Striving towards Excellence

-Karthik Gurumurthy

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Let me tell you about this absolutely magical concert venue in Salzburg - imagine getting to hear Mozart's music in the same stunning marble hall where Mozart himself used to perform! ✨

The Marble Hall (Marmorsaal) in Mirabell Palace is like stepping into a baroque fairy tale. It was originally built as a fancy place for the prince-archbishops to show off, but now it's one of the most beautiful concert halls you'll ever see. We're talking ornate marble everywhere, these gorgeous ceiling frescoes, and the kind of acoustics that make every note feel like it's dancing in the air!

Fun stuff about this place:

• It's actually where the von Trapp kids from "The Sound of Music" sang "Do-Re-Mi" (well, part of it anyway!)
• Still has the original marble from the 1700s (talk about lasting quality!)
• Hosts these amazing classical concerts almost every day
• The acoustics are so perfect you can hear every tiny musical detail

Pro tips:

• Book tickets in advance (this place is POPULAR)
• Get there early to snag the best seats
• Bring a light jacket (those marble walls keep things cool)
• The palace gardens outside are perfect for a pre-concert stroll

Fun fact: The palace survived a city fire in 1818, but the staircase and marble hall were pretty much untouched. Even natural disasters know not to mess with perfection! 🎵

There's nothing quite like hearing Mozart in a place where he actually performed! 🎹

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Okay, picture the most epic medieval castle ever - but instead of just sitting on a hill, it's literally built into the mouth of a CAVE! That's Predjama Castle for you, and it's absolutely mind-blowing! 🏰

This place is like the ultimate medieval fortress-meets-secret-hideout, about an hour from Ljubljana. Built right into this 123-meter-high cliff, it's been hanging there (literally!) for over 800 years. Talk about prime real estate!

The castle's most famous resident was this rebellious knight called Erazem (think medieval Robin Hood vibes). He actually used the cave system behind the castle to secretly get supplies during a siege - pretty clever, right? Legend has it, he would taunt his enemies by throwing fresh cherries at them during the siege to show he wasn't starving. Unfortunately, a servant betrayed him and... let's just say the bathroom cannonball incident didn't end well for our hero! 😅

Cool stuff about the castle:

• There's a natural cave system RIGHT BEHIND IT (like, built into it!)
• Secret tunnels everywhere (perfect for sneaking out to grab snacks)
• A drawbridge (because every proper castle needs one)
• Amazing views of the countryside
• It's the largest cave castle IN THE WORLD

Best part? You can actually visit and explore most of it! Though sadly, throwing cherries at visitors is probably not allowed anymore.

Imagine a maze of hidden tunnels snaking through a massive cave system behind Predjama Castle - they were the ultimate medieval escape route, complete with natural air conditioning and perfect for sneaking in supplies during sieges! The coolest part is how the clever knight Erazem used these passages to keep his castle stocked with food (and yes, those famous cherries) during a siege, literally walking out the back door through the caves while his enemies were camped at the front gate. These secret passages aren't just narrow little corridors either - we're talking about multiple levels of caves big enough to move supplies and horses through, with some tunnels leading all the way to nearby villages (which definitely came in handy when Erazem needed to make a quick grocery run during that siege)!

My recommendation: If you visit in summer, bring a jacket - those cave parts can get chilly even when it's roasting outside. And trust me, you'll want to check out those caves - they're absolutely incredible!

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Burggarten - it's like the royal family's former backyard that they decided to share with everyone! 🌺

Think of the most elegant garden party you can imagine, then add some imperial flair - that's Burggarten for you! This gorgeous green space used to be the private garden of the Habsburg rulers (talk about fancy landscaping!), sitting right next to the Hofburg Palace in the heart of Vienna.

