Why Travel?

The thrill of exploring the unknown,
The adventure of going down a road that you dont know,
The mystery behind the tun that you are about to take,
The feeling when you meet new people and you try to come across as interesting,
The realization that you get once you know that you are yet another human being,

are simply too rewarding and too tempting to make you seek travel.

What is the big deal about the Dabbawala of Mumbai?

The big deal is that The Economist decided to cover a topic like ‘Dabbawala’ in it’s business section on July 12, 2008 issue. These guys go to the IIMs and ISB to give guest lectures on their style of "Management". It is a big deal that BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) produced a documentary on Dabbawalas and Prince Charles visited them in 2003, during his visit to India. The New York Times reported the growth rate of Dabbawalas in 2007 and Harvard Business School has produced a case study on the ‘Dabbawalas’. It is certainly a very big deal.

The system of Dabbawalas (delivery of lunch boxes) originated in Bombay around 1890s. Who actually started the service is debatable, but it was formally organized by Mahadeo Havaji Bacche, a migrant from rural areas of Maharashtra. The lunch delivery service was attractive because the distance between the residential areas and the business district in Bombay, made it difficult for the workers to go back home for lunch. Initially, some 100 unemployed Ghattis (men from the hills of Maharashtra) were contracted to deliver home food to a small group of office going people. Bacche tried to unionize this force in 1930 but failed. ‘Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Trust’ was registered in 1956 as a charitable trust. By 1968, the trust was converted to a commercial entity called “Mumbai Tiffin Box Carriers Association”.

The Dabbawala phenomena has prevailed over the last 100 years and more. Today, some 200,00 meals are delivered in Mumbai (Bombay) everyday, by approximately 5,000 strong work-force at a service charge of eight dollars or Rupees 325 per month. The Dabbas (Tiffin Boxes) are picked-up form the residences at 9:00 am sharp and delivered at the offices between noon and 1:00 pm. Once the lunch is finished, the empty Dabbas are collected and returned to respective homes by 5:00 pm every single day, six days a week. Indians work 6 days a week. The Dabbawalas are paid Rs. 5,000 ($125) per month on equitable basis.

Free market capitalism - Boon or Curse?

Free-market capitalism has nothing to do with the current financial crisis. Competition was good then and it is good even today. Government intervention was bad then and it is bad even today. The main problem is the American over-confidence in their ability to manage events and crisis around the world. Europe is their alter-ego. They would rather not use their own brain but go by the American decisions. Just in case they use it all up! Asia talks about its own identity but catches cold whenever America sneezes. It is time the world asserts itself and not let some American bureaucrats set their agenda. It is time the rest of the world takes some responsibility.

Ronald Reagan changed America, starting January 20, 1981. He preached living larger than life. His clarion call was, “This is the greatest country on the face of this earth”. American lapped it up, not thinking exactly what it meant! All presidents since 1981 urged Americans to go out and spend to grow the economy, and they did. The people in the United States have spent 20% more than they have earned for the past 25 years. Now that the bills have come due, nobody has the money. This would translate in learning to live within your means. In other words, ‘Economic Contraction’! The economy would contract by roughly 20% in real terms and the consumer market would also contract by some similar percentage. The Europeans would follow like loyal subjects. It is time Asian countries show some leadership!

I can see me loving nobody but you, for all my life

Have you been confused before, been depressed and angry at the same time? Your feelings for her, did it ever fade away. Have you seen yourself and her parting ways and walking away from each other? Have you even walked in those lonely roads, longing to be able to hold her again?

People speak less about their love when it is going good, but they speak so many things to so many people at once when it is going bad. Speaking at a really basic idiotic laymen terms, that is.

But you, I can see me loving nobody but you, for all my life.

So happy together…

GM Bailout - Go or no go?

This really makes for an interesting case study. The largest US automaker GM has only enough money to last until Dec 2008. Banks don't want to lend money and the commercial paper market has dried up making it impossible for GM to raise money from the market.

Here are some of the facts:

1. GM employs 266,000 people. Together with its subcontractors employ close to 500,000.
2. For each car GM sells it loses about US$600 (vs Toyota which makes $700).
3. Because of unions, the hourly pay for GM workers is US$78 per hour. The US autoworker is paid in 2 days the monthly salary of a Thai worker on the Toyota assembly line in Thailand.
4. If GM goes bust, the estimated cost to govt in terms of lost taxes, unemployment benefit payouts etc is $200B. GM needs a bailout of $20B to remain a going concern.

