#phone tapping in goa

[granddreamerkingdom]

महाराष्ट्र में फोन टैपिंग मामले में संजय राउत ने कहा

महाराष्ट्र में फोन टैपिंग मामले में संजय राउत ने कहा

मुंबई : उत्तर प्रदेश और गोवा विधानसभा चुनाव के रिजल्ट 10 मार्च को आने हैं। विधानसभा चुनाव रिजल्ट से पहले शिवसेना प्रवक्ता संजय राउत का बड़ा बयान सामने आया है। संजय राउत ने कहा कि जिन राज्यों में चुनाव हो रहे हैं, वहां रिजल्ट आने से पहले बीजेपी विपक्षी नेताओं को फोन टैप करा रही है। उन्होंने कहा कि महाराष्ट्र में भी महा विकास अघाड़ी की सरकार बनने से पहले बीजेपी ने यही किया था।शिवसेना सांसद संजय…

[cheswirls]

it’s your extension (let me extend) 1/6

[ small preface: this is one giant 30k oneshot. its meant to be read as a oneshot, especially with the formatting. ive divided it up for sa week bc i think it fits all the themes collectively, but on day 7, ill post it all together as a oneshot. probably definitely on another platform, ill link it here, though. each piece is around 5k words, and i cant promise each one will fit the day’s themes exactly. collectively, all the themes are in here somewhere. it’s not gonna align perfectly. 

with that all out of the way, i hope you enjoy! ive been working on this for a little over a month, now. if you recognize the au it is, you won’t notice many changes, but i like how it came out anyway. if you don’t recognize it, get ready for a ride.

also thanks to @saboace-week​ for hosting ! ]

he reminds ace of his mother.

light, blond hair hanging just past his nape; piercing eyes that hold an array of emotions, none of them harsh; fair, fair skin, and if he squints he can envision a smattering of freckles dusted onto his cheeks, not unlike his own. he cards a hand through the hair; his eyes narrow. 

he can see her.

the scar catches him off-guard. it’s not noticeable until he parts the hair a little, but then there it is, stark as day, red ragged lines breaking up the pale skin. it’s not until he takes off the old sweatshirt functioning as a pajama top that he realizes the extent of the damage.

the red ran all down his left side. cutting into his shoulder, up his neck; circling around his ribs, and he turns to see it nearly to his spine on his back; down to his thighs, to his knees, just barely on the border of red on his calves; his arm is littered with white scars and red burn marks, and he finds himself growing curious. whatever it was from, it was Big. 

it was intentional.

ace blinks and the movement echoes in the mirror, blue eyes gazing back at him. and he blanches, finally waking, finally realizing no, this was not normal, this was actually happening he brings both pale hands up to his face, tries to hide his eyes. his breath stutters.

a shrill alarm sounds and he jumps, spinning around to find a discarded phone on the bed going off. he moves over to it and it reads koala on the id and he panics and taps ‘ignore’ and lets his heart calm down.

the alarm goes off again and he jumps again and picks up the phone, almost ready to turn it off, when he finds its an actual alarm going off. ‘you’re late at this point���, it reads. ‘good luck’, it reads. 

ace turns it off and takes a seat on the bed, head falling into his hands. stringy blond locks fall around him. 

what the fuck. this isn’t what he wished for. he wanted-

and he sits up, sudden, limbs jerking in protest. he climbs the rest of the way onto the bed, towards the small window in the corner, and pulls a blind open, peering out.

a view of goa greets him. traffic, towers, teems of people absolutely everywhere.

ace slowly closes the blind, turns around, and sinks back onto the bed. he takes a deep breath, in and out. 

“THIS ISN’T WHAT I MEANT!” he shouts from the top of his lungs. when he said he wanted to live in the city, to be in the city-

when he wished he were reincarnated as-

“am i dead?” he breathes. only the quiet answers him back.

-

sabo rolls over in his sleep, prying his eyes open. he breathes out in a huff, squinting as he realizes he can see through the slats of the door. what, did he fall asleep at his desk again? and then fall out of the chair? that seemed a bit impossible, so then why . .

he tips his head, and his cheek brushes fabric, and he hums, realizing there was something under him under the floor. 

before he can process that, the door slams open. sabo’s eyes widen as he’s met with little feet, and then he looks up, meeting the gaze of a scrawny kid.

“ace, get up already!” the kid snaps. “we already ate all of the food! if you’re not ready in ten minutes, i’m leaving you.”

he slams the door back into place, and sabo lies there, eyes blown and mind wide awake.

he’s so taken in by the kid’s words that for a second he finds himself scrambling up, counting down the seconds, remembering the time limit.

then he turns around and realizes he was asleep on a futon and he was in a wooden room and he trips on his way to look out the window before grasping the sill, raising his head above it, and his jaw drops as he’s met with a sprawling lake view, and of a whole community painted into the sides of a mountain. no, not a mountain, his mind helpfully supplies. the sides of a crater.

he blinks and his gaze zooms until he’s gazing at his own reflection, except it’s not him in the window. it’s a boy with tanned skin and long, black hair that fell just to his shoulders. they were broad, and he frowns, looking down as he runs a hand down the washboard chest, bare. damn. his eyes catch on a red band looped around his wrist, tied in a sloppy knot. he tugs and it comes loose, unraveling easily, and he hums as he spies a few other colors near the end.

“ace! let’s go!” a voice calls from somewhere deeper in the house, and sabo scrambles to his feet again, dropping the band on the ground. he swivels his head until he spots a uniform hanging from a closet door. it’s nondescript, so he hopes there’s only one school in this small town, else he go to the wrong one.

. . on second thought, with the kid leading him, maybe not.

he patters over to it, pausing once he grabs the hangers to look at his reflection in an actual mirror. oh. okay. so this was actually happening. he was in the body of someone named-

he stops. blinks. no. this had to be a dream, right?

he throws the white shirt over his head, tugging the collar down, and hums to himself in affirment as he works on the pants. right. this was a dream. had to be. 

he’s slipping on the jacket when the kid barges in again, comes over, grabs him by the back of the jacket, and begins to shove him out of the room. “now! come on! we gotta go!”

“o-okay,” he voices, marveling at the change in pitch to what he was used to. deeper, slightly. he spies the red band again and lunges for it, tumbling out of the kid’s hold for a moment. “wait,” he breathes, grasping it, and then the kid’s on him again, pushing him towards the door.

“ace!” he whines. “come on!”

“luffy!” a voice calls from somewhere below. they exit the room and sabo spies a figure near the bottom of a staircase. “you’re going to be late!”

“coming!” luffy yells, still pushing him as sabo struggles to get his bearings, still grasping at the change in scenery. he clutches the red band tightly.

-

ace stumbles from the room, marveling at the change in height. the guy had a few on him, that was for sure. he moves down the hall, passing the simple furnishings until he’s in the frame of the kitchen entry, nose twitching at the smell of stale food.

a woman looks up from her phone at the small table for two, eyeing him for a moment before humming and looking back down. after another moment, she removes herself from the chair, shuffling around some dishes. “what was that shouting about earlier?” she asks, gesturing for ace to take her seat. he does, sliding down and picking up the extra pair of chopsticks.

“uh, nothin’,” ace mutters, mouth already full of leftover food.

“right.” the woman rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling a moment later. “well, i’m out. there should be another train leaving in half an hour. you have until then to get ready.”

“‘kay,” ace mumbles, nodding as she waves and exits the room. a moment later, a door shuts from the end of the hall. ace finishes the food soon after and sighs, setting the chopsticks down. 

school, then. 

he wanders back into the bedroom and approaches the uniform hanging from the back of a chair. the first issue was getting there, which . .

he glances at the phone. koala would know, right?

but, as soon as he thinks it, he lets the thought go. 

he opts to take a picture of the crest stitched to the blazer instead, doing a reverse image search to determine which goa school it belonged to. a result pops up pretty handily, and he hums, putting it into a map. oh. so, it was pretty far. he glances to the window again.

after a moment, he searches the map for the nearest train station. not close either.

  . . . his gaze moves back to the window.

ace sighs, slumping where he stood. there was no way he was catching that next train. he’d be lucky if he made it there by noon.

why was city life so hard?

after he’s gotten dressed and grabbed a bag, he stuffs whatever he can think of down into it. phone charger. notebook. wallet. pencil. sketchbook? he blinks, eyeing it for a moment, then shoves it in as well. no harm, right?

he moves back across the apartment and pauses at the mouth of the kitchen, gaze fixed on the small dishes still set out on the table. sighing, he slides the backpack off his shoulder and steps forward. right. there was no gramps to clean them up, so he’d have to do it himself then.

he pauses again after locking the front door, keys halfway shoved into his pocket. he didn’t even know this guy’s name. well, it probably wouldn’t be long until he did, but hopefully it wouldn’t cause any problems.

catching the train is a rush. ace sits in a seat very close to the door, sighing as everything begins to move. while he waits, he takes out the phone again and looks through it, trying to find anything to help him out. he ends up tapping on a social media app, and when the screen loads, hums.

“sabo, huh?” he mutters under his breath. okay. he could work with that.

-

sabo doesn’t have to worry about luffy guiding him, because they run into some people he apparently should know.

“ace!”

the word is a single, concise syllable, spoken loud and with momentum, and, more importantly, from right behind him. sabo jumps, just about crawls out of his skin, and spins around to see a girl just about his height looking at him funny, lips pursed, and a hand poised to chop his head. he steps back more, glancing over at luffy, who huffs out a sigh.

“i’ll meet you at home,” he says, motioning to a fork in the path ahead. one slopes down, curving a little around the cliffside, and the other continues upward, towards the crest. “whatever’s going on, i hope you’re over it by then.” with another odd glance, luffy tightens his hold on his backpack straps and takes off down the path. sabo is left alone, and turns to watch as a boy approaches the girl, and therefore him, as well, pushing a bike at his side.

“nothing’s going on?” he mutters, even though that’s an obvious lie. whatever he’s doing, he’s doing it wrong.

“are you sure?” the girl says, crossing her arms. “because it looks like you couldn’t even be bothered to brush your hair this morning.”

sabo blinks, reaching up to tug on one of the black strands. he thought it’d been naturally unruly. guess not.

“whatever. let’s go already.” she turns and nods to the other boy, then grabs sabo by the arm and pulls him into a walk alongside them. her eyes turn down and she makes a little noise in the back of her throat. “you brought your ribbon and you’re not even using it?”

sabo glances down as well, spying his impulse grab hanging from his hand. he lifts it. “ribbon?” it didn’t look like it.

the girl shrugs, waving a hand. “might as well be. look, if you didn’t have time to do your hair, you can just say so. but we’re not even there yet. i have a mirror if you need it.”

she fumbles for her bag, searching through it, and then frowns. “nevermind. hey, kidd, you got one?”

“always,” he boasts, passing over a small pocket mirror with ease. sabo takes it, frowning. he looks down and attempts to pat the hair down, and then glances again to the band in his other hand. so, if it functioned like a ribbon . .

well. that made sense.

he hands the mirror back and holds the band in his teeth, using his hands to situate the long black hair. then he grabs the red with one hand and strings it around, until it held the hair in a loose knot. he glances over at the other two after finishing, waiting for approval. the girl shrugs after a moment. 

“good enough, i guess.”

sabo sighs out in relief, and then they’re in front of the school and kidd’s parking his bike and something chimes in the far distance. they grab for each of his arms and pull him through the front doors, moving quickly to a classroom. it’s not until they’re inside that he realizes another dilemma. people were still moving in, and there were open seats.

he reaches back to grab the girl’s arm, a small look of panic fixed on his face despite his best efforts. “where do i sit . . ?”

her eyes widen, and she stares at him. and stares. stares.

then, very calmly, she blinks and points to a desk near a window, almost in the corner of the room. sabo just nods, head down, and moves toward it.

-

ace moves down the hall slowly, still paging through a twitter feed on the phone. there were background shots of a classroom, and it had a high window, which meant the second floor. if only there was a glimpse of a number, then he’d really be set-

“sabo!” a shout echoes down the hall, making ace throw his head up. a redhead marches toward him, looking pissed, and he blanches, turning the phone off and trying to straighten out.

“uh, whatever i did, i can explain,” he says, because ace has always been about resolving conflict. then he mentally slaps himself, because that was the worst possible thing he could’ve said. he didn’t know the first thing about sabo, much less what he did to piss off the girl so much.

