Beach diaries: An evening at Muzhappilangad

It was the last day of our 4th semester exams. For long we had been planning for a one day trip somewhere around Thalassery; and finally it was the day. We- the ‘Crab Girlz’, a group of 10 engineering students along with the aunt in our hostel & her children sets out in a taxi car, off to Muzhappilangad; the only drive-in beach in Kerala.

After a little driveway, our car brought a routine from the highway and set about passing through an unpaved road, winding through the palm orchards. The thunder of the sea was heard from a distance and I began to feel excited just like I invariably behave when I am in a beach.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the beach. It was rustic, beautiful and was absolutely virgin. Unlike other beaches, here there were no stone benches or lamps decorating the shore. Instead the shore is bordered by the majestic beach pines, giving it an exotic look. 

We couldn't further tie our feet by just watching the sea from a distance. We waded through the sea, splashing waters, went after the milky surfing waves, as if there is no tomorrow! The best thing is that the water pool is shallow, which makes us to swim without the fear of powerful tides. The guard might have fed up with us. Whenever we go little distance into the sea he starts blowing the whistle. Finally, upon getting a strict warning from him, we retreated and started to explore the shore.

Feeling the frothing Arabian Sea, tickling our feet, we walked from one end to the other. One end is bordered with pines whereas other end is lined with black rocks. In the eastern sea, there lies the Dharmadam islet, full of palm trees and creepers. It is possible to walk to the island during low tides. Not so far from the shore, on the black rocks, we could take in a statue of hammer, sickle and star; the symbol of the communist party of India. We could discover the discreet ripples murmuring the hymn of rebellion.

We sat down on the rocks enjoying the calm and enthralling ambiance of the sea. I believe this is the best place where you can unload your tensions as well as enjoy the happiness of beach driving. And then, the much awaited time arrived; the sunset! The cherry, beautiful sun bids goodbye to the sky, and slowly returned to his abode.

Darkness was spreading all over and it was time to depart. We got up reluctantly and walked out from the sea, leaving our footprints and memories there....
 

Distance between customer empathy & employee empathy

Empathy! This is one of the vague terms I was fairly certain what it mean, but haven't realized its importance until it caused a vast impact on me. So I decided to know in detail what's empathy and its importance in the business world.

You might recall former US President Bill Clinton's famous quote, "I feel your pain." It says all about empathy. Empathy is the capacity to recognize emotions that are being experienced by another sentient or fictional being.  It is the ability to put yourself in another's shoes and walk a mile.

It could be said that empathy in its purest form is the force that moves a business forward. For every organization, customer is king and for a business to experience success, they need to not just see or hear the activity around them, but also relate to the people they serve. Customer empathy(CE)- the ability to identify, understand, and respond appropriately to a customer's emotional state, before, during, and after the transaction is the key when it comes to delivering a great customer experience.

Organizations which focus on customer empathy, have strict quality check to ensure customer satisfaction. To ensure this, the employees are instructed to adopt a list of procedures while handling each customer. To an extent it's a sound excercise to ensure client satisfaction. But when it comes to a situation where employees are overloaded with customer issues, will it be possible to trace each and every statement in the checklist? Many companies, while trying to implement customer empathy, fail here. ie, they fail to notice their own employees sweat over machines,race towards deadlines or crunch data. Instead of firing the employees for violating their documented customer empathy rules, the top authority should have taken a moment to understand why this happened; then they should have realized that employees are also human beings and not some machines loaded with CE software and empathy checklist. It is here where the employers have to recognize the importance of employee empathy.

Employee empathy is critical skill for one, simple reason-trust. When an employer/leader shows that he/she is aware of the employees' feelings and appreciate those feelings, it builds trust. The employee has faith that the concerned authority will atleast hold their opinions into consideration. An employer can then employ this intellect of their touches to give the employees what they require to follow, further fortifying the relationship, increasing collaboration and improving productivity. Empathizing with the employees can inspire employee loyalty and dedication to the company and its goals.

