An Amorous tryst with Venice

We got off the gondola and turned around to take in the vast expanse of choppy waters. All we could see was white, foggy mist forming a blanket over the Grand Canal and dark clouds softly gliding our way, ready to engulf St. Mark’s Square, once called “the drawing room of Europe” in a thunderous shower. We tucked our hands deep into the pockets of our jacket and made our way to St. Mark’s square. It was 4^th of December, and the damp, chilly air was seeping into our bones. On reaching the square, as I looked back, I was confronted with a white sea of mist. Like a stalker, it had stealthily followed us into the square and was now upon us. I stood stock still, mesmerized, trying to soak in the sight in front of me. The whole of St. Mark’s square was drowning in mist and it was suddenly difficult to see beyond 10 feet. Through the mist we caught a glimpse of the onion shaped domes of the Basilica di San Marco.

The first St. Mark’s was built in 828 next to the Doge’s palace when Venetian merchants stole the supposed relics of St. Mark the Evangelist from their original resting place in Alexandria, Egypt. The present basilica, which incorporates the earlier building was completed around 1073 and is believed to have been modeled after Constantine the Great’s Church of the Holy Apostles (no longer standing) and the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. While the basic structure has not changed much over the centuries, its decoration has changed greatly over time and now comprises Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic art. The exterior depicts a variety of artworks from antiquity to the middle ages, magnificently illustrating St. Marco’s tales as well as scenes from the Old Testament. On entering the basilica, our first impression was that of a dark gothic monument, with wooden floorboards laid out to facilitate walking in case of floods. However, a few steps ahead and we were dazzled by the spectacular gilded mosaics covering a total area of about 8000 square meters on the vaults and cupolas. Dating mostly from the 12^th century, the interior mosaics proclaim the message of Christian salvation through events from the New Testament.

Opposite the basilica is the Campanille di San Marco (Bell tower of St. Mark). Standing at almost 325ft, it is the city’s tallest building and offers unparalleled views of the Lido, the roof of the basilica and the whole lagoon. On a clear day one can even see the dolomites in the distance. We were however not that lucky. The clock tower was originally built between 888 and 912. However, after having collapsed into a pyramid of rubble in July 1902, it was rebuild exactly ‘as it was, where it was’. It is said that the Holy Roman Emperor Frederik III rode a horse to the top of the original in 1451.  Round off the square’s attraction with a visit to the Doge’s palace, once Venice’s political and judicial hub. Of course, don’t forget to walk across Venice’s famous Bridge of Sighs which intended to connect the old prison and interrogation rooms in the Doge’s palace to the New Prison.                    

Exit St. Mark’s square and immediately get lost in a web of alleys. It is an absolute must for anyone visiting Venice. The charm of Venice lies in its narrow streets and alleys, various squares and serendipitous meetings with quaint, narrow bridges tucked at the end of inconspicuous alleys. Wander aimlessly for an amorous tryst with Venice.

No trip to Venice is complete without a tour of the Grand Canal. Flanked by erstwhile palazzos of the Venetian ruling class, the fairy tale atmosphere of the lagoon is only enhanced by Venice’s ubiquitous vaporettos (water buses).  Hop on to the slow #1 vaporetto that runs the length of the Grand Canal and buckle up for a mesmerizing tour. Halfway down the Grand Canal is the Rialto, the 16^th century bridge hosting the Rialto Market, which has been whetting appetites for centuries. The lagoon city has a glorious culinary tradition based on fresh sea food, usually procured from the stalls of the Rialto. Indulge your taste buds with fresh fish or crabs, or get adventurous and take the plunge with baby octopus or inky squid. Personal experience behooves me to warn the uninitiated against the local pizza. It is mediocre at best and usually of the frozen variety. Instead opt for polenta (a regional specialty) with fish or meat.

Winter or summer, drown yourself in the delicious sweetness of gelatos from Boutique de Gelato, a tiny outlet on salizadda San Lio. Bid sweet adieu to the lagoon city with the tantalizing flavours of Frittole (famous Venetian fritters made of eggs, flour, sugar, raisins and pine nuts) lingering on your tongue and creating lasting memories. 

