrilling ride....

The Esteemed Lufthansa A380: 'Innovation and sophistication personified'
Collage: Self Created / Picture Courtesy: Image 1- Image 5

The introduction is the perfect follow up, post the Singapore Airlines admittance; the first carrier to operate A380 to India with the launch of a flight service to Delhi and Mumbai on May 30 earlier this year..Lufthansa’s intervention is another feather to the cap.  Equipped with the suave GP7200, RR Trent 900 engines, with a thrust range of 70 000 lb slst…this high flier brings in a bunch of commercial advantages. The overall length of 240 ft coupled with geometric wing span of approximately 262 ft is tailor-made for frugality & appeasement. The cockpit is equipped with the latest advancements in the field of technology, including larger interactive displays, advanced flight management system & augmented navigation modes. The optimized landing functionality is a boon; soothes those nerves to some extent, it's in effect a "safer" option anyday. "With a new wing design & composite materials accounting for 25 per cent of its structural weight, A380 is a much more efficient aircraft all around."-say the experts, it's a very exciting prospect. And guess what, writing this post has tickled the engineer in me; folks...why wait, let’s explore it's anatomy!

The schematic diagram of A380: The Greener, cleaner, quieter and smarter aircraft...
Courtesy: Airbus

And talking from the boarders’ point of view, let’s look into the four-point-success-factors of the ‘humane’ Lufthansa A380.

• Creating Wider Smiles - Seating comfort, enhanced baggage space, hospitality  speaks volumes...
• Manifesting enhanced In-Flight Creativity - Unleash the creative spur in you, In Flight Blogging maybe?
• Leveraging In-Flight Connectivity - Get connected on the move....
• Improving Post-Flight Experience, the Aftermath - Have a nice, productive day, folks!

In Flight Tit-Bits: Exploring the Hand Luggage Allowances in Lufthansa, the well defined categorization...

And of course, last but not the least...it sets up a glowing example for the existing high-fliers, it's a process of mutual knowledge-sharing, implementation, development and up-gradation as a whole. The inclusion of a world class airline, equipped with the best of technology, human resources, services and chivalry, into the scheme of things can have a positive direct impact in many aspects- the passengers would reap rich benefits out of the competitive outcome. The rising concerns with passenger safety after the M370 disaster could be curbed to some extent as well. Furthermore, it opens up the gateway of business transactions, tourism, trade and commerce with the foreign counterparts...I can forecast an appreciable rise in the number of tourists visiting India in the next few years as a result of this move. It's an absolute gift for the travel bloggers like us; we keep hunting for the best air-way deals & packages for overseas travel without much luck...see here's a delightful reprise. In short, the it's a glorious revival to say the least. Wait, let me ask you again...do we see a new horizon out there? Yes that is indeed, the "Bigger Perspective" that goes hand in hand with the 3C's (defined right at the onset) alright but please "Do not forget to fasten your seat-belts before the take off" ;)

The Four Point Success Factors of the Lufthansa A380 Air-craft from the passenger point of view..

Slide Copyright: Sammya Brata

Disclaimer: This post has been written as a part of "Lufthansa A380 – The dawn of a new era" #LufthansaA380 activity in association with Indiblogger. Feel free to visit Lufthansa's official website for additional information. Cheers!! 
Copyright: The stats and analytics represented with the images represent my original work and derivations (using various analytics tools). They should not be copied or reproduced in any form what-so-ever without my permission / approval.

Post by Lufthansa India.

The Curious Cilium ~An Autobiograpy

"FREAK!! This is such a cruel world.

Yes, you cannot change the way people think...but buoy…you can certainly make an attempt to change their perspective. Oh Wait! Are we even allowed to make a wish? Do we have that avowal before you people decide to eradicate us to the ‘core’? It’s as if we are not entitled to see the sunshine for long enough, to bathe in its freshness….to ‘grow up’ like every infant does. It’s so embarrassing you know, in spite of being a constitutional component of your guise, we almost have to stay in disguise.