Without empathy, a person might command people without regard to workers limitations or needs, and end up losing respect and cooperation from subordinates who regularly feel dismissed. Then the employees will always have their guards up. They will  feel like they have to look out for their own emotional interest. While with an empathetic leader, the employee knows that their feelings will never be simply overlooked or ignored.

This picture says all about the relation between customer empathy and employee empathy. It's not rocket science! It's so simple that the employers need to realize just two scenarios:

1. First and foremost they have to realize and accept the fact that customer empathy is directly proportional to employee empathy.

"Satisfied employees transfer their enthusiasm and commitment to customers. This in turn enhances customer satisfaction, driving additional business opportunities and revenue generation", says Karen Price, chief executive of E-Skills UK, the organization responsible for developing the UK's professional IT skills.

2. Customer empathy could be achieved only when the employees are allowed to be themselves and to use their own abilities & personalities, rather than trying to force-fit them into being carbon-copies of some ideal corporate 'branded' personality with 'QA  approved' behaviors.

Employers who fail to recognize these stand to lose out in the competition for a skilled workforce. Good workplaces are created through good attitude and thinking from management. Empathy for employees and consideration of work/life balance generates a particular company culture and finally leads to a successful organization in all aspects.

SHE!

It's March 8; International Women's Day. A day to celebrate the being of women and to appreciate the efforts, they made, during their lives.

Today, a friend of mine send me a beautiful Women's day poster with an inspirational quote. But what I liked the most in it is the image of a lady, painted in black. So I tried to draw it in my own way; a humble attempt to pay tribute to all the women of the world for they are the one whose presence is responsible for the world today and always.

1. Work did in paper

2. Edited by adding bokeh effect

Women have served all these centuries as looking glasses possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of a man at twice its natural size.

- Virginia Woolf

Land of 3 C's: Thalassery

Whenever I think of Thalassery, my core is filled with delight. It's not just because I spent my four years of hilarious college life here, quite simply because it's here where I lived being myself. Yet, for many, Thalassery remains as the city of bombs, and blood shed. I would like to dedicate this blog post for those people, who have not yet known Thalassery.

Thalassery! The land of 3 C's : Circus, Cake & Cricket. Thalassery is renown as the cradle of Indian circus. It was here where the first circus school was started by Keeleri Kunjikannan, the kalaripayattu maestro. 

The cricket stories of Thalassery are as old as Indian cricket. It was Lord Arthur Wellesly who introduced cricket to Thalassery, which later gained acceptance all over Kerala. Ranji trophy cricket matches are still held in Thalassery municipal cricket ground. 

And what about cakes? The old bakeries, still with those baking units tell us the sweet relation between Thalassery & cakes. Mambilli cakes, which once served the Britishers, have still not lost their predominance. Now keeping aside history, let's explore Thalassery.

Hangouts

 Thalassery Fort

Thalassery Fort is situated in the heart of Thalassery town, near the old bus stand. The fort was built by British East India Company to establish a stronghold on the Malabar Coast.

The square fort, with its monumental walls, secret tunnels to the sea and intricately carved huge doors, astonishes us with the dexterity of British engineers. Within the fortress there are underground caves, secret tunnels to the sea, covering places and cannons.

Secret passage

Luckily, I was capable to contract into one of those underground tunnels or cave (whatever it is).  From the ground level, Climbing down the steps, we will reach a plain hall like area which further leads deep inside the cave. However, the darkness inside will force you to stop exploring further. I wonder,how many soldiers might have gone through this way! May be even the Duke of Wellington too!!

Being a historic memorial, the fortress is now kept up very easily. For those who are interested in history, Thalassery fort is the best place to explore.

 Overbury's folly

The Overbury's folly is located on a hill near Thalassery municipal stadium. It was constructed as a picnic spot at the cliff and is named after its builder, E. N. Overbury, a Briton who was madly in love with Thalassery.