 

 

Anney - Venice of the Alps

Nestled in the French Alps, Annecy will charm its way into the hearts of even the most jaded travelers. Less than two hours away from Geneva, it is a popular day trip for tourists visiting the Swiss town. Perched on the northern edge of Lac d’ Annecy, the town is crisscrossed by a network of canals and streams, thus earning itself the tag, “Venice of Savoie”.

Indulge the romantic in you by strolling hand in hand with your paramour by the impossibly azure waters of lake Annecy or crossing the Pont des Amours (lovers bridge) situated at the edge of the lake.

Wander around the charming Vieille Vile (old town) surrounded by pastel coloured houses bedecked with lego windows and flower pots.

Stoke the historian in you with a visit to Palais de l'Isle. Appearing as a ship stranded in the middle of the waters of the Thiou, the Isle Palace has a long history, having served as the first residence of the Lord of Annecy from the 12^th century onwards to being the administrative centre for the Counts of Geneva and finally a prison until 1965. The former castle today houses a local history museum. The Annecy Chateau, built between the 12^th and the 16^th century, situated on a hill overlooking the city and its surroundings, is also well worth a visit.

Stop by one of the multitude restaurants lining the Thiou canal and sample the gastronomical delights that the city has to offer. No trip to Annecy is complete without dipping into the heavenly Savoyarde fondue.

   

For Aakanksha, on her wedding...

You are the heera of our family
Precious and pure
Abound with love, integrity and vitality
Happy you will keep Ron, of that we are sure.

Blessed with a heart of gold
You epitomise beauty with brains
After you, God broke the mold
Ron sure did pick the diamond from a million grains.

Enjoy this wonderful journey called marriage
Face each task with solidarity and courage
I wish you both happiness and love
Always stay together, hand in glove.

Congratulations!

My Platinum day of love

Paris is truly the most alluring and bewitching city in the world. One’s appetite for the wonders of this stunning city cannot be satiated and a single visit can stir eternal cravings. It has aptly been christened the city of romance, of love and sex. So it was only befitting that I commence my European honeymoon with Paris.

Finding our“illustrious” hotel Des Arenes was no sweat but coming to terms with the size of the room definitely was. The hotel room was so small that we marveled at the genius of wide angled cameras. The internet pictures had certainly not prepared us for these midget sized rooms. An exceptionally narrow hallway which accommodated only one person at a time led into a room which actually restricted the concurrent movement of 2 people. “Bienvenue a Paris”, said my husband gallantly as he tried to usher me into the room.

We, however, weren’t too bothered with the size of the room, as the hotel was located in the heart of the city near the festive Latin Quarters. By the time we freshened ourselves it was early evening. Not the ones to waste any time we put on our winter clothing and set out into the freezing Parisian street. As we stepped out of our hotel a strong gust of cold wind hit us and we were suddenly reminded that we had no gloves on.

Undeterred, we trudged along the street towards the subway, hand in hand like the perfect honeymoon couple. I was in a state of bliss, to be ambling in the most romantic city in the world along with the love of my life. I think the gods had conspired to give me a peek into heaven. Before taking a subway to the Eiffel tower I grabbed a quick bite at the local boulangerie. Why delay sampling the gastronomical delights of Paris?

By the time we disembarked at the station for Eiffel tower the sun was down and it had turned dark outside. The embankment area was lined with bare, ghostlike trees, giving the impression of being frozen in time. The street lights cast long shadows on the pavement, unsuccessfully trying to create an illusion of warmth. And suddenly, caught completely off-guard, we sighted the Eiffel tower. A vision in blue, shimmering against the night’s sky, assaulting our visual senses. We stood at a distance, staring mesmerised.

We took a lift to the top, excited like children. Atop the Eiffel tower, the city lay below us, bejeweled and glittering in its full glory. Being December, the sharp cold winds cut through us. However, I was completely unaware of the chill, conscious only of the city below me and the man beside me. Ours was a love marriage, so we were certainly no strangers to each other. Nonetheless, as his eyes arrested mine, we felt like we were playing parts in a movie, aware only of each other.