“What is the average life-span of a Mayfly?”- My neighbor had asked me some time back.

“U...mm….should not be much….”- I stumbled through the mental-maths exercise.

“Maximum 24 hours, that’s exactly the one that was resting on us last night. It’s dead”- He elucidated.

“Shocking!! I mean, yes I was damn scared to start off with but it gradually settled it…not before Sammy decided to blow it off…..but….that is so unfortunate…” - I was pretty disturbed at this news.

“DUDE!! It’s worse in our case….”- He seemed annoyed…”Sammy has a party to attend tonight, you know what that means??” - Well, not really!!

“Oh brilliant…I’m SO looking forward to it. I love those lovely ladies rolling their cheeks all along our so called anatomy, almost as smooth as velvet….”- It was trepidation nevertheless, all about ‘hormones’ you know. Awww..the cosy 'cuddle' is tranquilizing.

“FREAK!! Stop this bullshit, we won’t live to see the day…err, the night…”- He screeched. Damn it, he had a point.

“But he had shaved yesterday, no? We are just, I mean…just about 18 hours old”- That was quickly escalated. From experience, we could perhaps conclude that our life-span ranges from 2-3 days, of course it’s reincarnation beyond that. But then, this, my friend, is so unfair.

Things were much better in the early 18^th and 19^th century you know, we enjoyed the ‘status’ of an elite group back then…historically we were regarded as the colophon of intellectual and scholarly excellence. Eminent personnel like Tagore, Shakespeare, Morse, Rossetti, Whitman, Bryant ‘endorsed’ us back then and we didn’t let them down either. They look stunning in those ancient portraits, courtesy our pulchritude…*collars up*. Things have exacerbated with the progress of time and ‘distortion’ in the sense of fashion & vogue. People have decided to look ‘speckless’ on the outer half while their tainted self is hidden inside. We have been almost shoved (and shaved) off into the darkest corner, those stern regulations scripted on every corporate rule-book have castigated against our dynasty. And those who have decided to rage a rebellion against the convention, have suffered miserably. I remember Sammy being thrown out of a technical presentation just because he had that ugly looking stubble…Gah, that’s ‘their’ version….I can never even dream about calling my brothers ugly. Yes my friend, Sammy is excused, that slap would have been really really painful! I've seen him trying so many different styles, it's an art I believe..honestly speaking, honored to be a part of it.

Courtesy

But having said that the fear of death is agonizing…the very thought of a jagged razor wiping off your mere existence is absolutely jittery, it’s a tame necrosis, it’s a silent bereavement…as if an epidemic has raged through the ‘metropolis’, slaughtering those poor, harmless infants. Oh! It’s a scary cognition nevertheless…I wish that I could inflame the Asoka in them, the motility could perhaps bring back those golden times. There are those odd Samaritans like Hashim Amla who have made a sincere attempt to rescue us from the face of extinction….but then these annotators have somehow cloaked it with the blanket of racism; there’s absolutely no connection what-so-ever. To hell with technology, they could perhaps develop a customizable hiding capsule for our fast depleting dynasty, so that we could get ‘under cover’ at the prospect of a ruthless razor treatment. In-fact, it hurts even more because most you don’t even know the art of ‘upward strokes’, it’s excruciatingly painful with a relatively blunt-edged razor…the cuts are distressing.

Now look, the point I’m trying to make here is pretty clear…we are a bunch of indomitable troopers, you might wipe off our entire clan…but remember, there’s a fresh lot wait right behind. You simply can’t throw us off the contention…we are unassailable in true sense of term, the reinforcements are pretty much ready. And of course, technology has given you the leverage of triple blade razors that aims at annihilating us to the core….ha-ha, dude…gimme a break, those roots go deeper than you could possibly imagine.

“Mate, looks like Sammy’s punk make-over didn’t send in positive vibes eh skipper?”- Yes he has a history of rejection behind his name, Sammy.

