I was tagged by Nita and now by Amit. Hence this post.
I usually don’t write a lot about myself on this blog, but about an year ago I had written some 8 random facts about me and this would be the second such post.
1. Last movie you saw in a theater?
I saw Denzel Washington’s Out of time on DVD.
Its a nice movie about a police officer who is being investigated for murder of his mistress and is investigated by his Ex-Wife.
2. What book are you reading?
The Man
This is an interesting fictional book about a Black US President who came to Power in the 60’s and is about to be impeached.
3. Favorite board game?
Jenga
Although each game lasts for no more than 10-15 minutes, but every second spend there is nail biting.
4. Favorite magazine?
Economist. I also often quote its article on ENagar 🙂
5. Favorite smells?
First rain of monsoons falling on dry earth.
And the smell of a girl’s hair.
6. Favorite sounds?
The sound of Payel.
7. Worst feeling in the world?
Waiting for the final verdict on an unfavorable outcome.
8. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?
Where is that damm Alarm.
9. Favorite fast food place?
I am a kind of person who can spend 4 hours over a nice lunch. A great meal is always served in multiple courses, and is accompanied by beverages and an interesting conversation.
10. Future child’s name?
I don’t think after marriage a guy retains a right to take any decision.
11. Finish this statement. “If I had lot of money I’d….?
Go on a world tour.
12. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
No, nothing other than a pillow and a bed sheet.
13. Storms – cool or scary?
Its scary only when I am flying, else its time to race to the roof and enjoy the whether.
14. Favorite drinks?
Wine 🙂
15. Finish this statement, “If I had the time I would….”?
Take a vacation and travel.
16. Do you eat the stems on broccoli?
No idea what that is.
17. If you could dye your hair any color, what would be your choice?
I like my natural color – black.
18. Name all the different cities/towns you’ve lived in?
Don’t ask me.
New Delhi, Mumbai, Jhasi, Itarsi, Lucknow, Varanasi, Vadodara, Kota, Raipur, Calcutta, Patna, Gwalior, Kharagpur, Jabalpur and Bangalore.
Add to that, I would be amongst the rarest of the Indians who can claim to have travelled to each and every state of the country (Lakshadweep and Andaman Islands are the only 2 major places where I have not gone)
19. Favorite sports to watch?
Water-Polo, and Video Games
20. One nice thing about the person who sent this to you?
Nita is a great Journalist and I love Amit’s comments and his posts.
21. What’s under your bed?
I believe in spartan lifestyle and sleep on the floor.
22. Would you like to be born as yourself again?
Sure, I love my life 🙂
23. Morning person, or night owl?
I am most productive in the morning, but I like to reserve it for personal work.
24. Over easy, or sunny side up?
Sunny side up 🙂
25. Favorite places to relax?
In the lap of my mom 🙂
26. Favorite pie?
I prefer cakes.
27. Favorite ice cream flavor?
Vanilla, but only if it is made from real Vanilla beans.
14 replies on “Tagged Again”
“10. Future child’s name?
I don’t think after marriage a guy retains a right to take any decision.”
well said, true also 🙂
wow that was cool
jenga ? do u get it India ? i used to love kerplunk which was similar ,,,
vanilla beans ice cream – do you get it here?
@kamal…
why don’t you write about yourself.
@prax..
There are a couple of stores in Bangalore they keep Jenga, let me know if you cannot find it on ebay/bombay.
Kerela is a major vanilla growing state. But unfortunately people in India still have not developed the taste for it… but there are a couple of boutique ice cream parlors that serve authentic ice cream
Serious answers! Well, you know at times one learns more about a person from what he posts even if it isn’t about himself, and less from questionnaires like this!
By the way didn’t you have a fellow blogmate called voracious blog reader? what happened to him? or is he you as well?
//And the smell of a girl’s hair//-different shampoos and conditioners smell differently 🙂
Nice to know more about you.
//Kerela is a major vanilla growing state//
We had a ‘not so big’ plantation with Vanilla. But then its not profitable for small scale farmers like us coz the price has been brought down by the industrillists who buy it from the farmers.
There is kinda monopoly in the business and they pay very less to the farmers.
