Ready to roll

So last night I packed my bags for the upcoming trip.  And while I was at it, I also packed the dear wife's bags too.  She leaves a few days after me to spend girl time with the daughter before I join them for New Year...

Chatting with a few friends at a holiday season party last weekend, the wife and I mentioned that we were on separate holidays for the next few weeks.  The lady we were chatting with looked at her partner and said, 'They are on separate holidays...maybe we should try that...'  Which then brought to my mind the concept of Optimum Spousal Exposure (OPS), an algorithm developed by a smart MBA friend of mine, a product of the Leading Institute of Management in Western India.  Several factors go into constructing this algorithm, one of the most important being the number of years a couple have been together.   The longer the couple have been together, OPS will be lower.  Exceptions may exist to this algorithm, however, extensive research has shown that proper application of the OPS factor has resulted in longer marriages.

So, in a few hours time I shall be taking off for Frankfurt.  Having been employed by German firms for a combined period exceeding fifteen years now,   Frankfurt has been my transit destination of choice, and, Lufthansa has the status of a national airline.  Flughafen Frankfurt is one of those perfectly functional places, the classic Teutonic no nonsense efficiency coming through every pore...  Once I did land up there on a day when there was a strike on.  Even the strike was conducted with remarkable efficiency.  Picket lines marching with clockwork precision and no unnecessary emotion and shouting as we would see in other parts of the world.

From Frankfurt another nine hours to Singara Chennai...

First order of business after joining the Musical Mylapore walk on Sunday morning is to have a haircut with a good scalp massage thrown in.  The scalp massage that comes gratis as part of a haircut in India.

Chennai is in the middle of the annual music season and I saw two days ago that it was Subramania Bharati's 131st birth anniversary.  Here is one of Bharatiyar's best love poems sung by the great GNB

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQKbjRwF8jM

Got to finish a few things at work, then strap on the electronic leash before heading out.  Sometimes wonder whether it is a leash or a security blanket.  Many moons ago, before electronic leashes came into existence, a boss of ours told us in grand style before heading out for a holiday, '...I will be on the beach for the next week...take your own decisions...don't phone...'  Well, we just did that.  When he came back he said, '...Why did nobody call to update me on what was happening ?'  Well. we just did what he asked us to do ... which is why I wonder whether the Blackberry (or the Android which is gaining in popularity in corporate circles) is a leash or a security blanket.