My husband wrapped me in his arms and leaned forward to kiss me softly on my lips. For that split moment in time, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. As our fingers entwined, the platinum rings that we had given to each other as a symbol of our eternal love and commitment, clinked softly.

That day, at that moment, entwined in an embrace, levitating over a shimmering Paris, I found my platinum day of love. A day that was pure like the fire that witnessed our union, rare like the devotion in his eyes and eternal like our love.

This post is for Indiblogger's Platinum Day of Love contest.

 

Which way will the wind blow? : My entry for the Get Published contest

The Story

In a society that is steeped in dogma, but is constantly struggling to break free, two individuals are thrown together by their respective parents, in the hope that a marital alliance is created.

Ashwin and Rhea are two strong, independent individuals who are perfectly amenable to the idea of an arranged marriage. However, after having gone through the increasingly annoying process of meeting an infinite number of prospective partners in the recent past, each views the other with a sense of frustration and mistrust. At first glance, one feels that there is hope. That this might just be it. However, a quick succession of flash judgments and trivial misunderstandings make both, Ashwin and Rhea, weary and defensive. This story is about a boy and girl, who spend a day together in the city of Delhi and how as the day progresses, both discover a little of each other. It is a day of shedding inhibitions and realizing that first impressions often need to be discarded. However, the question that begs to be answered is whether a day is enough to make this all important, life altering decision? And ofcourse, which way is the wind finally going to blow?

For Ashwin and Rhea it might not be about falling in love at first sight but about sharing a lot of firsts.

 

What makes this story “real”

Every strong and understanding relationship does not a marriage make and it is not necessary to marry your best friend to have a perfect marriage. Having observed couples from my grandparents’ era to now my younger siblings, I have learnt that marriage might be about a lot of things, but mostly it is about shedding preconceived notions and making an effort to understand your partner.

 

Extract

As they made their way from Vasant Vihar to GK, Ashwin couldn’t help but get drawn into the city passing by. This was his third visit to Delhi and he lamented the fact that he had not yet been able to see it. He was very keen on making a trip to the Red fort and then to the surrounding area of Chandini Chowk. He also wanted to see the majestic steps of the Jama Masjid and sample the kebabs made from “only god knows which meat”. Maybe after that he would drive down to India Gate and the President’s House. Some shopping from Janpath was also on the cards as he had promised to bring his friends back home “Indian stuff.

“Ashwin look, the driveway is so long and impressive!” barged mommy dearest into his thoughts. And the house, wow! It looks absolutely palatial. Are the pillars out front in marble? Son, you must marry this girl.

"This is my entry for the HarperCollins–IndiBlogger Get Published contest, which is run with inputs from Yashodhara Lal and HarperCollins India."

 Vote for me here: Promotional link: http://www.indiblogger.in/getpublished/idea/394

 

Under the night's sky I lay                                                     
Thinking of my deeds during the day                                     
Same as I did when yesterday began                                      
Hoping to wake up a better man

Endless desert

Sun bearing harshly down

On donkey’s back

Door crack

Makes passage for

A sliver of light

Fading light

The silhouette of two lovers

Against the door

Early butterfly

Searching for flowers

Dances with snowflakes

Summer sky,

In the poppy fields

Children play

Moonbeams

Dancing on the river

As lovers kiss

Baked Earth,

Petricore in the air

Raindrops bring

The result season has begun well

Indicating that the markets are about to swell

Due to liquidity induced romanticism

We have also shed our pessimism

2012 has begun on a good note

Have fear though

The markets seldom give one a chance to gloat!

"90% of rape cases are consensual sex"!!!!!!!!!!!

"90% of rape cases are consensual sex" shouted out an anchor on national TV in his supremely aggressive and patronizing manner. My first reaction was that of shock very quickly followed by mirth and disbelief. The anchor was only repeating what a Haryana congress spokeperson had said on the matter of an incredibly rising number of rape cases in the state. Now this is an oxymoron if I have ever heard one, uttered by one of the many morons that make up the Congress government.

