Sherbaug

We went to this awesome nature theme park near Panchgani today, called Sherbaug. We didn't have too many expectations, but I must say, we came back very impressed and happy. Beautiful natural flora, a very innovative (though a little dangerous) water park, and an astounding fossil museum, along with a huge cactus garden make this a really exciting option for kids as well as adults. There's also an art gallery and a house of horror, along with a sweet lil restaurant. At 400/person, it seems a tad expensive, but trust me, it's totally worth it. Don't miss it if you are ever in the vicinity.

Hmmm Hmmm Hummer

Not impressed much actually... especially since it was parked right to my gleaming Samara. I'm sure it rocks off road, but it's definitely not a looker!

Black and White

Samara Goes to Panchgani

We went to Panchgani today, Samara's first out-of-town trip after last week's quick romp to Lavasa. A full load, 5 adults and 2 kids, 250 kms. Expressway and ghat, on and off road. And she handled beautifully... safe and secure at high speeds, easy to manoeuvre and handle on the twists and turns of the ghat, and easy to get down and off road on the narrow roads of the hill stations.

And being able to play music from Madhavi's extensive collection on her cell, using Bluetooth, on the car's speakers meant freedom from having to change CDs for the entire journey :)

Here are some pictures...

Samara Gets A Bath

By the way, while her name's inspired by a friend I had way back in college, I just
found out it means "guardian" or "protected by god". Pretty cool :)

Stress Test

Just took Samara for a stress test on the expressway. She hit 140 easily, and with a little coaxing, the speedo kissed 160. Ride quality, handling and steering was fantastic, though the thought of the massive beast hurtling down the road at that speed is pretty unnerving. Braking was good too, although she does needs a little longer runway to touchdown compared to my Fiesta. Use the breaks to rev the engine a bit before take-off and you can easily draw sketch paintings on the tarmac.

And while we're at it, I must say the sound system totally rocks - close your eyes and you could well be in a very sexy (and loud!) movie theatre!

Some More Hill :)

Tips for Car Buyers

Pit one finance company against another, you can easily get the car loan rates down by 2-2.5%. Starting with 11.5, I managed to get 9.5 without much effort. Other areas of bargain include the processing fee and amount of coverage.

Pit one insurance company against another - again, I got 15K off, plus a 100% cover (no depreciation for plastics/glass etc). The insurance company might be able to pass on some additional discounts to you.

Make sure you carry your NCB from the earlier car. Since you can have only one car with the NCB, the insurance company might not allow you the NCB on the new car unless you sell off the older one. If you intend to keep the old car, you can move it to a thirt party only cover, and carry the NCB to the new (more expensive) car. If you plan to sell the old one off, you can then get the NCB applied to the new car by endorsing the insurance policy appropriately.

Understand and plan for the dependencies:
Insurance company needs car chasis and engine number to issue cover letter - make sure the dealer gives it on time
Finance company needs cover letter to issue disbursement - make sure the insurance company sends it
Dealer needs insurance cover note, and disbursement order to send vehicle for registration - make sure the finance and insurance company do their bit :)
Dealer needs registration, disbursement amount AND your balance/down-payment amount in the account to release car to you

Special Tip: If everything is ready, but you don't have the money in bank to do the down payment, try the credit card option! I did :)

Endeavour 24 Hour Report

The Good

Looks fabulous, sexy presence on the road, a truly beautiful beast
Cruises fantastic, the diesel engine is absolutely noiseless
Awesome torque, ability to squeal tires
Takes off-road with unbelievable ease, given its size and weight
Beautiful behaviour on fast turns, fluid and smooth, securely rooted to the tarmac while swaying gently on the suspension
Sexy and comfortable interiors, truly a premium segment experience

The Not So Good

Suspension is jarry on bad roads at slow speeds, rear in uncomfortably jumpy on those sudden speed breakers
Roof-mounted DVD screen didn't power on, probably not fitted correctly (or I don't know how to make it wake up!)