“you better!” she huffs, stabbing a finger into his chest. ace takes it with a wince. “ignoring my call like that! how dare you.”

so it was his fault, then. “i thought it was my alarm,” he says quickly. “it went off right after your call. sorry.” okay, so maybe not exactly true, but it would work. he eyes the girl in a new light. so this was koala.

she crosses her arms over her chest. “which one? had to be the ‘you’re late anyway, so hurry up’ one, right? how can you be here at noon?” she sighs. “it’s lunch, for god’s sake!”

“sorry,” ace says again.

her lips purse. “fine. i won’t press. c’mon, it’s stuffy in here, let’s eat outside.”

eat. his expression changes as he realizes. koala glances at him and rolls her eyes.

“you forgot lunch, didn’t you?”

he did, and he’s kinda hungry. he claps his hands together. “please share?”

“you’re lucky i like you,” koala mutters, jerking a door open.

koala insists he come to a cafe with her after school, and ace’s mouth waters at the thought. the closest they had out in fuusha was an old vending machine on top of the crest. inside, it’s crowded with people, but koala squeezes them into a two-seater and props up a menu, then begins rambling about the day. ace tunes her out, eyes widening as he glances at all the pictures. he wanted to try them all.

“that’s a lot of money,” koala comments, and he realizes he’d spoken aloud. ace looks up, then digs in his bag, looking into his wallet. he lets out a sigh.

“yeah, guess you’re right.” he hums, flipping the page and spotting a piece of cheesecake dripping with strawberry sauce. his mouth waters again. “then, i’ll just take this one.”

halfway through their meal, ace’s phone pings. he picks it up carelessly, smiling, too busy enjoying his cake. the text makes him reconsider.

koala pauses in her movements upon noticing his expression. “what’s wrong?”

“i’m late for work,” ace tells her.  apparently.

“oh, you had a shift?” she waves him off. “go, then. i don’t mind.”

“yea, thanks.” he stands, pocketing his phone, and stuffs the last of the cake into his mouth in a big bite. koala doesn’t comment.

he walks off a few paces, spins around on his heel, and comes back to tap koala on the shoulder. “uh, where do i work again?”

her brows raise to her hairline.

-

sabo wakes slowly.

he’s balanced on the edge of the bed, curled up like he doesn’t know there’s supposed to be a drop. it’s jarring, and as soon as his phone begins to vibrate, his body jerks and he’s on the floor, crashed in a heap with the comforter curled around his legs.

with a moderate groan, he reaches up and silences his phone.

the door opens a moment later, as he’s rubbing his head. red hair is his only giveaway before shanks is fully in the room, peering down at him. “whoa there, kid. took a tumble, huh?”

“i’m good,” sabo mumbles, sitting up. he blinks, screwing his eyes to cast the sleep away. “had the strangest dream.”

“let’s talk about it over breakfast, kay?” he jerks a thumb over his head. “makino has it ready.”

makino is already gone, too, apparently, because it’s just him and shanks at the table. it only sits two anyway, so it’s not often all three of them eat together. still.

sabo squints, picking up his chopsticks and trying to recall. “i was some kid living out in a mountain village for a day. had an annoying little brother and everything.”

shanks hums, swallowing his bite of food. “sounds boring.”

sabo snorts. “great, thanks for your input.” he pauses again. “it just . . felt so real.”

later, sabo will go back to his room and pick apart his backpack, confusion on his face for every random item he pulls out. he pauses at one point, hand wrapped loosely around the spine of his sketchbook. definitely didn’t remember taking that out of his room. what did he even draw, he thinks, flipping through to the last filled page-

he stops. his hand trembles. the forgotten page flips over, and the front half of the book hangs limp in the air. he stares at the page.

‘who are you?’ is written there, in big, blocky letters, scratched over and over by a worn pen.

-

“are you gonna play with your hair again?” luffy asks, entirely unimpressed, as he pulls open the door to ace’s room, looking to his elder brother warily. ace blinks the remaining sleep from his eyes, sits up fully.

“what?”

luffy huffs. “nevermind.” he begins to slide the door shut. “at least you’re up today.”

ace frowns at the comment, then immediately turns to look out the window. the sun was barely peeking out over the edge of the crest, as usual when he woke. he sighs and stumbles to his feet, electing to ignore luffy’s comment. 

breakfast with garp is a quiet affair. he eyes ace warily, but doesn’t say anything out of the ordinary, more of the usual. ace has to pull luffy away from the table, again, per usual. he sighs as he closes the front door, wrapping his scarf tighter around his neck. luffy grumbles at his side, wiping rice from the corner of his mouth.

he takes luffy halfway to school, then watches as he runs down the path with zoro and nami, sprinting in a race to see who can reach the grounds first. ace continues up the slope by himself, and doesn’t stop until he’s sliding his classroom door open, tugging his scarf a little looser in the heated environment. 

he’s sitting his bag down on his desk when the door slams open, and he turns calmly while a few others jump, entirely expecting this kind of entrance. lami pinpoints him immediately and stalks up to him, kidd not far behind. ace stands at attention, turning to face her-

and makes a noise of protest as she grabs his cheeks, pulling his face closer to hers for easier inspection. 

it’s a few tense moments of silence before he frowns, features distorted. “can i help you?” he says, words muffled by the pull of his lips. lami’s frown mirrors his own, and she releases him.

“are you back to normal?” she says, hands on her hips. ace only turns to look at kidd behind her, silently asking for help. the edhead steps up with a muffled snort.

“you were . . weird, yesterday,” he admits. “your hair was a mess, you were all spaced out, you couldn’t remember where you sat-”

“you got all of crocus’ questions right!” lami snaps. “his insanely hard, out-of-thin-air pop questions! you got them all right. answered like it wasn’t even a challenge. like you knew the ins and outs of the material already.” she crosses her arms. “you better not upstage us all again today.”

ace blanches. “what? you’re lying. that’s impossible.” and his hair . . ? he reaches up, fingering the braided cord that held the black locks in a high ponytail. 

lami shakes her head. “no, i’m serious. you were weird yesterday.” she echoes kidd’s words and the redhead nods, confirming. 

“well, whatever,” he grumbles, turning away, a bit put-out. “i’m fine now. okay? let’s just forget about it.”

the door opens, and in ambles crocus, old hips still in desperate need of replacement. he takes a stand behind the podium and pauses as he finds ace. “hm. portgas.”

ace lifts his chin, eyes narrowing. after a few tense moments, their teacher turns away, looking back down to his papers. everyone finds their seats after that. 

-

‘who are you?’ echoes over and over in sabo’s mind, as much as he can allow it. school is vicious today, the teachers going hard and not leaving anyone a moment’s rest. it’s not until everything is done for the day that sabo can break away, and that’s when koala approaches him, a wary look marring her gaze.

“what’s up with being late yesterday?” her eyes narrow as she comes to a full stop right in front of him. “y’know, if you were gonna show up halfway through the day, why’d you even come at all?”

“late?” sabo blinks. as he could recall, he was here a half hour early, like today, like always. 

“yeah.” she huffs. “you were late to work, too. listen, are you feeling better, at least?”

sabo’s hairs begin to stand. “yesterday,” he says, very slowly, “i didn’t have a shift.” 

“what?” koala’s eyes begin to ignite. “then you just ditched me? what the hell, sabo!”

“what are you on?” sabo snaps back, trying to make sense of it all. “we were together all afternoon. we split crepes! remember?”

koala’s mouth opens, but she remains silent. her brows scrunch, and the fire dies out. “that was monday,” she recalls. 

sabo shrugs, still off-put. “yeah?”

“sabo, it’s wednesday.”

he blinks. blinks again. “no-” he begins, but before he can finish, koala’s whipped her phone out and is showing him the date.

he stands very still. a shiver runs through his body.

“why . . can’t i remember?” 

-

lami and kidd wrangle him away for the afternoon, walking while the bite of the cold wasn’t too bad. unluckily for him, the path they take leads into a head-on collision with one of dragons’ rallies. ace can hear his speech before he sees the crowd, and then he’s hissing to himself in panic, ducking down behind kidd’s lanky form. the redhead scoffs, but doesn’t move.

“i guess it is election time,” lami notes, gaze wandering over. 

“wonder why he bothers,” kidd says. “he’s bound to get reelected anyway.”

ace frowns, eyes still facing the ground. he doesn’t want to hear dragon, or see him, but most importantly, he doesn’t want dragon to see him.

a pause in the speech reaches his ears. lami moves closer to the pair. “hey, heads up-” she begins to mutter.

“ace!” dragon calls, and he closes his eyes, jerking to a stop. slowly, his eyes move until he meets his father’s over the heads of the crowd. he doesn’t look very pleased. “straighten out already!” he calls.

ace forces out an exhale and moves out from behind kidd, standing taller. he turns his gaze back to the road and starts moving, quicker this time. he feels dragon’s eyes on him all the while, but what’s more, the eyes of the crowd as they turn to face him, as they turn to witness the town mayor mocking his eldest yet again-

“don’t let him bother you,” lami says, once they’re out of earshot. she turns to kidd, giving him a pointed look. “hey, let’s go to your mom’s shop?”

“diner,” kidd corrects. he frowns, knowing more than anything that it wasn’t a question. but, well, it was still too early for dad to be home. “sure,’ he sighs, giving in. immediately, ace perks up at the prospect of food.

“sacha!” lami calls, just as they burst through the doors. an older woman comes out from the back room, wiping her hands with a towel. her gaze brightens as it lands on the three.

“oh! come in, come in.” she puts her hands on her hips as they all pile into a table. “so, how was school?”

“horrible!” ace groans. “crocus kept asking me all these questions i couldn’t answer. and only me!”

from beside him, kidd snickers. lami pokes ace with her elbow. “it’s because you were a smartass yesterday.”

ace huffs, slumping to the tabletop. “sacha, they’re being mean to me!” he whines. “please, the only thing that can help is food! please feed me!”

sacha rolls her eyes at the act. “sure. whatever you say.” she winks to the other two, already turning towards the back. “i’ll bring some stuff right out.”

“thanks, mom!” kidd calls. lami echoes his words, and then they’re both turning to ace, who’s still slumped against the table.

“hey,” lami says suddenly. “fuck dragon. don’t think about it.”

ace hums, head still buried in his arms.

if only.

-

sabo has the dream again.

he sets upright, and everything is at a lower angle, and pieces of stiff, black hair fall in front of his eyes. he hums, thinks nothing of it. okay. so it was a do-over dream. maybe he could do better this time.

luffy opens his door with a short bang some time later, and pauses for a moment to eye him with trepidation. sabo cocks his head to face him, but otherwise continues bouncing his newly-acquired black locks. he couldn’t help it -he’d never had hair this long. 

“breakfast!” luffy snaps. he closes the door with the same amount of force he’d opened it with, and it hits the frame harshly. sabo’s hand drops from his hair, finally.

breakfast is, unfortunately, not a quiet affair. sabo has to fight over rice, fish, soup -everything, really- until it’s all properly dished out. a little radio in the corner of the room blares out about town hall news, and sabo cocks his head to it as he nibbles on some meat, swiping his chopsticks out to keep Luffy from his rice.

“also, in regards to the upcoming mayoral election-”

garp has already stood up by this point, and pulls the plug on the old machine before the announcer could continue. he comes back to the table in the newly quiet atmosphere, and luffy sets down elbows up on the glass top, sighing.

“you really should make up with him already,” he grumbles. “both of you,” he adds, turning that glare to sabo. sabo only blinks, not knowing the context of the words, and chooses to resume eating in quiet rather than respond.

“it’s an adult problem, kid,” garp grunts, setting down his empty bowl. “go on, now. get ready for school.”

luffy lets out a long-lastings sigh as he throws himself to his feet. “right,” he says, letting the word drag out, and drags himself from the room. sabo sets down his rice bowl after his last bite, nodding to garp.

“thanks for the food,” he mumbles, standing as well. garp grunts, but grabs for sabo before he can pass by completely. sabo pauses, looking over his shoulder.

