The Fog Resort and Spa, Munnar: Review

We stayed at 'The Fog Resort and Spa' for 2 nights (14-16th October 2017). However, my experience with the hotel started earlier than that. While making the booking on MakyMyTrip, I made an error and booked for 3 nights. This was a non-refundable deal. I called MakeMyTrip and the executive informed us that it can be reversed ONLY if the hotel agrees to it. He contacted the hotel and to our delight, the hotel management understood the situation and gave a go-ahead to the cancellation. I cancelled the booking and made a fresh booking.

On 14th October, I reached the hotel early and enquired if an early check-in is possible. They agreed and gave us a room. Though the room was great, I preferred a room on a higher floor. The Manager (Aby Abraham) happily agreed to change the room. The check-in process was smooth and quick. 

On the day of arrival, since we had checked in early, we had breakfast buffet at the hotel. It was not part of the package (my package included 2 breakfasts and 2 lunch/dinner as I was booked for 2 days only). At the time of check-out, I noticed that they had not included the additional breakfast in the bill. I pointed that and offered to pay but the management included that on complimentary basis!!!

My overall experience with Fog was exceptional. They have great rooms and lots of options for recreation. The location, rooms, food, recreational facilities, view....everything was great. However, the aspect that still stood out was the service. Being a travel enthusiast as well as a frequent business traveler, I have stayed in numerous hotels in India and abroad. Fog Munnar boasts of a truly outstanding staff. You would always be greeted with a polite smile. Every staff member is responsive to your needs. They are willing to go that extra mile to make the guests happy and ensure a great stay. They also click and give you a photograph in their own frame. These little gestures count a lot. Though, everyone was great, for us, Abey Abraham truly stood out!!!

Review: VR Box (Virtual Reality Headset)

Bought this new virtual reality headset. VR Box. This is a quite decent product, which gives some enjoyable experience without burning a hole in the pocket. I bought it for RM 70. Compared to similar products from Oculus and Samsung, it is quite reasonably priced. However, one must be careful while drawing such comparisons.

Oculus is probably the best-in-class and gives an exceptional immersive experience. Comparatively, VR Box is definitely not as immersive. But what more you can ask for RM 70?

You need a smartphone to enjoy VR Box and that is not an issue as who doesn't have a smart phone these days. I recommend a bluetooth headset and a bluetooth controller to make the experience more enjoyable and hassle-free.

One downside of the headset is that a long use gives motion sickness and nausea. I am not sure if this is an issue with this headset or do all Virtual Reality headset include this issue in the package.

Overall, a pretty decent gadget that is reasonably priced.

Review: Hyatt Place Candolim Goa

Debate or Shouting Match?

Watched a Newhour Debate this morning. It was a 2-3 days old episode and the discussion was about India's retaliation against Pakistani aggression or ceasefire violations on the border. I made the following observations;

1. Having a different set of representatives from Pakistan was a welcome change. Most people have got bored of listening to the same set of representatives (usually Syed Tariq Pirzada, Gen. Rashid Qureshi and Zafar Hilali), who seldom make any sense and indulge in rhetoric only. This time Abida Hussain, Air Marshal Masood Akhtar, Brigadier Javed Husain were invited to present Pakistan's views
2. I could not watch the entire debate as it became increasingly irritating after a few minutes. Two out of three Pakistani guests were not making much sense. Brig. Javed Husain had probably come to the show after watching a couple of Pakistani versions of Sunny Deol movies as he was overexcited and was not making much sense. Abida Hussain, on the other hand, tried to divert the topic and starting talking about the human tragedies. These did contribute to the irritation but the main cause was something (or rather, someone) else
3. Arnab Goswami was highly irritating during this debate. Several people find him loud and irritating on most debates but not me. I have started to find him irritating only recently. On this occasion, he was not letting Air Marshal Masood Akhtar to speak much. I do not think that anyone can justify what Pakistan is up to. Yet, the Air Marshal was speaking sanely. He was not only talking from Pakistan's point of view and was being quite reasonable. But, Arnab Goswami did not allow him to put forward his opinion. Arnab kept interrupting. What is the point of watching a debate if one gets to hear only one side. Of course the other side would have blabbered and given shitty responses. But then, Arnab and others could have countered the Pakistani guests and cornered them. He was extremely unfair to Air Marhal Masood Akhtar and that made me switch to some other video. Off late, Newhour Debates have become quite boring. 

