My dream-life is to be able to travel the world, immerse myself in new cultures and new places, and just keep going! There is so much to experience, so many countries to see, and one life-time is too short. What do I do about it? I see the expenditure in travel as another form of investment, and so am happy to spend on a vacation as much as I am…
MasterChefs, winners, what makes them tick?
You can take the hotelier out of the hotel, but I don’t think you can take the hotel out of the hotelier. And so it is with me. My favourite TV shows are therefore all the Master Chefs and the MKRs and even America’s worst cooks! I can watch them endlessly, much to the disgust of my family, they insisted on having multiple TVs in the house so they don’t…
Do as I do, or do as I say? Role-modelling and organizational culture
My little niece Prakriti and I share a special bond. I am her ‘other mom’ and she is my ‘baby’. Adulation and special bond mean she is my faithful shadow, and my little lamb whenever I am in Chennai. She follows me around, observing everything I say and do, keenly examining, and making mental notes on my clothes, jewellery, and, er……….. my footwear. It took me a while, and a…
Pigs or chicken? Building commitment, not just interest, in the frontline
This story caught my attention long back, as the simplest illustration of ‘interested’ vs ‘committed’. A Pig and a Chicken are walking down the road. The Chicken says: “Hey Pig, I was thinking we should open a restaurant!” Pig replies: “Hm, maybe, what would we call it?” The Chicken responds: “How about ‘ham-n-eggs’?” The Pig thinks for a moment and says: “No thanks. I’d be committed, but you’d only be…
Roots aren’t pretty my sweet flowers!
‘My children are ashamed of me and my wife, they mock our English, and when we go out these days, the elder one tries to keep away’ said Shahid, my Pakistani car driver. It was to be a fairly long drive, from Norwich to London, and as is my wont, I started a conversation with him within five minutes of getting into the car. He described how he had to flee…
Knicker Bocker Glory, and lessons in motivation and management.
My friends Jo, Sadhana and I used to be regulars at the Taj Coromandel Coffee Shop and mithai shop – not to dine there, but to work. We used to be paid a princely sum of Rs 100/= for day long assignments. As students at the Hotel Management School, this was a great opportunity to work while you study, and experience the industry first hand, and of course, to earn…
Spirituality and service silos – Lessons from Tirupati
A visit to the Tirupati, home of one of the richest gods, Balaji, is an experience that many million people consider one of the most important spiritual experiences of their life; not once, but many times in a lifetime; they plan in advance or start hunting around for someone to help ease the way in, they pray to the lord that he is kind enough to afford a reasonable…
Voice of the customer, looking green, or feeling green?
‘Are you trying to fool the customer?’ ‘You have rated yourself a five, and now you are trying to get me to put the pin so it gets submitted’ ‘No maam, that is how it is designed, the default is five, check when the next delivery comes’ pleaded the delivery man. Not one to be convinced, I selected a one star, put in my pin and submitted the rating. My…
Experience, or images
The highlight of our day, spent roaming from one amazing stall to another at the Dubai Shopping festival, was supposed to be the spectacular fireworks show in the night. We had heard a lot about it, and had seen photographs and videos my friend Charu had painstakingly captured for us to see. She was our host and she had planned our itinerary so meticulously, to ensure that we did not…
The dark side of funny!!
‘Wow, she is so fair, now your parents have their OWN baby. Didn’t you know, they got you from the curry leaves vendor since they didn’t have a baby and wanted one’ (curry leaves vendor since curry leaves is synonymous with dark in South India!) The neighbour who said this thought it was very funny; so did my parents unfortunately…..unfortunately since they allowed her to repeat it often, laughed at…