Disclaimer: Very long and uncut version. Read at your own risk :D
Relocating is always painful....Everytime I go to a new place I hate it in the beginning and then I fall so much in love with it that its hard to let go....
Maybe thats why I dont sleep at all or negligible if any, whenever I am about to move...It was the summer of 2001 when this first happenned...I had to leave the GH (Girls Hostel) of my college at Jalandhar the next morning at 9 am...Just 12 hours prior to then, I was busy going around the hostel rooms where I had been repeatedly asked to come by before leaving.... In each room that I was summoned to we cracked different jokes, remembered the good times spent together and bid farewell...I must say doing this was not a chore for me, it was more exciting, more fun, the thing that felt right to the heart...Since childhood, I was well aware of my talkativeness and boisterous nature and with due consideration to these facts about me it was natural for me to be famous and friends with tons of people....
As the night slipped by and after having finished meeting with all my casual friends started the longer chat sessions with the close to heart friends and also per se enemies (you know the ones you didn't see eye to eye for the 4 years at college)....Okay most of these sessions were initiated by me as was the fun and frolic....After about 30-40 minutes some friend would say oh, I have to get back to my room and pack and so on.....The night kept drifting away and I kept talking, dancing, scribbling on scrapbooks, even recording autographs as audio files on PCs....Personally, I got all of my friends to write on a clean white T-shirt which I have proudly preserved till date...
By 3 in the night, two of my closest freinds were having a heart attack being with me...Their trains were much later in the day on the next day and they were all packed and here I was, the one who had to leave first thing in the morning idly sitting and chatting :D.....
After many protests and explanations to them that they needn't worry because I had everything planned out in my head and ready to be packed asap, they finally kicked me out, some of them forcibly went to sleep and a few came to help me at 4 in the morning....Perfectionist that I am, I gave 2 of them some trivial tasks, asked the others to go rest and I myself got completely engrossed in packing well if you don't consider the trivial 1 liner joke breaks in between the packing.....
By the way, I finished packing my stuff at 7:00 in the morning and was all set to board the auto-rickshaw from the hostel to the train station at 8:00 am....That the rickshaw would breakdown in a secluded spot and that I would eventually have to load/unload to another one and then rush all the way to catch the train is another story....Its destined to happen, always....
Don't believe me!? The second time this happenned was in the summer of 2002 when I was leaving home for Mumbai to catch a flight to California...Yes, again I pulled an all-nighter, started 10 minutes late from home than what Dad had planned and this time there was no auto rickshaw making me late business....This time it was the erstwhile porters' union who were on a strike on that fateful day at that minute when we reached the train station...And lo and behold that particular train which was to arrive at platform one and always does was announced to arrive on a different platform...Oops now this was a googly....2 large suitcases each weighing 70 pounds each and we had a long way to go to get to the train...Dear Daddy took one bag and myself another while Mom who has a very bad back managed the 2-3 smaller bags that we had...This was another miraculous event where just when we just got to the platform the train was about to leave in 30 seconds...Like an angel a young porter who had seen that we were trying to achieve the unachievable (ya well jumping on to a running train is something but with such heavy luggage within 30 secs that too on a busy Indian train station :D ) came to our rescue hauled both the large bags swiftly into the train and then off went Mom and then me and then Dad...Dad always wants to help the poor and this time he was very touched because the guy had broken the strike and was being bad mouthed by all his unions members sitting on the platform....Dad was trying to hand him a 100 Indian rupees note as the train got a little faster but the young porter, God Bless Him; refused to accept any money and louldy said "May God be with you and your family Sir."
As touched and emotional as we were for the next half an hour, then started Dad's tirade on my poor time management skills and always being late and leaving things for the last minute thing...One thing he was sure of that "God was with me" because had it not been for the gracious porter, I would have missed that train and I would have surely missed my late night flight from Mumbai.....
Anyways, this has become a long rambling post I guess, but nevermind, if nothing else, I will love reading it for years to come everytime I move....
Why I got thinking about this? Well because while packing through this entire night this is what I was wondering about..Its certainly not the case that I am stupid and lazy..I have every move planned out and a list of to-dos available well in advance...Then why do I end up tiring myself endlessly or not sleeping before moving....
This is what I figured out...As much as I love traveling to and living in new places, its the letting go that I find very difficult...maybe thats why I dont allow myself to miss an hour or a minute or a second of the place that I am leaving by experiencing it fully right up to the last moment.....
As talkative as I am, deep within I believe, I am very reserved and hence I treasure every new home that I have created for myself over a period of time....
Anyways, enough of rambling...Got to get back to packing ...After all gotta leave Stan in an hour's time....Go Stanford!
Whats in a name?
Note: All names mentioned are Indian names. Their meaning is given in brackets.
Well me thinks, name does matter. It somehow defines you and your persona. Okay not in many cases. For instance, a guy named Sushil (well-behaved) might not really be so. But its my illogical belief that your names does contribute towards your personality and it definitely impacts how the world sees you. Don't believe me! Ok what if your name was Sajni (beloved) or Rani (Queen, Princess) or Devi (goddess)...Wouldn't it impact you? Definitely it would! You would be teased through your "Wonder Years" endlessly and you might even consider why your parents couldn't think of a more appropriate and imaginative name....
Huh..why this senseless banter? I was about to tuck in very early tonight given that last night and the whole day today I did more work than the last 1 week combined plus I was sleep deprived and bored to do anything but rest and relax. Something came up more so someone...A dear friend Sujit pinging from India on the beloved Yahoo! Messenger....His major problem...He has a new born well almost 2 month old niece...The D-day is coming up when they have to give her a name and Sujit seems to think they haven't found a good classy name for her so far!! Talk about problems in life :D...
