It was August of 2021 when my family and I decided to take a trip to Donegal, Ireland. We were looking for a peaceful and relaxing getaway, and Donegal seemed like the perfect destination. It was an experience that we will never forget. We started our journey by taking a train from Dublin to Sligo, and as we were travelling, we were greeted with picturesque … Continue reading Rendezvous at Donegal, a travelogue
Ireland is a place which gives plethora of options to satisfy the drinking taste buds. Even with the recent popularity of no-lo alcoholic drinks, people are not left stranded. Yes, all the big alcoholic brands have jumped on to to take a pie of this growing market category. The brands have been competing to come out with clutter breaking ads to promote their 0.0 offerings. … Continue reading Mood boosting menu added to this unique non alcoholic bar, TVM in Dublin
And it begins…!!! The teams, stadiums, sponsors of 2022. Also read about where it all started ? why and when it was decided for the group stage final games to be played at the time? Continue reading Carnival of The Beautiful Game Begins
In this latest edition of PAC Talks, it was a pleasure to interview one of the top 20 Artificial Intelligence startups in India. Data Science Wizards (DSW) is a very young company, started in 2019, which is growing at a steady pace in the right direction. I met with the team, Pritesh Tiwari , Founder & Chief Data Scientist, Sandeep Khuperkar, Co founder & CEO … Continue reading Data Science Wizards: Startup with the magic touch of unifying everything in artificial intelligence
Adam calls the Millo Air, the 2.0 version as the ‘Silent Blender’. He demonstrated this during the interview and even at 1200 rpm, there was hardly any sound. The initial blender from Millo was developed with a focus on user experience, design and convenience. The team behind this wanted to improve this offering and has now launched the new version where they are using the help of a magnetic drive to rotate the blades. Continue reading Blend it like Millo, Smart blender from Lithuania based food tech startup
Sports is the best form of medicine to keep yourself fit and stress free. So when you get injured and have to stay away from this weekly activity for 6-9 months then it starts impacting you slowly and steadily. It is a horrible feeling to not being able to do things that you really look forward to every week. It is all about the Social factor. Continue reading Brace : Social network that helps injured sports persons across levels to track, document and share their recovery journeys.
“It is about Passion. Whatever you do in life there are two ways of looking at it – Very Hard and Very Easy, with a fine balance. If we choose the easy path it is not because its easy but you are determined and obsessed to achieve. It is very hard because you think it is hard.” Continue reading Tony Kitous, the food entrepreneur who dared to Dream Big: Working 90 hours a week to owning 30+ restaurants
Sitting in her house in North Wales, United Kingdom, Zoey is single handedly managing Fungtn. A myco adaptogenic low alcohol beer brand born in North Wales, courtesy an experiment with mushroom and beer. Continue reading Alcohol free beer Fungtn making in roads, Founder Zoey Henderson talks about the startup journey and importance of Positive Wellness
‘OMiCron’-icle 🙂 So after a hiatus of 20 months, I finally decided to take a flight. Ireland to India, two countries with lot in common right from the colour of the national flags. When everything looks to go as per the plans, the onset of a new variant made me think: ‘Oh My’ it is is going to be a ‘Chronicle’. Continue reading ‘OMiCron’-icle: Be Negative, Think Positive – New Travel Mantra
Gues Blog: Akshay is a graduate of UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School in MSc Supply Chain Management. While sharing this travel experience, he also mentioned about the challenges he is facing to find a job during Covid. Continue reading Covid Travel : dublin to mumbai: in between work, akshay shares his journey experience while in quarantine
The first words taught here are അ (A) for അമ്മ (Amma – Mother) and ആ (Aa) for ആന (Aana – Elephant). Continue reading ആന (Elephant): Kerala’s state animal is integral to the culture of God’s own country
Achan was basically a farmer, like most of our ancestors, & karyasthan of a nearby mana as well. Achan somehow had passion to study law but then finally when it came to financially supporting his family, he left law behind & took up teaching. Though he joined a government school, he was always passionate about other things. He took up farming from his father, did some small scale construction & was an active communist. That’s when an offer of demolishing a mana (where achachan was karyasthan) & constructing a new house on the same plot came up.