“don’t forget, the ceremony is in a few days.”

that’s all he says, then he releases sabo. he doesn’t know the context, again, so he just nods and hurries up the stairs back to ace’s room.

the red band isn’t around his wrist this time, and it takes a bit of digging around, but he does find it in a spare drawer. he takes a brush through the thick locks, then binds it into a low ponytail at the base of his neck. if a knot wasn’t right last time, maybe this was. he uses the band in place of an elastic, pulling it tight, and nods once he’s satisfied.

luffy is waiting for him downstairs. he bounces on his feet, using both hands and a loud voice to say bye to their grandpa. sabo just nods, and garp nods back, letting them go. 

lami and kidd run into him before the pathway splits, and luffy looks on in indifference until lami has him on her shoulders, and then he’s squealing with delight or annoyance -sabo can’t tell. it only takes a moment for her to set him on the handlebars of kidd’s bike, and the redhead breaks out into a jog, balancing luffy, who does enjoy this one -evident by him throwing his arms over his head and shouting in joy. lami loops sabo’s arm through her own and they follow at their own pace. when the pathway splits, they help luffy down and he waves them off, continuing towards his own school.

sabo finds his seat by the window, but once class starts, he can’t focus. it’s all stuff he’s learned already, so he spends time instead jotting stuff down in a blank page of the notebook. ace’s family was two people. his brother, luffy, and his grandfather. there’s a third person him and ace share in conflict with. he has two close friends, lami and kidd. kidd is the son of a electrical contractor -the guy who controlled all power out here in the town. which, technically speaking, seemed to be out in the middle of nowhere. the high school sat over the ridge, and it was all sabo could see for miles around -that was, nothing but rolling hills. 

“portgas,” a voice says gruffly, enough to grate sabo’s ears, and he looks up to find the entire class staring at him. his brows furrow, until he meet the teacher’s gaze, locked on him. sabo swallows, setting down his pen. 

“yes?”

crocus lets out an overdue sigh. “nice of you to finally respond. define ‘twilight’ for me.”

sabo blinks, then stands in one clean motion, nodding. “it’s . . a time between night and day,” he finally settles on, unsure of what the man was looking for. he’d gotten all the questions right last time, but they only served to annoy him. and also bring on more questions. sabo wasn’t exactly sure how to respond here to get it right this time.

crocus grins, and sabo feels a little nervousness run about. “not quite what i was looking for.” he gestures with his hand, and sabo sits down, confusion growing.

“‘twilight’ is neither day nor night. it’s a time when the two become blurred. where all the funny stuff happens. afterlight, in other words. right before dusk.”

“what about half-light?” kidd pipes up, hand slightly raised. crocus allows the outburst, humming.

“that’s more local dialect, but, yes.”

sabo lets down his guard again, and goes back to doodling, scribbling notes in the columns. 

he finds the diary after school.

it’s a small pocketbook, easily overlooked. call sabo curious, though, for upturning the room. ace is organized, and his small script is neat. reading through the entries doesn’t help, though. sabo sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. guess he had to do this on his own. well, for a do-over dream, he thinks he did rather well. if it happened again, maybe he’d get to finish learning what he only discovered this time around.

he’s settling down on the futon when a stray thought comes to mind. the words ‘who are you?’ scribbled in his sketchbook hit him out of nowhere, and sabo stands on the thin matress, gaze falling to the desk in the corner.

after a moment, he walks over, feet carrying him and hand reaching out for a small marker. he hesitates for a moment, then presses the ink to his skin, writing his name carefully.

-

sabo jerks awake, head fuzzy. shanks opens his door at the same time, and the blond has a conniption, about doing a front-somersault off the mattress. he lands on the ground in a heap, groaning.

“relax, kid,” shanks says. “it’s just me.”

sabo’s leg twitches. he lies there for a moment, only vaguely thinking about going back to sleep.

“ . . you okay?”

his phone starts ringing and sabo forces himself up to silence it. “fine,” he mutters, waving shanks off. with a shrug, the redhead leaves, closing the door behind him.

sabo’s gaze is fixed to his arm, now that he’s stopped waving it. his brow furrows, and he grasps his right with his left hand, bringing it closer. he squints.

there’s writing scribbled onto the skin. ‘sabo?’ it reads. ‘who are you? what are you?’

it was a dream.

right?

makino frowns at him as he enters the kitchen. “don’t cause trouble today,” she says quietly. sabo blinks, eyes widening and heart racing.

“what? what did i do?” he stammers. she only looks at him again, sighs quietly, and exits the room. down the hall, the front door closes.

“what did i do?” sabo asks koala, who frowns upon spotting him in the hall before class was due to start. 

“you got home too late, is my guess,” she muses. “makino called me, y’know. wondering where you were.”

sabo blanches. “did i have a shift?”

“ i think so?” she squints. “you headed off in a hurry. saw something, i guess. are you okay?”

he waves her off. “fine, fine.”

she looks at him for another moment before shoving the door open. “right.”

sabo goes straight home before his shift at the restaurant. on impulse, he flips to the back spread of his sketchbook, where the last note was. his eyes widen.

“i can’t believe i got to stop a real-life goa robbery attempt last night,” he reads. “sorry, i may have gotten scuffed up?” sabo takes a step back, and the sketchbook falls from his hands. it’s loud when it hits the floor. “what the fuck?” he breathes.

he pads over to the mirror, but there’s no marks on his face. without any airs, he strips of his shirt, twisting this way and that. ah. there, on his left side, was a small patch of bruising. luckily for him, it was on his burns, where all the skin was nerve-dead. he couldn’t feel a thing.

suddenly feeling lightheaded, sabo falls to his knees. his right hand comes up to trace the bruising.

“oh, sabo!”

he turns on his heel, empty plates balanced in outstretched hands. robin walks over the last few steps. “yes?”

“thanks for the other night.” she nods. “and for making sure i got home safe. that was really nice of you.”

the pieces connect, rapid-fire, and he works hard to only nod back. “no problem,” he murmurs, then ducks quickly through the door to the back. so, robin was the one almost mugged. she must live pretty far, for him to take her and be back late enough to cause makino to worry.  . . . that would also explain the weird looks he received from his other co-workers when he arrived. 

sabo sighs, taking a moment to pull his arms on top of his head, open his airway. then he’s poked in the back with a ladle, and his eyes open back up. moment over. he turns to see thatch eyeing him, a lazy grin on his face.

“what’s got you worked up?” he asks. before sabo can even think about not replying to his cheshire grin, zeff is yelling for him from across the kitchen. he moves quickly, picking up dessert trays and swinging out of the room once more.

he gets a text from shanks that has him calling as soon as he’s clocked out, pressing his phone between his shoulder and chin. it takes one ring for the redhead to pick up. “yes?”

“sabo! come straight home today, okay?”

“yeah, got it.” he sighs. “sorry . . about yesterday.”

“nah, don’t worry about it.” shanks pauses, and sabo can picture him physically waving the words off. “i know you didn’t mean harm. still, makino’s a little worried, so do her this favor.”

“got it. see you soon.”

sabo pockets his phone and pulls out his metro card in place of it, stepping fully into the train station. his head is spinning. 

it was a dream, right?

-

ace finds the diary, and it makes him sad before it gives him answers.

so i don’t forget again.

he’s found three, similar, pressed into the back of a crammed bookshelf. all of them have the same title. he finds his fingertips pressing into the burn scar around his eye. was it to do with this? was it all part of the same thing?

the last entries of the diary confirm his worries. sabo wasn’t aware of what was going on. he was slowly realizing it, but slowly was bad for ace, who knew from the first event what was happening.

i’m not dead. we’re switching bodies.

he was switching bodies with sabo triste, a boy his age living out in goa with his two guardians, makino and shanks. ace goes to sleep, and wakes up as sabo; he’d spent more time as the blond this week than he had himself.

‘stop writing in my sketchbook!!!’ is written right under his script on the same page, and ace traces the words carefully. he takes a pen and writes, right underneath, ‘surely one page is okay.’

he hesitates, then he writes, out to the side - ‘it’s not a dream.’

it can’t be a dream anymore.

[prince0786]

✅ How SMS Marketing is helpful for Travels Agencies?

👉Travel agencies often use marketing channels for business promotion. This is quite strange but the Travel chain is the only business that gets more business from its existing clients. People who are aware of their service will come back or send someone else to avail of the service from the same agency. So, the moral of the story is when we are in the Travel Business then the most important thing is to keep the customers updated about upcoming offers or packages to our existing or past clients and simultaneously bring new clients on board.

✅ What Could be the Best way to Maintain both Kinds of Clients Together?

SMS marketing is the answer that you are looking for, where you can add new numbers and existing numbers together and give them updates. This would be preferable as everyone using the phone reads the SMS and there are more than 6 billion mobile users in the world. We can make better use of it by promoting our business in the right manner.

✅ Here are the Types of Texting SMS that Can be Sent from Travel Agencies:

🟢Maintaining Dignity with Regular Customers

Keep on sending an update to existing customers as this will maintain the loyalty that you have for them. Share new flash deals with them and let them know the rates of the packages.

Example:-

Hi [Add Name] It’s been a while since your last booking so we thought that you deserve this special offer. Tap to see:- http://www.abctours.com

🟢 Promotional SMS

Shoot a message of discounts and deals on the packages you have customized with the help of the Bulk SMS Service. All your new or existing customers will get your message in one shot.

Example:- Avail a 15% discount on our next trip to Goa with an exclusive staycation Click here to know more:- http://www.abctours.com/discounts

🟢Reminder Messages

People often forget to book the package because of their busy routines. So, you can send such numbers a follow-up message and get them the bookings on time. When in travel many times people forget out of enjoyment about their bookings and other visits and a travel agencies responsibility should not just end after booking the customer’s trip. Here, you can create an automated message template that will keep on updating the customers about their next plan of action and this can also be an additional service that you are providing out of just booking tickets.

Example: Hello Sourabh,

Hope you are enjoying the trip This is a reminder that you have a return train on 24-10-22 at 6:30 PM We wish you a very Happy Journey!

👉 There are many more ways that a Travel Agency can use to promote their business through Bulk SMS service.

👉 Feel free to Contact Us to know more about an SMS Marketing Campaign

[werindialive]

Three things make democracy and Pegasus has captured all three," says Mamata Banerjee

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked the opposition to unite and work against the BJP party as she said that the party is posing a threat to the democracy with the ‘surveillance state’ in the aftermath of the Pegasus scandal.

Mamata was addressing the people of the state on the Martyr Dat. This is her first address after the whooping victory in the elections through the online mode. Mamata made it very clear that she will go to Delhi on July 27 or 28 and would like to be the part of the opposition meeting if any takes place.

Her address was played on large screens in Delhi and other cities of India and many oppositions leaders listened to it carefully.

"Three things make democracy -- media, judiciary and the Election Commission -- and Pegasus has captured all three," said Ms. Banerjee. It is noteworthy that Mamata’s nephew and senior party leader Abhishek Banerjee was one of the targets for surveillance as reported by a senior news agency.

Ms. Banerjee went ahead and claimed that the Israeli military grade spyware is "dangerous" and "ferocious". "I cannot talk to you people. To Sharad Pawar, Delhi Chief Minister, Goa Chief Minister... I have put leucoplast on my (phone) camera. This government should also be plastered over," she said

Ms. Banerjee appealed to the Supreme Court and said, "Save the country, the democracy. Can't you take suo motu cognisance as all phones are tapped? Set up a panel to probe... Only judiciary can save country".

For more national news in Hindi, subscribe to our newsletter.

[santanuborgohain]

Oh-ffice!

Episode: 1

For Dikshit it had been quite a habit for  a while now. It was already half past three in the morning and the insomnia was still onto it’s play. He kept tossing around on the couch putting an effort to sleep but everything went in vain. After  twenty minutes of struggle he got up and sat clumsily stretching his legs on the coffee table. Unwittingly he turned on the TV, put it on mute and stormed off to the kitchen to brew a cup of coffee for him.

He switched to his favorite Pink Floyd  track and  sat back on the couch again in his living cum bedroom. There was no catching up to do other than checking Donald Trump’s latest tweets, innovative features on Tesla’s Model 3, random updates on last La Liga match and so on. The coffee was good. He sniffed the steam and sipped slowly while scrolling down his Twitter feed.

