The Importance of a Name

What is a name? At the highest level, a name is nothing but a word which is in turn stitched together with random letters from the appropriate language's alphabet soup (in this case, English) and given a specific pronunciation depending upon its usage and context. Digging a bit deeper like how we spade the ground to plant a sapling, the name is a label representing any object - living or nonliving - along with its meaning to recognize, identify the object correctly and understand it better so that confusions doesn't arise while communicating or expressing or participating in an interaction between/amongst us - Human Beings. Since, we are on the topic of words,

                        

              One of my favos that turned me into a hopeless and quixotically romantic

Shakespeare had rightly said when he observed and proclaimed "A rose by any other name is still a rose". Extending his pointed and succinct statement (Alliteration time again! :P), inevitably and inherently, the natural corollary of his pithy remark is that the object called rose can actually exist without the label or in other words, to be crystal clear, the name that we have imposed upon the object "rose" for our own convenience. It's like the evergreen Senthil-Goundamani comedy where Senthil says "Poova poo num solalam puipam num solalam neenga solra  maariyum solalam". (A flower can be called a flower or in the manner you say it!).

             From 0.00 to 1:58...Lol-o-Lol..But, the message is deep when we see beyond the humor

Why am I giving such a boring lecture? It is certainly not an obiter dictum or a fugacious flippant  (It's 'A' time again.!) assertion that is based on my personal experience, realization or understanding. Or, it may be also.! Anyway, You will know why soon enough. But, to get to the why, we need to have an experiment now so that the understanding is lot clearer and simpler. I request you to kindly give in your uninterrupted and undivided attention for some time.

Imagine......Imagine yourself walking in a big red house which has a beautiful green garden with tall eucalyptus trees surrounding it. You can smell the deep medicinal smell of eucalyptus now. Amidst the tall trees, yellow flowers like Kanikonna or the golden rain flower are growing with black bees and blue butterflies fighting with each other to get their share of nectar from them. 

Hope you have imagined till now. Just a little bit more and it will be over soon. Please do continue imagining that....

There is a big red rose right in the middle of your spectacular garden already occupied by tall trees, Kanikonna and teeming with black bees and blue butterflies. Now, hold on to that mental picture in your mind for a couple of seconds. Voila! The experiment is over and you have with passed with flying colors as long as you had involved and engaged yourself completely.

How did this all happen? 

We have been hard-wired, right from birth, to systematically match the words and their meanings to the objects so that the association to these impressions of objects happen naturally and automatically from our sub-conscious memory with us being aware of it consciously and unconsciously at the same time. Sounds labyrinth confusing?

No rose on a plant in our planet has ever yelled or said "Hey..I am called rose. Please call me by that name". And it is applicable to each and every word of any language - ancient or modern. All words are deemed relevant to the specific or general objects only from the point of view of our species. It's like Phoebe saying "Potato Potaato..Whatever"

         Another gem which has a rich meaning when it is looked through the obvious humorous side

At the end of the day, when you can ask a scientist what was the single most difficult aspect of his/her ground-breaking discovery, they will immediately and without any second hesitation say "naming it".

Naming is a nightmarish task for any Brand Consultant who would have come up with an excellent strategy to beat their competitors for their product by framing the essential Branding attributes, traits and personality to breathe soul to the product but ultimately find it extremely difficult to give the product a memorable, catchy, non-offensive in any language, unique and sound cool name. If the BC goes in for another criteria - to reflect the product's core benefit like Fair&Lovely as the brand's name - to get instant Brand recognition, they will surely go bald after tearing their head apart just to get the product's name right. THAT is the import, significance and value of a name. A complete dealbreaker between billion dollars and also-rans.

I will give one more example in our Indian context. 

Other than the DeMon implementation, Modi Ji is doing everything in his power to make it right for our country stand tall and proud in the global arena. But, whenever he flies to other countries to woo the investors, his name is being dragged and draped with mud and filth. The problem is not with him going abroad but with the way the media projects his tours as "Foreign tours", "Foreign visits" etc. So, from the common man's (read: the uneducated majorities) perspective, when they hear labels like "Foreign tours", "Foreign visits", they get the impression that our PM is relaxing and enjoying in his trips without taking care of them or the nation which gives Modi Ji a bad name despite he working hard for the welfare of the people. And his selfies doesn't help him either with the opposition launching an all-out attack on him whenever they get the slightest whiff of possibility.

When a person does not do anything and gets a bad name, it is justice. But, when an individual works tirelessly, produces results yet gets a tarnished image, in my opinion, that's wrong.

What can be done is to rename Modi Ji's "Foreign tours", "Foreign visits" as "Capital Acquisition Engagement" or  "Investment Magnetization Exercise" or "Investment Employment Collaboration" etc. that aptly reflects his tour schedule as sometimes he may visit the heads of other countries to create a sense of goodwill between the nations as well. So, the more complex the naming phrases, the better as the people will perceive that Modi Ji is doing something extraordinary and exceptional that no one has done before him when in reality he is only trying to convince the investors to start their operations in India. Likewise, such a renaming would effectively seal the lips of anyone and everyone who dare to raise the issue when he is away from our country for inking business deals.

