China Tales Vol III

China Tales – Vol III – The FAST Track!! – Work | Masti | Racing and Dandiya!!

Nihao to all of you from a Windy/Wet/Stormy/More Wet/ Potentially Typhoonic Shanghai ☺

First and Foremost – Today is 8/10/2007 exactly a month after I reached Shanghai. If someone said somewhere that Time Flies… I would tell him that Its like a spacejet!, It dosent fly, it zooms!!!....

PS – I wrote the above and the below few lines on 8th!, but I am finishing it today!, With a lot of updates and changes!!

Thank you so much to whoever replied to my E-Mails!, Loved my Immaturish Writing ☺, Saw all my pics (am sure the girls saw the guys in my pics and vice versa for the boys!), and people who commented/wrote on my wall on Facebook ☺ ( my first finding here!, discovered yet another networking site!, and it is good, better than our loved orkut!)

So, for the ones who are lousy and don’t want to read this Exciting | Full of Adventure | Thoughtful | and Loooooong Email, here are some quick Links which will give you a sneak peak into whats happening with my life here! –

General Pics – Shanghai -
Trip to Hangzhou !! –
F o r m u l a O n e –
Videos –


Alright, so sit back, take your cup of coffee, stop looking outside the mirror, take a break from your CAT Studies, CA Audits, Boring WorkPlaces!, and enjoy the following updates from yours truly! –

So, continued from ChinaTales II (wow… this goes like a series!), I have settled down perfectly here. With Work, Food, Friends!, Adventures!, Fun… everything… I know this is still an initial phase, but its really important for anyone and everyone who goes to a new environment, a new place to find the right kind of people and places around you. I am lucky atleast I have found the right kind of people!....

Lets talk about Shanghai and China on a whole now… No doubt its one of the most vibrant places you would ever come across, full of energy, people, enthusiasm, life, party, etc etc. You can make the mistake of comparing it to Mumbai for some reason but its way beyond any place in India. The amount of money that the Chinese people and government have put into building this place is not even funny. One of the examples of it is the new Financial Center – Which would be by all means the second tallest building in the world (Tallest in China), one can argue that China is such a huge country, with so much space, so why should a city go on building huge buildings and skyscrapers ( for ppl who don’t know, Shanghai has the most skyscrapers in the world). Well, you may call it a concrete jungle, but that’s the way it is. It’s the Chinese way of saying that we are better than the best. Whatever you tell us, we will still keep growing, and slowly but surely overtake everyone of you outside!. For testimony just see the Pics I have taken from the Bund (River Side).

But, as with all BIG Cities, this is a concrete jungle of some sort. Sometimes it looks like a soulless city to me. People are just here to earn money, spend more money, earn more more money, spend more and more money.. and the cycle goes on… I agree all of us are aspiring to do that too, but we have our own ways of doing it. But Shanghai and China as a whole are progressing blindly at times. Every where you see there is some construction or the other, you can make out from the faces of people how stressed and unhappy they are with lives. You go to a metro at 830 in the morning and there are tons and thousands of people, you come back at 9 in the nite and there are the same number!... well they do work hard, but question is…do they live enough!. I would try and find that out for sure!.

Conclusion – Shanghai is a dream city, but it obviously has the flaws that a commercial capital has!

Something about the Chinese People! – There is a general impression about Chinese that they are really serious and indirect. And I think that’s true. By the limited interactions I have had with them, I do believe they are very serious (atleast the ones I have met), BUT they have a lot of fun among themselves, they kindof stick together and are hesitant in mixing up with foreigners, maybe because of language issues and a lot of cultural differences. I was told that nowadays they do put a lot of pressure on their kids to perform in studies, as they see it as the only way to combat the pressure and competition, which is so much like India. We were having a discussion among ourselves at a lunch and their was only One Chinese Guy among us explaining the Education system and Business Scenario of China, and how the Kids are made ‘bookworms’ since almost childhood! Reminds a lot of us of our childhood isn’t it?

Moving on from the serious stuff now!!.. ☺

Its amazing the kind of friends I have made here!. Picture this, in one week they gave me a nick name ! ( Nikruuuuuuuuuuu), we have been for more dinners/Shisha outings / Chillouts than I would have gone with friends back home (because everyone is new here.. well almost.. hehe), and its not that I am ‘always’ sticking to my Indian friends here, we are 6 of us living in one house and atleast me, bence (Hungarian) and Sam(Half British, Half Iranian) are the best buddies!, Talking about Life, Girls, Parties back home, business, pulling each others legs all the time. For the first time I went for a Youth Music Concert with a lot of ROCK Music (Faithless was the main attraction for people who know them), so in the middle of Shanghai, in a park there were more than 5000 Youth, enjoying, dancing, singing, drinking ☺, it was an amazing evening !...


Switch to Sunday – Race Day!, I have been wanting to write about this experience since a long time now!. We were a little sceptical if we should go or not, because we were 1000 % sure we wont get tickets, and even if we get they will be too highly priced!. But we took a chance, and then went there 4 hrs before the race to ensure we can get tickets. After a lot of negotiations with the black marketers (everything will remind you of going for a cricket match outside an Indian stadium), we finally got the lowest cost tickets for the worst places for 150 RMB ( Appx – 825 Rs), and they were not even tickets!. We found a guy who gave us some special passes which we hung around our neck, we got in and he took it back!, so we were almost without any proof of how we got in there!. so the place was a grass place, no seats, you can stand and watch the race, hardly see any cars etc.
Just a day before we met some Swedish – American people at a downtown supermarket and just exchanged numbers as even they were going for the race (its amazing how foreigners ‘network’) with each other. So we just call them up after getting there, and they called us outside the grandstand (it’s similar to clubhouse in cricket), so that we can meet and sit together somewhere. Even they had the same cheap tickets. There was an old guy in the group and he was like, just follow me and we might get into the grandstand. Initially we were scared. What if the police catches us or something!, But luckily (and I cant even say how lucky we were !), we just walked smartly from a gate which had no police to check tickets!!!! (how bizarre is that!), there were ppl checking tickets on the left and right gate but not here!). So we walk in, go up 6 floors, go inside and take a seat!, and no one even asks us anything!(maybe because we were lead by a white American wearing his country flag).

