Thursday, March 15, 2012

Jacaranda in full bloom in our neighbourhood ..


Koramangala Bangalore..

HBR Management tips on how to handle latecomers ..

Frequently we come across latecomers (perpetual) to meetings who take pride in coming late to throw their weight around and make their presence felt.. Read this short message with good tips from Harvard Business Review on how to handle these people..

Don't Let Latecomers Ruin Your Meeting

No matter how well you've prepared your meeting, things will go wrong. One of the more common disruptions is attendees showing up late. If people belatedly walk in, try these three things:
  • Don't recap. Resist the temptation to catch up latecomers. Keep moving forward. You can update them afterward.
  • Assign a job. If you sense someone might be late, give her something to do during the meeting. If she has a job, she's more likely to show up on time.
  • Walk him there. Physically help a chronic latecomer get to the meeting. Stop by his desk at the appointed time and ask if you can walk together.
ge,,

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Biggest body blow to casteism, a practice of thousands of years of Indian civilisation .. ..

Casteism, that thread which held together thousands of years of Indian cultural milieu ( basically which later got much publicised through the works of Western philosophers and later economists and scientific management gurus,  Greek philosopher Plato 400 BC, Adam Smith 1776 AD and Henri Fayol in his Division of Labour , 1928) has finally been cut off by the Kerala society, by  getting non-brahmins to do the specialised job of conducting poojas and offering sacrifices at temples.

"Even our ancient scriptures say a person becomes a brahmin through his deeds and life-style than by birth,'' said additional chief secretary K Jayakumar.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Kerala-temples-caste-out-prejudice/articleshow/12254906.cms

When under the pressure of Ezhavas and under the prodding of Gandhiji, Maharaja of Travancore Sri Chithra Tirunal Balarama Verma and Dewan Sir CP in 1936, made the momentous proclamation of Temple entry for all in 1936 , it was another momentous act which hit at the root of the evils of segregation perpetuated by the caste system .. Let us not forget that it was during the beginning of 1900s that Travancore had the worst caste related segregation and evils, which prompted the great spiritual giant Swami Vivekananda to call Travancore, a lunatic asylum  .. ( braanthaalayam ..) ..

It takes the courage and determination of a progressive group of people to set right some of the evils of the yesteryears and the people of Kerala have shown to the world that they are in no way lagging behind any great society or civlisation of the world in this, of offering moral and ethical leadership to the rest of the world !!

Something we can be really proud of ..

ge..

Monday, March 12, 2012

Goan delicacies ...


Snaps of

1. Pavbhaji, sanman hotel in ponda ..

2. A fruit vendor in panjim .., notce the home fried big cashew nuts for sale.. For Rs 10.00, you get anywhere from 3 to 5.

3. Fish curry rice, in an old hotel in ponda


How To Make Pav Bhaji
 
Ingredients:

Potatoes – 3 cups, diced small

Cauliflower – 2 cups, finely chopped

Frozen Green Peas – 1 cup

Carrots – ½ cup, diced small

Salt – 1 tsp (to taste)

Haldi(Turmeric) – ¼ tsp

Water – 2 cups

Oil – 1 Tbsp

Butter – 1 Tbsp

Jeera (Cumin Seeds) – ½ tsp

Hing (Asofoetida) – pinch

Red Chili Powder – ¼ tsp (to taste)

Onion – 1 medium, finely chopped

Garlic – 2 tsp, minced

Ginger – 2 tsp, minced

Tomato – 1 medium, chopped

Tomato Sauce – ½ cup (1/2 of 8 oz. can)

Pav Bhaji Masala – 2 tsp (to taste)

Dhania Powder – 1 tsp

Lemon Juice – ½ tsp (to taste)

Cilantro – 5 sprigs, chopped (for garnishing)


Procedure:

Method:

