Vandalur Zoo - Infrastructure is world class but people's behavior is still local class

I visited Vandalur Zoo last week with my family. Vandalur Zoo is one of the BEST and well maintained zoological parks that I've seen in the WORLD. Our Tamilnadu government has done a fantastic job of keeping the place clean. I had several interesting experiences and observations during my recent visit and I thought I would share it with others.

(Also read: 15 things that I liked about Vandalur Zoo) 

We spent the entire day going around the zoo and having fun. In the evening, we visited the children's park in Vandalur Zoo. There were a number of play structures for kids - including swings, monkey bars, sliding structures, horizontal merry-go-rounds, and climbing structures. Kids were having lots of fun. While kids living in USA get access to these kind of structures almost in every street, good public play areas for kids is still not a common thing in India. You can see them only in newly built private communities. Government has been trying best to improve the conditions of existing parks and some of the parks are maintained really well.

While I was admiring the well maintained play structures at Vandalur zoo  I was shocked to see certain things happening inside the park. I saw a number of adults / youngsters playing on the play structures that were meant for kid. when I see someone doing harm to government properties, my adrenalin gushes; my nerves bulge (people who have watched the Tamil movie Ratchagan can understand what I'm talking about).

I made an effort to tell the adults who were using the play structures, to stop using them. Almost everybody listened to me and nobody "protested". However, I did get some interesting responses/remarks from some of them:

• "I have seen a number of adults using these structures and nobody stopped them at that time. When I start to play on these structures, you are complaining"
• "If I stop playing on these structures, will the people who are going to come tomorrow won't do the same thing?"
• "Ask government to build some play structures for adults too"
• "No kid is using this swing right now and hence, I'm using it"

(Also read: Skywalks in train stations - what are they for?)

Thankfully enough, I didn't get the usual responses that I've gotten in other parks (where I've tried to do the same thing!). They are:

• "Who are you to ask?!"
• "I'm also paying tax like you. I have EQUAL RIGHTS"
• "There is no sign board that says - adults should not use these play structures"
• "Where is the sign board that says - only kids should use these play structures"

There were a group of youngsters (college students!) who are trying to use the swings. I told them the reasons why adults shouldn't be playing with the play structures:

• Government has spent lots of money in building this play area. However, they don't allocate enough funds to maintain them. Once broken, it will take a number of weeks and even months for government to fix them
• We keep complaining that "Government does not create good infrastructure" for us. However, when they do create good infrastructure for us, we don't use them wisely
• The play structures are meant for kids. They aren't sturdy enough for adults to use. If the swing lasts for a few 1000 swings if a kid uses it, it will last only for a few 100 swings if adults use it
• It is OUR responsibility to maintain the structures well. Government cannot supervise each and every thing.

(Also read: A ban on spitting in public places - who enforces it?)

In fact, I encouraged all of them to STOP other adults who may be using the structures. The guys nodded their heads and I thought they won't use it again.

A few minutes later, I left the kids play area. I noticed that the youngsters started using the swings immediately after I left.

The first thing that came to my mind was - "Oh! My God?! How am I going to persuade these youngsters". This time, my adrenalin gush brought me anger. I ran to the park and on seeing me coming, the guys got out of the swings. I asked, "Will you follow the instructions only when you are given a SLAP on your face. Didn't I patiently explain to you why we shouldn't be using the swings meant for kids. Can't you understand? I really don't know how I can explain this to you guys. Do let me know if there are better ways by which I can persuade you. See... I cannot police this 24x7. You guys are future citizens of India. You are the Government. If you guys are not taking care of this in a responsible way, who else will do it?". They said, "We are very sorry Sir! We won't do it again".

I'm not sure whether those guys kept the promise or not. But, one thing kept ringing in my ears for the whole evening "You cannot maintain a world class facility if people continue to behave like local class".

I think our government should consider placing "clear sign boards" that warn adults from using kids' play structures. I have seen in other countries, where they have a scale for kids to measure their height. Only if you are within the maximum height limits, you can use the play structures meant for kids. We should consider installing this in places like Vandalur zoo,  Anna Tower Park, and Semmozhi Poonga Park. I have noticed adults/youngsters using the play structures meant for kids in all these places and I have tried my best to stop them. In fact, I complained to the administrative officials in Semmozhi Poong Park and they said "they'll look into it". In the worst case, they should have a watchman there policing the adults who use kids' play structures.

It is so sad to see that our people are not good at maintaining public property well. It will be hard for Government to manage these facilities if citizens do not take ownership. How can you maintain a world class facility if your people continue to behave like local class?

(Also read: A ban on spitting in public places - who enforces it?)