“Mate, without us…perhaps the legends Dave Grohl or DeLonge wouldn't have been legends at all…and you know what, it’s absolutely impossible make these ladies understand, leave it”- My first-hand experience spoke for itself, the tight swat that followed a rather galling kiss broke my trance….it was extremely rude of her to say that my presence had a repelling effect on their nascent relationship; give me a break man!!! The point is, you cannot compare a piece of ‘spirited cilium’ with a rather dumb cactus, and yes…you are welcome.

“Skipper…seems like this chap has got a new shaving gel as well. He’s going to sedate us prior to the cold blood murder, what do we do??!”- My neighbor looked rather concerned as the gory moment arrived.

“Tighten your grips ladies and gentlemen, we are not gonna give up without a fight. The gel shouldn't soften up your roots, steady folks…”- The sudden rush of adrenalin (or whatever) it is…I squealed vehemently.

“Aye! Aye Sir….”- Their voices echoed through the ‘woods’, it was a gallant stampede alright.

We held our arms tightly and ‘fastened our root belts’ securely, it sure promised to be a thrilling ride, we’ll fight till our last breath…we’ll show resistance to the mindless convention.

“Calamity is here….”- The wise old cilium broadcast-ed…."

Disclaimer: 'This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette'. I would like to tag 2 of my fellow bloggers Depanjan and Biswa in this post and request them to express their views on this interesting topic in form of a blog-post. This post is a response to Depanjan's tag in his blog post: "Job, without the beard".

'The Bear Hug'

Well, you I believe you when you say that you are a brave-heart…you can handle failures, bankruptcy, inadequacy, escalations or rejections…but being ‘shunned’ by an infant is perhaps the worst thing that can ever happen to you. It goes without saying that I can hit a hundred likes or get a million re-tweets on a status update or a tweet that reads… “Happiness is in a child’s hug” and when I say that, I totally mean that you have wasted your life you haven’t managed to make a child smile. There’s a heavenly feeling in ‘snuggling’ a little, adorable toddler….those little fingers touching your cheeks, playing with your hair, it’s so comforting..! 

Gosh!! Do I sound perplexing when I say that I haven’t really done it right? Every morning I wave that this little kid, next-door…. peeping out into the balcony, he doesn't seem to be interested. In-fact, the harder I try, the causatum turns out to be rather unfavorable. But believe me that is absolutely not the case with every odd visitor. It seems like he seems a devil in me…a devil that might just absorb him in a wink. He hides his face the moment he hears my footsteps in the back-yard. It’s a sinking feeling you know, I have always been very popular with my batch-mates, especially with the opposite sex because of my inherent fun-loving, chirpy nature…I could easily mingle with anyone, irrespective of their age group. In-fact that is precisely the reason why I am sent across to address to those business development opportunities; it’s because of my convivial comportment…and here, impressing a little kid seemed to be an extended arm of Mission Impossible.

“It’s your horrid stubble…”- Mom explained. It was as if sensed my mind…”Kids hate that annoying, brambly feeling you know…they love it as long as it’s smooth, gooey…. and soft”, she explicated.

“But Mom….”- I tried to deliberate…I was almost flabbergasted.

“How do I know?”- She smiled…”Because you grew up right in front of my eyes….and you hated your dad’s chin curtain like anything.” – The smile had transformed into a grin by now! It could pretty much sense it now.... it's a case of 'bourgeois hatred' ;)

Disclaimer: 'This is my third post a part of #WillYouShave activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette'. I would like to tag 2 of my fellow bloggers Depanjan & Biswa in this post requesting them to express their views on this interesting topic in form of a blog-post.This post is a response to Biswa's tag in his post: "The Smooth Dinner". The images are self-clicked and should not be used / reproduced in any form without my permission. Cheers!!

Silence ~ A Passive Approval...

