Wheatgrass shots! Know the facts!

After wanting to go there for a long time now, I finally got an opportunity tonight to go to one of the juice shop chain that claims to offer healthy boost drinks and frozen items. There were many options available - orange/cranberry juice, smoothies, wheatgrass shots...Having read the last word, I somehow wanted to try it out. I order for one (with cranberry) and sat down.

While I was expecting a regular glass full of the mix, two small glasses (similar to those in which tequila shots are served) were placed on my table. I looked up at the waiter and asked for suggestion...."How do i drink this?" and he replied.."wheatgrass shot in first and then cranberry shot..."!! I executed it to near-perfection and loved it. I was handed over a note that details "good ness" of the WG (wheatgrass) juice. I was happy to have gulped some good drink today! Without second thoughts, I decided to pour this drink into me whenever possible.

Out of curiosity, I was googling to know more about the "roots" of WG and whether the claimed benefits (of detoxification or greater nutritional value) are true. Claims (of detoxifying properties and nutritional values) were totally correct, I was taken aback to know that this WG SHOT could also cause "nausea" and "extrement irritating reactions in the body"!!

A little more search....and I find an alarming report. WG had traditionally been grown in trays. The fund is simple: take a tray, have some soil in it, sow the seeds and allow those to sprout into little shoots. However there are certain seeds that do not germinate i.e. flop and "molds" form on these seeds. In some cases these molds are absorbed by the "good-ones. If these plants are consumed, results could be from mild nausea to respirator problems to anything that a fungi could cause in homo sapiens.

So, next time you "gulp" a WG shot and feel nauseous, run to your doctor and do not think "cleansing is in progress"!!

For more information:

What's a mold? - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mold

Why hate WG? - http://www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/2006/01/i_hate_wheatgra.html

More on WG - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheatgrass

7 improvements with 70000 crores!

By now, clear indications are that the Commonwealth Games are going to turn into a big disaster. As a nation, it puts each one of us into a shame that would take years to subside. One estimate indicated that approximately 70,000 crore rupees had already been spent in preparations. I was shocked that by spending almost the wealth of the wealthiest Indians, this is all our Governement could come up with. I present a hypothetical case (cannot be a reality in India!!), but serious take, of what could have been done with this much amount of money!

1) 96 new IITs could be built. (Per a recent estimate, 8 new IITs were to be built at the cost of 60.80 billion rupees = 6080 crores!! ) Do your math now!

2) 318 new international terminals could have been built across airports like Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkatta, Bangalore etc. Delhi's international terminal no. 3 was built at a cost of 220 crore rupees. Guess the capacity of this one? 78 gates, 168 check-in counters, 97 automated walkways, 95 immigration counters, an open car park for 4,300 cars and 20,000 square meters of retail space.

3) Renewable energy seems to be the future of any economy; it is not difficult but impossible for any country to rely only on the oil & coal supplies for industrial and domestic needs. With the amount spent on CWG, we could have built 7 renewable power companies! (Suzlon, taken as an example, has a market cap of approximately 9800 crores)!! This would have effectively addressed the "electricity" sharing problems among different states!

4) Government could have boosted the oil subsidy and this would have helped the common man - through reduced fuel and LPG prices! A major oil company is expected to lose around 30000 crores due to the subsidies. We could have well covered these losses and provided additional subsidies to help the aam aadmi.

5) Metro rail in all the metros!! Two phases of Delhi metro were completed at an approximate cost of 15000 crore rupees. If the governement had not bid for a disaster, we would have had metros in each of these cities - Kolkatta, Mumbai and Chennai! How does it feel to know that Delhi metro is operating on profits (after tax) of 90 crores!

6) Improve basic educational facilities - All of us are welll aware of the deficiencies in the Indian education system. Government schools have no teachers and a majority of the private schools loot people. Keeping a note that the current national allocation for education is just 31000 (approx) crores, the money spent on CWG would have done wonders to improve the literacy rate in the rural areas!!

7) 350 satellites in space!! Considering that the Cartosat 2B satellite launched in 2010 approximately cost 200 crores, India could have put 350 such satellites for innumerable technological advancements!!

Though I am not ridiculing the efforts already made and being made to make the CWG a success, the point is simple - This was "THE" opportunity for India to come on the world's sport center stage, but due to the improper planning & execution, we let ourselves and the entire CWG nations down. I read an article somewhere that suggested - the "hub of outsourcing" should have "outsourced" games to China! What a shame?!

The opposition parties who were supposed to question the happenings in the country also remained dumb for a long time. In a bid to divert attention even A.R.Rahman was drawn into the mess, not that I support the price tag of 5 crores (alleged)! It is time the people woke up and elected only capable politicians to the Parliament house!