Sujit's is a family of Ss...my friend Sujit, his brother Sanjeev, their parents also have names starting with a S and Sanjeev's wife is Priti....Ah ha...some hope for some change in family naming nomenclature.....While I was immensely tired to do anything else, even fix myself dinner..for this...name hunt.. I had a new energy and spirit... 'Coz after all time is running out and Sujit and I both believe there is lot thats in a name!
After endless online searches and brain scratching we have a list, rather he has a list:
Arshia (heavenly) -- his top choice, unique and refreshing
Supriti (true love) -- I suggested this. My top choice, 2 reasons:
1. Sanjeev + Priti = Supriti (The child will feel special that she is a result of her parents true love) 2. Quite uncommon and different. We have heard of a lot of Supriyas but not Supritis...
Major drawback: yes again a S name
Priyanshi (meaning unknown) -- I suggested this. I know Priyanshu = First ray of sunlight, so we can safely assume that Priyanshi would mean something similar unless Ansh means 'part' in which case it would mean "beloved parts". I like this name because first it gets rid of the S family and starts with a P following her Mom's name. Secondly, the name is unique, has a beautiful meaning and yes also 'coz I like Priyanshu Chatterjee, a Bollywood actor
Shirin (sweet) -- my niece's name, nah...too simple not different
Eshana (search) -- never heard of it...hence, unique...nah..people will think inspired from Esha Deol, another Bollywood actress
Dayita (beloved) -- Its on his list..I am like, please no..People will tease her Day Night
Shreya (better) -- Sujit, why is this on your list... too common..
Priya Darshini (Beautiful. Lovely.) -- This is not on his list but I like this name. Its gentle and elegeant
Hours and hours of painstaking efforts will be put in by all concerned for the baby...Some might think its too trivial a thing to waste time on, others like me will continue to disagree...
Coming from a family of Us, mom Usha, sister Uttama and myself Upasana (my Dad's name is equally unique and cool) I am ever so thankful to Mom for giving us such unique and meaningful names, especially since I am told my name on the birth certificate was Reema which was later changed on my Mom's whim to Upasana....
Point proven! Whims about names are very useful and should be encouraged...I can't even imagine being called Reema...Phew!...
Who said whats in a name?
Well me thinks, name does matter. It somehow defines you and your persona. Okay not in many cases. For instance, a guy named Sushil (well-behaved) might not really be so. But its my illogical belief that your names does contribute towards your personality and it definitely impacts how the world sees you. Don't believe me! Ok what if your name was Sajni (beloved) or Rani (Queen, Princess) or Devi (goddess)...Wouldn't it impact you? Definitely it would! You would be teased through your "Wonder Years" endlessly and you might even consider why your parents couldn't think of a more appropriate and imaginative name....
Huh..why this senseless banter? I was about to tuck in very early tonight given that last night and the whole day today I did more work than the last 1 week combined plus I was sleep deprived and bored to do anything but rest and relax. Something came up more so someone...A dear friend Sujit pinging from India on the beloved Yahoo! Messenger....His major problem...He has a new born well almost 2 month old niece...The D-day is coming up when they have to give her a name and Sujit seems to think they haven't found a good classy name for her so far!! Talk about problems in life :D...
Sujit's is a family of Ss...my friend Sujit, his brother Sanjeev, their parents also have names starting with a S and Sanjeev's wife is Priti....Ah ha...some hope for some change in family naming nomenclature.....While I was immensely tired to do anything else, even fix myself dinner..for this...name hunt.. I had a new energy and spirit... 'Coz after all time is running out and Sujit and I both believe there is lot thats in a name!
After endless online searches and brain scratching we have a list, rather he has a list:
Arshia (heavenly) -- his top choice, unique and refreshing
Supriti (true love) -- I suggested this. My top choice, 2 reasons:
1. Sanjeev + Priti = Supriti (The child will feel special that she is a result of her parents true love) 2. Quite uncommon and different. We have heard of a lot of Supriyas but not Supritis...
Major drawback: yes again a S name
Priyanshi (meaning unknown) -- I suggested this. I know Priyanshu = First ray of sunlight, so we can safely assume that Priyanshi would mean something similar unless Ansh means 'part' in which case it would mean "beloved parts". I like this name because first it gets rid of the S family and starts with a P following her Mom's name. Secondly, the name is unique, has a beautiful meaning and yes also 'coz I like Priyanshu Chatterjee, a Bollywood actor
Shirin (sweet) -- my niece's name, nah...too simple not different
Eshana (search) -- never heard of it...hence, unique...nah..people will think inspired from Esha Deol, another Bollywood actress
Dayita (beloved) -- Its on his list..I am like, please no..People will tease her Day Night
Shreya (better) -- Sujit, why is this on your list... too common..
Priya Darshini (Beautiful. Lovely.) -- This is not on his list but I like this name. Its gentle and elegeant
Hours and hours of painstaking efforts will be put in by all concerned for the baby...Some might think its too trivial a thing to waste time on, others like me will continue to disagree...
Coming from a family of Us, mom Usha, sister Uttama and myself Upasana (my Dad's name is equally unique and cool) I am ever so thankful to Mom for giving us such unique and meaningful names, especially since I am told my name on the birth certificate was Reema which was later changed on my Mom's whim to Upasana....
Point proven! Whims about names are very useful and should be encouraged...I can't even imagine being called Reema...Phew!...
Who said whats in a name?
Mission Impossible Accomplished
Occasion: Me visiting the US Immigration Services to enquire about missing Employment Authorization documents.
Mission: Get relevant case status information with hope to receive interim employment authorization at the end of 90 day wait period. The D day is next week!
What really happenned??
I was ontime @ 1:45 dot (ya that was a surprise even to me!). Very rough and tough security check, they made me throw away my everdear bottle of water in the trash.
@ 2 comfortably seated for number to be called out.