Eventually he ended up stumbling across Alankrita’s Instagram profile. She had already removed their pictures: the stunning sunsets, weekend-coffee dates, throwback images of their Goa trip with  ‘love you to the moon and back’ and other cheesy captions—all of them! He did not feel bad though. Indeed, he barely felt anything these days. By now, he had got an intense urge to have another cup of strong black coffee. But soon he resisted the urge realising he  had enough caffeine for the day. Another Sunday successfully wasted, he thought. Wait! Did he say Sunday? His mind started boggling for a while. Technically, it was Monday-morning and already five. Damn it! He turned off the TV, kept his phone aside and laid down on the couch expecting somehow to get at least, well, a nap. Deep down he did not want to go to the office for the day. But he knew he had to. Paying bills is the biggest motivation to work after all!

At nine in the morning he reluctantly took a lazy shower. Dropping the idea of having breakfast was pretty obvious as he was already running late. It took him another half an hour to get ready, book a cab and set off for the day asking the driver to pace up. His phone buzzed. He squinted on the screen with his groggy eyes and witnessed there were already two missed calls from Ayush but didn’t bother to call him back. He reached office on time and walked up to the elevator but soon got disappointed having spotted the board stating that it was under maintenance. He took the stairs and made his entire way to 4th floor. To make it worse, he ended up realizing that he was really having a bad day when the access card did not work. He tried for the third time. Access denied: it kept getting reflected.

“Can I help you?” said a voice behind his shoulder. He turned back and saw Kavya standing right behind him, possibly being a silent spectator, watching him struggling with the access card.

“Hey!” he greeted her with a prodigious smile. Dull moments are always history whenever he encounters her.  Even the most boring moment gets enliven with her mere presence. For a moment he forgot all his worries.

“Let me try.” she grabbed the card from him.

“It, uh, doesn’t work  sometimes.” he said  scratching his forehead, trying so hard not to sound irate. 

“That’s okay.” she casually observed both the faces of the card, “here we go.” then swiped the card and it did work at the very first go.

“Well, sometimes, it works as well.” he said apologetically. She said nothing but smirked and passed by through the corridor making a harmonic sound by tapping her stiletto heels against the floor. 

He walked up to his cubicle and pulled up his work station.  Your password has been expired. Please update your new password now. A pop up window appeared on the screen. Damn! 

“Hey Dik..Dik..Dikshit” Rabish stood up from his seat and leaned towards him, “bhai, round table conference”  he said in code words about the board meeting which they needed to attend in no time, followed by an HR session. Out of all his colleague Rabish seemed to be an absolute nuisance to him not only because he used to bring all the awry updates to one’s table but also his dreadful stammer made his not-so-filthy name sound like a dick and shit. “After you.” he made a gesture with his arm. Both of them proceeded towards the conference room.

Inside the conference room, he felt like dozing off on his chair watching the pie-chart on the projector screen. It was basically about appreciation for the last month’s turn over and discussion regarding the increments respectively. He wondered even Calculus was less boring, back in school, than one might think, if it’s compared with the first meeting of the session with David, his assistant manager. Nothing was interesting about him apart from the Black Jaguar F-Type which he drove. 

“Shout out to my most competent team.” David seemed to speak more like a motivational speaker in a leadership funnel. “Give yourself a big round or applause! All of you!” he announced and everyone around started clapping which woke Dikshit up from his siesta.

“Dikshit, are you okay?” asked David.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” he said as composed as he could sound.

“All right.” he nodded and continued. “So as we were saying— ”

The meeting went for another twenty minutes and once it was over he badly needed a cup of strong black coffee. He occupied back his seat and updated the password watching Kavya attentively working on her desktop. Her dark brown eyes were constantly staring on the screen without even a single blink and her lips were poised between a suppressive smile and silence. It occurred to him that time stood still, and the soul of the world surged within him. But then—

“Hi Dikshit!” Ananya flushed a wide smile standing next to him. She had recently rebonded her hair and was curious whether if Dikshit  noticed the change.

“Hey, what’s up?” he flashing his eyebrows.

“I’m good. How’s your weekend?”

“Not bad.” he briefed. She noticed the dark circle beneath his eyes but didn’t felt like bothering him asking if he had a good sleep last night.

“Listen..” she faltered. “I was wondering.. if, uh, we can go out for coffee this evening after work or..” she faltered again “..or may be  how about this weekend?”

“That’s really  a good idea…” he emphasized.

“Great!”

“But you know what, I gave it up completely you know. Really sorry.” he winched, pretending apologetic. 

“You gave up coffee, I mean, seriously?” her eyes flung open in disbelief. More or less, she quite knew his obsessive interest on coffee.

“Yes. That’s unfortunate,” he shrugged. “my doctor’s been warning me since ages and now he’s clearly instructed me to avoid it. Gents problem you know.” he knew how bad he was at cooking stories, but still he tried pondered whether if that made any sense. Her face dropped. 

“We can still go for Karim Chacha’s chai though. Shall we?” it was pretty obvious she would refuse to ‘tapri ka chai’ on a crowded footpath right next to their office. Offer them a worse option rather than clearly saying no, that’s what he learnt in his management lessons.

“Let’s see.” she said deadpanned and excused herself.

He quickly finished quarter of his work and whizzed off hunting for Ayush in a different bay. 

“Why aren’t you picking up my call, asshole?” Ayush saw him from a distance.

“Bhenchod, isn’t that you who’s pinching that naive girl over and again after me?” he probed.

“Who are you talking about, Ananya?” Ayush laughed out loud. “She likes you bro. It’s an open secret.”

“That’s not the answer to my question. Is it?”

“I was just trying to help you.” he giggled. “On top of that, you need to move on man.”

“Screw you man. Don’t talk like aunties now.” Nobody screws Ayush. Nobody dares to do so. He’s tech-savvy. A Google intern. If anyone messes with him, he messes with his firewall.  He used to live, eat, sleep and poo in dark web for most of his time.

“Look at those dark circles, again, aren’t you sleeping well again?” 

“No, it’s just—”

“Just what?”

“Nothing. Just leave it! I just need to have—”

“Sex?”

“No, not at the moment. Perhaps, a cigarette will do for me now.”

“Even I think so. C’mon.”

They went to the smoking zone on a short break. That’t what they usually do—exhale the frustration, inhaling a bit of hope and whole lot of courage in each drag of puff ever since they joined this IT firm after getting their H-1B VISA repeatedly rejected. Friends who smoke together, die together —it was quoted on the wall. Ayush told him about some jugaad he’s working on to shift to Toronto later this year and asked him if he was interested. Dikshit replied in negative dragging in a very long puff and left.

Prior to lunch break He had summed up almost half of his work. Kavya was still working as attentively as before. Her work ethic and the elegance was a loud resonance to each other. The moment he thought, she stood up and came towards him.

“Hey, what are you having for lunch today?” she asked. That was quite unusual.

“Huh? Um, actually I didn’t even have breakfast today.” He did not intend to say that but it came out spontaneously.

“Oh my god. Seriously?” she said she had brought some home-cooked delicacy and asked him have it with her.

“I’m starving already.” he said even though he was not hungry at all.

They walked up to the Cafeteria. He ordered one ice latte and one espresso for him from Costa coffee. She offered him a dish of Shahi paneer. It was not the food but mostly the company that exited him much. The coffee was ready and his token number was displayed on the monitor. He went to fetched the coffee settling the bill. The moment he rushed back to his seat, he rammed with someone and the cold coffee flushed out of the cup. “I’m so sorry.” he yelled.

“What the f—”. Ananya yelled back did not even knowing it was him. Half of the people inside the cafeteria turned around. Her white tank top was painted with froth and coffee.

“I’m extremely sorry.” He wished he could disappear.

“No, that’s…that’s—” she faltered with irritation and anger.

“I can clean it. Let me bring some tissue.”

“No, that’s fine.” she said even though it was not.

“I’m sorry, I can clean it wait.” he insisted.

“I said that’s fine. Just leave it!.”

“Well, actually I do have cold coffee only. That’s why I—” he said as awkwardly as shit not sure of knowing what should he do or say. 

“Whatever!” she said, clearly climbing the Mount Everest of irritation, and shoved off from the cafeteria. He wished he could undo the whole event. Rabish passed by towards the billing counter and saw him standing there. “What happened Dik…Dik…Shit, a..any problem?” he said. For the first he didn’t get annoyed by Rabish’s stutter for spoiling his not-so-filthy name, making it sound like a bin full of  trash. Indeed, he felt completely otherwise.

“Nothing.” he responded unmindfully, feeling like a dick and full of shit.

[enterdavao-blog]

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[mastcomm]

Doma Food and Drinks Opens in the East Village

Headliner

Doma Food and Drinks

Yu Li, who owns Tang Hotpot and the Tang on the Upper West Side, has turned the Tang in the East Village into this Korean bistro, where the chef Jackie Kim weaves traditional dishes like bibimbap and Korean fried chicken into an eclectic menu. More offbeat are kimchi arancini made with kimchi rice, ceviche in a Korean mustard vinaigrette, and bossam to wrap in steamed buns instead of lettuce. (Ms. Kim is from South Korea, and has lived in Spain, which accounts for some of the influences.) There’s also a late-night menu, served after 10 p.m., which features a platter of fried snacks with kimchi mayonnaise, and small seafood pancakes. The room, designed by Mr. Li’s partner, Minn Hur, who is also from South Korea, is done in pale tones with eye-catching pink velvet and strips of neon on the back wall. The kitchen is partly hidden by fluted glass and a window shade. A garden will open in the spring.

120 First Avenue (Seventh Street), 646-678-3092.

Opening

Paisley

After much delay and with a change of focus, this Indian restaurant is finally set to open. The chef was to be Eric McCarthy, who is from Goa and planned a menu reflecting his background, but he resigned last fall. Now, the owners have tapped Peter Beck, a veteran of many of New York’s best-known Indian restaurants, including Chola, Tamarind and Nirvana, to be the chef. The menu touches down all over India, and is served in a room that retains the wraparound bar from Dylan Prime, the previous tenant. (Opens Thursday)

429 Greenwich Street (Laight Street), 212-274-8003, paisleyrestaurantnyc.com.

Little Ways

This SoHo restaurant is from Eldridge Hospitality, which also owns the Flower Shop, a somewhat smaller spot on the Lower East Side. The chef and a partner, Michael Hamilton, who is from England and is also the chef at the Flower Shop, has assembled a contemporary all-day menu featuring deviled eggs, Spanish mackerel crudo, venison tartare, chicken schnitzel and a burger.

343 West Broadway (Grand Street), 212-991-8175, littlewaysnyc.com.

Mokyo

Kyungmin Hyun, a South Korean-born chef known as Kay, is following her Asian-style tapas restaurant, Thursday Kitchen, with this similar spot nearby. It offers a global array of small plates, like ceviche, lobster roll, beef tartare and duck fried rice. But, true to her roots, she seasons many of the dishes with Korean ingredients.

109 St. Marks Place (First Avenue), no phone, mokyony.com.

from WordPress https://mastcomm.com/doma-food-and-drinks-opens-in-the-east-village/

[prasanththampi]

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DR. PRASANTH BE BBA MBA PH.D. MOBILE / WHATSAPP: +91 9924764558 OR +91 9447965521 EMAIL: prasanththampi1975@gmail.com WEBSITE: www.casestudyandprojectreports.com

Note: Solve ANY THREE case studies.

CASE I

A CASE OF ALPHA TELENET LIMITED

Alpha Telecom Ltd., a part of Alpha Group was established in 1976 by its visionary Chairman and Managing Director, A. S. Verma. The company started with manufacturing of Electronic Push Button Telephones (EPBT) and Cordless phones in 1985 in Allahabad. On July 7, 1995 Alpha Tele-Ventures Limited was incorporated. A mobile service called 'Web-Tel' was launched in Kochin, which eventually expanded its operations in Andhra Pradesh in 1996.

