Someone, let's say, very close to Primus and Kaar gave this wonderful idea.
If and when we travel to Malaysia (or anyother place that requires flying over a certain hostile neighbour), someone to kindly remind us to use the toilet when we cross over the international boundary into India. A sign of our love for our neighbour.
We would wish at that instance that the sewage disposal system in aeroplanes was like that in Pakistani trains.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
The Commandant
I am in love (the platonic variety). With the Commandant. Definitely NOT that of the College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. But of the Pakistan Naval Engineering College.
Here are 10 things that are/were good about him:
1. He doesn't have an SO he doesn't deserve.
2. He had rank but no apparent arrogance.
3. He didn't create a fuss at not being seated at the head of the conference table.
4. He can sit at a conference table and not suffer from acute Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
5. He didn't have an army of suck-ups to accompany him all the time. Even some of the time.
6. He could sit alone in a sofa and have lunch all by himself.
7. He seemed to have enough sense not to butt-in in matters he had no knowledge.
8. He had enough sense not start building unnecessary roads all over PNEC.
9. He had enough sense not to convert the college's cafeteria into an accomodation for the bearers.
10. He had enough wisdom not to interfere with student affairs to be point of making them abhor their institution.
Here are 10 things that are/were good about him:
1. He doesn't have an SO he doesn't deserve.
2. He had rank but no apparent arrogance.
3. He didn't create a fuss at not being seated at the head of the conference table.
4. He can sit at a conference table and not suffer from acute Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
5. He didn't have an army of suck-ups to accompany him all the time. Even some of the time.
6. He could sit alone in a sofa and have lunch all by himself.
7. He seemed to have enough sense not to butt-in in matters he had no knowledge.
8. He had enough sense not start building unnecessary roads all over PNEC.
9. He had enough sense not to convert the college's cafeteria into an accomodation for the bearers.
10. He had enough wisdom not to interfere with student affairs to be point of making them abhor their institution.
Drive Train adjustment for Kaar
I am told that Kaar is to undergo an adjustment in the drive train. After consultations all round, it was decided to remove the chain-drive system with a spur-gear system.
My God have mercy on Kaar!
My God have mercy on Kaar!
The Automotive Corporate Advisory Committee
There is a group of individuals who, once in a...well, once a meeting is arranged, sit all around a conference table and think they know what's best for the students of the National University of Sciences and Technology. This is the Corporate Advisory Committee of NUST.
Maybe these guys do know what's best for the students. Or maybe, they don't. In either case, on the pretext of presenting the sacred work NUST students are doing in developiing fuel efficient vehicle, I had the chance of attending a session of the Automotive CAC.
But as it turned out, there were few agenda points: School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (SMME) at NUST is great. Give it's students internships.
The discussion, on the other hand, was quite enjoyable. One representative of Indus Motors (I think) felt that engineering students should be imparted managerial skills too. There seemed consensus that guest speaker session were the most potent way of doing this! The director of SMME, opined that students at SMME were being taught Professional Ethics which would make them better managers!
The guy with an american-accent was perhaps in the wrong CAC meeting. He wanted everything extended to non-engineering disciplines as well.
Then we had some chicken-patties, a roll and a little pastry, after which we were expelled from the meeting. Top secret stuff.
Anyway, EMENENTS and four other teams presented their vehicles, got nothing to fill their kashkols (begging bowls), and went home.
NUST has also established a Corporate Advisory Council (CAC) comprising experts
from academia, industry and commercial organizations from Pakistan and
around. The CAC guides NUST on future trends in Industry and topics of
collaborative research
Maybe these guys do know what's best for the students. Or maybe, they don't. In either case, on the pretext of presenting the sacred work NUST students are doing in developiing fuel efficient vehicle, I had the chance of attending a session of the Automotive CAC.
But as it turned out, there were few agenda points: School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (SMME) at NUST is great. Give it's students internships.
The discussion, on the other hand, was quite enjoyable. One representative of Indus Motors (I think) felt that engineering students should be imparted managerial skills too. There seemed consensus that guest speaker session were the most potent way of doing this! The director of SMME, opined that students at SMME were being taught Professional Ethics which would make them better managers!
The guy with an american-accent was perhaps in the wrong CAC meeting. He wanted everything extended to non-engineering disciplines as well.
Then we had some chicken-patties, a roll and a little pastry, after which we were expelled from the meeting. Top secret stuff.
Anyway, EMENENTS and four other teams presented their vehicles, got nothing to fill their kashkols (begging bowls), and went home.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Presentation at CAC??!!!!!!!
Presentation in Karachi on 12th May to some Corporate Advisory Committee....
Dublew-tee-eff??!!!!!!!
Update: first trickle of cash (on loan against an amount to be provided by PSF) arrives. Future detractors, note now!
Dublew-tee-eff??!!!!!!!
Update: first trickle of cash (on loan against an amount to be provided by PSF) arrives. Future detractors, note now!
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Where the EMENENTS are getting it wrong
Let's see...some 20 or so days remain till the vehicles should be shipped.
We are ages behind where we should be. It is not this, however, that concerns me. What does is that we aren't moving at all these days. The progress slow, the coffers empty and the motivation levels are at their lowest since...well, the time they were second-to-lowest.
EMENENTS awaken. We don't want to get this wrong now!
We are ages behind where we should be. It is not this, however, that concerns me. What does is that we aren't moving at all these days. The progress slow, the coffers empty and the motivation levels are at their lowest since...well, the time they were second-to-lowest.
EMENENTS awaken. We don't want to get this wrong now!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Where Mr. Rizvi got it wrong
Azhar Rizvi is among the important people behind IBA INVENT - the entrepreneurial competition organized by Institute of Business Administration. We take him synonymous to the competition as well. He's that good.