@ 2:30 still seated, a bit restless
@ 2:45 looking around and very restless..After all the appointment was for 1:45..Cursing in Hindi - the people who came after me and were called before me, the people who forgot something and were called back and the officers who were chatting.
@ 3:00 very bored started reading my novel again...looking up everytime a new number is called out
@ 3:07 Number F112 please come to window number 10...Viola the moment has come, finally!!
@ 3:15 Explained situation to officer. Her solution. Don't worry about missing application. When did you apply? June Ma'am. Almost 3 months. Come lemme give you an interim EAD. Ma'am today? Yes right now. Okay great, but is that legal its still not 90 days plus my graduation date is 2 weeks from now. Yeah its fine. Go to cashier. Come back once you are done at the cashier window. Okkkkkkkkkaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy.
@ 3:20 sitting comfortably on a chair waiting for cashier to call me...pondering which date to start working? what other issues to be resolved before i can start a new life....nostalgic feelings erupt when thinking about leaving the school....
@ 3:25 cashier lady takes paperwork
@ 3:45 reading the novel when again F112 announced..this time window number 7. Yes the time is coming! Window 7 is the explicit photograph window...2 pictures taken, 1 fingerprint and there it is...a laminated work permit....I am like Ma'am this is it??! My work is done? She is like yes. Thats it. You can go. But Ma'am this is for 8 months...Yes yes its interim. The 12 month EAD will come in due course of time to your address. But Ma'am its missing as per online status. Okay go back and sit and talk to window 10 lady again..Okay thanks
@ 4:15 Ma'am..thanks so much for this but what about my original application...the missing status..what do i do to get my 12 month EAD? Take this sheet..Call at this number...give them your new address and interim EAD number...they will send it..Good Luck and Bye! Sure Ma'am..Thats it....Yes..You may go now...
@ 4:30 I was here 3 hours (w/o any water or beverage..this is cruel man!) ..Oh my gawd! But hey, I got the work permit...Eureka Eureka..Isn't it funny, sometimes the frustrations of the moment so overpower your mind and body that even when an unexpected yet good result comes out it just doesn't feel like it!
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE:: Get WORK PERMIT Before 23rd or 30th Sep
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!
MI-2 :: Wrap up the million things at SLAC and Stanford and head to the beach city San Diego!
Mission: Get relevant case status information with hope to receive interim employment authorization at the end of 90 day wait period. The D day is next week!
What really happenned??
I was ontime @ 1:45 dot (ya that was a surprise even to me!). Very rough and tough security check, they made me throw away my everdear bottle of water in the trash.
@ 2 comfortably seated for number to be called out.
@ 2:30 still seated, a bit restless
@ 2:45 looking around and very restless..After all the appointment was for 1:45..Cursing in Hindi - the people who came after me and were called before me, the people who forgot something and were called back and the officers who were chatting.
@ 3:00 very bored started reading my novel again...looking up everytime a new number is called out
@ 3:07 Number F112 please come to window number 10...Viola the moment has come, finally!!
@ 3:15 Explained situation to officer. Her solution. Don't worry about missing application. When did you apply? June Ma'am. Almost 3 months. Come lemme give you an interim EAD. Ma'am today? Yes right now. Okay great, but is that legal its still not 90 days plus my graduation date is 2 weeks from now. Yeah its fine. Go to cashier. Come back once you are done at the cashier window. Okkkkkkkkkaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy.
@ 3:20 sitting comfortably on a chair waiting for cashier to call me...pondering which date to start working? what other issues to be resolved before i can start a new life....nostalgic feelings erupt when thinking about leaving the school....
@ 3:25 cashier lady takes paperwork
@ 3:45 reading the novel when again F112 announced..this time window number 7. Yes the time is coming! Window 7 is the explicit photograph window...2 pictures taken, 1 fingerprint and there it is...a laminated work permit....I am like Ma'am this is it??! My work is done? She is like yes. Thats it. You can go. But Ma'am this is for 8 months...Yes yes its interim. The 12 month EAD will come in due course of time to your address. But Ma'am its missing as per online status. Okay go back and sit and talk to window 10 lady again..Okay thanks
@ 4:15 Ma'am..thanks so much for this but what about my original application...the missing status..what do i do to get my 12 month EAD? Take this sheet..Call at this number...give them your new address and interim EAD number...they will send it..Good Luck and Bye! Sure Ma'am..Thats it....Yes..You may go now...
@ 4:30 I was here 3 hours (w/o any water or beverage..this is cruel man!) ..Oh my gawd! But hey, I got the work permit...Eureka Eureka..Isn't it funny, sometimes the frustrations of the moment so overpower your mind and body that even when an unexpected yet good result comes out it just doesn't feel like it!
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE:: Get WORK PERMIT Before 23rd or 30th Sep
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!
MI-2 :: Wrap up the million things at SLAC and Stanford and head to the beach city San Diego!
Cooking for Engineers!!
Cooking for Engineers - This website should be a source of inspiration to many of my male and female engineer friends who find cooking very difficult, which I believe is far from the truth. Cooking is easy and like any other activity or sport you have to put in some initial effort until you get the hang of it. Once that happens cooking good food becomes a fun and exciting opportunity that you start enjoying.
Unfortunately, so far I have been able to convert very few of my so called busy friends (either busy with work or studies) from their hopeless dinners consisting of junk food, frozen food or delivered food to fresh and delicious homemade food. Some of them are so lazy that to get them to the brink of purchasing, cutting and cooking vegetables is impossible. Others are so uncaring for their tastebuds that it hardly matters to them what food is available or offered to them. Being a food enthusiast, I pity such people whose standard of good food is so low that I wouldn't even venture to eat at their place. Sometimes, I fail to understand how people are unable to distinguish between bad, good and excellent food. For me its easy and natural to be able to pinpoint any condiment/spice that is missing or more/less than desired in a a delicacy.