Trust me it’s a once in a life time experience watching a formula one race from the Grandstands!. The noise of the cars zooooooooming across is deafening! But the excitement is amazing, we all wanted Hamilton to win, but that wasn’t to happen, but the atmosphere, people, and the whole kick of watching a race from a place for 150 bucks (the price of grandstand tickets is more than 4000 RMB)!!! Was so amazing!.

Its not even funny how fast the weekends pass here, lazily get up, go for some food, come back, watch movies, series, talk a lot with flatmates, go for parties, and sleep at 3!, weekends are the best times for sure!.

I started watching Prison Break finally !, and am soon finishing season 1. Its so gripping man!, I have made a LOT of goals for myself for this 1 Year, and one of them is to watch as many movies and tv series as I can!.

Moving on with the ‘party’ scene!, DHL threw a Oktoberfest party last week. Its so nice to be a customer of a company like DHL!. They invite you to their events and lets you have alcohol for free!. But more than that, it’s the networking opportunity that these events provide. I met the Vice Presidents and the Key Account Managers of DHL for IKEA, Electrolux, Wal Mart, Special Olympics team etc and it was so amazing talking to them. The Key account manager for Electrolux in DHL had promised us to invite us to the Beijing Olympics (he works out of Beijing), and will host us there ☺

And finally I went to the Dandiya Night organised by the Indian Association. It was so nice to see 150 Indians together after a long long time!. I danced till I was dead!. Trust me, for almost 4 hours non-stop I was dancing to garba tunes, I had my dandiya partner as chandni(she was the only girl in my group who knew a little bit of dandiya)!, so had a ball of a time there!.

What else?!!?

Have been a little tight on finances this month because of the fun!. But I am sure I will manage!. Work is so damn amazing !! – Last two weeks, my immediate boss went to her home in Russia for a holiday and our ultimate boss went for a business trip. So I had the whole responsibility to handle the operations of the Ocean Freight. It is a very challenging Job of managing shipments, making sure people do things on time, the formalities are met. The toughest part is to make a lot of Chinese people understand simple things (ya atleast ppl in the supply chain business in china speak English)!. I had my first conference call last week with suppliers from US, HK, factory buyers from US, and me and our boss. So the job is not at all a stupid internship where you have to do a lot of data analysis and look at the comp screen the whole day!. It has a lot of challenges, external communication, decision making, networking etc etc involved!. So so far its been satisfying!

I think its been enough for this mail!.

People must have closed the window by now, or have fallen asleep!. I bet on that!
For those who haven’t, let me have a test – write back the following to me :

‘ We love your mails Nikruuuuuuu ☺ ‘

Hehe, that was so selfish of me!

Anyways, its time for me to say good bye!. I am planning to write more about business in china, work culture here, the good and bad things about living here, and a lot of other things in part IV, so watch out!

Hope you all are studying hard, partying harder, working a lot!, best of luck to the CAT givers, hope the 98 percentile in the mocks are now flowing in!

So, Zhai Chien (bye bye!)


Urs, today and forever!

Niks☺

ChinaTales - Vol2

Nihao Everyone!!! - Good Morning on a Monday Morning :)

" The word Perfect is used by people, when Expected things happen Unexpectedly!!"

I really dont know if it makes sense, but it makes 'perfect' sense to me!! Its already been a week now, that i have been in Shanghai, and things have just been Perfect!!, Yes, i had some expectations, but a lot of things here are unexpected, and the expected things have come as a great surprise!!

So, this part of chinatales (i think i am making a brand of this story of mine.. hehe, with inspiration from da gr8 yousuf bhai and moiz bhai!!), is all about my first week in the ' New York of Asia", Shanghai!, my work, my colleagues, the parties!, food, laptops, bargains!!(trust me i will win a place in the guiness book for that) and other random things!!

For people, who dont have the patience to read the entire thing :(. here are links to my pics and videos!!

Pics - http://picasaweb.google.com/nikunj.parekh/ChinaTalesPics
Vids - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MwTL3Y8QCU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6AmpIOLfss


So, after that roller coaster first two days of meeting unknown people, missing home really badly!, settling down at house, it was time for the real thing!!, the work!!

So monday it was, and Nick and Bence (my flatmates from Taiwan and Hungary), kept telling me about how bad the morning ride in the metro is here, and i did experience it, trust me guys, all of u who have been to Mumbai Trains, this is far worse, the trains are small, like the Kol metro, and there are SO MANY PEOPLE!!!, at 8 in the morning (yea i get up early now), i mean, yea, china is the most populated country in the world and you can see that here, there are tooo many people, there are times where you are nose to nose with ppl!, but thats the experience!, staying in a city which is so energetic, and which is so futuristic!

I was shocked to see our office building!, it is a dream building!, when we go abroad to work, we always dream that we will be working in a Big building, of glass, in the center of the city, and its just that!!, the Center, with suited guards!( trust me, they look more decent then some of our managers in india!), and amazing elevators!,

Ok, the office is simply stunning!, lots and lots of people, very modern, and it gives you a feel instantly that you are working in a MultiNational Company!, the people, are so warm and welcome you so well!, i always thought chinese people will be cold, but they are not!, they are very receptive, but the deal is, i am in the Global logistics team, of 8 ppl, and there is only one Chinese in our team!, we are a truly multicultural team with One Indian ( :) ), Russian, Mexican, Columbian, Sweedish, Hungarian, Taiwanese ,Italian! ( 90% of them are previous AIESEC Trainees, and rest current ones!)

so thats what a perfect place to work is rite, working with people all over the world, and working on a job that involves coordination and managing of shipments and logistics all over the world, truly i am now being a part of the Global Village as somepeople call it!!,

Anyways, a quick info on my job now, its a really challenging one, and i am honored to do something like this at this young age!, I am in the Logistics Operations Analyst, and am a part of a special project that will change the way suppliers supply goods to electrolux, as in their supply change, logistics etc, dont wanna go to a lot of details, but the job involves making Internal Business Plans, communication with Suppliers from all over the world, shipping companies, i am solely responsible for a project with US factories of electrolux, so it will have a lot of coordination with US factories, then managing shipments, scheduling shipments, making sure everything is on time, documentation etc etc. .. so something that i always wanted to do, and i am sure if i would have stayed back in India for a job/,mba i would not have got this multicultural exposure, so thanks AIESEC !!

