And here I am...

thirdmainroad · 28th May 2019, 15:00

. . . to rock you like a hurricane!

Hello Everyone,

First of all, thank you Mods for accepting my membership.

I am Chandan, 36 years old, and live in Chennai. I am a traveler at heart, and can't stay put in a place for too long! I started my work life in Greenpeace, but soon got disillusioned with saving the world - I figured saving the environment is as personal a thing as religion. I then went on to becoming a copywriter, and worked with a few ad agencies before the travel bug firmly bit me; went on to working with corporate team building stuff, but that wasn't my calling as well. I then joined a resort in the wild, Jungle Retreat, Masinagudi, where I stayed for a few years before partnering with a friend to start a motorcycle tour company called Extreme Bike Tours. Extreme Bike Tours did so much better than we expected - we were targeting only 10 bikes per tour, mostly Australians and the brits, and were soon running 10-12 fully booked tours per year. Our flagship tours were of course in the Ladakh region - The Mighty Himalayas we'd call them, but we also offered tours in Nepal - Tibet, Rajasthan, South India and Bhutan. I was very active with the tours for 3 years - but every year, riding over 50,000 KM was getting to me, not to mention having to spend 3/4 months in the Himalayas. Every tour, being on a motorcycle there would be at least 10 near misses, and some where I just couldn't believe how I was still in one piece - though I never really met with an accident or a fall with all those miles of riding. But it got me thinking and while I was thinking, I was diagnosed with an advanced cancer and that was the end of running a tour company! I recovered fast enough, thanks to the advanced cancer care available in Chennai - but did have to go through a bone marrow transplant in 2015, which meant no riding bikes for a few years. So I sold the motorbike tour company and have since started a not for profit wig making company for I realized first hand how much losing hair to chemo means to a woman. So we manufacture what are called hair extensions that are exported to the USA and route the profits to make wigs for woman undergoing chemo. Well, that's the idea any way, for so far, not much profits are coming in, but hey, I am at least generating employment for now for 20 women in a rural area where the factory is set up!

I love music, travel, reading, animals and computer games. One of the greatest paradoxes I face is that I can't seem to give up non veg, as much as I like animals.

I am here because Team BHP has been where I look for reviews on stuff I'd like to do to my car - like audio upgrades, tyres and sun protection/ppf films, reviews for new cars, travel routes and advise - and having undertaken many mods to my vehicles over the years and travelling as much as I have gotten to, I think I can be a meaningful contributor. Thanks for having me on board! I do live to drive, indeed!

sunilch · 28th May 2019, 15:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by thirdmainroad

Hello Everyone ........

Welcome to the forum Chandan

Your experiences so far read like a script of an inspiring Bollywood Movie. May be one day some one like Akshay Kumar will do a film on you as well. In your 36 years, you have been through what I may not want to go through and you have done what I may want to do at some point in my life

Great to see you here. Hope to read more about your work and experiences over the coming years.

Cheers!!!

srini1785 · 28th May 2019, 19:27

Chandan,

I must say that you are the first person that made me write a reply in the "introduce yourself" thread. At 36 , you have gone through a roller coaster ride in life.

The motto " live life to its fullest" would find it's truest practitioner in you.

Welcome to this wonderful site and wish you the best.

28th May 2019, 15:00	#1
thirdmainroad BHPian Join Date: May 2019 Location: Chennai Posts: 247 Thanked: 2,003 Times	And here I am... . . . to rock you like a hurricane! Hello Everyone, First of all, thank you Mods for accepting my membership. I am Chandan, 36 years old, and live in Chennai. I am a traveler at heart, and can't stay put in a place for too long! I started my work life in Greenpeace, but soon got disillusioned with saving the world - I figured saving the environment is as personal a thing as religion. I then went on to becoming a copywriter, and worked with a few ad agencies before the travel bug firmly bit me; went on to working with corporate team building stuff, but that wasn't my calling as well. I then joined a resort in the wild, Jungle Retreat, Masinagudi, where I stayed for a few years before partnering with a friend to start a motorcycle tour company called Extreme Bike Tours. Extreme Bike Tours did so much better than we expected - we were targeting only 10 bikes per tour, mostly Australians and the brits, and were soon running 10-12 fully booked tours per year. Our flagship tours were of course in the Ladakh region - The Mighty Himalayas we'd call them, but we also offered tours in Nepal - Tibet, Rajasthan, South India and Bhutan. I was very active with the tours for 3 years - but every year, riding over 50,000 KM was getting to me, not to mention having to spend 3/4 months in the Himalayas. Every tour, being on a motorcycle there would be at least 10 near misses, and some where I just couldn't believe how I was still in one piece - though I never really met with an accident or a fall with all those miles of riding. But it got me thinking and while I was thinking, I was diagnosed with an advanced cancer and that was the end of running a tour company! I recovered fast enough, thanks to the advanced cancer care available in Chennai - but did have to go through a bone marrow transplant in 2015, which meant no riding bikes for a few years. So I sold the motorbike tour company and have since started a not for profit wig making company for I realized first hand how much losing hair to chemo means to a woman. So we manufacture what are called hair extensions that are exported to the USA and route the profits to make wigs for woman undergoing chemo. Well, that's the idea any way, for so far, not much profits are coming in, but hey, I am at least generating employment for now for 20 women in a rural area where the factory is set up! I love music, travel, reading, animals and computer games. One of the greatest paradoxes I face is that I can't seem to give up non veg, as much as I like animals. I am here because Team BHP has been where I look for reviews on stuff I'd like to do to my car - like audio upgrades, tyres and sun protection/ppf films, reviews for new cars, travel routes and advise - and having undertaken many mods to my vehicles over the years and travelling as much as I have gotten to, I think I can be a meaningful contributor. Thanks for having me on board! I do live to drive, indeed!
	(3) Thanks

28th May 2019, 19:27	#3
srini1785 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: bang Posts: 878 Thanked: 3,117 Times	re: And here I am... Chandan, I must say that you are the first person that made me write a reply in the "introduce yourself" thread. At 36 , you have gone through a roller coaster ride in life. The motto " live life to its fullest" would find it's truest practitioner in you. Welcome to this wonderful site and wish you the best.
	(2) Thanks