  1. In a pressure cooker, add Potatoes, Cauliflower, Green Peas, Carrots, Salt, Haldi and Water – Mix well.
  2. Pressure cook for 1 whistle and remove pressure after 2 minutes (To remove pressure, hold cooker under cold running water in sink).
  3. Heat Oil and Butter in a non-stick pan.
  4. Add Jeera and allow it to sputter.
  5. Add Hing and Red Chili Powder.
  6. Add Onions, Garlic and Ginger – stir well.
  7. Cook until Oil starts to separate.
  8. Add Tomatoes and Tomato Sauce and mix well.
  9. Cook until Oil starts to separate again.
  10. Add Pav Bhaji Masala and Dhania Powder – mix well and cook for 1 minute.
  11. Add Vegetables and lightly mash.
  12. Add Lemon Juice and adjust Salt/Chili Powder/Pav Bhaji Masala.
  13. Cook for 5 minutes.
  14. Garnish with Cilantro.

Goan fish curry rice video .. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmWmBwgAlr8  Mouth watering varieties of diff fish fry and fish curry .. What adds taste to Goan fish fry is the rava they use to fry fish .. uuuuhhhmmmmmmm............


Recipe of Goan fish curry ..

Ingredients:




1 lemon size tamarind
2 tblsp ginger paste
1 tblsp malt vinegar
2 pomfret fish
1/2 cup coconut scraped
6 red chillies whole
2 tblsp oil
2 green chillies
2 tblsp coriander seeds
1 small tomato
2 tsp garlic paste
2 tsp cumin seeds
salt to taste
1 small onion


How to make goan fish curry :
  • Clean, wash and cut each fish into 5-6 pieces.
  • Cut onions and tomatoes.
  • Slit green chillies and cut into half.
  • Roast cumin seeds, coriander seeds and whole red chillies.
  • Make a fine paste of all the roasted spices along with scraped coconut, ginger and garlic paste and malt vinegar.
  • Heat up oil in a pan.
  • Mix in cut onions and stir fry till golden brown.
  • Mix in green chillies and cut tomatoes.
  • Stir fry on a medium heat up for 3 minutes.
  • Stir constantly.
  • Mix in the paste and 11/2 cup of water.
  • Bring it to a boil and then mix in fish pieces and salt.
  • Stir fry on a low heat up for about 5 minutes or till fish is just done.
  • Serve hot with steamed rice.

Photo courtesy George Easaw, recipes courtesy goacom.com and indianfoodforever.com ..

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Chemmanur Life Vision Trust ..


The famed Chemmannur Jewellers from Trichur runs the Chemmanur Life Vision Trust ( without collecting a single rupee from the public..)

http://chemmanurlifevision.org/

I was listening to an interview with Sri Boby Chemmanur, the person behind this organisation, on Asianet this morning. He says he is the happiest man on planet earth now. He does not accept any donation from anyone and does this social work on his own personal resources. Shares a percentage of his profits with his employees and a part for social service. Does not do it for any recognition or awards, just for the personal satisfaction of helping the less privileged and less fortunate in society ..

http://expressbuzz.com/finance/chemmanur-jewellers-mulls-nbfc-foray/307091.html is his newest foray into NBFC area..

An ardent fan of sports, games and athletics, he is foraying into running across all districts of Kerala from South to North in the coming months covering a district in a day ...

ge..


Open KM and Art of Illusion #D software ..

The March issue of Linux for you has come up with two great Free and Open Source software for the benefit of the businesses big and small, and artists of the world..

Openkm at www.openkm.com is available for free download. I have not tried it yet, but will do it in future  .. By the features and snapshots it appears to be a great software. Available for free download, but if you need help besides the online documentation, you can contact experts for a fee ..

Art of Illusion at www.artofillusion.org looks to be yet another great 3D modelling software, like blender ..for free download and usage..

With each passing day, the Free an Open Source community are developing so much free software for the use and application of the public, that it is really great to see how philanthropy could be so fulfilling,..

A 3D image of a fist created using art of illusion .. This software is of professional calibre and can be used for great professional work by artists and photography professionals.

ge..

Jobin with Late HG Osthathios thirumeni, 2004, Goa.


Easaw George (l) with Late HG Osthatios Thirumeni, Goa, 2004.

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