Saturday, 29 October 2011
A perfect gift for your loved ones...
Are you planning to gift anything to your girl friend or family members ?
Confused with lots of gift ideas ?
Here is a perfect gift that can be presented to your loved ones- A gift card.
What makes a gift card so special ?
Perhaps you might not be knowing what the receving person likes most ? Or what she/he needs to have ?
By presenting a gift card, you are fulfilling his/her wish.
Let me tell you what he/she can do with a gift card:
Book movies, Buy food and drinks, Shop online, Eat outs...
She may buy her favorite Teddy Bear or a favorite Music album... You just need to gift her a gift card..
So where can you avail gift card ?
Well, here is a nice choice for you- buy a gift card from Federal Bank.
Gift card is prepaid. You can load with any amount - ranging between Rs 500 to Rs 50,000 in multiples of Rs. 50.
Need more details ?
Visit this link: .: Federal Bank :.GiftCard
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Invest in gold and silver through E-Series
National Spot Exchange (NSEL),
an electronic spot market promoted by Financial Technologies India Ltd
(FTIL) and National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation of
India Limited (NAFED), has launched a unique investment product
in the form of demat gold. The segment, which is similar in functionality to the cash segment in
equities, offers commodities in the demat form in smaller denominations
(e.g. 1, 2 3.....gms). This is expected to be a big hit with the retail
investors, who have been waiting for an investment product in
commodities.
Opening a separate Demat and Trading account for trading in NSEL
First of all you will have to open a Demat and Trading account with one of the authorized participants with NSEL. This has to be a separate trading account from the one that you might be using for trading stocks.
There is a list of authorized depository participants (DPs), and you can open an account with any of these to start trading in NSEL. You can expect to pay an initial charge of about Rs. 350 or so for opening the Demat account depending on who you open this with, and then expect a slightly lower AMC (Annual Maintenance Charge) of about Rs. 250 or so every year on this account. Some DPs might offer you a scheme where if you give them a refundable deposit of Rs. 2,000 they will waive off the opening charges, and subsequent AMC, so you can check that up. To open an account, you will require documents such as PAN, 3 passport photographs, bank proof, and address proof.
Buying E-Gold, E-Silver, E-Copper, E-Zinc or E-Lead through NSEL
Once you have your account set up, you can then carry out transactions. You can buy gold, silver or copper, and one unit of the E-Series is equivalent in the following way:
1. E-Gold: 1 gram
2. E-Silver: 100 grams
3. E-Copper: 1 kilo
4. E-Zinc: 1 kilo
5. E-Lead: 1 kilo
The commission to transact is about 0.5% if you take the delivery, and 0.05% for intra – day trading.
You can trade the E-Series from 10:00 in the morning to 11:30 in the night on weekdays, and the settlement is done on a T+2 basis.
The price of the three contracts is visible on the website of NSEL, and once you buy a contract, it will be credited to your demat account after settlement.
Converting E-Gold, E-Silver or E-Copper in Physical Form
You can hold the E-Series products in Demat form, and you also have the option of converting it into physical form – this is known as rematerialization.
There are two key things to note here:
1. Rematerialization is currently not done in every city, so if you need this option, then check with the agent first.
2. VAT: When you rematerialize you will have to pay some rematerialization charges (which will be in the range of Rs. 200 for 10 grams gold), but the VAT might be a bigger amount based on how much electronic quantity you hold.
Currently, there are no holding charges, but you can expect to pay holding charges sometime in the future, if not immediately.
Opening a separate Demat and Trading account for trading in NSEL
First of all you will have to open a Demat and Trading account with one of the authorized participants with NSEL. This has to be a separate trading account from the one that you might be using for trading stocks.
There is a list of authorized depository participants (DPs), and you can open an account with any of these to start trading in NSEL. You can expect to pay an initial charge of about Rs. 350 or so for opening the Demat account depending on who you open this with, and then expect a slightly lower AMC (Annual Maintenance Charge) of about Rs. 250 or so every year on this account. Some DPs might offer you a scheme where if you give them a refundable deposit of Rs. 2,000 they will waive off the opening charges, and subsequent AMC, so you can check that up. To open an account, you will require documents such as PAN, 3 passport photographs, bank proof, and address proof.
