Existential Bummer

A Jason Silva video.....nicely done, good visuals, high energy, all under three minutes, and sure, deeply existential too.....

Thanks for sharing Sagari....with a cheers to the forever moments !

The EF Final Story

Today was final presentation on the EF, the Entrepreneur Fund, that I've been pretty much living, breathing, sleeping, eating as it's said, the whole of last year. And it's a story that's really dear to me, because it not only grew into a really interesting and successful project.... but also because it so grew me as a person.

A surprise validation came in the form of this article published yesterday, and this was one of our most complex cases, Ashok Kalburgi on who we invested a lot of time and energy. I could have danced a jig when I saw the write up.

For easier readability, right click on the picture, open in new tab, and then use the zoom that shows up when you hover over the picture. Trust me, it's a worthy read :)

In terms of project, the purpose was a one year pilot to identify and support micro energy entrepreneurs in Bihar, Orissa and North Karnataka. Being SELCO, the target group was the underserved entrepreneur. The goal was to use this as pilot to create a model that can be institutionalized.

We've done entrepreneurs who are (mostly) not only not educated, but even one who did thumb impression on cheques ( we insist on cheques because we want them included into the banking system and it's entrepreneurship so it's a loan, albeit at 2% to 5% interest )

We have some really interesting experiences here; let me narrate one. This was Geeta, one of our first women entrepreneurs. Before we deposit the monthly repayment cheque we call them to confirm if the money is in the bank. We did that, yet the cheque bounced. We called again and she reconfirmed depositing the amount. Yet the cheque bounced again. Accounts was getting upset. So we actually went to Sirsi and met her ( her emi was Rs.600, but we spent Rs.3000 to go meet her). And the issue? She'd deposited the amount into another account.

Another one: One of our fridge entrepreneurs said he was keeping the fridge turned off for a few hours in the morning and a few in the evening, and we didn't understand why. When we meet him we realize it's because he'd set the thermostat at freezer temperatures and everything was freezing over.

There are so many such fascinating stories, but to move on.

At a personal level, as a story...we started in January 2015, with a nice program and plan, and by June we had accomplished almost nothing. Less than 5%. Quite literally staring failure in the face. I almost gave up, actually did........I agreed to reset targets and budgets, and even that I was skeptical about. But that evening something changed.

My guardian angel didn't give up on me I guess.

Woke up with a changed mindset. No reset , no compromise. I told myself and Harish that I'd do it. A defining moment of taking ownership.

And starting from there, it's like a new energy came in from nowhere. Slowly but surely the wheels turned and whirred and picked up speed, until by end December, we had not just completed, but exceeded targets and expectations on all parameters.

And there are some clear lessons that I learnt through the process, and shared today. Take Ownership, Crystallize Goals, Trust and Empower people, Visualize objectives,  Constant and Never Ending Improvement .......Some basic principles which when imbibed work magic. You'd think one should know these with so many years work experience right? Guess one did too, but at some theoretical level. The difference between theoretical knowledge and experiential..... it's a chasm. Huge personal learnings.

Here are some of the pictures from today's presentation:

One of our awareness programs underway:

A hamlet in interior Orissa where we found an entrepreneur, Prabhat, to provide solar lights on rental basis

Eramma, one of our women entrepreneurs in Sindhanur

Thimayya Shetty, another one of our entrepreneurs

A sewing machine entrepreneur Sreenivas

Prabhat, one of our super enthusiastic entrepreneurs. It was a chance meet that triggered this equation and once he had our number, he just wouldn't stop calling.

A brilliantly challenging and satisfying project, deep and sincere thanks to SELCO and all who were part of the EF team.....it gave me one of my best work experiences ever. 

Mastani Mahal

While I didn't even know Mastani before I saw the movie Bajirao Mastani, since the movie, I think I totally love her.

The moment I knew I was going to Pune, visiting Mastani Mahal got added into my To Do's for the trip. Once the work part of trip was accomplished, we ( Sagari and me) set off to Shaniwar Wada, as I somehow presumed that Mastani Mahal was either within or close to Shaniwar Wada.

As we get there, we realize through talking to the cab driver that it wasn't in Shaniwar Wada. Well, we searched Google and we read on some site that it was in Kothrud, so we head there. And as we get close, we're still frantically reading because there is no specific location and Sagari's like, 'this is nuts, Kothrud is a big area, how are we going to find it' 

We split some sites between us and read on our phones and realize that the entire Mastani Mahal had been dismantled in the sixties and shifted to a museum called Kelkar museum.

