I think my blogging habits have started resembling my workouts. Irregular and erratic. Lame excuses apart, I was tied up with some unfinished job in Chennai, which took lot of my attention and time. Sorry to the (1) guy who reads my blog - Me!
So why this sudden shot at redemption, you may ask ; It’s my way of saying: Guyz I am still alive and kicking !
Summers are getting hotter in our country. This does not stop us from switching on the air conditioner and catching that few hours of sleep that does not come naturally these days, thanks to the sedentary life we lead. We are consumed by a perpetual satiation for the sloppy soap operas and the umpteen number of dance contests that we fail to realize that our mind if not our body needs its share of peace and rest. In the good old days, if I remember my childhood, we had an amazing respect for the clock and were tuned to having healthy eating and sleeping habits. We never knew, 2 decades from then, we would turn out to be domestic disasters.
I am a victim of this change too, albeit, I try to nullify its effect whatever humanly possible.
Any ways it’s the sultry heat that made me write this stuff. A lot has conspired in this month and I must say for me, the comeback of Saurav (our dada) was the most memorable one. Dada showed his critics that his passion for the bat defies his age and he still has the killer instincts in him to thrash any loose deliveries.
The match against Kolkata Knight Riders now would be fun to watch!!
I visited my college (St. Peter’s Engineering College) after 8 long years and was surprised to see, not much has changed. I still had to take a train from Chennai Central to the Annanur railway station. It was just like any other day during my four long years during engineering - sultry and sticky weather, hot like hell. After
a long walk and after downing 2 water bottles, I could see my campus. It was overwhelming; The very sight of the main building got me nostalgic.
There was no change in and around the college, Avadi being a very small suburb outside Chennai only known for its coach factory and a army cavalry unit.
The roads were still red clay dusty and you can only see some string of shops that cater to the student population. I was surprised to see that our department now has it's own building far off from the main campus. It shared it’s premises with the Biotechnology engineering department.
What used to be our canteen, our hangout after lecture hours, is now a soil testing laboratory. It was unbelievable. I could not help but peek into some lecture halls, not knowing that they were all vacant and had just had been used for the first semester theory exams.
I walked to the reception and one of the head clerks did recognize me and enquired on my adventures after graduating. I told him about my escapades, which were of some interest to him apart from the mundane stuff he gets to share with his fellow staff. After meeting my department head and lecturers, I was heading down to the main campus, when I was stopped by a lady whom I could immediately recognize as my first year chemistry teacher. She gave a huge cry and said..”Are you the one from the first batch of chemical engineers?”. I replied in affirmative and I could see her being pretty excited about seeing one of her students after a long hiatus. I greeted her and took her leave and walked back towards the station for what could be a long journey back home.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Sunday, November 21, 2010
A tribute !! Where in the world is Eduardo-Saverin (By Larry Cheng)
I must say how much i loved this write up and how much it sums up my interest in knowing Eduardo Saverin from my experience of him through facebook movie - The Social network. I tried reading about him, to know more about him and i always will credit him with the inspiration he has given me in the past few days!!
I thank Larry cheng for this write up and excuse myself for republishing it as a post in my blog.
Where In The World Is Eduardo Saverin?
Posted in Pop Culture, Venture Capital by larrycheng on June 15, 2009
This story takes place a few weeks after thefacebook launched.
It was March of 2004 and I was attending an alumni event for Harvard Student Agencies (HSA) – a student run company at Harvard. Being a past president of HSA, I made a point of attending this event just to stay in touch with the students and school. As the evening drew to a close, I asked one of the current HSA managers, “What’s the coolest thing on campus these days?” Her response with conviction was, “Thefacebook. It just came out last month and everyone is using it on campus.” Apparently some sophomores had set up a website intended to be a better online version of the Freshman Facebook – a physical book with the pictures of each member of the freshman class. The Freshman Facebook was the dating (or more realistically, scouting) manual used by all freshmen to keep tabs on the classmates that caught their eye.
Intrigued, I went home and checked out thefacebook.com (which I will now refer to as Facebook). The site was only open to those with a harvard.edu email, but fortunately my post.harvard.edu alumni email worked liked a charm. After logging in and checking out the features, I had an “aha” moment. The founders had made a simple yet brilliant innovation which did not exist on any other social network. They had uploaded the Harvard course catalog into the network so that with a single drop down menu, you could sort the entire network by those taking the same class as you. The limitation of the Freshman Facebook was the limited content and the fact that if an upper classmen caught your eye, there was no reliable way to find out that person’s name or learn more about him/her. But now with Facebook, you could come back from class, go online, sort the network by that class, click through the photos and once you found that person – voila. You could see everything about that person that they cared to share which was a lot more than the Freshman Facebook. Facebook was the killer college dating application.
Since at that time I was at another venture capital firm which invested in start-ups, I was eager to meet the people behind Facebook. Maybe there was an investment opportunity. I looked around the site and saw that it was “a Mark Zuckerberg production”. I messaged Mark and scheduled a meeting for the very next afternoon at Henrietta’s Table – a restaurant at The Charles Hotel in Cambridge, MA. I showed up to the restaurant at 3:00pm and there was Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin waiting. We decided to sit outside given the unseasonably warm weather in Boston that day. We ordered some drinks, and they began to tell me the nascent but exciting story of how they, along with some others, started Facebook.
Mark and Eduardo had a complementary aspect to their partnership. Mark struck me as the alpha male. He had a profound confidence about him that exceeded his youth. He exuded killer instinct. He was not shy about sharing his aspirations of dominating the college market. He was also the technical visionary behind the scenes. Eduardo was polite and unassuming. He could have been your college roommate. He was jovial, relational, and likeable. He seemed to be the fast follower. He was also apparently the business mind. While both exuded a certain naivete, they were both convinced that they were going to change the world. They were right.
After that meeting, my mind was consumed with the potential of Facebook. It was only a couple days later that I had a second meeting with Mark and Eduardo. Yet again, we met at Henrietta’s Table – but this time for breakfast. I arrived first, and as Mark and Eduardo came in – it was obvious they had woken up early for this meeting. In fact, Mark’s first comment with a broken smile was that he normally doesn’t get up this early. I was truly appreciative. We got down to business, and I asked Mark and Eduardo about their plans for Facebook and their interest in raising venture financing. They said that they had not yet met with any venture capitalists, but had some initial discussions with a couple angel investors. Mark also expressed his intent to leave school and move to Silicon Valley to lead Facebook full-time. Mark seemed deeply committed to it while Eduardo tried unsuccessfully to project the same confidence. I asked them if they had thought about how much the company was worth. Mark confidently articulated a valuation that some angels had given him. Eduardo stared, paused, and tentatively nodded in agreement.
I invited Mark and Eduardo to my office the next week. While I was unsure of whether this was a good fit with the firm I was at, I decided to take a couple hours that day, and walk them through a blank term sheet. I figured whether we invested in Facebook or someone else did, Mark and Eduardo would benefit from understanding the standard financing terms. I felt a certain obligation to make sure they were educated enough to not sign up to a bad deal. So, we sat there each with a copy of a blank term sheet. I walked through each term and explained in the simplest language what they meant – “preferred”, “voting rights”, “anti-dilution”, “protective provisions”, “registration rights”, “information rights”, “board of directors”, etc. I explained to them the range of options under each, and what was normal. This time Eduardo exuded the confidence. He nodded with assurance after nearly every provision articulating that he knew what that provision meant. He said he had “studied it in school”. I found that to be curious since during my time at Harvard, not a single finance course was offered, let alone one on venture capital term sheets. Maybe things had changed I thought. Nonetheless, I continued to explain things in detail presuming no prior knowledge.
After the session, Mark and Eduardo informed me that they had no transportation home and they had taken a cab to come visit me. Feeling guilty that it never occurred to me that they didn’t have a car, I drove them home myself and paid for their cab fare. We had a nice conversation on the way home. We talked about Eduardo’s girlfriend at Wellesley who he was clearly infatuated with. We talked with Mark about the Bay Area and moving to California, which he was enthusiastic about. And, after the quick drive down the Mass Pike, we took the Cambridge/Allston exit, looped back towards Harvard and I dropped Mark and Eduardo off at Johnston Gate, the main entrance to Harvard Yard.
That was the last time I saw either Mark or Eduardo because an investment ultimately did not work out. Since then, Mark has obviously gone on to change the world – just as he expected to. Mark has accomplished everything he said he would and more. But, when I think back on this experience, a big part of me wonders what happened to Eduardo. I’ve heard about the break-up with Mark early on which makes me wonder what happened behind the scenes. I wonder how Eduardo was treated in the whole process. When people tell the Facebook story now, it seems like Eduardo gets deleted from many versions and included in some. But, from my vantage point, Facebook will always be about Mark and Eduardo. No matter what is written out there, I’ll always believe that Eduardo Saverin is a co-founder of Facebook.
