Category: Books

Kotak Vs SBI

How Ironic it is to have a conversation with your Dad,Saying the Bank (kotak Bank)isn’t like the SBI(State Bank Of India) a Synonym For ICIC and Kotak. 

Since, The bank is on my way towards the class that  I attend,Dad just told me to go to the bank first and then head to  my class.

The Rains  were too heavy,Even if  I were are late for 15 minutes,It  know it won’t matter ,nobody would come on time.But,Since I am a stickler for time,I was adamant please drop me off first. 

After my class was done 12:30,I visited the Bank again, there was No lights at 10:00 am and hence had to visit again.

No lights still,Its not been there since last night.No Back Up ?

And.I headed to the other branch a few kms away and  me being the  4th Person in Queue. Presumed it’s a matter of 20 minutes but the guy in frontWho was just done banking,told me its been 20 minutes since  he has been standing.He counted and told me you are 4th person,You will take about 60-90 minutes before you leave.I could have left that moment but again I would have to stand in queue,May be a longer one since two branches from the city  were not functioning.All because of the heavy rains in the city flooding low line areas.

45- 60 minutes Later, My mom came in and asked why are you taking so long ? Its my turn next I told her,  I should be done in 15-20 minutes.

In those 45-60 minutes I met one of the representative and asked him why isn’t the other counter open.Sir, We only have one here.

Now,You understand when I am comparing this to a pathetic bank with senior representatives like government employees.

Just When,My turn came to deposit money.A representative from the bank,Asked him how long have been standing,I told him its been a while almost 1 hr 20 minutes, I also  told  him you knew this problem  will come up as soon as the  other  two branches were shut .Why does it take you long to act upon what should be done? The New counter was being set up at 13:50 the time I was leaving.Well,Normally the peak time of banking are 10:00-12:30.What  is the point of doing it at lunch time?

Also while my turn,hadn’t come yet and they were still thinking of setting up another counter – I told the person behind me,Who was running towards the counter.If that counter opens – I would go 1st,Since I am in queue.I am making it clear as I don’t want to fight on this issue.

Also at the counter the representative seemed like a government employee,Because he was so slow, and confused my making mistakes in updating the  accounts .  It should have taken about 30-40 minutes,Instead took about 80 minutes. 

MacDonald – The founder !

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Richard & Maurice McDonald also known as Dick & Mac In 1940 started a BBQ restaurant.But in late 1940s they changed their business as a hamburger stand. Fast forward to 1955 Ray Kroc joined the company as a  franchise agent in 1955  and then began the journey Of Brand MacDonald.

Ever wanted to know structure of the 1st MacDonald built?Why women weren’t employed until 1965? What has happened to the 1st macdonald ?

Did you Know?

1.MacDonald has a Hamburger University located in Oak Brooks,Illinois suburb of chicago.

Which started In 1961, Fred Turner, McDonald’s former senior chairman and Ray Kroc’s first grill man had  founded the Hamburger University in the basement of a McDonald’s restaurant in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.

2.By the time MacDonald went public in 1965  they had 700 stores.Today 50 years later there  are  33,000 serving over 64 million people in 119 countries every day. 

3.And the most shocking  truth is – Women weren’t employed until 1965, nearly a decade since it was founded,Since the founder believed it would get attention of  audience  that would be distracted .

4.The 1st  The original MacDonald  was called the Big M was an octagonal structure built by the brothers in 1940 s a drive-up hamburger stand at 10207 Lakewood Boulevard   at florence Avenue  in  Downey,California 

  5.The  MacDonald  opened by Ray Kroc as a franchise agent  his 1st unit in Des plaines Illinois in 1955 now preserved as a museum .

6. Lou Groen a franchise owner discovered fish-O-Fillet  and the famous Big Mac was invented by  Jim Delligatti.

7.Herb Peterson a franchise in Santa Barbara developed egg muffin. 

8.April  23,1991 Beijing attracted 40,000 customer to the 28,000 sqft restaurant which featured 29 cash registers on day 1. 

9. How did MacDonald succeed in Japan ? They had a joint Venture with Den Fujita the Japanese founder for MacDonalds and on 21st july ,1971 they opened the store and called it Makudonarudo to convince the japanese it was 100 % owned by them .

Coffee !!!

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“A lot can happen over a cup of coffee”

“Coffee switches on the best in you”

“Wake up and smell the coffee”

Are just some of the popular slogans relating to coffee and if you actually understand the slogan they are completely true.

