Stories from a wanderer

Planning a family trip to Singapore? Singapore is known to be one of the great shopping destinations in Asia. It is also a nice place for vacation where you might be thinking of going with your family or friends. I would like to leave a few tips here based on my experiences during a recent trip to Singapore. These tips might help you plan better and save a few dollars! Plan your trip The cardinal rule for a tourist is "Plan your trip well in advance". Holds good here too. You can get good deals in flight fares, hotel tariffs. My personal preference after the trip is to book hotel and flight tickets on your own in stead of going through travel portals like Thomas Cook or Makemytrip etc. I booked through Thomas Cook and had to face hiccups which could have been avoidable by the trip organiser. Flights There are many websites out there who will give you great deals on flight tickets. Return airfares on budget airlines are the best bet for early planners and budget ...

I had often heard stories people tell about their meeting with a stranger which changed their lives. Always thought they are little exaggerated until it happened with me one day. I met this stranger in one of the airport lounges. The flight was delayed by 3 hours from Mumbai airport, I had no option but wait for the next announcement. After a hectic day, a flight delay is a killer. Thought of killing the frustration and boredom over a cup of coffee in the CCD. Right on the opposite table, there was a foreigner gentleman dressed in a casual attire with a completely shaved head. The black frame glasses adding to the rustic look he had. At first I thought he's some writer or techie something. No he might be a businessman. Though I'm not a big extrovert, the curiosity compelled me to go and get introduced with the stranger. To my utter surprise, he was not from any of the fields I was thinking. He was an international business manager from a reputed MNC. After the fo...

After an early dinner at an Indian restaurant, myself and my boss decided to walk down the street to the hotel in Basel (Switzerland). We just were walking on the pavement while talking about wide range of topics except work! One of the topics immersed us so much in the discussion that we almost forgot we were walking. By the time we came back to our senses when we realised there was a car behind us running very slowly. We realised our mistake, apologised to the driver and gave him way. The car just zoomed past us in the next moment leaving us on the pavement. That was an uncommon experience for an Indian. The car was  quietly following us without even blinking the headlights or honking. Had been the case back home, we must have been cursed by the driver or subjected to incessant honking or even there was a chance of getting run over. Follow traffic rules After this experience, we thought of understanding the reason behind such discipline in people. There were variety of...

The Dilemma Do you remember the first time someone asked you to stand up in front of a gathering and say something? May be something as simple as a few words about yourself. Suddenly there’s a strange sensation. Goosebumps, throat goes dry, legs start shaking and there are cramps inside the stomach. The mind which is otherwise pregnant with many thoughts and thoughts, suddenly goes blank. Even the most introvert person would at least find a modest set of words at least for his own introduction. But the sudden lull inside makes find no words. It is an embarrassing feeling. Needs a few seconds to regain the composure.  The solution I remember my first instance when I made the maiden speech, in front of an audience. After a bit of fumbling, the first sentence that came out was “Hi, how are doing?” The first step was put before a thousand mile walk. The step that relieved me a bit and brought back the mind-body co-ordination. Suddenly few familiar faces could be seen in the a...

Smile cried today - RIP Robin Williams An era has ended today in the field of cinematic excellence in comedy. Robin Williams will be missed by billions across the world, but his contribution to cinema will be remembered forever. How can someone have so much sorrow deep inside his heart while he made the whole world smile? Such a tragic end to such a bright personality.  Very truly mentioned by the president of the United States, Barack Obama " Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in between. But he was one of a kind. He arrived in our lives as an alien – but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit. He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most – from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets. "  RIP Robin Williams. You will live forever in our hearts.

The Winning Team Flight of the Phoenix: One hollywood movie that I found teaches quite a few management lessons in real life. Let me put forth a brief synopsis of the movie. After their oil rig in Mangolia is closed, Captain Frank Towns appears with his assistant AJ to ferry the crew back home. The complete crew of the rig along with the cargo which are mostly used parts and tools, board the C-119 Flying boxcar. The last one to board the plane is Elliot along with a group of people starting from Chief Ian to Chef Sammi and rig workers like Kyle to Dr. Gerber. The flight is caught by a strong sandstorm and loses one of its engines before crashing down in the desert. Few onboard are killed and rest are left marooned in the middle of the Gobi desert. The supplies are limited and can keep everyone alive at the best for a week. Captain Towns declares that the option left now is to wait for help to which the group agrees. However Elliot comes out and puts forth a proposal to r...

Kishore Kumar - A Golden Voice Forever Indian film music industry is blessed with many talented artists who have made their creations immortal, with their golden voice. One of such gems is Kishore Kumar who still rules the heart of listeners across the globe. On the eve of his birth anniversary on 4th August, here is a tribute to Kishoreda - the legend who has given us the treasure of many melodious songs. Childhood of Kishore Kumar Born into the family of Kunjalal Ganguly (a lawyer) and Gouri Devi, in Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh on 4th August 1929, Kishore Kumar's actual name was Abhash Kumar Ganguly. He was the youngest among the four siblings. As a kid, he used to watch his elder brother Ashok Kumar (and later Anoop Kumar too) act in hindi films. This inspired the young Kishore towards bollywood, the factory producing hindi cinema and music. Kishore Kumar was a big admirer of K L Saigal and tried to emulate Saigal's singing style in his songs. He has accepted his admir...