(Eduardo, if you read this, give me a call. Let’s go grab a bite to eat. Henrietta’s Table – I’ll drive.)
I thank Larry cheng for this write up and excuse myself for republishing it as a post in my blog.
Where In The World Is Eduardo Saverin?
Posted in Pop Culture, Venture Capital by larrycheng on June 15, 2009
This story takes place a few weeks after thefacebook launched.
It was March of 2004 and I was attending an alumni event for Harvard Student Agencies (HSA) – a student run company at Harvard. Being a past president of HSA, I made a point of attending this event just to stay in touch with the students and school. As the evening drew to a close, I asked one of the current HSA managers, “What’s the coolest thing on campus these days?” Her response with conviction was, “Thefacebook. It just came out last month and everyone is using it on campus.” Apparently some sophomores had set up a website intended to be a better online version of the Freshman Facebook – a physical book with the pictures of each member of the freshman class. The Freshman Facebook was the dating (or more realistically, scouting) manual used by all freshmen to keep tabs on the classmates that caught their eye.
Intrigued, I went home and checked out thefacebook.com (which I will now refer to as Facebook). The site was only open to those with a harvard.edu email, but fortunately my post.harvard.edu alumni email worked liked a charm. After logging in and checking out the features, I had an “aha” moment. The founders had made a simple yet brilliant innovation which did not exist on any other social network. They had uploaded the Harvard course catalog into the network so that with a single drop down menu, you could sort the entire network by those taking the same class as you. The limitation of the Freshman Facebook was the limited content and the fact that if an upper classmen caught your eye, there was no reliable way to find out that person’s name or learn more about him/her. But now with Facebook, you could come back from class, go online, sort the network by that class, click through the photos and once you found that person – voila. You could see everything about that person that they cared to share which was a lot more than the Freshman Facebook. Facebook was the killer college dating application.
Since at that time I was at another venture capital firm which invested in start-ups, I was eager to meet the people behind Facebook. Maybe there was an investment opportunity. I looked around the site and saw that it was “a Mark Zuckerberg production”. I messaged Mark and scheduled a meeting for the very next afternoon at Henrietta’s Table – a restaurant at The Charles Hotel in Cambridge, MA. I showed up to the restaurant at 3:00pm and there was Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin waiting. We decided to sit outside given the unseasonably warm weather in Boston that day. We ordered some drinks, and they began to tell me the nascent but exciting story of how they, along with some others, started Facebook.
Mark and Eduardo had a complementary aspect to their partnership. Mark struck me as the alpha male. He had a profound confidence about him that exceeded his youth. He exuded killer instinct. He was not shy about sharing his aspirations of dominating the college market. He was also the technical visionary behind the scenes. Eduardo was polite and unassuming. He could have been your college roommate. He was jovial, relational, and likeable. He seemed to be the fast follower. He was also apparently the business mind. While both exuded a certain naivete, they were both convinced that they were going to change the world. They were right.
After that meeting, my mind was consumed with the potential of Facebook. It was only a couple days later that I had a second meeting with Mark and Eduardo. Yet again, we met at Henrietta’s Table – but this time for breakfast. I arrived first, and as Mark and Eduardo came in – it was obvious they had woken up early for this meeting. In fact, Mark’s first comment with a broken smile was that he normally doesn’t get up this early. I was truly appreciative. We got down to business, and I asked Mark and Eduardo about their plans for Facebook and their interest in raising venture financing. They said that they had not yet met with any venture capitalists, but had some initial discussions with a couple angel investors. Mark also expressed his intent to leave school and move to Silicon Valley to lead Facebook full-time. Mark seemed deeply committed to it while Eduardo tried unsuccessfully to project the same confidence. I asked them if they had thought about how much the company was worth. Mark confidently articulated a valuation that some angels had given him. Eduardo stared, paused, and tentatively nodded in agreement.
I invited Mark and Eduardo to my office the next week. While I was unsure of whether this was a good fit with the firm I was at, I decided to take a couple hours that day, and walk them through a blank term sheet. I figured whether we invested in Facebook or someone else did, Mark and Eduardo would benefit from understanding the standard financing terms. I felt a certain obligation to make sure they were educated enough to not sign up to a bad deal. So, we sat there each with a copy of a blank term sheet. I walked through each term and explained in the simplest language what they meant – “preferred”, “voting rights”, “anti-dilution”, “protective provisions”, “registration rights”, “information rights”, “board of directors”, etc. I explained to them the range of options under each, and what was normal. This time Eduardo exuded the confidence. He nodded with assurance after nearly every provision articulating that he knew what that provision meant. He said he had “studied it in school”. I found that to be curious since during my time at Harvard, not a single finance course was offered, let alone one on venture capital term sheets. Maybe things had changed I thought. Nonetheless, I continued to explain things in detail presuming no prior knowledge.
After the session, Mark and Eduardo informed me that they had no transportation home and they had taken a cab to come visit me. Feeling guilty that it never occurred to me that they didn’t have a car, I drove them home myself and paid for their cab fare. We had a nice conversation on the way home. We talked about Eduardo’s girlfriend at Wellesley who he was clearly infatuated with. We talked with Mark about the Bay Area and moving to California, which he was enthusiastic about. And, after the quick drive down the Mass Pike, we took the Cambridge/Allston exit, looped back towards Harvard and I dropped Mark and Eduardo off at Johnston Gate, the main entrance to Harvard Yard.
That was the last time I saw either Mark or Eduardo because an investment ultimately did not work out. Since then, Mark has obviously gone on to change the world – just as he expected to. Mark has accomplished everything he said he would and more. But, when I think back on this experience, a big part of me wonders what happened to Eduardo. I’ve heard about the break-up with Mark early on which makes me wonder what happened behind the scenes. I wonder how Eduardo was treated in the whole process. When people tell the Facebook story now, it seems like Eduardo gets deleted from many versions and included in some. But, from my vantage point, Facebook will always be about Mark and Eduardo. No matter what is written out there, I’ll always believe that Eduardo Saverin is a co-founder of Facebook.
(Eduardo, if you read this, give me a call. Let’s go grab a bite to eat. Henrietta’s Table – I’ll drive.)
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Devil is in the Details..err...Elevator !!
One often does not see a movie laced with the notion that we are being watched and whatever we do has consequences. And if we think if the devil may care, think again, the devil does care !
From the mind of M Night Shyamalan reads the promo of the movie “Devil”. This statement is necessary as its from this mind we got to see few of the most bizarre, gut wrenching and spine chilling movies of all times – The Sixth Sense, The village, The Unbreakable. No wonder, to give the film it’s due, this time Shyamalan gives the helms to a director who has shown what it takes to direct a movie that comes from the twisted and dark night chronicles.
Five people stuck on a elevator at a Philadelphia Skyscrapper and one by one dying mysteriously. It’s not a run of the mill plot. But the movie takes you on to the edge of your seat very cleverly by its characterization and the occasional chills. Believe it or not, the movie has a splendid cast, characters who are radically different and scary, but with one kind of past..a past none of them regret except for one..
The arrival of the devil is shown brilliantly and the starting credits show you the skyline of the downtown upside down. It really builds up the momentum and you would belonging for all the five to get into the lift.
One of the most annoying characters in the lift, as majority feel was the best when it came to the dialogues. The Mexican security guard is more of a devil’s advocate here than just a watch keeper. The cop is good in his role and the climax when everything connects to him, is shocking.
I must confess, I agree “We are here for a reason”. Go Watch it and get your thrills…
From the mind of M Night Shyamalan reads the promo of the movie “Devil”. This statement is necessary as its from this mind we got to see few of the most bizarre, gut wrenching and spine chilling movies of all times – The Sixth Sense, The village, The Unbreakable. No wonder, to give the film it’s due, this time Shyamalan gives the helms to a director who has shown what it takes to direct a movie that comes from the twisted and dark night chronicles.
Five people stuck on a elevator at a Philadelphia Skyscrapper and one by one dying mysteriously. It’s not a run of the mill plot. But the movie takes you on to the edge of your seat very cleverly by its characterization and the occasional chills. Believe it or not, the movie has a splendid cast, characters who are radically different and scary, but with one kind of past..a past none of them regret except for one..
The arrival of the devil is shown brilliantly and the starting credits show you the skyline of the downtown upside down. It really builds up the momentum and you would belonging for all the five to get into the lift.
One of the most annoying characters in the lift, as majority feel was the best when it came to the dialogues. The Mexican security guard is more of a devil’s advocate here than just a watch keeper. The cop is good in his role and the climax when everything connects to him, is shocking.