Till 1994, fixed telephone services were provided by Department of Telecommunications (DoT) which had a monopoly in this business. This was regarded as self-defeating because DoT was a regulator as well as a competitor. With increasing pressure for privatisation, the government agreed to give license to private operators. Finally in December 1996, the bill of privatisation of fixed telephone services was passed. The New Telecom Policy (NTP) with its targets for improving tele-density was an ambitious policy. The NTP planned to achieve a tele-density (number of telephones per 100 people) of 7 by the year 2005 and 15 by the year 2010, which translated into 130 mn lines. The policy also planned an investment of Rs. 4000 billion by the year 2010. The above factors combined with the fact that the domestic long distance telephony was open to private players, led to considerable demand for the company's products. But to get the tenders from Ministry of Telecommunication, Government of India, a license fee was to be paid over a period of 15 years and the viability of telecom projects was also affected by the guidelines that required private operators to earmark at least 10% of their telephone lines for villages. The operating companies did not like the idea of having to pay for the maintenance of lines that might not be used most of the times. The license fee of Maharashtra state was minimum at Rs.643 crores. Thus, Alpha Telenet, a pioneer in every field wanted to avail this opportunity and started the survey for extending the services in Pune. Their marketing survey team provided the statistics of existing customers of DoT, the waiting list of DoT, potential of users for successive years and so on.

Alpha Telenet Ltd. (ATL) decided to start their fixed line telephone operations in technical collaboration with Telecom Italia at Pune in Maharashtra. Initially, they received permission for installing their exchanges covering 0.5 km. of radius which was too small with respect to the cost involved and thus difficult to achieve lucrative returns. After struggling for a year, they finally got permission to set up exchanges covering 1 km. of radius. They set up their exchanges in potential areas in the city. Another problem was that the consumer's mindset fixated was with DoT and they were not ready to accept the services of Alpha Telenet Ltd. This was due to opposite tariff rates for household consumers. Consumers did not rely on ATL as they were private players. ATL initially had attracted the customers from the areas where the waiting line for DoT connections was high. Further, they had provided the connections with wireless CDMA receivers for only Rs. 3000 (movable within the area of 5 km radius) though its actual cost was Rs.15,000. The connection between exchanges by optical fibre ensured high quality of voice and data transmission, which was later to be shifted to the conventional copper wires for consumer connections. The company made the connection using Ring Topology stay connected even in case of line disturbances.

They also installed a Submarine Optical Fibre Cable to Singapore with an 8.4 Tbps (terabits per second) capacity providing high-class worldwide connectivity. Alpha Telenet installed the latest Digital Switches from Tiemens and other devices, which were fully compatible with the equipment of other telecom providers in India. The company installed a digital Geographical Information System (GIS) for network surveillance. A 24-hr Internal Network Management System for technical support and infrastructure maintenance were also installed with a dedicated round-the-clock toll-free call centre to ensure prompt services.

In 1997, Alpha Telenet Ltd. obtained a license for providing fixed-line services in Maharashtra state circle and formed a joint venture with Behrin Telecom, Alpha BT, for providing VSAT services. On June 4, 1998 they started the first private fixed-line services launched in Pune in the Maharashtra circle and thereby ending fixed-:-line services monopoly of DoT (now TSNL). Alpha entered into a license agreement with DoT in 2002 to provide international long distance services in India and became the first private telecommunications service provider. The company also launched fixed line services in the states of Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Delhi.

With the start of basic telephony services in the .state of Maharashtra, residents of the area and others felt a great sense of breaking away from the old and traditional government monopoly. The kind of ill-treatment of customers and also the red-tapism and bureaucracy which prevailed earlier, was about to end. It was observed that no private telecom company wanted to start their operations in less profitable areas like Bihar and other eastern states .

. The tariff plans of the TSNL and Alpha Telenet Ltd. were opposite to each other. TSNLS tariff structure was upwards i.e., price per unit increase with number of calls and vice versa for Alpha Telenet. This was the beginning of the entry of private players in the sector.

Questions:

Give a critical analysis of the privatisation of telecom sector in India.?

Highlight the secrets of success of Alpha Telenet Ltd. in terms of technological advancements and service provided?

CASE II

GEARING· FOR GROWTH

Premier Differential Gears Pvt. Ltd. (PDGL) was formed in the year 1991 near Noida in the state of Uttar Pradesh (India). The company was established to cater to the ever­growing needs of the differential gear market for cars, jeeps, trucks, and tractors. It was established under the aegis of the parent company called Premier Gears Pvt. Ltd. which in turn was established in the year 1962 at Noida. The parent company was engaged in the manufacturing of automobile transmission gears. With a modest start in 1961, it had never looked back and by 2006, it became the largest manufacturer of automobile transmission gears in the country. The parent company had employee strength of 2,500 trained and dedicated employees and was producing a range of over 1,000 gears. Premier Gears Pvt. Ltd. was making gears for virtually every major brand of truck, car, jeep and tractor. In 2006, the group company comprised of three firms namely, Premier Gears Pvt. Ltd. (manufacturing Transmission gears, Gearbox assemblies, Laser marking machines, and Material handling equipments), Premier Differential Gears Pvt. Ltd. (manufacturing differential gears) and Elve Corporation (a government recognized export house).

PDGL was manufacturing a wide range of Crown Wheel and Pinions, Bevel Gears, Bevel Pinions, and Spider Kit Assemblies. The installed capacity was 20,000 sets per month. PDGLs focus on quality, fast product development and customer service had enabled it to become an OEM supplier to many car and tractor companies in India, the EU, and Asia. Almost 75% of the total production was exported to a number of countries like Germany, Russia, USA, China, Japan, South Mrica, etc. The domestic OEM and replacement market accounted for the remaining 25% of the company's sales and in a short span of time, the company had become one of the major players in the Indian replacement market. The use of latest technology and comprehensive quality control systems at PDGL go a long way to ensure that customers get exactly what they want.

PDGL was using world class Gleason machines in its manufacturing programme. The raw material for manufacturing gears was in the form of forgings, which were procured from various parts of the country for manufacturing crown wheels and pinions. These forgings were subjected to turning followed by drilling. The drilled crowns and pinions were taken for tapping, which were then rimmed. After this, the teeth cutting procedure was applied which was called broaching. The broached units were then heat-treated. Heat treatment was very critical in producing gears having short tolerance levels. To meet this end, the company had two rotary furnaces and one state-of-the-art Continuous Gas Carburizing Furnace (CGCF) from Aichelin ALD of Austria to heat-treat its products. After the heat treatment, a number of intermediate processes like short blasting, phosphating, lapping were performed which resulted into the finished product, ready for putting company marks to avoid imitation/forgery. The company had developed a state-of-the-art 70-watt ND­YAG laser-marking machine in collaboration with Quantum Laser (UK), which was used for marking on its produces. Laser marking was environment-friendly and was applied without any force or contact and thus the material was not subjected to any stress. The marked products were" manually pushed onto a conveyer for packing and dispatching. All the above have enabled the company to meet international standards and to produce world­class gears with the highest performance standards.

The upstream portion of the supply chain at PDGL included a number of forgers located at "geographically dispersed locations in various parts of the country. These forgers were supplying the forgings to PDGL, which were then used in manufacturing the differential gears. All of the raw material was routed to the POGL works through road transport and"" due to large distances, transportation costs were a major issue in increasing the efficiency of this upstream portion of the supply chain. The forgings were supplied according to the drawings and dimensions set by design engineers at the company. The company indeed tried some local suppliers to cope up with the increasing transportation costs but the results on quality front wet satisfactory. To serve this end, the company was planning to develop some local suppliers. It had planned to provide them support in the areas of procuring good material for producing forgings, procuring good quality machines and" training their workforce in the required technical know-how. This was considered as an investment by the company to reduce its inbound transportation costs. To meet the small lot requirements of the forgings, the company was also contemplating to share the truckloads with the parent company. This was feasible because of the geographical proximity of the parent company, which was situated at a distance of less than 15 kms, the similar nature of raw material and same suppliers supplying to both the units.

The internal supply chain at PDGL comprised of various processing stations/lines" through which the forgings were transformed into finished differential gears. The movement of the work-in-progress between various stations was semi-automatic in which the workers manually placed the goods on trolleys/carts. Even the finished units were manually placed on a conveyer; which needed to be pushed to send the units to the packing section. There was a risk of units being damaged in this process. To minimize this risk, the company was planning to have automatic systems for moving the material from one place to another. It was decided to have hydraulic lifts, cranes, electronic escalators and the likes for progression of material from forging to packing. The packing material was stored on first floor as and when it arrived, with the help of casual laborers, which was inefficient and also involved a: risk of some· casualty.

The downstream portion of the supply chain at PDGL included around 10 distributors located evenly in various parts of the country. These distributors were supplying the products of PDGL to number of car, truck, jeep and tractor manufacturers. This portion of the supply chain also included a large replacement market, which accounted for almost half of the company's domestic sales. To meet its distribution needs the company had a panel of transporters, who used to distribute the finished goods. At times, the consignments scheduled for distributors were delayed because of lack of full truckload. One possible solution to this problem was sharing of truckload with the parent company. This was feasible because both the companies shared the same distribution network. The distribution of export consignments was through an intermediary who helped the company in exporting its products to the US, UK, Germany, China, Italy, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Nigeria, amongst other countries. The company's wide export range included replacement gears for internationally renowned automotive manufacturers like Mercedes­Benz, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Nissan, Clark, Eaton, Fuller, New Process, ZP, Hino, Fuso, Tong Feng, Tata, Leyland, Massey Ferguson, Magirus - Deutz and various others.

There was a shortage of skilled employees. Therefore, the company has recently started training input for all their 400 employees. These training programmes are being conducted in the organization to enhance the skills of the employees and the duration of these programmes were 20 hours per month. On the financial front, the company is continuously moving on the growth track showing better financial results year after year. It has embarked on an ambitious plan to double its turnover by the end of this financial year and to become the world's numero-uno in the automotive gear-manufacturing segment. The current capacity utilization was at a meager 6000 sets against a total installed capacity of 20,000 sets per month.

Questions:

Comment on the upstream and downstream supply chain portions operating in the company.

How far are the plans to improve the supply chain efficiency in the company feasible?

"Internal supply chain at the company can be characterized by the lack of it". Comment.

CASE III

INTELLIGENT MOVEMENTS: ANYWHERE ANYTIME

Deepak Pai, an engineering graduate and a postgraduate in management from United States, was working in Transport Corporation of India (TCI), the market leader in conventional transportation. He established Speed Cargo as an express cargo distribution company after leaving TCI. Speed Cargo, started with its head office at Hyderabad, as a small cargo specialist in 1989, upgrading itself to desk-to-desk cargo in 1992, cargo management services in 1995 and became a public limited company when it was listed in Bombay Stock Exchange in 1999. The company was maintaining a strong customer base of prestigious companies like Acer, Cadilla, Sony, Panasonic, Titan, Dabur and Hitachi to name a few.

Speed Cargo Limited (SCL), a leader in the express cargo movement pioneered in distribution and supply chain management solutions in India. It differentiated the concept of cargo, from conventional transport industry by offering door pickup, door delivery, assured delivery date and containerized movement. It had a turnover of Rs.3600 million in 2005-06. The company had a strong team of 6400 employees with the fleet of 2000 vehicles on road and an extensive network covering 3,20,000 kilometers per day and a reach of 594 out of 602 districts in India. In addition to this, it was having a well-structured multimodal connectivity and 6lakh square feet mechanized warehousing facility. Warehousing facilities were comprised of the most modern storied system and material handling equipment offering very high level of operational efficiency. The four modes of transport - Road, Air, Sea and Rail were seamlessly integrated, enabling SCL to effortlessly reach anytime anywhere.

The international wing of SCL took care of the SAARC countries and Asia Pacific region covering 220 countries with a specialized India-centric perspective. The company had gone online by connecting 90 percent of its offices to provide web-centric solutions to its customers.

The company also offered money back guarantee to express cargo services. The services offered were customized for corporate, small and medium enterprises, cluster markets, wholesale markets and individuals. The state-of-the-art technology made things easier for the customers whose cargo could be tracked and traced in the simplest manner, because SCL had an effective tracking system. SCL believed that best of technology enabled best of service, and its outlays on providing the IT edge had always resulted in innovative services and solutions. SCL, in its day-to-day operations, used technologically advanced equipments like Fork Lifters, Hydraulic Trucks, Hand Trolly, Drum Trolly, Rubber Pads cushioning, Taper Rollers to move big crates, color codes for identification to delivery what it promised.