The best thing to do according to George Bush is let it go bust - GM is has an uncompetitive business and it should be allowed to fail. Rescuing GM using tax payer's money will be a moral hazard - other uncompetitive businesses will want govt bailouts. It is not fair for the govt to use tax payers money to help some people (like overpaid autoworkers) and not others. The Democrats argue that it does not make sense to let GM fail because it will cost the economy 500,000 jobs and tax payers more money. Many analysts suggest the best and most practical way forward is to bailout GM and squeeze its unions and management for pay cuts and concessions...force a restructuring of the company to make it competitive again. Letting it go bust is just too horrendous to consider for the US economy which ia already falling off the cliff. However, if GM remains uncompetitive, it will need more infusions in the future. IMHO, whether to bailout a business depends on whether it will eventually become competitive.

Lewis Hamilton: a deserving F1 world champion?

For those Formula One fans who committed to watch the deciding grand prix, they were rewarded with a dramatic race that saw Lewis Hamilton go from losing to winning the championship within the space of a few corners on the very last lap. The predictably unpredictable rain of Brazil's Sao Paula circuit started and finished the race and came within seconds of costing McLaren's Hamilton the fifth place he needed to secure the 2008 Drivers' title. As Ferrari's Felipe Massa crossed the line first, Hamilton was only sixth after being overtaken with two laps to go by the sport's other champion-in-the-waiting, Sebastian Vettel. But a slow final lap by Toyota's Timo Glock, struggling on dry tires on a slippery track, allowed Vettel and Hamilton to sail through to take positions four and five respectively. It was a typical see-saw race that just about summed up a season in which both Hamilton and Massa have had more than their fair share of unconvincing moments. Hamilton ran into the back of Fernando Alonso's Renault at the second race in Malaysia, but more embarrassingly crashed out of the Canadian Grand Prix in the pit lane, taking Kimi Raikkonen with him. Massa, though, looked like an amateur at the wet at Silverstone, spinning multiple times before finished dead last, and was comprehensively out driven by Hamilton at the tracks considered to be real driver's circuits: Monaco and Spa. However, the bullet-proof reliability that has helped Ferrari dominate F1 in recent years has also deserted them at times this season, with Massa suffering a couple of engine failures. These were compounded by pitstop errors, famously in Singapore, when Ferrari's auto-release system was engaged prematurely for Massa, costing the Brazilian the race. Hamilton, though, should also have been world champion before this final race. The farcical stewards' decision at the Belgian grand prix that relegated Hamilton from race victor to third, with the officials deciding to penalise the Brit for what to most people seemed a brilliant overtaking move on Raikkonen. Hamilton's performance in 2007 was more impressive overall than this year, but in my opinion the McLaren driver just about deserved to edge the title in 2008 - to become the youngest champion in F1 history. Out of the two drivers, Massa has looked the most consistent driver this season, but Hamilton has looked the better raw racer - with a number of skillful and gutsy overtaking manoeuvres. What did you make of the 2008 Formula One season, and did the right driver win the championship?

Socha hai??

In the recent past,there's one song that's just blown me away..yup,a hindi song:).

Asama hai neela kyun.paani geela geela kyun
Gol kyun hai zameen?
Silk mein narmee kyun.aag me hai gaarmi kyun
do aur do paanch kyun nahin?
Ped ho gaye kam kyun.teen hai yeh mausam kyun
Chand do kyun nahin?
Duniya mein hai jang kyun,behti laal rang kyun
sarhadain hai kyun har kahin?
socha hai...
yeh kya kabhi
socha hai..
yeh hai kya sabhi
socha hai...
socha nahin,toh socho abhi..

**hats off to javed akhtar**
Probably these lyrics don't make literal sense..but,i just love the honesty of the lyrics.These lyrics make me think about the greatest gift given to man(which he rarely uses), thinking and ability to question..Children make the most use of their brain,because they question,the curiosity within them makes them question,even if it is as naive as "why don't i have a third ear?".But as man grows older,he loses his ability to question,he ignores it.He just flies through life,not bothering to stand,analyse and question,because it's just a waste of time.He wants to get on with his life,wakes up every morning,finishes his job,runs back home.He wouldn't dare to question "why doesn't the goverment do anything about the bihar floods?",because it's not related to him,its not his job.
I cannot generalize,but i can say,the greater proportion of the people fail to question.If it has been a long time since you questioned,look at the mirror now,and ask yourself"Where do i stand?","What do i look forward to everyday?"..you will discover a lot.