Manas Garg Speaks

STD-ISD-PCO. A small shop painted in bright yellow, with a couple of booths inside, where fans seldom worked, a table with a few displays and receipt printers. Throw in a couple of telephone instruments and a friendly operator and you have a PCO.

I still remember when the idea of PCOs came in - that was around 15 years back. They were an instant hit. By the way - do you know what does PCO mean? It stands for Public Call Office. ISD is International Subscriber Dialling and STD is Subscriber Trunk Dialling. Legacy terms, eh?

Anyways, those were the days when not having a telephone at your home was the default behavior, and neighbours or landlords calling you to receive a phone call was the norm. In fact, it was a given thing - one could always share their neighbours phone number with others and mark it as PP - I dunno what this PP meant.

When you had to make calls, it was a walk to the PCO around the corner, and wait for your turn - oh - I forgot the importance of timing. Calls after 9′o clock at night were half rate and after 11′o clock were quarter rate. By the way - peak hour call rates were as high as Rs 1.80 per 6 seconds (for distances > 500 km)! Sounds like a dream right? Talk about monopoly!

Anyway, the mobile phone came, the Telecom revolution happened, and everyone got a cell phone. Visits to the PCO became rarer. PCO owners switched to selling recharge coupons for mobile phones. Good riddance!

This one is about my reading table.

My dad actually got it made for me when I was around 6/7 years old. It was proper wooden, and when it was time to choose the top, my dad took me with him to the workshop where it was being built. I chose a light brown top, which I thought looked very impressive. This was in Lucknow, and I still remember that the place we went to was called Aliganj. There were chilly pakodas (bhajji) offered to us at the workshop, but I was not allowed to eat them because they were chilly pakodas, and I was just a little boy :)

When we got back home, my mom asked me how the table was shaping up. I told her that it was huge - it was enough for 5 people to study together, and the top looked like the foam on top of coffee. I was right about the top part - but no - no about the size. The table was meant for one person, the tiny me had imagined it to be very big :)

Interestingly, that reading table is still good, and is still the reading table of our house :). I never really studied on it, I have never studied on a table-chair, always on  the bed. When I was small, I used to use the space under it to set up my tent - indoor camping :P, or for setting up a small shop where I’d sell stuff stolen from the kitchen to my only customer - my mom :). When I was in class X/XI, I wrote all the physics formulas on the top with a permanent marker so that I could revise them just by glancing at my table :). Then when I had my first crush, I replaced the formulas with her name.

That reading table still sits proudly in my room at home (real home), and I long to see it again.

Here is a picture of it, taken when I used to stay at home (6 years back).

Don’t worry, I love you guys too!

Thanks to Alagu for tagging me. I was planning to sleep, then I discovered that I’ve been tagged - and so here I am.. writing this post :)

Last movie seen in a theatre:
Iron Man - Found it childish. Stupid Sci Fi has never excited me.

What book are you reading?
Theoritically - Freakonomics, The Namesake, Oracle E-Business Suite Administration
Practically - None.

Favourite board game:
Monopoly

Favourite magazine:
Reader’s Digest

Favourite smells:
Smell of rain, Green Apples, pretty wet hair

Favourite sound:
The sound doorbell makes when I reach home after months.

Worst feeling in the world:
Being stuck - and hopelessly.

What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?
I’m late.

Favourite fast food place:
Mc Donald’s

Future child’s name:
Khushi

Finish this statement, “If I had a lot of money I’d…”
Become a professional backpacker.

Do you drive fast?
Rarely.

Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
No. I’m one.

Storms - Cool or Scary?
Cool

Do you eat the stems on broccoli?
Don’t know.

If you could dye your hair any colour, what would be your choice?
Electric Blue. 

Name all the different cities/towns you have lived in:
Lucknow, Aligarh, Shahjahanpur, Ghaziabad, Tiruchirapalli, Hyderabad 

Favourite sports to watch:
None.

One nice thing about the person who sent this to you:
I find him respectable and cool.

What’s under your bed?
Nothing.

Would you like to be born as yourself again?
Yes, Yes!

Morning person or night owl?
Both - I work late nights and mornings and afternoons and evenings and … ;)

Over easy or sunny side up?
???

Favourite place to relax:
A lap.

Favourite ice cream flavour:
Vanilla

You pass this tag to –
Hari, Geetanjali, Kshitija, Tushar(Ma), Hepsiba

Of all the people you tagged this to, who’s most likely to respond first?
Dunno.

Sharing a childhood memory after a long time — to show how sensitive a child’s mind is.

–

When I was small, we, like most middle class families at that time did not have a phone. (Cell phones were yet to be invented). Thus, the telephone instrument used to fascinate me a lot.

So this one time, me and my mom were at my aunt’s place (who had a phone!). My dad was at my grandparents’ place, and my mom was speaking with my dad over the phone. I was jumping around my phone, obviously curious. I was touching and playing with the green phone, even while my mom was using it.

Then suddenly the phone got cut.

My mom told my aunt that the phone had gotten disconnected. My aunt told my mom - ‘Manas was doing something with the phone dial- that’s why it must have got cut’.