Between 1989, when company was born, and 1995, SCL started a unique value added service called Cash-On-Delivery for the advantage of its customers. SCL introduced Call Free Number for the first time in the logistics industry in India. To establish largest network in air and to facilitate faster delivery of shipments, SCL entered into a tie-up with Indian Airlines in 1996; The Company introduced the concept of 3rd party logistics and later started offering complete logistics and supply chain solutions in 1997. The courier service Suvidha later rechristened as Zipp was launched in 1998. The company entered into a tie­up with Bhutan and Maldives Postal Departments to expand its operations to SAARC countries in 1999. The Speed Cargo Development Center was set up at Pune in India for training of its employees in the same year.

An exclusive cargo train in association with Indian Railways between Mumbai and Kolkata was launched in 2001. Based on a survey conducted by Frost and Sullivan, SCL was conferred the Voice of Customer Award for being the best logistics company in 2003. After simplifying the internal process for faster and better communication, and a smarter way to work, SCL set up its corporate office at Singapore in 2003 to create an international hub with an aim to reach out to the world. The company introduced a mechanized racking system in the automated warehouse at Panvel (Maharastra) in 2004.

SCL was sensitive to the avenues where it could contribute to building a better society. Displaying continuous social responsibility, SCL associated itself with several community development programs and contributed generously to many social causes. SCL was the first to build makeshift houses for 400 families who were affected during a massive earthquake in Bhuj district of Gujarat in India during January 2001. They reached the devastated village the same day to provide food, clothes, medication and water to the affected people.

In 2003, SCL accepted to develop one of the government schools located at Banjara Hills in Hyderabad, and built a building with basic facilities like classrooms, staff rooms and toilets, and provided furniture for students and staff. The housekeeping and security of the school, which was now having 1100 students, was also taken care of by the company. After Tsunami, one of the worst natural disasters that struck South East Asia in December 2004 leaving over 10 lakh people dead and over 4 million displaced, SCL was on the rescue scene as it brought in food, water, clothing, medication, a team of doctors and cooks, and provided the affected people with essential utensils. After rehabilitating the people in Nagapattnam and Cuddalore, it took up the development of a high school in Nagore where 500 students came in from the Tsunami affected families. SCL also actively participated in Kargil contributions and other rescue and rehabilitation works in India.

LOOKING AHEAD

SCL believed that in the age of convergence, it had kept pace with time with its infrastructure, people and technological capabilities for moving cargo to its destination on time, by making intelligent movements in air and sea, as well as on road and rail. The company had experience of handling wide range of materials including confidential papers related to University examination and sensitive goods like polio drops and life-saving medicines. In view of the strengths of its competitors such as DHL, Safexpress and Blue Dart, the company had enhanced services with a greater focus on cargo management and customer satisfaction with the new operations backed by better strategic planning. To achieve its aim, SCL had strategically tied-up with Jubli Commercials, an lATA accredited freight forwarder, which started its operations as Air Cargo Agent.

The company was confident that it was set to become 24 x 7 one-stop solution provider for all freight forwarding services including customs clearance for international cargo. SCL having 40 percent share in express distribution business was developing a huge centralized warehouse on 22 acres of land at Nagpur in India. The centralized warehouse, which was about to be commissioned, was designed as a major hub or express distribution center for 200 smaller hubs as its spokes catering to the needs of its customers across India. SCL believed that it is a concept, a vision and an idea ahead of its time, which looked at a global perspective and was constantly reinventing itself in delivering the future of logistics.

Questions:

What made SCL a leader in the logistics industry?

Discuss the strategies adopted by SCL for its survival in the competitive scenario.

Comment on the contributions of SCL to society.

What steps the company should take to globalize its network reach?

Discuss the strategies adopted by SCL for expansion.

CASE IV

LOGISTICS OUTSOURCING

Company Profile

Indian Steels Limited (ISL) is a Rs. 6000 crore company established in the year 1986. The company envisaged being a continuously growing top class company to deliver superior quality and cost effective products for infrastructure development. With major customers being from Public Sector Undertakings, the company has established itself well and is said to be considering its expansion plan and proposed merger with another steel making giant in the country.

In 1996, owing to the cut throat competition in the emerging dynamic global markets, ISL emphasized on both effectiveness and efficiency. The company strongly believed in focusing on its core competency (i.e. manufacturing of steel) and outsourcing the rest to its reliable partners. Outsourcing of its outbound logistics was one such move in this direction. ISL out sourced its stockyards and other warehousing services to a third party called Consignment Agent, who was selected on an annual basis through a process of competitive bidding. The CA was responsible for the entire distribution of the products within the geographical limits of the allotted market segment and was paid by the company according to the loads of transaction (measured in metric tonnes) dealt by him. The company also believed in maintaining long-term relationships with the suppliers as well as the buyers. It always prioritized the needs of its regular and important customers over others and this worked out to be a win-win strategy. The case brings out the model of outsourcing logistics the company has adapted for the enhancement of its supply chain competency and thus leveraging more on its core competency which led to increased productivity.

Indian Steels Limited (ISL) is a Rs. 6000 crore company established in the' year 1986. The company envisaged being a continuously growing top class company to deliver superior quality and cost effective products for infrastructure development. The company performed with a mission to attain 7 million ton liquid steel capacity through technological up-gradation, operational efficiency arid expansion; to produce steel with international standards of cost and quality; and to meet the aspirations of the stakeholders. The production started in the year 1988 and initially, it manufactured Angles, Pig Irons) Beams and Wire Rods that were mainly used for constructing roads) dams and bridges. These products were mainly supplied to Public Sector Undertakings such as Railways, Public Works Department (PWD) Central Public Works Department (CPWD) Rashtriya Setu Nigam Limited, Audyogik Kendra Vikas Nigam Ltd. and various foundry units. The company had its headquarters at Raipur with three stockyards (a kind of warehouse with a huge land to store the products).

The company has established itself well and is said to be considering its expansion plan and proposed merger with another steel making giant in the country. The company was awarded ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 18001 certifications. The temperature in the plant premises is reportedly about 6°C lesser than that of the township, thanks to the greenery being maintained therein.

Logistics Outsourcing

Outbound logistics which basically connects the source of supply with the sources of demand with an objective of bridging the gap between the market demand and capabilities of the supply sources was always a problem for companies operating in this industry. Consisting of components like warehousing network, transportation network) inventory control system and supporting information systems outbound logistics was always playing a key role in making the right product available at the right place, at the right time at the least possible cost. In 1996 owing to the cut throat competition in the emerging dynamic global markets, ISL emphasized on both effectiveness and efficiency. The company strongly believed in focusing on its core competency (Le. manufacturing of steel) and outsourcing the rest to its reliable partners. Outsourcing of its outbound logistics was one such move in this direction.

Recognizing the growing demand for its products from the big, diversified and geographically­dispersed customers, the company started expanding the number of warehousing stockyards. From a humble beginning, the company today has 26 stockyards; most of them are outsourced. Each of the outsourced stockyards was managed by a third party, which the company referred to as Consignment Agent (hereafter referred to as CA) in the area. The CA was selected on an annual basis through competitive bidding process. The performance of CA was closely monitored by a company representative (full time employee of ISL working in the site of CA). The CA was responsible for the entire distribution of the products within the geographical limits of the allotted market segment and Was paid by the company according to the loads of transaction (measured in metric tonnes) dealt by him. Based on their sales turnover CAs were trifurcated into A, Band C categories. The CAs with a monthly turnover of Rs. 150-200 crore fell under A category) whereas those with Rs. 100 - 150 crore were B and less than Rs. 100 \ crore were C category.

In addition to the company representative) a team of marketing division operated in the town where, the site of CA was located. This department was responsible or estimating the future demand, translating it into orders and sending to the manufacturing plant. Material dispatch was done using either one or a combination of the two modes: Rail, Road. While using rail as the mode of transportation, the company had a choice to book a Normal Rake (a full train with about 35 wagons, each wagon with an approximate capacity of 60 tonnes) or a Jumbo Rake (a full train of about 52 wagons, each wagon with an approximate capacity of 60 tonnes). At times, the company was engaging the services of the CONCOR (Container Corporation of India) where a train of 62 to 70 wagons, each wagon with about 26 tonnes capacity was used for transportation. Instead, if the company decided to send the material by road, the company had a choice between Trailor (25-30 tonnes} and Truck (15-20 tonnes). The choice of transportation mode was based on the quantity of dispatch.

As soon as the material was dispatched from the manufacturing plant, the respective CA used to get a Stock Transfer Chalaan electronically through Virtual Private Network, which was developed by a professional software service provider. In-transit, monitoring was generally done with the help of Indian Railways, if the mode was Rail. Otherwise, truck/trailor drivers were contacted through mobile phone. Transit generally took five to six days, providing time for CA to plan for receiving materials. The CA used to utilize this time for arranging material handling devices like heavy cranes and required labour. The material thus unloaded was reaching the warehousing stockyard where CA was responsible for arranging the materials as per the warehousing norms of ISL.

The company broadly classified materials into Long Products and Rounds. Products falling into each category were further classified by their size, shape and utility and the company used a distinct colour code for this purpose. Each subcategory of material had a specific place for downloading. The company used Bin System for this purpose. While downloading the material in stockyard, the company norms insisted that CA arrange for providing Dunnagt Material. This enabled the CA to store material without 1 direct contact with the land surface and thus reduced the probability of material deterioration. Material was stored in the stockyard until an authorized representative of the customer used to come and collect it. While dispatching material to the customer, a Loading Slip was generated against the Delivery Order. The company" also believed in maintaining long-term relationships with the suppliers as well as the buyers. It always prioritized the needs of its regular and important customers over others and this worked out to be a win-win strategy.

Operational problems were majorly because of uncertainties in transportation, fluctuation in supply of electricity and the load bearing capacity of the soil in the stockyard. Some: more problems were encountered whenever there was a change in CA and these were overcome by training the employees of the new CA and keeping the old CA responsible for the: material in his stockyard for six months after the contract as well. Observations reveal that, at times there were situations wherein CAs had to do those things which they were not legally supposed to do (like subcontracting) because of the pressures mounted by political leaders with selfish interests.            

Despite these problems, this model of outsourcing logistics was working out very well for the company. The practices, which were started in the year 1996 have sustained major changes in the environment and are being practiced even in 2006. It has enhanced the supply chain competency of the company by enabling it leverage more on its core competency, which leads to increased productivity.

Questions:

Analyze the case in view of the logistics outsourcing practices of the ISL.

Discuss the importance of logistics outsourcing with reference to supply chain management.

Suggest strategies for further strengthening the supply chain of ISL.

The participants/students are expected to have a clear understanding of Supply Chain and Logistics Management concepts.

The issues involved in the case are Sales Forecasting, Strategic Sourcing, Selection of Warehousing Service Provider, Transportation Mode and other nuances in Logistics Management.