Well, by now you might be thinking that I am a great connoisseur of food and must have learnt cooking at an early age. In reality, by age 16 I could just barely prepare tea, coffee and eggs; that was my limit. Thereafter, during my undergrad education, I had the good fortune of getting tasty and well cooked Punjabi (North Indian) food daily at the dining hall, also called a 'mess' in India. So finally I ended up developing my culinary skills through my experiments with ingredients during the very busy last 2 years of my graduate student life, mostly on my own but yes with some help from Mom and Sis over the phone and ah yes also some recipe websites.
Today in all modesty, I think I am a good cook with just 2 years of experience (full of cooking accidents and anecdotes) and am actively engaged in encouraging my friends to start their own cooking experiments. I hope that the example of the owner of this website- Cooking for Engineers and my personal example are motivating enough for some of my friends to test their hands at cooking.
Hey if a lazy person like me can do it, so can u guys!
Unfortunately, so far I have been able to convert very few of my so called busy friends (either busy with work or studies) from their hopeless dinners consisting of junk food, frozen food or delivered food to fresh and delicious homemade food. Some of them are so lazy that to get them to the brink of purchasing, cutting and cooking vegetables is impossible. Others are so uncaring for their tastebuds that it hardly matters to them what food is available or offered to them. Being a food enthusiast, I pity such people whose standard of good food is so low that I wouldn't even venture to eat at their place. Sometimes, I fail to understand how people are unable to distinguish between bad, good and excellent food. For me its easy and natural to be able to pinpoint any condiment/spice that is missing or more/less than desired in a a delicacy.
Well, by now you might be thinking that I am a great connoisseur of food and must have learnt cooking at an early age. In reality, by age 16 I could just barely prepare tea, coffee and eggs; that was my limit. Thereafter, during my undergrad education, I had the good fortune of getting tasty and well cooked Punjabi (North Indian) food daily at the dining hall, also called a 'mess' in India. So finally I ended up developing my culinary skills through my experiments with ingredients during the very busy last 2 years of my graduate student life, mostly on my own but yes with some help from Mom and Sis over the phone and ah yes also some recipe websites.
Today in all modesty, I think I am a good cook with just 2 years of experience (full of cooking accidents and anecdotes) and am actively engaged in encouraging my friends to start their own cooking experiments. I hope that the example of the owner of this website- Cooking for Engineers and my personal example are motivating enough for some of my friends to test their hands at cooking.
Hey if a lazy person like me can do it, so can u guys!
Joey
Bummer! I missed the first episode of Joey something I had been really looking forward to since the last few weeks. The entire evening I was so engrossed with reading this funny novel - A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth that I failed to realize when the clock struck 8. When I finally did give up my laziness to check the NBC schedule online, it was too late. I rapidly switched on my half a century old TV and adjusted it to the channel only to find the new season of The Apprentice being aired.
As much I was looking forward to watching Joey, I was not prepared to watch the Apprentice. I had watched a few episodes last season though and knew what was coming. After boasting about himself for 15 minutes Donald Trump finally shut his mouth and the audience was introduced to the new professionals on the block who had just arrived to fight it out for the coveted Apprentice position this year. Just within a few minutes the monotony and dryness of the program caught on as almost everything was exactly like last year. For those of you who haven't watched it at all it might be worth it to watch a few episodes at the beginning of the season and then the season finale. At least the concept is different from all the other reality TV shows like Joe Millionaire, For love or money, etc.
p.s. Anything written on the blog in the first attempt is better. If you rewrite because it wasn't saved properly by Blogger all the freshness is lost!
As much I was looking forward to watching Joey, I was not prepared to watch the Apprentice. I had watched a few episodes last season though and knew what was coming. After boasting about himself for 15 minutes Donald Trump finally shut his mouth and the audience was introduced to the new professionals on the block who had just arrived to fight it out for the coveted Apprentice position this year. Just within a few minutes the monotony and dryness of the program caught on as almost everything was exactly like last year. For those of you who haven't watched it at all it might be worth it to watch a few episodes at the beginning of the season and then the season finale. At least the concept is different from all the other reality TV shows like Joe Millionaire, For love or money, etc.
p.s. Anything written on the blog in the first attempt is better. If you rewrite because it wasn't saved properly by Blogger all the freshness is lost!
Celebrating the spirit of Entrepreneurship :: Craigslist
I was recently very surprised to learn about the details of how Craigslist, a household name in California for online classifieds, was founded. Craigslist was founded by its supercool and self proclaimed shy and nerd founder Craig Newmark in the 1990s as a newsletter. Later the newsletter evolved into a board and finally into its present form with 1 B hits per day. Craigslist is not only international now but is also the most well known and revered company in the space.
Did you ever imagine the economics of a company that allows anyone to post a classified online without any fee and without any banner or search adverstising? How does it sustain itself? The only revenue Craigslist makes is through the paid job ads posted by companies, which is turn is used to support the staff of 14 at Craigslist. 14 yes thats it!
More facts about Craigslist can be read at their website. The article that initally exposed me to this inspiring revelation about Craig, his list and his decision to keep Craigslist a non-commercial organization can be found at the Herald Tribune. Ebay has now invested in Craigslist which had so far been aloof to any investors ready to grab a piece of the cake. Both the management at Craigslist and Ebay have explained that this is not a strategic investment and that Ebay will not interfere in the workings of Craigslist. This is what Craig Newmark had to say when asked about the equity sold to Ebay.
Anyways, coming back to the reason why I started righting about Craig. Well, in the true spirit of entrepreneurship I found Craig's story very inspiring. To be the founder of such a well established website and to avoid the temptation of selling out to become a multi-millionaire (in times where sell out has made American entrepreneurs the youngest and richest) just for the sheer pleasure of maintaining the company the way it was thought of right from the beginning, a board to help people online is a great achievement in itself and speaks volumes about the person. Kudos to you Craig!
