An Accident...learning...and unlearning.

The public works department completed their contract on the pipes on the water works tender.

The stones and rocks left over were kept away on the roadside.
The iron bars were forgotten too.
The sand was not moved off the road properly.
The holes that were dug were left for others to fill.
The workers went back home.
The contractor went back home.
And the people who used the roads and paths started to use this damaged road with no complaints.

The old man walked carefully over the stones so as not to slip.
He walked onto the road to avoid the iron rods.
The scooter swerved to avoid him.
The car behind braked sharply.
The lorry behind the car braked and skidded.
The cars behind all braked.
The scooters behind all skidded.
The lorry went skidding over the pot holes and turned around.


The driver of the Mercedes was driving at a 100 km/ph.
He turned to look at the lovely lady at the bus stop.
He smiled.
She smiled.
He did not see the lorry skidding towards him.
They collided.

The Mercedes collided and skidded over to the scooter on the other side.
And instantly switched off the lives of a man, woman and a baby.
And injured four others.


WHEN WILL WE LEARN?




Sameer Ansar
CEO
www.qtlindia.com

Going to Kerala.

Its unfortunate to see travellers come to Kerala and follow a schedule and route to see places and return.

 There are three common ways they travel.
1. Land in Cochin, move to the hill station in Munnar, see the wild life in Thekkadi, the waterfalls in Vagamon, maybe visit Fort Cochin and return
2. Land at Trivandrum, visit Kovalam, Varkala, Ponmudi, drive down to Alleppey and return via Kumarakom to Trivandrum.
3. Land at Calicut, visit Wynad, Kannur/Bekal and return
This is not how you should experience Kerala.

Kerala, is really God's own country. It is a slow, peaceful, tranquil experience. To find a true holiday here you need to take a break from it all and erase your itinerary.

You need to drive on the inner roads(M.C Road) or take the sea side roads (from Alleppey via Arthungal to Cochin). Travel to places beyond Kuttikanam and find where the road ends and the silence is defeaning at Mundakayam.  Take a jeep drive across the hills where it takes an hour for a few miles and discover a top spot from where you see for miles and know that Kerala is indeed Green.

Discover idle countryside "chai" and "thattu" kadas with sizzling hot delicacies. Discover how a single newspaper stokes the knowledge of an entire village around a cup of chai or how a local issue is sorted over a bottle of toddy. Enjoy the pleasure of swimming in chilled, clear waters that flow down small hills.



To enjoy Kerala, drive away from the main roads, the towns and the traffic. Take a U turn, go down that small road that will take you to the most magical holiday.

THE ROADS

I am travelling in "God's own country".
But I am driving through the "Roadway to Hell".

 Its insane that we proudly say that we are a developing country and then serve up travel services that are way below the standards.

Its inhuman that we have all levels of checking and approval departments and yet sanction that these roads are safe for human beings.




Its a joke that we buy wheels costing lakhs and crores and glide them over the deepest potholes that can be created.

Its a pain to travel over 500 kilometres in these bumpy roads and traffic madness and wake up the next day with a smiling attitude.

Its a crime that we allow people to trash and conduct themselves like barbarians on our roads. And expect that our civic authorities will help solve this.

Its amazing we are all still alive.

Its sad that we do not have any idea of how to end this rot.

Its insulting that across the globe every country has a "Little India" where they allow us to be the barbarians we are and live in filth.

Why?

Sameer Ansar
CEO- Quintessence Technologies Ltd

sameer@qtlindia.com

A walk in the past

Amazing.

I am sitting in the car driving the wife and kids to my grandmothers ancestral place. I am smiling as I relive all the memories. The wife is telling the kids to have fun, but be on their best when they are let loose on the trees and the lake with their cousins. And the kids are thrilled as they plan dance and games.

I suddenly see a vision of me in the back seat as a 10 year old. My dad is driving, and my mother is advising us the same things. I am thrilled to be going on the vacation and seeing all of them.

Life is good. Not much change there.
Oh yes, maybe we need an ipod or two to set the music now.
And cannot exist without the internet and mobile signals.

But the fun...and the smiles...and the late night stories and gossip...is still very much the same.