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This were a couple of things I wanted to test while living a step away from the sea. DLC coating on my XHP Recon XL appeared to be surprisingly good - just a few tiny scratches from the sand and absolutely no rust (this knife was in everyday kitchen use). I was also curious about the IP68 protection - it went incredibly good, absolutely no problems with washing your phone in tap water to remove sand (it can scratch the screen), no issues with heat and moisture - the case is sealed tight. Just dont forget that even the highest IP68 rathing doesn't turn your phone into 100M waterproof Casio. That timepiece is almost 13 years old and it has been on me in a lot of countries, withstanding sea water everywhere from South America to Komodo island. But the phone will live in the sea just for a couple of minutes - it's protection doesn't work in salt water. Я взял с собой на море 3 вещи для проверки. DLC покрытие на моём XHP Рекон XL оказалось очень неплохим - всего лишь пара волосяных царапин от песка и вообще никакой ржавчины - и это живя в 20 метрах от кромки водыб с ежедневными кухонными работами. Мне также было интересно, как поведет себя хвалёная защита IP68. В целом очень достойно - телефон не "потел" и не глючил на жаре, без последствий отмывался под краном от песка (который может поцарапать экран). Однако не стоит думать, что телефон можно купать в море, как тот же Касио, который проехал со мной десятки стран и купался везде от Южной Америки до острова Комодо. IP68 очень уязвима перед морской водой - телефон проживет в ней лишь минуту-другую... (at The Lalit Golf & Spa Resort Goa)

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India Travel Guide - Lonely Planet | Asia |717087252

India Travel Guide Lonely Planet Genre: Asia Price: $23.99 Publish Date: September 27, 2013 #1 best-selling guide to India * Lonely Planet India is your passport to all the most relevant and up-to-date advice on what to see, what to skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Admire the perfect symmetry of the Taj Mahal, ride a camel through the moonlit desert or cruise the lush backwaters of Kerala; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of India and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet’s India Travel Guide:   Colour maps and images throughout • Highlights and itineraries show you the simplest way to tailor your trip to your own personal needs and interests • Insider tips save you time and money, and help you get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots • Essential info at your fingertips - including hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, and prices • Honest reviews for all budgets - including eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, and hidden gems that most guidebooks miss • Cultural insights give you a richer and more rewarding travel experience - including temples, cuisine, history, art, Hinduism, architecture, politics, landscapes, wildlife, customs, volunteering, yoga, ashrams and trekking • Over 190 colour maps • Useful features - including 3D illustrative plans of India’s 5 most exciting sites, Travel with Children, and Woman and Solo Travellers • Coverage of Delhi’s bazaars, the Taj Mahal, Rajasthan’s forts and deserts, Goa’s beaches, Kerala’s backwaters, Mumbai’s colonial-era buildings, Darjeeling’s tea plantations, Khajuraho’s ancient temples, Himalayan monasteries and more eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices) Zoom-in maps and images bring it all up close and in greater detail • Downloadable PDF and offline maps let you stay offline to avoid roaming and data charges • Seamlessly flip between pages • Easily navigate and jump effortlessly between maps and reviews • Speedy search capabilities get you to what you need and want to see • Use bookmarks to help you shoot back to key pages in a flash • Visit the websites of our recommendations by touching embedded links • Adding notes with the tap of a finger offers a way to personalise your guidebook experience • Inbuilt dictionary to translate unfamiliar languages and decode site-specific local terms The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet India , our most comprehensive guide to India, is perfect for those planning to both explore the top sights and take the road less travelled. • Looking for just the highlights of India? Check out Lonely Planet’s Discover India, a photo-rich guide to the India’s most popular attractions; Looking for a guide focused on Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan, Goa, Mumbai, South India or Kerala? Check out Lonely Planet’s South India & Kerala, Rajasthan, Delhi & Agra, or Goa & Mumbai guide for a comprehensive look at all those regions have to offer. Authors: Written and researched by Lonely Planet, Sarina Singh, Michael Benanav, Joe Bindloss, Lindsay Brown, Mark Elliott, Paul Harding, Trent Holden, Amy Karafin, Anirban Mahapatra, Bradley Mayhew, Daniel McCrohan, Kate Morgan, John Noble and Kevin Raub.

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India Travel Guide - Lonely Planet | Asia |717087252

India Travel Guide Lonely Planet Genre: Asia Price: $23.99 Publish Date: September 27, 2013 #1 best-selling guide to India * Lonely Planet India is your passport to all the most relevant and up-to-date advice on what to see, what to skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Admire the perfect symmetry of the Taj Mahal, ride a camel through the moonlit desert or cruise the lush backwaters of Kerala; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of India and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet’s India Travel Guide:   Colour maps and images throughout • Highlights and itineraries show you the simplest way to tailor your trip to your own personal needs and interests • Insider tips save you time and money, and help you get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots • Essential info at your fingertips - including hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, and prices • Honest reviews for all budgets - including eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, and hidden gems that most guidebooks miss • Cultural insights give you a richer and more rewarding travel experience - including temples, cuisine, history, art, Hinduism, architecture, politics, landscapes, wildlife, customs, volunteering, yoga, ashrams and trekking • Over 190 colour maps • Useful features - including 3D illustrative plans of India’s 5 most exciting sites, Travel with Children, and Woman and Solo Travellers • Coverage of Delhi’s bazaars, the Taj Mahal, Rajasthan’s forts and deserts, Goa’s beaches, Kerala’s backwaters, Mumbai’s colonial-era buildings, Darjeeling’s tea plantations, Khajuraho’s ancient temples, Himalayan monasteries and more eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices) Zoom-in maps and images bring it all up close and in greater detail • Downloadable PDF and offline maps let you stay offline to avoid roaming and data charges • Seamlessly flip between pages • Easily navigate and jump effortlessly between maps and reviews • Speedy search capabilities get you to what you need and want to see • Use bookmarks to help you shoot back to key pages in a flash • Visit the websites of our recommendations by touching embedded links • Adding notes with the tap of a finger offers a way to personalise your guidebook experience • Inbuilt dictionary to translate unfamiliar languages and decode site-specific local terms The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet India , our most comprehensive guide to India, is perfect for those planning to both explore the top sights and take the road less travelled. • Looking for just the highlights of India? Check out Lonely Planet’s Discover India, a photo-rich guide to the India’s most popular attractions; Looking for a guide focused on Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan, Goa, Mumbai, South India or Kerala? Check out Lonely Planet’s South India & Kerala, Rajasthan, Delhi & Agra, or Goa & Mumbai guide for a comprehensive look at all those regions have to offer. Authors: Written and researched by Lonely Planet, Sarina Singh, Michael Benanav, Joe Bindloss, Lindsay Brown, Mark Elliott, Paul Harding, Trent Holden, Amy Karafin, Anirban Mahapatra, Bradley Mayhew, Daniel McCrohan, Kate Morgan, John Noble and Kevin Raub.

[josephkitchen0]

Agritourism: A Money-Making Agriculture Business

By Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer, Colorado

Can inviting farm visitors fuel a successful money making agriculture business? It’s called agritourism and yes, it can!

The words, “fun on the farm,” were probably not coined by a farmer. After all, farming is hard work, but today, people around the country are looking to experience fun on a farm. Through agritourism activities, farmers are finding all sorts of ways to accommodate them, and in doing so, farmers are not only educating the public on their industry, but are running a money-making agriculture business.

Agritourism is a broad term covering a variety of activities that most Americans have participated in at some point, whether they have visited a farm stand or taken their child to a local pumpkin patch.

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Some states are proactively helping farmers add agritourism components to their farms, and one such state is Colorado.

While most people see Colorado as a ski and adventure destination, the state was built on agriculture and it is still a thriving industry. Tourism is Colorado’s second largest industry, and therefore, bringing agriculture and tourism together makes a lot of sense. Today, Colorado is the only state in the country that has dedicated funding for agritourism.

Once the Colorado Tourism Organization created the Colorado Heritage and Agritourism Program (CHAP), they realized that there needed to be another association that could handle things like legislation and fundraising. On January 31, 2014, the nonprofit Colorado Agritourism Association (CAA) was born.

“The Colorado Heritage and Agritourism Program does all the marketing and promotion and the CAA does product development; business planning, website development, legislation, insurance and issues related to sign code and zoning,” says Kelli Hepler, director of the Colorado Agritourism Association. “We are paving the way for folks to step into agritourism here in Colorado.”

Perhaps the most important item the newly formed CAA was able to check off their to-do list was the passage of Colorado House Bill 1280, signed by Governor Hickenlooper on June 6, 2014. The bill provided much-needed legal protection for farmers participating in agritourism by limiting the liability of farmers and ranchers in activities related to this money-making agriculture business.

Even prior to the passage of HB 1280, Colorado’s agritourism industry was growing. According to the 2012 US Census, the newest numbers available, out of 36,000 Colorado farms, 2.4 percent claimed an average of $33,000 per farm in added income from agritourism.

The Living Farm

Tom and Lynn Gillespie of The Living Farm are proof that agritourism isn’t new to Colorado. The farm, located in Paonia, has been in the family for four generations.

The Gillespie family built their first greenhouse in 1987, and in 1990 they started growing hydroponic tomatoes. By the early 90s, people wanted to see what the Gillespies were up to and Lynn started running tours. Today, the farm is a well-oiled agritourism machine and includes five greenhouses, chickens, pigs, turkeys and a large flock of sheep.

The family also owns The Living Farm Café in downtown Paonia, population 1,400. Operated by Lynn and Tom’s son, Chef Mike Gillespie, the café serves farm-to-table meals with almost 100 percent of the food served having been raised one-mile away on The Living Farm. The café also serves as an inn, renting the five rooms above the restaurant to hungry tourists.

The Living Farm also sells their goods at local grocery stores and through their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).

In the beginning, Lynn Gillespie’s farm tours were free, but she quickly realized that she couldn’t get any work done with people popping in at all hours of the day.

“We’ve formalized the tours,” she says. “We’ve set up a program where people can drop in and tour at specific times or they can get online and request a group or VIP tour. Folks can go to www.thelivingfarm.org/farm-tours and see how we set them up.”

Gillespie also started charging for her tours; individuals are $6, groups start at $25 and a VIP package that includes an overnight stay at the inn and breakfast at the café is $160.

“If someone goes to the movies they pay $8 to $10 for a ticket,” says Gillespie. “Farmers need to know that they do not need to tour everybody for free.”

The Living Farm does offer one free program. Lamb Loving takes place Wednesday to Saturday throughout the spring lambing season. In the evening, from 7 to 8 p.m., guests may visit the barn and cuddle with lambs.

“When I set a lamb in a person’s lap, I don’t care what age the person is, their face beams like it is Christmas morning,” says Gillespie. “If I can give that kind of joy to someone for just 30 minutes, it’s totally worth it and I think that’s what this is all about.”

At the beginning of the year, Gillespie sits down and decides how much interaction The Living Farm will have with the public and she sticks to her rules. The farm comes first, of course, and she stresses that anyone interested in going this route with their farm or ranch must realize this money-making agriculture business is different than farming.

“You’ve got to greet visitors with a smile,” she says. “This is not making produce. It’s a service and your tour has to be well thought out. Your place needs to look nice and you have to be nice.”

Scenes from The Horse & Hen Ranch near Hayden, Colorado

The Horse & Hen

Ryan and Rachel Wattles joke that their foray into agritourism was an accident, although Ryan admits that for him it presented the opportunity to quit his day job and stay on the ranch full time.

Their family ranch is located in Hayden, Colorado, population 1,800. Just 20 miles west of Steamboat Springs, the ranch was bought by Ryan’s great-grandfather in 1935. Seventy-five years later, Ryan and Rachel, with their 6-week-old daughter in tow, moved from Fort Collins, Colorado, to Hayden to work the ranch.

In the beginning, the Wattles raised goats and hay, but have since sold the goat herd and are turning their attention towards cattle. The property includes three residences; two historic homes and a brand new country-style house. As soon as the big house was built the Wattles began hosting a steady stream of friends and relatives who wanted to have a farm experience.

“Everyone who visited had a ball and loved it here,” says Rachel. “That’s sort of what put the idea of starting a bed and breakfast in our heads.”

The Wattles decided to explore agritourism in Colorado and toured the areas where it was happening. After this tour, they assessed their ranch and their personal skills and decided that adding a bed and breakfast made sense as a money-making agriculture business.

Making the dream a reality, however, wasn’t an easy road. Rachel discovered that there were a tremendous amount of county government hoops to jump through, and finding insurance to cover the “farm stay” portion of the business was tough. In the end, they couldn’t afford an insurance package that would cover horseback riding, so they cut out that part of the original business plan.

While guests can’t ride any of the Horse & Hen’s horses, there are lots of other farm and ranch activities that they may participate in including milking Norma the cow, collecting eggs and helping in the garden. The area around Hayden is rich in birding and hunting so the Wattles are working to tap into that lodging market as well.

While the bed and breakfast is booked solid during summer weekends, the Wattles want ranching to remain their focus. For instance, every animal on their ranch serves a purpose. The chickens give eggs, the cow gives milk, the pigs are raised for meat and the Great Pyrenees dog watches closely over their few remaining goats.

“We don’t want this to be a horse and pony show,” says Rachel. “This is a real working ranch.”

Today, Rachel works one-day a week as an art teacher at the local school and Ryan spends his time working on the ranch where he occasionally uses a team of draft horses; an ode to the way his grandfather and great-grandfather worked the ranch in the past.

Ryan’s favorite part of running the bed and breakfast is watching guests’ children connect with ranch life.

“To me, it’s really important that kids have the opportunity to see this type of lifestyle because only two percent of Americans are in agriculture today,” says Ryan.

The Wattles now have two girls and believe the toughest thing about adding an agritourism component to their farm was determining their personal boundaries and meeting the expectations of their guests. Their home, for instance, is off limits to guests. Rachel has also turned off her online booking option because she likes to connect with people via phone or email when they book a room.

