Kerala....

Definitely god's own country...It is a 'MUST' see. If you love to relax and crave for fresh seafood, ladies and gentlemen, this is the place to be. I visited Kerala back in January of this year(great time to go ;chose this as it was just after the peak season so it wasn't over crowded and you could still sneak in some bargains.)

Visiting Kerala had been one of my dreams for quite some time; somehow it always failed to materialise. But this one, was meant to be. It was a magical, peaceful, sort of a ride which re-invented me and my thought process.


Cochin is a two hr flight from New Delhi, n twas quite a change from the cold winter of New Delhi to the hot tropical weather of kerala. Cochin is a like a bustling cosmopolitan town, yet has its own share of history. Fort Kochi is quite a popular attraction in Cochin, with its Chinese Fishing Nets and a line of bars and cafe's. If you're lucky, some fishermen might offer you to actually try out the Fishing nets (mind you, its quite an exercise).


The best part of this trip was the Houseboat ride on the Backwaters at 'Alleppey'. You have this 60 foot houseboat, complete with on board lodging (AC rooms), an onboard chef and other staff. It was by far the highlight of the trip, taking a ride on those serene backwaters. Infact THE highlight was when we actually got to do some rowing on this fisherman's boat. We entered the 'slim' backwaters where the houseboat was unable to go. This was the most peaceful place i've ever been to, the backwaters had village houses on either side, and you could, literally hear a pin drop. This moment made me ask my myself: where am i living? what am i doing? It was so peaceful, breathtaking, i've never knew that you could actually experience such freedom today.
Stayed overnight on the boat, amazing dinner, great friends for company and lots of conversation. The next morning on the houseboat was equally incredible; the cool breeze, breakfast on deck, infact i got to steer the houseboat for a while as well. It was tough leaving the serenity of the houseboat. (I think 2 nights is a must, we spent only one)


The trip moved on: Thekkady- Ayurvedic massages and the Periyar wildlife sanctuary; then to Munnar and its tea gardens, and ending at the highest resort in Kerala: Deshadan. Its around 6-7 kms high up in the mountains where u have pvt cottages.


That trip still remains fresh in my mind: it was an unforgettable experience, the sheer magic just bowls u over......(have a look at the pictures)

Database Management: How to make use of Databases?

E-mail accounts, social networking profiles, business profiles....the list goes on. Lets face it, we're an 'account' these days. In the age of technology, all of us are trying to be as connected as possible. The result: countless number of social networking/business networking sites which have sprung up. The thing which makes me scratch my head is: what are these dot coms doing with these list of databases?

I've discussed this with some industry experts about this and have received mixed reviews. Some are pretty excited about it, whereas some feel that advertising revenues will be the only 'green' companies will see. I feel the potential is there, we need to work on a system which can lead to the monetization of these huge databases.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is a big word these days. Though i feel lot of companies are missing the bus on this. I've done a lot of (continue to do so) segmentation/profiling in my jobs, but i just feel that there is still that extra step which needs to be taken to deliver that 'near perfect' customer experience. I think the best way to go about is 'What does customer service mean to me?' Is it someone speaking to me politely? Are my concerns being addressed? Is my ego being massaged?

Well the answer could lie in a mixture of all these parameters. I think its very important to know your client. Build your rapport, make it easy for everyone involved. Never Commit, i repeat never commit anything, which u cannot or never intended to do in the first place. Its a big no no.

Getting back to the Database monetization, I feel we're looking at the next monster: I think you need to be pro-active. It'll be a big challenge, no doubt. Lets look at a simple blogging example: you would only return to one where your comments are being replied/answered to. WE ALL NEED ATTENTION!! Another intricate issue here is probably the most important one: Retention. How loyal are we? We tend to shift loyalties very fast these days, to make that quick buck. You might need to develop a business model which caters to this particular issue. So stickiness is pretty easy to build nowadays. Its how to make them stick, that really matters. I feel that are three main factors which makes everyone 'stick':

1. Like minded community (peer pressure) - maybe the biggest factor.

2. Interaction levels (mentioned above)- for example you may upload pictures in a zillion places, but the places where you get comments on your photos, you want to post it there right?

3. Value- this could have a lot of individual connotations to it: it could be free stuff for some; interaction for others. This is what will make people stick on.

Well you must be thinking 'we can make do with ad revenues'. Actually the grass is not that green. Ad revenues through social networking sites are not that slick as they may seem to be. I haven't clicked on any add link(s) posted on facebook, linkedin, etc. Have you? Infact i was having a chat with one of my friend's about this same retention issue. She told me that she had recently done a usability study on ad placements and realized that click through's on social apps is the lowest. So how can you make money from the LOWEST ad click throughs.

I would really appreciate if you could share your thoughts on this post.

I Phone..and tips to increase its battery life!!

The most famous word in the past year or so..rings bells into lots of lives (literally). Am amazed at how Steve Jobs and his 'apples' can come up with fantastic state-of-the-art easy to use products, which do and have revolutionized our technological lives.
I am not licking his backside, believe me. But am in awe of the sheer creative/marketing genius of the man.
I've been using the I-phone and the macbook for quite some time now. Its never been a problem. Though i wish the battery would last longer in the I-Phone.
Tips on how to save the battery:
1. Keep wi-fi, bluetooth, e-mail disabled when not in use.
2. Lower down the brightness to about 25% (yea there's no percentage, u'll just to have to guess it urself)
3. Download an application called 'services' from the installer. Install it and then turn 'SSH' to off. Works pretty well.
4. Turn the I-pod feature off when not listening to any songs. (always use the back arrow when u finish listening to songs)
5. Don't talk too much on the phone. (kidding)
Hopefully Jobs, as promised, has improved the battery life of the I-phone 3G. It would cover that 'chink' in the I-phones armor.
I might sound like someone whose pretty happy with the I-phone and apple products in general, but yea, i am.....eat your hearts out.

Music

Music is the best thing to soothe one's top floor..especially after a hectic day..infact am listening to some right now...
Where has the turn-table disappeared? I would love to get my hands on one. But that my friend's, is one half of the situation. The other, is to find the right kind of records. When i say 'right kind', i mean the right music.
I guess its now limited to just scratching (DJ's), n that too the one's who still believe in its authenticity. Though am all for technology as well. I've contemplated the fact of getting a basic version of the DJ console, only for the fact that it would give me creative freedom to try out my own style of music.
Electronic is my type...

Premier League...

Well..befittingly, the opening post has to be about the English Premier League, as it is my eternal love. No prizes for guessing the team i support (Manchester United)..
And like any MANU supporter, i've been following the whole Cristiano Ronaldo transfer saga. My take on this: he should be allowed to leave. No point having a player on ur roster who's heart is with some other team. I don't think any player is bigger than any club...he goes..MANU move on..Infact they could make some money outta him..maybe get some other quality players...
The whole bit about principles of not bowing down to clubs like Real Madrid does not matter..first of all..Real Madrid act as if they own everything..yea..they have a great history/tradition/big ego..but who cares..they haven't done jack in the past few years except for winning a couple of leagues titles...(Lyon have been French Champions for the past 7 years)..does Ronaldo wanna go there???...
Thats my version of this saga...'Cash in on Ronaldo'..am pretty sure if SAF reads this..he would have some choice words to say..but then again..do not..i repeat do not doubt my loyalty towards MUFC..
Backing them for the double again this year...n SAF..please get another striker...

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(Thanks...Mayank)