Air Asia Red Carpet: Pass to Hassle Free Travel

Air Asia is one of the cheaper options to fly between India and Malaysia. From Kuala Lumpur, it has flights for Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai and probably Kochi and Trichurapalli as well. While booking the tickets for my wife and daughter, I noticed a 'Red Carpet' option. I inquired about it with a my colleagues who have taken the Air Asia flight in the past. To my surprise, no one has used that option. They did not have much idea about it as well and most discouraged me from paying additional MYR 100 for this option, when it is unlikely to give much incremental benefits.

Since my wife was going to travel alone with a small creature, who has just learnt the use of legs (apart from kicking) and is fairly restless, I thought there is no harm in buying a possible comfort. I did not make a mistake.

Yesterday, at the airport, we noticed long queue for check-in, which we could avoid thanks to the Red Carpet. The check-in took less than a minute. Afterwards, my wife and daughter were escorted to a premium lounge. The lounge had snacks, internet, clean bathrooms etc and Red Carpet gives an access to these facilities for upto 2 hours. 

Later, they were escorted for the immigration and security check. There was a separate section for Red Carpet and it took less than 5 minutes. Red Carpet also given an option of a buggy service under which passengers are taken to the aircraft in a buggy (golf cart). It is a good option to have since one can be made to walk long distances in some cases. Additionally, at the destination, the baggage comes on priority. What more can one ask for in MYR 100? 

I have not opted for Red Carpet for my travel to India in August but I will definitely do that before I travel. I wonder why more people do not do the same.

Weekend full of movies

List of movies/shows I watched this weekend and their ratings (on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the highest):

Agneepath: 1 point

I have heard that the movie is doing pretty well in India but I did not find anything special about the movie. To be very honest, I had not particularly loved the original (and I am not talking about Scarface here) except the personality of Amitabh Bachchan in it. They took that out and hence I did not like it. Simple

Ladies vs Ricky Behl: 3.5

This was pretty watchable. Liked the concept. Though it has a pretty obvious ending but it was still a good time pass

Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyun Aata Hai: 2

A movie that has Naseeruddin Shah, Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi and also Om Puri. I always wanted to watch this movie as I am a Naseeruddin Shah fan. Needless to say that the actors were brilliant and they made me feel their But honestly, I did not find anything special about the movie. Moreover, I found the end pretty abrupt. I enjoy parallel cinema and my wife is a commercial cinema fan. So imagine the expression on her face when the credits started to come

Survivor India - Episodes 10 and 11: 5

I am really hooked to the show. I have never enjoyed the international series but probably due to the connect, I am really enjoying this show

Shor in the City: 3

It was pretty enjoyable inspite of Tusshar Kapoor in it. It has a fresh story and decent performances

Challo Dilli: 3

I do not know who was the person who discouraged me from watching this movie when it came out. I wont say that this is a brilliant movie but for a lazy Sunday afternoon, it was a good time pass

Don 2: 1

So now the Don has become a thief!!! Brilliant. In any ways, there is only Don and he went underground in 1978

Tanu Weds Manu: 4

Have watched the movie in bits and parts earlier and watched the full movie today. It is a sweet movie, inspite of Kangna Ranaut!!! Really liked the performances of most of the actors

Our Idiot Brother: 2

This movie stars Paul Rudd and has an interesting storyline but lets just say that it could have been a lot better. There was nothing too wrong with the guy. He may not have been street smart, he may have been sensitive, he may have been innocent but he was not an idiot!!!

Russel Peters - Green Card Tour: 2

It was enjoyable but it gets a 2 because it was just about okay by Russel Peter standards

Desi Boyz: 2

It was enjoyable in parts but those parts were few and far between

India-Australia 1st ODI: 1

Same old story, no new twists. They keep serving the same dish!!! Something tells me that I should stay away from the sequels

Hidden Charges = Short Term Strategy

I simply hate it when sales guys explain a deal that sounds very attractive, however later one finds himself duped because of all the hidden costs. Of course, they are sales guys and they would try to sell but I believe that such strategies are short-sighted. If I take a deal but later feel cheated, I will always think before using the services of the company in future. Moreover, whenever I speak to anyone about my experience, I won't have good things to say about the company. 

In today's competitive environment, companies do not only want to have a new customer but they remain more interested in repeat businesses. As repeat businesses prove to be less costlier. You are selling the product/offering to a customer who is already sold to the idea. However, if your new customer feels cheated about the experience, he/she is unlikely to come back unless your product/offering is head and shoulders above the next available option. Moreover, the customer is likely to spead negative publicity and no company wants that.