Drive through @ McDonalds Velachery - Your burger served in less than 5 minutes

23rd September (Sunday) - I was driving with my friend to Velachery. We were running late for a meeting. We decided to have a quick snack/meal somewhere on the way. We were in the Velachery area, and we saw McDonalds near Velachery MRTS. We decided to stop there and grab a burger to eat on the way. I hardly found any parking lot in front of McDonalds and decided to go to a different restaurant. When we were about to leave the place, we were pleasantly surprised when we saw the "Drive through" sign board.

(Also read: Vandalur Zoo - Infrastructure is world class but people's behavior is local class)

For a moment, I couldn't believe what I saw. This is the first time, I'm seeing a drive through restaurant in Chennai (for that  matter, in India). I decided to check whether it is really true. I drove my car through the "drive through" zone. We saw a menu board outside. We choose to have McVeggie Meal. We placed the order and paid at the first window. We drove to the 2nd window to pick up the order. I thought it is going to be a long wait for them to process the order. In fact, I had my own doubts on whether they know that there is a guy with the car waiting for his order to be served. To my surprise, our order was served in less than 3 minutes.

"Wow!" ... This is the feeling that I got when I used the "drive through" system in India for the first time at McDonalds in Velachery. It saved a lot of time for us and the experience was also very pleasant.

(Also read: Plastic Ban in India - Gaining momentum)

I wish we soon get the "drive through" system in our Saravana Bhavans also :)

100 reasons to Return to India (R2I)

Are you thinking of Returning to India (R2I)? You are finding it difficult to make an R2I decision? Your logical mind couldn't come up with enough reasons to R2I? You are not sure about how much India has changed since you left to US? Thoughts about your kids' future & the quality of life in India is stopping you from making an R2I decision? Don't worry ! I bet, you'll find answers to most of your questions/concerns in this blog post.

The objective of this blog post is not to motivate/force you to return back to India. But, if you have been contemplating about R2I for a while & couldn't make up your mind because of the lack of enough data points/reasons - this blog post is exactly for YOU. If you want to know the reasons for returning to India (R2I) - you can find them here. If you are wondering whether you should stay in US or move to India, this is the post for YOU.

Also read:
Returning back to India - 25 things to do
R2I - List of things to pack/bring from US 
10 things to consider before you decide to R2I

Quality of Life

1) There are lots of good options for entertainment - theme parks, movie theatres, shopping complexes & multiplexes. The multiplexes have options for movies, entertainment, shopping, dining, etc., You can kill the whole day in some of these multiplexes.

2) There is a REAL social life. Life is not very mechanical here. You get to meet friends/relatives quite often in weddings, engagements or other parties.

3) You don't have to 'plan your visit' to your friend's or relative's place. You can just show up without fixing appointments.

4) Your favorite Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes, Honda/Toyota, & Ford are now available in India and they're very common. If you drive a  Ford Icon or a Honda City, people don't stare at you anymore.

5) Even groceries/vegetables are delivered at your home for no extra cost. Almost everything is sold or delivered to you at your door steps. You can call the nearby grocery shop and ask them to bring stuff to your home.

6) You can book train/flight or bus tickets over the web (http://www.irctc.co.in, http://www.redbus.co.in/). You don't have to call your travel agent, anymore. You can even look for real estate, rental properties online !

7) Many mundane tasks such as paying bills, government transactions etc., are available online. (I love IRCTC.CO.IN)

8) Though the price of goods/commodities in India are highly inflated, things are still very affordable in India when compared to US.

9) India has a very good public transport system. Man, I love it. Yes, the buses and trains are crowded. But, if you have to go somewhere they're AVAILABLE for you. There are lots of options including trains, buses, cabs, autos, & (my favorite) share autos.

10) Auto rickshaws are available throughout the city. The auto owners/cab owners have become high tech. They all own a mobile phone. You can just give them a call and they'll be at your door in a few minutes.

11) There are number of public parks that are maintained well. All such parks have play structures for kids. Of course, you cannot compare with what you can get in US. At the same time, you are not settling for less in India. (Also read: Mahabalipuram, Muttukadu & Crocodile Park visit)

12) All "hi-tech" gadgets such as iPods, iPhones, Wii, laptops/netbooks etc., are available in India.

13) You can do financial transactions such as banking/stock-trading/fund-transfers etc., online. You don't have to call your broker or visit a bank to do 'common' transactions.

14) There are ATMs available everywhere. There is no charge involved for using other bank's ATMs (You can do up to 5 transactions per month in other bank's ATMs).

15) People don't care about what you wear, anymore. Girls wearing skirts, T-shirts, sleeveless or tight dresses is so common, now a days.

16) You don't have to look for down towns to buy things for your family. There is all kinds of stores/shops available close to the community where you live.

17) You don't have to worry about paying huge costs for medical services. Medical insurance is getting popular in India. Most of the employers take care of your medical bills through medical insurance.

