నమస్కారం రాజమండ్రి - Namaskaram Rajahmundry!

About two weeks back, I travelled to Rajahmundry on the eastern coast of India. Strategically located on the banks of the banks of the mighty Godavari river and the city is base for India's future energy security - it's the principal city providing logistical support to India's offshore gasfields located in the Krishna-Godavari basin.
As our Kingfisher Airlines ATR72-500 turboprop descended towards Rajahmundry's tiny airport, we hit an air-pocket and I was jolted out of my snooze mode. What I was wonderous - the mighty Godavari and magnificently long bridges spanning the width of the river. It took me a while to start clicking on my camera phone, obviously it was in airplane mode.
When I did start clicking, all I could see was endless stretches of enchanting greens and coconut groves, something that places like Kerala are fast losing. We had a bumpy landing and the ATR72-500 taxied noisily, with its characteristic sound (which is undoubtedly so retro), towards the terminal building. There was a private jet - Reliance Industries' Dassault Falcon 900EX with a VT-AKU designator neatly parked in tiny bay. The company operates flights between Bombay and Rajahmundry on a daily basis ferrying executives and engineers to their gasfields in the Krishna-Godavari basin. The terminal building was tiny - no conveyor belts(!) - baggage was brought out in tractor trolleys. Despite the lack of amenities, the emergence of air connectivity has brought about a change. Hyderabad is no longer an overnight train ride, its just 45 minutes away, with easy connectivity to the rest of India, and of course the world. The flight was full, proving the potential, but there is more potential to connect other parts of our country. As we drove out of the airport terminal towards the city, the greenery looked even more inviting. If tourism were to develop in these parts, coastal Andhra could give Kerala and Goa a good run for their money.
After a few visits and meetings, it was time to break for food. There was an amazing array of spicy sambhars, rasams, fiery chicken curry and succulent freshwater prawns, all in true spicy Andhra style. Coming from Bombay, where we are used to sea-water prawns, the freshwater prawns here were different - incredibly sweet, when compared. This was a welcome change - the sweetness of the prawns blended well with the fieriness of the green chilly gravy! Despite being a full-bloodied North Indian, I would concede that spicy Andhra food is best enjoyed with steamed rice! And to top it all, there was a thick green, sour and spicy, gongura chutney that went very well with the rice.
Curd rice brings every South Indian meal to a fitting end and as I was enjoying the curd rice, I was offered a sweet called Sunnundalu - dark brown balls, which were absolutely heavenly. I was later told that the sunnundalu prepared along the Andhra coast has jaggery as an ingredient, which gives it a dark brown colour, whereas the rest of Andhra uses sugar, giving it a lighter texture.
By then the day was almost over and it was time to retire to my hotel room, but I was fixated on one thing - getting a big box of sunnundalu to take back home.
Next morning we had a flight at 11 back to Hyderabad, but markets in Rajahmundry only open at a leisurely pace, so it became Mission Sunnundalu for Hyderabad!
I had a 6 hour stopover at Hyderabad with two meetings scheduled. In between two meetings, I was directed to G. Pullareddy Sweets at Begumpet, where I did get my pack of treasured sunnundalus! Though these sunnundalus were half as good as those I had at Rajahmundry, they did last me long enough till now, as worthy accompaniments to my bedtime cup of tea!
Rajahmundry is one of those many offbeat gems that India has which are unknown, but with unlimited sights that please the soul, with delectable cuisine that can fire up your excitement and what not! I wish places like these prosper with sustainable tourism unlike what we have seen in Goa or in Kerala!

Up In The Air .... Part 3

The hangover's still there, the hangover of visiting Ladakh back in August earlier this year. This post reflects that hangover, it simply relives the beauty of the grand Himalayan range from up in the air.
The first view of the sun rise, snow clad mountains basking in the golden burst of dawn and first sight of the mighty peaks were captured forever by our lenses and still continue to mesmerise me and make me speechless....

It was soon time to head back home to the grime, sweat and hypertension that a four hour commute, mindlessness of city life and work-stress. As we looked down at the bounties of nature and captured the enduring memories, I thought to myself, "Is this mindlessness worth it afterall?"
"Will I ever die with a sense of contentment that I have lived, I have seen, I have experienced the world?"
"How much is enough?"
These questions bugged me as we flew back from Ladakh, and they still do!

Headwinds or Tailwinds?

This was quite a week for aviation.
ANA took delivery of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Boeing's facilities in Everett, Washington on September 25, 2011 following which the aircraft flew to Narita, Japan to commence scheduled operations shortly.
It is believed that initially, Boeing had planned for the maiden flight by the end of August 2007 following a roll-out ceremony on July 8, 2007, which matches the aircraft's designation, 787, in US-style month-day-year format (7/8/07). That never happened, as there were many many issues - shortage of aerospace-grade fasteners, incomplete software, labour strikes and supply chain issues.

