Touch to order- The Desi way

I read this article about Touch based menu implemented in a restaurant in New York. The visitors are allowed to choose their favourite food along with their choice of wine.

You know what my brain would have thought at that moment  Yes… Bringing it to India  As always, implementing as it is will not be addressing our needs… So first plan is to desify it here in our blog space and next is to locate its implementation in Our India 

The major task is to make the touch surface hard enough to withstand the angry water boy and his water glass banging fury, our junior horlicks kids who always stay naughty, the angry couples who bang their fist on the table at any given point of argument… Ultimately the touch table should be water proof, paan proof, chai proof, posters proof and political party logo proof 

Next is language… Menus should be available in English, hindi and the native language of the place where it is implemented… Does this sound like a Tata sky package?  Never mind… Business matters 

Apart from the regular menu, we must have a button called “extra” … This is very important for us, as we always want something extra….“extra” sambar, “extra” papad ,“extra” plate (to feed the kid who’ll refuse to eat even from that extra plate)… So all these “extra”s will be met by clicking our “Extra” button 

When we order, we always end up customizing the dishes according to our needs… For eg. when we order a masala dosa, we narrate “The making of Masala Dosa” in such a way that can make the people sitting in the neighbouring tables assume that the world’s leading chef is beside them  Right from the quantity of oil, the way it should be roasted…every minor details is explained to the waiter who barely shows interest…. But at last, end up eating what is served… In order to avoid this confusion, we implement the “comments” near the chosen menu… We can add comments like Deep fried, less butter, no sugar etc… but definitely it is limited to 100 characters… we don’t want the entire history, geography, physics, chemistry and biology about the dish 

Wonder why did I leave mathematics in the above mentioned list?It needs special mention here… Yes rates… We are very very particular about it. As I have already mentioned, we are a crowd that loves discounts and offers. So we must have a special tab that offers“combo deals” ,  “festive offers”, “Buy 5 get 1 free” (Buy 5 full meals and get a buttermilk free  ) But shhhh… we won’t disclose this now… We’ll add a simple star at the top and say‘terms and conditions’ apply  In the checkout page, we will have to show some irresistible offers that can be combined with the order…

In the beverages section, we must include the options like one by two (1/2), two by three (2/3)… Of course…We are good at fractions and also our teachers have taught us Shaaarrrriiing   

Once the order is decided and the checkout button is clicked, a copy of the order along with the table number will reach the billing section. Another copy will reach the cook.

Errr… here is a problem… Our cooks are accustomed to get only oral dictation from the servers that too in a specific tone and modulation… So we’ll have to convert the order to audio format… On pressing the button, the order will be called out to the cook along with the table number. Until he presses the button, a red light will be flashing to indicate the pending order 

If implemented, the biggest advantage will be to not ask the frustrated waiter to repeat the menu in the sing-song way again and again in his 10000x speed 

PS: Sponsors for the project are welcome… At your own risk 

My Clicks

I wouldn't call myself a photographer... But you know, sometimes miracles do happen ;)
I was going through few albums and there were few clicks that caught my attention :)
All these were either clicked through my HTC wildfire S or NIKON coolpix.

Kanchipuram, Orikkai

Lalbagh, Bangalore

Mysore Bird sanctuary

Bhavani sagar dam

Tanjore

Chilli parota @ Madurai

Yummy Breakfast

That's all for now... The next set of pics will be delivered shortly ;)

My Days...

The memory is still so fresh in my mind… A little girl came and stood near me…. leaning on me… She was so small, so delicate… she stood there with her arm around me… I understood, it was her first day here and she held me for support. No sooner, a small boy came running towards us and offered her a chocolate. She hesitantly took it and the little boy took her to other kids… The little girl now became a part of that naughty gang.

Everytime I see her running around me, sitting near me after a tiring play, she also prefers to sit away from her gang…. near me… if she is angry with them about something…I have been a part of all their games… There were 4 tall naughty boys… They were taller, elder and much stronger than this little girl. They were bullying her and her little friend, when she showed no fear… they grabbed her favourite white stuff dog and threw it… They threw it in such a way it got struck high above… I tried my best to sway and throw it down… But these dirty branches! They made it tough…

Sigh! I saw tears building in that little eyes and I felt bad… very bad… guilty… I was helpless… I saw her come with a chair… She lifted the chair which was taller and heavier than her… I couldn’t stop smiling… She climbed the chair and slowly the parapet near… She lept to get hold of her toy… I wish I could hold her, I was scared she might trip… I bent as much as I could so that she could reach me… Finally, she did  Her smile made my day 

She grew up…. She used to wait for her van to pick her up… She used to keep her school bag and lunch bag near me… Maaan! Her school bag used to be so heavy… Don’t know how the little girl managed to carry it.

During autumn, when my fruits and leaves drop down, her friend and she have a game “PACHHAKS game” they call it… Funny kids  The one who squeezes most of the fruits with their feet is the winner… They love the way fruit burst out giving way to the seed when they stamp with their tiny feet. Shhh… secret… she still does this “PACHHAK” when nobody is around… Don’t tell her that I told you this 

There was a cyclone, she and her friend were amazed to see the way I was swaying… They have never seen me so restless… It was a terrible evening for me… The wind pushed and pulled me in all possible ways… I was hoping that I can stand strong… The little kids neared me… I somehow wanted to push them away as the wind was too strong… When they came closer, I saw a wire hanging free on the road from the lampost. The kids were so lost in seeing the way I swayed that they completely missed the wire…I wanted to shout out or pull the kids away… At that time, a lightening struck me, breaking my branch… I swayed and made the branch to fall on the wire. This made sparks to appear from the open ended wire which scared the kids away… Uffff! It was a scary night!

Days passed… Even when she lost her key or her door was locked, I never let her down… I was there always for her and kept her comfortable under my shade 

She grew up…I remained the same… Today I see her rush to her bus for her work in the morning and wait for her to return late in the evening…. She doesn’t have time to stand near me like before….But I don’t complain…To me, she is still the small little girl, who came and stood next to me, seeking my support, the first day 

Yours affectionately,

Neem tree near Aishu’s house