Now the people, its amazing how much can a person learn from so many diverse ppl, in a week i have learnt a lot abt Hungarian history, saw a hungarian movie, had food with all my office mates, and learn their diff working styles!, so a lot in store for me for the future!

Well the food is a small prob, but not that big one!, i have sandwiches, burgers, pizzas in the morning, and alternative nites go to this Indian Maharaj which is 20 Mins away from office by train and 50 Mins from home, Trust me he makes amazing indian food, just like home, better than home some times!!, its not a restaurant, its just his flat where he cooks food and indians who know him can have food there, its a big relief to have food at his house!.
--

Ok, now something on my short shopping experiences, i went for this latino nite, on Mexican Independence day with Some friends, and after which we were waiting for this friend to come out of the pub @ 2 Am, and this guy comes up with this Fake Rolex Watch, and quotes the price @ RMB 420 ( Rs 2520 Appx), And i just wanted to do some TP and didnt want to buy it, so i said i will buy it for 50 RMB !, he said a big noooooooooooooooooooooooo (just like the russel peters joke on india and china !), and then we said we dont want to buy, Bosmag( Fuck Off in Hungarian), and we just started avoiding him, and after 15 mins, i bought the watch from him for RMB 20 !!!! ( 120 Rs), guys china is the place to bargain!!, next day i bought a samsonite laptop bag for 600 RS (Quoted MRP was 2000), and shirts for 200 RS!

So its been a roller coaster ride so far, i know its tough to read such a long mail on a lazy monday morning, but i hope you read it, and reply back with your comments and suggestions!!......

Till Next time, with Another Topic

Sziasztok ( Bye Bye in Hungarian!)

PS - Next time will use more Chinese when i learn it!!

Cheers

ChinaTales - Vol1

ChinaTales - Nik@Shanghai


Nihao to whoever is reading this in whichever part of the world!! (Nihao = Hello!)

I had told Siddharth Kanoria (for those of you who don't know him, my classmate from SXC, now in DHL Singapore as an AIESEC Trainee), that I will write my updates about Shanghai before his mail comes for Singapore(he has been there for 2 weeks now), and here I am.... With my tales from the Dragon Land - china, from the city of the future - Shanghai!!

Caution - If you don't find my tales/writing interesting, please please email me back saying that you don't want to read it, and I will remove you from the list. What will follow is a small account of what I have done for the past few days, and will keep writing in the future as well!

Alrite, so here we go....

Have you ever thought about stepping into Sachin Tendulkar's shoes, going out there in the middle, opening the batting and facing fast bowlers, and having expectations of a century from a billion people.?

Well, I am in no way comparing myself with him, but that's what I felt yesterday, coming to an Alien Land, meeting people I have never met before, staying without family in a house, it was like batting on an Australian wicket without the helmet!!, you never knows whats coming up next!!

Ok, now a Detailed Account of what I have been Upto -

First and Foremost - Shanghai is an Amazing Amazing City, there is no comparison between Shanghai and Any City in India, trust me, its an exceptional mix of Development, Population, Skyscrapers, and futuristic infrastructure!!..

I got an amazing amazing small farewell from my friends back home, they all came to my house, swati, anuj, anu, prashant, divya, ankit, anurag, pooja, I had cut a cake, they made a PPT for me which almost made me cry and then all of us in one car to the airport singing songs, some funny, some senti, so a touchy moment for sure.

It was a long flight journey no doubt, no alcohol for me this time, as I have decied to cut down on my consumption totally, so started watching Shootout at Lokhandwala and slept midway!. Arrived in Shanghai on Time... carried 44KGs of luggage when 20 KG was allowed, and they didn't utter a word, so the start was perfect...

Arrived on time @ shanghai, dot on time, I wonder that will a flight ever be on time in India for domestic flights!!, anyways, but then the perfect times stopped a little, I could not find the person supposed to pick me up!!, exchanged money and gave him a call, and he was right there!!, reminded me so much of my AIESEC days, when I had gone for innumerable pickups, but now it was time to be on the other side!!

So, off we go, in a bus then a cab travelling across Shanghai!!, what a beauty this is...
Arrived at the house, and woooooooh, it's a huge complex!! 10 blds, all 15 floors high, and we live on the 14th and 15th floor, yea it's a duplex J

Bence, my flatmate, was there to receive me, I settled down in a medium to small sized room as all the big ones have been taken away before I reached, but I am damn happy with the house and the room!!...

So, so far so good.. went out with bence in the eve, and met up with some other trainees, and went to this 'veg' Chinese restaurant. Don't know why, but there, was the first time I felt terribly homesick!! It was all of a sudden, trust me, I felt like running away, catch the flight and go and meet everyone back home, I called mom, pooja, swati so many times, just to hear their voice!!, trust me it was damn tough!!, but after speaking to everyone I was fine..

Today Morning was a lazy one, got up late, and then was calming myself down, telling myself, this is what life is, full of challenges, and opportunities. If you want to gain something, you have to loose something, and right now i cant be homesick!, I have somuch to learn, so much to explore , the journey has just started!, prepared myself for al the challenges!

The First Challenge - Went to Peoples Square, an amazing place in the center of the city, with shopping malls, tall complex, etc. I was searching for a Citibank ATM - as I had to withdraw money desperately!!, I was out of cash... but woah, the card refused to work, maybe they have not activated it, so walked again for 2-3 KM to find a bank!, and then they said they cant change money without passport, which I wasn't carrying.. hmmmmm

So here I am, at an unknown city, with around 10-20 RMB(Chinese Currency , equivalent to 6RS/RMB). I had called up a friend, who I found on orkut - Soniya, an Indian living in Shanghai, and we were meeting up, she and her friends. So she said not to worry and she will lend me some money!. So for 2 hrs I was just walking here and there, @ shopping malls, lanes, etc. and finally we met. Soniya and her friend, chandini.

They were amazingly sweet ppl, very very helpful, no inhibitions, they took me to a movie, it was 4 girls and me(lucky huhJ), and then we went for dinner to an Indian restaurant!!, on the way I saw a bridge which was 6 floors high, the nangpu bridge!