Well, NO! I'm not writing this post as a 'causatum' of watching the movie 'Ungli' last night, but believe me, my 4 years of association with the Government sector has been quite an epiphany. The following post is a direct lift from my diary and this dates back to 2011, that almost points to the 'salad days' of my career as a Consultant working towards e-Governance...that is effectively simplifying the existing cumbersome statutory as well as regulatory compliance procedures for the citizens, thereby reducing the process time and enhancing the accuracy. Yes, our task is to build a new India that thrives on e-mindedness...the path hasn't been smooth though, we have been facing setbacks at every step...right from sensitizing the stakeholders at the grass-root level to obtaining approvals of the age-old re-engineered Government processes from the highest levels. But as they say- "There are hurdles, there are handicaps, hardships you have to face in life, but you hope for a great future", we haven't really stopped in course. And the reason why I wrote this post is abstruse...one, I discovered a new vigor in me as an outcome and two, I broke the convention of maintaining a 'customary' reticence in-front of your client...yes, it was a true manifestation of the ingrained insurgence in me. Yes, we do know that offering speed money for obtaining an approval or a clearance in the Government sector has almost been a customary practice and we were, in effect, trying to eradicate the same in our own laconic way; those resistances are bound to show up.  I have tried to keep the language and framing of the post intact to bring out the surge of emotions that I was undergoing while writing the post...it's straight from the heart.

Place: Ranchi, Jharkhand

Date: October 23, 2011

Time: 23:11

"It is rightly said that every-day in itself is a lesson.

You can read all those quotes, thrive on all those principles, bring in all the 'forced wisdom' together; but your real self manifests itself when you face the world, when you experience life in its full-throttle.

Quite a dramatic beginning: Right? Let me head over to point in a jiffy. It’s been over a year since I have been working as a Consultant and believe me it’s been eventful. The exposure, the kind of assignments, the challenges incorporated in them have proved to be the stepping stone into this world which deals with creating and lending trust. I have been travelling across the country since last year and this journey has been no less than memorable.

I would like to portray one specific incident out here which might appear to be insignificant to many, but it showed me the way to apply myself and handle critical situations rather than succumbing to it. And it happened today.

I was heading for an important client meeting with the IT Secretary of the state and it goes without saying that it was a very critical one. The transport strike didn’t help either. And to complicate my woes, the wardens at the “Bhavan” won’t let me enter without the official pass. In spite of repeated request, they refused to comply. I was literally in tears when one of them slowly walked up towards me. I prayed for a miracle.... but the sequence of events that followed, left me dumb-struck.

In utter desperation, I was just about to call my partner back in Delhi to inform him about the proceedings when I felt a gentle tap on my back. I had just turned around in reaction when I heard those lines; believe me, they are still re-sounding in my ears, even when I am writing this.

“Saheb, yeah Mobile kitne ki hogi?”- his greedy eyes were shining brightly as they were fixed on my brand new Nokia X7.

“Eh...Why?”- I was completely taken aback by his facial expression, it was dripping in red.

“Saheb...itni baadi project lagne waali hain...aur aaap hain ke ek mobile ke upar aatkein hain”- there was a sudden sense of anticipation in his voice.

“How the hell did he know this?”- I murmured; he was not supposed to know anything about this project, under any freaking circumstances. Honestly, I was still recovering from the initial shock, and this was even bigger.

“Saheb....sab khabar rehta hain hume....dimag pe zoor maat daaliye”- as if he read my mind.

“Ek mobile ki to baat hain...mobiles ke kaam hain pockets mein rehna...chahe wo KIS KI bhi pocket ho”- Those were hard hitting words...delivered almost effortlessly. No fear, no hesitation, WHAT SO EVER.

I was almost half an hour late in the process and still he wasn't ready to let me in. I closed my eyes to imagine the exigency of the situation, my boss' raring expectation, my company 's reputation at stake and last but not the least, my own reputation. If I return without any fruitful dividends, even my position in the company would be under scrutinization. It could dent into our client-relationships as well, and that could be disastrous. What about my family, who looked up to me... their hope? their resort?!

“Wait! Am I entertaining the thoughts of breaking those barriers of ethics just to fulfill my personal goals and ambition?” - A voice in me suddenly screamed.

