SIMPLY FLY

To put it succinctly, I had thought of Gopinath as 'an eccentric who built a low cost loss making airline by chance'

Boy, I couldn't be more wrong!

One fine day I tripped on this link

One line just struck me hard:

"ನಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಯ ಕೆಲಸದ ಹೆಂಗಸು ಹುಬ್ಬಳ್ಳಿಯಿಂದ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿಗೆ ಕೇವಲ ಐನೂರು ರೂ. ತೆತ್ತು ಡೆಕ್ಕನ್ ವಿಮಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ಬಂದ ಕತೆಯನ್ನು ರಸವತ್ತಾಗಿ ನಾಲ್ಕೈದು ತಿಂಗಳವರೆಗೆ ಮನೆಗೆ ಬಂದವರ ಮುಂದೆಲ್ಲ ಹೇಳುತ್ತಿದ್ದಳು. ಅವಳ ಪಾಲಿಗೆ ಈ ಜನ್ಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಸಾಧ್ಯವೆನಿಸುವ ಕನಸೊಂದು ನನಸಾಗಿತ್ತು."

(Sorry non-Kannada folks - no translation of the article/above line)

A farmer who built an airlines company & made common man fly - must be a mesmerising read, I thought and bought the book.

SIMPLY FLY - A Deccan Odyssey by Captain GR Gopinath

A village boy, went on to join military, quit and took to farming in a barren land to the horror of many, eventually winning awards for ecological farming, pioneering silk farming and then venturing into bike service station chain, stock brokerage firm, Udupi hotel chain, irrigation, agriculture consultancy, helicabs (!), Air Deccan, cargo airline, apart from a failed political venture... (yes the list will go on!)
From him fighting a war, to hitchhiking in US, safari in Africa, travelling in Europe, it's a travelogue, an adventure novel as much as an autobiography. From the boy who rode a bullock cart, to the man who built an airlines company, it's an endearing & enduring saga of great human spirit.

According to Peter Drucker, A true entrepreneur is the one who creates wealth where it did not exist earlier by creating a new market and a new customer. They create something new, something different; they change and transmute values; and, on a size and scale that will impact society.

And Air Deccan as we knew may not exist any more, but there is no doubt that it changed Indian Aviation forever and made the common man fly.

Few stories from the book are entrenched in my memory

- When in army, an adventurous kidnap of his female friend to avoid her forced arranged marriage!
- A touching incident, when Manje Gowda - his friendly neighbor pledged his farm for Gopi when every one else had doubted him.
- Hilarious episode of trying to use Donkeys' services to water the farm!
- Some great heartwarming stories like a) Kaavya who took her father for a helicopter ride on his 60th Birthday with all her savings or b) Manjunath, humiliated by village folks in childhood, left the village, studied & made a life in US, took a sweet revenge by coming back landing a helicopter in his field in the village!
- His candor when he explains his first visit to Vijay Mallya's house as 'how he felt like a village boy entering a big city'.

The story which's very much Indian common man's, with earthly wisdom, gentle humor, is told with such flair that it has an edge-of-the-seat feel!
Undoubtedly one of the most enriching books I have read recently.

And here's the link to a piece that's printed at end of the book too.
Gopi's Farm

Lonely Planet Magazine Indian Edition

My newfound interest in travel writing resulted in me going through the travel magazines in India.
And then I came across the May issue of Lonely Planet Magazine Indian Edition
To sum it up in one sentence, it’s the iPhone of travel magazines :-)
With a good mix of Foreign & Indian, popular & unexplored places & a variety of budget options, it appeals to all kinds of readers.
The photos are breathtaking and you can contribute too, via the postcard section.
The magazine oozes quality & unbelievably, the 200+ page treasure is priced Rs 100 only!
(Importantly the 'where to stay' sections don’t look sponsored, unlike some of the other magazines.)
Each month the magazine comes with a theme and the regulars like ‘easy trips’, ‘city in day’, ‘mini-guides’ etc.
The information is practical; the content clear with simple words, presentation is in an informal tone.
Sitting in your couch, you will be transported to places as you flip the pages.
Highly recommended.

Some more
- Here’s the Facebook page
- Travel Well Site – intended vibrant social community for travelers. My gripe is that it’s hard to navigate/share the links from this site.
- Personally, I envy the man, Vardhan Kondvikar, editor of Lonley Planet Indian Edition, earlier the editor of BBC Topgear India!
- In spite of best of my efforts couldn't get the first 2 issues, Feb & March, would be grateful if anyone can help.

Update: Feb & March issues were delivered at my door :-)
Debolin & people @ timesgroup, I can't really thank you enough.