18) There are toastmasters clubs available in different parts of India. If you have been part of them in US, you can continue your membership in India.

19) Mobile phones are available everywhere. People in India are highly accessible at all the times. You can walk into a roadside shop to buy a pre-paid card and you have to just pay for what you USE. Signal coverage is awesome & cost of a call is very cheap.

20) There are fitness centers (gyms) in all the residential communities. Also, there are fitness centers/tennis courts/swimming pools, that are open for memberships, in almost every area. Builders today are focusing more on the extra amenities available in the residential communities.

21) You don't have to call/disturb your friend during the middle of his/her work to drop or pick you up from some place (especially, when you are giving your vehicle for service). You can use the inexpensive public transportation options.

22) It would be hard to lead a 'luxurious' life in US. However, if you earn sufficient money in US, you can definitely lead a  'luxurious' life in India. The cost of living has definitely gone up. But, you'll feel the benefit of 1 USD = INR 45. (Also read: How much money do you need to R2I?)


23) Home-makers/House wife will not be "bored" at home, in India. They can soon find friends in the neighborhood/communities. Women in India have greater flexibility these days to go out and be on their own. Women also enjoy a lot more freedom and they are treated on-par with men. 

Kids

24) Kids don't have to be in day care. They can spend time with their grand parents, at home.

25) Education in India is affordable (compare it to the $1000+ you pay in US every month for schools).

26) There are lots of good schools (including international schools) in India providing high quality education.

27) Schools in India are not just focusing only on 'academics' these days. For example, my daughter attending pre-KG in a local nursery school, gets to do lots of coloring, art work, physical exercises, and they're teaching stuff like Sanskrit verses/GK etc., Imagine what would a 5th grade or 10th grade student would get to do.

28) It is very easy for kids to get spoiled in U.S, when they reach their adult hood. They get involved in dangerous habits such as smoking, drugs, early sex etc.,

29) Indian environment is highly competitive and that can bring the best out of your kid. The whole world acknowledges the fact that Indian kids are 'smart'. The credit goes to our culture, value system, education, competitive society etc.,

30) In India, kids get to learn more about religious values (by visiting temples often, participating in festivals/functions, hearing about ancient 'good over evil' stories & moral stories from schools/elders, etc.,). This definitely helps in shaping up their character.

31) There are stores that sell items for new born & toys for kids. Almost all the toys that you buy in US for kids are available in India.

32) Kids will develop a high immunity system, if brought-up in India.

33) Kids brought up in India will know the importance of 'taking care of parents, when the parents get old'. You don't have to spend your "last few years" alone or in senior citizens care center (i.e., old age homes).
When you show utmost importance/care to your parents, you'll kids will learn from your gesture.

34) When your kids grow in US, they'll will pick up American accent. The grand parents/relatives in India may not be able to understand them. Also, the kids may not like to talk to grand parents.

35) In US, kids get addicted to all the electronic gadgets & gizmos. This is not good for your kid's health/mind.

36) If you return back to India during your kid's early childhood days (preferably, before he/she goes to school), it is easy for him/her to get accustomed to the things in India, . If your kids are very young, it makes more sense for you to return back now.

37) You don't want your kid to get married to a non-Indian (say, Chinese or American), when they grow up.

Personal Reasons

38) Your parents in India are already very old.

39) Your parent(s) in India, are sick and need your assistance. (Also read: Chikungunya - Deadly !)

40) You have a single parent and you need to take care of him/her

41) Your parents have been pestering you to come back to India for a while now.

42) Your spouse has a good education/degree, but cannot work in US because he/she doesn't have an IT background. Your spouse continues to be a home maker and is always bored at home. Your spouse wants to come back to India and settle down.

43) It is tough to find a bride from India, if you are a bachelor working in US. The craze about 'US based bridegrooms' is gone.

Convenience / Good Support System

44) You can hire someone to do your household work at a reasonable price.

45) You don't have to drive your car. You can employ someone as driver. It is not even imaginable in US.

46) Elders (Grand parents) are there to take care of the kids (giving them bath, dressing them up, feeding them, telling them interesting stories, putting them to sleep etc.,)

47) Gone are those days, where you have to go to banks to open an account or apply for a credit/debit card. All such services are provided at your door steps. You've to just make a phone call. They'll even fill the forms for you.

48) Service reps knock your door to sell Telephone/Internet/TV connections. You have a lot of options when it comes to choosing your Telephone/Internet/TV service providers. The prices are very competitive.

49) Doctors/Hospitals are available at 'walkable' distance from your home. For Rs.100, you get treatment for general illness such as cough, cold, stomach upset etc.,

50) Plumbers, Electricians, Movers, Construction workers etc., are abundant. You can get any construction/repair work done in no time. (People who own a house in US, can understand the importance of this)

51) You don't have to take your car for a car wash, every month. You can get people who'll do car wash at your home on a daily/weekly basis.