It might seem fraudulent to some people who may lambast me saying that it is tricking and manipulating our own country people. Au Contraire, it is wrong ONLY IF Modi Ji does not go to other countries and persuade them for their investments. But, he is doing all these things. Isn't he?

To make it more comprehensible and easier - If I give you an apple for your birthday as a gift, you will definitely give a smirk and bad mouth about me to your friends after I had departed from the party. But, if I present you the same apple in a golden colored wrapper neatly tied with a red ribbon on top of it, you would squeal with delight.  

That is exactly what I am also suggesting. It is just presenting the same information (read: Foreign tours, Foreign trips) in new way.

So, the next time when anyone says "what's in a name"? Just point them to this blog....eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.. :) :) :) 

PS:

All the opinions, experiment designed and inferences derived from the comedy scenes are solely mine and no one is to be held accountable other than me if you have the feel that they are restrictedly right. The suggestion given is solely based on facts and my own qualified understanding of the subjects - Marketing&Branding.

Travel Diaries - The Trailer

"Once a year, go some place you've never been before" - Dalai Lama

The deeply revered and highly respected Dalai Lama was two hundred percent right when he made this profound statement.

Most of the populace have the perception that travel is an unnecessary expenditure or that travelling is a waste of money or a form of much-needed break to bring themselves from the brink of death due to their routine, tedious, listless and tiresome work/school lives so that they can revive and rejuvenate themselves.

According to me, travelling is a wholesome learning experience which pushes the boundaries of our rigid and hardened mental thought process to brighter and newer avenues which makes you to be open to fresher insights that life has to offer to us. Some have told me that it would be boring to learn even during vacation time. My take is that learn the right things but do it with fun and enjoyment so that you don't feel that a millstone is tied around your neck when you try something afresh.

Ever since a kid, I have been exposed to different kinds of destinations - from the usual and standard Ooty, Kodaikanal, Munnar, Kanyakumari, Rameshwaram to places of immense beauty as Taj Mahal, Jaipur Palace to more breath-taking, pun intended, places like Gangtok, Kullu-Manali, Shimla to holy places like Vaishno Devi, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Badrinath, Kedarnath et al - I had visited them during my summer holidays when I was a kid. So, I was not a tyro when it came to visiting places or undergoing hardships during the course of the journey as in lack of food and sleep, extreme weather, knee and back aching bus travels etc.

My interest piqued further when one of my Team Leads at TCS had extensively travelled to wonderful and scenic spots in Europe during his tryst with his MBA in Netherlands. After slogging and clocking many a 7 day-a-week work schedule during critical delivery periods, I was actually looking for the right opportunity to ask my Boss for a two week break from work after he had given me a good appraisal during my yearly performance review which would be held during March-April. Unfortunately, my personal reasons forced me to resign from a prestigious organization as TCS. To clear my highly and heavily cluttered head, I resorted to what I liked to do - Travel.

For the first time in my life, I was completely free and totally uninhibited to do what and whatever I wanted to do in my life. There were infinite possibilities that were strewn in front of me like hay before a cow. I could have easily taken up to smoking, drinking, drugs or prostitutes. But, my moral compass was so strong that I took it as a test to my integrity laid out by God. By saying this, I am not saying directly or indirectly that whoever resorts to cigarettes, booze, weed or indulging with women of loose character to be wrong or bad. Every action has a consequence. Whether it's good action or bad consequence - that's the individual's choice. I wisely chose the right decision knowing how a wrong or even a potentially wrong action could affect everyone especially myself.

What I wanted was simple in this soul-searching expedition - have a sense of adventure infused with spiritualism so that it will lighten the immense burden in my heart and head that was giving me an extremely hard time. Though I fully left the tour itinerary to my travel operators, none of my traveled places were actually planned other than Dubai. It was mostly from other fellow passengers' suggestions and recommendations that I thought about my next place outside Tamil Nadu. 

While Dubai, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Ladakh were meticulously planned by various tour operators, I chose to roam around Goa in the rented blue Dio on my own free will to be a pure traveller who is not tied to any ball and chain of the taut schedules.

The first tryst was to Dubai. Followed by Goa. Then, Thekkady. Following closely on the heels were temples of worship as Madurai, Kumbakonam, Trichy, Kanchipuram and Pondicherry. Engaged in a full-fledged Vipassana course @ Tiruvannamalai. Hong Kong and Thailand were next in line which was trailed by the Leh-Ladakh excursion. Finally, as a treat to my mom, I went to Singapore and ended my self-introspection Globetrotting cum Indiatrotting sojourn.

In Tamil, we have a figurative saying "Kashmir mudhal Kanyakumari varai". It means a very long distance. I rephrased it as "From Ladakh to Kanyakumari" as Ladakh is even more further than Kashmir!  The only thing which was missed out in this entire journey was the brilliant reddish-orange hues of sunrise and sunset in Kanyakumari. But, since I had already seen it earlier in my life, it did not matter and bother me much.