Buying E-Gold, E-Silver, E-Copper, E-Zinc or E-Lead through NSEL
Once you have your account set up, you can then carry out transactions. You can buy gold, silver or copper, and one unit of the E-Series is equivalent in the following way:
1. E-Gold: 1 gram
2. E-Silver: 100 grams
3. E-Copper: 1 kilo
4. E-Zinc: 1 kilo
5. E-Lead: 1 kilo
The commission to transact is about 0.5% if you take the delivery, and 0.05% for intra – day trading.
You can trade the E-Series from 10:00 in the morning to 11:30 in the night on weekdays, and the settlement is done on a T+2 basis.
The price of the three contracts is visible on the website of NSEL, and once you buy a contract, it will be credited to your demat account after settlement.
Converting E-Gold, E-Silver or E-Copper in Physical Form
You can hold the E-Series products in Demat form, and you also have the option of converting it into physical form – this is known as rematerialization.
There are two key things to note here:
1. Rematerialization is currently not done in every city, so if you need this option, then check with the agent first.
2. VAT: When you rematerialize you will have to pay some rematerialization charges (which will be in the range of Rs. 200 for 10 grams gold), but the VAT might be a bigger amount based on how much electronic quantity you hold.
Currently, there are no holding charges, but you can expect to pay holding charges sometime in the future, if not immediately.
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Low floor bus timings in Kochi
As many of us know, Low floor Volvo buses have been a big hit in Kerala, especially in Cochin. The buses were launched under JnNURM(Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission) scheme which aims to imitate steps to bring about improvement in the existing service levels in a financially sustainable manner.
Although the fares have gone up, Mallus are happy to use these services. Because of its comfort, traveling in low floor buses is enjoyable too.
Recently I came across this page which lists the time schedules of low floor A/c buses from Ernakulam Depot, which will be useful for those who travel in Cochin. Here I am sharing the link:
http://www.keralartc.com/html/JnNURMTimeEkm.html
Although the fares have gone up, Mallus are happy to use these services. Because of its comfort, traveling in low floor buses is enjoyable too.
Recently I came across this page which lists the time schedules of low floor A/c buses from Ernakulam Depot, which will be useful for those who travel in Cochin. Here I am sharing the link:
http://www.keralartc.com/html/JnNURMTimeEkm.html
Saturday, 6 August 2011
A must-try restaurant for all foodies
Today I have got something to contribute about Eat Outs. Let me tell you about a good restaurant in Kalamassery. I am presently staying near this restaurant.. It is nothing but 'Bhojanalaya'. If you are coming from Cochin, you may need to drive towards Aluva. It is around 15 km away from Cochin.The restaurant is situated in the just near to Cochin University signal in Kalamassery, in the north east corner, by the road side of NH-47.
The restaurant is open in the evening time only - from 5 pm to 12 pm. The restaurant is run by a group of Tamilian guys, however it is not a typical 'Tamilian Brahmin Veg restaurant'. You can get veg as well as non veg food there- Indian, Chinese, Ceylon and Malaysian recipes.
I should say that the taste and quality of food is superb. A variety of dishes are available- Dosa, Chapathi, Parotta, Fried Rice. We may think that these dishes are common in restaurants. But here it is very special. Here you will get Crispy Ghee Roast, Soft Chapathis and yummy parottas. they are specialists in Parotta- they serve Ceylon Parotta, Malaysian Parotta and Kothu Parotta. I have tasted these dishes in other restaurants, but here it is delicious. And the non veg dishes like Chicken Chop Suey, Chilly Chicken will make the waves in our mouth. And vegetarians are not disappointed- The Tomato curry served here is one of the best I have ever tasted.
The restaurant is always house full during the time 8 PM - 10 PM. Because there are two major companies- Nest Solutions and Vodafone nearby and the people working there are visiting the restaurant. And the students from Cochin university also visit the restaurant. The waiters are very courteous and good-mannered. During the rush hours, you might have to wait 5-10 minutes for food. It is having an open space in the entrance and you can enjoy television too with fresh air.
So I think you should first visit this place and then comment about it.