I will share an experience that I had a few days back. We brought some stuff from India to Kuala Lumpur and used MASKargo for that. MASKargo is a logistics company that is managed by Malaysia Airlines. Now, if you are carrying any extra baggage in the flight, Malaysia Airlines charges INR 600 per KG. I learnt it the hard way when I came to Kuala Lumpur. If you have too much luggage to bring in the flight along with you or if you are looking for cheaper options, they give you another option i.e., MASKargo. When my wife was coming from India, she had 85 KGs extra baggage!!! Now that would have costed around INR 51,000 if she had tried checking in the baggage with her in the flight. We were suggested MASKargo and were informed that it will cost INR 106 per KG. It would have costed us INR 9010, much lower than the first option. We happily took the MASKargo option. 

While submitting the consignment, we were informed about the taxes. It increased the total figure by INR 5000!!! Unexpected expense but still much better than INR 51,000. We were also told that we can collect the consignment after landing in the usual manner. Later, we found that the baggage cannot be collected immediately and were told about all the extensive paperwork, that of course we had not planned for. Moreover, if you do not collect the baggage on time from their facility, it attracts storage charges.

After sending the consignement from New Delhi, we were informed by MASKargo representatives in Kuala Lumpur that there would be handling and other charges of around RM 170 and then delivery charges of RM 180. I can understand the delivery charges as that was something extra that we were asking for. However, I could not understand the handling charges and why we were not told about these additional 'hidden' charges in the first place. 

Overall, there were huge savings and I am happy about that. However, the amount of confusion that was created in the whole process and the hidden charges would make me look for another option next time around. As I mentioned earlier, if there is a huge cost differential and if MASKargo is a much much and much better option than the next player, I would still use it. But the point is that, they are allowing me to look for another option. Had they been transparent about the whole things and informed me about ALL the charges beforehand, I would have still paid the same amount but would have been a 'happy customer'. Common sense!!! 

Revolution 2020 by Chetan Bhagat

A few days back, I read the book Revolution 2020 by Chetan Bhagat. I must admit that I am not much of a book reader. Seldom do I find books gripping enough to make me finish it. I like short stories better as they require less commitment. I would rather watch a movie than read a book as I do not have the required patience. However, Chetan Bhagat's books are different.

I have read all his books and pretty quickly too. I have finished all his books in less than 2 days....that is unbelievable as per my standards!!! The difference between other books and Chetan's books is the instant connect. You can almost identify with the characters. If you do not see yourself in the characters, you would know someone who is pretty similar. Moreover, the stories are set up in India and you can relate to the places, issues, successes, failures, dreams...everything.

Coming back to the book....I loved it. I do not know if everyone would like it or not. It is very different from his earlier books. Not many people had liked "The 3 Mistakes of My Life" (I do not have official figures but  a lot of people have told me that they did not enjoy the book as much as they enjoyed other books of Chetan Bhagat), which was again a very different book. I loved "The 3 Mistakes.....". Out of all Chetan Bhagat's books, Revolution 2020 can be compared more with "The 3 Mistakes...". 

I loved Revolution 2020. It is an extremely gripping tale. I do not want to give away the plot but I felt a rock on my chest while reading it. Among the main characters, no one is totally right or wrong...that is the way we all are, isn't it? Though what happens in such cases is that you are bound to end up feeling sorry for someone. I must say that I was a little partial towards the main character. I want to say a lot of things about the character but I do not want to spoil the reading experience for anyone. I do not know how is the book doing commercially but it can be made into an extremely interesting movie. 

I strongly recommend the book to everyone. Now, I am waiting for the movie.

(request for Chetan Bhagat: Can you please increase the pace of writing books?)

Product Review: Case Logic XNSLR 7

XNSLR 7 is the new entrant in my collection of cameras and accessories. Here is the reason why I bought it.

Problem Statement

I travel very frequently and whenever I travel, I carry at least two piece of luggage...my laptop bag and my camera bag. I cannot fit my camera and accessories in the laptop bag as I carry one SLR camera, one super zoom camera, one 70-300 lens and one 18-55 lens. Moreover, I carry a lot of other equipment like battery charger, table tripod, tripod, filter lenses etc. So, I had no option but to carry two bags. Moreover, these two bags cannot be checked-in and it is painful and uncomfortable to carry these two bags while travelling (especially on Terminal 3 on Delhi Airport). Hence, I was looking for a solution.