No ‘Marketing’ done so far other than the Word of Mouth Marketing. The small factory was set-up in a rural area taking into consideration the convenience of labourers , no showrooms, no middlemen, only upcycled wood & handmade genuine traditional ‘asari’ craft!.
Kuttan Master pioneered the technique of Circularity. Master made his way to the abode two years ago but has left a huge impact behind him. A true ‘Anugraha’ to all the mankind.
Continue reading “Wooderful Story”: 50 years, Saved 3000 trees & still continuing : Started as a passion by a teacher from a small village in Kerala, ‘Anugraha’ Wood furniture upcycling
Take a step back from the regular busy schedules and lifestyles. This is a golden opportunity to spend precious time with your loved ones at home and the whole world wants you to just do that for now.
Do not let the stress / fear spoil this moment. It is time to rejoice, rejuvenate and rethink about ‘Life’.
It is time to come together and Celebrate rather than fear about Corona. Continue reading Covid19 Lockdown: Stay at Home: Activities that can be done sitting at home
2010 : I almost lost my arm in an accident while traveling on a local train in Mumbai. I lost all hopes seeing the damage and the blood loss. I was in Love with my Life, my parents, family members, friends and the beautiful girl of my life. I fought back with all my strength & will power. I Survived. 2011 : I got married … Continue reading I am in Love & I Survived : My Love Story of 2010s Decade
The UrmO can be folded to handbag-size format within seconds, thanks to the patent-pending folding mechanism. Small, handy, light: These features clearly distinguish the UrmO from all other vehicles in its segment. Urmo is light weight and measures just 6.5 kilogram (13 lbs). The e-scooter can be perfectly integrated into everyday life and can be easily stowed e.g. under the desk in the office. Continue reading UrmO – ‘German Electric Vehicle’: Redefining Urban Mobility
Mastercard is touching the lives of the customer at numerous expected and unexpected junctures. Brand logo sound, macarons, restaurants ( there is one in Rome International Airport as well known as Bistro), helping Girls learn technology (Girls4Tech initiative), supporting farmers (helping small scale farmers connect with buyers), coming out with global destination information with details of city wise spends (Bangkok tops the list in regard with destination & Dubai tops the list in regard with per day spend by travelers) & so on , Mastercard definitely keeps reminding people that – some things are Priceless, for everything else there is Mastercard. Continue reading Start Something Priceless : Mastercard : A Brand that believes in creating lasting impressions
It is the pure passion for the Sport which brought them together to open the Kite Surfing shop, school in Dublin & then the lodge in Achill Island. I asked Catherine about their expansion plans and was a bit surprised (but happy) with her reply. They are not planning to expand in the near future. She said that it is not about just making money, but it’s about the passion of teaching & imparting the experience of water sports to customers. So they are very clear about their focus area: to give great experience for each & every customer.
Negotiating skills used during corporate life to reduce million dollars does not apply when it comes to negotiating with my daughter over a chocolate/candy. The tallest chair or sharp corners are her favourite play areas, so my focus on her needs to be more than 100%. Pram is a life saver when you make numerous trip to Tesco, playschool enquiries and parks. Continue reading The Dad’s Learning Curve : Break from Corporate life and Sneak peek into Parenting
“Dublin is an incredibly diverse city with an increasingly discerning population, so people are looking for a place where they can sit down with friends and really connect in a lively yet mindful drinking environment.”
“If a fellow Dubliner wants to catch up with mates after 4 pm in the city but doesn’t want to hang out in a pub, the only options available to them are multi-national cafes that largely lack any atmosphere. I’m really looking forward to changing that and finally giving people an alternative.”
