28 July 2013

Question for my friends in India

Can you help me with this?
Since the crack of dawn, my brother, dad and I have been sitting outside and enjoying the world slowly waking up. As we watched the rain soaked trees, buildings, birds and so on, we noticed something in the next building that we could not explain.
See the black, grill like overhang structure just outside the AC unit in the picture? It seems to be bolted onto the sill above. What on God’s green earth is that? What is the purpose?
My brother and I cannot seem to crack it.
Do you know? That is a AC unit, is it not?

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Category: Vacations | 25 Comments on Question for my friends in India
27 July 2013

If only every afternoon was this way…

… also called “Fuchka bibhrat”.
Not sure how to introduce the concept of “fuchka” to anybody uninitiated in this delicious snack. But if you have ever seen “Gol gappa” or “Pani Puri” in an Indian restaurant, you will know what I am talking about. It is sold on the roadside under highly suspect hygienic conditions. However, the taste trumps all and religiously my brother, sister, brother in law and myself go ever evening to a nearby roadside vendor here in Kalyani and partake of about 10 of those or so.
This afternoon, everybody was sleeping except my brother, brother in law and myself – so, for over two hours we debated extensively around the whole business model of selling “fuchkas”.
Essentially, we needed to estimate total revenue and margin levels. My brother and I were on two extremes and my brother in law was desperately trying to avoid taking any sides.
The analysis was intense – we had to get a scale (ruler) to estimate the volume of a “fuchka”, estimate how many “fuchkas” a standard size potato would fill, the size of the full container the vendor brings. We even applied time and work estimates around statistical distribution of customer flow, average serving time per “fuchka”, overlap period of one customer eating and the next customer being served. Finally, we had to review the formulas for volume of a frustum of a cone (his container), a sphere (“fuchka”), packing factor and so on.
After so much of precision, my brother and I came miles apart in our answers 🙂 I have 75% gross margin on average sales of 600 “fuchkas” per day with a revenue of around Rupees 2,25,000 per year. My brother came at 50% gross margin on average sales of 1500 “fuchkas” per day with a revenue of around Rupees 6,00,000 per year. Both of us agreed that the full container has around 2000 “fuchkas” when totally filled.
Finally we called truce over a cup of tea and agreed to ask the vendor this evening what his real numbers are. I am highly suspicious if he keeps any real accounts though!
It was a great way to spend some stress free quality time with my brother and brother in law though 🙂
You want to take any guesses?

Category: Family in India, Vacations | 8 Comments on If only every afternoon was this way…
27 July 2013

Ami ekhon boro hoey gechhi (“Now I have grown up”)

Broke every rule, convention and socially accepted behavior today and went out to run in heavy rains in Kalyani. And dragged my brother with me too!! In fact, we had dressed up for our run and then waited till the rains would start before getting out.
All those years of childhood that our parents would not let us play in the rain…. today was the day we had been waiting for to take our revenge together…. Parents kept complaining (the usual “Thanda legey jaabey” – you will catch a cold) – but now we are grown ups. So we could afford to ignore them!!!
It was just too liberating to be able to feel the heavy rain falling on our skin as we ran 8K in the empty roads. Everybody and sundry was staring at us from the shops, houses etc as we weaved thru every single street possible in the neighborhood. We also stopped at a tea stall where multiple people offered to give us a dry spot to sit in – but we just stayed in the rain and enjoyed our tea.
Finally, came back home and simply sat down in the rain for half an hour. My ever concerned sister got us some steaming tea again!!
Sitting in that rain together with my now grown up brother making idle chit chat we asked ourselves – What good is growing up if we cannot decide not to grow up? 🙂
“Ami tobu chhoto-i hobo, seta-i amar ambition” (“I just want to stay a kid and that is my ambition”)

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Category: Family in India, Running, Vacations | 18 Comments on Ami ekhon boro hoey gechhi (“Now I have grown up”)
27 July 2013

Real life puzzle

Here is a real life puzzle… Look at my previous post. It is truly a beautiful snap. The sky color is unbelievably azure and you can see the sun trying to break out if the grey clouds in the horizon.
Now, I do dabble in photography but my caliber is nowhere close to take such a beautiful shot. Also, it was an unsophisticated iPhone and I did not touch up the picture with any filters.
Can you tell me then how did the sky come so beautiful?
A hint – look carefully at my position on the road!
It bothered me enough last night that I had to state at the picture long enough to finally get it….

Category: Puzzles, Vacations | 8 Comments on Real life puzzle
26 July 2013

Long time no see…

In the few hours that I am in Kolkata, I was lucky enough to spend half an hour with my classmate from fifth grade – Debasish Chakraborty. The last time I saw him was in 1986 when I ran into him outside a movie hall!! (Most people who know me closely enough are probably wondering what was I doing outside a movie hall 🙂 Fact is I have seen about six movies in some movie hall in my entire life. “Bhalobasa Bhalobasa” in Durgapur Cinema in 1986 was one of them!!
Well, he is a much accomplished central government official now. To relive our old times, we just sat outside on the side streets outside his office and caught up on each others’ parents, family and old schoolmates over a couple of cups of tea!! Living thru these moments is what gets me really excited about life. Who knew 27 years later we will share a cup of tea again?
Another interesting tidbit on him – I think he is the only person whose entire family – he, his wife and his twin kids (more on their talent in a later post) are my FB friends!!

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Category: Vacations | 22 Comments on Long time no see…
25 July 2013

Reaching out to all my friends in Kolkata

All my FB friends in Kolkata,
I am in Kolkata tomorrow (Friday) for a few hours (arriving tonight). Since my dad has not recovered yet, I will have to come back to Kalyani in the afternoon.
I know it is a workday and a schoolday, but if anyone of you is so inclined, I can join you early morning for a walk/run followed by a “chai/biscuit”. I can come most anywhere – Maidan, Rabindra Sarobar, Nicco Park etc as early as you want/can. For your efforts as well as the courage to endure me :-), I will buy the chai/biscuit. Let me know and we can fix the time and place.

Category: Vacations | 5 Comments on Reaching out to all my friends in Kolkata