The star of the show? The Mozart statue! It's probably the most photographed musician in Vienna, with this awesome treble clef made of flowers in front of it during the warm months. Mozart's just chillin' there like he's about to drop his next hit album! 🎵

Cool stuff you'll find:

• This amazing Art Nouveau palm house (Palmenhaus) that's now a super trendy cafe
• A butterfly house where you can hang out with gorgeous butterflies
• Emperor Franz I's statue (giving some serious "I own this place" vibes)
• Perfect lawns where you'll spot locals doing the most Viennese thing ever - reading newspapers in the sun

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Please let me share with you about Rathauspark - it's basically Vienna's front yard and the city's favorite party spot! 🌳

Imagine this gorgeous park right in front of Vienna's City Hall (Rathaus), which looks like a fairy tale castle trying to pass as a government building. The park is like this amazing green carpet rolled out in front of it, complete with cute pathways, fountains, and enough Instagram-worthy spots to fill your feed for weeks!

The coolest part is the Film Festival in summer, when they set up this HUGE screen and turn the whole square in front of the Rathaus into an outdoor cinema with food stalls from around the world. Picture watching concerts and shows while munching on international treats - all for free!

Pro tips:

• The best photos of the Rathaus are from the center pathway
• There are some super comfy benches perfect for people-watching
• Grab ice cream in summer or punsch (hot spiced wine) in winter
• The lighting at dusk is absolutely magical for photos

And here's a fun local secret: The little cafes tucked away in the park's corners are way less touristy than the bigger spots nearby. Perfect for a coffee break while watching Vienna do its thing! ☕

Want to know about any specific seasonal events in the park? There's always something fun happening! 🎪

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Let me tell you about the Austrian Parliament - it's like ancient Greece decided to set up shop in the middle of Vienna! 🏛️

Picture this: A massive building that looks like the Parthenon got a major glow-up, complete with a super impressive fountain out front featuring Pallas Athena (looking all wise and warrior-like) just casually hanging out with these amazing statues. She's basically been the building's bouncer since 1902, standing there with her golden helmet and spear!

The coolest part? The whole building is packed with symbolism. Like, they weren't subtle about it AT ALL. You've got these ramps leading up to the entrance called "Path of Democracy" (I see what they did there!), and everything's designed to remind you of ancient Greece - because, you know, democracy and all that good stuff was their thing first.

Fun stuff inside:

• The National Council chamber looks like a fancy theater
• There's this stunning marble everywhere you look
• Secret tip: check out those amazing conference rooms (they're like time capsules of old-school political style)
• Currently getting a massive makeover (they're making it all high-tech while keeping the classic vibes)

Recommendation: If you visit during a parliamentary session, you might catch some real political drama going down. And the guided tours are actually super interesting - way better than your high school civics class!

-Karthik Gurumurthy

 It's basically the mother of all palaces in Vienna and was pretty much the Habsburg family's winter crib for over 600 years! 🏰

Imagine a palace so massive it's like they kept adding bits and pieces over 700 years whenever someone thought, "You know what this place needs? MORE palace!" We're talking 2,600 rooms (yes, you read that right!), and enough bling to make any royal influencer jealous.

The coolest stuff you'll find here:

• The Imperial Apartments (where you can see how Emperor Franz Joseph and his fashionista wife Sisi lived)
• The Sisi Museum (all about their famous empress who was basically the Princess Diana of her time)
• The Silver Collection (imagine having so much fancy tableware you need a whole museum for it!)
• The Spanish Riding School with those amazing white Lipizzan horses doing ballet (horses doing ballet - how fancy is that?!)
• The Austrian National Library that looks like it's straight out of Beauty and the Beast

Fun fact: Today, it's where the Austrian president works. Talk about a sweet office space!

Recommendations:

• Give yourself plenty of time - this place is HUGE
• The Imperial Treasury is worth every cent (they've got the crown jewels and a unicorn horn... well, they thought it was one! 😅)
• Watch the morning exercise of the Lipizzan horses if you can't catch a show
• Check out the palace guards in their snazzy uniforms

And here's a juicy bit: Empress Sisi was so obsessed with her hair that she spent 2-3 hours EVERY DAY just getting it done. Now that's what I call high maintenance! 👑

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Let me tell you about St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom) - Picture this massive cathedral with a roof so colorful it looks like someone decorated it with the world's fanciest tiles (they actually did - 230,000 glazed tiles making awesome patterns!). And that spire? It's so tall (136 meters!)

The coolest bits:

• The South Tower (locals call it "Steffl") - climb it if you're feeling brave (only 343 steps, no biggie 😅)
• A massive bell called "Pummerin" that's like the rock star of church bells
• These incredible Gothic carvings that'll make you go "How did they even do that?"