The restaurant is open in the evening time only - from 5 pm to 12 pm. The restaurant is run by a group of Tamilian guys, however it is not a typical 'Tamilian Brahmin Veg restaurant'. You can get veg as well as non veg food there- Indian, Chinese, Ceylon and Malaysian recipes.
I should say that the taste and quality of food is superb. A variety of dishes are available- Dosa, Chapathi, Parotta, Fried Rice. We may think that these dishes are common in restaurants. But here it is very special. Here you will get Crispy Ghee Roast, Soft Chapathis and yummy parottas. they are specialists in Parotta- they serve Ceylon Parotta, Malaysian Parotta and Kothu Parotta. I have tasted these dishes in other restaurants, but here it is delicious. And the non veg dishes like Chicken Chop Suey, Chilly Chicken will make the waves in our mouth. And vegetarians are not disappointed- The Tomato curry served here is one of the best I have ever tasted.
The restaurant is always house full during the time 8 PM - 10 PM. Because there are two major companies- Nest Solutions and Vodafone nearby and the people working there are visiting the restaurant. And the students from Cochin university also visit the restaurant. The waiters are very courteous and good-mannered. During the rush hours, you might have to wait 5-10 minutes for food. It is having an open space in the entrance and you can enjoy television too with fresh air.
So I think you should first visit this place and then comment about it.
Friday, 5 August 2011
Where are we going ?
Today I met a person in a restaurant who was sitting in front of me. Meanwhile by looking at my ID card, the man guessed that I am working in bank and he started talking about banking and finance. First I didn't give much attention to his speech, but later when I discovered that he lost his money in stock market due to blind investment, I felt pity on him. He was simply repenting on investing in the stock.He started with a small sum, got a little bit of gains and started to play with it and now he is almost lost with it.
Then I thought about writing something about our present economy. The present economic conditions bespeaks the bad omens of near future. Indian stocks are also getting badly affected by the worldwide economic conditions. RBI has already increased the Repo and Reverse Repo rates in order to reduce the skyrocketing inflation. Heads of major banks in India, had requested RBI not to increase the rates further, but everything went to vain. Following the decision from RBI, all major banks have increased the interest rates on deposits and loans.
The quarterly financial results (for the quarter ended in June 2011) of many companies have been turned up in newpapers these days. Automobile sales is coming down. Last week, the annual sales volume report of automobile manufacturers revealed the same. Leading automobile manufacturers- Maruti, Hyundai and Tata Motors are much affected by the interest rate changes. Reason is simple: Interest rates go high. People stay away from vehicle loans. No loan means a big stop to the dreams of buying a car. The demand goes down. And the automobile manufacturer starts to suffer.
That is the case of automobile. And now take the case of housing loan. Housing loan belongs to Priority sector advances in Indian economy. Because food and shelter is inevitable for human beings and nobody should be deprived of getting these. But what if the price of building materials go high ? What if the housing loan interest rates go high ?
On the other hand, the food price index has started going down again. But are we getting the food items at a lower rate than before ? No. Because oil price in the international markets are going high again. In turn the goods transportation charges go high. So if any factor makes the price down, some other factor keeps the price up.
And in between, the typical Indian investor runs to make profits- invests in equities, invests in mutual funds, invests in gold...
So dear Indians, where are we now ? Are we going down or going up ?
As always, there are hot discussions happening among financial experts on economic stability- something which we lack now. People spend much time thinking about the best investment option.
In my opinion, it is always good for us to be in safer side of finance. And I would like to recommend two options- Either go for bank deposits or invest in gold. In the case of bank deposits, the interest rates are in pretty peak position and it is highly likely that the rates wont go higher than present.
Therefore, it makes sense to open a fixed deposit account for a longer tenure now so that you can take benefit of these high interest rates for a long time - even if the rates reduce in between. Try to open a fixed deposit account for 3-4 years so that you can lock into the high rates. For even higher rates, you can consider the "special" FDs offered by many banks, like a 390 or 1000 day FD.
Here are the interest rates for deposits offered by some of the banks. (Remember, senior citizens usually get 0.5% more than these rates)
As you know, bank deposits have advantages as well as disadvantages. The returns are low as compared to equities. But it is rather risk free and safe option for typical Indian citizen.