But all's well that ends well. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is here, definitely. It was nice to see the the Boeing 787 Dreamliner being brought into the launch function by enthusiastic Boeing employees, much like a bride being led to to the altar!

Photos on aviation spotting websites like Airliners.net and other news reports suggest that the 787 production line is now well oiled. A few Air-India Boeing 787 Dreamliners - to be designated as VT-ANA, VT-ANB, VT-ANC and VT-ANG are nearly ready and should be delivered soon. It is a different question whether Air-India would have the financial wherewithal to take their delivery. It would be tragic if the Dreamliner does not fly on Indian skies.
Then came a bombshell. This news did in a sense prove that life does come full circle. On September 28, 2011, it was announced that Kingfisher Airlines would exit its low cost business, Kingfisher Red, and instead would reposition itself as a full service carrier. When Kingfisher Airlines started operations in 2005, it was premium full service carrier, that, as many felt, relied on titillation - stewardesses chosen personally by the Chairman (that's cheesy enough), stewardesses clad in bright red short skirts - that was enough to set testosterones racing. But what started off well, leave aside the gimmickry for a moment - great food, great service on board, soon took a tumble. Air Deccan was acquired and the airline adopted a hybrid full service and low cost model, and then got caught up in economic headwinds and fuel turbulence! Things got bad - finances crippled in light of massive orders with Airbus and fuel costs, refuelling became an issue, punctuality reduced and menus shrunk (and became pathetic). I recently travelled on the full service version of Kingfisher Airlines on a morning flight. I was flabbergasted when the breakfast tray had no butter. Things had gotten so bad! But, this new announcement on recasting the business model proves that managers in India Inc. have become as tentative as those in the West.

A very seasoned senior corporate executive I have known for years now recently quoted Dominic Barton of McKinsey on Twitter - "The most striking difference between East and West is the time frame leaders consider when making decisions. Asians typically think in terms of 10 to 15 years. In US & Europe, nearsightedness is a norm."
That was true for a long time, but now, as the Kingfisher Airlines example proves, we too have started following short-termism. Perhaps, existence for the airline was the paramount consideration for cutting costs atrociously or now moving whole-hog into the full service domain. But is it not true that somewhere, the management neither had the patience or the conviction to stick to one model. Will they stick on, will they sell out? My bet is Virgin Atlantic and Sir Richard Branson which had lobbied with the Government of India for permitting investment in Indian carriers has a good chance - the head honchos are equally flamboyant, the business models would be similar. Let us wait and watch!
One airline, once known as Bloody Awful unveiled a new campaign this week that promised a return to the quality and efficiency that once existed in the aviation business. I am talking about British Airways.


The campaign is slick, impressive and to me, appears honest. But do European airlines stand a decent chance of competing with premium carriers from the Gulf or Asia is a fair question to ask.
Back home Jet Airways introduced a Boeing 737-800 with a new decor - Sky Interiors, with cove lighting and a curved cabin architecture that looks contemporary, gives a sense of openness and space. New flights connecting Bombay and Manila have been announced. I have heard the next announcement would be that of reopening the India-Shanghai-San Francisco sector. Truly they have benefited the most from the decimation of competition notably Air-India and Kingfisher Airlines. Today, this is the only full service Indian carrier that has some kind of brand loyalty to speak of.
But how long is Jet Airways to command that respect is another question. They are withdrawing certain privileges to Jet Privilege members effective October 1, 2011.
Their cabin crew, undoubtedly the better of the lot need a serious dress makeover - their yellow coats look like those of courtiers in the court of the Chinese Emperor, the pants and aprons looks funny. I have also observed a big differential in the basic courtesy extended to Business and Economy class passenger. Some Jet staff treat economy passengers like cattle. It seems they have taken Shashi Tharoor too seriously. That is not good indeed.

The carrier that impressed the most recently was Indigo. I travelled on the Bombay-Hyderabad and Hyderabad-Bhubaneshwar sectors recently. Being a low cost airline, I did not expect much from them. But from the moment I stepped into their A320, I was impressed. The cabin crew seemed to be genuinely welcoming, the cabin spic and span and smelt very fresh. To my surprise I was offered free beverages and snacks on all sectors. I needed cotton for my ears (always get blocked ears while landing), but since they did not have cotton, I was given endless supplies of water. The stewardess then noticed that I had a cold, she got me a big glass of warm water. I was impressed. I never felt like a king at Jet Airways, where I have been a frequent flier for the last 6-7 years, but I sure did at Indigo!