Courtesy:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/events-tournaments/commonwealth-games/top-stories/Will-the-Commonwealth-Games-be-held-at-all/articleshow/6449408.cms
http://www.2point6billion.com/news/2010/07/02/delhis-new-world-class-terminal-set-to-impress-6244.html

Andaman Islands..a small guide

I had been to Andaman islands for a holiday recently. What comes to your mind as soon as you think of Andaman islands? Clean, tourist place, good beaches...? Clean beaches..true...good tourist location....umm..not really..

Location

Port Blair is a pakka Indian town...looked more like some place in Kerala to me...especially places like Aberdeen bazaar and Middle point...If you happen to visit water sports complex (which most likely one would), you could realise that it resembles the cantt area...proper asphalted roads, well maintained gardens etc.. Port Blair, as such, has nothing great to offer. You could shop at Sagarika emporium (Government run shop) at Middle Point, visit few islands...but do visit north bay island for snorkeling activities.

Havelock is an island which is a two and half hour journey from Port Blair...this is the perfect vacation place....beautiful beaches and high-end resorts that offer excellent facilities....

I heard that few such islands around Port blair house good resorts that offer a real good experience of beach vacation.

Stay

I happened to stay at "TSG Emerald view" at Port Blair and "Sea Shell resort" at Havelock. Like I mentioned earlier, Port Blair has nothing much to offer. It is these islands around Port Blair which you mu

st visit to have the ultimate Andaman experience.

If you happen to visit Havelock do stay at "Sea Shell", a superb resort with fully equipped bar and a restaurant that serves awesome food. I heard "bare foot" resort at radha nagar beach is another good place to stay.

Do check availability at these places...especially during the season (Oct-mar).

Food

• This is one thing that I cannot (DON'T WANT TO) compromise. For obvious reasons the most consumed diet here is sea food. There are limited options for veggies. For those who could eat only at "Pure Veg" restaurants there is a way (:) the only way) out - Kattabomman restaurant at Aberdeen bazaar. This is a small place that offers decent food. If "Veg & Non-Veg" tag doesn't matter, do visit "Annapurna" located almost at the end of the same bazaar - very good restaurant.
• If you stay in one of the resorts, only way is to eat what is on offer at your resort. At Havelock, I tasted some of the best north Indian sabzis ever. Non-Veg lovers can walk along the paths leading to one of the beaches...there are so many small "tapris" serving local seafood and these shops are packed during peak time. Veggies...it is best to carry maggi cuppa noodles...afterall it is food at the same restaurant becomes boring, no matter how tasty it may be.

Activities

Port Blair

• Carbyn's cove beach - Go in the afternoon, there would not be much crowd...dive into the water...
• Cellular Jail - Do visit this place to understand the struggle of Indian freedom fighters who were killed in groups. A well arranged Light and Sound show details the history of this place.
• Viper, Ross & Northbay islands - These are islands located close to Port Blair. Ross and Viper islands are historical places...you could avoid them as they offer much to see or learn. Northbay is a must visit..you could do snorkeling here and see coral reefs..one of the best experiences....do NOT miss it.
• Baratang island - Though I gave it miss...I heard it is worth a visit...however the timings take out the meaning of a vacation..you start at 4:30Am and return at 7Pm. During a vacation nothing is as important to me as deep sleep.. However if you are excited at the prospects of seeing tribes (real tribes of the community 'Jarwah')...do take this tour..

Havelock

• Radhanagar beach - Rated one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Go here...and dive in...you don't want to come out...
• Kalapaththar beach - Useless one...give it a miss..
• Elephant islands - Go here for another snorkeling experience...I heard it is worth it if you did not get to snorkel at Northe bay island.
• Hire a two wheeler - This IS what you want to do....hire a vehicle....drive around Havelock....visit different food stops...visit radhanagar innumerable times...go to local chai shop....awesome experience...we were fortunate to have heavy downpour while returning back from radha nagar beach...out of the world...

Shopping

• Wooden based hand-made items are available at Port Blair. These are relatively cheaper compared to any city..almost a steal...keep lots of space in your bag for these items..ideally buy these one the day of your departure...typically flights start after 10AM..so get you early and rush to the Sagarika emporium..
• Shell based arts are also famous here..but I found these quite out-dated...what one would see during 80s or 90s. Not a fancy thing anymore...but if you like these...again..you get it for a really low price..
• At havelock there is a particular shop - Anupam Eco World...DO GO HERE..this is located close to the market..items made out of coconut shell are sold here...you would not believe what you see...this is a very small hut..not like a super mart...but the workmanship...you would be dumbstuck...