“To hell with those materialistic goals.”- And I retorted...I was pretty much on my way.

“No, I won’t do it”- asserted my conscience.

“Wait for a moment”- There was a sudden spark in me....I asserted as I rapidly ambulated towards the main entrants. The couple of other guards tried to stop me but I forcefully entered into the premises and headed straight towards the secretary’s chamber.

Bang..the door flew open...!

“Sir, sorry for being late, I had to deal without your guards before entering. By the way, I guess you should plan for a customary hike for these poor gentlemen...you know, just to make OUR lives easy"....I rushed through my words. He could sense my aspersion, my cynicism.

He was absolutely dead- silent!"

- Well, I'm not trying to conclusive in the remotest way through the above mentioned account, but believe me...it stings. When you are trying to 'make things happen', these encumbrances come along as a braking force and people yield under the impact. That is where I could relate to the latest #AbMontuBolega campaign launched by Strepsils. Yes, all of us have faced the atrocities of social, economic or political filth that have impended our lives in some way or the other...ask yourself..how many of you have volunteered on your own and defied the 'obvious infringement"? I would perhaps like to bring in the reference of the #hokkolorob movement raged by the student of Jadavpur University against the unpardonable barbarity wreaked by the University superiors and the Kolkata Police, they were the ones to raise their voice against the 'masked criminals'. Salute to them for their indomitable spirit. Infact, I'd also like to draw light towards a recent incident that raged across the social media like a wild-fire; a young photo-blogger stood up in protest against the Government of West Bengal in accordance to the principle of IPR (Intellectual Property Rights)...the case of a shameful photo-plagiarism incident that took place a couple of months ago. His persistent protest posts and messages yielded rich dividends in the end.... and forced the officials to accept their mistake. Thus, the #AbMontuBolega campaign is more than just a drive...it's almost like a crusade against the prevailing malfeasance in any form; it inspires us to rise up in remonstrance and perhaps decontaminate the stinking physiognomy of our society. "Your voice is your idiosyncratic virtue...make your presence felt my friend, your silence is your passive approval"- This is indeed their punchline. Find out more about the campaign here. And talking about filth, perhaps we can stitch a better future for these kids through out strong & dignified voice. Actions should speak louder than words...an online stampede to start off with maybe?

Speak Up: Let's 'raise our voice' and 'clean' up the impurities at least for their sake....

Speak Up: That's the new enlightening campaign by Strepsils..their well designed creative...

Disclaimer: This post has been written as a part of the #AbMontuBolega campaign brought to you by Strepsils & Indiblogger. You can connect to Strepsils on Facebook & Twitter and explore more about this campaign & their products.

I wish I could Photoshop your Ethos...

The point is…bunk it! There’s no point in discussing at all. I’m more than annoyed right now; the impact of the sequence of tribulations has been unendurable.

I don’t know how am I going to face her after this debacle; she was the one who fought with her boss and arranged for this shoot…it is more than sinking feeling, you know! After all, this shoot was supposed to be my last big break…yes, you read it right… the past tense. I had the impression that the ‘models’ appearing for a paid portfolio shoot had the leverage of choosing their outfit or for that matter, the ‘way’ they wanted to look in the frame. I had even bought a brand new Blackberry’s waistcoat for this very ‘opening’….wasn't meant to be. The point is, why do I even make an attempt to comply? I have been a fashion photographer myself in the early days of my career; I absolutely know the drill with male models…some of them prefer it clean while the others find solace in the rugged actualization. It’s their freaking choice at the end of the day! You cannot just command somebody to leave the ‘ramp’ without citing admissible reasons. Seems like the entire world is conspiring against us, the esteemed 'whiskered' ones. Sigh !!