So we ended up not pollinating (it has to be maually pollinated as there is no natural pollinator )it this year. Much like cadbury in kerala when they bought down the prices once they convinced the farmers to grow cocoa. The farmers cut every cocoa tree they had after that.
We are happy with Rubber now.
🙂 The prices are rising and there is no monopoly. Moreover, the govt also support rubber.
@nita…
VBR is a different person, and she did a post couple of days ago.
Lucky for me, I do not suffer from the Multiple personality syndrome which many of onliners suffer from. I am the same person online as well as in real life.
@pr3na..
earlier i also used to think the same, but the shampoo bottle smells totally different from the hair. Plus it is also not even a tenth as much exciting.
@xylene…
One important question… As a plantation owner/farmer do you think the commodities exchange and futures trading is beneficial in getting better pricing and being able to predict which crop would be more profitable?
Because Indian govt has been banning these futures left and right and somehow I am not very much convinced with their arguments
in 1997, the Madagascar crop was completely destroyed and this encouraged the entrepreneurial Kerelites to mint a fortune. I am told that at that time the profit margins were so high that every farmer would stay awake the whole night and guard the crop. Some even put on electric fences to shock away the thieves.
But during that 1-2 years so many vanilla trees were planted that there was an over-supply.
i don’t know about rubber, but people have started complaining that because of high labor cost even coconut plantations are no longer viable. It sometimes costs more to pluck the coconut then what comes from the sales.
hehe there are a few questions which I should add to the list. But then that would violate my code of ethics.
Ankur,
I cant comment on that 🙁 I am not sure about it, I would talk to ma Dad about this.
its true that the prices were so high that there are ppl who put electric fences, put a round the clock security.. etc
Idont think its a oversupply that created the issue. there is a huge market for vanilla in the european countries and the US. However in India we still stick to artificial essence, one reason would be the price.
Its mainly because of the companies who started buying it from the farmers lowered the prices. They were selling it for huge profits in the international market.
RUBBER is a magical word now, the prices have struck record high few weeks ago and is around 126/kg now.
Thats still profitable, owing to less maintenance and labour. But there is a huge investment as we have to wait for 6 years for the rubber to fully grow.
About coconuts, it was badly hit by a disease.. that many lost their plantation.
http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19991122/ige22023.html
also the state is alternatively ruled by the CPI, so the unions are strong and they charge the farmer more than 5Rs to climb a tree. I heard its around 10Rs now. (I am not sure bcoz we dont have a cocunut plantation) he will also take a percentage of coconuts home + other benefits. The returns are less aswell.
The other thing wud be rice. The farmers lost out in this aswell becacause of labour problems. The unions are very strong that ultimately farmer would have to find other sources of income to pay them off. So they are now filling all the paddy with mud and selling the land off. This is one reason for the floods.
Much of the problems are due to bad government and more importantly the UNIONS.
Now a minister in Kerala (CPI) has talked against the much known ‘Nokku kooli’ or ‘charge for simply looking at someone else working’. How this works is, unions have their own designated areas where ONLY they can unload/load goods. So even if I want to unload/load goods in my property I can with my labourers, but will have to pay the union their charge.
Many of them end up paying because those guys are goondas and will threaten to beat up the other labourers. Also the police will be on their side as their party will be ruling the state.
All the thugs and hooligans made Kerala a consumer state. We get rice from TN, AP… vegetables and fruits from TN. Milk from Karnataka. So when the price of Milk in Karnataka increased 2 months ago, it increased in Kerala as well..
Sorry for the long comment. 🙂
@dead…
what ethics? and what question.. i won’t mind answering them as long as they r not tooo personal.
@xylene…
well that is going to be the future… the labor cost are rising faster than the productivity.. hence sooner or later it might be cheaper to import rather than produce.
BTW the coconut article link that you provided is 9 years old. I am sure that farmers would have recovered from that by now.
Ankur, I enjoyed reading your answers, especially #10 🙂
You lived in Kota too? Did you go to school there, or let me guess, the JEE training? 🙂 I’ve heard it has really taken off in Kota during the past decade.
thanks Amit.
My younger bro did his coaching from Bansal’s Kota. I didn’t go for any school/coaching there.
It wouldnt be as interesting as your answers…Lol