I must confess, I agree “We are here for a reason”. Go Watch it and get your thrills…
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Between a Hard Place and a Rock
Visit the Fox searchlight productions official site for the movie 127 hours.
What strikes you most is the terrifying camera angle moving flat at the surface of what looks like a canyon in Utah to its lowest depths, narrowing down to the bone and finally showing you how Aron, the world famous moutain climber who was stuck with a boulder crushing his lower arm fought death and showed us that the will to live is the greatest acts of strength in the world.
Danny boyle has this rare talent of selecting interesting and gut wrenching stories and making them with exceptional brilliance. He comes across as one of the most prolific directors with a penchant for the unconventional and larger than life reality.
If the movie posters are anything to go by and with A R rahman's pulsating score, this can be one of the best movies of this year and can stay with you for some time to come.
Can't wait to watch it!!
What strikes you most is the terrifying camera angle moving flat at the surface of what looks like a canyon in Utah to its lowest depths, narrowing down to the bone and finally showing you how Aron, the world famous moutain climber who was stuck with a boulder crushing his lower arm fought death and showed us that the will to live is the greatest acts of strength in the world.
Danny boyle has this rare talent of selecting interesting and gut wrenching stories and making them with exceptional brilliance. He comes across as one of the most prolific directors with a penchant for the unconventional and larger than life reality.
If the movie posters are anything to go by and with A R rahman's pulsating score, this can be one of the best movies of this year and can stay with you for some time to come.
Can't wait to watch it!!
Friday, March 05, 2010
Without Baggage
I must confess:
1. It’s been some time I blogged.
2. I never found a compelling reason to blog.
Well if you see things from my perspective, I thought the world was not much different from the time I last posted:
• Kashmir still comes with excess baggage
• India and China are a perceived threat to other countries when it comes to jobs
• I am still with the same organisation…
• I enjoy the same boring capuchinno everyday
• I pay my Flat maintenance bills
• Traffic in Kurla is a still a head ache
Today I write to tell you about a book , a book that really deserves mention. It’s a graphic novel and goes by the name “Kashmir Pending” and is written by NASSERahmed and SAURABHsingh.
This was my first tryst with a graphic novel and was impressed by the simplicity of the art, unlike the heavy graphics imposed on you in other graphic comics noir.
The book talks about a time in Kashmir valley when it was ridden with conflicts from both within and outside. The story is a first degree narrative by the main character who from being a confused and retinent teenager moves on to the boundaries of revolutionary training camps and war zones.
The protagonist recalls the days of protests and the mood in Srinagar and how he gets influenced by the discontentment that was brewing in Kashmir at that time. He goes on a journey that changes his life, and what he thinks about freedom. What strikes you most is the poignant depiction of the dark and gloomy climate striven with blood and anger. The novel uses black and red colours on the graphic to bring about the mood, which takes it a step closer to reality.
The main character, Mustaq transforms from an angry young man to a defiant veteran who finds peace and salvation at the end of a life –changing experience.
The book is not a serious take on what Kashmir is , but yes, it does give you an outlook of what Kashmir was at that time ..a time when Mustaq as a child continued with the tradition of hurling granite stones on to the boats of the Jhelum river aiming the BSF personnel…..He never knew the reason why he and his friends in the past did it…it was just for the rage…It was the battle within..
There are days I cannot help but share an interesting experience ..This was one of them..
1. It’s been some time I blogged.
2. I never found a compelling reason to blog.
Well if you see things from my perspective, I thought the world was not much different from the time I last posted:
• Kashmir still comes with excess baggage
• India and China are a perceived threat to other countries when it comes to jobs
• I am still with the same organisation…
• I enjoy the same boring capuchinno everyday
• I pay my Flat maintenance bills
• Traffic in Kurla is a still a head ache
Today I write to tell you about a book , a book that really deserves mention. It’s a graphic novel and goes by the name “Kashmir Pending” and is written by NASSERahmed and SAURABHsingh.
This was my first tryst with a graphic novel and was impressed by the simplicity of the art, unlike the heavy graphics imposed on you in other graphic comics noir.
The book talks about a time in Kashmir valley when it was ridden with conflicts from both within and outside. The story is a first degree narrative by the main character who from being a confused and retinent teenager moves on to the boundaries of revolutionary training camps and war zones.
The protagonist recalls the days of protests and the mood in Srinagar and how he gets influenced by the discontentment that was brewing in Kashmir at that time. He goes on a journey that changes his life, and what he thinks about freedom. What strikes you most is the poignant depiction of the dark and gloomy climate striven with blood and anger. The novel uses black and red colours on the graphic to bring about the mood, which takes it a step closer to reality.
The main character, Mustaq transforms from an angry young man to a defiant veteran who finds peace and salvation at the end of a life –changing experience.
The book is not a serious take on what Kashmir is , but yes, it does give you an outlook of what Kashmir was at that time ..a time when Mustaq as a child continued with the tradition of hurling granite stones on to the boats of the Jhelum river aiming the BSF personnel…..He never knew the reason why he and his friends in the past did it…it was just for the rage…It was the battle within..
There are days I cannot help but share an interesting experience ..This was one of them..
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Hyd 62
Yes, why not, if we can have Chennai 600021 and Delhi 6..we can have our very own Hyd 62. The other day i was on my tread machine burning my heart and calories and was watching outside the thick glass shutters onto the AS Rao Nagar main road...
I was amazed..this place has changed so much that it takes someone of my standards of observation, 5 floors of a high rised building to feel the change..the place has changed...it got a facelift at an amazing pace...within no time..this place is now hot and happening...
AS Rao Nagar derives it's name from one Mr. AS Rao, who legend has it .. was very infleuntial in developing the area and was a prominent figure in the ECIL industry in which AS Rao Nagar culminates. The famous EC TV ...which were popular in 60's and 70's were developed by ECIL corporation.
The AS Rao Nagar main road stretches from the point you have this black figure pointing his fingure towards ECIL, taking you to an area that has all it's charm in simplicity and sans any detours.
The stretch has the best of shops, eatouts, chat bahndars, Malls, hospitals, supermarts, juicelets ..the list goes one...you name it, this place has it all..
I call it the Island coz , AS Rao Nagar if not connected with Sainikpuri on the left and Tarnaka on the right..well could have been own it's own....
This stretch, the Main road..which when i see it from the confines of my gym, reminds me of the Marine drive in Mumbai...
Well now let me come to what everyone rummaging thru this post..are thinking..What's in it for me??
A sprawling gas station with In&Out Stores
3-4 AC Restos and Bars for the restless Minds and the Dev D's
Dominoz Pizza and Pizza town for the nightwatchers and a Subway outlet for the diet freaks
And for those food lovers ...Pav Bhaji at Narayanreddy sweets, North Indian treat at Tandoor and Sairathna ..
Idlies and hot filter cofee served dextrously in Woodlands spelled
'oodlands ' IN TELUGU.
Eseva, APSRTC booking centres, Railway Reservation counters for the travel friendly..
Hyderabad House and Vemireddy Biryani huts for the Beer-yanni lovers
Flats and inidividual houses ready to be taken - For those in need of a roof..
Pantaloons, Loot mart, Megamart, Levis, Reebok showrooms for the killer looks
For the daily shoppers ....super marts like Ushodaya, More, Spencers, Foodworld
Parks for the teens/and lovebirds...
Moulali Hill for the day dreamers....
Rajastani Tea and Hot jilebi's for your tastebuds...
ECIL Bus stand for those who would want to travel to the other parts of the city..
Music stations..Planet M and Reliance Digital for the gadget freaks.....
And Yes..if you venture into Officers colony..You have our house safely placed on the fourth floor of an apartment well admired >...
I was amazed..this place has changed so much that it takes someone of my standards of observation, 5 floors of a high rised building to feel the change..the place has changed...it got a facelift at an amazing pace...within no time..this place is now hot and happening...
AS Rao Nagar derives it's name from one Mr. AS Rao, who legend has it .. was very infleuntial in developing the area and was a prominent figure in the ECIL industry in which AS Rao Nagar culminates. The famous EC TV ...which were popular in 60's and 70's were developed by ECIL corporation.
The AS Rao Nagar main road stretches from the point you have this black figure pointing his fingure towards ECIL, taking you to an area that has all it's charm in simplicity and sans any detours.
The stretch has the best of shops, eatouts, chat bahndars, Malls, hospitals, supermarts, juicelets ..the list goes one...you name it, this place has it all..
I call it the Island coz , AS Rao Nagar if not connected with Sainikpuri on the left and Tarnaka on the right..well could have been own it's own....
This stretch, the Main road..which when i see it from the confines of my gym, reminds me of the Marine drive in Mumbai...
