I got back from a two-day trip to Tuticorin (via. Chennai) on the 26th. The verdant town has a cute little airport serviced by Kingfisher’s ATR aircrafts. The last time I flew in such an aircraft was in the U.S., from Dallas to Raleigh about 9 years ago if I remember right.

Tuticorin’s airport has no public transport facilities connecting it to the town (or anywhere). If you ever plan to go there, make sure you have your hotel or someone you know pick you up.

Some photographs made while tripping around England late last year.

Houses of Parliament, London

Houses of Parliament, London

Houses of Parliament, London

The Albert Memorial, London

The Victoria Memorial, London

St.James’ Park, London

At the Victoria Memorial, London

The Big Ben, London

Westminster Abbey, London

Downing Street, London

Soldier close to Downing Street, London

King Charles-I and Admiral Nelson at Trafalgar Square, London

Royal Albert Hall, London

Warwick Castle

Lord Curzon inside Warwick Castle

Edward VII inside Warwick Castle (his statue is present in Cubbon Park, near Minsk Square, Bangalore)

Inside Warwick Castle

Inside Warwick Castle

Inside Warwick Castle

Inside Warwick Castle

Inside Warwick Castle

View from Warwick Castle

View from Warwick Castle

Behind Warwick Castle

Behind Warwick Castle

Bridgewater Monument, Ashridge Estate

View from the Bridgewater Monument, Ashridge Estate

Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon

Inside Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon

Inside Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon

Inside Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon

Inside Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon

Bust of Rabindranath Tagore at Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon

The Avon River, with the Holy Trinity Church in the distance where Shakespeare’s buried

Botanic Gardens opposite Magdalen Bridge, Oxford

Christchurch Meadow, Oxford

Just back from a trip to Mathura via. Delhi. It’s so cold up there, you hardly feel like unwrapping from the huddle you get yourself into even to visit the restroom. And, Mathura really needs some vacuuming; the birth place of Lord Krishna is a virtual garbage dump – with filthy streets and every building an eyesore. But, the people up there are genuinely warm and welcoming. I find it fascinating to observe that these people, exposed to centuries of poverty, warfare and the wrath of the seasons are less excitable compared to those of the South, who have had a relatively easier time with those very enemies of peace.

Of course, I’ve heard of the notorious tempers of the residents of Delhi, but I’ve found the common man to be less sohisticated and more open than one from the the South.

Wishing you all a very happy new year. Let’s Make Something Happen in 2010.

Just back from a trip to Paravoor, near Aluwa, in Kerala. So, I had to spend New Year’s Eve alone on the Ernakulam – Bangalore express. :-)

“The main mistake made by pro-tourist planners is that they see tourism only in traditional economic terms as a new kind of industry (it is called the tourist industry) and they try to build tourist factories, called ‘resorts’ and ‘amusement parks’, through which people are run assembly-line fashion and stripped of their money. Some Caribbean resorts come close to imprisoning their visitors by making a trip to town almost impossible to arrange or even more prohibitively expensive than the inflated charges for services within the resort compound. This kind of tourism is exploitation on both sides: the tourist gets little for his money and the local people do not see the money that is generated.” –Dean MacCannell

“All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it’s impossible), but calculating risk and acting decisively. Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.” – Niccolo Machiavelli

“To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.” – Elbert Hubbard

“It ’s always the man who has tasted life who wants more of it.” -Arnold Bennett

Seth never ceases to amaze. He’s now collected a bunch of ideas that calls for thought and execution from over 70 people he considers “big thinkers”. And, he’s bundled them all into a free e-book and put it up for download. There’s already a buzz around the Net about this, and his blog post about the book has already been tweeted over a 1000 times. This guy really gets what the so-called “New Marketing” is all about.

But, apart from spreading word about the book, I doubt if it’s contents would bring about any remarkable change purely by the ideas contained within. Most of which are too broad to be actionable. People who are driven to change the status-quo do it because the cause they identify with runs under his or her emotional power shaped by life’s events – not simply by reading about great ideas from books. Unless the cause provides meaning and fulfillment, it would not be taken up.

So, the number of people who would be moved by the ideas contained in the e-book would be small – and chances are they would already be on the path towards creating change.

But, if such content causes some struggling soul to find a kindred spirit among the authors, that would be reason enough for its existence.

So, have fun reading it and please share.