Courtesy

And if you are trying to tell me that you should always pose for the camera in a portfolio shoot, I bet that’s NOT going to work…it has to be something that’s very natural, something that is beautiful in his/her characteristic & spontaneous way. Just imagine how it felt when I overheard his assistant humming away with such invidious statements like- “Boss, leave it man…don’t argue with a fool, will Photoshop it.” I mean seriously? As far as I’m concerned, using a sophisticated photo-editing software to tamper with somebody’s facial manifestation on one hand and denting into somebody’s psyche on the other are almost apposite. If the photographer has a personal problem with a ‘stub-bled look’, he should have clearly specified the same on email…I wouldn't have come for the shoot at all. Just because I left my corporate job to pursue modelling doesn't mean that I’m ‘charitable’ by any stretch of imagination; look at Abhishek Bachchan, Emraan Hashmi or Virat Kohli for that matter…do they look ugly or stinky in any way? Or is it all about your grisly perception? I’m being rejected right away just because I have that goatee or the ‘so called’ stubble? Am I not even eligible to be clicked for a change? My word...it's a terrible, terrible feeling!!

I think I did the right job by splashing that glass-full of Mountain Dew on his ‘cleanly shaved’ face, it’s symbolic in many ways you see; well the prospect of facing my girl-friend after this melodrama does scare me off…but I’m happy that made my presence felt. Yes, you can ‘morph’ somebody appearance…you cannot distort his ‘individuality’. I think I’ll go back to candid photography after this misadventure, perhaps I could make amends.

Disclaimer: 'This is my second post a part of #WillYouShave activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette'. I would like to tag 2 of my fellow bloggers Depanjan & Biswa in this post requesting them to express their views on this interesting topic in form of a blog-post.This post is a response to Biswa's tag in his post: "A villain who wanted to be a hero".

The ASUS Evolution....

The Million Dollar Question in everybody's minds: How has the Zenfone leaped a 100 years in technological innovation?

Asus is making certain innovations, in the field of electronic gadgets. Even though the options are many, but nothing can work better than Asus’ Zenfone.  Noted primarily for its sleek design and good technical advancements, you can avail three major series of Zenfone; 4, 5 and 6 inches screen. To top it all, these phones are available in four fascinating colours, to match the growing demands and flexible mind-sets, of the users.

Performance is always the first-hand priority of Zenfone, be it under any series. Whenever you are talking about this phone, you are likely to get the most advanced features, when compared with other competitive products. Known for its Intel multi-core processor, now surfing the net is just a piece of cake, with this powerful product. Lightning browser speed- that's the highlight!

Now, you might be thinking that with so many branded names, why will you even think of Asus Zenfone? Well, the answer is quite simple. This phone comprises of special Truvivid technology, which can enhance the present level of this Smartphone. The anti-fingerprint coating is something, which you can avail in no other device.  Wear your favorite gloves, and the result is just the same. Unbelievable! It's amazing how technology has evolved over the last couple of decades and this, my friend, is a glorious aftermath. I have been working in close proximity of a number of gizmo geeks, and they have rated ASUS pretty highly. You can guess why!! Blessed with the sophisticated Intel® Atom™ 2520 processor, the ASUS Zenfone series is a gadget-hunter's treasured possession. 

Thus, it is time to buy the best series of Zenfone, from flipkart.com, for availing the latest discounts. In order to avail detailed information, on this same product, you better consult Zenfone video, available on YouTube. Here's one of them..get rolling folks!

Bring Back The Good Times....

"You know what, I am not missing you at all” – She squelched.

“Err! WHAT!!”- I typed rapidly, this was perhaps as detestable a reply as hell. It was appalling to say the least. Did I read it right? Was it a typo error?

“You read it right….there’s something missing”- She retorted the speed of light…seemed like she was almost ready with the answer. She is kidding right? It is not even close to April, these inauspicious pranks could have been done away with. It’s just been a week since I left India and look at the aftermath. I did expect a better Halloween surprise than this one for sure.

“Preita, are you drunk? What do you…..” – I was cut short since her reply arrived spontaneously.