So, when INVENT 2011 snubbed Kaar as a business idea in the very first round, we were concerned. It was either we had messed up somewhere so very bad, or that Mr. Rizvi had missed a trick. We decided to find out.
We sent our spies to all sorts of places in Europe, and decided to look over the internet ourselves. The aim: to compare a fuel-efficient car with...well, everything else.
Fuel Economy
But first, we take a look at something much closer to our homes. My home.
EME College is about 12 km from my home. The return journey takes 12 x 2 = 24 km, something I do almost everyday.
My Daihatsu (hope the spellings are correct) Cuore does about 24 km to 1 kg of CNG, which costs (these days Rs. 58.55/Kg). So, one college day costs me, lets say Rs. 59. The same (at Rs. 83.70/L and 14 km/L) on petrol costs me around Rs. 140. On the other hand, if I use the college bus, which charges Rs. 1500/month (about 22 days/month), I have to pay, on average, Rs. 68. Unfortunately, the route I have to take on public transport involves three sub-routes, which totals to Rs. 42/trip, and hence Rs. 84/college day.
The writing is on the wall. Public transport isn't the solution to our fuel-economy problem. Using my car is simultaneously the cheapest and the most expensive solution. Fuel-efficiency of the vehicle draws the line for me. Imagine a car that does, say, 42 km/L (much less than what we expect from Kaar). The trip would cost me just Rs. 46/day. 56 km/L would cost me just Rs. 35/day.
Utility
There can be no denial of the utility of small and personalize-able cars. For the college-student-me, my car allows me flexibility in timings and ability to synchronize my travel timings with those of my classes.
Moreover, I remember a video by Top Gear in which Jeremy Clarkson squeezes into a really small vehicle, which can...well, fit into an elevator, and allows locomotion inside his office!
Fashion-Statement
Who says small and fuel-efficient cars have to look gross all the time?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13088553
Vehicle Cost
This is the Tata-Nano. And the worst thing about it is that it's made by Indian. Among the 10 things TIME reckons you should know about it is that it costs about $ 2000 (PKR Equivalent Rs. 170,000), it's made with less material than conventional cars (as you would expect), it weighs 600 Kgs and gives over 20 km/L.
Is Nano a success? Apparently yes. (I wouldn't know for sure with all that economic jargon everywhere on the net). TIME lists it among the 12 most important cars of ALL TIME! That these Indians A-holes are planning to get into Europe in 2011 speaks volumes of its success.
Parking Space
Small cars equals to less congestion on the roads and for parking spaces. Our spies from Italy and France reported Smart Car to be a common sight. There was a yet smaller vehicle in Holland, the name of which we haven't been able to find out yet, and that was apparently a single seater automobile - addressing the above mentioned problems - especially for those with less children and productivity and efficiency in mind.
So, where did INVENT get it wrong? Right here!
So, when INVENT 2011 snubbed Kaar as a business idea in the very first round, we were concerned. It was either we had messed up somewhere so very bad, or that Mr. Rizvi had missed a trick. We decided to find out.
We sent our spies to all sorts of places in Europe, and decided to look over the internet ourselves. The aim: to compare a fuel-efficient car with...well, everything else.
Fuel Economy
But first, we take a look at something much closer to our homes. My home.
EME College is about 12 km from my home. The return journey takes 12 x 2 = 24 km, something I do almost everyday.
My Daihatsu (hope the spellings are correct) Cuore does about 24 km to 1 kg of CNG, which costs (these days Rs. 58.55/Kg). So, one college day costs me, lets say Rs. 59. The same (at Rs. 83.70/L and 14 km/L) on petrol costs me around Rs. 140. On the other hand, if I use the college bus, which charges Rs. 1500/month (about 22 days/month), I have to pay, on average, Rs. 68. Unfortunately, the route I have to take on public transport involves three sub-routes, which totals to Rs. 42/trip, and hence Rs. 84/college day.
The writing is on the wall. Public transport isn't the solution to our fuel-economy problem. Using my car is simultaneously the cheapest and the most expensive solution. Fuel-efficiency of the vehicle draws the line for me. Imagine a car that does, say, 42 km/L (much less than what we expect from Kaar). The trip would cost me just Rs. 46/day. 56 km/L would cost me just Rs. 35/day.
Utility
There can be no denial of the utility of small and personalize-able cars. For the college-student-me, my car allows me flexibility in timings and ability to synchronize my travel timings with those of my classes.
Moreover, I remember a video by Top Gear in which Jeremy Clarkson squeezes into a really small vehicle, which can...well, fit into an elevator, and allows locomotion inside his office!
Fashion-Statement
Who says small and fuel-efficient cars have to look gross all the time?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13088553
Vehicle Cost
This is the Tata-Nano. And the worst thing about it is that it's made by Indian. Among the 10 things TIME reckons you should know about it is that it costs about $ 2000 (PKR Equivalent Rs. 170,000), it's made with less material than conventional cars (as you would expect), it weighs 600 Kgs and gives over 20 km/L.Is Nano a success? Apparently yes. (I wouldn't know for sure with all that economic jargon everywhere on the net). TIME lists it among the 12 most important cars of ALL TIME! That these Indians A-holes are planning to get into Europe in 2011 speaks volumes of its success.
Parking Space
Small cars equals to less congestion on the roads and for parking spaces. Our spies from Italy and France reported Smart Car to be a common sight. There was a yet smaller vehicle in Holland, the name of which we haven't been able to find out yet, and that was apparently a single seater automobile - addressing the above mentioned problems - especially for those with less children and productivity and efficiency in mind.
So, where did INVENT get it wrong? Right here!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)