If you have still in hand to invest, and you are still bold to take some more risk, go and invest in Gold. In my opinion, you need not go and buy physical gold. Instead invest in any gold fund. Gold ETF's(Exchange Traded Funds) are a good choice. Gold price is going up as always. And do you know the wonderful rule of the present world- price of the gold is inversely or directly proportional to dollar !!. People have chosen gold as investment option for years.
Yet nothing is risk free. Now what is the risk ? If the gold price goes high, there will be corrections at International level. That means, gold price will come down.
So.. Think and Invest.
Then I thought about writing something about our present economy. The present economic conditions bespeaks the bad omens of near future. Indian stocks are also getting badly affected by the worldwide economic conditions. RBI has already increased the Repo and Reverse Repo rates in order to reduce the skyrocketing inflation. Heads of major banks in India, had requested RBI not to increase the rates further, but everything went to vain. Following the decision from RBI, all major banks have increased the interest rates on deposits and loans.
The quarterly financial results (for the quarter ended in June 2011) of many companies have been turned up in newpapers these days. Automobile sales is coming down. Last week, the annual sales volume report of automobile manufacturers revealed the same. Leading automobile manufacturers- Maruti, Hyundai and Tata Motors are much affected by the interest rate changes. Reason is simple: Interest rates go high. People stay away from vehicle loans. No loan means a big stop to the dreams of buying a car. The demand goes down. And the automobile manufacturer starts to suffer.
That is the case of automobile. And now take the case of housing loan. Housing loan belongs to Priority sector advances in Indian economy. Because food and shelter is inevitable for human beings and nobody should be deprived of getting these. But what if the price of building materials go high ? What if the housing loan interest rates go high ?
On the other hand, the food price index has started going down again. But are we getting the food items at a lower rate than before ? No. Because oil price in the international markets are going high again. In turn the goods transportation charges go high. So if any factor makes the price down, some other factor keeps the price up.
And in between, the typical Indian investor runs to make profits- invests in equities, invests in mutual funds, invests in gold...
So dear Indians, where are we now ? Are we going down or going up ?
As always, there are hot discussions happening among financial experts on economic stability- something which we lack now. People spend much time thinking about the best investment option.
In my opinion, it is always good for us to be in safer side of finance. And I would like to recommend two options- Either go for bank deposits or invest in gold. In the case of bank deposits, the interest rates are in pretty peak position and it is highly likely that the rates wont go higher than present.
Therefore, it makes sense to open a fixed deposit account for a longer tenure now so that you can take benefit of these high interest rates for a long time - even if the rates reduce in between. Try to open a fixed deposit account for 3-4 years so that you can lock into the high rates. For even higher rates, you can consider the "special" FDs offered by many banks, like a 390 or 1000 day FD.
Here are the interest rates for deposits offered by some of the banks. (Remember, senior citizens usually get 0.5% more than these rates)
| Bank Name | Interest rate | Duration |
| Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB) | 10.50% | 620 days |
| Federal Bank | 10.00% | 333 days |
| Oriental Bank Of Commerce (OBC) | 9.80% | 1-2 years |
| State Bank Of Patiala (SBP) | 9.75% | 555 days |
| State Bank Of Mysore (SBM) | 9.75% | 500 days |
| Kotak Mahindra Bank | 9.60% | 700 days |
| Punjab and Sind Bank (PSB) | 9.60% | 1000 days |
| State Bank Of Travancore (SBT) | 9.60% | 500 & 1000 days |
| Syndicate Bank | 9.55% | 1-2 years |
| State Bank Of Hyderabad (SBH) | 9.50% | 1000 days |
| ING Vysya Bank | 9.50% | 366-500 days |
| Corporation Bank (CorpBank) | 9.50% | 1-2 years |
| IDBI Bank | 9.50% | 500 days, 7-10 years |
| Canara Bank | 9.50% | 366-554 days |
| Jammu & Kashmir Bank (JK Bank) | 9.50% | 500 days |
| Bank Of India (BOI) | 9.50% | 1-2 years |
| IndusInd Bank | 9.50% | 400 days |
| State Bank Of Bikaner and Jaipur (SBBJ) | 9.50% | 3-5 years |
| Punjab National Bank (PNB) | 9.50% | 1111 days |
| Central Bank Of India | 9.40% | 555 days |
| Bank Of Baroda (BOB) | 9.35% | 444 das |
| Vijaya Bank | 9.35% | 2-3 years |
| YES Bank | 9.30% | 271 days, 956-960 days |
| Dena Bank | 9.25% | 2-3 years |
| Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) | 9.25% | 3-5 years |
| ICICI Bank | 9.25% | 590,790, 990 days |
| Axis Bank | 9.25% | 366-419 days |
| Indian Bank (IB) | 9.25% | 270-365 days |
| HDFC Bank | 9.25% | 744 days |
As you know, bank deposits have advantages as well as disadvantages. The returns are low as compared to equities. But it is rather risk free and safe option for typical Indian citizen.