52) Every service provider (TV, Internet, Phone, etc.,) has a decent customer support system/infrastructure in place. You can call and talk to a customer service representative 24 x 7. There are also facilities to file complaints & escalate them online, if required.

53) There are people/services available to take care of all your needs. Have you heard about service/help desks such as Service Square

Tangibles & some cool benefits

54) People don't look down on you because you returned back from US. People appreciate the fact that you care for your parents/family/society/country/people.

55) People come to you for advise on important things (such as which Engineering courses to take, how to prepare for job interviews, how is the present IT climate etc.,). They value your experience.

56) If you've already got your US Citizenship, it is well & good. This is the right time to return back to India. You don't have to worry about yearly trips to US, to retain your residency.

57) If you are a visa holder & if your visa is about to expire, this is the excellent time to return back to India. You won't have the option of going back to US (unless you wait for another year and get a new L1/H1B).

58) If you are a GC holder, I pity you. You'll be caught in a dilemma whether to return back or not. However, think about the reason which prompted you to go to US. Most likely, you would've gone to US to earn money. If you had met that objective, it is time for you to return back. Also, if you return back as a "liaison" for a US company, you will have an option to make frequent trips to US. You can meet the criteria for '6 months stay' in US, every year.

59) If most of your assets/investments are in India, you should return back to manage/enjoy those assets/investments.

60) It is easy for you to get caught into the "n+1"th year syndrome. You'll keep postponing your decision for several years until you reach a point where you or your family can't return back to India. So, if you are contemplating about returning back, you should do it NOW.

61) In India, When you or your spouse/kid is sick, there will be enough people (family members/relatives/neighbors) to take care of/support you. In US, you've to fully rely on your friends for help/support.

62) If your goal is to earn "unlimited" amount of money, there is no end to the need for more money. Think of your life style a few years ago. With the money that you have today, you can definitely lead a better life in India. Many of us go to US to earn money. So, if you have made good sum of money, it is a good time to return back. (Also read: How much money do you need to R2I?)


63) There are lots of festivals/functions throughout the year.  Pongal/Sankaranthi, Diwali, Ramzan, Christmas etc., are celebrated in a special way. You get the joy of a real celebration of festivals only in India.

64) You would've visited a number of places in US. But, you might not have seen all the different tourist places in India. Moving to India would give you enough time to visit different places in India. You can get to learn more about India's rich culture & heritage, by traveling across different states.

65) In India, you can extend the life of several items that you use on a day to day basis. For example, you don't have to throw away shoes/clothes, because the stitches have come-off. People at road side shops will do the repair for you. There are shops that will do repair of electronic/electrical items at a very reasonable price.

66) Yes, Indian roads are congested. But, if you are used to long commutes in US, it wouldn't be a big issue. In US, you've to really start from home at 7 (or before) if you want to beat the traffic. In India, you can start by 8 to beat the traffic. Hey! you get an hour of extra sleep. In the worst case, you can even go to work by 10.30 or 11.00 am. People don't expect you to be at work, so early.

67) In India, you don't have to carry a lip guard with you all the time. You don't have to wear shoes all the time (Wearing slippers are so common). You don't have to wear thick dresses, all the times. It is always "summer" in India.

68) You don't need maps or GPS when you are traveling on the Indian roads. You can pull over your car to a petrol bunk or a road-side shop to get driving directions.

Work

69) There are number of budding start-ups & MNCs in India. You'll have more options now, in addition to the standard service companies (TCS, Infosys & Wipro). (Also read: R2I - List of MNCs in Chennai  Cost to Company (CTC) - Peeling the Onion)

70) In the past, only maintenance work is done out of India. Today, there is lots of product development activities being offshored to India. If you are passionate about hard core product development, you can now do it from India.

71) The pay in India is really good. Of course, the pay scale cannot match what you can earn in US. However, it is more than enough to lead a luxurious life in India. (Also read: 10 Tips for Return to India (R2I) Salary Negotiation)

72) In US, you cannot lead a comfortable family life with a single pay check, after some point. Both the husband & wife have to work to run the family. Otherwise, you won't be able to save much.

73) Indian work environment is getting more westernized. Though there are some managers who still breath down your neck, it is NOT so common, these days. (Even in US, if you are reporting to Asian managers, they micro manage you. Most of the managers in US are Asians, anyway. So, why care about micro management when you are in India!?)

74) If you are returning from US to India, you can really get a very good designation.

75) You don't get the feeling of 'loneliness' at work. Shared cubicles make it very easy to interact with other folks.

76) You don't have to walk to the cafeteria to get a drink/coffee/snack. In many offices, it is served at your cubicle.