Another airline which impressed me recently was the no-frills Go Air. While the cabin crew had an atrocious artificial accent and looked like over painted mannequins, the flight was on the runway 5 minutes prior to departure time and landed ahead of schedule!
I also came across an interesting comment on Airliners.net - a comment posted on a picture of Air-India's yet-to-be-delivered Boeing 787 Dreamliner VT-ANC which said "Asians have all the money! India buys airliners like we buy candy. Indigo for example orders Airbuses like they grow on trees. Air India is deeply in debt though and is borrowing money from India govt to fund all these fancy new jets like 777 and 787."
That is true, especially when sees Emirates or Qatar Airways expand. Benchmarks in the airline industry will be set by Asian carriers going forward, for this is where the business is, this is where the volume is.

Are these trends in aviation headwinds or tailwinds?

BMC, Don't Kill This City!

Once upon a time, there was a great city in this country where hard work was rewarded with dreams coming true. This was a city that stood out as a beacon of hope when none existed, a city that respected talent, time, honesty and capability. This was the city that got a certain glamourised aura because of these inherent characteristics.

But sadly that city is almost dead now, gasping to survive and bursting at its seams. I am talking about Bombay or Mumbai here.

Over the last two centuries the city has attracted a lot of wealth and talent to give it the character that we see today. All this was supported by a great infrastructure - great roads, efficient local trains, BEST buses, which unarguably are the best in India, efficient electricity supply.

But all that is crumbling today. I have seen that happen gradually over the 7 years that I have been here.The roads are in pathetic shape. We can only guess if the craters that miraculously appear after every downpour outnumber those on the moon or not?

This is not funny at all, especially since BMC is the richest municipal body in India. Where does the wealth of the BMC go? It certainly does not find its way to our roads, but it surely does make BMC employees rich, as the frequent newspaper and tabloid exposes suggest.

In this city, cars need servicing 4 times a year because of the state of the roads. An autorickshaw ride is a ride to hell! There was a joke doing the rounds on Twitter around 9/11 that BMC should be charged with unleashing terror on the city's roads. Another person on Twitter has become a legend for always signing off with a cuss phrase - "BMC ki MKC"!

At times BMC's incompetence or indifference assumes tragic proportions - recently the papers had a carried a story on a cop who was riding a bike, at Powai, with his pregnant wife behind him. He went over a crater, lost his balance and his fell off, only to be crushed to death by a truck that came in from behind. I cannot say more on this except that BMC is full of corrupt nincompoops.

The cab and autorickhaws which were efficient and reasonable in the past have now resorted to rampant meter tampering. At places like Bandra Kurla Complex, which is the nation's premier financial hub, it is a nightmare to hail a cab or an autorickshaw. If you are lucky indeed, you could get overcharged by about 40-50%. Recently when the local RTO launched a drive against tampering, these operators had the audacity to go on a 3-day strike. Then we had a certain politician who spoke out in favour of the operators saying that they were being targetted because they are from Bihar and are of a "certain minority community". Isn't that cheap?

If the city is to be a global city, we cannot have all this crap. We need a vision, something like what Shiela Dixit attempted for Delhi - notwithstanding the corruption following the Commonwealth Games, the city is certainly zippier than what it used to be earlier - lower pollution, efficient metro rail, new flyovers, new airport terminal and an overall beautification.

No one in charge of governance in the city has a vision of any sort that extends beyond their wallets. Everything being done here is with the sole objective of milking the city. But we must remember that you cannot milk a cow beyond a point without feeding it, if you do that you will kill the cow. That is what is happening to this city today.