Well now let me come to what everyone rummaging thru this post..are thinking..What's in it for me??
A sprawling gas station with In&Out Stores
3-4 AC Restos and Bars for the restless Minds and the Dev D's
Dominoz Pizza and Pizza town for the nightwatchers and a Subway outlet for the diet freaks
And for those food lovers ...Pav Bhaji at Narayanreddy sweets, North Indian treat at Tandoor and Sairathna ..
Idlies and hot filter cofee served dextrously in Woodlands spelled
'oodlands ' IN TELUGU.
Eseva, APSRTC booking centres, Railway Reservation counters for the travel friendly..
Hyderabad House and Vemireddy Biryani huts for the Beer-yanni lovers
Flats and inidividual houses ready to be taken - For those in need of a roof..
Pantaloons, Loot mart, Megamart, Levis, Reebok showrooms for the killer looks
For the daily shoppers ....super marts like Ushodaya, More, Spencers, Foodworld
Parks for the teens/and lovebirds...
Moulali Hill for the day dreamers....
Rajastani Tea and Hot jilebi's for your tastebuds...
ECIL Bus stand for those who would want to travel to the other parts of the city..
Music stations..Planet M and Reliance Digital for the gadget freaks.....
And Yes..if you venture into Officers colony..You have our house safely placed on the fourth floor of an apartment well admired >...
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Impending g(loom) - Our trip to visit the Handloom weavers of Sircilla
It happened in 2001 and no one knew. No one, except the one's
who had it in them,the power to exploit the situation and take
political mileage were waiting. It was the end of a beginning.
We were, as the whole country was,lost in our own trivial
problems. Back then, i must confess we were also not aware of
the happenings in our state or our country, let alone be moved
by what i call " a series of unfortunate misplaced events" that
led to the spate of suicides in the remote village of Sircilla,
across dry and neglected Karimnagar District.
It took 7 years with suicide counts and changes in the goverment
for us - 6 youngsters to touch base at this village with
revelations brutally honest and politically confusing. We came
to know here, that mudslinging happens everywhere..no one is
spared...
We started our trip with the knowlege on the Handloom weavers of
Sircilla limited to few detailed mailers from the Frontline
tabloid. These articles were a fodder for the magazine at that
point of time and had all the makings of a breaking news slot.
We boarded a bus to Siddhipet, a municipality under the
Karimnagar Zilla parishad. The group was diversified as the
subject of the trip itself. Me and my cousin being program
writers for software product companies, one of them being a code
writer for a software firm and one being creative designer for a
movie based firm. Out of the remaining two, one was a son of a
farmer and had keen interest and awareness on rural farming and
the later was a Sales manager for a Pizza outlet..a fast moving
one for that matter......
With each one of us from different backgrounds and a common
perception about the handloom craft, the trip took us on a
suprising visit to the darkest realities of rural artisans and
the neglected tribes.
Hadloom weavers of Sircilla have been in peace for 30-40 years.
The trouble brewed with the Indian government amending the
National Textile Policy to reflect with the then government's
push towards liberalisation and globalisation.
The Maharashtra and Gujarat governments knew that most of the
textile was being bought from Sircilla. A spate of proactive
measures incluing the training of local handloom weavers on
Powerlooms and Jetlooms and also not being stringent on the
Handloom Reservation Act resulted in the development of a strong
weavers community forming in these two states with produce
significantly larger than the one produced in Sircilla and of
lower cost and better quality.
The Sircilla weaving community was caught unawares, with both
government not helping them to upgrade to Powerlooms from
conventional handlooms to compete with their predessors and also
their stock worth tens of crores lying idle in godowns and not
fetching them orders for which they have already commited
themselves.
What resulted was no less than a genoside. The desparate weavers
started commiting suicides. This caught the fancy of the then
politicians and what followed was a new era of vote bank
politics. It happened in 2001, 2004 and 2008.
This was news hard to digest and too interesting to ignore.
Our trip had hardly begun and we started to have already form a
picture of the ghosts of 2001.
We were of course in for a suprise...
To know what happened next....keep a watch on this post....
who had it in them,the power to exploit the situation and take
political mileage were waiting. It was the end of a beginning.
We were, as the whole country was,lost in our own trivial
problems. Back then, i must confess we were also not aware of
the happenings in our state or our country, let alone be moved
by what i call " a series of unfortunate misplaced events" that
led to the spate of suicides in the remote village of Sircilla,
across dry and neglected Karimnagar District.
It took 7 years with suicide counts and changes in the goverment
for us - 6 youngsters to touch base at this village with
revelations brutally honest and politically confusing. We came
to know here, that mudslinging happens everywhere..no one is
spared...
We started our trip with the knowlege on the Handloom weavers of
Sircilla limited to few detailed mailers from the Frontline
tabloid. These articles were a fodder for the magazine at that
point of time and had all the makings of a breaking news slot.
We boarded a bus to Siddhipet, a municipality under the
Karimnagar Zilla parishad. The group was diversified as the
subject of the trip itself. Me and my cousin being program
writers for software product companies, one of them being a code
writer for a software firm and one being creative designer for a
movie based firm. Out of the remaining two, one was a son of a
farmer and had keen interest and awareness on rural farming and
the later was a Sales manager for a Pizza outlet..a fast moving
one for that matter......
With each one of us from different backgrounds and a common
perception about the handloom craft, the trip took us on a
suprising visit to the darkest realities of rural artisans and
the neglected tribes.
Hadloom weavers of Sircilla have been in peace for 30-40 years.
The trouble brewed with the Indian government amending the
National Textile Policy to reflect with the then government's
push towards liberalisation and globalisation.
The Maharashtra and Gujarat governments knew that most of the
textile was being bought from Sircilla. A spate of proactive
measures incluing the training of local handloom weavers on
Powerlooms and Jetlooms and also not being stringent on the
Handloom Reservation Act resulted in the development of a strong
weavers community forming in these two states with produce
significantly larger than the one produced in Sircilla and of
lower cost and better quality.
The Sircilla weaving community was caught unawares, with both
government not helping them to upgrade to Powerlooms from
conventional handlooms to compete with their predessors and also
their stock worth tens of crores lying idle in godowns and not
fetching them orders for which they have already commited
themselves.
What resulted was no less than a genoside. The desparate weavers
started commiting suicides. This caught the fancy of the then
politicians and what followed was a new era of vote bank
politics. It happened in 2001, 2004 and 2008.
This was news hard to digest and too interesting to ignore.
Our trip had hardly begun and we started to have already form a
picture of the ghosts of 2001.
We were of course in for a suprise...
To know what happened next....keep a watch on this post....
Thursday, March 13, 2008
The 11th Hour - What Hyderabad Unplug can Do !!
Hyderabad Unplug is a voluntary campaign urging Hyderabad's citizens to turn off lights and unplug electrical appliances for an hour on April 18, 2008 from 7.30 to 8.30 pm and thereby empathise with the climate crisis issue. It also aims to kindle awareness about global warming among the citizens and serving institutions of this city and inspires them to take a small step towards addressing the climate crisis by turning off the lights for an hour.
By mobilising households to participate in this event, we are enabling people to discuss about global warming. Homemakers who may have never known that electical appliances do contribute to climate crisis by way of greenhouse gas emission, will definitely prune their electrical appliance usage.
Also, this event highlights the fact that judicious usage of electricity within individual households will not only reduce the impact of global warming, but also saves lot of power on a mass scale that can be used in villages where there is less or no electricity.
By mobilising households to participate in this event, we are enabling people to discuss about global warming. Homemakers who may have never known that electical appliances do contribute to climate crisis by way of greenhouse gas emission, will definitely prune their electrical appliance usage.
Also, this event highlights the fact that judicious usage of electricity within individual households will not only reduce the impact of global warming, but also saves lot of power on a mass scale that can be used in villages where there is less or no electricity.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Raghu Almighty and his twisted brain...
Sometimes i wonder..how would one's life be, if it were to be lived by a book. Would it be lived on our own terms, reading the pages we want to and avoiding the one's which we are not comfortable to deal with. Practically the whole of humanity has some book or other in a different form to guide them in the path to attain salvation. The book of God tells you on how to live your life and the purpose you serve in your lifeterm.
But nothing in life happens by the book. You don't have a code. Life defies logic. It's like driving a mountain terrain where you don't know which side the road is gonna turn. The wrong turn can kill you. As clueless it seems to be, life does have a pattern. A method to the madness. All you have to do is to keep a track of this pattern.
