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Click photo above for full display. From a trek to Nagala Hills on Feb 13, 2010, with the Chennai Trekkers.

Jazz is home, too

So, last October I went to Viveks on Royapettah High Road to get myself one of those nifty audiotape/CD-to-mp3 converters. As I waited in line to get my card processed along with the hordes of Deepavali shoppers, I saw that Viveks was running a 'perfect home' slogan contest with a Honda Jazz hatchback as the first prize. The car, a model released in India in mid-2009, reminded me a lot of the mid-90-s Honda Civic hatchback that had been a significant part of my life during the good times in Austin and Portland, the memorable camping trips, and the many drives between Oregon and Washington. Deciding I had nothing to lose, I wrote a slogan and dropped it in the box before my card came back to me with the copy for my signature. And promptly forgot about it.

Fast forward to Jan 2010. I was in the middle of editing a monthly technical report in the office, when I got a call from Viveks cheerily congratulating me on being adjudged the winner after review of entries by a panel of advertising professionals, and giving me contact information of Capital Honda for follow up. It took me - ever the sceptic - several discussions with family members who knew the store and vouched for its credibility, before I accepted that this was a genuine offer and not a scam.

After a few weeks of deliberation (should I wait for a 2010 model in Habanero Red or take the readily available Sapphire Blue 2009 which was in stock?) and consultations with my cousins, friends, aunts and uncles - I finally decided to go with the 2009 blue. Today I was invited to a small gathering at Viveks where Mr. B.A. Kodandaraman, Chairman and Managing Director of Viveks, handed me the keys to the car.

All the folks at Viveks and Capital Honda turned out to be very cordial and professional: a pleasure to interact with.

Now, it's back to editing technical reports. The rounds of treats to colleagues at SAATHII and kith+kin will follow in due course.