Finding Kelkar museum again was tough because of so many one ways and the narrow streets of old Pune, but finally when it's almost closing time we get there. The guy at the counter is like...bandh hone wala hai. But we still buy our tickets and are finally in.

Within minutes, we're wondering......has the Mastani Mahal been converted into museum or is it 'in ' the Museum? So I'm back at the ticket counter and asking the ticket guy.... when there's this gentleman someway in behind the counter, with his back to me who turns and says...come in here at the back. Very mysterious. I go and tell Sagari that he's asked us to come peeche. And she's like, 'jeez, kya hua? Did we do something? What did you say? He said nicely or weirdly? '

We go in and find that he's the Director of the museum and when he realized we were really interested he took us to his office.......and he told us the story of Mastani Mahal. And was it fascinating. To him Mastani Mahal is real, part of life and he knows the story in real time. He hasn't even seen the movie, the only reference he made to the movie was to say that Sanjay Leela Bhansali had visited the Mastani Mahal.

And the wonderful part of it was that the story he told us was almost the same as the one from the movie, except maybe the first meeting which was dramatized, but the rest of the love story was as deep and as intense.

And then came the coup. He's like...the Mastani Mahal is under restoration, and not open to public. Would you still like to see? Imagine our joy...I was like, Yes please, if needed we can even come back tomorrow. He took us right then......and just the feeling of being there.

Here's the rest in pictures:

This is Rekha Hari Ranade

She is the daughter of Dr.Kelkar, who founded the Kelkar museum. Mr.Sudhanva Ranade Kelkar, the Director, was nice enough to not just show us Mastani Mahal, yet under restoration, but also introduce us to his mother.

He said, my grandfather who was an optician (Dr Kelkar) founded the museum, and he went about with such focus that people called him paagal aadmi (madman), and my grandmother and mother ( in picture) have devoted their entire lives to the museum.

It felt like such an honor meeting her, as well as him. As he said himself, it was not just coincidence, he said it was intended, and it sure felt that way too.

Portraits of Dr.Kelkar and his wife that greet you at the entrance of the museum

 

Sudhanva Kelkar Ranade, Director of the Kelkar Museum, and Rekha Hari Ranade

Restoration work on in the Mastani Mahal

On the way back, we happened to pass the Shaniwar Wada, and though it was closed, I got off to get a nice picture of the Peshwa...... well, the statue of the Peshwa.

An interesting outcome of the long conversation with Sudhanva,......we're now working along with him on a project on the Mastani Mahal. Starting the evening not even knowing where Mastani Mahal was, to finding it..... and then ending the evening with a commitment to a project on it. Well, life does have it's ways.

In Pune

This picture from my room on Dhruva's campus....it actually made a post worthwhile:

I was up early, it was yet dark and chilly, so in place of a walk, I settled back into my blankets for a cosy read. A whiff of breeze moved the curtain, just enough for a glimpse, like just this glimpse of ethereal beauty. I braved the chill to step out onto the balcony to be greeted by this.... it just took my breath away. 

Here's a few more pictures from on campus:

A thick early morning mist covering the river

Raj Hostel, where I stayed ( a hostel on campus for visitors)

The walk from Raj hostel to the mess and Dhruva's college. The river Mula Mutha flows alongside.

 The Mulamutha river

Dhruva has a bird watching enthusiast friend, and she took me to this clump of trees to show me weaver bird nests. The architecture of a weaver bird nest is pretty fascinating. 

Also a small snippet from research on weaver birds: they kept young ones away from other weaver birds and found that the ability to build these nests stays through seven stand alone generations.... guess proving that its part instinctive and part learnt

Sun set from the plane

There was another super exciting experience on this trip to Pune. Went to see Mastani Mahal (inspiration from Bajirao Mastani). I initially thought it was within the Shaniwar Wada grounds.... but found it wasn't. It took some crazy searching to even find it, and there's an interesting story there..... this can be teaser for tomorrow :)

Travelogue of 2015

This post is coming out of a discussion with a friend, a year end discussion of sorts, a recap on things done during the year.... in terms of books, movies, places.....and it hit me that this has been, by far my most traveled year....... twelve big trips, almost one a month.

