I now come here for computer hardware.

For starters, you can get the latest, latest configurations on assembled systems, at sensible prices. What’s more, your machine is up and running in 30 minutes or less – with all the peripherals that you could be looking for, in terms of printers, scanners, audio plugins and gizmos that might just get your computer to warm up your coffee.

I first noticed the trend to migrate into electronics in the seventies, when I went there to pick up those huge bulbous valves for my radio set. With the advent of the two-in-one and drastically priced “Dilli sets”, SP Road became a popular haunt for anybody looking for a good deal in electronics. But the shift to computer hardware was the biggest thing to happen here, largely enabled by the enterprise of second and third generation shop owners.

Another thing you can come here for is a great second-hand market for laptops* and systems, bought by the “kilo” by smart traders who pick up stuff from companies looking to upgrade on a large scale.

Believe me, this stretch is managed by young business gurus who could give you new business models on hardware retailing. And yes, they even give you bills with taxes deducted and prompt you to think legal on start-up software – which is also available.

Worth a dekko if you have the time.

A unique workshop, tailored exclusively for those who have always wanted to run a cafe, an eatery or a specialty restaurant. Moderated by Madhu Menon of Shiok, the workshop will cover all aspects of what it takes to be a budding gourmet entrepreneur. A never before opprtunity to minimize all your risks before you actually start out. The course covers everything from cost analysis to crafting profitable menus.

Dates: 21st and 22nd Feb
Time: 11 AM to 6 PM
Course Fee: Rs.4500
Venue: Shiok
Website: www.ireboot.in
To register, call 9663857828
Venue: Shiok Restaurant, Indiranagar/Koramangala

Contact Mukta Darera on 98862 95353

or email your details to

mukta.darera@ireboot.in

The workshop content will roughly be as follows:

Introduction:

a) 10 minute Q&A session to understand people’s motivations behind attending the session, questions they may have, their ideas of what owning/running a restaurant means

Day 1:

1) Why start a restaurant?
– Misconceptions and pitfalls
– Opportunities
2) Types of restaurants – differences
– Fast food
– Franchises
– Fine dining
– mid-range casual dining

3) How to come up with a restaurant concept
– Market analysis
– fixed costs and variable costs

4) Costs of various kinds of restaurants

5) Menu planning and food costing

6) Staffing
– What kind of people you need for various types of operations

7) Equipment requirements
– Kitchen
– Crockery and cutlery
– Glassware

8) Statutory licences and other paperwork
– Different government departments
– VAT, BBMP, PF, and other registrations

9) Putting it all together – project management guidelines
– Hiring consultants
– Hiring architects
– Planning various stages of the project
– Typical timelines involved

10) Q&A session

Day 2 will be an interactive session on a typical restaurant set up every day, how to handle common tasks like receiving customers, seating them, taking their order, placing order with kitchen, handling difficult customers, etc.

If you want more details, log on to

www.ireboot.in

More details at here

For details, visit

http://barcampbangalore.org/wiki/Main_Page

And if you want to know in detail what a Barcamp is, go to

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BarCamp

I have earlier been a little hesitant to join in, thinking that it would be full of tech stuff…but each time, I found more than enough to hold and kindle my interest! It’s a great atmosphere, and one can jump into whatever one finds strikes a chord (yes, there are also impromptu jam/music sessions!)

Be there….

88 Sankhla House,3rd Main,
Vyalikaval, Bangalore 560003

The exhibition-cum-sale will be on the 23rd and 24th August 2008, from 10.30am to 8pm

For further information, contact Indira Sankhla at

avighna88@gmail.com

or on 6567 0035/ 99809 22328

Their website is

www.avighnacollections.com

Here’s my previous posting about Avighna, when Indira started her store:

http://bangalore.metblogs.com/2007/09/20/avighnaa-new-store-for-you/

Avighna has completed nearly a year of existence now, and is growing from strength to strength, as Indira and her team work hard to bring the best of home decor to the discerning patron of arts and crafts!

The first visit to the office situated on Bannerghatta Road, I realized that the Labor office was anything but small. It was a huge building with many floors. Strangely the huge building had a reception area with a lady seated there. Of course it didn’t say it was the reception. Actually it didn’t say anything. But I approached the lady & told her of my business. The lady didn’t know the officer’s name for the designated area I wanted, she asked a guy standing nearby & he didn’t know either. Just then a group of men passed by and the question was put to them. One of them answered. I was guided to the 2^nd floor. Where on 2^nd floor I asked? ‘You ask someone there’ I was told.

The corridors were empty. The many doors that opened into huge halls were divided I guess on the basis of the various areas in Bangalore & Karnataka. Not finding anybody in the corridor to talk to I entered one such hall & approached a person at the desk. When I stated my business, he asked for my area & then guided me to a particular hall & a particular inspector.

Once again I imagined an old, very irritated person sitting at the desk who would look at you like you were from another planet, may be find something missing among the documents & order you to come back again. For some reason dealing with somebody from the administration is always thought of on these lines.  But it was not so. The person I met looked very officer like, had a nice clean & orderly desk. He took a good look at the application I had filled up & asked for the fees. How much I asked? Thousand two fifty he said. And went on to write a receipt for Rs 300. I was actually glad it was only that much & not more.

I had started to converse in Kannada but he spoke to me in English & good fluent English at that. When he handed me the certificate it was handwritten & it was in Kannada He said I should display the certificate in the office & then he went on to list all the other documents I had to maintain. And finally he said, ‘once a year you should visit this office & uhhh…..have a give take policy with this office’. I nodded an OK & asked him the renewal details & occasions when we had to update the office which very strangely he explained in much detail.

All of this took about fifteen minutes. Lucky or what?

While some prefer to buy new books, there are still many who prefer visiting the book lane ( avenue road) to these merchants / book sellers who encourage people to re-use and re-cycle ( circulate) the ‘used’ books for the needy, on a longer term this provides a great value not only to the user but the others as the cost of the books keeps coming down, a single copy is used by many thus is a noble cause for environment support too…

A wholesaler of local fries checkingout his cart customer early morning on his two wheeler, these cheap hot chips are munched along sipping the tea by local crowds …

Many of us look every day, at the calendar that is issued annually for the FOSS.in (Free and Open Source Software) event,
with Kalyan’s photographs. At the JLR office and JLR properties, too, one can find some of his photographs. His website is

www.kalyanvarma.net

By popular demand, he is conducting a photography workshop. Here’s the schedule:

Dates : May 10th and May 11th 2008 (Saturday and Sunday)
Location : Kormangala, Bangalore

A full-day classroom session on Day 1. A field outing on the morning
of Day 2 and classroom session for the rest of the day on the 2nd day.
Lunch is included on both the days.

For more details, here’s the link:

http://kalyanvarma.net/photography/workshop

Please contact

kalyan at rtns.org

to register for the workshop or if you need any more information.

Here are a couple of images of his: here

and

here

There you are. A kitchen-trolley retail point, with a sign that catches your eye and a presentable chap who explains product use in great detail. His sales pitch is pretty convincing and the bigger brands would learn a thing or two in terms of imparting product knowledge to salesmen.

In fact, his presentation has two modules. One for people who use toothpaste and another for those who use tooth powder. And look at the cost of bringing it to the market – all you need is one man, with a kitchen trolley and around 30 bottles of the magic potion. Hire 30 young men to comb the city and you’re done.

So, am I actually going to buy this thing and squirt it on my toothbrush? Looking at the sparkling smile the salesman gave me, this is one tough question to answer.

A close-up of the counter display

The leaflet that’s part of the sales kit