Reds game

Last month I had the privilege of watching my first Major League Baseball game at the Cincinnati Reds (Great American Ball Park). The club seats were a courtesy of my client part of a team outing. I must say that one must learn how sports marketing can really get creative looking at MLB,NBA and NFL. The tickets come with an unlimited buffet and a wonderful view behind the glass enclosure where people can sit and watch the live game through the glass or on the big screen TVs or even walk out to the stands and watch from there. Reds may not be the best baseball team in the league but they do have a good franchise. Here is a photo taken from my phone sitting at one of the stands.

First Kayak experience

Last  Saturday Aug 29th,2009 I had organized a canoeing event on behalf of our Client Experience team at work. The Location: Little Miami River through the Fort Ancient Forest(north eastern suburb of Cincinnati). This place is that far north from the city that T-Mobile's cell phone coverage can go to lunch. The canoe rental folks were very courteous to help us store our belongings and gave us some tips on kayaking down the river. The majority of us wanted to rent individual kayaks instead of canoes since it would be more fun.I was fine either way as it was my first experience. I must confess that the whole ten mile kayaking experience was enjoyable for the most part and adventurous at times where we had to deal with the rapids. I did pick up some tips on 'how to get through rapids safely'.  We took the whole trip a bit easy kayaking our ten miles  from Old Mill,OH to Morrow,OH ( this is where the canoe rental base is) in about 4 hours. This being my first kayaking adventure I was happy that I managed to travel all the way without any tip overs. It would be very unfair not to mention how great the weather was on that day. The whole experience ended up to be a nice workout for our body in addition to knowing more about some of my co-consultants whom I don't get to meet a lot on a daily basis.

Chennai's Birthday 2009

This August 22nd marked 370 years since the British East India company created what is now metropolitan Chennai. The city still projects an image of both a conservative and cosmopolitan metropolis. Even though there are several areas where the city is behind compared to world standards (infrastructure being one) one cannot deny the fact that the city has come a long way and evolved in several areas in the last few decades whether it is spiritual inclination, increasing cultural assimilation from the North and West, increased affinity to tamil language or  increased economical and geographical importance.  The most recent evolution from an administrative standpoint being the proposal from the Local Government  to trifurcate the city, meaning splitting the city into North Chennai,Central Chennai and South Chennai. With the city's population growth rate it definitely calls for a geographical expansion along with better transportation links via metro/light rail/bus and air. Sometime ago there was political debate over whether Chennai needed a Metro or Light Rail. I think the city needs both with its expansion rate.

Five Dysfunctions

I recently had the pleasure to finish reading a book titled 'Five Dysfunctions of a Team'. The simplicity in which the author narrates the various events that happen in a fictional company definitely needs to be appreciated. Even though this company does not exist almost all the characters that appear in this book resemble someone in every company. In reality every team has numerous dysfunctions but the author has tried to emphasize on the most common aspects that cause problems. Another thing I noticed was every dysfunction that is mentioned can really also apply to an individual level in one's own personal life.



Overall,I must say this is a must read for anyone having leadership aspirations or interested in team dynamics (not just for a company but also in a family setting).

Memories from recent New York trip

Our first trip to New york early this month was very memorable. Thanks to the good weather and the busy and exciting  Manhattan strip. Some places I would definitely recommend any newcomer to visit in NY

• Wax Museum (If you have not been to one)


• Times Square area (recommend you to see this place at  night after 10:00 pm in summer..seriously it is very good)


• Definitely don't miss an evening city lights cruise that takes you around most of the Manhattan islands and it is beautiful to see the skyline during and after sunset.


• Empire State or Rockefeller building. I prefer the 'Top of the Rock' as it is less crowded and the view is amazing from the top. When you are there you can also hang around the Rockefeller plaza. Check the picture below taken on a clear day at 7:30 pm
  
  [caption id="attachment_31" align="alignnone" width="453" caption="From Top of the Rock"]
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• Statue of Liberty - Ellis and Liberty Island. Definitely give at least a half day to wait for the ferry relax and see the skyline from the island. You can reach Statue of Liberty from either Battery Park(NY side) or Liberty Park (NJ side) We left from the NJ side the ferry wait time was less


• Subway system is a must see for anyone to appreciate the hard work and planning that went into building one of the safest and fastest transportation service in the world.


• If you like Indian food just land near 26th and Lexington Ave. you can find a slew of Indian restaurants. We liked the Saravana Bhavan in NY


• If you have more time and are a big fan of the South Indian 'Dosa'  please check this little street vendor in Washington Square called 'Dosa Kart'. The locals seemed to like this place very much,unfortunately we did not have the patience to wait for a long time the day we went to check this place out.

Definitely pack a few water bottles and carry some cash with you as bottled water is really expensive downtown and some places only accept cash.

Be prepared to walk! walk! and walk!