வணக்கம் தூத்துக்குடி - Vannakam Thoothukudi

It was time to say வணக்கம் தூத்துக்குடி - Vannakam Thoothukudi or "Hello Thoothukudi" yesterday.
Thoothukudi is a port town located nearly 590 kilometers south west of Chennai. On reaching the town, did it dawn on me that officially the much known Tuticorin is actually Thoothukudi, much like Calcutta is Kolkata, or Bombay is Mumbai!
Tuticorin, as I had read in history school books was an important trading port for the early Europeans venturing into India. The port was an important centre of trade with South East Asia in the medieval ages, before the Portuguese colonists usurped it from the Pandyan kingdom in the 1500s. Next came in the Dutch in the 1600s and finally it was the British who took control in the 1800s. The colonial influences can been today also in few churches sprinkled across the city. The town became the hotbed of Indian nationalists like the noted Tamil poet, Subramaniya Bharathi, who kept the beacon of independence alive in the area.
The sea around Thoothukudi have an enchanting, lovely bluish-green tinge. Though the coastal belt has the usual coconut palm plantations, as one goes a few kilometers inland, the stark aridness is noticeable. Since agriculture had never been of prominence in the area, trading, fishing and pearl harvesting assumed significance.
Today the city is centered around the modern Tuticorin port, which is a major centre for import of coal, wood and other commodities.
My first meal in Thoothukudi was an unforgettable experience. We North Indians have stereotyped the land beyond the Vindhyas as "Madras", every South Indian as a "Madrasi" and a South Indian meal as dosa (தோசை), vadai (வடை), idli (இட்லி) and sambhar (சாம்பார். While travelling across South India it does come as a revelation that the cuisine is much beyond, much richer that than the stereotypes.
We stopped by at a roadside restuarant, nestled in a oasis of coconut palms and greens. As expected, the buffet had an array of local delicacies. Now the South is a place where I take to vegetarianism by choice, simply because the wide array of vegetarian cuisine has a certain allure that no other cuisine does.
I started off with tamarind rice (Puliyodarai - புளியோடரை), a classic Tamil speciality, that has the killing ability to turn a chapatti-eater like me into a rice-eater. The sourness of the tamarind complemenrted the mild spiciness to give a unique flavour to the dish. Next on the menu was a spicy yam dish - yam slices were crispy fried or sauteed with spices, curry leaves and whole red chillies. String beans with coconut and mustard seeds, a classic Tamil dish is unique - lightly fried, the string beans retain their natural colour and crunchiness, but gets a distinct taste from the cocunut and mustard. Obviously, endless bowls of sambhar and rasam (ரசம்) were downed, before I could take no more. That was then the ideal time for curd rice (Thayir sadam - தயிர் சாதம்), in true Tamil style - obviously it has to be "when in Tamil Nadu, do as the Tams do!" Here the curd rice came with a traditional novelty - crispy whoile red chillies - red chillies are soaked in buttermilk, sun dried and then deep fried. The spiciness of these chillies is unique and goes very well the blandness of the curd rice! That was the grand finale to the lunch. Desset had to be skipped!
After work, we were taken on a guided tour of the port by a portly, quintessential Tamil, a local shipping agent, in his car. The guy was playing the latest bhangra hits on full blast in his car. Surely he could not understand a thing, but was swinging to the beats as he drove through the quays. He admitted he did not understand a bit, but enjoyed the music a lot. So isn't this living proof that with each passing generation, India is increasingly getting homogenised, with North Indians freaking out on South Indian food and South Indians gyrating to bhangra beats and adopting salwar kameezes as a dress of convenience?

Today, it was time to head back. We left Thoothukudi early in the morning for Madurai to catch a flight back to Chennai and onward to my base. The highway from Thoothukudi to Madurai is an impressive 4-lane highway which was smoother than any other Indian road I had experienced before, thanks to Mr. Vajpayee's highway development initiative.

A few kilometers before Madurai, we stopped by at a road side eatery for breakfast. Madurai (மதுரை) is quite unlike Thoothukudi. It's lush green. The eatery was surrounded by coconut trees on three sides. It was barely 7AM and the bright sunrays filtered through coconut leaves into the eatery, giving it quite a magical feel.

The eatery was small and there was nothing fancy about it at all, but it was splotlessly clean and smelt fresh! That is distinctive in the South - hygiene is paramount, unlike many other parts of the country. Eating out at the smallest of outlets would not make you sick - I can guarantee that.

We ordered breakfast - pongal (பொங்கல்), vadai and filter coffee. Pongal is a simple breakfast dish made of rice and moong dal, with porridge-like consistency, lightly salted with a hint of spices, served with steaming hot sambhar. The pongal was heavenly with the spicy sambhar. Next came the vadai, which was crisp on the outside, and soft on the inside - the insides quickly dissolved in my mouth - that's what defines a good vadai.

It was time to head to the Madurai airport. I first visited Madurai in Jaunary 2007. At that time, the terminal was a tiny little building - barely 4,000 square feet or so. Now there was a spankingly fresh chrome and glass terminal that stood in front - traffic had surely increased multifold to justify this. The interiors were smart, a couple of aerobridges were getting commissioned. I was told Madurai is soon going to get international traffic with flights to Singapore and Dubai! Wow! It would be so much more convenient and cheaper for people to fly in and out, bypassing hubs like Bombay and Chennai!

Chennai, the transit halt for the next four hours, was bustling with activity. But my agenda was clear. A visit or even tranit through Chennai isn't complete without a pilgrimage to Sri Krishna Sweets to pick up a box of Mysore Pak. Luckily for me, Sri Krishna Sweets has an outlet at Chennai airport. The sweet which originated in the royal kitchens of the Mysore, is a melt in the mouth, gold-hued sweet is power-packed to make you go crazy and crave for more.

For Neeti and me, Mysore Pak is best enjoyed with ginger tea after dinner. This is one sweet that has the capability to tempt Neeti into binging! We have really acted crazy to get Mysore Pak at times. This January we passed by Mysore city on the way from Coorg to Bangalore and we spent a couple of hours searching for Mysore Pak. The search made us criss-cross Mysore a couple of times like crazed maniacs!

And with the Mysore Paks bought, it was time to head back home!