77) You can easily impress everyone at work by your ability to communicate well (Thanks to the exposure that US gave you).

78) Having been in US for sometime, you'll have the "full product development" exposure. This will significantly increase your value & dependency at the work place.

79) You can easily take a break in India and kick-start your own venture. You'll have an opportunity to test your entrepreneurial skills (Note: Leading a life in US, without monthly pay checks is tough. If you have earned decent money in US, you can easily lead a life without pay checks, in India). If you want to take an early retirement to do the things that you are passionate about, you should consider R2I.

80) You can freely switch jobs from one company to the other. You don't have to be worried about your legal status or visa transfers.

81) The concept of 'being a consultant' to an IT company is getting popular these days. If you like, some companies offer short-term work opportunities too. There are a few companies that allow you to work just for 4 hours per day.

82) Many companies have infrastructure to let employees work from home (which was unimaginable, a decade ago)

83) If you are on a work permit visa & you lost your job & you couldn't find one for a long time now & your family is dependent on your pay check - You cannot legally stay in US & you should return back to India.

(Also read: Work environment in India - Then & Now)

Finance

84) India is growing at a tremendous pace. You can get high returns from both stock market & real estate, for your investments. Long term capital gains from stocks aren't taxed in India. If you keep your stocks for more than a year, you don't have to pay any tax. (Also read, Stock Trading Lessons)

85) There is lots of options when it comes to medical treatment. Homeopathy/Ayurvedic treatments are quite popular in India. You can get treatment for 'severe/serious issues, at a very affordable cost. In fact, many westerners are coming to India for 'affordable treatment', these days.

86) Making yearly trips to India from US, becomes unaffordable & not economically feasible, when the family size grows.

Food

87) Your favorite KFCs, Subways, & McDonalds restaurants are now available in several places in India. You won't miss them, here.

88) There are lots of good RESTAURANTS. There is a wide range of dining options - starting from the road side trucks to revolving restaurants. Having been in US for quite sometime, it feels so good to taste authentic Indian food.

89) You get a wide range of fruits & vegetables in India. Moreover, they're very fresh and tasty. They're not imported & not genetically modified. If you are a vegan, you can even get milk substitutes such as 'calcium enriched Soymilk'. In fact, soymilk in India comes in a variety of flavors.

90) Non-vegetarians will have lots of choice, too. Sea food is sold very fresh at your door steps. You can get fresh meat/chicken from a nearby shop (You don't have to eat frozen meat, anymore!!). Also, you can get a lot of spices for cooking your non-vegetarian dishes. In US, it is hard to find lots of spices that are commonly available in India.

91) When you go to a grocery shop, you don't have to know/remember the 'English' name for a Indian grocery item. By the way, all the grocery chains sell unadulterated & neatly packed groceries. You can go around the shop with a cart and pick the items that you want. You'll have the same shopping experience that you had in US. Of course, the stores in India are smaller.

Reasons close to heart

92) You get to live with your parents/family. My (& my wife's) parents are very happy that we are back. They feel more confident these days & I could see happiness on their face. They worked very hard & spent years in making our life successful. We can never pay them back in entirety. But, being with them during their old age is a small contribution that we can make. Let me share with you an incident. After my return, I had once visited the parents of my friend (My friend is in US). I could literally see tear on their eyes, when they said "I'm not sure if my son/daughter (masking the gender, intentionally) would return back. The more years pass by, it is getting more uncertain. But, you made a very good decision to return back! I'm happy for you and your parents". I couldn't control my tears as well. I didn't know how to console them. You can understand how much impact the R2I decision creates, on the parents.

93) Our government/society played a significant role in shaping us & our life. We are what we are because of our society and the contribution of our schools, colleges, teachers, and friends. Isn't it time for us to return that favor back?

94) We are so lucky to have got the opportunity to travel across borders... to explore the unknowns and earn a lot of wealth/fame. Shouldn't we provide the same opportunity to others also? Shouldn't we train the folks in India to be competent?

95) You've seen how things are in U.S. You have now got an opportunity to improve things in India.

96) Go back in time and recollect why you went to U.S, in the first place? Were your goals achieved? If so, you should consider returning back to India. There is never a perfect/ideal time to return back. So, don't procrastinate. Tomorrow never comes.

97) Constant feeling of getting to the roots in India. Feeling guilty about postponing your R2I decision?

98) Are you always feeling "alienated", in US? You couldn't completely get accustomed to the culture/people etc., in US? Neither able to lead an 'American' life nor able to lead an 'Indian' life. It is not just you, your kids may also have the same problem when they grow up.

99) You feel that your life in US has become so "mechanical" or "monotonous". You desperately want a change in your life. You want a break in your career.