 

How can rape be consensual? The first thing a rape victim in our country has to suffer is complete character assassination. All and sundry have a comment to make on the womans'conduct and lifestyle and somewhere somehow the picture of a "fast"and "scarlet woman" is painted. There is seldom any mention of the culprits. Few comments are made on their character or background. The conclusion is foregone. Women bring it upon themselves because they choose to be free.  There is also a school of thought that believes that these sort of women deserve to be raped becasue they do not fit into some man's warped picture of a "true Indian woman". However, this statement seriously takes the way deluded and perverted men who justify rape think to a completely different level. How can a woman consent to being raped? Or is it a case of women, and in many cases minor girls, first consenting to having sex and then crying rape. I would certainly like to know how and when this survey was conducted which allowed the Congress spokeperson to arrive at a figure of 90%!

 

As long as such henious acts are going to be justified, as long as there are proponents of such thoughts in society, as long as women in our society are not given freedom and respect, as long as man continues to feel threatened by women, we as women continue to exist in an unsafe environment.

Is it appraisal time for Congress?

 

It seems like its appraisal time for the Congress government which is going full throttle with key reforms. Last month the government increased FDI in multi brand retail to 51%, relaxed norms for investment in aviation sector, hiked diesel prices by INR 5 per litre and put a cap on subsidised LPG cylinders to six cylinders per household. More recently, the cabinet approved a set of five point reforms which include FDI in insurance and pension. This sudden volte face of the government from a welfarist to a reformist agenda caused many a skeptics to raise their brows. Afterall, despite being at the receiving end of withering criticism by both the domestic and international media over the last few months, the government and especially the prime minister had maintained a laughably ignorant attitude towards the ailments plaguing the Indian economy. The question that begs answering is, "Why this sudden change in attitude?" Is there a hidden agenda? Well, for sure. There always is.

 

In large organisations the Human Resources department is always beating down on the employees the importance of aligning individual goals with organizational goals. This creates the proverbial win-win situation where the employee gets his fat bonus cheque at the end of the year and the organisation reaps profits. This analogy can easily be used to explain the astonishing vigor with which the current government has donned the mantle of reforms. They seem to have thrown caution to the wind and have audaciously passed key policy measures in the face of known opposition. It is highly likely that this sudden awakening is in pursuit of the “fat bonus cheque”.

 

However, as is often the case, the employee is working towards achieving his individual goal and any benefit to the organization is only incidental. At a time when the congress government has been belting out chart topping scandals, a common refrain doing the rounds is that while all political parties, NDA included, are corrupt, atleast during the time of NDA, the populous benefited from their pro-reform and pro-growth agenda. The people of this country have been driven to such a state of despair that they are willing to accept corruption as long as even a part of their requirements and interests are addressed. And that is exactly what the government is capitalizing upon. At a recent interview, the Prime Minister was responding to questions on demands for rollback of decisions on FDI in multi-brand retail, diesel price hike and cap on subsidised LPG cylinders by the opposition. When asked to respond to reservations expressed by allies that the recent decisions could hurt their electoral prospects, Singh said, “We are far away from elections.” I think the prime minister was just trying to exhibit a false sense of complacency with regard to elections. Most steps taken by political parties, both ruling and opposition are cautiously cultivated with an eye on the prize. With the intent of winning the elections. That is the ultimate bonus and the congress party is taking measured steps, by way of these sudden reforms, with an eye on the prize.

 

However, if in the process of this personal goal fulfilling agenda, the country and its people become accidental beneficiaries, then it becomes a win-win situation. I think that is the best we can hope for.

To be or not to be?

It is again that time of the year when the plebian salaried class people employed in the financial sector have to suffer strange palpitations, sleepless nights, irritable demeanor and an all pervasive sense of doom. No, I am not talking about a new bug in town. It is simply the beginning of the new financial year which brings with it the threat of layoffs and salary cuts. I remember the times, although just barely, when April was awaited with a great sense of anticipation of the vacations to be taken and the new possessions to be bought with a fat bonus cheque and an hefty salary increment. And then came the financial crisis which unceremoniously crash landed on our door step leaving “the new normal” in its wake.