Continue reading The Virgin Mary Bar : Why not lose the booze, keep the craic & say Slainte 🙂
After catering to thousands of customers and docking at multiple cities , he decided to anchor his journey in one of the beautiful cities in the Republic of Ireland. When i asked Jithin ‘Why Ireland?’ , he replied with a wry smile saying that ‘it happened somehow, nothing was planned’. Lot of things happen in life unplanned but if you are ready to take risks and half chances then most of the time you end up celebrating your decision. Continue reading Pink Salt : The cruising journey of a volleyball player who turned in to a Restaurateur : Indian Restaurant in Bray, Wicklow, Ireland
Monsoon and road trip compliment each other really well. It gets even better when you decide to explore the natural beauty hidden behind the hustle and bustle of cities. The anxiety of finding a hidden gem at the end of the travel , makes the journey exciting.
Everyone is looking to explore new roads, new destinations, new resorts, and all this to get away from the regular work and to enjoy the time with family and friends.
The search for such a new experience ended with finding a resort named Kondan The Retreat. This is a 2 year old resort situated in the interiors of Pune district.
Technology is undergoing a paradigm shift and has transitioned at a supersonic speed in the last couple of years. Things which you would have never imagined is happening right in front of your eyes. Be it the hearables like Amazon Echo, Google Home, Apple Siri, Microsoft Cortana, etc. or the wearables like Apple smart watch, Fitbit, rings activated with locker passwords, etc. – it is true that World is moving into a different horizon in regard with the onslaught of technology and the speed at which it is getting accepted by everyone.
Travel on the other hand has also found it’s own share of innovations with the help of the new age technology. Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Video chats, live streaming, recorded footages, etc. helps us to know about new places, new cultures , new cuisines, etc. But the urge to try this on your own is making people travel. The number of travellers have increased exponentially in the last decade. With the help of technology , people are very well aware of places that appeal to their tastes. Hashtags are the new style statement and it is also the go to search mantra. Instagram, in particular, has created a wave in this regard especially in the travel world. Insta Stories and Insta posts is helping the New Age travellers to get the knowledge of new places. But all this while the technology has only helped in creating the excitement to Travel.
Soon Travel enabled with future technologies will give a whole different experience. Be ready to get personalised welcome to the aeroplane. Artificial Intelligence & Facial Recognition will give the details of each and every passenger to the air hostess / stewards.
Continue reading “Picture your Future 2.0 : Travel , Technology and Tales”
Goa the pristine beach location is situated to the West of India. The beaches are running alongside the Arabian Sea. Goa has a long history and was also under the Portuguese rule from 1510 to 1961.
Languages spoken in Goa: Konkani, Marathi, Kannada, Hindi, English
The two things that come to your mind while thinking of Goa are Beaches & Beers.
Goa is clearly demarcated in to South Goa and North Goa.
South Goa is pretty much laid back with lot of five star resort properties. The resorts here will give you an option of private beach. The beaches here include Varca, Benaulim, Palolem, Bogmalo, Mormugao, Majorda beach, Colva, Varca.
North Goa is the happening party place. Starting with Sinquerim beach at one end to Ashwem at the other end – you can enjoy the best happening beaches here.
Sinquerim, Candolim, Calangute, Baga, Anjuna, Vagator, Morjim, Arambol and Ashwem are the main beaches stretching from one end of North Goa to the other end.
Continue reading “Goa – Destination known for Beaches, Shopping and Awesome food”
“30 seconds is all it takes to let go of your fear and take the leap.
It is all over , even before you realize that you’ve jumped from a 200 ft high bridge. But it takes couple of minutes for the feeling to sink in & become conscious of the fact that you have dared to do this ‘extreme sports’, when the swing comes to a slow stop.
The whole experience will stay with you for a life time.”
(July 2017) The moment I realized that I will be daring to jump of a bridge with just a string of ropes holding me together was a scary thought.
In the first place, I was not planning to do the jump and was not even going to join the group who had to travel almost an hour to reach the location. But I knew that this is going to be a once in a life time ‘dare to do’ opportunity (I know about people for whom bungee jumping and other adventure sports are just like turning the page of a book but trust me it is not an easy decision if you are not an adventure enthusiast).
