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By Kiran, February 27, 2009 1:18 am

If it was any easier to pronouce, I would be just drinking brandy. Gewürztraminer (ɡəˈvʏrtstraˈmi:nɚ) is a sweet, sensous and aromatic wine that has hints of roses, passion fruit and floral essences. I don’t remember exactly how I first tasted Gewurztraminer, but it was definitely by chance; it was one of the scores of wines that I randomly picked from my local grocery stores. That was three years ago, but even today, given a choice of whites, I almost unequivocally tend to gravitate towards a Gewurztraminer without much hesitation.

The higher than normal sugar content in this wine might make it enticing for many people, but for me its the perfect consonance that it brings with asian (and most indian foods). The name Gewurztraminer literally translates to “spiced traimer”, the “traimer” being a green-skinned grape with an apparently abnormal genome, which predominantly grows in the town of Tramin (Italy). And while the Gewurztraminer vine is prized for its wine, it is seldom despised for its viticultural difficulty; it buds early in Spring and is hence very susceptible to frost. Additionally, it has very weak defenses again vine infections, and because there are very few areas in Europe that can grow this variety, producers often try to over-produce and therefore end up diluting the wine.

But the real reason I fell in love with this wine, and I suspect most Indians would too, is because it pairs so beautifully with most spicy dishes including hotter variations of Indian curries. For a spicy food lover like me, there are very few whites that have the right balance of sweetness and acidity that a good Gewurztraminer provides; the closest white that comes to my mind would be a Sauvignon Blanc. Both Fetzer and Beringer make a cheap and light version of Gewurztraminer that is both affordable for regular consumption and not too overpowering on the palate. Gewurztraminer also makes an excellent dessert wine and goes well with most less-sugary cakes and chocolate offerings.

After discounting the Chardonnays and Merlots of the world, there are very few wines that most Indian people truly appreciate, mostly because the subtleties in the popular wines are too in many ways too difficult to appreciate. Although I have heard people complain that a full-bodied Gewurztraminer can be fairly overpowering, I would disagree and defer to my earlier opinion that is the only wine that pairs well with most Indian dishes.

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By Kiran, February 22, 2009 5:13 pm

I suppose there are scores of rave reviews for Slumdog Millionaire out there; so i figured it wouldnt hurt to do make the count into count+1 (spoken like a true geek).  Even though Bollywood is still the most profilic movie churning machine in the world, there are probably only a dozen or so truly unique and inspirational films that emerge from it each decade. I have to wonder how a nation of such diversity, rich heritage, and endless possibilities, continues to dwell on the rich girl-poor guy and the two guys-one girl-triangle stories month after month. Is it because love, especially forbidden love, is such a difficult subject in India that it exists only in our imaginations and in our movies.

Slumdog to me, was everything the papers said it would be – simply beautiful, spellbinding, and inspirational. But very rarely does a movie come along that actually gives you that shiver down the spine, that tintillating good feeling, and that sense of joy that one might only experience in a first love or first kiss. The cinematography and the screenplay are of course meant to provoke such emtions, but deep down Slumdog reinforces for us feeble-minded folk that the purpose of life is not just in the achievement of our heart’s desires, but to take in the full richness and enormity of the elements in the journeys we make. Though I would work hard for those material luxuries without a second thought, once in a while I wish I was the protagonist from Slumdog who got to live and experience life and its hardships in their full glory. Does being born as an average middle-class person simply justify the morosity and morbidity of our everyday life, and more importantly does having a wonderful childhood and never feeling amiss of anything make us boring, weaker and risk averse in life.

The underlying love story, the rags-to-riches rise of an underdog, and the happy ending go a long way to defining the success of the movie. If in an alternate universe, the same movie did not have a happy ending, would it have received the same acclaim and admiration its audiences – chances are it wouldn’t have. Over the last twenty years, of all the thousands of Indian movies I have watched, I can probably count on my fingers the ones that didn’t have a happy ending. I am not a sadist even in my worst of times and love happy endings myself, and believe that they play an important part in shaping our opinions about any art form. From the rising tempo of an orchestra to the suspenseful end of a paperback to the finding of the true love in a melodrama, they play an important part in how the human psyche assimilates and associates the theme of the art form into a lasting impression.