“Sam, do you remember our first date? Just after you proposed to me on the internet? We have been chatting for months prior to that….You were a different person back then…”- Those cutting words flashed on my mobile chat window, those hard hitting wrangles. These words came out of nowhere, everything was fine till I boarded the flight, and at least it apparently seemed so…and now, when I’m away, look at the revulsion; you cannot say no to your boss every time…and the onsite opportunities do not come in every-day. People should understand the corporate responsibilities as well.

“It’s not about doing your responsibility Sam, there’s something more to it, we are missing something…something, that’s very much inbred, something very congenital” – Oh my, she was almost reading my mind…but the point is, what did I do wrong? Honestly speaking, I have been so engrossed with chasing targets, even surpassing the client expectation in the last couple of years…I guess, I have ignored some vitally important aspects of a relationship. But WHERE exactly did I go wrong? Don’t tell me that it has been a one way traffic, I miss her each and every day in this alien city…it’s a lamentable feeling, you know!!

“Remember the day when we kissed each other for the first time? Remember the day when you hugged me in a public metro? And our college days…when you lifted me up in your arms in the Machines library? I felt like a princess back then…you were my hero…!! Why did you change Sam?”- For the first time in the entire conversation, she sounded lugubrious. The melancholy quiddity was reflecting through those altercations. Now I know.

“You know Sam, I always craved for this…I know that you care for me, you feel for me...but do you know what happiness means to me? I have never told you this…but I have been suffering from depression since the last couple of years, do you know why? You’ll never know. You have created an impermeable barrier, Sam…these serial headaches have started killing me from inside…you hardly TOUCH me these days, Sam…you hardly touch me.”- She spewed. Yes, I have been at fault…our happy times came to an uncanny halt right from the day we refused to ‘come close to each other’ in true sense of the term. We used to take Salsa classed together to start off with; we haven’t even danced with each other since the last couple of years. I had to do something about it, I had to do it fast…I had to break the touch barriers; But wait! How? I was miles away from her….almost like seven seas apart. When there's a will, there's a way...I murmured to myself, I have to make amends for my indiscretion, I have denied her what could have turned out to be some of the most 'treasured' moments of 'our' lives. How heartless, have I been.

“I remember Preita, we haven’t had a skype chat since I came here…let’s start afresh tonight”- I typed as I entered office. 20 days to return to India, Preita….the countdown has begun already. We’ll turn it around this time. (The 'touching' TVC)

* This post has been written as a part of the Bring Back The Touch activity, in association with Indiblogger. It has been written for the #IndiHappyHours Segment. You can also tweet with the hashtag #BringBackTheTouch to express your views in this direction. You can visit the link : http://www.pblskin.com/ for more information.

Let's disinfect Bharat....

Let me be very honest with this one, I actually have no other choice really. I did mention in one of my previous blog-posts that I have been closely associated with the cluster development programme with the Government of West Bengal; let’s dig further. It goes without saying that in this tenure, I have seen it all. As per the Government of India guidelines, the Micro, small and medium scale cluster development programme is directed towards “overall development” of a cluster including their skill up gradation, motivation, branding, packaging, marketing of the products as well as diversifying their existing production; but let me tell you something…one major aspect that is perhaps masked in the bigger scheme of things is the “health-care factor”. The training programmes are called “soft intervention” but then, there’s nothing “soft” in terms of upgrading their general standard of living, and by their standard of living, I mean remodeling the growth and development of the future generation.

Alright, let me give you a 'glowing example' then.

Date: 15^th June 2014
Time: 3:02 PM
Venue: Sankrail, Howrah, West Bengal
Event: Soft Intervention training on product diversification.