Came back home late, but my fone wasn't working, and dad and mom had already got worried, have spoken to everyone, so all fine now!

Trust me its been an amazing start. I hope it remains the same. This AIESEC Experience of a traineeship simply can change a person and also ppl around u. Imagine, I am staying with 3 ppl, 1 from Taiwan, 1 from Hungary, 1 from Japan, there will be one coming from USA, 1 from Sweeden!!, so what a multicultural house it will be.

Cant wait to go to office tomorrow. So will write again with updates and pics!!

My Shanghai No - 0086-13917394344

Cheers till next timeJ

Did you Know? = Amazing Presentation!

Back to Square 1!

Its time to get back to Square 1... With a lot of things in life:

1. Start of a New Life in a Week: Yea, thats what i am the most excited about right now...Leaving for Shanghai on Friday, the visa is here, and so is the ticket!, Its definately going to be a life changing journey from now on, new people, new food ( god help me), new work, i am excited, yet apprehensive, lets hope everything works out well!

2. Blogging again - yes, something i was not doing at all from a last few months but want to restart, as the only medium of the outlet of my thoughts seems to be this!, and dont wanna be left behind in the web 2.0 age!

Anyways,

Till the net post

Cya

Niks

Apologies, BRB and Good News

First - The Apology - Sorry really sorry, could not update my blog as was in a middle of a lot of things actually!!....

BRB - I will still be unable to update, as i will still be in the middle of a lot of things!

Good news - I am off to Shanghai for a year, have got through Electrolux, so i think will start blogging full fledgedly once i reach there, and share my xp!!

till then

adios~~

Jeff Immelt on India

GE CEO Jeff Immelt: India, globalization and the economics of scarcity by ZDNet's Dan Farber -- The influence of India on the technology industry was on display at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Alumni 2007 Global Conference taking place at the Santa Clara Convention Center in the heart of Silicon Valley. The IIT is India’s premier technology university and its toughest. Last year nearly 300,000 students applied and 4,078 [...]

MACNIFICIENT !!

Hello !!

1 month of wait... flights getting canceled ...... walking in knee deep water.... and finally... my all new Macbook is here !!... yeye...

Well, waited for this machine for a long long time, and simply love it... everything about it... now no more Windows xp !!.. no more waiting.. no more error messages,.... no more viruses.... no more stupid windows sounds..... its a whole new world now..... f9,f11, 10 second startups, every I softwares, adium !!, keynote, pages, dashboard.... it goes on and on..

Mac Rules !!

cheeers

nik

the great Global Marketing MagiCproduct !- iPhone

" The first thing that you see in the newspapers this morning.... you switch on the TV and the news channel are covering it.... you go to the RSS feeds on your WebBrowser and its there all over the place... log on to Orkut, and there are communities on it... Read Blogs and people mention it there.... Go to the Maker's website and they have elaborate videos there.... Google Maps show the Q's outside shops in NY where people are waiting to buy it since 2 days!!.. its here, there, everywhere... Another one from Mr Steve "Apple" Jobs genius mind.. the iPhone !!"

So how does this post of mine contribute to the already Hyped (Over-Hyped) product of Apple. Well, I just want to throw light on the Marketing Aspects of the Phone from What i Gather from the web...

Here is what Lance Ulanoff writes on PC Magazine : " Product announcements typically occur only at key Mac-based shows, and there is little to no warning—from Apple—about what they'll be about. But that very lack of information creates a vacuum so strong that it steadily sucks in new faux information. And Apple's remarkable silent drum beats on "

So, how did Apple Manage such a Hype and Hoola about the iPhone, (like it always does with its other products).

Well, to view it from a LAY man's Eyes (and I am one for sure), the following are the points which Attract a person to the genius marketing of the iPhone...

• the Ps of Marketing : as any Big Company would do, Apple has specifically given emphasis to the Ps of Marketing,
  
• the Product has been designed and created keeping in mind the wants and needs of the people, its a Sleek Design, New muli Touch Screen, Stunning Graphics, Ipod, Photos, Internet, phone , all in 0ne !!.. well, the consumers did have such products in the market to choose from, but the way Apple positioned it, and compared it to the iPod ( a cult product), definately created the initial thrust for this great global hype...
• Promotion: Well, its everywhere, Blog, Podcasts, Websites, Newspapers, TV, I think the people up there in Space Station would also know about it !!... and this has been done very subtly!, no aggressive spending on different media at all... its just the curiosity of people and developers that have clicked as always for Apple. People are curious, they wanna know more, for the matter of fact, I, writing this Blog Article, also contributes to the Promotion of iPhone, but in a subtle way...
• Place, Price, Packaging, People - well, people do have doubts on the Price of the product, some do have an opinion its higly prices for a mobile phone. But thats the way it is, any product which is positioned as revolutionary has to be prices a notch up wrt the competition, thats when the unique premier value of the product would come in. I am sure the 2nd generation would be far lower,
• Buzzzzzzzzz.... : Well, there has been a tremendous buzz about the Phone in Markets and people all over the world, here is what John C. Dvorak Writes in his 'anti iPhone' post at PC world : " You talk football and the conversation switches to the iPhone. You talk baseball and the conversation switches to the iPhone. TV, movies, stock market, community theater—it all switches to the iPhone. "Yes, what about them Raiders? Many players will buy the iPhone, I bet. Yes. I think so. They will. They will have to, I think."I swear (though I have unsuccessfully tried taking pictures to prove it), when you look at these people closely, there is a spinning disk in each pupil that you can barely make out. It's like a spiral that turns and turns toward infinity. And, I can assure you, a hard slap won't help." Well thats the story everywhere !!
• Flaws: Well the phone does have potential flaws which consumers will have to notice :
• The Screen is unique, and i am sure, with rough usage, if it breaks (god forbid), we will have to pay an enormous price for it.
• Its just like any other PDA Phone in the end !!... so no matter how differently Apple positions it, people will definitely compare it with other phones around which are cheaper, so the Non Apple Cult will shun the IpHone even if they find small disadvantages.

So, whatever it might be, the juggernaut will begin to roll this evening when the Phone debuts in the USA. Its still a year to come to India, but I will watch out for it, and hope to write about it soon !!..

Cheers

Niks

Back.. Back Again.....