It is my understanding that our thoughts and consequently our behavior in this world are based more on the principles that are passed down to us and the barriers that society implies through its norms, and most of us live our life through a template built and shaped by those that came before us, a template that is defined by the perceived happiness of the people who surround us and the at-occasion artificial goals that seem be glorified by our families. However, Slumdog Millionaire shows us a different picture – that simple and mundane events of our daily lives actually define who we are, and such fleeting instances of our existance can either be relished in all their glory or simply ignored as another iota of time in the vast bucket of eternity. Before this review turns into a Deepak Chopra tome, I will pause and defer to the oscars that will be awarded tonight. If the academy has any sense of the impact a movie like this has on people, it would emboss Slumdog Millioire into its big prize, and allow me and a billion other yearning souls to rejoice  and appreciate both the intrinsic beauty of our simplistic lives and our wonderful heritage that is India.

Update (9 PM): Slumdog did win. I used to keep telling my friends at my workplace that “The Indians are Coming”, and I am happy that I can continue to make that assertion without a doubt in my mind. This is a proud day for my countrymen, the Oscars reflected both the admiration and the enthhusiasm for the Indian people, and while the show itself could have been a lot better, it was a good start. As always, I am inspired by the humility of AR Rehman and tip my hat to him; there are few people like you who can make such beautiful melodies that touch millions of  lives and yet be so grounded to their roots. Hence, I say unto you as I hath said before, “the Indians are coming”.

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By Kiran, February 19, 2009 8:26 pm

Today I had a chance to skim through the restructuring plans presented by GM and Chrysler to Congress (GM Plan, Chrysler Plan). GM’s situation is much alike Citi’s; both are too big to fail, both have a lot of toxic assets on their books, and both have a far reaching ripple effect on the global economy. What is different is how Obama is dealing with each situation; while the government is TARPing Citi’s assets, it is giving free cash to GM and Chrysler despite the expectation of an at-best diminutive return on its investment. I think a more simplistic and radical approach is the only way to save the GM goliath from falling off the cliff.

1. Fire the UAW - Over the years the UAW has outgrown its real purpose and has graduated into more of  a political party than a workers advocacy group. If Toyota, Honda, and even Walmart can successfully run their large organizations without a union, why cant the automakers? In 1981, when 13000 of the 17000 air traffic controllers striked, then President Reagan sternly said the striking employees would simply be terminated if they did not return to their jobs within 48 hours. The public sided with the government, and most of the air traffic controllers promptly returned to their jobs, except a few that kept standing in the picket lines. So I say, fire the UAW, its about time; I can guarantee that 90% of those employees will return as non-union employees given the economic situation. Nobel laureate Fredrick Hayek rightly said, “We have now reached a state where unions have become uniquely privileged institutions to which the general rules of law do not apply”. While I am not an anti-collectivist per se, I do believe there needs to be a boundary between good faith bargaining and unchecked strangleholding. Union workers across this country take home a 21% premium over their non-union counterparts and the goverment’s steady protectionism  has only bolstered such arrogance. If the United States is the greatest free-market economy in the world, there need to be limits to the powers of workers unions; why should a company that is on the brink of collapse be incessantly begging its union to negotiate pennywise paycuts.

2. Become a three-brand company – Hummer, Saturn, and Buick have far outlived their usefulness; for a company that is trying to stay afloat, this is not the time to attempt a rejuvenation of its niche brands. Toyota though technically has three brands, it is in all reality still a one-brand company. I am fairly confident that most people don’t even remotely associate Toyota with Lexus and Scion. This may be in part due to the company’s smart brand development over the years as well as the fair amount of differentiation within its three brands. On the other hand. Chevy, Buick and Pontiac offer almost no significant brand differentiation and instead cannibalize each others sales. With a portfolio made of Chevy, Cadillac and GMC (for its truck business), GM could actually offer some real differentiation and become more competitive. Most of the new Chevys are somewhat on par with the Japanese offerings, despite being slightly behind on their engineering. A more focussed campaign and an emotionally appealing marketing strategy that plays on people’s patriotism might actually put Chevy in the peer group of Toyota within two years.