Serial Killer – Full Version

Here it is, Serial Killer, complete and edited. ( blog )

Big Elephant Butt – Extension :D

Ginger Tea - Sridevi Bakers - BTM Bengaluru

Ever since I moved to BTM second stage, there is hardly a day when I didn't have the rejuvenating 'Ginger Tea'.
A refreshing dose of ginger tea, gets me starting in the morning, going in the evening & kicks ass anytime :-)
They make it freshly on order & serve, very rarely varying in taste.
And then there is the unique snacks menu.
I love the specialties, Bun Samosa, Bun Puff & the daily specials which are just plain awesome.
Clean and served with a smiling face, makes it worth waiting few minutes, with the huge crowd they attract.

Well, there won't be anyone in BTM Layout who hasn't been there, for the rest, here's the address!

Sridevi Bakers,
#688, 7th main,
BTM 2nd Stage,
Bangalore - 76.
Phone - 080 26688797

Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary

On March 20th, Saturday, instead of the scheduled 7 AM, we (6 of us) met at 9 AM, and even after breakfast, were unsure of destination for the planned (!) day’s outing!
(Yeah, I have backlog of posts too!)
Finally we headed towards Ranganathittu with low expectations!
'Sometimes best decisions of life are taken impromptu' :-)

Driving in Swift, we stopped for lunch at Kamath Lokaruchi (awesome as usual) and reached Ranganathittu (around 125 km from Bengaluru & Mysore’s just 15 km away) in less than 3 hrs.

Parking space is ample & the place’s relatively well maintained. There’s a restaurant and a garden too.


The sanctuary, situated on the banks of Kaveri River, is spread over a group of six islets.
The boat charges are reasonable, and oarsman doubles up as excellent guide too.


Birds come here in summer which’s the breeding season. They begin arriving in December, lay eggs, breed, and finally move out of the sanctuary with their little ones :-)
(During rainy season the islets submerge due to flow of water from Krishna Raja Sagara dam & the islets are restored every year.)
Starting from kingfishers, owls, pigeons & peacocks, there are spoonbills, open bill storks, heron, river tern, and many other exotic bird species.
Some of these birds are from as far as Siberia, Australia and North America. (Some one quipped; thank god human breeding isn’t so arduous!)
To think of how they make it without GPS/Google Map, is amazing!

Prettiest of them all :-)

Capturing birds is a lesson in appreciating/photography. I promised myself a SLR camera & trip again to Ranganatittu. (For now excuse the quality & quantity of photographs!)

On one of the islets we came across this statue of a Crocodile.
And to our horror, it moved upon sprinkling of water! A moment none of us will forget in lifetime!

And to give a piece of history, Ranganathittu attained the status of a bird sanctuary in 1940, thanks to, Dr. Salim Ali - Ornithologist, who, during his survey of the birds of Mysore, advocated for the establishment of a sanctuary.

The isolated islets and the abundant aquatic insects making it a paradise for birds, now there are thousands of birds of many different species.

The best time to visit would be between December & May, early morning or in the evening. (Most birds are out to work 8-5.)
Of course there are enough places around to visit.

By night we were back, in Bengaluru...from a colorful world of avians...

Verdict: - Ranganthittu bird sanctuary is a delightful getaway for wildlife enthusiasts, nature lovers, bird watchers and for one and all :-)

Buzz In Town

Sometime back, I attended a bloggers roundtable with Dr. Amitabh Saran, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Buzzintown - an online portal for events and entertainment.

True to the site, meet was informal & fun. In a free wheeling chat, Amitabh spoke about various topics. From how they source dynamic content from end users, various entities of the industry including venue managers, artistes and theatre / event production companies, to the revenue generation, through advertising, ticketing, content syndication, corporate sponsorships, and affiliate relationships.
From the vision of the portal they had from day one, to the challenges faced...it was an informative, interesting & exhilarating discussion.
Though he smiles saying 'Luck' is the most important factor for an entrepreneur, he doesn't seem to have left much for it :-)

The specialty of Buzzintown is dynamic coverage of local events which include food festivals, plays, concerts, book reads, exhibitions and expos, which are not likely to be covered by mainstream media.
Yes 'Buzzintown keeps users tapped into the cultural pulse of their towns' :-)
Most ratings and reviews on the site are by users rather than in-house critics, allowing you to obtain a cross-sectional view.

Starting in Jan 2008, they are now across cities in India, United States & Canada.
A testimonial to their growing popularity is the huge number of fans on Facebook Page.

They are adding to the travel section, featuring getaways beyond the usual, guiding the consumers to experience the place rather than just visiting it.

You can get updates through Newsletter, RSS, Facebook, Twitter and SMS, while 'selective subscription' feature is 'Coming Soon'.

Then there is a TV section too!
They seem to be doing so many things, it’s hard to explain in a post!
Well, that’s why there is the Portal, Buzzintown :-)

No-Parking, Naturally!