And what's more.....it's mostly to places I've never visited before, making it a really enriching year in terms of new travel experiences.  So let me do a one line recall of each:

1. January 
• Jaipur and Ajmer : The intense spiritual experience of the Ajmer Sherif Darga; Music and wine on the cold chilly terrace with Sagari 
• Pune : A full day out with Dhruva...... breakfast at Flourworks, then visit to Shaniwarwada and the Aga Khan Palace
2. February - Goa
• Yeh raate, yeh mausam, nadi ka kinaara......on the beach... high on wine, the sea, the mood and mom singing that song......I can't listen to this song now without getting transported back there
3. April - Hubli, Belgaum and Bijapur
• Long road trip....Equations built with SELCO branches.....Gol Gumbaaz and its acoustics
4. May - Coorg
• Long drive, getting totally lost, beauty of coffee estates and diksha christening the car Nandi, a wonderful birthday
5. June - Udipi
• Best ever udipi thali
6. July - Bihar
• The Ganges, driving through rural Bihar,  standing in the middle of river phalgun, the energy of Bodh Gaya
7. August - Orissa 
• The sincerity of the entrepreneurs I met, the Lingaraj mandir experience
8. September - Chitradurga
• the highway dhabha woman entrepreneur, the heavy rain and bad asthama on the drive back
9. October - Kerala
• dhruv's beach wedding, long drives, intense conversations and kovalam with dhruva and diksha
10. November - Haveri and Varanasi
• Haveri: an innovative ro plant idea, davanagere benne dose
• Varanasi: the ghats with the palaces, the bathing ghats and the burning ghats and the gallis of varanasi
11. December - Stayed Home ( actually did a post each day :)

Day Bus to Hyderabad

This was a full day bus ride from Bangalore to Hyd, 8 am to 8 pm. 

Why I write about it is more because, across the board, reactions were…. why would you do a day bus, didn’t you get night tickets, it’s so long, it’s so strenuous.........it’s such a waste of time. 

And in total contrast, when I get into the bus and settle down against this big glass window, I can’t contain the excitement of anticipation, a full day drive with nothing else but gazing out the window.

The pictures will show you what a pretty drive it was….but then every drive is as pretty, right?

Reactions in terms of long and strenuous I still get….but it’s the ‘waste of time’ bit that bothers me. 

It’s so backed by this default thought of ‘busyness equals productivity’. That you can just sit and stare...nope...doesn’t go down well.

It’s a hard to beat wonderful feel. This is just for those who might actually actually like it, but give into what passes as common sense. For long, I had succumbed. That’s what peer pressure can do. That’s what conditioning can do. Not just on decisions to take day buses….but in most other facets. 

Know what you want.....Seems the simplest thing in the world…..but the simplest are at times the most difficult to get.

Krishna or maybe one of its tributaries, near Kurnool

Mobeena, who I got to know on the bus....... a complete surprise package. She was this demure, soft spoken lady who spoke a couple of sentences, even which I had a tough time deciphering through the muffle of the burkha cover over her mouth......this, until I asked her to join me for lunch. 

She has started this bangle shop in tumkur and was coming to Hyderabad to buy the famous lac bangles of Chudi bazaar. She'd got into the bus, and then bought a ticket. So I was like...aap ko ladies seat nahi miltha tho kya karthe? And she smiles and says, 'nahi tho nahi, aana tho padtha', and I was so stumped, because I don't think I'd be as nonchalant about it. 

At lunch I asked her if I could take a picture. She asked me why I wanted one, and was then fine with it. I was so surprised.....I actually asked again, I'd just taken a shot in the dark, fully expecting her to say No. And yet another surprise..... she paid for my lunch, just wouldn't listen.

Through that lunch, I realized that here was a woman who thinks for herself. In itself rare, but to find it in this burkha clad lady was a learning to me......on the many biases and preset conditions we carry. Was so so so nice.  I did my most respectful khudahafeez to her.

The line of black rocks that runs across mountains that always fascinate me. They are the earths crust that came up through volcanic activity of millions of years ago.

It's always nice to see the cricket on in full action on these village cricket grounds.

Loved my Jan 1  :)

Chewie

Cuteness personified....what better way to a new years start.

Meet Chewie, short for Chewietabaca.......a kitten that was abandoned by its mother at birth... and yes, diksha picked it up, but as a gift for a friend who's been looking for a kitten.

You get an idea of his size in this pic. Can't be more than ten days old.

Doesn't he look so comfortably ensconced......

They can so sense things..... until he was with me he was so restless, and soon as he went onto Dikshas lap, he went off into deep sleep. 

Isn't he just so adorably cute....