People in their late twenties, such as myself, have aged more than decades in capital market years. When we joined the industry maybe a decade back, the stock markets were just gearing up for a massive rally. New businesses were emerging within the financial space which allowed many of us an entry into the crazy world of stock markets. The only problem was that this in your face advertisment did not come with a disclaimer. We worked hard, learned more and were happy to be a part of this moneyed world. Then a few years later markets threw all caution to the wind and rallied like never before. India became the new must have “Birkin” on every portfolio worth its salt. India was after all “shining” and every one hoped for a bit of the star dust to rub off on them as well. Foreigners poured in heaps of money and the markets knew of only one direction. Every stock that one laid their hands upon gave massive returns. Suddenly, our jobs were worthless, but no one noticed. If every stock gave 20% returns then what was the need for an analyst or even a saleperson? Every stock market participant worth his salt became a portfolio manager or a fund manager. And then the excesses of the west came to haunt us. And haunt us they did.

Not wanting to delve on the exhaustively written financial crisis I would like to jump straight to the present. For a while post the crisis we all thought that things were on the mend. Maybe they are, who knows? Its been four years since the crisis and the Indian broking industry is feeling the pain now more than ever. Due to the current government’s lethargy or even worse still its warped policies, the FIIs have simply written us off. Volumes in the market have completely dried up and there is absolutely no trend that is emerging. The only trend that I see emerging is a constant threat to job security. Which brings me to the big question in my life currently. “IS IT WORTH INVESTING MY MOST PRODUCTIVE YEARS IN AN INDUSTRY WHICH IS GRAPPLING TO GET ON ITS FEET?” They say that stock markets are lead indicators of the health of the economy. So if markets are non trending or trending downwards a logical conclusion would be that the economy and hence the other sectors are unlikely to offer much in terms of growth. In which case it make sense to weather the storm currently facing the industry and gear ourselves for the next big run. Unfortunately it is not quite as simplistic as that. With interest in investing in India waning and a complete lack of investor participation in the market, broking houses have no choice but to cut costs. After all it’s the capitalists who brought about the boom in the first place, so its unlikely that we would see them burning cash on a monthly basis. But how does all of this help us, the salaried class? Do we accept the salary cuts for now and wait for a bigger blow in the future or do we spread ourselves thin and try our luck in other industries? Any suggestions Mr Hobson?

The Beginning...Happy Valentines Day Joey

The first time I saw you,
I felt something so new.

Your kindness and generosity I could see,
You struck a chord inside of me.

Barista was our first date,
30 minutes I was waiting, you were so late!

You were my first bike ride,
As you urged me to hold tight, I tingled inside.

I remember the long days spent in the library,
When studies were not in the least bit primary.

The auto rides to Ohris and Paradise,
Were a heady concoction of sweet and spice.

In love I think I was falling,
I was so afraid, couldn’t help stalling.

You took care of me, no strings attached,
That’s what drew me to you, completely unabashed.

And thus began our wonderful journey,
Of friendship, love and bon homie.

Irises in the Spring

Irises in the Spring,
Promises of color and joy you bring.
Leaving the frost and cold behind,
As the winter months begin to unwind.
Red, blue, purple and azure,
In the fields you stand so dainty and pure.
Time to bid adieu to the snow,
As the first irises of the season make my heart glow!

The New Conundrum: Stocks or Shoes?

I have two big passions in my life, buying sandals and investing in stocks. To an outsider, or even to those whole dabble in both, this would seem like two ends of the spectrum. This is not so. It is absolutely amazing to observe the many parallels to investing in stock markets and buying footwear. I shudder to think of the smirks this piece would invite from my esteemed male colleagues, but guys please indulge me for a bit and read on. You might be in for a surprise!

Total Return from stocks = Dividend Yield + Capital Appreciation
Total Return from sandals = Dividend Yield* + Capital Appreciation**

*compliments received every time the particular sandal is worn
**looks of envy from all the girls who wish they had the same sandal (but don’t)

The Penny Stock Bias: everybody loves a good bargain. I think this rule is universal and can be extended across asset classes and situations. Penny stocks are those which trade at a value of less than INR 10 and don’t really have much fundamental strength. The attraction of penny stocks is in their very low denomination with the general buyer’s rational being, “let me buy 1000 stocks at INR 5. If I make money then great, else I only stand to lose INR 5000.” Another factor that lures market participants towards penny stocks is the feel good factor associated with buying in large quantities, which is made easier by the lower denomination.
Its counterpart in the world of footwear can be found at Linking Road. Women throng this shopping district looking to buy trendy sandals which are much cheaper than those available in the fancy shops. The sandals don’t really have much to speak of in terms of quality, but the prices are low and one really doesn’t mind if it is good for only a couple of outings. And ofcourse, because of the low prices one really doesn’t need to exercise restraint and can be extremely indulgent. I think that every woman would vouch that there is nothing to beat the feel good factor associated with carrying multiple shopping bags filled with shoes.