Did you ever imagine the economics of a company that allows anyone to post a classified online without any fee and without any banner or search adverstising? How does it sustain itself? The only revenue Craigslist makes is through the paid job ads posted by companies, which is turn is used to support the staff of 14 at Craigslist. 14 yes thats it!
More facts about Craigslist can be read at their website. The article that initally exposed me to this inspiring revelation about Craig, his list and his decision to keep Craigslist a non-commercial organization can be found at the Herald Tribune. Ebay has now invested in Craigslist which had so far been aloof to any investors ready to grab a piece of the cake. Both the management at Craigslist and Ebay have explained that this is not a strategic investment and that Ebay will not interfere in the workings of Craigslist. This is what Craig Newmark had to say when asked about the equity sold to Ebay.
Anyways, coming back to the reason why I started righting about Craig. Well, in the true spirit of entrepreneurship I found Craig's story very inspiring. To be the founder of such a well established website and to avoid the temptation of selling out to become a multi-millionaire (in times where sell out has made American entrepreneurs the youngest and richest) just for the sheer pleasure of maintaining the company the way it was thought of right from the beginning, a board to help people online is a great achievement in itself and speaks volumes about the person. Kudos to you Craig!
The amusement factory
Like everyday I started on my morning blog-trotting expedition. I was quite amused by what I read today:
Sher ki shadi mein chuha (Funny piece about rats, lions and marriages in Hindi)
How people at offices think (Viewpoints differ when the object of discussion is female or male)
Aakhir Dil Hai Hindustani (about everyday life and corruption in India)
THE CLEANING LADY (zarra hatke..a different beat)
Get Well Soon Clinton (420 comments within last 3 days to wish a speedy recovery for the very popular Democrat leader. Aren't some of these comments funny though :) )
Life's Little Observations (funny observations about toilet paper and what not)
Sher ki shadi mein chuha (Funny piece about rats, lions and marriages in Hindi)
How people at offices think (Viewpoints differ when the object of discussion is female or male)
Aakhir Dil Hai Hindustani (about everyday life and corruption in India)
THE CLEANING LADY (zarra hatke..a different beat)
Get Well Soon Clinton (420 comments within last 3 days to wish a speedy recovery for the very popular Democrat leader. Aren't some of these comments funny though :) )
Life's Little Observations (funny observations about toilet paper and what not)
Weird/Odd/Crazy News
This one is about Odd News, something I refrained from reading on the WWW so far. I took the plunge tonight and might I say, oddly enough or weird news or whatever it is called is a good dose of amusement. I should definitely add some links for odd news to my daily reads...Most of the times these news headlines are odd beyond belief yet they are true..
Did you know that in Hongkong an election tie is resolved by means of a lottery of ping-pong balls...Bizarre isn't it?!
Some links to ODD NEWS around the world:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=index&cid=1691
http://www.rediff.com/oddnews/
http://www.buzzpage.com/http://www.buzzpage.com/
http://www.reuters.com/newsChannel.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews
http://www.newsoftheweird.com/
http://www.newsoftheodd.com/headlines.html
http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/ns/news/odd.jsp
http://www.knowledge.com/Top/News/Alternative/Odd_News
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/
http://www.abc.net/dir/index.php/News/Alternative/Odd_News/
http://www.thisistrue.com/
http://www.crazynews.net/dp/1-69.htm
http://obscurestore.com/
http://www.go.to/oddnews
'NJOY!!
Did you know that in Hongkong an election tie is resolved by means of a lottery of ping-pong balls...Bizarre isn't it?!
Some links to ODD NEWS around the world:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=index&cid=1691
http://www.rediff.com/oddnews/
http://www.buzzpage.com/http://www.buzzpage.com/
http://www.reuters.com/newsChannel.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews
http://www.newsoftheweird.com/
http://www.newsoftheodd.com/headlines.html
http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/ns/news/odd.jsp
http://www.knowledge.com/Top/News/Alternative/Odd_News
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/
http://www.abc.net/dir/index.php/News/Alternative/Odd_News/
http://www.thisistrue.com/
http://www.crazynews.net/dp/1-69.htm
http://obscurestore.com/
http://www.go.to/oddnews
'NJOY!!
Web responsibility!!
One fine sunny day, I realised that I now have some regular viewership on my hopeless web properties and with due respect to these people who visit my blogs I must gain a miraculous sense of web responsibility!
Ah ha..okay...so what sparked this? I really don't know...One of two things, either the mature and responsible type feelings came from my house-hunting trips today throughout the suburbs of San Diego (u know looking for your first own apartment, lease terms, what not...is huge..very different from looking for a place on or off-campus as a student) or was it the fact that I read somewhere that the maximum blogspace worldwide is devoted to depression and frustration based content...This really must be true for I have myself come across many a blogs/personal websites where this channel of expression is used for venting out anger and frustration....And this obviously led me to the self-realization that whoops, haven't I been doing the same thing...Talk about my N number of posts about Dell laptops, Kashmir, male chauvnists, etc.
Hence, given that about a dozen people make it a point to visit this blog at least once a week (and some even more than once a day :)) I must improve and maintain its already beaten up current form both in terms of what I publish and when....So I must try to write more about issues of public nature rather than personal and I must also try to optimize the number of posts....In my mind, Quality is much more important than Quantity so the number of posts I am afraid will remain about 2-4 per week.....
Ahem..Lets see how soon all these "I must and should" resolutions come into practice..Okay this might seem weird to people who don't know me but this how I am! I am very critical since early childhood and am also my biggest critic....All that advice that Dad used to give me about criticizing less and appreciating more others as well as myself has not gone far in my brain cells I guess....