100) India needs educated & smart people like you. We have complained about the infrastructure, people, politics and policies in India for several years. What are we doing to fix those issues? We are the 'cream' of India. Shouldn't we put your competency to best use in India?

_________________________________________________________________________________________

This is accurate to the best of my knowledge, at the time of writing. I haven't made any efforts to cross check some of my conclusions/assumptions.

I'll put my best effort in keeping this uptodate. However, please double check the latest policies/procedures before making your decision to R2I. I'm not legally responsible for your decision to R2I and the outcomes of it.

If this blog post gave you enough ammunition to your R2I decision, then I've met my objective.

Wishing you all the best with your R2I !!

Also read:

Returning back to India - 25 things to do
R2I - List of things to pack/bring from US 
10 things to consider before you decide to R2I

Work environment in India - Then & Now

Work environment in IT companies, in India, has changed quite significantly in the last decade. There are several catalysts that influenced the changes in our work environment such as Cheaper International Calling Rates, Broadband penetration, Frugality and Growth in Engineering Colleges.

• During those days, calling from India to US or US to India was a big affair. Today, International calling rates have come down tremendously. This has improved the communication between US and India employees. At the same time, it has completely engulfed our 'private' life. Employers expect you to participate in late night or early morning calls, from home. You cannot 'plan' your day and cannot spend 'quality' time with family.
  

• During those days, Working from Home (WFH) concept wasn't very popular in India. Many homes hardly had Internet access. Today, almost all IT engineers have broadband connectivity at home. Companies expect people to work from home. So, your worries do not just stop at your work place. They follow you to your home. Of course, WFH gives you extra flexibility when you decide to work from home for personal reasons.
  

• Several work place benefits are cut under the name of frugality - limited team lunches per year, limited spot awards, no cool drinks at work place, no evening snacks and the list goes on and on.
  

• Almost, all the companies in the IT sector, give medical insurance to their employees, now. This concept wasn't very popular during those days. It is very beneficial to employees - we don't have to shell out big bucks during hospital visits. It is automatically deducted from the Insurance. I heard that hospitals increase their treatment costs if you say that you are paying by Insurance.
  

• Laptops are given to employees, by many companies. Partly because the cost of these toys have come down quite a bit and partly because employers want you to work from home.
  

• The growth in engineering colleges has completely changed the equation, at the work place:

1. There is abundant Engineering graduates in the market. With more supply (& less demand     due to the recession), there is lots of young graduates without jobs. Many of them settle down for BPO/Call Center jobs, for just Rs.6,000 or Rs.7,000 monthly pay. Compare it to Rs.10,000 per month, earned by a construction worker or Rs.6,000 per month earned by a security guard. Not many job openings are available for freshers.
2. Fresher's starting salary hasn't kept up with the inflation. For example, the cost of commodities have nearly doubled or tripled. However, fresher's salary hasn't increased that much. On an average, good companies pay Rs.15,000 - Rs.20,000 per month for freshers.
3. Many folks at work, have below average skills. College students just 'buy' projects from 'vendors' to meet the requirements of their final year academic project. (Also read: How to be a STAR performer?)
4. I still remember the long hours that we used to put during college days to complete our academic projects. I don't see the same determination/commitment with the current generation. 
5. Employees aren't valued as before. If you leave, there is lots of people in the market to fill your position. 
6. During those days, majority of the folks leave work early (at around 6 pm). Very few folks work till 8 pm and only a handful of folks work late in the night. Today, I see many of my classmates/colleagues online, even at mid night. They face increased pressure from their peers.
   

• Employees are expected to work for at least 10 hours per day. Employees' availability is taken for granted. Employers don't care if you are really productive or not. They care whether you are available or not.

I've compiled this list based on my experience and learning from other folks. These issues are common to all IT companies - service & product oriented, startups and established companies, local & MNC organizations.

(I'll update this post, as & when I hear/learn new things about work place in India)

Also read:

10 tips for R2I salary negotiation
R2I - List of MNCs in Chennai

Smell of fresh air - rejuvenating

I visited Tiruvengadam, a small village near Rajapalayam, in December. I had been to this village nearly 15 years ago (and several times before that). The village used to be lot more beautiful during my childhood days - with grazing cattle, tiny fishes/turtles in ponds, marching rivers, overflowing wells and last but not the least, the smell of fresh air that traverses through crops and paddy fields. In addition, there used to be lot of people, most of them young.

The village has changed significantly in the last 15 years. The density of youth has come down significantly. Most of them have moved to cities in search of jobs. In addition to farm jobs, there used to be lots of jobs to produce match boxes and match sticks. It looks like those jobs have completely vanished due to the advent of machinery.

Today, the ones who are doing farming are just the old people. The ponds do not have water anymore and are filled with thorn trees. The rivers have just rocks and small pockets of water. The villagers use ground water for irrigation. The water table has gone down tremendously over the years, due to lack of proper rains.

