Coooo

July 072, originally uploaded by Pranay Rao.

If I had a penny for every time this guy ate the buds on the flowering plant I've bought, I'd probably make enough to buy a proper plant. Initially he would fly off when I tried to go to the balcony, which then progressed to flying off when I was a foot away to now posing when I get my camera out. He seemed unfazed even when I clicked him with my flash on. He just looked back at me with a semi annoyed look.

On second thoughts it could be a female pigeon. She preens in front of the camera. Acts indifferent and yet poses and flutters her wings cooing away to glory while eating away the buds on my plant while acting coy. Classical female behaviour this. Any ornithologist in my group of friends who can determine his/her gender.

No jokes on the camera angle :D

- Pranay

Those moments that make up life

My poor little cycle seems to have traveled more distance in a truck than on a road.My plan of cycling to the gym every morning will never take off so every Sunday I take my cycle out for a spin. Today being a Sunday I first took the cycle to Sikanderpur market. The cycle post its journey from Bangalore to Gurgaon is a little shaken like me. The poor guy's got this complex seeing all these firefoxes zip by. To make matters worse, the gear's been getting stuck.

Anyway my return from Sikanderpur was against this strong breeze which made cycling really laborious (which is when you shift to a lower gear). I then took a long circuit around the Silver Oaks complex which had the breeze behind my back and then magically, the 4th gear which was giving me trouble meshed perfectly and we were flying - man and machine over speed bumps and potholes. On the 2nd round I even overtook a vehicle which had to slow down for the speedbreaker.

For those 15 - 20 mins I wished that I could do this forever. However common sense and stamina intervened and I returned back home breathless, sweaty and yet totally fresh.

Come evening and it suddenly started raining. I literally ran to the window which gives this awesome view of the sky and stood there for a moment just enjoying the perfectly coloured sky with the right hues of crimson and blue. Turned back to notice a neighbour standing in her balcony too. It was one of those sights which have to be experienced. It's not just the view which can be replayed with the help of a camera, it's the moment which is amazing.

There is a reason such moments are rare because if they weren't you wouldn't enjoy it. You'd start taking it for granted. Treasure these moments because these are the real milestones in life.

philosophically :)

- Pranay

The power of endorsement and its evolution

"Nice". The guy/girl next to you comments about the girl/guy who just passed by. You look and evaluate. Suddenly the person starts looking better and much more attractive than if you had seen her/him without the 'endorsement'. Endorsement is just that. Someone telling you that what you are evaluating is good/bad.

One of the best examples of endorsement was this certain lady in my college. This nice looking lady had a very normal life till one day one of the more visible guys discovered that he had a thing for her and hence she was cute. Suddenly this lady became the centre of affection of many a male. Funnily the guy who started this moved on within a week but the attention continued. Conversely I know this good friend of mine who never got around to openly admitting this thing she had for a guy because her friends did not find him that cool. This was all endorsement at a very unconscious level.

Peer pressure is probably the best form of endorsement. Remember that gadget/accessory/clothes/computer game you bought just because your group of friends believe it's awesome. Peer pressure is endorsement by exclusion, a form of collective endorsement. Hush puppies (yes, read the tipping point), Ipods, Tazos, etc all became successes courtesy collective endorsement aka peer pressure.

Most people actually take endorsement to be just celeb endorsement or expert endorsement. Once upon a time when celebs did much lesser endorsement, people actually went and bought a lux believing that it was the soap of the stars. They bought the product because of the celeb endorsing it. Today most celebs work best as a clutter breaker.  Yes a trustworthy celeb lends an aura to the product provided people believe that he/she uses it. Expert endorsement too has its limitations unless it's done really well.

In fact endorsement is best leveraged when done subtly. A celeb/expert pushing it down your throat might be (quite literally) tough to swallow. However that same endorsement done by a friend works. This is the most potent form of endorsement which we marketeers call word of mouth (WOM). Getting high WOM on a product is what most brand managers dream of. Imagine multiple believable endorsers. Conversely bad WOM can cause the product to tank. Many movies have been the victims of bad WOM. Some never got the chance.

Which is why the future of endorsement is in social networking, user generated content and subtle product placements. Twitter, Youtube and FB will decide the world of tomorrow. The consumer is empowered. The marketeer of today needs to have a concept which can work through these media. In the future GRPs won't be measured, communication would be measured through WOM.

So the next time you see a beautiful lady at the mall and feel like commenting to your friend or a movie on the first day which you like/dislike strongly and want to tweet about or any product experience which you put on your status message. Pause and take in the moment because that one action of yours in todays networked world could decide the future of the entity under observation. Endorsement is a power and with great power comes great responsibility.

BTW heard Udaan is a great movie :D.

Luv,

PR.