Solution

The solution came in the form of Case Logic's XNSLR 7. This bag allows me to carry my laptop and accessories with my entire range of cameras and accessories. In fact it has room for more and so I have filled in four hard disks, my phone charger, my PSP and its charger. Following are its positive and negative points;

Positives:

• Space: As mentioned earlier, it can accommodate a lot of camera gear and you would still find more space. To give you an idea, my bag holds a Canon 450D, a Canon S5IS, a 18-55 lens, a 70-300 lens, filter lenses (3), a battery charger, camera cleaning kit, a table tripod, a medium length tripod, filter lenses, spare batteries, a 15 inch laptop, power cord, laptop accessories bag, mouse, wireless pointer, 4 hard disks, PSP and its charger and my mobile phone charger. With all these, it is full but it definitely has more equipment than I need
• Structure: Two best things about the bag are (1) the camera cradle; (2) the zipper on the side that gives quicker access to any additional camera or lens. The camera cradle allows me to put my SLR camera without removing the 70-300 lens. I would admit that my earlier camera bag also allowed me to do the same but with this cradle, I do not have to worry about the safety of the lens and the camera. The way the cradle has been placed in the bag, it allows easy access to the camera without exposing the entire bag to the elements. The zipper on the side helps me in taking out my S5IS camera in no time. That helps in not missing out on any opportunity to click a picture
• Strength: Its early days but the bag looks pretty sturdy to me. I had looked at several options before zeroing upon this bag. The main reason I did not go ahead with those options was the strength of those bags. I was planning to load a truck load of equipment in the bag and I wanted to be doubly sure that the bag is strong enough. So far, I am happy with my decision
• Looks: This is a attribute on which the opinion can differ from person to person. I personally believe that the bag is fairly good looking
• Safety: As mentioned in one of the earlier points, one real good quality of the bag is that it offers easy access to the equipment and helps in avoiding too much exposure to the elements 

Negatives:

• Weight: The bag itself is not too heavy but after loading all the gear/equipment, it does become heavy. In my case, my laptop probably weighs a ton and that adds to the overall weight of the bag. With my equipment, the bag can be carried ONLY by strong shoulders. Though it is a negative attribute but I would like to add that I am pretty okay with the weight. After all, you cannot have everything. One has to prioritize the needs and compromise on certain aspects to accommodate the more important ones. In my case, I am okay with the weight of the bag, especially when I have both the straps on (carrying it on both shoulders)
• Price: The bag was not available in India so I had to get it from a seller who imports camera accessories from other countries. I got it through ebay and it costed me INR 9990. Now, for a bag, that is a huge sum to pay. I do have difficulty in justifying my purchase to others. However, there were no cheaper alternatives available that scored highly on my priority list of attributes. Some had space but they were not sturdy, some were sturdy but they would not have accommodated all my gear/equipment. I wanted a bag that could have accommodated my current gear as well as the gear that I am likely to go for in future. Keeping that in mind, XNSLR 7 looked the best fit. I agree that I would have loved to have a cheaper alternative. I would also agree that the bag scores less on value for money but that is not because the overall benefits are low. It is just that the money that I had to shelve out was pretty high. Overall, I am not too unhappy on the value for money aspect

Verdict: I Recommend It!!!

Anyone who is looking for a laptop cum camera bag, I would say that before selecting a bag, look at your current camera gear and also keep in mind the additional gear that you may purchase. You would not like to get into a situation in which you have invested heavily in a bag and a year down the line you find it smaller than what you need. 

I believe that except its price, XNSLR 7 offers a pretty attractive package. I would definitely recommend it. However, if you find another bag that can safely store a lot of equipment and is much cheaper, please let me know as I would love to invest in that bag!!!

This is my first blog from my new Nokia E72. Great phone with great looks and great features. Not a good day though. Lost the bet on Punjab. The buggers can't even defeat Rajasthan!!!

Recently, we bought a new TV. Our first LCD TV!!! Though it is the second TV in the house, the decision was totally "need-based". IPL-3 is round the corner and I was given an "ultimatum" by my wife that there "has to be" another TV for her in the house before the matches start!!! We decided that we will buy a small LCD TV for the bed room.

The timing was perfect. Due to the festival season, most of the shops/brands were offering discounts. One saturday morning, we landed in an electronics showroom....only to get confused!!!