Wham! I got a tight slap on my cheek from my mom.

The next moment, my dad called back to tell that my little naughty cousin had disconnected the phone on his side. 

No one said sorry to me.

–

I still remember this incident - even after so many years. And I’ve never really liked that aunt of mine after that incident. A child’s mind is very sensitive - small things affect it a lot. Don’t be unfair to a child - you might create a childhood memory by doing that.

Don’t you feel proud when you do something, make something? I know you do, so do I. Am sure everyone does.

A weird thought passed my mind today. We moved into a new office building recently - one of the most amazing buildings I’ve even seen or imagined. However that is not the point. This building must have been constructed by hundreds of labourers - hard working men and women who must have sculpted every bit and piece of it - with their own hands. They must be proud.

However, it is such an irony that now that the building is complete, it is out of bounds for those same men and women. They are now a ’security threat’ to the building that requires smart card access. They built it, but they can’t enter.

Something is wrong somewhere with the world, don’t you think?

All the ten years this soap ran for, the friends always remained together. From the first episode, till the last one. Lucky them.

I’m missing my friends very badly today. To be precise, I’m missing Satyam a lot today. We became friends on the first day of college, and remained best friends all four years. No day passed (except vacations of course) when we did not meet, or had some chit chat. We always studied together for exams and cycle tests (or did we :P). And we were always there when one of us had to crib about something to the other one :)

Our trips to the city were so amazing - we’re so similar in many respects - both of us love to have good food - however expensive (by college standards :) ). Our Saturday dinners were always at the gate - not at Bamboos but at Rajni anna’s. Gobi manchurian, veg manchurian and parottas :).

We did so many things together - spent some of the best and the toughest times together. Shared the Reliance unlimited STD phone :) So many small things.. which are now so far away. If there was anything nice about me except Spider and my pointers college it has to be Satyam - he’s like my big brother. The four years would have been so much tougher without him.

It is a pity that it is now exactly a year since we last met - in Trichy itself :(. Time passes quickly, and we get busy in our lives. But then..

आते जाते खूबसूरत आवारा सडको पे
कभी कभी इत्फाक से,
कितने अनजान लोग मिल जाते हैं,
उनमे से कुछ लोग भूल जाते हैं,
कुछ याद रह जाते हैं 

I hope we meet again - soon. I’m not so weak to let distance or time weaken a friendship. Satyam? Listening? 

I’ve been on an eating out spree lately, and have visited more than 15 different restaurants in the last 10 days (!). I’m going to write what I think about them, but let me first mention my personal habits. I’m a vegetarian, I don’t drink and  I’m not fond of cottage cheese (paneer). So here we go, One restaurant at a time:

1. Waterfront - Amazing view of Hussain Sagar lake. Perfect place for a romantic lunch or dinner. The service is a little laid back. (we had to ask for the menu 4 times, then my friend got angry, and we got free mock tails :) The food is good, and is not too spicy. They have Indian, Chinese and Thai too. The amazing ambiance makes this one one of the best restaurants in Hyderabad. Average meal for two: Rs 700. (They tell you at the entrance that you need to spend at least Rs 350 per person! )

2. Sahib Sindh Sultan: The flagship BJN group restaurant in the shape of the luxury train palace on wheels. They have the best vegetarian starters I’ve ever had. The best part is that they don’t mistreat the veggies by offering them just paneer - there is so much to choose from! The service is very good, and you can have a very relaxed dinner here. My favorite place for Indian food. Also try the Suntani Sherbat - just awesome. Average meal for two: Rs 800

3. Indijoes: If you want to have sizzlers, this is the place to hit! Awesome food, a great varieties of sauces on each table and like all BJN restaurants, great service. This restaurant has international cuisine, but has distinctly great sizzlers. Average meal for two: Rs 700

4. Aromas of China: The BJN’s chinese restaurant - with simple yet pretty interiors, this restaurant is good, but not as great as its siblings Indijoes and Sahib Sindh Sultan. The food was good, but we felt that Ohri’s Far East was better. Not bad at all, I must say, we had a good time! Average meal for two: Rs 600

5. Zafraan Exotica: The rooftop restaurant. A very pretty restaurant, fit for a date. They serve Indian. The service was overzealous, and felt intrusive - I mean they were too eager to serve you. I found myself trying to quickly pick up a piece of naan from the basket before one of the waiters comes and says - let me help you sir. The food was only average. For the price they charge, the food is not good enough. The ambiance sure is. Average meal for two: Rs 800

6. Zafraan Laguna: Zafraan’s international cuisine restaurant. It is like an assortment of food from all parts of the world. Little bit of Indian, Chinese, Italian, Mexican and so on. However, the quantity of food served was very sad. A starter that cost Rs 270 had nothing but 8 small pieces of fried vegetables. Beautiful interiors, but little value for your money. Average meal for two: Rs 1000

7. Tex Mex: This mexican restaurant was again a disappointment. The ambiance was very normal and did not justify the expensive menu. The service too, was ordinary. To top it all, we did not like the food. Average meal for two: Rs 800

