Just for the extra penny!

Today's economic crisis has created challenging times for many employees. While most of them are fretting over job security, there are many who are looking at different ways to earn those extra bucks
What can you do with supplemental income? Plenty! Just take your pick: put the extra money into your savings account, buy stuff you've always wanted to have, invest the extra cash, maybe pay off a few pending bills. These and more are reasons enough why employees these days are seeking ways to earn extra money besides earning from their regular, full time jobs. Extra Innings… Working part-time is often the way to go if you want to earn extra without disrupting your regular job. Assess your skills, hobbies, interests and training. Usually, you’ll find that the source of supplemental income for you is usually something that is related to your current job. Vira Mundroina, for example, who is working as an assistant manager with a financial organisation is also an Avon representative for the last 20 years. “As an assistant manager, I have a lot of responsibilities and need to put in at least 7-8 hours of work. But I try to devote some time everyday to my networking business (Avon) as it requires me to attend meetings,” says Mundroina. Just a little more…. “Supplemental income is very important in today's economic crisis. The standard of living has gone up to quite an extent. It's not just food, clothing and shelter, but a lot of other needs that need to be fulfilled,” adds Mundroina. Although there's too much of hard work involved, Mundroina doesn’t mind putting in extra hours as it gets her the extra income along with recognition. Alka Aswani, who owns a chic boutique in a posh suburban area strongly feels the need for a supplemental income. “A second job always come handy as it fetches the much needed extra bucks,” confirms Aswani. Besides owning a boutique, Aswani is also an agent advisor with a leading life insurance company. And not only that! She also works as a subagent with a travel agency wherein she issues tickets to her clients. “Since insurance is the only guaranteed factor, it gets me good business which in turn gets me the extra income,” adds Aswani. “I operate as a sub-agent from my boutique itself as I have enough space. I get access to international fares at a lesser rate and this helps me get a few extra bucks,” she further adds. For Alrio Franko, who is currently working for a leading BPO as a product trainer, putting his creative talent to use is the best way to earn supplemental income. Franko, who is a trained guitarist, gives guitar tuitions as and when he finds time from work. “A call centre job usually pays well, so there is no need for a second job. A second job can be taken up as a passion and not really as an extra source of income,” feels Franko. We suggest ways to earn supplemental income: 1)Earn money from your hobbies – Turn your garden into a produce shop, put your baking skills to good use, or sell handmade crafts. 2)Put your musical talents to good use – Can you play an instrument? Hire yourself to play at small parties, or offer music lessons. 3)Put up things on sale - Have a garage sale or put unused and unwanted items up for sale. 4)Become a tutor – Fluent in more than one language or a whiz at math? Post flyers around your neighbourhood or place an ad in the local paper and put your expertise to good use. 5)Rent a room – If you have a spare room in your house or an apartment, consider giving it on rent. 6)Embrace your inner chef – Have a neighbourhood bake sale with your famous cookies, pastries and pies or find a local restaurant looking for fresh, homemade pastries.

The Man who designed the BANDRA-WORLI sea link.

Seshadri Srinivasan with his design of the Sea Link

On Tuesday, this city got its newest landmark: the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. We spoke to the man who designed this engineering marvel on the day it was inaugurated

Looking at Seshadri Srinivasan, it’s hard to believe that this unassuming gentleman is responsible for the design of Mumbai’s newest landmark: the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. Yet, the whole behemoth, inaugurated on Tuesday, first took its present form in the sketches of this 77-yearold bridge designer. “I’ve lost count of the number of bridges I’ve designed,” says Srinivasan, a 1958 post-graduate in structural engineering from Madras University. “In fact, it would be safe to say that I designed my 100th bridge a long time ago.” And indeed, the man has quite a few famous bridges to his credit, from the JJ Flyover that was completed in 2002 to the world-renowned Jamarat Bridge in the holy city of Mecca, which is used by Muslims during Haj in the stoning-of-the-devil ritual. Still, it took three attempts before he could find the ideal mix of elegance and utility with his designs in Mumbai. In 1986, he had submitted six designs for the Thane Creek bridge. “At that time, the UP government had won the bid, and my design came in second,” he says. His second foray was the JJ Flyover: a purely utilitarian project. It was only with the Sea Link that Srinivasan seems completely satisfied. Srinivasan’s work on the bridge began in March 2003 when his firm Dar Al-Handsah was awarded the design project. “Our design brief was to look at a cablestay bridge. Of course, this brief went through myriad changes,” he says, smiling. “Earlier, it was a single tower, which would carry both decks on a single support. This meant both carriageways (roads) would have to be built simultaneously. Then, when plans changed to the present-day two towers, the design got simplified. “But this meant more expenditure, resources and spending more time on the project.” But still, Srinivasan loves his creations like a doting father. “Show me any bridge that you think looks better than this Sea Link,” he says proudly, while quickly adding that bridge-building is not only about aesthetics. When working on any such structure, designers have to consider various factors such as meteorological reports which describe wind speeds, height of waves, etc, he says. “It has to be built without risk - ease in building is one of the most important factors that should be considered during the design stage. Also, one needs to factor in the load it has to carry. After all, the bridge has to last for a good 120 years,” he adds. But, he’s quickly lost in the moment, and gets romantic about Mumbai’s newest landmark. “I believe in a structure that’s elegant from each and every angle,” he says, staring at pictures of the Sea Link in his office. And then, he suddenly reminisces about his Wadi Abdoun Bridge in Lebanon, which was completed in 2006. “Today couples exchange their wedding vows on the bridge and get their wedding pictures shot there. Besides the utility, people should be enchanted by it,” he says with a twinkle in his eyes. “That’s what I expect from this bridge.”