This is the place to be....much better and cheaper than islands in malaysia...in our India...

Taco Bell : A complete Review

Taco Bell, the Mexican food chain has opened its first outlet in Bengalooru (at Malleshwaram), India. Being an total foodie, I decided to pay a visit and cannot resist writing a review! Here it is...

What's Good
Unlimited Refill:
This is new to us and I have never seen an unlimited refill anywhere in India (or I do not know, please enlighten me if you do!). This is obviously an attraction, given that we love to eat hot crunchy food along with a sip of the cool drink. The refill comes with all the combos and box meals.

Service time:
I would say this is unbelievably quick, given the crowd and the amount of orders. The token system is good too and the display boards for the token numbers (for which food is ready to be served) are placed on both the floors. I grabbed my drink and sat in the ground floor until my number was displayed on the board. Awesome!

Food quality and hygiene:
We would never expect international food chain outlets to serve unhygienic food, would we? Well nothing needs to be said on hygiene. Food is served in neat boxes (like Domino's) and clean trays. The quality of food is really good and satisfies the appetite. They have tried to adapt to Indian tastes but without much success. One primary reason is the stuffing of Paneer into every dish they dole out? Need to wait and watch if it works for Taco Bell like it did for all pizza outlets!

Décor:
The red and blue decor is a pleasing sight without too much colour striking the eye. The seats are cool (Mc D type) and can be a good hangout place until you get bored of the crowd looking at you for a place.

Location:
Though my primary reason was to eat at Taco Bell, I really had a nice time at the mall (Mantri Square) where the outlet is located. Walk around the mall, eat the tacos and again roam around until you are bored. Then get into one of the many brand stores and see if you can strike a deal. A wonderful time pass with a promising food at Taco Bell to ward off hunger!

Value for Money:
Undoubtedly the prices are very reasonable, Taco Bell is sure to attract a huge following in India if they maintain the same prices for sometime. Probably even force pizza outlets to reduce prices :-). Following meal for four cost only 600 odd rupees and was filling enough:
Quantity & Menu
1 Quesadilla - fajita veggies
2 Topped Nachos
1 Grilled Stuft Burrito - Fajita & Paneer
2 Crunchwrap Potato Combo
1 Grilled Stuft Burrito Veg Combo
2 Volcano Cake

What's not good
Printed Menu shortage:
Though there are big LCD screens displaying the menu attractively, it would really be handy to provide printed menus for those waiting in the line. Because of the publicity, the crowd is large and the waiting line goes a little outside the shop's door, it would be better to provide printed menus to make sure people do not gaze at the LCD screens when they are at the counter and make the waiting time even longer! It was humorous (until I got real hungry) to see people grabbing any paper that you kept in your hands, thinking that’s the menu!!

No of counters to take orders:
Only two counters were active at the time I had been there. When asked, the lady at the counter replied "we have only one kitchen". I took a look adjacent to the counter where I could see Taco Bell staff working on automated cooking devices and it looked small for the 50 odd people who were waiting at the line. I still do not understand whether she meant 'this is all we can handle' or 'we would expand the kitchen soon'. But the message was that if they opened more counters (there were two dysfunctional counters too!), they would not be able to deliver food as quickly as they did now!

Only one refill counter:
The soft-drinks refill counter is available only on one floor. This makes it difficult for those who find a place to sit on the ground floor. Every time you need a refill (atleast one refill is required) you need walk up to the upper floor. I did not like holding the appetite to refuel the glass! There could be one more counter in the ground floor too. This would: 1) Reduce the crowd on the first floor, 2) Help enjoy the food without the pain of walking up and down in-between the indulgement!

Unavailability of complete box meal:

When I ordered box meals, I was promptly informed that "Twistease", which are part of package, are "out of stock and have not yet arrived". I questioned whether the box meal price would be reduced and was again informed, much to my irritation, that I need to pay in full for the box meal (minus twistease) and without a replacement for twistease. Who would want such an amazing deal? Hence I settled for the combos that come with bell fries (finger fries), crunchwrap/burrito, soft drink (refill). Order extra for dessert, which otherwise would come in the box meal!

Overall rating:
Food: 4.5
Service: 4 (No of counters to order food pulled it down!)
Place: 4
Price: 5 (You won't believe until you visit!)

Suggestions:
1) Head straight down to the ground floor to catch a seat if the first floor is fully occupied and you are sure to get a seating within 10-15 minutes.
2) Do not miss out on the Topped Nachos, which is the best thing I tried here. I heard the crunch taco is good too!
3) Do not (have to) repeat refills of the soft drink! :-). Enjoy mirinda followed by a pepsi if you like to change it that way!
4) Reach a little earlier than your snack/lunch/dinner time. Expect atleast 30-40 minutes from the time you enter the shop, to see yourself enjoying the food.