The Small But Significant Things

Independent AC controls for all three rows, cooling is fast and effective
Wonderful media & entertainment system - rocking speakers
Integrated GPS and Navigation from MapMyIndia
Integrated Bluetooth, seamless access to phone's dialled/received/missed call list, automatic call reception
Rear view camera for parking is super convenient
Inadequate lighting for the front row, lights positioned towards middle row
The chiller is a wonderful accessory (although I have yet to receive it)
Light thrown up by rear view mirror assembly when opening door ensures you don't step into puddles, lovely feature!
Alti-theft nuts for tires also a good idea! (again, I am yet to receive them)

Lavasa

Visited Lavasa today, the planned and privately run city coming up along the banks of a man-made lake, some 40 kms from Pune. Looks like a good option to invest in, and definitely a lovely place for a weekend getaway. Some early pictures...

Samara

Got delivery of my super sexy Ford Endeavour 4x4 3L yesterday. Here are some exclusive pics...






We took a full load up the hill slopes off the road to Lavasa, enjoyed some heavy showers, and basically had a great time cruising the city streets... Needless to say, it's been a fantastic 20 hours so far, and we're just getting started!



ps: The picture doesn't bring out the depth/height of the hill slopes at all, will upload some more "revealing" pictures next time!

Oh, and yes, her name's Samara, the younger sister to Lisa and Reona.

Russian Goa

Had heard a lot of the Russian mafia taking over North Goa. If ever there was proof needed, here's the clincher...



By the way, this isn't a one-off! Every sign board at Ashwem, near Morjim in North Goa was in Russian. The hotel menu, the instructions, the books and magazines in the hotel library - all Russian!

Кстати, это не \' t A одноразовые! Каждый знак Совета на ashwem, вблизи morjim на севере Гоа был на русском языке. Гостиница меню, в инструкциях, книги и журналы в гостинице библиотека-все русские!

Mobile Mania

The call was too important to miss, the helmet was too important to remove :)

Sunrise in Goa

Vietnamese And French Soups

Super tasty, clear soup with noodles, serves two. A great option, especially the veg version. Available at Polka Dots.



Super sexy French sea food soup, for once, you can recognize what you are eating! Available at Papa Jolly's. Qualifies you for the next episode of Man vs Wild.

PCMC

Had been to Nigdi yesterday for some work, was pretty impressed by the neat roads and tree cover there. The old Pune Mumbai highway is really shaping up very well. With much lower taxes and pollution/population, this twin city to Pune has a bright future.

BMW second-hand

Advice for BMW aspirants - check with the dealer for showroom second hands, or company-owned cars. You will get some fantastic deals. Right now, I have the option of a 40 lakh worth 325i for 29 lakhs negotiable. And the car hasn't even been registered ever.

Ford Figo

Watch it - the Figo will eat up the market. A fantastic hatchback option, starting at 3.5 for petrol and 4.5 for diesel. The diesel version runs the same fantastic low-noise and zero-maintenance engine of the Fiesta, and is a super ooption. I am not a big fan of their "indian colors" concept for the interiors, but then you can always opt for the black.

And yes, in-built bluetooth is a definite x factor for the hatchback segment.

Nissan Teana and XTrail

Checked out the Nissan stable yesterday evening. Will get some test drives later, but frankly, I think Nissan are pricing themselves out of the market.

The Teana looks good, has plush interiors, an executive look, something you'd be happy to be driven around in the back seat - but 35 lakhs? I am not sure I would trade the blue and white logo for a Nissan!

And the X-Trail makes even less sense. A 5-seater car-cum-SUV, 2 litre engine, starting at 27 lakhs and going all the way up to 32 lakh. Really?

Movie Review: The Bounty Hunter

Gerard Butler is a bounty hunter, an ex-cop now busy chasing down criminals jumping bail. His latest assignment: get his ex-wife Jeniifer Aniston back to jail for a petty traffic accident involving the NYPD. In the process, will they rediscover the magic of their marriage?

The film is another of those countless such movies being churned out of the Hollywood stable, but worth a watch for Gerard, who's sexy as ever, and his witty dialogues. Nothing extra-ordinary, but definitely worth a watch as long as you don't get too critical of the plot.

Interestingly, the mega screen at ESquare was housefull for the midnight show Saturday night!

Movie Review: Phoonk 2

RGV needs to stop making movies.

That said, Phoonk 2 is not THAT bad, as long as you have some company to maaro stupid dialogues in the first half, and patience to wait till the second half. The movie does get a little to you towards the end.

Terrible editing and terrible screenplay, however, really wastes the movie.

Avoid it.