3. Bailout the retirees and let the company run its course – Every GM vehicle carries a $2000 retiree tax which clearly becomes evident in the quality of the cars produced. In essence, an Avalon could actually have an extra $2000 worth of goodies in addition to better engineering and still sell for the same price as a full featured Impala. Between GM and Chrysler, the pension and retirement liabilities are a staggering $30 billion and that is not even counting the ridiculous benefits programs like the unemployment-differential coverage, etc that GM offers. I think Congress, in one sweeping populist act, should take these liabilities off the automakers and administer them through a Veterans’ Affairs like agency. Then, GM, Ford and Chrysler would have a level playing field with Toyota and Honda, and can actually prove their competence or lack thereof without the excuse of a “pre-existing condition”. If GM can resurge without being bogged down, then it will regain its prominence within ten years, if not, it should be allowed to go bankrupt. Free enterprise exists because firms are allowed to seal their own fates, if private institutions are allowed to constantly haemorrage and need continuous life support, they are not being true to their shareholders.

Every newspaper in the country has been running front-page stories about the impending collapse of the industry and the two million jobs that could disappear in the aftermath. But then, there is absolutely no way in which a significant turnaround could be achieved without massive layoffs. GM, in its plan to Congress, has stated that it would cut 47,000 people as part of its restructuring if it were to get the additional bailout loan. Chrysler on the other hand, desperately needs the strategic alliance with Fiat in order to refresh its lineup, plus there maybe a few lessons to be learned from Fiat about small cars. In another life, I had once studied a case om how the Nissan-Renault alliance made Nissan profitable within two years and Carlos Ghosn the poster child of the auto industry. While both Nissan and Renault are both reporting losses primarily due to the flogging economy, there were indeed several significant synergies realized in the alliance that helped Nissan streamline its lineup and revive its brandname.

The economic repurcussions of a GM failure could be catastrophic in all reality, and hence it is even more important to ensure its long-term survivability and accept the short-term consequences. Just as we are becoming aware of that baggage fee for every extra bag, GM also needs to start recognizing the price it has been paying for its baggage over the last ten years. Much like a patient that sometimes only wakes up from an electric jolt rather than constant CPR, the automakers need to send a jolt to their troops instead of another memo. If even one of the big three can start breathing again, the other two will follow suit.

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By Kiran, February 17, 2009 1:08 am

I believe I once read in a fortune cookie that…. “people are as old as they want to believe they are”.  I remember that as a child I once wanted to be a doctor, to save lives, to be the hero who rescued the day, the godfather-persona who everyone would owe a favor to. Those naive thoughts at some point disappeared, or rather just faded away from the overwhelming weight of the reality that surrounds us every minute, that embodies the hopes and dreams of our families, and manifests itself in the burdens that we are destined to bear. If reality is so cruel and unnerving, then why  do we enslave ourselves in this misery, why do we give up those aspirations for the sake of an extra dollar, and why do we act like we are content with the lives we lead.

A good friend reminded me of these beautiful lines from Spike Milligan today…..

I  have a sense of future
I feel naked in today
Let me hurry into tomorrow
It gives me promise of perhaps
Let me escape these cloying yesterdays
I sense a better perfume
Let me wash away these footprints
I don’t want people to know where I’ve been
I want them to guess where I am

The irony of this poem is that Spike only wrote when he was depressed. Makes me wonder if truth is embodied in prose only when a man is looking inside himself for an answer. I do want to believe in the inner child in each of us, that begs for the beautiful autumns and the ability to chase butterflies in an open field. But alas, we are now all grown up, and we know better than chasing butterflies. So what are grown ups to do – work eight hours a day, hope they make a difference, and feel like a functioning axle of the societal engine they live in. If that is the case, can we call ourselves successful, can we call ourselves integral parts of the world we once once wanted to change, and more importantly, can we call ourselves grown-ups?

