TAFE CAFE

Spotlight

Winners of the TAFE Film Festival

Greetings!

We were spellbound with the movies from the TAFE teams at the Film Festival!

Judges were awestruck with the kind of creativity and innovation exhibited by these ‘amateur’ film makers.

It was a great evening amidst the presence of our senior management team, renowned directors, other film personalities, family members, friends and cute little kids! 

Thank you everyone for being with us through the entire evening and encouraging the teams!

Pictures of the winners to follow. Watch this space for more! 

 

 

More

A Tribute to Lal

The first time I met Mr. Lalvani was in early May 1989 when I was called for an interview at TAFE for a position in Exports. After initial enquiries about my background, he asked me to explain the Export process. As I launched into an earnest explanation of the nuances of Export functions, I could see him shifting uncomfortably in his chair..Finally he cut me short saying he has heard enough and candidly admitted that what I explained went over his head completely. He then said that he was hiring me only because his non-existent expertise in Exports. He also warned me that if anything went seriously wrong, he would come down really hard.

That was Lal……a man open to admit his shortcomings to a prospective recruit young enough to be his son.

In the event I joined TAFE in July 1989.I reported to Lal on the first day and after some initial introduction in his office, he personally conducted me to my seat. The furniture was neatly set with all writing material, phone etc. in place. I was quite flattered with all this attention, but later learnt this was standard procedure for all new entrants who reported to him. He personally took pains to ensure that work environment for all his staff met high corporate standards.

As days went by, I realized that Lal who bore an uncanny resemblance to Winston Churchill (complete with the pipe in his mouth) was a boss in a different mold. He had a fiery temper, but could also be very charming if he wanted to be. I soon grew accustomed to the fact that one could not walk into his office un announced whatever be the urgency, but had to take proper appointment with his secretary. He was a stickler for good written communication and thought nothing of correcting a draft at least ten times if he found the language not up to his standard. He was thorough while reading his mail and never missed a single word. Replies were drafted in close consultation with the staff concerned. He never held a meeting without giving due notices to participants and expected everyone to come well prepared for the meetings. He insisted that Minutes for every meeting be filed properly.

Once he asked me to resolve a long pending commission issue. Before I realized, he handed me some 20 thick files dating almost four years which contained the correspondence he had with the officials on the subject. With a lot of trepidation, I trawled through this mountain of papers for nearly 15 days and finally concluded that the vendor owed TAFE a princely sum of around 430 British Pounds. But Lal was not impressed….he wanted proof. I informed him he must set aside at least three hours to let me present my proof. So one afternoon, he went through my presentation for close to two hours and was convinced that my conclusions were right. He immediately sent a telex to the vendor with the proof I had presented and was rewarded with their concurrence a couple of days later. He walked into my office with the telex confirming they accepted the reconciled figures and personally thanked me. As things went, the vendor happened to visit TAFE a week later. Lal made it a point to introduce me to him specially mentioning that I was responsible for bringing the long running dispute to a close.

That was Lal…a man who never hesitated to pass on credit where it was due.

One relaxed afternoon in his office, I made a bold suggestion that he needs to cut down on his pipe smoking and do some exercise. Prompt came his rebuttal….he asked me to produce the doctor who gave such advice and he will prove him completely wrong. I had no answer to his statement that teetotalers took more sick leave than him……..I never saw him ill or sick during my tenure. His love for food and drink was so great that he often declared that he hoped to die on the dining table. Even after late evening meetings, long winding dinners, one would always see him at the office at 930am in full bloom, without any trace of previous evening excesses!

Lal had plenty of detractors too who could not bear his abrasive ways. But he always called a spade a spade and never worried about the consequences.

Sometime in 1991, I moved to factory and lost touch with Lal…although he made it a point to send me New Year Greetings without fail every year.

He left a good legacy in the form of strong systems in the departments he handled, whether it was Service, Training, J Farm or Advertising. All those who came in contact with him had something to remember about him.

