Maal

Baawara Maan dekhne chala ek saapna!

Baawre se Maan ki dekho baawri hai baatein!! …..

Some melody in these lines almost forcing me to hum them in front of my lap-top. So what is so great about these lines and why do I get reminded of them, because as per my knowledge airtel is not airing this ad currently.

The first and most immediate context could be (emphasizing could be) my mobile bill which I received through a very neatly written sms. The amount exceeds 6.5k. (Ohh my GOD). But that’s not so bad given the context that I am in guwahati away from all my friends and have a team of 20. The only thing I have at my disposal most of the times to solve most of the sales issues like:

‘Boss, wholesaler ‘maal’ nahin le rahe hain’, ‘Boss, market bahut down hai’, ‘Boss, rusk soft ho raha hai’, ‘Boss, Quality complaint bahut aa rahe hain’, ‘Boss, orange flavour rectangle ke bajaye, round shape mein chahiye’

and my standard responses

‘Kitne dukaan mein ‘maal; daala hai tumne’. ‘Kya visibility status hai, Koi ‘maal’ dikh hee nahin raha hai’, ‘Tum to jaante hee ho, jo dikhega woh bikega, aur tumhara ‘maal’ to andar hee pada rehta hai’, ‘Saale, Kaam karo kaam’

Please don’t misunderstand any of this. This is how we sell biscuits and this does not have anything to do with baawara maan and uski baawri si baatein.

Other context could be the marketer which is slightly below the immediate depths of my heart. I was in marketing till a few months back and would have done a detailed and incisive analysis of these lines.

But I strongly believe that a great tune and a great song are one of the strongest platforms from which an advertising campaign can be launched. I also made an attempt in this direction with 'Britannia MarieGold Badal gaya re' which to my mind was not the best of the things to have my name upon. And I know that most of the readers would not have seen the ad also, which is the greatest face saving grace for me.

But the learning from that campaign was that, having a good add is a bonus, but having lots of money to put behind your add is a necessity. These words might sound ludicrous in these times of recession, but consumer does not understand recession.

‘Maal to bechna hee padega, nahin bik raha hai to distributor ko thok do’

This the month end yaar

ak

Why Blog?

Although i had started with a title 'Some more crap', i think I ended up with something slightly more meaningful.

There are people who are great writers and one enjoys reading their books/blogs/articles etc. But what about those, who are not as good writers or they feel that they are not as enjoyable to read. Why do such people write?

Well this basically takes me to the benefits of writing!

One clear benefit is that if you don’t have anything better to do than at-least utilize some 20kb of space of google servers and write some crap. So basically again, “All play and no work makes one a blogger”.

Second benefit is that there is an activist in everyone’s mind. Everyone wishes for a change, although he may or may not wish to be an active contributor to the change. Such a situation arises because one fears that active participation could lead to adverse effects upon the individual himself. In such a case writing/blogging allows one to air his or her views using all kinds of third person connotations. This normally would not bring the change but at-least structure the thoughts in the individuals mind as to what is right and what is wrong. That gives him greater understanding and sometimes tells him that 'everything is not so bad'.

Third benefit is of self-reconciliation. Every individual has a lot of things in the depths of his heart which he or she wishes to share with someone. Such a possibility does not always arise. Writing allows the individual to speak his heart out about what happened, why it happened and will or will it not happen in future.

Fourth benefit is that every individual has this innate wish to be listened to. The content of what is to be listened could include

• Wishes or plans for the future.
• Stand on issues of greater relevance.
• Understanding of the world from individuals own eyes etc.

One does always not get the benefit of having so good friends who listen to all his crap and help him understand/analyze what he is saying is right or wrong. Writing helps an individual in the first part and blogging helps in both the parts, if one is lucky enough to get good comments on his blog.

That’s my understanding of the past 70 posts that I have made as a blogger.

ak

Yeh kya hua

Chilling Inside: Chilling outside

Do I currently have better than blogging to do? Frankly a Big NADA!

Actually I have nothing to do.

Should sound surprising when an area sales manager with a team of ~20, sitting on the 22^nd of the month has sold only 50% of his month’s target? And his boss is crying his heart out, “Put everyone’s pants on fire, and achieve your target.” Pressure and sales are almost the same. You achieve your target, get patted and are sent back to the same furnace again for the next month. People are mere numbers which are their targets. Either they achieve their targets or not.

But who gives a damn. I am chilling. It’s almost as if, ‘all play and no work makes me a blogger.’ After the selection at ISB life has become so simple, so easy, so less tense, so empty, so don’t know what all.

Before selection at ISB life was difficult. I took CAT on the 15^th Nov and didn’t even have the heart to check my scores. I still haven’t. The prospect of working guwahati for some more time was not the best of the things I had hoped for.

Now the priorities have changed. I am working less for sales and touring more to ensure that I don’t leave any place in the four states that fall under my purview which is worth a visit. This all is chill inside.

As far as chill outside is concerned the temperatures outside have fallen. Hence I am feeling the chill outside inside as well.

Does what all I wrote make sense to any one or me also? Or you were hoping for comments on the terrorist attack or the cricket match or A.R. Antuley or whatever.

DON’T KNOW DON’T CARE. Sorry if I wasted your valuable time!!!

By the way my boss called me in the morning and said the same thing again.

ak

To summarize last two years