BMW 320d Test Drive

I got my BMW 320d test drive today, on insistence of the dealer's customer service representative. While the torque and handling was impressive, the ride quality is poor - you can feel the hardness of the suspension and the run-flat tires, ensuring you are troubled by every ripple and every pimple on the road :( At low speeds, the automatic transmission engages at lower gears than needed, building a yearning to go back to manual and adjust the gear to a more comfortable level, making city driving a not-so-exciting experience.

It's a pleasure to see heads turning to check you out, but I prefer seeing the sedans scurrying for cover at the sight of the massive Endy :)

Ford Endeavour

And finally, I got my hands on the Endy!

It was late evening, the light was fading, and after a disappointing outing in the Passat, I wasn’t even sure I was up for another test ride. But the 4x4 Thunder was around, and I decided to go for it. As I climbed in and took the wheel, I had psyched myself for the experience of driving the huge truck. Oh boy, was I in for a surprise! The moment I pressed the gas pedal, the Endy took off like a tiger unleashed, effortlessly grabbing the opportunity to jump the starting line. I had to stop and try it again – because I couldn’t believe I had actually managed to squeal its tires! The Endy is sheer power, yet a beauty to drive. It took the 40 degree Taliegaon slope with a load of 4 adults and 2 kids as effortlessly as cruising on an expressway. And as we left the tarmac and hit the dirt road, it almost squeals in delight. Rocks, gravel, shrubs and ditches pass under its massive wheels, it’s suspension letting you glide over the terrain while the power steering seems to tell you, don’t worry about guiding me, I can take anything that comes in my way! We took a couple of tight circles at the top of the hills, a merry go round for the kids, while the Endy kicked off a massive dust storm in its wake.

The interiors put all the luxury sedans to shame – an in-dash 6 CD changer, an in-built DVD player with two screens, one in-dash and one on the roof, in-built navigation system, reverse parking camera, individual AC vents for all three rows, plush seats. Sheer luxury.

As we reluctantly got back in the city, we also noticed another reason why it’s a wonderful option for city driving. As you cruise along sitting on what feels like the first floor deck, the sedans and the hatchbacks meekly surrender to the roar of the Endy, immediately moving out of the way. It took a lot of restrain from me to stop me from wanting to gently nudge a few of the not-so-cooperative cars off to the side :)

I have fallen in love, and small wonder, it’s a Ford baby all over again!

Volkswagen Passat

Given that the Passat is touted as a peer to the Skoda Laura, I must say it was very disappointing. The interiors are markedly poorer, and the looks are nothing to write home about. While both cars share the same engine, the same Tiptronik gears, and can hardly be distinguished for the driving experience, the Laura does have a wow factor in its strong, sturdy look. The Passat is just another very ordinary looking car. You might as well go for the Jetta, a good few lakhs cheaper, and equally good in all other respects.

Interestingly, too, the car I drove had automatic gears, but Volkswagen is phasing out the automatic options, and for both the Jetta and the Passat, you will only have the manual option. Strange move, when everyone else is going AT!

Overall, a clear thumbs down.

Skoda Laura

Awesome drive, safe and secure cabin, decent interiors, great looks, the AT version with the manual overdrive at the gentle touch of the hand is great... but makes it almost impossible to squeal tires or throw the car into a skidding turn... for someone who's driven a Ford for a decade, this is pretty much a dampener :(

Also, magazine reviews talk of poor AC, poor suspension and terrible after sales service. For a car this expensive, that's a major negative too.

On the lighter side, here's a wonderful review I found of the Laura on one of the online review sites:
Car Very Good. I buying Car 2yrs Back then driving all time. Slow speed very good. Full Speed Very good. All the time i like the car. Full speed raining no problem. Light like tube light i full see in night. Light automatically on in night. I bug fridge in the car for Rs.20000 now i drink cool moor in car itself. My wife no driving this car because i like the car very much and my wife spoils while driving. i say u buying this car very good.

Ford Endeavour

Found this awesome piece in a review of the Ford Endeavour:

The Endeavour carried everything from my sons bycycle to his toy basket and all of us had the luxury of carrying our own suitcases and everything you could think of and yet the Endy kind off looked back and said ’is that it or do you want to try and fit the santro in the back space’.