3 Q's that I ask myself everyday

No matter which industry you work for, honesty, people management and effective communication, I believe, are top traits. One should learn to maintain a fine balance of these in order to be successful and still be happy with work!

Do I treat everyone with respect and equality?
At times we are forced to 'push' people around to complete the task at hand. In a hurry, we tend to forget that we must not see colleagues are automotives. In extreme cases, it becomes essential to act tough with someone. But a true leader is the one who understands the limit and conveys the problem to the co-workers. Simply bossing over people without understanding their problems is not going to help anyone in life!

Am I stretching the facts too much?
We have come across the phrase 'When in doubt - Ask or Say NO'. Often, I see people who 'fool' themselves by promising 'eveything is fine' and going through an agonising late work hours to complete/justify their committment. Another common problem anyone can easily see among people is the "I know everything" attitude; little humbleness (to accept that we do not know if we reallt don't) does a great help to you that nothing else can: Presents an opportunity to learn.

Am I making sense to the other person?
An average-normal-human tendency is to 'force' our views on the other person. I am not saying this is not the right way, but when we do it in every situation and with everybody, there is scope for great improvement. The best possible way that I found out is to 'put yourself into other's shoes' and see what the expectation is. Doing this would help us understand what to say/write and when to do it. I believe timing is very important in effective communication.

Above all, the self belief - "I can do it" attitude. Like the 80-20 principle, focussing 20% of work time on these soft skills helps me build a great work environment and life full of fun.

Sunfeast Bangalore Marathon

Sunfeast is sponsoring the Bangalore 10k marathon. Follow this link to get more details:Click here

Click here to see registration page

Click here to be a volunteer for this event

Run for a healthy tomorrow!!

My latest adventure visit - Kilim Geoforest Park

Kilim Geoforest park is located in the eastern part of the island of Langkawi (Pulau Langkawi as said in Malay), which is in the north western direction of Kuala Lumpur. This features a beautiful mix of well protected green mangrove forests, isolated white beaches and blue lagoons. Along the trail, passing through calm winding river, you will be exposed to the wonders of the park's marine ecosystem, flora and fauna and its natural habitats.

While you can enjoy the Kilim river with lush green views on either sides, an adventurous trip awaits you at the "Bat cave" and the "Eagle Feeding spot". You should book a "boat ride" along the river; the ride is for about an hour or so. Fun begins as the boat is steered towards one side from the main entrance.

Before you start thinking of a windy steer, you are at the first stop - Bat Cave. Two caves - one played host to bats earlier and the other one still hosting bats remind you of clips from National Geographic channel...The first cave that faces the river gives you an opportunity to view the different formations within a bat cave; shapes varying from a solid curve to that resembles a snake can be seen here. As you can sense the eerie silence, you are led to a place around the first cave where you witness "live bats" - a real life time adventure. Inside this cave, you get to see two species of bats along with their little ones...all in the torch light...never ever click a picture with the flashes on. You can walk inside this cave to come out at the other end to complete the adventurous experience.

Once in the boat again, the speeds away across the main entrance to the other side and you get to witness the "real mangrove forest" in its undisturbed beauty. The next stop is the "Fish farm" - showcases a variety of fishes/sea lives that are very special in this part of the world and can be found nowhere else! Archer fish stands out among the rest as you watch it in total disbelief. Archer fish, unlike others in its class, does not wait for the food to be thrown in the water; rather, hold you finger with a piece of wet bread at the tip, a few inches above the water and comes out the archer fish to pick it up! The real fun however is, to "stick" a piece of bread to a wooden log attched to the pond...in no time the archer fishes spit water on this from inside the water, the distance must easily be 10-12 inches!!

Then you proceed to the most adventurous experience of a life time - watching a bunch of WILD eagles coming close to you to pick up food!! This spot is termed "Eagle Watching spot". The boatmen shred pieces of chicken and throw it in the river...in no time you see a battalion of eagles coming from nowhere to pick this food. This is a nature lover's breathtaking experience as you witness the wild life on the uninteruppted screen!

As you think everything's over, one of the most beautiful scnery comes in front of you. If you are lucky enough, the boatman will take you to the place where Kilim river opens into the Indian Ocean. This is the most scenic "river experience" I have ever had in my life...it is one of the desktop-perfect-picture that you could enjoy with your own eyes!

If you plan to visit malaysia anytime, do not miss out on these once-in-a-life-moments!