Think about it .Wake up and smell the coffee is not just a slogan,But a understanding of what coffee does.It helps you in activating  your senses ,the  smell of coffee gives you a high like no other thing may be alcohol can be the closest to coffee .

“Coffee switches on the best in you “is just another tagline/slogan telling you  coffee helps you in being more alert and more aware of your surrounding,Because of the caffeine that stronger in coffee than in any other drink that contains caffeine including energy drinks.

But wait a minute,This is not a thesis or a boring post of coffee,Rather its a post of the concept of coffee shops,Coffeehouses or Café that would help people connect with one another.

Think about it. Coffee-houses,Coffee shops are places where one can easily pass ones time enjoying a cup of coffee and at the same time have company of strangers/Friends or employees. Coffee shops are  one of the original places to socialise and connect with like minded people. 

You can just walk into a coffee shop read a book.Write your stories,articles make your presentation and have conversation with strangers, and if you regularly visit the cafe regular who were once strangers can become your friends.

You are alone,Yet you are with a lot of other people.

Are we loosing this culture of spending time in coffee shops ? 

Not really we are seeing it coming back with a lot of people using it to the fullest  by Debating,having conversation  connecting  with people from different backgrounds and culture to interacting with national and international tourist.Or for that matter of listening to music, or being absorbed in oneself in surrounding where there is so much happening.

There is one table discussing the issues they are facing at workplace.Another is finding it difficult to balance its relationship, a bunch of friends trying to study and understand the solution of the problem.

Coffee shop is the place where we are in touch with so much happening in oneself that hardly makes it on our Social networking sites where we realise,everybody is fighting a battle to be won.Its the place where human interact face to face.

Coffeeshop are surely one of the best places to hangout .

 

Euro 2016 in Europe !!

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The football season is in full swing in Europe,And what better than being on a vacation at this time in that part of the continent. On my recent exploration, which happened to coincide with the UEFA EURO 2016,France being the host .No,I wasn’t in France,But The Eastern European Circuit. Prague ,Vienna and Budapest   and on those dates  itself when each of these Host Countries were playing a competitive team.Football being The international  National Sport  of the European countries This experience of enjoying an Important  football tournament was the highlight of my trip. Watching the Portugal v Austria outside the station with locals enjoying their beers,cheering to support their country, while there was a minority of Portugal supporters out there,The Austrian went Oh! Ah! at every attempt of scoring a GOAL.Thats was just the beginning of the football action we were going to experience. The Next Stop Budapest (HUNGARY) And HUNGARY Plays Portugal,A match very important for the Portuguese.

This match,Was a match we did not want to miss experiencing.We headed to a Stadium,Capacity of 7,000 people and this full with its capacity,had a atmosphere of  if a Concert had been organised.  people jumped  to enter from the fenced Boundaries,climbing the gates.But as the match ended with a draw 3-3, the Hungarian  Shouted Slogans and flocked around the streets forcing the public transport to shutdown (The buses specially) and as we reached our hotel on the way we saw people climbing the signals,Jumping and having a gala time and Do you Know why?

Not because,they were at par with The Portuguese,But because it was history that was made that evening it took Hungarian’s  44 years to qualify to the next stage of the league.

This  experience is  off my Bucket list.

PRAHA !

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Travelling is something that makes you relate to places you have visited before, So on my recent vacation to Prague the moment I started exploring the city of Czech republic, I was reminded of Edinburgh in Scotland ,the particular setting of that place ,the statue near the Charles bridge,And the tram line towards the old town going through the architecture gave me the feeling of me being in Florence in Italy.To the extent ,the panoramic view of the city made me relate to Capri in Italy  from Petrîn hill , when I could endlessly only see red roof tops from the viewing point as compared to the White House of Capri.No,I am not boasting of being a globetrotter,But only getting you to notice how travelling to so many places has made me observe and believe,that Prague is a place having something like every European country.

The cathedrals name Being the same with only the beauty of the stained glasses around being  different.

The traditional food “goulash”  soup like curry with the option of beef,Pork and chicken and bread is popular cuisine here.That was something different since all over Europe there are only a few dishes that are wet.The “Tredlink” Pronouced Tredlin was another tasty sweet cone with sugar coated on the sides, And if you wanted to have some guilty pleasure you could add the Nutella and vanilla ice cream to go for the kill.

This trip to Prague has been one of those trips that makes you wonder Europe has everything alike,Yet is so different.