8. Ohri’s Tadka: Ohri’s is always good. Good Indian food, decent service even when the restaurant has a full house and good ambiance make this place good value for money. The place was a little loud because it was so full, but still a decent visit. Average meal for two: Rs 500

9. Ohri’s Havmor: If you want to have a snack (Indian Chaat / Pizza / Burger), and not proper dinner, this place rocks. A great menu and a huge collection of ice cream sundaes. And very economical too. Just the place for the time when you’re not hungry enough for a full meal but still want to eat. Average meal for two: Rs 250

10. Ohri’s Chaat: I don’t know of any other place to have good chaat in this part of the city, and so this is the one. Broad menu, and the chaat has that north Indian taste. A little expensive compared to the chaat one has on the friendly roadside thelas, but a must visit. Average chaat for two: Rs 150

11. Mc Donald’s: Good Ol McD’s. What can one say? The favorite of all, fastest fast food joint. When nothing else makes sense, McD’s it is! Average meal for two: Rs 175

12.  Pizza Hut: Their service is always bad, and no exception in Hyderabad too. The pizzas are good but more expensive compared to Dominos. Nothing to write home about. Average meal for two: Rs 350

13 Dominos: My favorite for home delivery. They have always served me within 25 minutes of placing my order. Totally satisfied. Their garlic bread with jalapeño dip makes my mouth water. Average meal for two: Rs 300

14 Basil: A vegetarian place, ideal for a visit with the family. They have a very broad menu, and as happens with places with broad menus, nothing is bad, but nothing is exceptionally good too. The nonalcoholic drinks menu looked impressive though. Average meal for two: Rs 700

15 Cafe Nandini (Madhapur): A typical south Indian cafe, super economical, clean and tasty food. Average meal for two: Rs 80

16. Punjabi Mess (Gachibowli Y junction): We love their aaloo paranthas, and so that the place to hit when we want them. Each parantha is Rs 30.

17. Rajasthani House (Kothaguda junction): Typical rajasthani food, but the place though cheap compared to any else, does not feel like value for money coz of its setting. Cleanliness is a bit of an issue too. Average meal for two: Rs 120

I’ve missed out a couple of the ones I visited, and will append them too. Believe me, I’ve been to all of them (and more) in the last 2 weeks. I know I’m crazy :)

Update: I left out 4 of them. Here are they -

18. Ginger Court (Madhapur): I like the food and the surroundings at this place - it is not like they want you to eat fast and run away! Its quiet on the ground floor though the first floor is quite noisy. The service is good, but the starters are not the best. Still, a great place to go if you stay in this part of the city. Average meal for two: Rs 500

19. Olive Garden (Madhapur): Went because I wanted to save some money. Very spicy food. And ended up not saving so much but had to take unappealing ambiance, normal service and normal food. Go to Ginger Court instead. Average meal for two: Rs 350

20. Tandoor: You need to eat their dal makhni with steamed rice. You just need to. Its really amazing. They are confident enought to write ‘the best you have ever had’ under their dal, and they are right. Other Indian food is also equally good, the sarson ka saag had that real taste so rarely found except at home. A must go. Average meal for two: Rs 650

I don’t remember the name of the 21st one - it was terrible. I haven’t put restaurants I’ve been to in the past but not in the last 20 or so days. Will put them in another list. Happy eating! :)

Here are the ones I found till now:

http://www.google.com.au/intl/en/gday/index.html

http://mail.google.com/mail/help/customtime/index.html

The other two are in Korean and Japanese and so not posting them here.

Will update if I find any more :)

Happy April fool’s day everyone! Its your day! ;)

Update: Here is the BIG one!! The Virgle project!

http://www.google.com/virgle/index.html

Update #2 : Orkut turned into yogurt:

A few hitherto unknown facts revealed in this post.

I wrote CAT this time. I got a 98.XX percentile and have an interview call from IIM Bangalore.

The time I wrote CAT, I thought that maybe this will be a good thing. MBA - will get to learn a lot, will get to experience a new world altogether.

But then as the interview dates comes closer, I am  convinced that this is not the right thing to do at the moment. An MBA at this stage will surely mean moving away from hardcore technology - which I’m crazy about. Two years away from technology, surrounded by people who dream nothing but of investment banks and consultancy firms will prove to be a brainwash. I’m not ready for it.

My observation after speaking with so many people has been that it is usually engineers who do not find engineering the most exciting thing in the world who move towards MBA - it is a great way to make a career shift. The prospects of going to a technology or software company after an MBA are not great - at least not from IIMs. And so MBA does not interest me. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

Finally, I love my job. What could be a computer engineer’s bigger dream than to the first line of code in a  Microsoft product?

So I’m decided. No MBA - at least not in the near future. The big question is - should I go attend the interview? It will cost me 8k to go attend it, and all the trouble of the new airport at Hyderabad. Plus, the very next day, I have to make one of the most important presentations I’ve ever made.

Help me out - I’m tempted not to go for the interview. Any ideas?