If you have still in hand to invest, and you are still bold to take some more risk, go and invest in Gold. In my opinion, you need not go and buy physical gold. Instead invest in any gold fund. Gold ETF's(Exchange Traded Funds) are a good choice. Gold price is going up as always. And do you know the wonderful rule of the present world- price of the gold is inversely or directly proportional to dollar !!. People have chosen gold as investment option for years.
Yet nothing is risk free. Now what is the risk ? If the gold price goes high, there will be corrections at International level. That means, gold price will come down.
So.. Think and Invest.
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Kochi Metro Rail
Here comes the start of a new endeavor- Kochi Metro, the long cherished dream of all Kochites. Kochi Metro Rail (KMR) project is expected to solve the vexed traffic problems in Kerala’s commercial capital. Let me tell you something more about Metro railways. Metro Rail is a Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS). It is a convenient, fast, efficient, reliable, modern, user friendly, comfortable and affordable mode of urban transport. It is safe and eco-friendly. It is electric and requires only 1/5th energy per passenger km compared to road based transport systems. It brings about a more equitable allocation of road space by encouraging greater use of public transport and provides point to point connectivity.
The Kochi Metro is a proposed mass transit system for the South Indian city of Kochi. It was one of the first proposed in India but was delayed for a variety of reasons. It is now planned to be commissioned by 2011. The alignment was created by the DMRC and is planned to be made on a Public-Private Partnership basis. The nodal agency for the project is KINFRA. Kochi Metro Rail Corporation has been created specially for this project.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has proposed a route spanning 25.253 from Thripunithura to Alwaye.There will be 26 Stations and are the following:
The total estimated cost of the project is Rs. 4427 crores. And central and State equity expected in the cost.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has proposed a route spanning 25.253 from Thripunithura to Alwaye.There will be 26 Stations and are the following:
- Aluva
- Pulinchodu
- Company Pady
- Ambattkavu
- Muttom
- Appolo Typres
- Jacobite Church
- Kalamaserry
- Pathadi Palam
- Toll Junction
- Edapally Junction
- Edapally Station
- Palarivattom
- Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
- Kaloor
- Lissie
- Madhav Pharmacy
- Maharaja's College
- Ernakulam South
- GCDA
- Fathima Church
- Elamkulam
- Vytila
- Thaikoodam
- Punithura
- Petta
The total estimated cost of the project is Rs. 4427 crores. And central and State equity expected in the cost.
Thursday, 14 July 2011
Sheera- classic Konkani sweet
We, Gowd Saraswat Brahmins, occassinally conduct poojas and other rituals in our homes. A variation of Sheera called Sopadh (Savai) is also prepared during Sathyanarayana Poojas conducted in our homes. In my own experience, I found it as an easy-to-cook recipe which is much better than the sweets that we buy from Bakery. Because this is home made, free from any artificial flavors and unhealthy ingredients.
Let me come to the point. To prepare Sheera, you need Wheat Rava (Sooji Rava). Another major ingredients are milk and sugar. Please note that the measurement is very important in the case of Sheera. You need to take equal proportions of Sooji Rava and Milk.
What you need ?
1. Sooji Rava (Wheat Rava) - 1 cup
2. Milk - 1 cup (Some people take 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup water)
3. Ghee - 3 tablespoons
4. Raisins - 1 teaspoon
5. Cashewnuts - 1 teaspoon
6. Banana - 2 small ones cut into small pieces
7. Cardomom seeds 1/2 teaspoon
How to do ?