I was not born in a generation which saw, Arthur Canon Doyle, Abert Einstein,Stephen Hawkings, Issac Aminov and Charles Dickens. But nevertheless, the generation i am born into seems to me as fascinating as that era which has experienced all these greats living with their truimphs. From times immemorial, life has always been a puzzle and for those who seek to go beyond..itz an endless chasm...there's no end to what you seek...
The clock is ticking. It's not a paranoia if everyone is after you. Your identity ceases to exist. Your past is erased. Your future is dictated. Your interests sabotaged. The power balance would shift to those whom you depend and are slaves to. You share all you information with them. Someone is watching you all the time. Nothing is what it seems to be. There are two faces to everyone. The coin has only one side to it. The world is shrinking. You do not have a clue as what's happening. You live your life as if it is remote controlled. You pay your taxes. Information is being exchanged 24/7 , 365 days a year. Your transactions are recorded. Your locations are traced. You are bugged. Technology is moving at a maddening pace. The Babel is decoded. The whole world speaks one language. You live in a flat world.
Who ever has said...Life is beautiful...was lying.............
Note : Image courtesy - http://www.smashingmagazine.com/
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Joggers Park - Day 1
With Kumaran, a national level athlete and my engineering classmate from the batch of 98' taking over as my fitness trainer and guide, nothing can go wrong. Atleast the first day stint at Ellio'ts bears a testimony to this inflated statement. For all those sluggards like me this was a welcome break and did satisfy my sporadic craving for physical fitness. All those morning walkers who would want to laugh away to glory through the "Laughing clubs" - i have a better suggestion. Pick up - "Dogberts Management Handbook" by Scoot Adams for a read and it would definitely help keep all your toxins at Bay.
People generally go and workout when work does not interfere, but i think in this case, itz just about getting your a** out of the bed. Once you are done with those tracks and sneekers and you venture out, it's a whole new world out there. The cool and clean breeze and the clean dark tanned roads guiding you through the Anne Besant centre would pull you to the vast open sea. Beware of show stoppers in between your jogs. They are the people i categorize as "JOGseekers". They have to jog to live and see the next day.
The day started with me and kumara having a walk on the beach side jogging area and then Kumara timing a 500 metres jog session from the Murugan Idly shop end to the Police station side. It was tough in the beginning, but then i could check my pace and found myself panting for breath, falling by kumaran's side. After a short walk and a brief motivating lecture by my trainer, i found myself going for the kill again.
What next followed was a warm up session with exercises stretching the shoulders and legs facing the rising sun.
By the time we were walking towards the road, i could only shamelessly complete 15 of those famous "Spot Push ups" which my trainer thought were an indication of my fitness level.
By the time we were walking towards the road, i could only shamelessly complete 15 of those famous "Spot Push ups" which my trainer thought were an indication of my fitness level.
I relished a tender coconut juice and could see kumara felling disgusted by my stamina levels. The long drive to my hostel was as painful as it could be, as my whole body was out of place and was trying to come to terms with the sudden physical exersion it experienced. As per the tarot readers - they say this would not even last a day, but i am sure i would be testing my limits tomorrow with kumara during our workout session -2 . Day 2 .....coming next..
Friday, May 25, 2007
A beautiful Mind
Every Magic trick consists of three parts, or acts....
The first part is called the Pledge..
The magician shows you something ordinary - A deck of cards or a bird..or a man
He shows you this object and pledges you to its utter normality...
Perhaps he asks you to inspect it...to see that it is indeed real ..its unaltered..normal..but of course it probably is in't..
The Second Act is called the Turn...
The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it to something extra ordinary..Now you are looking for the secret..but you wont find it ..becuase you are not really looking....you don't really want to know...you want to be fooled..
But you couldn't clap yet..Beacuse making something disappear is not enough..you have to bring it back.
That's why every magic trick has a third act..The hardest part.../
The part we call....
The Prestige.. ..........From the Movie..'The Prestige"
I heard about Ramanujan as a reticent and confused teenager. Back then i was interrested in math but was limited to my knowledge which was nothing compared to the profound chanllenges the subject posessed. I had these traits, like not able to sleep bacause of not able to deduce a theorem or tapping the door of my teacher at 1:00 am when my teacher took me to be the mad guy who keeps knocking at their door halway through the night.
But that was 9 years back and the world of math never intrigued me till today, when i had the fortune of getting my hands on the book " The Man who knew Infinity - A LIFE OF THE GENIUS RAMANUJAM by Robert Kanigel. The book takes you to Kumbokonam, the heart of southern India where Ramanujan's legend still has buyers and is the source of Ramanujan's divine inspiration. He would have been the most underrated and unexplored brains if not for Hardy who responded to his letter finding hidden traits of a genius in the making. He invited Ramanujan to Cambridge, and thus started a relationship that spoke only one lanuage - The language of maths..........ad infinitum.
Ramanujan , in the language ogf the Ploish emigr'e mathematician Mark Kac, was a "magician", rather than an ordinary genious."
An ordinary genious is a fellow that you and I would be just as good as, if we were only many times better. There is no mystery as to how this mind works. Once we understand what he has done, we feel certain that we, too, could have done it. It is different with magicians. They are, to use mathematical jargon, in the orthogonal complement of where we are and the working of their minds is for all intents and purposes incomprehensible. Even after we understand what they have done, the process by which they have done it is completely dark.
An excerpt from the book 'The Man who knew Infinity - Alife of Genius Ramanujan - By Robert Kenigel - Page 281
Ramanujan's mathematics was magical. It inspired awe. Most of Ramanujan's work never had any proofs. Not that he was not capable of prooving his formulaes and theorems, but he chose not to. He did not believe in the Prestige...
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Mediocre But Arrogant - That's what i am...........
Yes, too credulous it seems to be. Any mortal who knows me would swear agree with me.
Gone are those days of moil. Those days of acrimony and silent mourning. I have now decided to live to the bone, true to the code. What's wrong being mediocre...Go home, face the mirror and ask yourself...All the best laid answers would rest all your doubts and convince you that being mediocre is a virtue only few men possess.
This is a flagitious world. The world we live. In this world Arrgance is misconstrued as Intelligence and Confidence. Arrogance is a virtue of the affluent and can vary with the degree of affluence and power. I am forced to state the facts here even though it might not be taken in the same sense i want the reader to understand. I would rather not be called a genious. A genious is a word that's been abused too often.
My notion about being Arroagant and mediocre was not clear to me for a long time. Being a genious not necessarily qualifies you to be arroagant. I am a living example of proof that you can be mediocre but arrogant. I do not relate to those irrational beings who prate about mediocre life and its perils. After all there is a method.there is a pattern to this state of being. Being mediocre applies only to the true ordinary people among us and does not belong to 'The Others'. It's a postive paradox.
If you read my blog you will evince this in a second.You would be able to relate to my mediocrity. I am not justifying, i am just proud. If you ever preceive anyone going to extra ordinary lengths to achieve the extra ordinary and do something unusual, you would set them down to be a genius. That's boring.
I have observed during the onerous duties i perform that method is all that makes you perfect. Adherence to a rigid system gives you the edge. It defines the way you work. But what good is a work if it's got no madness to relate to, no eccentricity to refer to. There is more than one way to do a job, ask the man in the last bench, ask the geek who tests the code, ask the scientist who hates anything that comes close to a method...ask me...
The worst thing is too many people take a fancy to this. It's excessively competitive. Everyone wants to be mediocre but only a few chose to be otherwise. But again i am a Man of the crowd....
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Thanks Giving Day
- I thank you for stopping by my blog - 5 minutes of your life you have lost to ....reading sheer crap..nevertheless thanks for your patience
- I thank my boss for letting me come late to office for my first 6 months
- I thank my friend Dunc in UK for getting WKD with me
- I thank the Auto driver who dropped me in a near dead state frm the office to my hut
- I thank my parents for giving up on me
- I thank my collegues for bearing those end less trips to canteen and getting hooked to caffeine
- I thank Domino's for delivering my pizza in time...
- I thank my Air Conditioner for giving me selfless service with out being serviced even once..I dunno when will you give up on me...but thanks for making me get through the scorching Chennai summer
- I thank my notebook for putting up with the constant churn of movies in the DVD drive..thnks for running at breakneck speed....u have a long way to go..
- I thank my friends @ college who thought me tamil and made me who i am today - a Chennaite....
- I thank my friend in mumbai for those long walks from Powai to Thane...
- I thank my brother for those shower of advices....that keep pouring in without a break
- I thank my friend Durai for bearing up with my tantrums
- I thank Indigo Nation - for providing me with the best fit
- I thank all the dead writers who help me live my night
- I thank all the mechanics who have vouched for my bike when it showed signs of fatigue..
- I thank all the banks who believe i am not a swindler
- I thank all the book sellers in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and UK for bearing with my whims and bargains
- I thank those movie freaks who understand that i am one of them
- I thank all the guyz who do piracy.......