Gudgaon w/o a gaddi going dig chick dig chick - the culture shock

If you come to Gurgaon/Delhi now, you'll see the elevated metro lines with slick shiny looking trains moving around and they stick out of the surroundings. They look too classy and subtle for this part of town. An ideal metro for Delhi should have been painted in red and even if it were silver, it would have body stickers and tinted windows and the biggest omission fog lamps which have to be kept switched on irrespective of there being fog or not.

Calling Delhi loud is an understatement. The women in Delhi probably spend the maximum per capita on make up then anywhere else in the world. I generally land up at my local grocery shop in old Jerseys/tracks to find women dressed up wearing a thick layer of make up and red lipstick buying groceries with Chunnu Munnu who are equally dolled up. Coming from Mumbai where the grunge look can be passed off at most parties, it is quite the revelation.

My apartment block is quite the middle to upper middle class complex. If you ever stepped into our garage, you'd probably wonder why our GDP isn't  any higher. The average family owns a Honda City, the richer ones fully loaded Civics and Corollas. i10s and santros are at a premium here.

Even the kids who are always dressed up have discussions around cellphones and the like. Recently while getting my ass kicked by a 4 feeter in pool at the club house, I was introduced to the kiddie life in this part of town. It starts early. These kids move around in firefoxes and wear the nicest sports watches. So much so that my nice 6 speed sturdy Hercules which in Kolkata was quite the expensive cycle, looks like a much poorer cousin.

Even more interesting is the eating out scene here. Last night I was at Swagat with friends from K, where we couldn't hear ourselves think courtesy all the shrieking kids. Swagat is a family restaurant but I've been at Extreme sports bar, Barique and Blue O all clearly targetted at adults and seen huge families with a zillion kids loudly chattering away.

It's not all bad though. My flight to Delhi when I came to join GSK had me next to an elderly Punjoo woman, who by the end of the flight had discussed my entire family tree and fed me chips and information on Gurgaon. In fact despite not having a a car in Gurgaon (which is culturally frowned upon) I've been quite mobile courtesy Easycab, Tashi, Vipul, Tina and Anubhav. I've promised all these guys that I'll make it up when I get my car.

I'm too much of a Mumbaikar to start overdressing in loud clothes and talk loudly at a sportsbar but being a human and we humans having the ability to culturally adapt I've started my transition. I've shifted from Corona/Wine to scotch on the rocks Punjoo style (though I still can't manage a Patiala). I've re-adjusted to the Paneer-being-the-only-veg-option at parties (remember I trained for a year in proper Punjab/HP) and my biggest weapon in this transition - my dad's and soon to be mine sports car.

This sleek machine (a Palio Sports) is formula red in colour with leather upholstery. It is still not big enough to be Punjabi sized, but courtesy the bright colour and the awesome fog lamps (which my father never used) and the fact that it can outrace most big gaddis, it gives me my first step into the loud world of Dilli. And if this still doesnt make me Punjoo enough, I'll fit in one of those huge music systems, where the woofer fills up the entire luggage space and Bhangra my way into Gurgaon (hope my dad doesnt read this).

So in a couple of years if you see a guy standing next to a female( who would have five layers of make up ) talking loudly on a huge cellphone with body stickers on his red car which has it's fog lamps on with the car vibrating to dig chick dig chick (that's actually how it sounds) Punjabi music, please don't laugh, stare or point rudely because it just might be me :D.

Would be a good idea not to laugh at said person at any time because I forgot to mention that the individual would also have a loaded firearm.

Dig chick, dig chick,

Pranay Rao

Soccer and home

I'm watching Wake up Sid which I believe has some of the most awesome music of recent times. The best part though is how it shows life in Mumbai. There's this picture of the hero clicking pictures on the beach. I swear every morning when I meditate, I close my eyes and still hear the waves breaking on the sands. With the World Cup season in full swing, those days on the beach come to mind even more. We will definitely re-do our football thing soon. Come to think of it, will be tough to get the guys back together. Avi, is in Germany. Pari in the US, Amar, Shirude and Choti are there too. Kau is in Mumbai but currently recuperating. Sudhu in Chennai and me in Gurgaon. No idea where Choo is. But I am guessing it will be cheaper to finance a Mumbai football team then get the guys together.

Speaking of Mumbai football, I remember going for Mahindra Utd matches to the Cooperage which is this dilapitated structure in the centre of Churchgate. There's this model of the modern Cooperage stadium planned before I was born. The last time I saw it even that structure was crumbling. Still remember taking the train to Churchgate and the cab to Cooperage where we entered through this small little gate where I proudly used to take my dad's name and get free attendance.

Mumbai soccer is not a patch on soccer in Goa, Kolkata or Kerala but when we were kids, it was quite big. The big teams were the Tatas, Orkay RCF and then later Air India along with Mahindras. The Harwood is one of the world's oldest soccer tournaments along with the Durand and the IFA shield all of which have come to my house courtesy dad as a captain and coach.