I told somebody that I wanted to be Kal Penn when I grew up. Although I was being a smart-ass at the moment, there is a certain uncanny truth in my belief. Not that I believe Kal is the Buddha incarnate or he is the epitome of indian alpha males in the States; instead he is everything that is despised by the establishment here and the culture back home. I feel somewhat obliged to acknowledge it – the guy is witty, has a sense of purpose, makes a boatload of money, has an impact on younger people, and finally has an important voice in the indo-american community. So does that make him all grown up? You bet it does. I figure I am reaching that “hence proved” moment in this discourse, so I might as well make the assertion I wanted to. That being grown up is not about the age of the person, but the impact he has on the people around him. Our choices are limited by the paths we predestined ourselves to walk on, so do we really want do wash away our footprints as Milligan puts it, or do we really want to the be grown ups and be proud of the those experiences and impressions we left on the people we came across. If you have read this far, you are probably looking for the right answer; and I would have to give my apologies because I too, like everyone else, am still looking for that answer.

It will take time for us to grow up, life needs to take certain turns and endure some tribulations until we reach that moment of realization that we have suddenly grown up. I can’t say I have reached that point as yet, despite the fact that I try my best to brighten someone’s day every morning and embrace people as they are. That grown-up feeling still escapes us only because we choose not to embrace it, not because we cannot fulfill the impediments that seldom define the grown-up person. Maybe deep down we don’t want to grow up, after all who wouldn’t want to chase butterflies in that open field.

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By Kiran, February 16, 2009 12:57 am

People blog for three different reasons:

a. They want attention and they have interesting lives and thoughts they want others to know about

b. They want to make money from their blogs at some point, so they start blogging about one particular topic

c. They like to influence others through their opinions and insights, typically through political and opinion pieces

Don’t take me wrong, all the above reasons are very much valid and genuine; I have only the utmost respect for bloggers who take the time to codify their thoughts and feelings for the direct or indirect benefit of others. I have myself found countless answers, both for technology and personal questions and problems that I have encountered.

Well, here’s a fourth reason – to get over something , learn something new and start a new life. I realized today that I did not make a single entry in almost six months; its not that I didn’t have time or topics to dig into, its just that I was pretending to be preoccupied with something I wasn’t really preoccupied with. 80% of bloggers blog their heart out for 1 week and then disappear into oblivion because at some point it becomes a more of a chore than an enjoyable activity. In the first few days, we think we want to blog every thought, everything we do, every emotion we feel, but as the days become weeks, and with the knowledge that nobody is really reading their blogs, they simply give up and give into the more mundane things in life i.e. television and facebook.

So why will I blog every day or at least every other day (discounting weekends when I am probably on junkets) ? For two reasons:

a. I hope this will be an excuse to read/learn about something new every single day; in the last few months, I have been single-mindedly obsessed with my work and life’s trivialities, and lived pretty much inside a self-created cocoon. Though I used to be a news junkie, I am both bored and tired with the talking heads, and need something new everyday to reboot. I figure that the only way I can get out of the rut is to look at something fresh every single day and write a honest opinion about the subject in question. Do I really care if somebody reads this blog – honestly, I am indifferent. This goes back to my original assertion about most bloggers – they give up when they realize nobody cares about their thoughts. However, in my case, it is different in the sense that this blog is more of an excuse to get myself together than to present opinions to the world.

b. To develop new interests, hobbies, passions to fill my time. That is an easy one, like most people, I suddenly realize I have a lot more personal time than before. In fact, I have such a big void that sometimes I feel my head is bigger than Keith Olbermann’s. The void if left unattended, will weed itself dry until I collapse under the excessive pressure exerted by own head. My interests cover the entire gamut – art, music, technology, history, food and wine, humanities, sports and politics (in no particular order). Although I want to be a jack of all trades, I know very well that I could simply end up as the average joe joe-sixpack of every trade. Alas, there lies the irony, whats the point in trying when you are not trying to succeed in something. But, the irony in the question answers itself in a way – truth behold, the point of trying is not to succeed in it, but to enjoy  the experience of your valiant attempt. So we have to ask ourselves what is the worst case scenario – at least the feeble attempt is fodder for jokes at some future party.

To conclude this fairly wordy entry (I guess I could have just said “I will blog more often” and be done with it), I look forward to the possibilities and the opportunities that might present themselves in this endeavor. And to answer the question I posed earlier – the point of a blog is not necessarily to be heard and appreciated by the masses or make an impression on the unconvinced mind, but to have an outlet for personal thought and introspection regardless of the audience.