In those days, the villagers used to cultivate lots of paddy, cotton, and chilly. Now, they've switched to cultivating corn and they say the returns are high (I guess the returns are high because corn is heavily used for producing ethanol).

I visited the corn fields and enjoyed breathing fresh air after a very long time. We wouldn't realize it - but, many English words have become part of our every day conversation. I realized it only when conversing with the people in the village. It was tough for me to translate/explain certain things to people.

Government has done a good job of providing the villagers with proper sewage disposal system, electricity and drinking water. Several people carry mobile phones and you can easily see a few mobile phone towers here and there. Overall, I enjoyed my short visit to Tiruvengadam. I'm hoping to go there again for a longer stay, to get the hang of village life.

Also read:
 
What can you do to reduce the impact of climate change?

Heavy Rain turned Chennai to Venice

"Rain rain go away... come again another day!". My daughter sang this rhyme passionately for the last several days, standing at our door steps and staring at the rain. The continuous rains, in the last 1 week, turned the whole city upside down.

In the past, I have seen/experienced several such rains in Chennai, as a pedestrian. Several years ago, I was once hit by a motorist & I fell into a pool of stagnating water along the road side.

This is my first rain experience as a motorist, in Chennai. So, the experiences are much more interesting. The following are some after effects of the heavy rains in Chennai:

1) There is water everywhere - along the sides of the road, in subways, inside houses, and at times, filling an entire street. This causes hardships to motorists and pedestrians.

2) The flow of water & the moving vehicular traffic has created pot holes in almost all the roads. For the past few days, my two wheeler drive is really hurting my back, because of the bumpy roads.

3) Rain water gets splashed at you, by vehicles that move along your sides and on to your front. You should definitely wear a rain coat or a jacket, not just to escape from the rains but also to escape from the water splashed by these vehicles. Yesterday morning I saw a shocking incident on the road. A moving car splashed a pool of water on a bicyclist. The bicyclist had a folded umbrella in his hand. He banged the umbrella heavily on the car and created a huge dent. The car didn't stop. First of all, the car driver should've slowed down on seeing a pool of stagnating water. Second of all, the bicyclist shouldn't have got so much anger. I'm sure the bicyclist caused atleast a few thousand rupees damage to the car.

4) Government did a good job of cleaning up the 'coovum' river, a couple of weeks before the rain. However, the tons of garbage taken out of 'coovum' river still lies on the road, in some areas. They haven't disposed/cleaned them up. So, due to the heavy rains, the garbage is again going back to the 'coovum' river.

5) Storm water drains are constructed in several parts of the city. I live in Choolaimedu and the rain water quickly drains in a few minutes. I don't see water stagnated in any of the nearby areas. However, I heard that some places in Velachery are terribly hit by the stagnant water.

Some folks are concerned because the growing real estate industry has converted several small lakes & pools into residential communities. Hence the rain water is entering the city's streets, instead of getting stored in designated locations.

I'm not sure how long it would take for India to build an infrastructure that is comparable to the developed nations. Definitely, miles to go... Until then, Chennai's residents can enjoy their free Venice trip experience.

Also read:

Driving on Indian roads - Pleasure or Pain?    

Two Wheeler Service Experience

Swimming pool in Brownstone Apartments - Highly Recommended

 It is nearly 6 months since I returned from US. Since the day I landed in Chennai, my daughter has been asking me to take out for swimming. Swimming pools are very common in US. Almost, every other apartment/community in US, has a swimming pool. However, swimming pools are not very common yet, in India. Only a very few residential communities have swimming pools. I used to take my daughter to a pool at least once a month before. However, since landing in Chennai, I've deprived her from that experience. I learned about the wonderful swimming pool run by V.V. International School of Swimming, in Brownstone apartments, in Mahalingapuram (near to Loyola College). I called them today morning to find out some details.

We went to Brownstone Apartments at about noon. They charged Rs.70 each, for my daughter & me, for a 1 hour swimming session (It looks like the yearly membership costs Rs.5,500. They also conduct swimming lessons). The swimming pool was maintained well. The water was clean and there were not any dirt or debris, floating. There were at least 2 administrative folks to help the visitors. We went there by Saturday noon and the pool wasn't crowded at all. My daughter was initially hesitant (actually, scared!) to enter the pool. But, later she started liking the experience. I made her sit on an air-filled tube and she enjoyed the floating experience. We had a wonderful time there. It was very refreshing. We spent the full hour in the pool and came back extremely relaxed.

If you are in the Nungambakkam/Choolaimedu area and looking for a swimming pool/class, you should definitely consider V.V International School of Swimming, in Brownstone apartments.