However, there were plenty of adventures like being almost trampled to death by a herd of wild elephants during a night time dare, an arduous trekking of almost 40 kms, parasailing in Pattaya, skipping with joy at the magical marvels of Disneyland, feeding a tiger, surfing & sailing, stunning panoramic view atop the Burj Khalifa, riding the fastest roller coaster in the world, enjoying the dry and cold winds of Ladakh's serene Buddhist monasteries, sizzling Singapore beauty and friendly Indianized atmosphere - this break off was indeed worth every penny, sorry rupee, for which I intended to travel in the first place - to ease the pain and torment that I was undergoing prior to TCS's resignation.

However, there is one place, sorry many places, that are still pending in my bucket list which I would love to visit at least once in my life whenever time and money permits:

a) Igloo Room in Greenland/Iceland and immerse in the dazzling colourful palettes of Aurora Borealis

b) Water Bungalow in the pristine, glistening and sun-kissed beaches of Maldives/ Bora Bora

c) Have a date with the Penguins in their own natural settings of the frigid white sheets in the magnificent Antarctica

d) Bungee Jumping and Glowing Caves in the adventure capital of the world - New Zealand

e) Skydiving in Dubai , Scuba Diving in Indonesia/Andaman, Hot Air Ballooning anywhere picturesque in the world

f) A true African Safari in Kenya meeting the Lions and Giraffes running and hunting feral

g) Get absorbed and captivated by the riveting architecture of the history rich Rome and Venice
    (Ofcourse, Dan Brown is the main inspiration!)

h) Swisssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

i) Las Vegas 

j)  Finest cruise in the world

k) Russia
l)  Have the majestic Lord Siva's Darshan @ Mt. Kailash

Any other place which I feel worthy enough to be added in my bucket list shall be done as and when exposed to newer places and experiences through books and movies.

PS:

So, why is this called trailer? Because the main picture lies in the splendid mock-tail of adventures and spiritualism which I had the chance to glimpse, thanks to God's grace, courtesy the jam-packed itineraries prepared by the various trip advisers during the course of all my backpacking self-reflection jaunt. The big picture - Coming soonnnnnn...!! :) 

Arrival - The Materialization of Something Big - Part 2

Without much ado, I shall dig deep into the Earth as everyone knows about the famed and critically raved Cream Centre. So, I am sure I do not have to touch upon the topic of price and service as the premium paid to satisfy your linger is justified with the impeccable hospitality shown by the order takers. What is new then? Wellllllllllll.......

Imagine your friend tells you that there is a big reception with great unlimited food and they have the ticket to access the buffet counter. You ensure that your stomach is spick and span by having limited quantities of water with no/little solid viands so that you can wolf your way during the big event. I am sure this kind of situation would have happened at least once in your life whether you want to accept it or not. Nevertheless, the deep satisfied and contented feel that engulfs you inside is something which can relate to Po in the Kung Fu Panda! How does or what is the significance of this stupid imaginary story with respect to Cream Centre?  It will be known right after the full stop at the end of this sentence.

Cream Centre organizes numerous fests running throughout the year so that everyone can have a good feast. For instance, they have the chatty Chat fest, sizzling Sizzler fest, picky Paratha fest etc. As the year was slowly drawing to its end, CC unravelled their other drooling Biryani Bash to draw in the crowds as a part of their Marketing strategy. 

My friend and I entered into CC after a fantastic brainy fodder through the Arrival. As we sat relaxedly in the comfy seats and munched upon the menu especially the hero of the day for which I hadn't had a morsel of food since previous night's dinner. Now, you know why I brought in the realistically imaginary reference earlier. In fact, we curtailed the size of the popcorn combo during our movie watch so that we can involve and relish in the sumptuous dish for the ravenous appetite that we were experiencing then. Our ordered items were Penne Arabiatta and the famous Hyderabadi Biryani and it took some time for us to smell their heavenly flavors. In the meantime, my evergreen Orange Sunshine Soda shone a bright light in our lives until our nibbles were spread on our plates.

Rich and Creamy with tomato sauce, Penne Arabiatta was damn good and it was exactly the right portion for the two of us. Sipping in strawfuls of Orange Sunshine, the hot and steamy HB made her way on to the table. The cordon bleu was delightfully and deliciously divine with her spices and condiments which was rightly mixed in the correct proportions to the t. It took us more than half an hour to finish the complete course of HB courtesy the immense portion that was being spread to us on a regular basis by the waitperson.  

Close to an hour after having serenely sunk our teeth into the fulfilling, gladdening and gratifying appeal to our palates, we sadly bid adieu to one of the great restaurants in Chennai which despite burns a hole in the wallet, it is indeed a place where memories are etched in the vapors of their satisfying food.

What started with the enrichment of our grey matter through Arrival ended with the arrival of HB and a big stomach!!

                                                           X--Concluded--X