I still remember the once that I mistakenly sat on the Air India side of the stands for a Mahindra Air India match. The abuses showered on my Manager/Coach dad were unnerving to say the least. Thankfully I was dressed in a red T shirt which is a common team colour. The game is not the fast paced soccer you see on EPL and the commentary leaves a lot to be desired. What you do get is real football with the smell of fresh grass and the most colorful language with loads of die hard fans. You could do one better and go for a East Bengal/Mohun Bagan Vs Mahindra match and get some colourful Bengali added to the mix.

Cooperage is also famous for it's awesome Kanda (onion) Bhajiya which is awesomely tasty. Remember one match where I was seated behind one of Mahindra's big bosses and the same bhajiyas packed in a newspaper were laid on nice China and served to him and he simply loved them :).

Well the Mahindras have finally shut shop but Cooperage is still very much as it was in the 1980s. Nothing will ever change there courtesy the wonderful administration which have all but killed Mumbai soccer. Watching soccer with friends and beer is good but still not a patch on those awesome soccer related discussions we had. In Mumbai, I was surrounded with guys who had at some level played soccer. Delhi surprisingly for its sports culture, seems to have no one. No heated discussions on who will make it to the next round.

Missing the Kanda bhajiya and the hot lemon tea :(

- PR

Don Kay - the tale of 2 brothers

Ansh, the bigger of my two nephews is quire unaffected by the new little addition to his little family. The only time he gets really affected when the little character is being massaged which generally ends up with the little guy crying. So standing at a distance with the most considerate eyes he says 'don kay' (don't cry).

The little baby unlike his elder brother is generally quite peaceful and is still in that delicate state in which I refuse to hold a baby. So me and Ansh observed him at a distance. Ansh was most excited that I allowed him to use my camera. He did click some nice pictures. He's recently being trained to kick a football around by dad, who's quite excited that he's got 2 potential soccer stars.

Ansh has adjusted to my unique position in the family where I fly in for a few days and then fly out. Ask him where I am and he says quite nonchalantly 'Flight....' :). Lately inspite of my having to babysit him when he's awake, I miss him more each time I come back.

I'm waiting eagerly for the smaller one to grow older when I do believe they are going to combine and make the house one madhouse. Will be great fun then.

- Pranay

Modern duelling courtesy Playstation

I woke up this morning with a smile courtesy finally getting 8 hours of shuteye and more happy cause I reached the next stage on my NFS game. Gaming really reflects what mood you are in. Last night, being right in the zone I dominated (NFS talk for breaking the track records) the entire stage in one blitz. Earning record points and unlocking loads of cars. And the funny part was I did it on my PSPs handheld mode which is tougher than when connected to my TV.

Gaming has it's origin in the cavemen battling with clubs, sometimes for food, sometimes to impress the hot chick in fig leaves. It progressed to the tourneys where men displayed their feats of strength in Ivanhoe style to the pistol wielding duels to boxing, etc. Civilized man suddenly needs an outlet for all those competitive abilities. Cometh the Playstation (or xbox or wii). This is modern man's tool to kick some butt. Remember the fun we used to have at K playing that tank game and NFS on multiplayer. You get an amazing satisfaction when you zip around at 300 kmph with the world around you just one blur. It's all about instincts. Split second reactions decide between winning and losing. It's the ultimate escape and gives the most awesome adrenaline rush.

So while my PSP is recharging, I'm busy looking for some new game to add to my collection ranging from soccer, racing, chess and MPGs to the traditional Mortal Kombat.

Gaming is the most awesome fun. It is that feeling at the end of the day when you set aside everything. Focus on the screen, sit on your game chair and rev those engines hearing every little roar amplified through 5 speakers and press that button which launches you into the most awesome heart pumping action that man could ever build.

What are you waiting for? get your console and join me today :)

Luv,

PR

Life in the middle

India is like a pregnant woman. All her attention is focused on her tummy AKA the middle class. These are those hard working white collared people who strive each day for their dreams. Life starts with dreams to own a TV, a fridge, a vehicle which is then upgraded as prosperity increases. They are the drivers of consumption, the taxpayers who power the country. The guys who crib about the government but hardly vote. India would be one country where the Rich decide policies, the poor decide politicians and the middle class pays for everyones mistakes.

The middle class is growing. Their prosperity is increasing. They have two tools to moving up the social ladder, hard work and education. The IITs, IIMs of the country are full of people from the middle class. Most of them come with a dream backed by expectations from a family who see their success as a reward.

The middle class is all about control, about inhibition. It is a collective. Think about it, the lower class revels in its identity, it's loud colours, it's individualism then they move up to the middle class where they are straight jacketed by society. Sober colours, a guideline to do anything and everything. As soon as these same people move upwards, the same individualism comes back. It is celebrated. In fact the small village fairs and the high society dos are quite similar in their sheer expression of joy.