BMW

Checked out the BMW 320d the other day. The base version comes in at 29L, while the fully loaded version comes at a premium of 8L. Interestingly, the dealer also had a 6 months old, used car, coming in at around 32L, in the fully loaded version. Main differences - a sky roof, a TV display, and some other cosmetic stuff. Unfortunately, the car hadn't really been prepped for customers, even though it was on display - the doors had boot marks, the arm rest had scratches on the veneer, and the car was a little dusty. The auto climate control didn't seem to work - until I set the AC on manual, when it immediately made a difference. And with the 6 CD changer requiring you to get into the boot, unlike my poor car which offers it in-dash, and the "TV reception" limited to Doordarshan, the entertainment module wasn't too hot either.

Overall, the 320 was a disappointment I must say. Felt like the 30L were more for the logo than anything really wow.

On to the Audi now.

PS: let me be fair here, there were some minb-blowing models too, but coming in at 80-100L, even looking at them felt like sacrilege :)

Thought For The Day

We don't need to worry about things changing over time... because, before anything else does, we change ourselves!

Impressive Flyovers...

Impressive structures coming up all over Mumbai - this is the Airport Expressway, just outside the Hyatt. Check the flanks jutting out from the central spans.

Persistent Lists on the NSE & BSE!

It was a very proud moment for all of us at Persistent yesterday, with our company making a stunning listing on the stock exchange yesterday morning! Starting with around 380 against the IPO price of 310, the stock rose to 440 or so within a minute of opening trading, backed by huge demand. By the middle of the day, it had stabilized around 420, and ended the day at 408, an impressive gain of almost 30%.

I was at the function, and it was a very unique experience. The NSE building itself is beautiful, a huge foyer welcomes you, the glass and marble spick and span, the grandeur of the building so completely representing the bold, new India. The function was meeticulously planned, all speakers on the dias given no more than 3 minutes, and at the end of a countdown from 10, at the stroke of 9.00 am, amidst loud cheering and clapping, Anand rang the bell to signal start of trading, and the listing of the company on the bourses. Within microseconds, the screen was flashing the Nifty and the PSL stock ticker and trading was on in full flow - just another day at work in one of the most sophisticated stock exchanges in the world. Awesome moment.

Some pictures from the function below - excuse me for the poor quality of the pics, the lighting wasn't good enough for my cell, and maybe my hands were shivering a little with all the excitement :)


The impressive foyer of the NSE building at the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai.


Here I am, proudly standing beside our banner in the foyer of the NSE building.


The listing ceremony is kicked off. It is interesting to note how many women hold key positions in the Indian financial system!


Anand addresses the small, exclusive gathering moments before the listing. Speakers had no more than 3 minutes, keeping the hard stop of 900 am in mind.


Anand and Dada ring the bell to signal the listing and start of trading. The rest of us were simply thrilled to be rich :)


Moments after the stock went online, it had hit 440.

Blog, Facebook, Twitter... And Orkut? And LinkedIn?

OK, I am officially sick of maintaining my status in a dozen locations :)

So here's what I have decided...

Blogger is what I love.. and I will continue blogging as much and as often as I can. Twitter is offically non-sustainable, until I become a celebrity and tweet like iamsrk does. So Twitter is gone... unless I feel like wasting time on it once in a while from my cell, when I have nothing better to do. Orkut is off too, I just hate the cluttered new avataar it's given itself. Facebook was on for a reason - a lost friend. I am sick of all the updates I get there. But I will visit it once in a while.. just for the heck of it. And LinkedIn - once a while, again, just to check out my new clients and customers!

Bad Week...

My best friend, my most trusted colleague, my dearest sis left this week to pursue further studies at ISB Hyderabad...

And my dearest Lisa is also leaving me this week - we finally took the tough decision to give her away to a new owner, since it was impossible for me to drive her in Pune, and she'd just rust away in Goa.

Just hate it... wish I could stop it

Beautifying Pune

Have you noticed the latest additions to our beeautiful cityscape? Rows of beautiful social workers staring at you from those huge posters at every traffic signal, every chowk, every possible place to hang them?

What a way to cheer up your day!

Movie Review: The Men Who Stare At Goats

An elite US Army unit, trained to control enemies through their minds and win the future wars through love and non-physical violence - these are the "men who stare at goats" and kill them by power of their minds!

Watch it only if you are a die-hard George Clooney fan!