May his soul rest in peace.

Lifestyle

Aralvaymozhi

Aralvaimozhi is my native place. This place is surrounded by a beautiful, scenic natural landscape. I can proudly say that my birthplace has a well known history and geographical background. It is basically a Panchayat town in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu.

Aralvaimozhi is located near the Muppandal wind farm. This farm is the largest in Asia and supplies the villagers with electricity for work. It is well known for being the greatest source of wind energy in Asia. These wind farms generates about 450 MW of electricity. Aralvaimozhi is also famous for a Catholic church located in the hill of Kattadimalai where Devasahayam Pillai was martyred.

Aralvaimozhi is one of the two passes through the Western Ghats which leads to the West and many of the invasions faced by the Chera and the successor kingdoms came via the ghat. The name “Aral” was derived as it had a fort built and maintained by the rulers of Venad and later by the kingdom of Travencore to defend the kingdom from invasions from Tamil area. The fort was captured by the English East India Company in 1809 from the soldiers loyal to Velu Thampi Dalawa. The remains of the fort can be seen near railway station; but is neglected by both railway and archeology departments.

The place is also famous for ‘Our Lady of Sorrows’ Church, which attracts thousands of devotees from far and near. The place is in the southernmost tip of India, in and around from Aralvaimozhi is Thovalai, Vattakottai and Suchindram.

To reach Aralvaimozhi, Trivandrum International Airport (90 km) is the nearest airport.

The Ananthapuri express (Chennai to Trivandrum) and other local trains stop at Aralvaymozhi Railway Station. The Nagercoil junction Railway Station is around 14 km from Aralvaimozhi.

Tirunelveli Junction is around 65 km from Aralvaimozhi.

Aralvaimozhi can be approached from Nagercoil, Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli by road.

It is definitely a place worth experiencing!

More

A Magical Treat at Sembium

The final meeting of the BE Audit on one side; Department meeting on the other. All of a sudden, a man appears out of thin air and claps his hand.

“CAN YOU SEE IT… ITS IN MY HAND… ITS IN MY POCKETS…. BUT WHAT IS IT?”……… MAGIC!

It was a sight hard to miss; everybody standing in astonishment some jaws open; some trying to figure out what was going on; some standing around, until the magician caught up with them.

Most were scared to be part of the trick… but also curious to be try something out. The magician entertained the employees and kept their weekend spirit soaring up into the sky!

It was a wonderful day with the amazing participation from all the employees in Sembiam!

Lifestyle

The Mysore Dasara Experience

Dasara is as big as ever in the heritage town of Mysore. The whole city unites with the spirit of the festival; buildings and main roads are beautifully decked up with lights, creating an atmosphere of colours and festivity.

Dasara is the main tourist attraction during the year, and the city hosts a variety of events, starting from exhibitions, fares, food and film festivals, to adventure sports, concerts and many more activities.

The Mysore Palace, which stands in all its glory, sees tourists pouring in, this time around. It is quite a breathtaking sight when it is illuminated at night. The highlight of course, is the Dasara procession that takes place on the tenth day of the festival, which is a very grand event, and is witnessed by a huge gathering.

The Government has also taken a lot of steps to support the festival of Dasara. Their online web portal serves as a very efficient information source for aspiring visitors. Police help-desks are set up at many parts of the city; and every building, starting from the smallest tea shop, is seen distributing sweets to people around, giving the festival a very warm, cordial feel.

We spoke to our dealers in Mysore, the Mysore Tractor Company, about how they celebrate Dasara in their office. During the festival time, the salesmen and mechanics unite and perform Ayudha Pooja to each tractor in their dealership, Apart from this, they also decorate the office on these days. Employees are given  half a day off on Ayudha Pooja and a holiday on Vijayadashmi. 

Overall, the Mysore Dasara is certainly a special occasion to witness and experience!