I was put up in Athens and the Bungee jumping location was at Corinth Canal – which is one hour’s drive from Athens, Greece.
‘Zulu Bungy’ – the organizers of Bungy / Bungee jumping in Corinth Canal looked very pumped up to help us with the Jump. It is very crucial for the organizers to show that they are in control and make you feel comfortable. This will help gain the much required Confidence.
Zulu Bungy : the spot where right below you is the scenic water body whose magnificence will captivate your heart and in front of you the open sky that welcomes you to fly. The sound of the subtle breeze is the only thing that you will hear before the jump.
Continue reading “The Leap of Faith : Bungee Jumping : Extreme Sports”
I was lucky to get a ‘kaali peeli’ taxi from the international airport departure terminal yesterday night. I had to literally jump in as taxis were not allowed to pick up passenger in front of the terminal. I was happy as I saved the walk as well as the wait to get an Uber / Ola.
When you imagine a ‘kaali peeli’ taxi, the image of the driver that pops up in your mind is that of an aged driver with a long white beard. I was using the KPT ( kaali peeli taxi) after a long time or rather I cannot instantly recollect when I had hired one in the near past. So I was happy to see the driver with similar features.
The pressure to get inside the KPT before airport authority guy stops him made me jump into the co-passenger seat rather than the rear seat. This quickly helped me to get into a conversation with the Driver ‘Chacha’.
Driver Chacha was quick to comment ‘aaj hum dono ki kismat acha hai beta, mujhe airport se savaari mil gaya air tumhaara time bach gaya’.
Continue reading ” Once upon a time in Mumbai : A 1983 Mumbai Taxi Driver”
Uber has become one of the best transportation support system when you don’t want to drive your own car.
Whenever I travel alone in such taxi app cab then I try to get into a conversation with the driver. Normally I start of the discussion with what is the current incentive system they have in Uber / Ola ? Is the cab owned by the driver and if yes how much does he earn a month ? Depending upon the responsiveness of the driver I tend to divert the topic to understand Consumer Buying Behaviour. Since I work with an automobile company I always try to understand the basic points considered by him before buying this car. So my set of primary research questions include : Why he bought this particular brand of car ? What is the USP? Was he offered any special discount by the automobile dealer? Whether service support was kept in mind while finalising this brand ? etc.
So as usual, I took an Uber today afternoon, and got into a conversation with the driver. I started off with my regular set of questions and the driver was very happy to answer all my questions in length. The moment I finished my set of questioning then he told me that ‘those who say that Uber drivers are not earning don’t know the earning opportunity’.
Continue reading “Uber Talks : Driver gives you earning opportunity tips”
Everyone needs a break from their hectic lifestyle or mundane work.
The search for the perfect family destination ended up when we found out a superb beach resort near Chennai. This resort was cut off from all other resort properties and still had all the required facilities to enjoy our stay.
The location was around 40 kms away from Chennai en route to Mahabalipuram.
The drive from Chennai to Kadal Resort took almost one hour. Once we were out of Chennai city traffic the drive was smooth. Good roads and less traffic helped us to reach our destination well on time. The resort was overlooking the Beach.
The view itself is so scenic that you forget your busy life and your mind will relax instantly.
Continue reading “Unwind : Travel to a Beach destination with an awesome photographer”
The moment you think about Kerala, the first thing that comes to your mind is the scenic surrounding and the serene environment.
I was treated to nothing less than this during my trip to Kerala in the month of December 2016.
December is a good time to visit Kerala as the climate is pleasant at least during the morning and evening times while afternoons are slightly hot.
Kerala has got everything to offer from hill stations to beaches to wild life and the ever flowing backwaters. In addition to this when Kerala is your home town and you are heading to your ancestral house then you are surely in for a blissful holiday.
My ancestral house is now almost 90 years old.
Continue reading “Trip to the God’s Own Country – Kerala is always full of thrills and smiles”
PAC Talks 