Anchored to favourite despite pain: everyone has that one favourite pair of sandals for which
‘aint no mountain high enough, aint no valley low”...sorry I digress. It could be something that stole your heart in the very first glance and you had to have it despite it probably being a size smaller or the heel being a tad too high. One would still go ahead and buy it and keep it and prance around in it, all the time keeping faith that if I wear it enough number of times it would magically keep my feet happy.
Similarly, many of us develop some kind of personal attachments to the stocks in our portfolio. Strangely we sometimes tend to be more faithful to our favourite stock than to our partners. We stick by the stock in sickness and in health, through downturns and upturns all the time keeping faith that eventually the stock would go in-the-money.
It is like how we never throw away our favourite backbreaking sandals we also never throw away our favourite out-of-the money stock.

Law of averaging: clearly an offshoot to the above principle, the law of averaging put simply implies throwing money down the wishing well. Because of our emotional attachment to certain stocks, we don’t exit them despite deteriorating fundamentals. To the contrary, every time the stock falls we buy more quantity hoping that the point of turnaround is just at the horizon.
The same can be said for our favourite tattered sandals, which have seen one too many visits to the cobbler but still fail to provide the same comfort as before. These sandals too never see the trash can!

Urge to diversify and step into unchartered territory: the portfolio of most investors would have a bias. It could be towards stocks from a particular sector, of a certain market capitalisation or even to those belonging to a certain conglomerate (business house). But as every analyst worth his dime would tell you, diversification is the key to risk mitigation. Accordingly, despite our biases we as investors tend to diversify and often tread into unchartered territory. If your neighbour’s portfolio is doing better than yours, it is only natural that you would try to gain exposure to his award winning stocks. In the bargain, we end up buying stocks about which we might not have much information. The profit or loss thereafter is anybody’s guess.
Similarly, when it comes to footwear we all tend to have biases. It could be towards a particular brand, or a certain type of heel or even a particular colour. In this case, diversification is certainly not the key to risk mitigation, but it certainly is the key to evade becoming a social pariah. So we sometimes go ahead and explore brands hitherto unknown or perhaps heels which we have previously never worn. Whether the experimentation would be accepted in the social cliques is anybody’s guess.

Herd Behaviour: behavioural science though closely followed in the retail industry, is not quite given the same honours in the field of finance. I find that a bit strange, considering that stock price movements are largely a function of psychological responses to fundamental factors. More often than not our stock selection process is influenced by the masses. A stock that is endorsed by one of the investing gurus suddenly becomes the flavour of the season and people rush to take positions in the same, oft times not being entirely privy to the relative merits or demerits of the said stock.
Similarly, our closets are stashed with sandals which were proclaimed to be the next best thing after Italian pizzas but didn’t quite make it to the hall of fame. There are also instances when we end up buying footwear which we possibly do not even like but defer to the judgement of self proclaimed industry gurus. Strangely, when it comes to buying footwear, we strive to be exclusive but at the same time do not want to miss out on something that finds its way into all our friends’ shoe closets either.

Research and Momentum: in the case of both stocks and shoes, entire industries have been built to aid the common people in making their investing and footwear buying decisions. There are scores of periodicals enunciating their views on various companies and fashion trends. There are also the CNBCs and FTVs which pride themselves in catching the pulse of their respective markets and conveying information at the speed of light. As a matter of fact even the boring old financial planner has a shoe equivalent in the personal shopper!

Gentlemen, if you are still not convinced then might I suggest that you go buy a pair of shoes and ladies, maybe it’s time to invest in some stocks.