Heat ghee in a pan and add cashews and raisins, fry for sometime. Add wheat Sooji Rava and fry on low flame till the nice aroma comes out. Add milk and sugar and keep on stirring. Please note that you should use low flame only. Add banana pieces into it and stir well again. Cook well till the water is absorbed and the Sheera becomes thick and solid. Finally add cardamom powder and mix well.
And now Sheera is ready to serve !
Some people add saffrons and badams also n Sheera. Some others add lemon yellow food color too.
Monday, 11 July 2011
Salt N' Pepper Malayalam movie review
Well, let me start with a movie review. Last day I watched the malayalam movie Salt N' Pepper. The movie is directed by Ashiq Abu and casted by Lal, Shwetha Menon, Asif Ali, Mythili and many others. Salt N' Pepper is a simple movie with a simple theme, expressed in a simple way. I would like to call it as a domestic movie or a home movie. It just paints the pictures of our daily life. For those who expect an action-rich, dialogue-rich movie, salt and pepper is not the one. This is not an action thriller. The script is slow. the story takes place in an urban area- hence the life of humans in modern conditions are depicted beautifully. Human life and thoughts are carefully captured. The blend of Nostalgia and Romance is the taste maker of the movie.
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Shwetha Menon(acted a 'Maya') does her job wonderfully and Asif Ali (acted a "Manu") rocks !! Comedy is the one which lasts till the end of the film. Although there are no megastars or veteran comedians, the natural comedy flows throughout the film. And this film is definitely dedicated to all foodies. :-) The song 'Kanamullal' is one the best songs in 2011- good music and good sceneries. Presence of Shyju Khalid behind the camera has made the movie wonderful. There is no heavy action, there is no thrilling long dialogues, no multistars- but those soft romantic moments which cools the mind of evey youth and untold feelings of loved ones is the centre point of the movie- simple but lovely film. I would rate it 8.5 out of 10.
Shwetha Menon(acted a 'Maya') does her job wonderfully and Asif Ali (acted a "Manu") rocks !! Comedy is the one which lasts till the end of the film. Although there are no megastars or veteran comedians, the natural comedy flows throughout the film. And this film is definitely dedicated to all foodies. :-) The song 'Kanamullal' is one the best songs in 2011- good music and good sceneries. Presence of Shyju Khalid behind the camera has made the movie wonderful. There is no heavy action, there is no thrilling long dialogues, no multistars- but those soft romantic moments which cools the mind of evey youth and untold feelings of loved ones is the centre point of the movie- simple but lovely film. I would rate it 8.5 out of 10.
Back to blogging
Friends...
After a long break, I am again back to the world of blogging. With lot of thoughts, lot of ideas and lot of fun in mind, its the time to blog everything !!
After a long break, I am again back to the world of blogging. With lot of thoughts, lot of ideas and lot of fun in mind, its the time to blog everything !!
Sunday, 29 May 2011
About me
Dear friends,
I am Sooraj.
A post graduate in Computer Science and I am working as a banking service professional in Kochi.
And about my family- I am married to my wife Maya who is working in Kochi itself, and we both are staying together happily.
A post graduate in Computer Science and I am working as a banking service professional in Kochi.
And about my family- I am married to my wife Maya who is working in Kochi itself, and we both are staying together happily.
And the things that I like:
I love music. Music is passion and life for me.
I love chatting with my friends.
I love reading books.
I love making friends (Of course, friends are "unavoidable" for me) and I always been a good friend of everyone.
I am a foodie. I love eating food- has tasted food from different cultures.
I like kids. I love to spend my time with them.
And the things that I don't like:
I don't like the complexity of "casts and religions" of India.
I don't believe in politicians. (Because I am an Indian citizen- the typical 'aaam aadmi' who is getting fooled in each five year.)
And something more about me ?
My sun sign is Gemini.
My favorite food is Idly with Sambar and Chuttney, traditinal south indian food.
My best friend and the person behind my success is my mom.
My favorite author is Chetan Bhagat.
My favorite sportsman is Sachin (I love his attitude more than his achievements).
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