“A lot of people think that they are going to be staying in our family home or that they will be having dinner with us, which is not the case,” she says. “Having email or phone contact with them lets me explain what we are really all about here. It lets me set expectations in advance.”

The Mountain Goat Lodge

Nestled in the hills outside of the artsy community of Salida, Colorado, population 5,400, is a bed and breakfast with a goat twist. This unique lodging establishment is home to goats, chickens, ducks, dogs, a llama and a cat.

Gina Marcell ran a goat rescue outside of Seattle, Washington, for a number of years, but longed to be in the sunshine. She wanted a place where she could raise goats and run a money-making agriculture business, and in 2010 she found a bed and breakfast for sale in Salida. She moved her small farm to Colorado and opened the Mountain Goat Lodge.

The Mountain Goat Lodge in Salida, Colorado.

“When I wrote my business plan, I wrote that goats were going to be an integral part of the business. To me, it’s all about the goats, and the bed and breakfast is just sort of a front for having them,” says Marcell. “I also stated in my business plan that I wanted to educate people and enlighten them on how wonderful goats are.”

Marcell is doing just that. Her bed and breakfast is busy year round with workshops on goat care, cheese making and raising backyard chickens. She recently played host to a yoga retreat, introducing her establishment to an entirely new demographic, as well as workshops on subjects like soap-making and canning.

In addition to the workshops and livestock, Marcell grows a flourishing garden despite her farm being located at more than 7,000 feet above sea level. She utilizes a large, round greenhouse that also serves as a cold weather getaway for her guests.

Thanks to the greenhouse and the chickens, Marcell’s breakfasts are farm fresh throughout the year.

Marcell has found the internet to be an invaluable resource for agritourism information and help.

“There are forums, Facebook pages, and associations,” says Marcell. “You can get a lot of help from people who are already doing this. When something weird comes up, you can go online for help.”

They recently just opened cute “glamping” cabins for the more modern tourist.

Connect, Connect, Connect

The Living Farm, Horse & Hen, and Mountain Goat Lodge all have one thing in common: their owners have made connections with their visitors and their communities.

The Wattles’ bed and breakfast stays full thanks to the personal connections they have made with their guests.

“Word-of-mouth has been huge for us,” says Rachel. “That’s pretty much all the marketing we’ve done besides the website and Facebook.”

As The Living Farm has proven, the farm-to-table, or farm-to-fork, movement is another way for farmers to get connected.

“With the farm-to-fork movement and the interest in local food, people are shopping at farmers markets and this has helped consumers get to know the farmer personally,” says Penny Leaf, agritourism coordinator in the University of California Small Farm Program.

Hepler, director of CAA, adds that consumers seem to care about farming much more than they used to and she points out that meeting a farmer often results in a willingness by the consumer to pay a higher price for that farmer’s product.

Lynn Gillespie thinks it goes even deeper.

“I think it’s important for farmers in agritourism to remember that people are coming to your farm to get connected and it’s important to connect them,” she says. “Whether you connect them through a cute little sheep or chicken, you need to fulfill that need — that hole in them that needs to be filled.”

The Rest of The Story

Colorado is not the only state where agritourism is flourishing. Colorado crafted HB 1280 on a successful Maine agritourism bill and agritourism success stories can be found in California, Vermont, New Jersey, Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky.

A recently released study of Tennessee’s agritourism industry by researchers with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture estimates that the economic impact of agritourism in the state more than doubled between 2006 and 2012.

While states like Maine and Colorado have passed bills that allow farmers and ranchers to run their agritourism operations with some liability protection, not all states have passed such legislation. In California, a state that’s been involved in agritourism for more than 50 years, no such legislation exists.

“Every county has their own rules and California has 58 counties,” says Leff. “So in each county there is a very slow movement to revise their general plans and ordinances so as to loosen some of the regulations. But permitting is probably the biggest challenge and liability is also a challenge.”

Leff went on to say that most of the agritourism in California is organized on a local level with county associations, farm trail groups and groups of farmers who are doing collaborative promotions of their farms and region.

Cooperation seems to be a key factor to successfully implementing agritourism as a money-making agriculture business.

There are several national organizations that can help a business with agritourism. The North American Farmers Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA) is a “membership-based trade association dedicated to providing endless peer-to-peer learning opportunities, connections, and resources, for farmers who are passionate about the business of agritourism and farm direct marketing” (www.farmerinspired.com).

The National Agritourism Promoters Association (NAPA) works to create sustainable prosperity for agritourism venues through commitment to research, current information and personal mentoring.

The Gillespies, Wattles, and Marcell, stress the importance of taking small steps towards the agritourism implementation. A farmer may want to start with just one farm tour a month, in the beginning, to see how it goes.

“Hospitality is a big part of agritourism and it’s not for everybody,” says Hepler.

Leff urges farmers to check with their neighbors and county government before wading into agritourism waters. She warns that upset neighbors are sometimes the biggest barrier to a successful agritourism business.

For those who do take the plunge and do it properly, agritourism has many rewards, and the industry continues to grow.

“There is a big demand,” says Leff. “The tourism industry is very anxious for more places they can write about and more places they can send people. Right now, agritourism is really exciting.”

Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer is a freelance writer from Loveland, Colorado, and specializes in travel and tourism.

Things to Know Before Starting Your Agritourism Business

Is It Legal?

It’s important to check with your county government before starting any agritourism business no matter how small. There may be county rules regulating what you can and can’t do on your land. Beware of the rules before spending any time or money on agritourism.

Will It Bother Your Neighbors?

Neighbors can be the biggest challenge to a farm that wants to start agritourism on their property. Will your neighbors mind the increased traffic? Will your neighbors mind the signage? It’s wise to chat about your agritourism ideas with your neighbors before moving ahead with any plans.

What Is Your Liability?

When you invite someone onto your land, you are subject to legal liability if they get hurt. While some states have passed legislation limiting liability for farmers involved in agritourism, many have not. However, there are ways to limit your liability even without legislation in place. Go online to see the “Top 10 Ways to Limit Your Liability When Visitors Comes to Your Farm” by Anita K. Poole, Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture.

Do You Understand Hospitality?

Hospitality is the friendly reception and treatment of guests and strangers. Hospitality is vital to a successful agritourism business, and while agritourism occurs on a farm or ranch it is very different from farming and ranching. Take an assessment of your personal skills and those of your employees before embarking down the agritourism path.

Author’s Note: “Biosecurity” involves preventative measures designed to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious diseases in crops and livestock. According to the individuals interviewed for this article, biosecurity is a non-issue when it comes to agritourism. In these cases, farmers are not worried about the public bringing infectious livestock diseases onto their farms because it is unlikely these visitors have been around livestock. Biosecurity is more of a concern for large, industrial-sized farms and ranches, and these types of businesses do not usually participate in agritourism activities.

Originally published in Countryside September/October 2015 and regularly vetted for accuracy.

Agritourism: A Money-Making Agriculture Business was originally posted by All About Chickens

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India Travel Guide - Lonely Planet | Asia |717087252

India Travel Guide Lonely Planet Genre: Asia Price: $23.99 Publish Date: September 27, 2013 #1 best-selling guide to India * Lonely Planet India is your passport to all the most relevant and up-to-date advice on what to see, what to skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Admire the perfect symmetry of the Taj Mahal, ride a camel through the moonlit desert or cruise the lush backwaters of Kerala; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of India and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet’s India Travel Guide:   Colour maps and images throughout • Highlights and itineraries show you the simplest way to tailor your trip to your own personal needs and interests • Insider tips save you time and money, and help you get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots • Essential info at your fingertips - including hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, and prices • Honest reviews for all budgets - including eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, and hidden gems that most guidebooks miss • Cultural insights give you a richer and more rewarding travel experience - including temples, cuisine, history, art, Hinduism, architecture, politics, landscapes, wildlife, customs, volunteering, yoga, ashrams and trekking • Over 190 colour maps • Useful features - including 3D illustrative plans of India’s 5 most exciting sites, Travel with Children, and Woman and Solo Travellers • Coverage of Delhi’s bazaars, the Taj Mahal, Rajasthan’s forts and deserts, Goa’s beaches, Kerala’s backwaters, Mumbai’s colonial-era buildings, Darjeeling’s tea plantations, Khajuraho’s ancient temples, Himalayan monasteries and more eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices) Zoom-in maps and images bring it all up close and in greater detail • Downloadable PDF and offline maps let you stay offline to avoid roaming and data charges • Seamlessly flip between pages • Easily navigate and jump effortlessly between maps and reviews • Speedy search capabilities get you to what you need and want to see • Use bookmarks to help you shoot back to key pages in a flash • Visit the websites of our recommendations by touching embedded links • Adding notes with the tap of a finger offers a way to personalise your guidebook experience • Inbuilt dictionary to translate unfamiliar languages and decode site-specific local terms The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet India , our most comprehensive guide to India, is perfect for those planning to both explore the top sights and take the road less travelled. • Looking for just the highlights of India? Check out Lonely Planet’s Discover India, a photo-rich guide to the India’s most popular attractions; Looking for a guide focused on Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan, Goa, Mumbai, South India or Kerala? Check out Lonely Planet’s South India & Kerala, Rajasthan, Delhi & Agra, or Goa & Mumbai guide for a comprehensive look at all those regions have to offer. Authors: Written and researched by Lonely Planet, Sarina Singh, Michael Benanav, Joe Bindloss, Lindsay Brown, Mark Elliott, Paul Harding, Trent Holden, Amy Karafin, Anirban Mahapatra, Bradley Mayhew, Daniel McCrohan, Kate Morgan, John Noble and Kevin Raub.

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India Travel Guide - Lonely Planet | Asia |717087252

India Travel Guide Lonely Planet Genre: Asia Price: $23.99 Publish Date: September 27, 2013 #1 best-selling guide to India * Lonely Planet India is your passport to all the most relevant and up-to-date advice on what to see, what to skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Admire the perfect symmetry of the Taj Mahal, ride a camel through the moonlit desert or cruise the lush backwaters of Kerala; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of India and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet’s India Travel Guide:   Colour maps and images throughout • Highlights and itineraries show you the simplest way to tailor your trip to your own personal needs and interests • Insider tips save you time and money, and help you get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots • Essential info at your fingertips - including hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, and prices • Honest reviews for all budgets - including eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, and hidden gems that most guidebooks miss • Cultural insights give you a richer and more rewarding travel experience - including temples, cuisine, history, art, Hinduism, architecture, politics, landscapes, wildlife, customs, volunteering, yoga, ashrams and trekking • Over 190 colour maps • Useful features - including 3D illustrative plans of India’s 5 most exciting sites, Travel with Children, and Woman and Solo Travellers • Coverage of Delhi’s bazaars, the Taj Mahal, Rajasthan’s forts and deserts, Goa’s beaches, Kerala’s backwaters, Mumbai’s colonial-era buildings, Darjeeling’s tea plantations, Khajuraho’s ancient temples, Himalayan monasteries and more eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices) Zoom-in maps and images bring it all up close and in greater detail • Downloadable PDF and offline maps let you stay offline to avoid roaming and data charges • Seamlessly flip between pages • Easily navigate and jump effortlessly between maps and reviews • Speedy search capabilities get you to what you need and want to see • Use bookmarks to help you shoot back to key pages in a flash • Visit the websites of our recommendations by touching embedded links • Adding notes with the tap of a finger offers a way to personalise your guidebook experience • Inbuilt dictionary to translate unfamiliar languages and decode site-specific local terms The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet India , our most comprehensive guide to India, is perfect for those planning to both explore the top sights and take the road less travelled. • Looking for just the highlights of India? Check out Lonely Planet’s Discover India, a photo-rich guide to the India’s most popular attractions; Looking for a guide focused on Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan, Goa, Mumbai, South India or Kerala? Check out Lonely Planet’s South India & Kerala, Rajasthan, Delhi & Agra, or Goa & Mumbai guide for a comprehensive look at all those regions have to offer. Authors: Written and researched by Lonely Planet, Sarina Singh, Michael Benanav, Joe Bindloss, Lindsay Brown, Mark Elliott, Paul Harding, Trent Holden, Amy Karafin, Anirban Mahapatra, Bradley Mayhew, Daniel McCrohan, Kate Morgan, John Noble and Kevin Raub.