- I thank God......for hand holding me...........through the rough times.....
- I thank all those i have ever met, ever seen, ever talked to, ever travelled with...
- I thank all my Brothers who pray for me...
- I thank my internet service ....for not getting disconnected..and for a change staying up with me late night...
Friday, May 18, 2007
The Fourth Seat
Ayushya gela ithe Chaavtya seat var basun, jara khidki var basu?
(Whole Life I spent on the fourth seat, can i seat on the window seat for sometime. ) - A dialogue from the Movie 'Dombivili Fast'.
Did you ever feel like hitting anyone because, he just brushed your vehicle, without even turning his back,becuse the guy next door spit on the wall next to your main door. Ever felt like whacking some one....Believe me you are not alone.
Man is a rational animal, but even there are moments of denial for everyone of us. The human nature is no exception. There's a line that we cross, there are times, we snap. What what we then leave is a trail of destruction, unseen by anyone, un imaginable in any form and yes, this destruction is brutally honest. It's the rage that's within.
Most of our lives..we live in what we called the forced world. It's a fourth generation world, where everything happening around us is forced on to us. You are forced to pay your taxes, forced to go to the same motel every day,forced to see the same doctor, forced to have the same cource of meal, forced to commute standing in a bus, even when you pay the ticket, forced to pay your electricity bills by the whims and fancies of your owner, itz on their mercy you live...a world drawn on us to blind us from the truth.. Wht do you do...........
You snap. Now it gets personal. It gets bad. You react. You don't take shit anymore. You are not the Mr. Nice guy anymore. You give them what they need. You say eat this!!!
This is what forms the crux of the Movie 'Dombivili Fast' now being made in tamil as "Evano Oruvan". Dombivili Fast starts with Madhav Apte, a man 'with no compromising on my principles' attitude loosing his cool and acting tough on the system. How he cracks up and the mayhem that follows forms the later part of the movie and culminates into the most underrated climax for any movie. This movie is real. It could leave you speech less for a while...
Everyone of us have a Madhav Apte in us. We fight our greatest battles within.
Today's Question - Will you still continue to take shit or strive to bring about a change..The question is if not you, who else will?
(Whole Life I spent on the fourth seat, can i seat on the window seat for sometime. ) - A dialogue from the Movie 'Dombivili Fast'.
Did you ever feel like hitting anyone because, he just brushed your vehicle, without even turning his back,becuse the guy next door spit on the wall next to your main door. Ever felt like whacking some one....Believe me you are not alone.
Man is a rational animal, but even there are moments of denial for everyone of us. The human nature is no exception. There's a line that we cross, there are times, we snap. What what we then leave is a trail of destruction, unseen by anyone, un imaginable in any form and yes, this destruction is brutally honest. It's the rage that's within.
Most of our lives..we live in what we called the forced world. It's a fourth generation world, where everything happening around us is forced on to us. You are forced to pay your taxes, forced to go to the same motel every day,forced to see the same doctor, forced to have the same cource of meal, forced to commute standing in a bus, even when you pay the ticket, forced to pay your electricity bills by the whims and fancies of your owner, itz on their mercy you live...a world drawn on us to blind us from the truth.. Wht do you do...........
You snap. Now it gets personal. It gets bad. You react. You don't take shit anymore. You are not the Mr. Nice guy anymore. You give them what they need. You say eat this!!!
This is what forms the crux of the Movie 'Dombivili Fast' now being made in tamil as "Evano Oruvan". Dombivili Fast starts with Madhav Apte, a man 'with no compromising on my principles' attitude loosing his cool and acting tough on the system. How he cracks up and the mayhem that follows forms the later part of the movie and culminates into the most underrated climax for any movie. This movie is real. It could leave you speech less for a while...
Everyone of us have a Madhav Apte in us. We fight our greatest battles within.
Today's Question - Will you still continue to take shit or strive to bring about a change..The question is if not you, who else will?
Friday, January 19, 2007
India calling...........
I am exited. Might leave to India on the first week of Feb. Hell of things to take care of.
Have to make sure that Durai has renewed my scooters licencse. Have to go and meet dad and mom, madhu, mahiti and brahmam and kittu. Have to catch up with all the movies i missed. Have to start my prep for CAT. Have to meet radhika and kinda apoligize for missing her marriage. Have to meet my pals in chennai, have to go for long walks. Have to take care of my taxes and bills.
Have to get my AC serviced. Have to get some vaccum cleaner stuff and also buy some nice sarees for mom. Have to sent some money to dad and apply for driving license.
Need to re think on my life. Need to work out daily. Sometimes you are so caught with life's hapennings, u dont take time for yourself. I need to slow down and just connect to myself. Have to go to bangalore to meet srinu, before he flies off to Germany.
The list is never ending. The pursuit of hapiness would continue through out............
Have to make sure that Durai has renewed my scooters licencse. Have to go and meet dad and mom, madhu, mahiti and brahmam and kittu. Have to catch up with all the movies i missed. Have to start my prep for CAT. Have to meet radhika and kinda apoligize for missing her marriage. Have to meet my pals in chennai, have to go for long walks. Have to take care of my taxes and bills.
Have to get my AC serviced. Have to get some vaccum cleaner stuff and also buy some nice sarees for mom. Have to sent some money to dad and apply for driving license.
Need to re think on my life. Need to work out daily. Sometimes you are so caught with life's hapennings, u dont take time for yourself. I need to slow down and just connect to myself. Have to go to bangalore to meet srinu, before he flies off to Germany.
The list is never ending. The pursuit of hapiness would continue through out............
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Everything Under Control......
4 long months, tat's what it takes to make you go crazy..long for sun, for dust, for all that rush that we wake up to every morning india...but asleast you are saved from the cold and the cold shoulders...
Yes i must confess, i miss India, not that i am not liking here, it's just that i want to take a break and go home and come back...this is the general feeling with all of us in this camp, struck in a project ironically rechirstened as 'Project Cruise'.
It's raining marriages in India...my cousin is getting married this Jan, my friend Avi and Srinu wll get engaged and my other cousin, Manasa is tying the knot in April...I hope these weeding bells do ring a bell to me.....
Will post....lost in thought
Yes i must confess, i miss India, not that i am not liking here, it's just that i want to take a break and go home and come back...this is the general feeling with all of us in this camp, struck in a project ironically rechirstened as 'Project Cruise'.
It's raining marriages in India...my cousin is getting married this Jan, my friend Avi and Srinu wll get engaged and my other cousin, Manasa is tying the knot in April...I hope these weeding bells do ring a bell to me.....
Will post....lost in thought
Saturday, November 25, 2006
The World is straight!
It's after a long time i hv forced myself to post. Needed an excuse. Got many.
There comes in everyone's life..a no man's land, a point of no return. You are disillusioned.
Angry at yourself. Confused. I was experiencing all these yesterday night. Was frustrated!!!
I got up today with a heavy head and by the time i could realise, the sun was over me and my tan dialled watch showed the angle of the needles at 11:00 am. Needless to say my body is trained to be lazy on the weekends. I turned on the laptop, started blogging.
By the time i could takee my hands off my laptop it was 11:30 and i got a call on my cell. It was invitation to watch the sequel of the movie Dhoom! 11:57 am - I was rushing through the Oracle...
The movie, which was by all means a one time watch, got over it was 14:55 and i had an appointment with a hair dresser at Essentials exactly 15 minutes past 15:00 hours. I ran like there was no tomorrow. I made it in time and was escorted by a lady who was coloured with Pink hair (Known as the Ego - Boost cut)...wat a way to boost your ego.......
I could see that my hair warrented some work on it, but never thought i would be part of this 'World is flat' jargon. The hair dresser who was working on my troubled hair was from Barbodos, the island of West Indies, the dress she has worn was brought in UK and the apron made in Srilanka. Adding to this, the straightner which she was using was made in Germany and the hair Gel in italy. The Client, a South Indian.
All the hair dressers were amused to see how curly my hair is. One of them who is from Johannesburg informed me that here in Uk, people pay a fortune to get their hair curled. Curly it can be, but unmanagable....Sorry i can't take it.
After 4 scissors and 2 sprays and one head bath, my hair looked like some thin threads tieds together.
I was feeling light. I walked a different man.
There comes in everyone's life..a no man's land, a point of no return. You are disillusioned.
Angry at yourself. Confused. I was experiencing all these yesterday night. Was frustrated!!!
I got up today with a heavy head and by the time i could realise, the sun was over me and my tan dialled watch showed the angle of the needles at 11:00 am. Needless to say my body is trained to be lazy on the weekends. I turned on the laptop, started blogging.