An Apt song for me - Guess who's back.. .back again.. Niks Back.. tell all !!

Lol, well, i am back from my self exile from the blogging world because of my Univ Exams, and now i can proudly say that I am now a deemed graduate !!.. This could mean the following :

1.I dont have to go to college again :( (it was so much fun)

2. Suddenly i feel a pressure on my shoulders, i have to contribute to the per capita income of the country !!

3. No meeting friends Every Single day.. everyone on their own way - bschools, jobs, etc etc... :(


4. Have to seriously build a career now !! (looking fwd to that !)

5. a new life starts.... a new beginning !!..


So, watch out for more posts !!.. right here.. right now !!

decent start....

Had my first university examination today, for the final year. Got off to a decent start today. Literally read only 27 pages for the exam and wrote a near 40 pages !!... Attempted 100 Marks....

Next is on wednesday  - Advertising and Sales Promotion - Not that difficult - should be a sweep !!

Congrats to Siddharth for getting through to DHL - Singapore - AIESEC Traineeship - Great news for the day. !!

Using Apple - Safari Browser on Windows - Works Brilliantly - May swtich brands !! - lets see, still evaluating, have discovered a few things for which I would prefer Mozilla.

Smallest Post getting over real fast :). .hehe..

Till Tommorow, will comment on the Steve Jobs Keynote for Leapord - Watch Out !

Cheers and Good Night - 

Niks

the Sweet feeling of joy :)

'Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.'

I dedicate this post to all the people who are smiling and are joyous because of things around them.....

my laptop shows me that i have 20 minutes of battery left, and i want to finish this post before it finishes, because i aint wanna be online too long, or Mr studies will get annoyed :(

Got a call yesteday from one of my best friend, his voice for sweeter than normal... there was a thump in his voice (just like the sony ad !, he is a music geek though), and i was wondering why was he calling up so many times, (he actually called up 3rice, and i coudnt speak to him as i was eating - my fav pastime!)... this guy had been waiting for this day since the last year.... he had toiled day and night for this.... with no success... he finally made it to a B-School !!... XIMB... one of the best in India.. and i was so happy for him.. it feels so nice when someone around you is full of joy and happiness, when a wait gets over, and a sense of achievement surrounds you...

Had the same feeling when some other friends got through top bschools, IIMA, XLRI, IIFT.. etc etc.. we are a golden batch for sure... and the joy was immense.... but there are people (like us :) ), who still await... who are still patient of something BIG to come our way (well, i am being greedy after the Google offer!), but still.... its always good to be not content, and explore other things.. in search of joy, ....

Anyways, its just a small post, dunno what it conveyed, but hope u liked it :)

cheers

Niks

Song of Life

The Winner is always part of the answer;
The Loser is always part of the problem.

The Winner always has a program;
The Loser always has an excuse.

The Winner says, "Let me do it for you";
The Loser says, "That is not my job".

The Winner sees an answer for every problem;
The Loser sees a problem for every answer.

The Winner says, "It may be difficult, but it is possible";
The Loser says, "It may be possible, but it is too difficult".

When a Winner makes a mistake, he says, "I was wrong";
When a Loser makes a mistake, he says, "It was not my fault".

A Winner makes commitments;
A Loser makes promises.

Winners have dreams;
Losers have schemes.

Winners say, "I must do something";
Losers say, "Something must be done".

Winners are a part of the team;
Losers are apart of the team.

Winners see the gain;
Losers see the pain.

Winners see the possibilities;
Losers see the problems.

Winners believe in win-win;
Losers believe for them to win some one has to lose.

Winners see the potential;
Losers see the past.

Winners are like thermostat;
Losers are like thermometers.

Winners choose what they say;
Losers say what they choose.

Winners use hard arguments but soft words;
Losers use soft arguments but hard words.

Winners stand firm on values but compromise on pretty things;
Losers stand firm on pretty things but compromise on values.

Winners make it happen;
Losers let it happen.

Dont have words to say after this... amazingly true - inspiring bit of words... Hope it inspired you :)

Cheers

Niks

Impossible is nothing !!

Good Morning !

Just received this ad today as an Email Attachment and liked it very much :). It fits well with the branding of Adidas as a company with a slogan of 'impossible is nothing' literally !

Watch how a man takes so many people on his shoulders, almost an impossible task, wearing adidas shoes, and taking people with him, shoes how a brand attracts a lot of people, and can people wearing the brand can achieve impossible tasks !..

i think the production of the ad could have been a little better, in terms of quality and delivery, like the apple ads maybe(piece of art they are !!)

Anyways, enjoy this ad !

the Face Off - Bill Gates and Steve Jobs Together !!

Hey People

I know my Blog is now sounding tooo much technical with some posts of Computing, Apple, Microsoft doing the rounds, but thats my mood right now... I am in the process of reading about technology, it surrounds our lives, i will buy a gadget soon :), i will be working in a gr8 company soon... so its all going on... so 4give me u non techie nerds.. but this posting is one of the greatest interviews i have seen, The Combined interview of one of the biggest rivals in the world - Bill Gates and Steve Jobs !!.. Remember the Get a Mac ads i posted, this is the real thing... just sit back, grab a cup of coffee and relax, and listen to 2 great entrepreneurs who changed the world (literally), its for those who love entrepreneurship, those who love innovation, those who love ideas !!!

Do watch all 12 videos.. the 1st one is a opening video they played b4 the interview, which has a history of their relationship and some gr8 historic footage of how they spoke about each other !!

I THANK the person who took the pain of uploading all these videos !!... thanks a ton whoever you are !!

Enjoy - do comment !!

The Future of Computing - Amazing !

Well, to start with , there will be two kinds of people reading this :

1. the Techie Geeks, who know everything thats going around this world about the development of technology - and hence can find it boring :(

2. The eager learners, who might find it amazingly exciting and a good read (like me :) )

I was browsing through the news channels today, and saw a news update, where a Polish Person, who was in Comma from the last 19 years, came back to life today !!... It was amazing to see that guy Surprised and Shocked at every development that he saw... cellphones, computers, gadgets etc etc...

Lot of us think that Computers are making us dumb day by day, and our ancestors were far better with their brains and the way they lived their lifestyle, atleast they werent this much dependent on Technology like our generation is. If you thought that Technology (especially computing) has changed the way we live life in the past 10 years.... hang on.....