What these electronics showroom do (source: a salesman in a well-known organized electronics retail showrooom) is that they put normal cable in the TVs they do not want to sell. They play DVDs in the little costlier ones. They play blue-ray discs in the ones they actually want to sell. And they play "hi-definition" videos in the "not-for-middle class" ones. We went to the showroom with an intention of buying a small LCD TV but, quite naturally, we got attracted by the bigger ones (32 inches and more). We called up a friend and proud-owner of a 26 inch Samsung LCD TV. He told us that the clarity is better in the bigger ones (more than 26 inches). That solved the problem....only to an extent. We decided that we will buy a 32 inch one but then there were so many options!!!

Sony Bravia was costly and did not have many features so it was ruled out. Samsung looked pretty good. We liked the model LA32B530, which is a 32 inch TV. The clarity was amazing. The MRP was around 44k. They were offering the TV for 38k with a digital camera. I already have a camera shop at home so I asked them to provide a quote for just the TV. 34k was their quote. Perfect!!! Just when I was about to finalize the purchase, I noticed a LG TV. Clarity was pretty good. But it had something else....something that is bound to attract guys. "10 speakers with 700 watt sound output"!!! Obviously I was fascinated by that. But the TV was costly. The MRP was 43k and they were ready to offer it for 40k. Though it was costlier by only 6 thousand but we had stepped in the showroom thinking that we will buy something which is around 20-25k. From that angle, it was a huge jump. I decided to buy the Samsung TV but 700 watts and 10 speakers pulled me back in their camp. My wife, as usual, played the spoilsport and indicated that we do not need a 700 watt TV as we already have a 3300 watt music system. Women!!! They will never understand such things. They are just so.....practical and sensible (psssch). It made be even more confused. After spending around 6 hours in multiple showrooms, we came back home......without a TV.

The next day, my cousin sister solved the problem. She knew someone in LG!!! Its so good to know people who have good network!!! Thanks to my cousin and her contact, I finally got the LG TV (32LH60YR) at a much cheaper price. (I wont share the price as I want you to buy the TV at a higher price so that I derive sadistic pleasure. Hu ha ha ha!!!! And I do not want you to know the price as that might give you a chance to derive sadistic pleasure!!!).

The TV is great. The clarity is amazing. The sound is todu. And the best feature is that I can directly play movies from a pen drive or external hard disk!!! Thats the best part. No other brand has that feature. Its definitely worth the investment!!! Cannot wait for the IPL to start. Feel free to drop at my place for a free demo.

Can I use the loo?

Thanks to the amount of travel I do and a phobia that I have, I have used public toilets at every airport I have been to. Let me tell you that in most cases, it has been an ordeal. There is nothing more repulsive than a dirty loo. I am glad that the government has privatized several airports in the country. Now some of the airports (especially Hyderabad, Bangalore, Delhi) have 5-star toilets!!! Mumbai has been a mixed bag. And Ahmedabad is at the bottom of the pyramid*.

Mr. Narendra Modi, I really liked your city. But please clean your loo. Either have more efficient staff in your loos or privatize the airport. For Heaven's Sake!!!

(*Please note that I haven't been to all the airports in India. There could be others which are worse)

Gurgaon, as a place to live

In my profession, there are not places in India where one can move to. The choices are pretty limited. Mumbai, Bangalore, NCR, Hyderabad and Chennai. People rotate around in these cities only. For me, the choice are even less since I did not like Bangalore....and Mumbai is too fast for me. NCR used to always attract me because of the proximity of several tourist places. You can plan so many things for the weekends.....Jaipur, Corbett, Dehradun, Vaishno Devi, Shimla...the choices are unlimited.

I spent the last 4 days at Gurgaon. Was there for an official visit. There, I got the flavor of the real Gurgaon. Let me share what I liked about the place and what I did not.

Things I liked (first impression);

• The city looked pretty spread-out. Though the city has more sky scrapers than most Indian cities, it does not look crowded
• Road infrastructure. Gurgaon has one of the best road infrastructure in the country
• Plenty of malls and shopping complexes
• Several multiplexes
• No dearth of "eye-candies"
• Great food joints

Things I did not like (first impression);

• People. Even the rickshaw wallah thinks he is the Prime Minister. More often than not, you will bumb into a rude and money-minded person
• Public Conveyance. Not everyone likes a ride in a six-seater auto or a cycle rickshaw!!! After a meeting, I spent more than an hour looking for a taxi. Residents agree that public conveyance is a huge pain point. If you do not have your own vehicle, you are in trouble
• Electricity. Not that I faced huge problems, however residents told me that power-cuts are regular phenomenon
• Weather. Too hot in summers, too cold in winters
• Costly

Overall, Gurgaon did not excite me a lot. It is not that I have been totally discouraged and wont consider it as an option. But I will definitely think twice.