By the time i could takee my hands off my laptop it was 11:30 and i got a call on my cell. It was invitation to watch the sequel of the movie Dhoom! 11:57 am - I was rushing through the Oracle...
The movie, which was by all means a one time watch, got over it was 14:55 and i had an appointment with a hair dresser at Essentials exactly 15 minutes past 15:00 hours. I ran like there was no tomorrow. I made it in time and was escorted by a lady who was coloured with Pink hair (Known as the Ego - Boost cut)...wat a way to boost your ego.......
I could see that my hair warrented some work on it, but never thought i would be part of this 'World is flat' jargon. The hair dresser who was working on my troubled hair was from Barbodos, the island of West Indies, the dress she has worn was brought in UK and the apron made in Srilanka. Adding to this, the straightner which she was using was made in Germany and the hair Gel in italy. The Client, a South Indian.
All the hair dressers were amused to see how curly my hair is. One of them who is from Johannesburg informed me that here in Uk, people pay a fortune to get their hair curled. Curly it can be, but unmanagable....Sorry i can't take it.
After 4 scissors and 2 sprays and one head bath, my hair looked like some thin threads tieds together.
I was feeling light. I walked a different man.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
The War To End All The Wars
There was blood everywhere. Punctured helmets and severed hands. It doesn’t get worse than this. It was supposed to be the war to end all the wars. The Allied powers were ruthless and the Germany was confused. It all started with the ‘one thing led to other thing’ syndrome, otherwise known as Treaty Alliance System. The trigger was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, then heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914.
I made up my mind. It pays to know your history. A series of mechanical events followed triggering what went on to be the first global war mankind has ever witnessed.
The Austro-Hungarians opted to take the opportunity to stamp its authority upon the Serbians, crushing the nationalist movement there and cementing Austria-Hungary's influence in the Balkans. The Serbians sensed this in advance and through its long Slavic ties with Russia, drew it into the dispute.
Then the unthinkable happened. Russia declared war on Austria.
The Austro-Hungarian government sought assurances from her ally, Germany that she would come to her aid. Germany obliged and even encouraged Austria’s stance.
What followed was a catastrophic war of massive proportions, triggering these events:
Austria-Hungary, unsatisfied with Serbia's response to her ultimatum (which in the event was almost entirely placatory: however her jibbing over a couple of minor clauses gave Austria-Hungary her sought-after cue) declared war on Serbia on 28 July 1914.
Russia, bound by treaty to Serbia, announced mobilisation of its vast army in her defence, a slow process that would take around six weeks to complete.
Germany, allied to Austria-Hungary by treaty, viewed the Russian mobilisation as an act of war against Austria-Hungary, and after scant warning declared war on Russia on 1 August.
France, bound by treaty to Russia, found itself at war against Germany and, by extension, on Austria-Hungary following a German declaration on 3 August. Germany was swift in invading neutral Belgium so as to reach Paris by the shortest possible route.
Britain, allied to France by a more loosely worded treaty which placed a "moral obligation" upon her to defend France, declared war against Germany on 4 August. Her reason for entering the conflict lay in another direction: she was obligated to defend neutral Belgium by the terms of a 75-year old treaty. With Germany's invasion of Belgium on 4 August, and the Belgian King's appeal to Britain for assistance, Britain committed herself to Belgium's defence later that day. Like France, she was by extension also at war with Austria-Hungary.
With Britain's entry into the war, her colonies and dominions abroad variously offered military and financial assistance, and included Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and the Union of South Africa.
United States President Woodrow Wilson declared a U.S. policy of absolute neutrality, an official stance that would last until 1917 when Germany's policy of unrestricted submarine warfare - which seriously threatened America's commercial shipping (which was in any event almost entirely directed towards the Allies led by Britain and France) - forced the U.S. to finally enter the war on 6 April 1917.
Japan, honouring a military agreement with Britain, declared war on Germany on 23 August 1914. Two days later Austria-Hungary responded by declaring war on Japan.
Italy, although allied to both Germany and Austria-Hungary, was able to avoid entering the fray by citing a clause enabling it to evade its obligations to both.In short, Italy was committed to defend Germany and Austria-Hungary only in the event of a 'defensive' war; arguing that their actions were 'offensive' she declared instead a policy of neutrality.
The following year, in May 1915, she finally joined the conflict by siding with the Allies against her two former allies.
I can’t post any further. This Post was the most disturbing one for me. Will post the events that unfolded in the next post.
I made up my mind. It pays to know your history. A series of mechanical events followed triggering what went on to be the first global war mankind has ever witnessed.
The Austro-Hungarians opted to take the opportunity to stamp its authority upon the Serbians, crushing the nationalist movement there and cementing Austria-Hungary's influence in the Balkans. The Serbians sensed this in advance and through its long Slavic ties with Russia, drew it into the dispute.
Then the unthinkable happened. Russia declared war on Austria.
The Austro-Hungarian government sought assurances from her ally, Germany that she would come to her aid. Germany obliged and even encouraged Austria’s stance.
What followed was a catastrophic war of massive proportions, triggering these events:
Austria-Hungary, unsatisfied with Serbia's response to her ultimatum (which in the event was almost entirely placatory: however her jibbing over a couple of minor clauses gave Austria-Hungary her sought-after cue) declared war on Serbia on 28 July 1914.
Russia, bound by treaty to Serbia, announced mobilisation of its vast army in her defence, a slow process that would take around six weeks to complete.
Germany, allied to Austria-Hungary by treaty, viewed the Russian mobilisation as an act of war against Austria-Hungary, and after scant warning declared war on Russia on 1 August.
France, bound by treaty to Russia, found itself at war against Germany and, by extension, on Austria-Hungary following a German declaration on 3 August. Germany was swift in invading neutral Belgium so as to reach Paris by the shortest possible route.
Britain, allied to France by a more loosely worded treaty which placed a "moral obligation" upon her to defend France, declared war against Germany on 4 August. Her reason for entering the conflict lay in another direction: she was obligated to defend neutral Belgium by the terms of a 75-year old treaty. With Germany's invasion of Belgium on 4 August, and the Belgian King's appeal to Britain for assistance, Britain committed herself to Belgium's defence later that day. Like France, she was by extension also at war with Austria-Hungary.
With Britain's entry into the war, her colonies and dominions abroad variously offered military and financial assistance, and included Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and the Union of South Africa.
United States President Woodrow Wilson declared a U.S. policy of absolute neutrality, an official stance that would last until 1917 when Germany's policy of unrestricted submarine warfare - which seriously threatened America's commercial shipping (which was in any event almost entirely directed towards the Allies led by Britain and France) - forced the U.S. to finally enter the war on 6 April 1917.
Japan, honouring a military agreement with Britain, declared war on Germany on 23 August 1914. Two days later Austria-Hungary responded by declaring war on Japan.
Italy, although allied to both Germany and Austria-Hungary, was able to avoid entering the fray by citing a clause enabling it to evade its obligations to both.In short, Italy was committed to defend Germany and Austria-Hungary only in the event of a 'defensive' war; arguing that their actions were 'offensive' she declared instead a policy of neutrality.
The following year, in May 1915, she finally joined the conflict by siding with the Allies against her two former allies.
I can’t post any further. This Post was the most disturbing one for me. Will post the events that unfolded in the next post.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
The Game Plays You!
After a long hiatus, I played the game of Shuttle yesterday. Not may times in your life you get so nostalgic and exited at the same time. Yesterday was one of them. I happened to be one of those old timers who never got his timing right. Badminton, of course is more of a wrist play and mind game, rather than an aggressive game. Who else but the gentleman, the elderly person who was seated next to me would agree. After all he has seen more shuttle years than we all could.
I opened my game with a stiff wrist and a bad timing. Generally I was not a strategist or thinker, but I used to make up for it by covering the court, a la Michael Chang. During school and college days, it was a different ball game altogether. You were up to date on the trends, fit like a fiddle and played regularly. I still remember, when I used to play for the Baroda Gymkhana club and ONGC clubs, not a single game was played without a Bet.
Enter 2006; I am here, being hit all over the court, running aimlessly. Nevertheless, the game yesterday brought me back to all that I was missing, the fun in UK. These guys here were amazing players, with loads of stamina and power. This guy, Aldrin, I must confess, is a real power hitter. His reflexes are clever. Eyes sharp as a Hawk.
Sudha, one of my flat mates in Turret House, did play well, considering that she’s three months old in this trade. Vandy, I never mentioned…played well as I know, she ‘s strong in this game and can shoot killer drops. Vandy happens to be my colleague and project mate.
These indoor courts have a different appeal altogether. Here generally you need to fight out for every point. The flight of the shuttle is like that of an Albatross, gets flat in flight making it difficult for you to measure the drop. Badminton it seems is the game of the Mind and the Body and i think i definitely need to kick some ...