God Forbid, but if one of us go into comma like that man in Poland and wake up 20 years later.. we might still be very very amazed and more shocked !!..

Picture this :

You go to a restaurant and finding there arent any waiters to take your order, its a sleek , techie restaurant, where your table is your waiter, cashier, consultant, shopping mall, computer, search engine, music player, movie player, etc etc etc... you just sit on the table, move your fingers through the 'touch screen' to view the menu - ON THE TABLE - which itself is a computer screen.... compare items, place an order, then surf the internet, buy stuff, download ringtones to your cell, charge ur cell, download music for ipod, click pics, and then after having your food, just place your credit card on the table and woooh, it accepts your payment, and you can 'dutch' it with ur frens on the same table !!..

Sounds very techie.. and unimaginable... hang on....

Trust me on this, i was sitting at a restaurant in kolkata, with my family and was telling them, that someday i would like to work on selling such a technology so that the whole eating expereince can become better.. and provide so much branding opportunity to the companies.. etc etc..

and today, sids asks me - do u know of microsoft surface ??.. and i was like.. NO.. what is it.. another aweful microsoft software !???...

and then i saw the stuff online. and i was floored !!

have a look at all this :::: and i wont say more !!... U decide.. the kind if possibilities it can open up.. the way this can change our lives.. !!

I mean it.. we are in the most exciting times to live on this planet... !!.. gear up people.. the world will change soon ;)

Watch these videos... sit back and relax !!:)

All Pics - Malaysia

Check out all my EYLN Pics of Malaysia at :

http://picasaweb.google.com/nikunj.parekh/EYLNMalaysia2007

Do Comment :)

Cheers

10 - MindTalk :)

Just got this mail today from Yousuf regarding AIESEC Alumni Association, and they are starting a newsletter, and they want people to write random stuff, but meaningful, and was wondering if I can write at all!!... i mean, i have never read a book in my life, never written stuff, actually this blog is the first time i am actually 'pening down my thoughts'.. so lets c how far i go.

Well, this post is dedicated to 'MidTalk' where, i shall reveal whatever 10 things come to my mind right now, dunno how it will interest people, but anyways, here it goes:

1. Google OR Internship OR ??? - Career Career Career..... Hope I get a good opportunity !!

2. Waiting for my new macbook to arrive, cant wait to work on a new machine, new OS :)

3. Want a Holiday Again !!... wanna go off to a far off place, alone or with friends, just to chill, not to blow a lot of money though :)

4. Want to start reading books ! - have two to start with - The World is Flat and IT Happened in India - Kishore Biyani.

5. Want to explore new things, virtually, generally in the world etc.. you know, dont wanna do the same old stuff, so the search will begin for new ideas, new knowledge etc etc

6. Watch a few more movies..... Have to get hold of my DvDs

7. Implement more of Pranic Healing, of what i have learnt to heal more people

8. Develop a better taste of music, and listen to more songs

9. Develop an innovative and 'cool' business idea :)

10. Slim Down, Be more Fit, !!

GetAMac Ads

Hey Guys

Well my Extra Technical Affair (whatever that means) with Macbook and the mac family !!.. After Sudipto and Swati has got their respective macbooks, i cant even think of buying any other machine, its so nice, and all that hoopla about it not workin with softwares and it not being user friendly is all crap, its a damn sophisticated and nice machine.

Anyways, check out these ads man... i mean this is 7.5 minutes of creativity, and aggression, whatever ppl feel, Apple have the guts to give say it on the face of Mircosoft that they are better than microsoft.

Anyways, enjoy the video...

bye

Niks

Learning the art of healing - Pranic Healing !

Hello People.

Well, lot of the people who know me knows that i was always spiritually and religiously inclined, as it gives me a sense of energy, relief and inner satisfaction. I have always been open to learning new things which can improve my life and the lives of others around me.

Last sunday, i came across this opportunity to Learn - Pranic Healing in Mandir. Our guru told us to learn it from someone, as it can be beneficial for the long term for health etc etc. So i said its in the evening, and just for 3 - 4 days, so i can give it a shot!.

I started learning it yesterday, and its been pretty good so far, Its basically the art of No touch, No Drug, healing, where we can heal someones body (disease, wounds, stress, problems), through cleaning and energising the ENERGY BODY. The concept is simple. We have two kinds of bodies, the physical body and the energy body. Pranic Healing deals with the Energy Body, because, its believed that Inner Strength and Immunity comes from the type of energy you posses, and pranic healing, cleans the BAD and Negative energy and provides a medium of transfer of positive and healthy energy from one person to another , without touching.

Well, i kindof tried it on my aunt in the morning, as she was having some kind of a leg pain. And after following the steps, her pain was gone !!.. i was shocked, but yea, its true.. it went away!... lets c what i learn more and i would keep you posted


Cheers

Nikunj

Reason - The Truth

Hey people

Was just listening to this song, and i know this is a favourite of a lot of people around the world, the lyrics and the meaning is so so true... A lot of us are in relationships but do not understand the true value of relationships around us, it maybe ur GF, Family, Friends, anyone, this song gives it a true Reason, that we exist for them..... Enjoy the song !!




'm not a perfect person
There's many things I wish I didn't do
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you

I'm sorry that I hurt you
It's something I must live with everyday
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears
That's why I need you to hear

I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you (x4)

I'm not a perfect person
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you

I've found a reason to show
A side of me you didn't know
A reason for all that I do
And the reason is you

Goin MAD on MAC

I think it comes naturally for "brand youth" of today to go bananas on computers and laptops and for that matter any techie stuff... the world is becoming so Tech Dependent Day by Day, that previously people used to go mad and beserk buying or even thinking to buy a nice TV, Shirt, Holiday ticket etc, but nowadays, it IPOD, Laptops, Software etc etc

Well, me, sudipto, siddharth and Swati just went to check out the new Apple Imagine store in SaltLake, as i had to check the MAC, as my dads fren is coming from the US in June and i plan to buy one as its damn cheap out there.. compared to India, and a MAC is a MAC... no comparison to it,, the looks, the OS, the performance, and the BRAND attraction is tremendous !!... We checked the Apple site Today and they came out with a higher version of MAC with 2.16 Ghz, 160 GB HD, 1 GB Ram... at 63000 Rs !!... awesome price but in US

Now.. we step into this Apple Imagine Store in City Center.. and was jus checkin out some laptops.. and wohhhhhhhaaaaaaaa.. we see the 'inaugral offer' prices for the macbook and we all get SHOCKED !!...

