Let’s face the book online! Let’s use it- the facebook!

Till the start of 2009, I was not a fan of social networking sites and somewhat loathed the idea lest of using it frequently. However, I have been a user of facebook since 2006, the time when it was only thrown open to people with US/UK university email addresses. Over the past 3 years, got linked to circa 150 friends, Was an infrequent user that time, but now I have started using it on a regular basis. Association with so many people is the first reason. Not only friends but family cousins, relatives too are amongst my friends list and the new privacy settings allows me to keep a better tab on what is public and what is private! I can classify my friends into various groups, like school friends, college friends, relatives etc. and choosing what picture or update to share with what group of friend.

Secondly, it's easy to access. Though 3G still few months away, the mobile version provides a good interface on my 3 year old N-70 (with non-upgradeable s/w, as I bought it locked) on GPRS connection.

I am not into applications and stuff, so I stick to status updates, posts on walls, photo tagging and sharing, family groups, event RSVPs, pokes etc. which either come to me through email as updates or under live feed when I open the website.

Thirdly, I like the fact that it's outlay is neat and precise especially when privacy and "who can contact you" matters, come into picture. Just like many, am not the sort who would want to spend hours on it, but whatever 20-30 minutes I spend, gets refreshed after seeing so many updates from your close friends/family members and does make you feel that you are not alone and all your friends and relatives are not far away.

Finally, it's a good sharing and storing platform for hundreds (if not thousands!!!) pictures one takes with their small but more than capable digi-cams these days.

In my view, it's not a bad idea to get connected and face people online! So folks who still try to resist this virtual world, all I say is at least try and use it in moderation.No harm :)

Delhi to Mumbai by train or Air? WHAT Employees can take note of it!

(Train window Del-Mum view)

Train Travel or Air Travel?

Planes are faster, trains are comfortably fast enough!

Few months ago, my friend Vishal in Delhi told me that he has to go to Mumbai and come back at night to be able to rejoin the office next day. Obviously, in some sense, he was excited that as a newly joined MBA trainee, he has been assigned for a responsible job and required to travel and come back. I asked him, if it was an emergency meeting where one has to dash in and dash out quickly to rejoin the office....his hesitant response was NO.


When he came back after his ONE day 2800 Kms round trip, he told me "You were right" !
I said about what? ( I try to be right in many things J )

"As a responsible citizen, as a responsible and company loving employee, cost conscious in times of cost cutting and giving a more enjoyable relaxing time to myself, I should have taken a 2nd class AC ticket of Rajdhani ! " he said.

Next time he went by Rajdhani Express which leaves Delhi at 5pm.

When he came back after his THREE day 2800 Kms round trip, he told me "You were correct " !
I said about what? (I try to be correct in many things J )

Here is a short comparison and explanation of WHAT?

What?	Train (Rajdhani)	Plane (XYZ)
Start Time	4:30 pm ( Can work half day in office)	Starts around 6 am ( have to start from home at (o4:30 am)
Transit Time	14 hours (good 9 hours sleep, 2 hours work on laptop, 3 hours on eating and enjoying the meals)	2 hours
Port /Station Distance from Delhi central ( same could be assumed at Mumbai)	Approx. 2 kms	Approx. 25 kms
Meals	Yes, they are exciting to have and good past time or change from routine	Not necessary…no frills , sometimes you don't even have an option of buying on board
Cost savings you can show you have done for the company	Rs 4000/- ( Rs 1900*2 +200 (max for station travelling+ collie, if any)	Minimum 7500/- ( 3500*2+ 200*2 for airport transit)
Relaxing coefficient (max 1)	0.8 (get to sleep, on a flat bed)	0.5 (long distance airport transits, sitting chair makes it extremely uncomfortable)
Feeling refreshed coefficient (max 1)	0.7 can resume work better after a good sleep and fresh	0.6, Feels tired at times after rapid rush of transits and quick 2 hour flight
Holidays	2 days literally you can take out …doing India Yatra	Immediately Back to work …feels monotonous
Reaching Time	11 ish in the night	Comfortably 8 ish in the morning