I opened my game with a stiff wrist and a bad timing. Generally I was not a strategist or thinker, but I used to make up for it by covering the court, a la Michael Chang. During school and college days, it was a different ball game altogether. You were up to date on the trends, fit like a fiddle and played regularly. I still remember, when I used to play for the Baroda Gymkhana club and ONGC clubs, not a single game was played without a Bet.
Enter 2006; I am here, being hit all over the court, running aimlessly. Nevertheless, the game yesterday brought me back to all that I was missing, the fun in UK. These guys here were amazing players, with loads of stamina and power. This guy, Aldrin, I must confess, is a real power hitter. His reflexes are clever. Eyes sharp as a Hawk.
Sudha, one of my flat mates in Turret House, did play well, considering that she’s three months old in this trade. Vandy, I never mentioned…played well as I know, she ‘s strong in this game and can shoot killer drops. Vandy happens to be my colleague and project mate.
These indoor courts have a different appeal altogether. Here generally you need to fight out for every point. The flight of the shuttle is like that of an Albatross, gets flat in flight making it difficult for you to measure the drop. Badminton it seems is the game of the Mind and the Body and i think i definitely need to kick some ...
Friday, October 20, 2006
The Flight of the Phoenix..
The day started early for me, not that I was nervous, but I was too exited to sleep. My parents turned up at 5:40 and it was time for me to bid farewell to Durai and hand over the house keys to him. It was decided that he would take care of the house and pay my bills.
I knew I was going to miss Dad and Mom but did not want to be an emotional freak and all that stuff. We reached right on time and were in fact at the airport 15 minutes before check in. I liked everything about travelling by plane.
I still remember, the way I used to go frenzy whenever I saw someone walking with a newspaper – the latest evening edition and a mineral water bottle usually a smaller one that is given in the flight and the tags hanging deliberately on the luggage as if they were some muse with price tags used for window dressing.
I always thought that the West was fascinating and for me a typical day would start with me walking in a overcoat with collars sniffing my ears and a leather bag in one hand and a Starbucks on the other hand with the latest edition of ‘The Guardian’ crumpled under the Arm.
I could see this happening, when all of a sudden, I felt something hot. It was Durai with a Cup of coffee that costed a whooping 25 bucks. There’s a poster stuck on the wall next to the cashier, it said…
‘All prices are inclusive of Taxes’.
The price you pay sometimes is not worth the catch. It was time for me to approach the baggage section and get my luggage checked in. I was taking the Emirates, and was in the beeline for Emirates check in and after 2 questions and three tags later I was relieved of my luggage leaving my hand luggage and me do all the talking. I was supposed to head to the immigration department in 10 minutes time. It was a point of no return. So I went back to dad and mom, assured them of calling them and patted Durai and Kumaran, my engineering pals farewell. I could sense my Mom wet her eyes, and could feel my heart sink in. I turned back and asserted my mom to take care of her health and dad to take his eye drops daily.
Two levels of Escalators later I was here being frisked by a Bihari guy with a metal detector. One thing you would never want to do in an Airport is not be yourself. It may attract unwarranted attention and indulge you in an impending doom. You know you are no Jason Bourne straight from an Espionage thriller that you can show a finger to the security and be out in the open.
Welcome to India guys, people are waiting to screw your plans. After half an hour on the net in the Airport lounge and a Sick samosa I was on the line for the terminal gate for Emirates - Boeing.
The flight was gigantic and majestic in its appearance. I could see a pretty gal in the line and already was guessing the probability of sitting next to her. Obviously my math was weak, as I was 10 rows behind her in the plane.
Before you enter the cockpit, you are allowed to pick free copies of newspaper dailies, one of the countries you are travelling from and one of the countries of your destination. As this flight was till Dubai, it made sense of me to collect the Khaleej times and the Hindu.
I could not help but my eyes did pop up when I caught two hostesses, one a Mexican and the other a Japanese. For the first time in life I could realise how lucky these cabin crew guys where …Having fun on the job…Will take this example in future in any of my management training events…Having fun at Work…The Emirates Way …By noted Management Guru – Raghu
At 9:30 my time I was hypnotized by a sweet lady to fasten my seatbelts, when the flight commander greeted us and informed us that we were about to fly at 38,000 feet and would reach Dubai by 12:30 pm. I was already thinking of the flight being hijacked and me stranded in a runaway with the Mexican…
The next 16 hours I could sense how inevitable it was for me to be patient and alert as I did experience, mayhem, fear and awe at Dubai Airport – a marvel of sorts.
Dubai robbed me of 177 pounds with which I brought a Digital Camera, as I thought it was sinful to go to UK without a camera.
After 2 irritating hours and a long walk I was on my maiden flight to Heathrow – London. A different time zone, a different weather and an alien place was open to me…My solace was that Vandana, my colleague and friend was already in UK for the past one month and her presence there was enough to pep me up.
The flight of the phoenix ended with me landing at Heathrow at 17:00 hours GMT.
I set foot on a foreign soil. The one small step, a giant leap to Turret House.
Will Post ……Till then you be all right.
I knew I was going to miss Dad and Mom but did not want to be an emotional freak and all that stuff. We reached right on time and were in fact at the airport 15 minutes before check in. I liked everything about travelling by plane.
I still remember, the way I used to go frenzy whenever I saw someone walking with a newspaper – the latest evening edition and a mineral water bottle usually a smaller one that is given in the flight and the tags hanging deliberately on the luggage as if they were some muse with price tags used for window dressing.
I always thought that the West was fascinating and for me a typical day would start with me walking in a overcoat with collars sniffing my ears and a leather bag in one hand and a Starbucks on the other hand with the latest edition of ‘The Guardian’ crumpled under the Arm.
I could see this happening, when all of a sudden, I felt something hot. It was Durai with a Cup of coffee that costed a whooping 25 bucks. There’s a poster stuck on the wall next to the cashier, it said…
‘All prices are inclusive of Taxes’.
The price you pay sometimes is not worth the catch. It was time for me to approach the baggage section and get my luggage checked in. I was taking the Emirates, and was in the beeline for Emirates check in and after 2 questions and three tags later I was relieved of my luggage leaving my hand luggage and me do all the talking. I was supposed to head to the immigration department in 10 minutes time. It was a point of no return. So I went back to dad and mom, assured them of calling them and patted Durai and Kumaran, my engineering pals farewell. I could sense my Mom wet her eyes, and could feel my heart sink in. I turned back and asserted my mom to take care of her health and dad to take his eye drops daily.
Two levels of Escalators later I was here being frisked by a Bihari guy with a metal detector. One thing you would never want to do in an Airport is not be yourself. It may attract unwarranted attention and indulge you in an impending doom. You know you are no Jason Bourne straight from an Espionage thriller that you can show a finger to the security and be out in the open.
Welcome to India guys, people are waiting to screw your plans. After half an hour on the net in the Airport lounge and a Sick samosa I was on the line for the terminal gate for Emirates - Boeing.
The flight was gigantic and majestic in its appearance. I could see a pretty gal in the line and already was guessing the probability of sitting next to her. Obviously my math was weak, as I was 10 rows behind her in the plane.
Before you enter the cockpit, you are allowed to pick free copies of newspaper dailies, one of the countries you are travelling from and one of the countries of your destination. As this flight was till Dubai, it made sense of me to collect the Khaleej times and the Hindu.
I could not help but my eyes did pop up when I caught two hostesses, one a Mexican and the other a Japanese. For the first time in life I could realise how lucky these cabin crew guys where …Having fun on the job…Will take this example in future in any of my management training events…Having fun at Work…The Emirates Way …By noted Management Guru – Raghu
At 9:30 my time I was hypnotized by a sweet lady to fasten my seatbelts, when the flight commander greeted us and informed us that we were about to fly at 38,000 feet and would reach Dubai by 12:30 pm. I was already thinking of the flight being hijacked and me stranded in a runaway with the Mexican…
The next 16 hours I could sense how inevitable it was for me to be patient and alert as I did experience, mayhem, fear and awe at Dubai Airport – a marvel of sorts.
Dubai robbed me of 177 pounds with which I brought a Digital Camera, as I thought it was sinful to go to UK without a camera.
After 2 irritating hours and a long walk I was on my maiden flight to Heathrow – London. A different time zone, a different weather and an alien place was open to me…My solace was that Vandana, my colleague and friend was already in UK for the past one month and her presence there was enough to pep me up.
The flight of the phoenix ended with me landing at Heathrow at 17:00 hours GMT.
I set foot on a foreign soil. The one small step, a giant leap to Turret House.
Will Post ……Till then you be all right.
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