Ireland Visit

It was one of the rare trips where I have returned home feeling humbled, 17 years of travel such trips are far and few.....
Ireland was a magic touch.. People warm and friendly... Land blessed Green... Milk flows for free.... and I understand the self condescending nature JF Kennedy had came from. Jokes like why Mafia cant make it to Ireland because they would be out of their depth is common,or when a grumpy German would laugh, When some body says the Irish work harder then Germans..... Such conversations are rare!!!.....

Yes I had tweeted, there is lot of anger on economic aspects blaming Corporates (more so to the west) as those who sold their Soul to the DEVIL. (Some take away for me!!!!).

Yes, the economic depression has left it's mark.... Credit card acceptance big challenge... AMEX Impossible....

Great trip.. Some of snaps attached.

Yes, the USA leg helped me to catch up with a good friend, If god does miracles on people.. his case is one..... Glad I could meet him...
Take it easy and take care.... Live Consciously.
Karthik.

30000 Euro Grizzly Bear

Dunmore Port Promised the Irish Lady at Heathrow Hotel who did my beard trim for free I would visit.

Gaelic Name for Waterford.

Magher who fought British in 3 continents from Waterford, Gandhi did in 2.

Reginald Tower and Magher statue in front of Tower Hotel

People couldnt beleive that somebody wont drink beer in Waterford.... Got to explain !!!!

Will we ever get such Signs for parking in INDIA??????

Streets of Malleswaram, Govt. Interactions......

Hot Hot vegetable slices dipped in chickpea batter and fried. (Pakora, Bajji)

3 person team working on the process.

Street book shop on footpath at Mallleswaram (Second hand books).

GANGAMMA TEMPLE.

Saturday evening for me and my wife is the time to go around temple and do a bit of shopping in Malleswaram (5 to 730) Usually Saturday dinner is buy out/ take away from Hotels. So this week was no exception. We visit the Saibaba temple on Sampigae road and Mallikarjuna swamy temple and Gangamma Temple and then do the shopping before packing dinner.

While I avoid road side stall food/ eatables at any cost (Not a  good experience 25 years back in College hostel days at Coimbatore), the Pakora shop near Saibaba temple ( next to shantisagar hotel) is rarest odd exception I have made myself. They make hot, crisp stuff and hygiene is pretty decent.

The streets of Malleswaram are madly crowded for a Saturday evening, the bookshops(Photo above), the vegetable/ fruit vendor, etc... you name it, u will have a vendor for it........

Switching topic, I had done my Passport renewal as well as the UID (The 35Bn$ ambitious project by the GOVT of India, I am one of the skeptics for this project). The passport process took 7 Hrs due to various screening and finding every reason to push me out. The impression I got from my experience, the whole system is designed to work against common man; you need to be street smart to work a way out and calls for lot of argument. I just pity the common man who undergo this torture..... The UID process for the family was arranged by the bank where we have our account, the process took 25 min for the four of us. The waiting time was 2 hrs, the process is slow, there is time lag in web cam etc, the process involves finger printing, IRIS scan etc. It is a challenging task considering the size of people to be covered (1100 Million people)...

I came across DAN PINK's office hour Podcast (once a month dial in) caught up with 3 past podcast. Value for time spent. Also stumbled up on the ENDING THE GRIND Podcast on getting out of daily life routine to think a bit different.

Until next week, take it easy and take care and Live Consciously.
Karthik.

UK Visit July, Lists.....

VIEW OF T5 from Galleries Lounge.

Inside South Galleries LOUNGE T5 nice place to re energise after 11 hr flight.

TAXI  Manchester Inside

THAI Restaurant Wilmslow Manchester , Good place to eat.

LEGEND Memorabillia Shop (Another Legend!!!).

Being Manchester City and United competetion in everything.

Peice of History Trafford center.

TRAFFORD CENTER at dusk it was 2210 Hrs even natural light.... A mystery for people from Equator...

1 Lit HOT CHOCLATE.... Costa at Manchester Airport...!!!.....

Superb Architechture.

Self Instructive, A lot of confusion for pedestrian coming from different world areas!!!....

Link to CHILLI BANANA Wilmslow.

Unknown people in the pictures are captured unintentionally. No intention to intrude on their privacy.......

Movie Review( 11 hr flights force to you to watch some movies to kill time, cant go on reading and work Laptop.... can you!!!)

1) Limitless---- Ultimate Science Fiction.