Ah ha..okay...so what sparked this? I really don't know...One of two things, either the mature and responsible type feelings came from my house-hunting trips today throughout the suburbs of San Diego (u know looking for your first own apartment, lease terms, what not...is huge..very different from looking for a place on or off-campus as a student) or was it the fact that I read somewhere that the maximum blogspace worldwide is devoted to depression and frustration based content...This really must be true for I have myself come across many a blogs/personal websites where this channel of expression is used for venting out anger and frustration....And this obviously led me to the self-realization that whoops, haven't I been doing the same thing...Talk about my N number of posts about Dell laptops, Kashmir, male chauvnists, etc.
Hence, given that about a dozen people make it a point to visit this blog at least once a week (and some even more than once a day :)) I must improve and maintain its already beaten up current form both in terms of what I publish and when....So I must try to write more about issues of public nature rather than personal and I must also try to optimize the number of posts....In my mind, Quality is much more important than Quantity so the number of posts I am afraid will remain about 2-4 per week.....
Ahem..Lets see how soon all these "I must and should" resolutions come into practice..Okay this might seem weird to people who don't know me but this how I am! I am very critical since early childhood and am also my biggest critic....All that advice that Dad used to give me about criticizing less and appreciating more others as well as myself has not gone far in my brain cells I guess....
Whats it gonna be? My India or My America
Yeah, yeah...I am back to my favorite topic of all time, whether to settle in India or US. In my mind there are no 2 answers, it has to be India. Yet enummerable examples of Indian born immigrants who were unsuccessful in going back lie before me. Will I be able to defy the laws, take the tougher road and find myself back in an exciting and enjoyable life in India...It remains to be seen...But horror stories and hilarious realities of life do make this decision a life-altering one. For all practical purposes life in the US is very easily comfortable, intellectually challenging yet socially dull and boring. On the other hand, life in India is not that easy, can be made workwise stimulating by personal determination, if desired and is socially very lively and fun.
A well known Indian author R K Narayan had this to say on the issue. I am quoting a few lines from his article, the complete article can be found at the link given below.
ENNUI
(Article: My America, Author: R.K. Narayan, Source: October 1985 issue of Frontline)
"On a week-end he drives his family fifty miles or more towards another Indian family to eat an Indian dinner, discuss Indian politics, or tax problems (for doctors particularly this is a constant topic of conversation, being in the highest income bracket). There is monotony in this pattern of life. so mechanical and standardized.
In this individual, India has lost an intellectual or an expert; but it must not be forgotten that the expert has lost India too, which is a more serious loss in the final reckoning.
The quality of life in India is different. In spite of all its deficiencies, irritations, lack of material comforts and amenities, andgeneral confusion, Indian life builds up an inner strength. It is through subtle inexplicable influences (through religion, family ties, and human relationships in general). Let us call them psychological "inputs" to use a modern terminology, which cumulatively sustain and lend variety and richness to existence. Building imposing Indian temples in America, installing our gods therein and importing Indian priests to perform the puja and festivals, are only imitative of Indian existence and could have only a limited value. Social and religious assemblies at the temples (in America) might mitigate boredom but only temporarily. I have lived as a guest for extended periods in many Indian homes in America and have noticed the ennui that descends on a family when they are stuck at home.
Children growing up in America present a special problem. They have to develop themselves on a shallow foundation without a cultural basis, either Indian or American. Such children are ignorant of India and without the gentleness and courtesy and respect for parents, which forms the basic training for a child in an Indian home, unlike the American upbringing whereby a child is left alone to discover for himself the right code of conduct. Aware of his child's ignorance of Indian life, the Indian parent tries to cram into the child's little head all possible information during an 'Excursion Fare' trip to the mother country."
Also read The X = X + 1 Syndrome by unknown author!
A well known Indian author R K Narayan had this to say on the issue. I am quoting a few lines from his article, the complete article can be found at the link given below.
ENNUI
(Article: My America, Author: R.K. Narayan, Source: October 1985 issue of Frontline)
"On a week-end he drives his family fifty miles or more towards another Indian family to eat an Indian dinner, discuss Indian politics, or tax problems (for doctors particularly this is a constant topic of conversation, being in the highest income bracket). There is monotony in this pattern of life. so mechanical and standardized.
In this individual, India has lost an intellectual or an expert; but it must not be forgotten that the expert has lost India too, which is a more serious loss in the final reckoning.
The quality of life in India is different. In spite of all its deficiencies, irritations, lack of material comforts and amenities, andgeneral confusion, Indian life builds up an inner strength. It is through subtle inexplicable influences (through religion, family ties, and human relationships in general). Let us call them psychological "inputs" to use a modern terminology, which cumulatively sustain and lend variety and richness to existence. Building imposing Indian temples in America, installing our gods therein and importing Indian priests to perform the puja and festivals, are only imitative of Indian existence and could have only a limited value. Social and religious assemblies at the temples (in America) might mitigate boredom but only temporarily. I have lived as a guest for extended periods in many Indian homes in America and have noticed the ennui that descends on a family when they are stuck at home.
Children growing up in America present a special problem. They have to develop themselves on a shallow foundation without a cultural basis, either Indian or American. Such children are ignorant of India and without the gentleness and courtesy and respect for parents, which forms the basic training for a child in an Indian home, unlike the American upbringing whereby a child is left alone to discover for himself the right code of conduct. Aware of his child's ignorance of Indian life, the Indian parent tries to cram into the child's little head all possible information during an 'Excursion Fare' trip to the mother country."
Also read The X = X + 1 Syndrome by unknown author!
The Booming Indian Economy & Rising Dowry Deaths!
OK I had a bad day hence was upset with any and everybody...Seems like every Wednesday is a bad day :) ...But a friend of mine sent me over the hill completely by making should I say stupid, nah..total bull statements....
The conversation:
Me: This dowry thing is really something that should be banned in India...I don't even understand why its still rampant..I could understand that when the society was more autocratic and under the influence of religious and social dogmas "Dowry" was an in thing, an unspoken rule followed during almost all marriages in India...But today at least the dowry ritual and dowry deaths should go down amongst the educated classes of the society....