Sach Ka Saamna: Lets Face It!!!

Just can't believe all the fuss about the show "Sach Ka Saamna". I agree that it is pretty bold. I had watched a few episodes of the american version (Moment of Truth) before the Indian version started. When I came to know that the Indian version is starting, I thought that the Indian audience may not be prepared for it. I thought that people wont participate. But to my surprise, people are not only participating, they are actually answering a lot of "awkward' questions. And, it is not the participants who are protesting. Its the "moral police" or the "guardians of Indian culture).....our politicians who are protesting. But why??

I personally do not have an issue with the show. Following are some of my reasons;

• If the participants are okay about answering the questions, who are we to stop them
• Participants are adults and they know what they are getting into. They are asked all these questions earlier and so they do get a flavor of things to follow. They still come and answer the questions. Its their call, isnt it?
• I don't think that the show will have a bad effect on the youngsters as the show comes at 10:30 pm. All kids should be in bed by that hour
• TRP is increasing. That means people are watching it, enjoying it but are pretending that they are not accepting it!!!
• If one finds the show offensive, vulgar etc......please do not watch. Change the channel. That's what the remotes are for
• There are several other shows and soaps which cause far more serious dent on our society. Why isn't anyone questioning them?
• I like the show. Its enjoyment at the cost of someone else. (What a cheapo I am??!!??) I personally would never participate in such a show as I have way too many secrets. And I would like to take the secrets with me to my cell in hell. Its just good to see that I wont be alone in hell!!!

Fly Indigo

I am not a frequent flyer (however I might soon become one...thanks to my new job!!!) but I have done good amount of air travel. I have flown with most carriers and my experiences have never been too bad. Touchwood!!! In fact, I have seldom had very bad experience with Air Deccan (now Kingfisher Red) as well. So you would agree that I have been lucky.

However, till a month back, I had never taken an Indigo Airlines flight. I had heard a lot of stories regarding this airline, especially when it was newly launched. Stories about bad air hostesses (“the” most important criteria for selecting a carrier) and how they serve water in cheapest quality of disposable cups etc. So I used to always avoid this carrier. I had this impression that it the cheapest low cost carrier.

My present job requires me to frequently fly to Mumbai from Hyderabad and as a company policy, I “have” to pick low cost carriers only. On one such trip, I tried Indigo since there was no other carrier that fit my schedule. I must say that I was highly impressed. In fact, I reached the destination before schedule!!! There is nothing fancy about the airlines. They do not have entertainment facilities, no magazine or newspaper, no free food. But they ensure that people reach their destination on time.....more often than not. I think that is what the “day travellers” look for the most. Now I prefer taking Indigo only!!! Great going guys!!!

Beauty on the Road!!!

A few days back, my friend Amit and I were driving around on Hyderabad roads. On a traffic signal, we saw this amazing vehicle right infront of us. It was black and it was two-seater. Thats the two thing that I noticed first. Then I noticed the logo.....It was "Bentley"!!! I was amazed but at the same time, I was thinking that someone has probably spent some money on "modifying" his vehicle and has got a fake logo. Indian mentality!!!

When the lights became green....everyone started crawling. We decided that we will chase the vehicle for a while....just to have a better look!!! This actually continued for around 8-10 minutes. The "fake" Bentley was struggling in the traffic and this was giving us time for our "expert" analysis on the vehicle. Then "the" Bentley saw an opening........and it ROARED!!! Vhhhhhhrrrooooooooooooooom...it vanished.

Later, I came to know that it was a Bentley Continental GT Speed....a 7000cc monster. It was slightly busy traffic otherwise my Santro would have caught the vehicle. Had I met the owner, I would have asked the same two questions that Chris Gardener asks the Ferrari owner in the movie..."Pursuit of Happyness"....."What do you do.....and How do you do it?"

Tata Indicom: Dead Horse

I recently purchased a Tata Indicom "Plug 2 Surf" USB modem. I already have a broadband connection at home but I needed a USB modem since I had some travel plans and wanted to stay connected. High hopes!!!