Also read:

Smell of fresh air - rejuvenating
Chennai Marina Beach - Free Recreation

Skywalks in train stations - what are they for?

This weekend I went to Mambalam station to receive my wife who was returning back from TUT. The train was delayed by an hour and a half. I got ample time to sit back & relax. It was Saturday morning, 8 am. Mambalam station was without its usual fanfare. I was silently enjoying what was going around me. Passengers of diverse age groups ... small kids to old folks, hopping in & out of the trains that pass by. The station master who comes out of his room religiously to wave Green flag to all the passing trains. But, the thing that stood out very significantly, is almost all the people (90+%) didn't use the skywalks to cross the platforms. The engineer in me started to analyze the problem & come up with solutions.

First of all, the present skywalk is at one extreme corner of the station. Second of all, reaching the other platform by crossing the railway tracks is damn easy. Despite the fact that I'm educated, I too was tempted to cross the tracks - but, managed to resist my temptation. How can we expect the 'common man' to NOT cross the railway tracks? People always tend to take the 'shortest possible route' to their destination - unless they're stopped by an iron hand or there is a serious threat to their life. All the trains start to sound horn few Kilometers before the station. So, people feel that it is absolutely safe for the passengers to cross the tracks. But, it is not true. Watch out this video.



How do you stop it? Well, this is indeed a tough question.

Constructiong another skywalk that is close enough - Do you think people will take the pain of climbing the stairs (even if it is close enough), to cross the railway tracks? Absolutely, NOT.

Putting an Iron fence between the tracks - We may think that putting a fence between the tracks would solve the problem. However, people are bold enough to create walkways by breaking the fences. I've seen that in Nungambakkam station. Even metal rods/plates are broken by people to create walk ways.

Putting an electric fence between the tracks - This will technically solve the problem. However, it is not feasible to implement this solution. There will be unnecessary use of power/electricity. Also, if somebody unknowingly touches the fence, they may die. Government may not be willing to implement this.

Constructing a flyover for trains - The train stations will be in the first floor & passengers have to take the stairs to hit the road. This would sound like a logical solution. However, there is huge cost involved in constructing flyovers for trains. Also, the metro trains would consume more electrical energy to pull the coaches up over the flyover & then come back again to the ground level.

Putting a guard who will help people to cross the tracks in a designated area - The role of the gaurd will be like a traffic police. He has to stand in the sun/rain all day. He will get uptodate information regarding the arrival of trains in a hand-held device. He'll use that information to guide people to cross the railway tracks. This seems to be an OK solution. But, it may be difficult for the government to hire 'guards' for each & every metro train station. Also, considering the number of people who cross the tracks, it would be 'tough' for the guard to single-handedly manage/guide the crowd without any accidents.

Constructing a travelator/escalator/elevator - This is definitely a good solution. However, it involves lots of cost (for the initial installation & the subsequent maintenence/operation). Moreover, these systems cannot be used by several people at once. So, considering the current population & economical state of India, this solution is also ruled out.

Let trains not to sound horns when they cross a station - Once this policy is implemented, few people will die when they try to cross the tracks. However, it will create a 'fear' among the rest. There will be handful of people, who will still try to cross the railway tracks without using the skywalks. The government may not be excited to implement this solution.

I couldn't think of a single solution that is cost-effective & easy to implement. I'm doubtful, if there is a real solution to this problem unless India becomes a 'developed' nation (people are educated/disciplined & there is lots of money to carryout such infrastructure projects). I'm very eager to hear feedback from others to solve this problem. If you can come up with something, please do let me know.

Also read:

I love IRCTC.CO.IN
If I don't care, who'll care?
Traveling near restrooms in the train isn't fun

I love IRCTC.CO.IN

IRCTC - Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation

In the last few years, Indian Railways has made great strides in improving the booking & travel experience of passengers. There are so many trains with improved service and faster travel time. My favorite of all the things from Indian Railways, is the online booking facility. I can book my train tickets at the click of my mouse. I don't have to go to the nearest booking center; I don't have to stand in long queues; I don't have to keep calling the railways to find the current status of my tickets; I don't have to have cash with me to book tickets. IRCTC.CO.IN has relieved us from all those sufferings. Ofcourse, IRCTC.CO.IN does have some shortcomings (web site is very slow, web site doesn't respond back at times, money once debited due to network issues/invalid transactions are returned to you only after 3 business days, web user interface is not very intuitive, etc.,). But, can I live with these problems? Yes, I surely can. I use IRCTC.CO.IN for all my travel reservations. They also have additional services such as providing tour packages, hotel reservations etc., I haven't had a chance to try them out, yet. But, I soon will.

I love IRCTC.CO.IN. Good job folks.

Also read:


Traveling near restrooms in the train, isn't fun
Skywalks in Train Stations - What are they for?
If I don't care, who'll care?