Him: Yaar, but its not that simple...I am a young engineer and earn well as a fresh graduate in Bangalore..But thats not enough..If I want to get my sister married (who is also a well educated engineer and earns well) in a good family with a good guy we gotta pay her in-laws something like 15,00,000 Indian rupees in cash and gifts....I am like why so? Well you know being the bride's family we need to pay for the marriage itself, then gifts and jewelry for my sister, for all her in-laws and then we need to either buy them an apartment or a car depending on how easy they are on us.... Now with my salary and my father's savings we can't afford that hence, I must get married in a well to-do family so that they can pay me somthing like 10,00,000 in dowry which in turn I will use for my sister's wedding..So you see I am not greedy and I won't harm or harrass my future wife for money...I just need some help getting my sister married and if her family can help me out then alls well in the family...
Me: I am like...You are crazy...First of all why would you even get your sister married in a family where they demand dowry..You never know, they may keep asking for more money or worse yet they may harm your sister physically or phscyologically...You should get her married where her husband and his family love her and do not demand for money or gifts in order to accept her in their hearts... Secondly, just because you need the money does not mean its okay for you to ask for dowry...Dowry is against the law, is unethical and you are degrading yourself and your future relationship with your wife and her family by asking for dowry...And yes you are greedy if you do this..If you think you are not, then every thief is not wrong..After all he also steals for feeding himself and his family...
Him: Well to answer your first question I do want to get my sister married in an educated and nice family that which does not demand for money/gifts to take my sister in their family but you know what in my caste the probability of finding a non-dowry seeking boy and family is something like less than 1%.... For those who are unaware, to date 65% of marriages in India are arranged marriages those that are arranged by the brides' and grooms' parents after a long process of short and formal dates with prospective candidates...these marriages are also typically within the same caste..So for instance, if my parents were to look for a groom for me, he would have to be a Kashmiri Hindu Brahmin... My friend belongs to Bihar, a state in northern India which is famous for its dowry related head lines apart from the erstwhile Laloo Prasad and his antics....Now in Bihar they even have a scale for dowry, so you would start looking for a groom in the slot you can afford..Last I knew, IAS/government officers were at the top of the chart followed by doctors, computer engineers, other engineers, etc...The next criteria was also their salary and the institute from where they had studied..So for instance if you went to AIIMS, IIM or IIT your rates would be even higher..Talk about a complex system..Phew... Anyways, his point was that it was next to impossible for him to find a groom who did not want dowry in his caste...and the same caste groom is of course desirable more so than a non-dowry seeking....
Moral of the story: Dowry is still rampant in various flavors in both urban and rural India. So long as educated people like my friend keep finding excuses in order to justify taking dowry, this social stigma is never going to vanish from our culture..Its an unending self serving chain of events and this vicious cycle needs to be broken....
Losing Daughters, an article in Femina on this issue is worth a read.
Other related articles:
Didn't we ban dowry 40 years ago?
Dowry crimes increase as India's economy grows
Jail crisis for dowry crimes
Rising number of dowry deaths in India
Don't condemn the intitution of dowry
In fact if you websearch dowry crimes u will find tons of articles all with different statistics on the number of women killed due to dowry related issues....
My take on Dowry:
In a country of 1 B, 6000 deaths is quite less compared to accidents, number of soldiers killed everyday in Kashmir and so on..Nevertheless, these are deaths that in essence bring out where the Indian society and culture is headed..... In all the recent articles including the one above there is a lot written about how consumerism in India is increasing with the booming economy and the dowry syndrome is seen in all economic classes of the society...A lot of bullshit is mentioned about: how the male child is made to beleive since childhood that he can get anything he demands; painful examples of real dowry deaths and so on.. 2 points should be focused on instead of all the crap:
1. The female child is not a second citizen in India and if not treated well she should herself be proactive and strong. (There is no point of education and earning money if a woman is not independent in her own right, this given the fact that dowry deaths are common amongst the so called educated middle class strata of society)
2. The very painful encounters often narrated by parents or family members of deceased females should be ashamed of themselves....What is the point of them crying out loud now...when they shouldn't have A. paid dowry B. kept up with the consistent demands after marriage C. saved their daughter by bringing her back from her in-laws house at the first instance of dowry request/harrasment
India absolutely needs more strong and courageous role models like Nisha Sharma to bring an end to this menace called DOWRY. For those who are not familiar with her check out:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3027683.stm
http://www.the-week.com/23jun01/events8.htm
The conversation:
Me: This dowry thing is really something that should be banned in India...I don't even understand why its still rampant..I could understand that when the society was more autocratic and under the influence of religious and social dogmas "Dowry" was an in thing, an unspoken rule followed during almost all marriages in India...But today at least the dowry ritual and dowry deaths should go down amongst the educated classes of the society....
Him: Yaar, but its not that simple...I am a young engineer and earn well as a fresh graduate in Bangalore..But thats not enough..If I want to get my sister married (who is also a well educated engineer and earns well) in a good family with a good guy we gotta pay her in-laws something like 15,00,000 Indian rupees in cash and gifts....I am like why so? Well you know being the bride's family we need to pay for the marriage itself, then gifts and jewelry for my sister, for all her in-laws and then we need to either buy them an apartment or a car depending on how easy they are on us.... Now with my salary and my father's savings we can't afford that hence, I must get married in a well to-do family so that they can pay me somthing like 10,00,000 in dowry which in turn I will use for my sister's wedding..So you see I am not greedy and I won't harm or harrass my future wife for money...I just need some help getting my sister married and if her family can help me out then alls well in the family...