15 Minute Customer Delight

I called up Tata Indicom customer care to enquire about the offers and plans. I was told about a great offer and was told that an executive can deliver the modem at my door step. I was pretty happy with such service. Didnt know that it was just a bait!!!

The Actual Customer Service Starts

Villain#1 (Sales Executive): The same day, a sales executive came to my place and asked me to fill a form. I did that. Then he took the money and got up to leave!!! I asked him for the USB modem. He told me that someone else will come to verify the address and that guy will give the USB modem. Later, the customer care executive called and asked whether I have received the modem or not!!! When told about what happened, she almost scolded me for not taking the modem from the sales executive. But madam, how am I supposed to know that your executives can be cheats??? I tried calling the sales executive but he did not pick up. This happened for the most part of next day as well. Then I received a call from the customer care. I was told that I will get the modem in half an hour. After waiting for an hour and half, I called up the sales executive and he said that he will be at my place in 15 minutes. After several more calls and a couple of hours, he sent a boy with the modem. The boy knew nothing about the device, laptops, installation process etc. He just told me that he cant help much and my connection will be activated by the end of day.

Late in the night, I tried connecting the modem. Nothing happened. Then, I figured out that there is an installation CD that has been provided. For some reason, this was kept a secret!!! May be they thought that CD has documents related to national security or probably the design details of Tata Nano!!! Anyways, after installing the CD, the modem started to work....at least the signal strenth related numbers suggested that. But there was a "small" problem.....none of the sites were opening. Probably, the Tata Indicom folks thought that I have taken the connection just to check out the signal strength!!!!

I tried calling the customer care(technical)!!!! I was asked for a 10 digit number!!!! More mysteries!!!! I was never provided with a 10 digit number. I went through the manual and realised that the number is actually a phone number. Luckily I have a CDMA phone. I plugged the sim card in my phone and checked the phone number. Later, I was told by the customer care that a technician will come to my place in 12 hours. He almost admitted that someone should have communicated the phone number to me.

Villain # 2 (Technician): The technician came to my place and within 5 minutes decided that I need to format my laptop!!!! Threw some technical jargons to suggest that the problem is with my laptop. How convenient!!! I suggested him that he should try connecting the modem to his laptop. Surprise Surprise!!!! It did not work!!! Then he tried connecting his own modem to his laptop....that didnt work either. Then came the best solution. It cant work at my place so I should go outside my home to use the connection. I visualized myself sitting under a tree outside my home and checking my mails. I almost smiled. I asked him to get out. How rude of me!!!

Villain # 3 (Technical Support Call Center): I called up the technical support and asked them what shall I do now. They told me that the connection may not work at my place. In that case, I can ask for a full refund. But for that, a technician will have to report that the connection wont work at my place. I told them that a technician has already visited and he has told me that the connection wont work in my house. But the customer care exec told me that the technician has reported back that the customer is using his personal modem and there is a problem with the modem!!!! WOW!!! I told the buggers that I have purchased the modem from Tata Indicom only. Then I was told that I can go to the nearest outlet, fill a form and ask for a refund. Finally!!!

I did just that. I went to a nearby outlet but.........I was told that they cannot help me. I called up the customer care and they told me that only the executive that delivered the modem can help me with the refund!!!! And we curse the government for bureaucracy!!!!

I tried calling the executive. For the first 10 thousand times he did not pick up. Then I sent a message to him that I am going to lodge a police complaint against him. In 2 minutes he called up and told me that he was in a meeting. Not even Ratan Tata would be so busy with meetings!!! He came up with another brilliant solution. He told me that it seems that I have not installed the CD properly so he will send someone to install it!!! I told him that it says connected but none of the sites are opening. He told me that in that case, it is a problem with signal and contact technical support. He also told me that in no case will I get a refund. I called technical support and talked to them in the most colorful language that I have ever used. How rude of me!!!

Villain # 4 (Billing Team): In the evening, someone called up from the billing team and said that he can close the connection if I want. I asked that I will be more than happy but what about the refund? He told me that there wont be any refund made. And he told me that I should try taking the modem with me on the trip and it will surely work.

I did that. But, as expected, the modem/connection did not work!!!

I have thrown the modem!!!!

Lessons Learnt:

1. Never use a Tata product as the product and the customer service sucks

2. I was planning to get a Tata Sky connection but now, thats out of question

3. I should try "anulom vilom" and "pranayam". I am a BP patient and I can easily have a heart attack while dealing with customer care executives. I was on the verge of heart attacks several times during this whole process.

