Go Goa...and you're Gone

These days, I’ve been talking about travel more than actually undertaking any substantial travel. It’s an occupational hazard - I promote clients in the travel space, you see.

So I could fake a big, colourful travelogue of goodish length on Goa replete with "azure skies and sea" that melt into each other, without even stepping a foot on to the rich, red Goan soil. 

This is pretty tragic because anyone who is working hard to promote this beautiful, tiny state deserves to spend some time relaxing their hinies there even though that person has holidayed Goa at least six times.

Such is the eternal magic of Goa.

I remember one monsoon wandering the charming Fontainhas neighbourhood, upset about not being part of this culture, when I stumbled upon the quaintest little hotel i have ever seen by the name of Panjim Inn (under the WelcomHeritage brand of ITC).

This old Latin quarter in the city of Panjim maintains its Portuguese influence to this day in terms of its architecture and layout such as narrow streets, old villas and buildings painted in colours that would instil dread if it was in another Indian city. 

It saddened me to think that my friends and i had to make-do with a modern serviced apartment in the most ridiculously-touristy location of Goa called Calangute.

But little did i know then that i was to find myself two monsoons later staying at that same Panjim Inn for a surreal three days! What a delicious slice of Goa it was!

It was probably the beautiful full-grown Christmas tree right outside our window or the four-poster bed that looked like it had been used by the Portuguese themselves that did me in. 

Or possibly the Portuguese Planters chair (that appealed to me in so many ways), the pretty mosaic tile work in every house, and the various Portuguese-style boutiques all mixed together with the help of some stiffish LITs at Down The Road, which is just er... down the road from Panjim Inn.

Whatever it was, it was muito bem!  

Chadar Trek: The highest point in my life

There are many ways to experience Ladakh - and one of the best by far is trekking on the Zanskar, also called the 'Chadar Trek' because the river is covered by a sheet of winter ice. 

The old-timers may remember my posts before and after my trip in early 2011. But they were brief and did not do justice. So i reminisce, and record once again. 

To embark on such an expedition - that many rate as "extremely challenging" - requires immense training and psyching of the mind. This is not for anything but to have a good and fun trip. Unfortunately, i relied more on the 'psyching' bit than the training and it showed on the last day of the trek. But uh...well...less on that a little later.

My friends J&J supervising my gear a day before i flew to Leh from Delhi

Apart from the fitness levels, there are a few initial things that need attention. Like the gear. Since this trek can be done only in the winters (if that!) it is necessary to brace oneself. The temperature dipped to minus 25 degrees while we were there. So high-quality and appropriate gear is a priority. It can really make or break your trip. 

Apart from being super expensive, the stuff is also very hard to find in Mumbai. Luckily, my team leader, Milan Moudgil, rented out most of the things to me and i bought some from specialty stores. One is in Grant Road and the other is in Matunga (East). I don't think there's a third retail outlet in the city that sells gear for this kind of weather and altitude.

Apart from that, you also need to carry supplemental food that will give you a) instant energy and b) warmth. I carried a sweet made from dates and dry fruits. And of course, something to keep your skin from chapping. Now, here's a little information that not many people will know. You don't need any expensive, high-end, clinical, prescriptive cream for that. All you need is a small bottle of good 'ol Vaseline. I prefer the aloe vera flavour.    

Piling up the good stuff at Gurgaon's Easy Day supermarket

Your team leader will also warn you about high altitude sickness. And i suggest you take it seriously too. Because i (and Milan) didn't know what hit me on the first night. We both thought I wouldn't make it alive another day! Evidently, i did. But its a good thing to start with the pill. We took Diamox for 3 days prior to the trek.

To be continued...  

    

Neutrogena is gender-neutral. Indeed!

The recent Neutrogena IndiBlogger Meet at JW Marriott had a surprise element. More than half of the attendees were males.

Now, I know that traditionally in most countries, Neutrogena also has a line for men's skin care. But in India they have chosen to focus on other products. So I (along with a few other women bloggers) were taken aback when we saw the hall mostly comprising men. Boys to be accurate - including an impressive number of 'Myself-John-Doe-s'.

But wait, that's not the focus of this blog. The important thing to know is that Neutrogena contains a substance - or according to the company, a technology - trademarked Helioplex which unlike normal sunscreens does not break down upon exposure to the sun. This was demonstrated very patiently by a dermatologist who was probably on their rolls. Nevertheless, we admired his patience as he painstakingly compared normal sunscreens with the one by Neutrogena for effectiveness under UV rays. 

Another surprise element (or maybe it just surprised me) was the guest appearance of actress *cough* Tara Sharma who couldn't pronounce 'dermatologists' for some reason. Or maybe that was her trick. In a stunning yellow dress (you got to give it to the mother of two!), she spoke about various things but mostly about her show that is strangely called 'The Tara Sharma Show' - the diaries of a young mother produced by her husband.

Someone joked that she'd have to continue reproducing to keep the show on. But they needn't have bothered; Tara to her credit cracked a 'I call Roopak my co-producer' joke!

But all in all, it was a good meet with good goodies, awesome giveaways, a huge spread, a funny host with a really cute Tamilian accent, and a chance to participate in an Indiblogger Harlem shake which i hope doesn't go viral! For those who have time to waste can check out these pictures from the meet.     

I am disappointed though that Neutrogena isn't promoting one of my fave products from their stable - their awesome sesame seed body oil - that i truly covet. It is such an amazing product that i almost don't want to tell anyone about it and keep all the bottles to myself!