2) The next 3 days----> Worth the watch.

3) The Adjustment Bureau -------> I liked the movie, for the first time I had paid attention to a female star, Emily Blunt, Outperforms Matt Damon.

4) Unknown-----> Interesting mystery, Liam Neeson at his best.

5) Just go with it-----> Some Comedy.

6)Company Men.... Reflects ground level reality of corporate downsizing during recession and how people cope and find solution. 
7) Lincoln Lawyer--- A movie I had seen without reading the book, got to get hold of a copy.

Fiction:-

1) One shot---->Reacher at his best. Cant believe that it is fiction. Yes, for that matter after 9/11 nothing is fiction, there is some real element/ intent gets coated with some imagination.

2) Avenger ----> Forsyth in elements, Yes, shades of Cobra can't help it.

3) The Deceiver----> Entire English MI 5 heroics.....McCready could be living somewhere in Devon green lands........

4)POWER PLAY----> Finder exposes the greed, fraud, dark alley of corporate greed/ governance........ A must read to know the evil/ dark side of Corporate leaders. Can see Enron, Worldcom happened.......

Non Fiction completed:-

1) Truth about Leadership ----> Kouzes... A must read for any body who is a Middle manager and wants to step up and stay there.

2) A whole new mind---DAN Pink shows why it is going to be all right brain wiring that is key. Abundance, Asia and Automation are pushers. Pink lists out 6 traits as enablers to get it. (Design, Story,Symphony, Empathy, Meaning,Play,

Amazed and appalled at people's ignorance on asking to do One on one,to be done once a month. It has to be weekly no question. (Once in 15 days; worst case) One on one is the key foundation of people management and a pillar. Get that right, with Feedback and Delegation (Coaching) you have the four part Triad of successful unsexy management to resolve issues. ( Thank you Manager tools!!).

Requesting all of you to have a look at "CRANKY MIDDLE MANAGER" Podcast. Wayne Turmel does a great job.  Nearing 300 episodes, (1 a week!). Please spread the word around. I am doing my small bit to help Wayne reach target of 30,000 downloads a month for his podcast.... He also runs online web presentations training thro Great web meeting.

Ok, Until next time, take it easy and take care; Live consciously and stay Healthy.


Karthik.

Son's Birthday, 200 posts.....

POST #200
Yesterday, 29th June was my Son's birthday. He enters 18 and next his birthday may be away from home. It was simple occasion due to his tight time pressure of school, exams, coaching classes. Incidentally 3 in our family share birthday on the same date. A nephew and niece too. Also a good friend of  mine makes 4 persons to greet on this day.


Mischeivious Nephew causing the commotion.


The occasion was electrified by the presence of 2 year nephew, who is running amok like Bull in the Chinaware shop. 2 ink bottles, Sauce bottle, papers all just disappeared in to dust bin. Yes Quite a few injury to himself on falls. (minor) His presence ofcourse, is magical; Kids enliven the home.




Daughter ordered CAKE Son call her Shody so  the name on cake.

  I had another surprise when my good friend of 20 years and Ex- Colleague (SANDOZ) met Marshall Goldsmith at the leadership program in Dartmouth USA last week. During the 2 min conversation post program, he mentioned, me being his fan and that I propogate my little bit about Marshall's work to my friends. Marshall Gifted a personally signed copy of his book" What Got you Here, Won't get you there" for me. The beauty was just 3 weeks back, I had passed on my personal copy to a good friend.

Greatest GIFT from MARSHALL GOLDSMITH......

Till next time take it easy and take care; Live consciously.

Travel Photos

I am back from a week's trip to Europe. I thought of capturing some of the photo moment of this and last trip up there.

Lake GENEVA, Rolle, CH. Background Hill is EVIAN Village (Water brand)

Lake Geneva view from Casino resturant Rolle.

Another view

TRAFFORD CENTER ENTRANCE MANCHESTER( Last trip I Qtr).

Manchester view from People History Mueseum

River TAME Passing thro the city

Snake and Ladder in Science People Mueseum.

Tallest Building in Manchester

Picture drawn on wall in RAIL Museum

No ELECTRICITY IN WORLD BUT FOR JJ THOMPSON; INVENTOR OF "ELECTRON" At Manchester university

Hotel WALL reminds us the must for them.

TRAFFORD CENTER

NEW ORLEANS SECTION of food Joint, Trafford Center

Inside Trafford Center