The folly is occupied by the civilians in the evening, where they could relax for a spell from the hectic life. Climbing up the steps of the social system that resembles the light house you could generate a fantastic panorama of the folly and of course of the sizzling Arabian sea. Feeling the cold sea breeze and listening only to the music of the tides, you would feel like drifting through the sky, like a feather. Further, the small cafeteria here can handle your stomach very well.

 St.John's Anglican Church

I always love the silence of the churches. Among all the churches I have visited, this small church happens to be my favorite one. For years, the church stood silently near the Arabian sea, abandoned by everyone. But, upon realization of the historical importance, the church was renovated and is now open to the believers & tourists. Painted in white, St.John's Anglican church is a beautiful Gothic structure with wooden doors & windows, stained glasses,exquisite chandeliers and clay-tiled floor.

Situated at the rearward face of the fortress, facing the Arabian sea, there is naught that could stop the heavy silence of the church.

Even the noise of children from nearby schools won't hinder your prayers. I could always sit for hours here, and feel my heart getting relaxed.

In the church compound itself, there are lots of tombstones, of the British officials,soldiers and their kins. Among those, rests a great man who loved Thalassery more than the natives; Sir Edward Brennen. For the betterment of the children in Thalassery, he initiated an English medium school, which subsequently got up into the present Brennen college.

 Sea view park(Centenary park)

In every place, located near the sea, obviously there would be a park. So is the case of Thalassery too.  Besides the folly, the sea view park is also a hangout frequented by local ccitizens in the eves. The shade of trees and the stone benches, lets you unload your tensions. Though the steel fences stand between you and the sea, you could enjoy the sweeping Arabian sea from a distance.

I have chosen only these four places, since they lie in the near vicinity of Thalassery town (<1km). However there are many more interesting places nearby Thalassery, which includes Muzhuppilangad drive in beach, Dharmadam islet etc.

Taste house

Thalassery is also famous for its cuisine. Lets check it out.

 Thalassery biriyani

Among the biriyani lovers Thalassery biriyani holds a prominent position which is quite different from other biriyani cuisines. Usually  biriyani is prepared elsewhere using Basmati Rice, while Thalassery biriyani uses a special rice called Kaima. Along with this, the special spicy recipe makes it one of the prestigious cuisine of Malabar.

For food lovers, I would like to recommend two hotels: Raravis & Paris, where they could enjoy the delicious Thalassery biriyani to its fullest.  

 Kallummakkaya

This is one of the most special dish of Thalassery. Variety of dishes are made with Asian Green Mussel, called as kallummakkaya in the local dialect. Among those, two dishes- Kallummakaya porichathu (Fried mussel) and  Arikkadukka (mussel fried in rice batter) are prominent.

 Though many bakeries provide these "kallummakaya's", the ones prepared in the local tea shops are of exceptional taste.

 Kozhikkal

Hey, don't get so excited by hearing the name. It's not the fried chicken leg! This is a veg dish, prepared using sliced tapioca and is similar to the French fries; except, kozhikkal is fried in a bunch.

Muttamala, pazham nirachatu (fried banana filled with grated coconut sugar or jaggery), unnakaya, kaayi pola, chatti pathiri and ari pathiri are other prominent cuisines.

I am fairly certain that a single day spent in Thalassery, will make you fall in love with her :)

~aThi@~

New Kid in School

Best dressed, be my guest

I'll take you to the top school nurse

You're not the first

And I won't tell you to stop

Burn leather

Let's come together

No time to educate

Hot shot

The parking lot

Before you graduate

So what's your name,

New kid in school?

Tell me something,

Do you feel lonely?

Come sit next to me

Tell me honey,

Do you feel lonely?

Come get closer to me

It ain't that bad

You know it really ain't that bad

You can't avoid it

Might as well enjoy it

'Cuz I do

While you're the new kid in school.

..::..New Kid In School, Donnas..::..

Peephole : This was unitary of my earlier attempts of pencil drawing, did in 2011.

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