As a marketeer, I've been trying for ages to find the right way to target the middle class. Forget target them, it's equally difficult to segment India. The power of education obvious from education being such an important part of the socio economic classification on which most media decisions are taken. Obviously the system was devised by people who rose from the middle class.

Life in the middle has been quite nice. It gives you parents who strive to give you that extra edge in your life. I firmly believe my parents were more excited at my convocation than I was. Education is not always means to an end. In India, sometimes it is the end in itself. A ticket to success. In the 11 years since gaining adulthood, I've voted once and that too for Govinda which explains me not voting again :). Though adherence hasnt really been my strong point.

So wake up tomorrow and be happy to be the engines of growth for India. Smile when you get anxious about  that unironed collar. If you do get honked at by a larger car, put your head out and tell the guy that the road he drives on was paid by you (unless of course you are in Gurgaon, where the guy might just pull out a gun and shoot you) and walk out confidently shoulder to shoulder with the millions of similarly dressed people who just like you are India's finest - the middle class.

Luv,

PR

Things to do before I turn 30

I'm watching that part of Kill Bill where Lucy Liu and Uma Thurman are fighting. I really have no taste for gory movies. But then this is part of all those things I've planned to do in the things to do before I turn 30 list.

1. Learn a musical instrument - Guitar classes lined up from next weekend
2. Learn a martial art - My extra fit company doc has promised an intro to a Taekwondo academy which will replace gymming in June.
3. Watch IMDBs top 100 - thats where the video library subscription comes in and hence Kill Bill.
4. Lose 10 kilos in 6 months - 6 kilos to go in 4 months
5. Learn a foreign language - Need to decide French/Spanish/Mandarin.
6. Visit Ladakh/Leh and a foreign country - Ladakh needs to be done pre - winter. Thinking of visiting Jerusalem in December.
7. Drive a car to Dharamsala - My gas guzzler arrives next month.
8. Attend an international sports event - CWG arrives in the nick of time
9. Run a marathon - Whens the next Mumbai Marathon?
10. Win a national prize - Quizzing/branding/blogging/poetry/photography, anything............

10 months to go and 10 things on my list. 23rd March 2011 is the day I want to have ticked off all of these.

- Pranay Rao

P.S.: Feel free to suggest something I might have missed.

I will raise my head without fear

Kasab was destined to die, the moment he decided to enter this country. Nothing could stop the inevitable and yet there is happiness, joy to see him get the death sentence. In a country where there are politicians who have caused the death of many more people still living free, we are all happy. Frankly I see no sense in him dying but then he has no right to live once he killed innocent people in an act which was not war or a fight for any cause but just cold blooded murder.

Lately I'm sick of a life where a cursory check is done each time I enter a mall/ airport or any public place. Why is it that I must feel insecure because of some bastards sitting hundreds of kilometers away who are living quite comfortably planning newer and newer ways to terrorize the country. I remember when I was in Jammu, how weird it felt to have my bags checked each time I entered the railway station. There was always this fear that something could happen. Lately it's happening everywhere. Every place has metal detectors which beep and nothing is done about it. Random checks by security guards who very seriously poke a bag with a probe which beeps loudly and they let you through. 

It's not about the fear of the consequence, it never is. I probably have a greater chance of being knocked off by a car on the Gurgaon Faridabad highway or being mugged. It's about the feeling of our space being violated. It's about the piece of mind being taken away. It's what Naseerudin Shah says in his monologue in Wednesday. It's disgust anger and helplessness all rolled up into one.

A stranger killed of someone's mother, 

A child watched his father die.

They never believed that this could happen,

and they never knew the reason why.

Why is it that somebody can just walk in,

with a gun, a bomb and just kill anyone.

And all I can do is watch, listen and hope,

that the person who died is an unknown someone.

I have been taught to look around while travelling,

Ensure that someone doesn't get me that day.

After all it's my duty to be scared and tense,

My fees to be part of a Delhi or a Mumbai.

I dream of a day not too far,

A day when you and I will still be here.

A day when we will look up and smile,

And raise our heads without fear.

Till then I watch the news dispassionately.

It's no longer whether. Its when,where and how many.

Somewhere someone is playing a little game with me,

And I wonder whether he must find it funny.

That safely from a million miles away, 

with a few rupees of explosives and firearms,

He makes a billion people shake in fear.

Little voodoo dolls are we in the grasp of his palms.

He threatens and a million quake in fear,

Mothers worry, children are scared.

Coming home everyday is a celebration.

to celebrate what they have braved.

But one day these billion people will rise,

and realise that they have had enough.

And that day my dear friend, I assure you.

It will be we who will have the last laugh.

Sooner rather than later

- Pranay