Fun facts:

• Mozart got married here
• It survived World War II (mostly - the roof caught fire but Viennese people formed a human chain to save it!)
• It's got one of Europe's biggest free-swinging church bells

Recommendations:

• Go up the North Tower for the best views of Vienna (and it's got an elevator - way easier than those South Tower steps!)
• Check out the roof patterns - one side looks totally different from the other
• Listen for "Pummerin" - it only rings on special occasions
• Look for the "O5" carved outside - it was a secret resistance symbol during WWII

If these walls could talk... well, actually, the guided tours do a pretty good job of spilling all the tea about what's gone down here over the centuries! Want to hear any specific stories about this gorgeous giant? 🗿

And whatever you do, don't miss the view from either tower - it's the best selfie spot in Vienna (just try not to drop your phone from up there! 📱).

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Please let me tell you about this super cool spaceman that just landed in Oslo! 🚀

So there's this awesome artist named Brendan Murphy who's known for making these incredible spaceman sculptures, and now Oslo's got one! It's called "What's Next" and it's hanging out at Aker Brygge. The coolest part? They painted it in this matte blue color that matches the Norwegian flag - how thoughtful is that?

Fun fact: This isn't Murphy's first space rodeo! He started this whole spaceman thing back in 2021 in Antigua with this massive 22-foot sculpture (which was like, the biggest thing in the Caribbean at the time). Then he was like "Hey, let's spread the space love!" and put another one in London, and even one at the Houston Astros' stadium (because, you know, Houston and space are totally BFFs 🛸).

Now Oslo's got its own 22-foot spaceman, and it's all about bridging the gap between Oslo's past and future. Pretty deep, right?

Want to know more about the artist? Murphy's kind of a big deal - his art is in over 600 private collections (fancy!), and he creates all sorts of cool stuff from his studio in Miami.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

-Karthik Gurumurthy

-Karthik Gurumurthy

-Karthik Gurumurthy

-Karthik Gurumurthy

 Travel is about finding incredible experiences, so don’t chase familiar surroundings, go after your biggest dreams before the chance slips away.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Traveling forces you to break out of your daily routine and all that you are familiar with. It might be uncomfortable, scary even; however, the rewards are worth it. The knowledge and experience you gain will outweigh any self-doubt and worry you had before you began traveling.

Travel also forces you to self-reflect and understand yourself as a person. As a result, you will be more prone to being open and comfortable expressing yourself without worrying about others’ approval.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Life is constantly changing. Setting up rigid rules and expectations will leave you disappointed. Travel teaches you to go through life with a sense of wonder, live in the moment, and learn to be comfortable in an ever-changing environment

-Karthik Gurumurthy

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Travel is the most amazing wrapped present - the inside is the transformation of you.

I travel because it makes my life so much better in many ways.

And because it makes my life rich and full with wonderful memories of cherished moments around the world with cherished people in beautiful settings.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Traveling is more than sunsets and shopping–it’s a way to get your mind off things. It’s a way to allow you to develop yourself in a faraway land, and it’s a way for you to be who you want to be.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Travel brings in a fresh energy. Waking up in a new place is quite literally like hitting the reset button for your mind and body. The stimulation you get from traveling can boost your productivity and effectiveness in your daily work at home.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Bula from Fiji, where happiness comes naturally!

Traveling offers numerous leadership lessons, especially when approached with openness and curiosity. The significance of open-minded and open-hearted leadership has become a call to action for many.

One thing you will realize through your travels is the borders that separate us are man-made, and so are the preconceived misconceptions and generalizations that we have of each other. Setting aside barriers that we have created ourselves that have long kept us divided, you will realize that we are essentially the same.

Vinaka!

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Travel opens up the mind and helps us question our reality, understand new cultures, and make lasting memories for a lifetime. Although some people refuse to travel because they see it as time-wasting, it opens your mind and heart to take a new perspective of life. 