Midway through the training, a middle aged gentleman stood up and raised his hand. When I asked him the reason for interrupting the training programme, he bluntly replied- “Sir, what’s the use of diversifying our products when our future generation won’t survive to use the imparted knowledge? Have you seen the quality of roads or the condition of sanitation in the Sankrail block?” I had to pause my demonstration, yes, I did read about the impecunious or rather the abysmal condition of Indian sanitation in the newspaper a couple of months back…almost 59.4 per cent of the residents in rural areas defecate in the open with Jharkhand and Odisha topping the charts with an alarming count of 90.5 per cent and 81.3 per cent respectively. Bengal’s numbers, with around 400 out of 1000 rural households having no latrine facility, are pretty concerning as well. What is even worse is that in a “progressive” state like Gujarat, nearly 40.4 per cent of the population defecates in the open, creating huge problems for health for the population. I could relate to the sinking feeling. “Sir, do you know that in the last couple of months, over 200 of the little kids, in the Sankrail region have been suffering from typhoid and cholera? Do you really feel that a cluster where women have to go out and hunt for suitable place to defecate, really needs help in terms of developing their business or finding new channels of business? The Government is spending crores of money in promoting ICT (Information and Communication Technology) and developing Common Facility Centers including common manufacturing cum display and selling hubs…what about the sanitation? What about the toilets and the drainage? What do we tell our kids when they grow up….what have we done for them?” Cutting words those were, it is indeed a breach of morality, a dent in the essence of loftiness….and I was literally speechless by then. The gentlemen had raised such a critical issue through this firm manifesto. I was appalled to know that India has the highest numbers of under-five deaths globally, and that is primarily attributable to the poor sanitation and hygiene. Yes, we are suffering…

But then we can do our bit isn’t it? We can in-fact raise petitions to amend the existing acts and rules that do not include the provision of rural sanitation, perhaps we can start off the MSME Policy itself. Even you can bring about a welcome change in the lives of millions of ‘untarnished’ kids by showing your heartfelt support for the all-new Domex Initiative, that too sitting at home. My heartfelt request to you is to spare a couple of precious seconds of your busy life, “click” on the “Contribute Tab” on the extreme left hand corner of the website: http://www.domex.in and that’s it. Domex will contribute Rs.5 (per click) on your behalf to eradicate open defecation, it is in effect, aimed at uplifting ‘rural India’ in true sense of the term and helping innocent kids like Babli to live a happy, healthy and dignified life. Hats off to Domex for launching such an altruistic initiative, much appreciated. The effort that they have undertaken and the progress (in implementing the same) so far, has been truly amazing. Let's disinfect..!

The Statistics Speak louder than words: Courtesy *

* This post is a part of the Domex Toilet for Babli Campaign in association with indiblogger as a part of the #IndiHappyHours segment.

Music Reloaded: Highlights from the NH7 Weekender Kolkata ♫♪♫

Highlights from the NH7 Weekender Kolkata Leg: Ganesh Talkies performing at the MTS pavilion...

Highlights from the NH7 Weekender Kolkata Leg: Ganesh Talkies performing at the MTS pavilion...

Highlights from the NH7 Weekender Kolkata Leg: Suyasha at her very best at the MTS pavilion \m/....

Highlights from the NH7 Weekender Kolkata Leg: At the Dewarists..Indian Ocean, their awesomeness.

Highlights from the NH7 Weekender Kolkata Leg: Soulmate performing brilliantly at the Dewarists...

Highlights from the NH7 Weekender Kolkata Leg: The 'vibrant' Calcutta Local on the #RedBullTourBus

Highlights from the NH7 Weekender Kolkata Leg: Ankur Tiwari and the Galat Family at the MTS...

Highlights from the NH7 Weekender Kolkata Leg: Amit Trivedi and melodious Crew at the Dewarists

Highlights from the NH7 Weekender Kolkata Leg: And they bled music at the NH7, gracious me...

Highlights from the NH7 Weekender Kolkata Leg: Soulmate again performing at the Dewarists \m/ ...

Highlights from the NH7 Weekender Kolkata Leg: Monica Dogra & her animated self at the Red Bull.

Highlights from the NH7 Weekender Kolkata Leg: Mr Woodnote and the Lil Rhys at the MTS Discover

Highlights from the NH7 Weekender Kolkata Leg: Awesomeness reloaded..Indian Ocean at Dewarists