The cold coffee wars.

Onset of summer:
The 'T point' counter in our cafeteria..canteen really...makes a smart move and starts serving cold coffee. A delicious concoction of cold milk, coffee, cream, ice, a dollop of chocolate sauce for good effect and even a bit of chocolate powder thrown in so that we get VFM. All this served in a medium sized, disposable cup for 12 bucks.

Summer is in full swing; temperatures soar as does cold coffee demand:
T point guy is beginning to get demands for cold coffee from 9 am! He's running a monopoly, if he ain't feeling like serving cold coffee then you ain't getting to drink any. Cold coffee is not available before noon and T point doesn't give a damn if you don't like waiting.

Employees get irritable with lack of choices in canteen; a new counter opens; and what do you know - it serves cold coffee as well! Tension in the T Point camp:
New counter guy (he wasn't marketing savvy enough to brand himself) serves cold coffee in a nice tall glass; doesn't adulterate with too much ice but lacks the fancy chocolate sauce/powder combo. On the upside - he's always willing to serve it when you feel like having it. On the downside - 20 bucks for a glass. ouch.

Competition is heating up; T Point and New Counter Guy begin undercutting the competition:
Now T point has cold coffee whenever you want it too! With the chocolate sauce/powder intact. No lessening of the ice though.

Things are getting murky:
New Counter Guy might not know branding, he certainly knows pricing. Its cold coffee, anytime, without too much ice, in a nice tall glass - For FIFTEEN bucks!

As of yesterday:
T point has invested in a brand new set of shiny tall glasses. The cold coffee is available at all times and the price - still 12 bucks.

What will New Counter Guy do?
... watch this space!

Bangalore diary.

I spent the most of last week in Bangalore and came to the conclusion that all the drivers on Bangalore streets are possessed by the 'pscyho driver' demon. Of course everyone talks about the bad traffic in Bangalore like they've done a PhD in it, so I figured I might as well join the legion.

Since I have no friends in Blore I thought it would be a fairly boring visit but the cab driver not only scared me witless with his driving skills but also gave me some quick facts on Bangalore, demonstrated his complete knowledge of the city's traffic patterns, provided a brief autobiography of himself and gave me a crash course in the Telegu film industry(cab driver was Telegu, it turns out). "NTR very good hero madam! Son of NT RamaRao, very big man. Chiranjeevi malum? Telegu soooperstar. I failed grade 10 because I used to go watch every movie of his. First day, first show madam!" All this while doing a little jig to the very loud kannada song that was playing on radio.

So apart from work, my spare moments were spent in praying for my safety while I was in the cab. The second last day I thought I'd mastered my fear and I foolishly decided to experiment with the experience of sitting in an auto. It turns out the cab experience was only the kiddie roller coaster. The REAL monster was the auto driver, who had the idea firmly planted in his head that he was playing a live version of Need for Speed.

Though you could say I survived unscathed through my visit, the three new white hair strands on my head beg to differ!

The same song...

Awesome song, amazing lyrics - The same song by Susheela Raman . I heard it first when the credits of "The Namesake" were rolling.. and immediately loved it.

Lyrics:
How many roads have I wondered?
None, and each my own
Behind me the bridges have crumbled
No question of return

Autumn leaves like discarded dreams
trampled underneath a tide of careless feet
it's the same song playing
everywhere I go
it's like an army marching right through me

Nowhere to go but the horizon
where then will I call my home?

summer spent, in the high grass
or just fragments, ransacked memories
dark river snakes, across this murky hall
boatman sings his downstream melodies

How many roads have I wondered?
None, and each my own
Behind me the bridges have crumbled
where then will I call my home?

someone who steals petri dishes?

I learnt something interesting today (ok fine yesterday, but that's nitpicking) - I found the word that means 'the smell of rain on dry ground' - it's petrichor! Here's more on it..
It does have a funny ring to it though.

je fais du roller...!

I'm learning french.. and I got my roller blades delivered to me finally - hence the title.
Now all I need to do is find a place in Pune where I can roller blade....
If anyone knows any I'd be grateful for some help!