In fact, travel is more than just taking a selfie. It's about understanding the world we live in, broadening our horizons as human beings, developing empathy for others, and giving us new insights into the culture. In short, it gives us a new appreciation for what makes life worth living.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

The biggest joys of traveling are the memories you make along the way. Whether they are fond memories of the places, food and the people you met. They all culminate to be some of the best moments of your life. It is indeed truly a blessing to call this planet our home for there is no picture on the internet or book that could truly capture the essence of this world.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

The biggest joys of traveling are the memories you make along the way. Whether they are fond memories of the places, food and the people you met. They all culminate to be some of the best moments of your life.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Traveling is a great way to let go of the past and future and enjoy the present moment. It is a time when you can be spontaneous and inspired to do things. When you travel, you notice that things are different from your routine. In this way, traveling allows you to live in the moment without thinking about the routine. 

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Shaking up your routine and seeing new sites sparks inspiration. You generate creativity as your five senses take in a new environment.

It makes sense. The more you brain gets exposed to new senses and activities, the more it generates new thoughts, feelings and innovations from the inspiration gained. Ernest Hemingway used experiences from Spain and France as inspiration to write much of his work.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

by Karthik Gurumurthy

Sachin Tendulkar aka God of Cricket declared his retirement yesterday.  World cricket would definitely miss this prodigy for sure.  I am thankful for having had the opportunity to see this legend in action.

The first time I had an opportunity to witness him in action was in the year 1989. He was just selected for the Indian team playing at that time representing MRF XI vs All India State Bank of India. My dad was the scorer for the SBI team and that is how I was able to watch all these matches.

I remember watching Tendulkar in close quarters paying very close attention to the game.  Unlike rest of his teammaters, he was not chatting or resting. On that particular day he did not play very well. As a matter of fact he scored duck. He got out  the first ball he faced to another hero of mine  R. Prabhakar (RP) who was known as the SBI Masterblaster and unfortunately didn't have the fortune of playing one day or T-20 as he would have been a tremendous addition to the team.

Anyways despite Tendulkar getting out,  I could not miss to see he was very serious , determined and  had eyes of a tiger and one could see the fire in his eyes to succeed. Never that  we knew at that time he would the God of Cricket breaking all records, setting new standards and taking the game to a totally different level.

I can talk about all the games I have watched  from this Little Master but my main focus is to throw light on what we all can learn from this legend. This is the story I heard from one of the commentators. I am not sure whether it was Harsha Bhogle or Shastri. While the world rises to salute a truly outstanding cricketer, this little tale probably explains, in small measure the making of a legend.

December 1989, Pakistan. It was the fourth test I believe between India and Pakistan.  K. Srikkanth was the captain.The series was 0-0 after three tests. India was playing second innings and because of deadly bowling attack by Waqar and Akram, India was 38/4 and it looked they would lose the game and eventually lose the series. Sanjay Manjrekar, Srikkanth, Azharuddin, Shastri were already gone. Sachin joined Sidhu. Waqar bowled a nasty bouncer which hit his nose and he was bleeding profusely. The Indian physio came running to the field and requested Sachin to retire hurt and come out later. Captain also requested him to take a break. Despite that Sachin brushed them away and said, "I will play". That is the time, people got to see the real star in the making. Sachin could have gone into the relative comfort of the dressing room but he didn't. People watching would have understood but he knew his heart wouldn't understand. The blood was staining his gloves, shirt, his face, his spirit. But he would have none of it.  He went on to score 57 runs and that changed the whole game itself.

It is always easy to do stuff when things are going in one's way. But during the time of obstacles, who stands when the dust settles will determine where he will go. It is always like that. What separates champions from mere mortals is not just talent. It's attitude. It is mental strength. It is the willingness to fight when the chips are down. It is the spirit that made him say"I will play.". The spirit that puts the team's need ahead of one's own interest.

There are times in our lives when the pressure mounts and we feel like throwing in the towel and calling it quits. That's just the time when you need to put your hand up and be counted. Time to say "I will play".

Over the last two decades, Sachin has entertained us with his performances. We have watched with awe as he has pulled off incredible wins. And we have watched with anguish when he failed and with him have crashed entire nation's hopes.

Sachin's greatest contribution is teaching an entire nation to stand up and fight. To learn never to give up. Thanks Sachin for teaching all of us the valuable lesson of not giving up because it is hard. We salute you for showing and leading by example of how to fight and letting your bat talk.