Play it again, Sam! (and this time play it by ear)

Eating and traveling are probably the among the top five fave things for people to do, outside of ...err.. other activities.

As a result, cookery and travel shows are mushrooming all over the telly. I find huge similarities between the two kinds of shows on Indian channels. Both are unimpressive in equal measure. 

They are staid, are slave to a template that was created by someone who worked for DD decades ago, and have a drone-like quality about them which  is only suitable to help you nod off.

Indian travel shows, especially, are so forced that it hardly looks impromptu - which travel shows are supposed to be. Ian Wright's shows are a perfect example. So is Samantha Brown's. Or for that matter David Attenborough's (although his is not strictly a travel show).   

So the question these travel show producers need to ask themselves (or each other) is: Should they appoint models, failed actors and ex-VJs as hosts? Hell, why not! Look at Asha Gill (model) and Jeremy Piven (actor)! They were absolutely fantastic as hosts.

So what these producers should be looking out for is people who know how to travel. 
It should be kept in mind that both - cooking and travelling - are forms of art. First you need to learn the rules, but then you must play by ear. 

When media and PR collide

I'm up to my neck with reading about and listening to journalists complain about PR people. Because having been on both sides of the fence, i really think its a perfect case of pot calling the dog's nose black.

Yes, the average PR person is uninformed and underexposed. And yes, they haven't read their client brief completely. But the average media person is no better.

Having had to interact with them on a professional level, i now know a thing or two about their work ethics. Only after working 'with' them (although a lot of them think PR people work 'for' them!) have i realised that journalism as we used to know it is almost dead.

I was shocked at the quality of journalists i found in newspapers and (horror!) some international magazines. Whatever happened to quality and serious writers?

Reporters from top newspapers have insisted that (and i do not exaggerate) the PR person handling that particular client write the entire interview for them. Not just that, they now include generic questions that should form part of their own research in the list of questions directed at the client. So now, apart from wanting to know their turnover for Q3, they also ask how the food service industry is doing and who the other players in the market are?

Hell, they're lazy too! After talking to a CEO of hotel group on the phone for 15 minutes, the journalist had the gall to tell her to 'please email me your replies' so she wouldn't have to look for the scribbles she made in her non-existent notepad.

I have even lent a bony shoulder to the copy editor at one of the top newspapers (it has 'Times' in its name somewhere) who is fed up of reporters sending her a bunch of quotes for a 'story'. That doesn't even include the name of the reporter. So since she is the 'desk', she has to actually write the story and even give them a byline!

I was therefore pretty surprised to find that there were writers who could slip further. Despite a half-hour phone interview with the erstwhile royalty of an Indian state who was at that time in London, a journalist decided he just 'didn't want to write the story' when i called him after four months. No 'there was not enough matter' or 'I need to talk to someone else'. He just didn't give a damn. And we're talking about a senior writer at an international magazine which starts with Forbes and ends with India. 

The level of sheer recklessness of journalists these days astounds me! But it shouldn't; this was bound to happen considering the way media is pampered. 

So when media and PR collide, all you're left with is an equation that refuses to be balanced. 

Bombay-ites live only over the weekend

It's true. They start coming to life after Friday afternoon and by 6:00pm, they are positively kicking.

This continues till Sunday evening and by night-time, they begin to die a slow death.

This Wednesday morning, as i walked into office at approximately 8:30am, I heard a colleague complain, "God, two more days left." I wanted to tell her that technically, it would be three. But I didn't want to depress her more than she already looked so I just smiled a sympathetic smile.  

But Bombay does seem to have a chronic problem - week:work and weekend:living.

Why is this culture festering the city? 

One problem that I can spot is traffic on the roads. I used to think twice before doing anything after work except go home during the week is because of the "peak-hour" rush. For those, who agree with me, I want to inform them that there is nothing like "peak-hour" traffic in Bombay anymore. It's just plain and simple traffic.

Why don't we want to relax after work by going for a walk in the garden close to our house? Because - with due respect to 'Rajesh Khanna Park' in Khar - I can't find any that are worth their salt. Except maybe the Hanging Garden or Jogger's Park. 

This vicious circle of Friday Euphoria and Sunday Dysphoria is giving me vertigo. 

RIP Ramnath Goenkaji

I want to take a moment from this chaotic Friday morning and pay my respect to Ramnath Goenkaji (April 18, 1904 - October 5, 1991).

Anyone who has worked with The Express Group will know that it is not just a media house, it is not an employer, it is not a company you work for; it is an institution - like Janta in Bandra.

No, but seriously, it is like school - you hate it every time you have to attend it but as soon as you pass out, you wish you hadn't. The Indian Express is a place where you get your formative education in media. And even though you dislike it (because hey, hating your employer is your birthright), you miss it once you've left it and realise that it was probably the one place where you've had the best education. 

Anyone who has worked with the group will tell you that they are always happy to meet another ex-Express person. Whether a journalist or a sales manager, they will bond immediately. Because it is the common thread that binds you together. Then it doesn't matter if you got the stories out or the money in.

Every ex-employee of Express I have known and met remembers it fondly. And when they talk of their old company, you see the light return to their eyes.  

That is what The Indian Express does to you. And let's not even talk about a firebrand of a logo that it has. I love it! I think it captures the soul of a journalist.

So thank you, Goenkaji for founding this great media house (although I was very sad to see the iconic Express Towers pass into the hands of ICICI). I am forever grateful to you and I am sure I speak for all the ex-Indian Express employees.