Movie Review: 88 Minutes

Dr Gramm (Al Pacino in another fascinating performance) has to keeep his wits and find the guy who's threatening to kill him in the next 88 minutes. Is it the serial killer scheduled for execution after having been convicted based on Dr Gramm's testimony trying to prove he was innocent, or is it a copy cat killer? As the bodies mind, the movie picks up pace... but, and maybe it was the late night, it does stretch a bit towards the end!

Movie Review: Hum Tum Aur Ghost

A good family story, Hum Tum and Ghost relies on some very sweet performances by Arshad, Boman, Sandhya Mridul and Diya Mirza, in an otherwise predictable and oft-repeated theme. The soundtrack isn't remarkable, but has a couple of good tracks that might grow on you. The climax scene is well done too - but if I was a VW marketing manager, I wouldn't be too pleased :)

Not a must-watch, but not bad at all.

Upgrade

Just got Sanam's desktop upgraded - 1 GB RAM and Win 7, with Belkin's USB Wireless Adapter for connecting to my wireless broadband network.

My first computer was in my third year of Engg, with 4 MB RAM, 160 MB HDD, and 40 MHz 386 processor. I didn't have access to the Internet until I joined my MTech at IIT Bombay :)

IPL Fever: Cheerleader @ Coffee Day

Sneak Peek: On the Sets of Dum Maaro Dum

Met Bipasha and crew shooting for Dum Maaro Dum in Panaji the other night - we weren't allowed to shoot on the Carnival set, but managed a sneak peek anyway!

Dolphin Tour

Old Beetle in Goa

Goan BBQ

Had a fantastic BBQ at my place the other day, during my team's picnic to Goa. Crabs, prawns, fish, chicken, paneer and mushrooms... everyone ate to their heart's content. And then some more :)

Time Can Come Back, Opportunities Don't

We always talk about not wasting time, because it doesn't come back. However, we do have lots of time in life, and some time wasted might not be that disastrous after all. For example, you fight with your girl friend this weekend, you always have the next one to make up!

What doesn't come back are certain events and opportunities. That is when wastage of time becomes criminal. It's your last day on that Goa trip you waited for so long, that's when wasting the evening becomes unpardonable!

Morale of the story - it's OK to waste time sometimes, but NEVER lose an opportunity!

Do you need me...

Do you need me when you want to have a good time
or
do you have a good time when you are with me?

Small difference, but BIG difference!

It's My Life

It's my life
take it or leave it set me free
What's that crap-papa-know-it-all? I got my own life
Live your life and set me free mind your business
And leave my business you know everything papa-know-it-all
Very little knowledge is dangerous
Stop bugging me stop bothering me
Stop bugging me stop forcing me
Stop fighting me stop yelling me
It's my life.

It's my life
it's my life my worries
It's my life
it's my life my problem
sIt's my life
it's my life my worries
It's my life
it's my life my problems.

It's my life
do you understand?
I live the way I want to live
I make decisions day and night
show me signs and good exemples.
Stop telling people how to run your business
Take a trip to east and west you find
that you don't know anything
Every's getting tired of you sometime
you have to look and listen
You can even learn from me little knowledge is dangerous

It's my life.
It's my life ...
It's my life
set me free so you bed so you lie
What you see is what you get
listen to people and sort things out
Things I do I do them no more
things I say I say them no more
Changes comes once in life
Stop bugging me
stop bothering me
Stop bugging me
stop forcing me
Stop fighting me
stop yelling me
Stop telling me
stop seeing me

It's my life.

Movie Review: LSD (Love Sex Aur Dhoka)

For me, LSD is Loot, Sona, and Dhoka to the audience! This is about as crappy as a movie can get. Please donate the ticket money to some charity, and you will be far happier.

ps: Apparently what's running in the theatres is a highly censored version, but apart from some more voyeuristic scenes, I do not think we missed much!

A Special Cup of Tea

I was at a multiplex the other day with a friend of mine, and as we checked through security, I commented to my friend that the chai the security guys were having looked so inviting, and we asked the security guy where I could get such tea. He immediately said, yeh le lo na Sir, and offered the tea to us. As we walked away, with the tiny cup of tea in our hands, we realized that he had just offered his only cup of tea to us. Working day in and day out, for our security, he hadn’t even hesitated to think twice before offering us his one chance at a small break.

KKR Wins

KKR started IPL 3 with a good win over DC, with Dada firmly back in the saddle and at his scheming, aggressive best :)

Go KKR Go!