Aadi bat ball

Chak de Aadi

Beach bum

Highway bonding

Miles of beauty

Still on the Chennai, Mahabalipuram road. Also known as the ECR or East Coast Road.

Purple joy

On the ECR

One stop on the scenic drive from Chennai to Mahabalipuram

Flavour of the month

Surely that has to be India. We seem to be hitting the headlines for the right reasons this time: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/India_hosts_4th_fastest_supercomp/articleshow/2538928.cms. Such a difference from the time when the morning papers would headline terrorism, Hindu rate of economic growth and gold mortgaging. I hope the politicos in Delhi are consistent and allow the country to reach its true potential.

So far the signs are encouraging.

Railway Juggernaut rolls on

Even as infrastructure as a whole is a big play in the country, as it is in this blog, not enough credit is given to the Indian Railways and its minister Laloo Prasad Yadav for facilitating the movement of goods. The Indian Railways freight story is in fact a big reason for the strong growth in manufacturing in the country.

This news item is an indication that Rail Bhavan in Delhi continues to chug along building the future of India: http://www.livemint.com/2007/11/14100950/Railway-working-on-projects-to.html

Aadi the charmer

Cut down in full flight

Is this how future generations are going to see bird species. This pic taken in a Chennai zoo is a warning to all of us. I do not remember the last time i saw one of there bird species flying free. We are killing ourselves species by species.

All about crackers

Eventually it is all about the crackers. Here Aadi and his mother finish off this years festivities on a sparkling note.

Twinkle twinkle stars

Aadi speak for crackers that sparkle against the night sky during Diwali.

Rangoli

Adding colour to Diwali.

Diwali diya

The festival of lights is incomplete without the traditional diya.

Happy Diwali

It is the festival of lights. Happy Diwali or Deepavali everyone.

Being Bangalored

Time was when the phrase "Being Bangalored" was being bandied about by the western press to refer to the outsourcing wave. If you could get world-class quality at a huge discount in Bangalore they why would you not relocate there?

Well, many companies have. If the business press is to be believed many others continue to stream in to the 21st century version of the California gold rush. But for me the term is taking on a whole new meaning.

I was there yesterday and in all my years of travel in many parts of the world, have never come across a more chaotic, confused and utterly mismanaged city. It began from the time we actually reached the airport (see this: http://aadianuandi.blogspot.com/2007/11/bad-management.html). We were stuck in the aircraft for the longest time as there were not enough ladders to go around for us to get off. The baggage took much longer to come than it should usually do. Planeloads were hanging around the luggage carousel waiting for it to start. Part of this is always explained away by the fact that the new airport is getting ready and this one is too small to handle the load. But the major reason is sheer inefficiency and poor management at the airport. Mumbai and Delhi handle a much bigger traffic load and they have their own infrastructure issues. Chennai is also small but super efficient. The queues that formed when departing at the airport at almost every point (baggage screening, security and boarding) are scary. I wonder how the airlines manage to stay anywhere near their scheduled times in this sort of madness. There is a complete management meltdown at the airport. Moving to a new location will only work, if you get some sort of a workflow in place. Otherwise they will manage to mess that up as well.

Leaving the airport is another hassle. If you have a car to receive you, it takes at least 30 minutes to get out of the place. The city is also equally bad. Traffic management is a disaster and every major road is clogged beyond comprehension. It can take anything from 30 minutes to an hour to complete a journey that should not take more than 10 minutes. This city is an example of what happens in the face of unchecked and unplanned development. Why anybody would want to live and work there beats me.

For me, Being Bangalored is akin to being punished. As in "he is being Bangalored as he is not fit enough to work in Chennai/Delhi/Mumbai." What a sad state of affairs for India's Silicon Valley.

Bad management

Probably the most chaotic airport in the country. It took an hour to collect baggage, get the cab and exit. Hope they get their act right at the new place.

Grand sweets

Chennai's best sweet shop is hidden behind those trees. Come the festive season and the only way to buy sweets is to order in advance.

Chennai's favourite store

Following up on our trip to T-Nagar and Saravanna stores yesterday (check this: http://aadianuandi.blogspot.com/2007/11/deepavali-shopping-in-chennai.html and this http://aadianuandi.blogspot.com/2007/11/sarvana-stores.html), I found out that Sarvanna stores is the place where you can get the cheapest stuff in Chennai. Apparently everything from gold, sarees to white goods and toys are cheaper here than you can get anywhere else in the city. That would explain the huge crowds on the eve of Deepavali.

Apparently it is reasonably crowded all year round. The sheer volume of business the store does, enables them to get a better deal from manufacturers. They then pass this on to the customer. Not a bad business model and one that is working spectacularly for them.

Dolee time

That is Aadi speak for noodles

Some one on one bonding

Spencers plaza, Chennai

This food court has an interesting mix of common and unusual eating joints. Wort more than one visit.

Deepavali shopping in Chennai

T Nagar on the last sunday before Deepavali. The road was blocked for motor traffic. Yet there was on place to walk. Most of the buying was concentrated around gold and silk sarees.

Sarvana stores

Inside the store on the eve of deepavali.

Up close and personal

One of my favourite shots of Aadi.

Aadi's Favourite show

Shinchan. Japanese cartoon dubbed in hindi.

Mumbai airport

One more of the exterior of Mumbai airport. They are yet to complete construction.

Wonder of privatisation

Outside the new domestic departure terminal in Mumbai. It took less than twenty minutes from airport to taxi. Flying is fun again.

Ready to launch a web

Masked menace