Me: I am like...You are crazy...First of all why would you even get your sister married in a family where they demand dowry..You never know, they may keep asking for more money or worse yet they may harm your sister physically or phscyologically...You should get her married where her husband and his family love her and do not demand for money or gifts in order to accept her in their hearts... Secondly, just because you need the money does not mean its okay for you to ask for dowry...Dowry is against the law, is unethical and you are degrading yourself and your future relationship with your wife and her family by asking for dowry...And yes you are greedy if you do this..If you think you are not, then every thief is not wrong..After all he also steals for feeding himself and his family...
Him: Well to answer your first question I do want to get my sister married in an educated and nice family that which does not demand for money/gifts to take my sister in their family but you know what in my caste the probability of finding a non-dowry seeking boy and family is something like less than 1%.... For those who are unaware, to date 65% of marriages in India are arranged marriages those that are arranged by the brides' and grooms' parents after a long process of short and formal dates with prospective candidates...these marriages are also typically within the same caste..So for instance, if my parents were to look for a groom for me, he would have to be a Kashmiri Hindu Brahmin... My friend belongs to Bihar, a state in northern India which is famous for its dowry related head lines apart from the erstwhile Laloo Prasad and his antics....Now in Bihar they even have a scale for dowry, so you would start looking for a groom in the slot you can afford..Last I knew, IAS/government officers were at the top of the chart followed by doctors, computer engineers, other engineers, etc...The next criteria was also their salary and the institute from where they had studied..So for instance if you went to AIIMS, IIM or IIT your rates would be even higher..Talk about a complex system..Phew... Anyways, his point was that it was next to impossible for him to find a groom who did not want dowry in his caste...and the same caste groom is of course desirable more so than a non-dowry seeking....
Moral of the story: Dowry is still rampant in various flavors in both urban and rural India. So long as educated people like my friend keep finding excuses in order to justify taking dowry, this social stigma is never going to vanish from our culture..Its an unending self serving chain of events and this vicious cycle needs to be broken....
Losing Daughters, an article in Femina on this issue is worth a read.
Other related articles:
Didn't we ban dowry 40 years ago?
Dowry crimes increase as India's economy grows
Jail crisis for dowry crimes
Rising number of dowry deaths in India
Don't condemn the intitution of dowry
In fact if you websearch dowry crimes u will find tons of articles all with different statistics on the number of women killed due to dowry related issues....
My take on Dowry:
In a country of 1 B, 6000 deaths is quite less compared to accidents, number of soldiers killed everyday in Kashmir and so on..Nevertheless, these are deaths that in essence bring out where the Indian society and culture is headed..... In all the recent articles including the one above there is a lot written about how consumerism in India is increasing with the booming economy and the dowry syndrome is seen in all economic classes of the society...A lot of bullshit is mentioned about: how the male child is made to beleive since childhood that he can get anything he demands; painful examples of real dowry deaths and so on.. 2 points should be focused on instead of all the crap:
1. The female child is not a second citizen in India and if not treated well she should herself be proactive and strong. (There is no point of education and earning money if a woman is not independent in her own right, this given the fact that dowry deaths are common amongst the so called educated middle class strata of society)
2. The very painful encounters often narrated by parents or family members of deceased females should be ashamed of themselves....What is the point of them crying out loud now...when they shouldn't have A. paid dowry B. kept up with the consistent demands after marriage C. saved their daughter by bringing her back from her in-laws house at the first instance of dowry request/harrasment
India absolutely needs more strong and courageous role models like Nisha Sharma to bring an end to this menace called DOWRY. For those who are not familiar with her check out:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3027683.stm
http://www.the-week.com/23jun01/events8.htm
Are you 420 friendly ??
Are you ? Arrre yoou ?? I'm trying to ask you this in typical Phoebe (of Friends fame) style, you know when she asks the same thing in 3-4 different moods/nerves..Nobody except her can do that and carry that off so well!!
Back tracking to the main topic for this post...Well you know I was talking about looking for something on Google in my last posting...The query was "420 friendly"..If you are like me and don't know what the hell it means than don't really answer the question "Are you 420 friendly ??" without checking the meaning....
I cam across this weird acronym/abbreviation/slang/lingo whatever you prefer to call it while going through various postings on Craigslist.com, be it for an apartment or a rideshare or whatever....By doing little research, I found out that 420 derived from 20th of April, the day 4/20 is recognized by many as "national smokers day", the day when the grass is mowed by thousands across the US of A....
So when someone asks you if you are 420 friendly and this is true if you are trying to rent an apartment with someone be sure to say yes only if you are pot friendly....Dictionary.com aptly defines it as "Slang for smoking marijuana" ....
So herz something new that I learnt today!! Phew! Good thing I looked it up and did not say a dumb/ignorant yes to a prospective roommate!
More about 420 Friendly :: 420 on Wired, 420 on Google and 420 on Yahoo.
p.s. Good headline :: Former Bush state is 420 friendly
Back tracking to the main topic for this post...Well you know I was talking about looking for something on Google in my last posting...The query was "420 friendly"..If you are like me and don't know what the hell it means than don't really answer the question "Are you 420 friendly ??" without checking the meaning....
I cam across this weird acronym/abbreviation/slang/lingo whatever you prefer to call it while going through various postings on Craigslist.com, be it for an apartment or a rideshare or whatever....By doing little research, I found out that 420 derived from 20th of April, the day 4/20 is recognized by many as "national smokers day", the day when the grass is mowed by thousands across the US of A....
So when someone asks you if you are 420 friendly and this is true if you are trying to rent an apartment with someone be sure to say yes only if you are pot friendly....Dictionary.com aptly defines it as "Slang for smoking marijuana" ....
So herz something new that I learnt today!! Phew! Good thing I looked it up and did not say a dumb/ignorant yes to a prospective roommate!
More about 420 Friendly :: 420 on Wired, 420 on Google and 420 on Yahoo.
p.s. Good headline :: Former Bush state is 420 friendly
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