The 1.83 ghz,512mb ram, 60gb hd Macbook(white) whose Indian MRP is 67000, we get for 53400 Only !!...

The 2.0 ghz , 1 gb ram, 80 gb hdd (white macbook), mrp at 77800 we get for 61800 only !!

the 2.0 ghz , 1 gb ram, 120 gb hdd (BLACK) mrp at 87600 at 63900 only !!

Believe it or not.. its an awesome price... these are at par with US prices(almost !!) and sudipto and swati are buying them instantly!!

I mean this is the real power of BRANDS and Marketing, there was no advert for this, and by just looking at the offer two people who were almost buying HP and Vaio switched to MAC, just because of price and the superiority of the machine !!

For me.. its still a long wait. !!.. i still would buy from US, as i get a more better machine at a better rate!!

Go APPLE.. its just not getting out of our heads yet !!

Cheeers

Nikunj

GE Session On Leadership - Roshan Thiran - EYLN Malaysia

Leadership Session by Roshan Thiran : General Electric Malaysia :

It was definately the best session that you can start a conference on Entrepreneurship with. I mean without the essence of leadership, entrepreneurship of any form, would be without a soul, leadership drives every organisation, small, medium, huge, gigantic, start ups, MNCs, you name it and leadership is to the core of its success story. Roshan Thiran has been working in GE for a long time now, and he remphasised the importance of Expertising in Everything, according to him, a Leader cannot be a specialist, he has to be the guy who drives the marketing, finance, hr , it , etc functions in an organisation, and a good leader can only be made if he expertises in everything that he puts hand into !!.. he gave personal examples of how he turned around the aircraft reparing business of GE Malaysia and was then head of the team to solve the y2K bug ,inspite of having no experience in IT !!!

Leaders do change organisations and people, but the essence according to Roshan was to Change Yourself First... he gave one of the best examples of Jack Welch : How Leaders never stop Learning and Changing themselves....

Jack Welch had almost a year left for retirement, and he was never considered to be IT savvy at all, he hated the internet and computers and thats why at that point of time, GE didnt have any big time investments in IT. One day he saw his wife buying something on the internet, and he was thrilled, as the product arrived a day after to his house, all of a sudden he had the brainwave of learning everything about IT and the internet and wanted to transform GE to be very efficient in IT. Lot of people told him that it was just his last year of retirement and he could have left it to his successor to solve this problem, but Jack Welch put the onus on himself and at that age, learnt everything about IT and internet and now GE has a lot of investments in IT related areas.

This is a testimony of a true leader and how leaders first change themselves, always keep learning and then take active part in transforming others and their own organisations !!..

Roshan also spoke about the importance of thinking and business acumen as a very importance characteristic of a leader, a lea\der should be able to know the market and scan the environment before taking important descisions. Also the thought process and communication pattern is very very important in leadership... a leader should be the one who thinks clearly, who can crystallize his thoughts and dosent COMPLICATE things, lots of leaders use Authority to get their work done, but the real leader is the one who can INFLUENCE his colleagues and subordinates.

All of the above is so true, there were so many young budding entrepreneurs in the plen, and a short and clear lession on leadership would go a long way for them to lead their own organisations!!

So it begins !!

HIiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Everyone...

Welll really really sorry for the ddeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllaaaayyyyyy (delay :) ) in posting my xp, as after you read the next posts which will flow, you will know i had No Time to log in and blog... but ya, i wrote down everything i wanted to write.. .. its my last night in Singapore !!!!

So, Flashback time... lets go to 7th of May 2007 - 1st day of EYLN Conference !!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Good Morning : Well, its strange to get up at a place you have never been before, all alone, and when you know no one out there, apart from a few people! (read 1), but it was a good morning, the weather was so so better, it was raining, and i was watching the rains in another part of the world, and it looked quited beautiful, cos i hav already said the view from my room was breathtaking with small mountains, greenary all around, the unverisity UKM looked more like a holiday destination then a university, so clean, quiet,
serene, I would love to study here anyday !!.. anyways, so i was a little
apprehensive of the start, and had no idea what the next 3 days had in store
for me.

Meeting the Facis Again: Well picture this : 11 Individuals, from 6
different nationalities, teaming up to deliver a conference on
entrepreneurship!! If someone told you the world is now about
Globalisation, and AIESEC was a platform where youth from different parts
of the world can come together and work as a team... it was so true in this
case, I had been to an International conference before and seen people from 90 different countries work, discuss, have fun together, but this was my first hand expereince of working with such wonderful people!.. So down to earth and so mature were all of us, each of us had different backgrounds, in terms
of everything!!... the initial jitters and uneasyness was over is minutes and now we all felt like pals who have met after a loooong time and chilling together and brainstorming the conference and its flow... its an amazing feeling discussing world cricket with an Australian - Jeff, we discussed how badly india played and how unlucky we were, and the secrets of success of Australian Cricket, how they follow and take the game!!... more on facis and our discussions will be written later!!... but.. all in all.. it is a great great team..

Opening Plen: Well, was waiting for this since 2 days now, finally the conference begins!!... it was so good to be back at an AIESEC Conference, but this time, all the delegates were Not AIESECers, there were maximum Non - Aiesecers in the plen, so that made the job more challenging as they didnt know how we work, and didnt share the same wavelenght. It started with a round of introductions from all facis, and it was nice to hear the applause for the only Indian to come there only for the conference (me ofcourse:) ), total delegates were 150 and max from Malaysian universities, some from Hong Kong, Singapore etc. the Plen venue was also amazing, it was one of their lecture cum seminar halls, but wow it was better than any auditorium in kolkata !!...


Well this is just the start... watch out for more posts on the whole conference and then - Amazing and Unique Singapore !!

Cheers

Nikunj

Truly Malaysia - EYLN - The XP !!