4. Tata Indicom has launched a new product. In its promos it shows that race horses to suggest the speed. I beg to differ. I think Tata Indicom is in the business of selling "dead horses"

4. I know solved the mystery regarding vampires and draculas. I know where are all of them now. All of them are working as customer care executives. I think the biggest eligibility criteria for becoming a customer care executive is that you must know how to suck the blood of the customers!!!!

Nokia 5610: Just Like Marriage

Marriage

Nokia 5610 is my first, relatively costly mobile set. I am pretty bad with technology and I do not care if my phone has a camera or not (as I carry a camera everywhere) and so I have always used the basic models. But this beauty really appealed me. Though it was much costlier than the other sets that I have used till now, I really did not mind as it seemed worth the investment. I brought it home.

Honeymoon

Initial days were great. Everyone was "wowed". Looks were great. Sound clarity was good. I was really happy and satisfied.....infact "orgasmic"!!!!

Trouble in Paradise

Initial problems started when one fine day, the phone suddenly went dead. My efforts to restart it went in vain. Only after I took the battery off and tried restarting it, my phone came out of the coma. But this became a regular feature. Many of you would think that I have loaded the cell with all kind of junk (pictures, softwares, music) but thats not true.

Recently the slider key on the phone (the one that is used to directly go to the music player and radio) came off. To my horror, I came to know that the part is not covered under warranty. Moreover, it can not be replaced anytime soon since the replacement parts are yet to arrive in the market!!! Going by the other reviews, I understand that this is not a one-off phenomenon and several users are facing the same problem. I have reached out Nokia folks (in-laws) but there is no response yet.

Heading towards Divorce

The USP of this phone is the look. If the part can not be replaced/repaired, I would prefer dumping this one and bringing another one. (But ya, thats is something I wont do in marriage). I wont recommend the phone to anyone.

Stand Corrected

I was too quick to judge “One Night @ the Call Center”. I was finding the first half comparatively boring but the second half is interesting and to a great extent…..filmy. But overall it is an intelligent book. Anyone reading the book will be able to identify with one character or another. Everyone has had a boss like Bakshi at some stage in life. So the story appeals to most. Interesting read.

Two Point Someone

If you have read Chetan Bhagat's "Five Point Someone" and also know about my academic feats, you might be tempted to think that I am talking about my CGPA from MBA. It was close but it was not that low. But ya, it is related to Chetan Bhagat and his writing. I am not an avid reader. I hardly pick up books as I am a slow reader and do not have the patience. If I am interested in a story, I want to know "what happened next" as soon as possible. But it takes ages as I read slowly, visualize things, read a paragraph again and again....and in the end I get frustrated and lose interest. I know that’s weird but that’s me.

Once someone had asked me how much time will I take to finish the book "The Sixth Commandment" (I do not know why I was reading that crap just like you are wondering why you are reading this crap). I had replied, after a long pause for calculation, "two months"!!! Everyone was surprised/shocked as they were wondering how can someone take so long to finish a book and that too a mystery. I have not told anyone but honestly, I was thinking that probably people are shocked as I have underestimated the time!!! My father and sister still laugh at that incident. I am that bad at reading.

Recently someone suggested "The 3 mistakes of my life" by Chetan Bhagat. I had heard a lot about Chetan Bhagat's style of writing from several bookworms (including my wife) and some others who purchase books regularly (but hardly read them) to impress themselves (like my friend Vikas Khaitan). I had also watched a play based on Chetan's (hunh, “Chetan's”!!!! as if he is my “chaddi-buddy” (langotiya yaar)) book, "Five Point Someone". It was organized by a group called Evam in association with Madras Theatre Group. The play was brilliant, simply brilliant. That had got me interested. So, to cut the "already very long story" short, I decided to read Chetan's (there I go again) latest book "The 3 mistakes of my life".

I finished the book in a day and half!!! Then I picked up "Five Point Someone" and finished it under two days. And now I am reading "One Night @ the Call Center". I am half way through (I must say, it is not as interesting as the other two). Two and a half books in less than a week and that is why the title, 2 point someone. I am finding Chetan Bhagat's style of writing pretty interesting and I am developing an interest in reading. That should mean more than a Booker for Chetan (“Chetan”!!! That’s a hattrick!!! For me as well as him).