When it comes to 'No Parking', no one in Bangalore does it better than Kormanagala People :-)
But this latest one near the new (sinfully tasty!) ‘Natural Ice Cream’, beats them all!
The house owner must be disgruntled with too many people parking.
(Tree's strong & healthy!)

A Cab Traveler's Life :P

6.00 AM, Alarm rings. Wake up from deep sleep.
No luxury of newspaper on commode :D
Brush, bath, dress.
6.32, hear the sound of news paper being thrown at door.
While browsing through it, a second alarm rings, 6.45!
Time to tie shoes, lock & walk.
As always 5 min early, at pick up point, at 6.55.
By 7.05, after a half tea, just about to start cursing the driver, he arrives.
Get in and people in cab smile the same routine smile.
Thus begins my long journey to ITPL!
It's only just 5 days since I stared using office cab, for the first time (after 6 yrs!) & I already feel like I have joined the army!

Crypsis

Not for the first time, spotted this insect at my native last week.
Also common are the green ones, both effective in avoiding being detected among leaves.

Fab Four in Four Words & Which Car! :-)

Disclaimer: Of late I have been reading too much of Cricket & Auto content on web :-)

The current 'Fab Four' of Indian Cricket, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar & VVS Laxman are regarded the best in world cricket, so are the German auto giants BMW, Audi, Porsche & Mercedes-Benz, best in business.

So an impromptu thought & a post :P

Four words that best describe the player & the company they should be endorsing :-)

Virender Sehwag: Audacious, Maverick, Iconoclast/Pirate, Entertainer.
BMW: The Ultimate Driving Machine.

You may argue about his technique, but not with the runs scored at scorching pace & entertainment, like you can argue about looks of BMW, but not with sheer driving pleasure.

Rahul Dravid: Reliable, Persevering, Classical, Understated.
Audi: Vorsprung durch Technik.

If it's 'Advantage Through Technology' for the German, it's 'Advantage Through Technique' for the Indian :-)

Sachin Tendulkar: Master, Respected, Icon, Best.
Porsche: There is no substitute.

Both being legendary, they made interesting moves in early 2000s
a) Porsche, the sports car maker, made the SUV Cayanne, with purists crying foul.
b) Tendulkar, the master blaster, as his body took a beating, became an accumulator to the horror of fans.
Both turned out to be stroke of genius, as Porsche laughed all the way to bank, Tendulkar added tons of effective runs. Genius does what it must :-)

VVS Laxman: Artist, Nonchalant, Delicate, Elegant.
Mercedes-Benz: Like No Other.

Like the encompassing serenity of a Mercedes Benz, he brings calm to dressing room in any situation, apart from the common effortless elegance both share.

Chandamamu :-)

It was in 5th standard.
That day, I & Yathish bought new pens together during lunch break. Buying a new pen, those days, it was a huge moment!
All friends, ignoring our protests about scratches & cries not to spoil it, passed hands, tried their signatures, some keen ones even de-assembled & assembled back etc which went on till evening!
And then it was play hour in the evening. All the students ran to the ground.

I slowly walked up to Yathish with a grim face and called him aside.
(This guy Yatish's known to be a tough nut!)
Me: Hey, while running out you stepped on my bag & broke my pen.
Yathish: I didn't.
Me: You did, and there are people who have seen it!
Yathish: What happened, did it break completely?
Me: No, it's just a crack.
Yathish: Fine then, just use cellophane tape & fix it?
Me: BUT IT'S BRAND NEW.
Yathish: So?
Me: Buy me a new one.
Yathish: It's 5 rupees & I don't have.
Me: Then why did you break, I'll beat you up.
Yathish: Try it, I'll beat you back.
Me: Ok, since you broke my pen, I'll break yours...
Yathish: But it won't fix your pen.
By now there was a gathering around us, some encouraging & enjoying the fight, some feeling bad for the broken pen, some even contemplating whose side they were!
I pulled my last weapon out (or so everyone thought!)
Me: I'll complain to the class teacher.
Our class teacher was so scary that even the tough nut Yathish gave in.
Yathish: No, please, I am sorry Vinay, it wasn't intentional as you know, I can't ask money at home and you are my friend, please...
Everyone around seemed be convinced that I shouldn't complain!
And then...with a nervous smile, I uttered the words...'Well, hmm, err, actually it was me who had stepped on your bag & your pen is broke, I was so scared that you would do all those...sorry...'
I didn't want to see the changing expressions on his face.
After a moment of silence when I looked at him, he broke into a pale smile. I shook his hand, patted his back and said sorry again.
We smiled a bright smile now.
Shaking his head, he said 'you are just...' pause and then we broke into a hearty laughter :-)

(I was inspired by the story I had read in Chandamama, where Ramu's dog eats tough-nut-neighbour Shamu's hen & Ramu uses the above trick!)