" A Long Journey Starts with a single Step, a step forward, a step in the right direction, a step towards the destination "

I dont know how much sense does this make to you, but it does to me, i have embarked on a journey of rediscovering myself, and to do what i always loved to do, TRAVEL !!... all by my own.... to lands never visited before, to meet people never met before, and to gain invaluable experiences that would for sure have a binding efect on my personality and future.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls (True SRK Style :) ), welcome to the adventure that would leave you excited, astonished, happy and a lot of mixed emotions (hopefully :) )

The Delay in getting the passport : It started of shakily as my passport arrived at 12 midnight and i had a plane to catch at 2, so we were waiting at the jet airways cargo division to collect the passport, and it was nice of the travel agent to have arranged that in the last moment, so all anxious moments were over and I was about the begin my hyped up, awaited, Trip to Malaysia and Singapore, 1st time not for a holiday, but for a conference and work !!

The Tiring Journey: yeah it was tiring, i had planned that i will play cricket on board, sort out those case studies, listen to music, but cudnt do all of them. the Flight was smooth, but i guess the emotions of the farewell got to me, and i was feeling damn tired, was constantly listening to my cutie pie :), but after the food got off to sleep, stupid THai Airways dosent even have a movie viewing screen like Singapore Airlines !!... so got bored.. The wait at the Bangkok airport was tooo much, i touched down bangkok at 5AM and my flight was at 9 ~!... 4 hrs loooong wait.... so did TP for an hour, roamed about these looooooooooong and neverrrrrrrrrrr ending modern hi tech airports !!... man... i know people who have been abroad will agree with

me but these are like H U G E airports, all of them , KL, BKK, and SIngapore, more a shopping mall , entertainment center and less an airport. Anyways, slept at the airpot too and finally got

onto the plane. So now the food menance starts and the veg food on flight is yukkkk it smells of chicken all over, so i prefer to have a Coke instead and try to sleep.

The Arrival and Reception: Well, fianally i touched down KL at 12 PM and boarded the KIA Train to the city, look at these pics to believe what a beautiful coutryside it has and the state of the art airports !!.. As promised Thivina was there to recieve me at the station with Daniel , her successor, they were very very sweet, and recieved me well,
Daniel and Thivina - Perfect Hosts :)

i got my KL - Sin tickets done, and spoke throught the journey about AIESEC, Malaysia, India, Student life etc etc. God, AIESEC is


UKM STATION


so similar everywhere, you cant get a more global and MNC type org than this.. trust me !!
THivina drove me to my house and i met Boye, the OCVP Logistics, and got to see my room, sm
THE VIEW FROM MY ROOM !!

all but nice, the only problem is its on teh top floor, without lifts, 5 floors and it has no attached bathroom. But such are ways to learn and come out from luxury and adapt.. i am loving each and every moment of this !!.. Right now chilling in my room, will play cricket for sometime, and then go out to chill with Thivina and the others, have Faci meet in the night, so looking forward for work to kick start !! Will keep you guys posted with pics, vids and much more..

This is just the start !

Do comment

Yours in Malaysia !!

Niks

all my bags are packed....

... am almost ready to go.......

Where : Malaysia and Singapore !!
For What : not a holiday..... this time.. it work... !!...

Malaysia :

EYLN Conference... (Entrepreneurship and Youth Learning Network) Organised by AIESEC Malaysia, as a facilitator, its a damn cool conference on Entrepreneurship and how youth can become entrepreneurs, so i have to guide a set of students on workshops and cases, and there will also be a lot of lectures by malaysian entrepreneurs and the BIG one, i will be working on a team with
GE(general electric malaysia !!). The case studies ahve arrived and they are brilliant !!.. One on Google(finance), Netflix and furniture.com (strategy and feasibility). Should be an AMAZING experience of learning, fun, and a lot of networking !!

The conference is from 5 - 7 May, at the University of Malaysia !!

More info : www.eyln.net


Singapore : Well this time its a litle bit of shopping and a lot of work(hopefully), will have to meet some companies in the Johor region and try and strike some kind of initial relationship to import some products for the family business of chemicals, so a good hands on experience of meeting international companies!!


So, seems like a jam packed and action packed 1 week !!.. will keep you posted with pics, and videos !!

Cheers

Niks

Nice Interview on Start Ups and more : Shashi Seth

Hey Guys

Came across this nice interview from Shashi Sethi, Product Manager at Google and voted the Best NRI by HT.

It has good insights on Entrepreneurship and Start Ups


http://startups.in/India/Entrepreneurship/Shashi-Seth--He-Inspires-
Success/

Do read

Niks

tHe Power of Ads - amazing creations | amazing Collections - Part ii

Some more AMAZING ads :

Nike - keep Running - reincarnate - one of the most inspiring ads - have a look yourself



Adidas - again - impossible is nothing - overcoming obstacles !!



Honda - The Ultimate and perfect ad i have ever ever seen... un beatable !!


Thats it !!


Will come up with more such postings... do comment if you like then !!

cheers

Niks

tHe Power of Ads - amazing creations | amazing Collections !

Advertising to me is this wonderful way of communicating thoughts, ideas, values and moments in life and giving it a shape of a brand and making people rejoice and consider the option of expereincing the product. No one can ever undermine the Power of Advertising in the world, as ads can make or break brands, companies, products etc.

It takes a whole lot of gut feeling, creative genius, out of the box thinking, and sometimes, simple logic, values, life in general to come up with an ad. Imaging telling someone about a whole company, product or service in 30 - 50 seconds flat.. and that also can create a wonderful story of life in motion and simple and creative ideologies.

Here is a small collection of amazing ads, stright from Youtube ( i hope the owners dont mind me putting it here), do comment if you like them :), its an honest effort to organise the best ones...


Honda - Impossible Dream - one of the best Honda Ads - made in UK



Toyota - an awesome ad communicating the Human Side of how things work in a machine !!...



The Adidas Team Ad - Signifying the true sense of Impossible is nothing !!



Amora Hot Ketchup Ad - Unique way of communication about the attribute of the product... beware !!



The Lynx Ad - This is the one for the boys :)... the future of 'air travel'... tooo good



Careerbuilder.com - the cutest and funniest Job Portal ad you would see. !!



McDonalds - Inner Child - beautifully brings out the message that everyone has a child inside !!