R-Rated

Welcoming back...Myself!!

2012-01-08T21:05:00.003-06:00

So after an unintentional sabbatical from blogging, today seems an appropriate time to reflect back on the second half of 2011 considering it's the NFL playoffs and there are no night games scheduled.

Let's see, since the last post, the following happened, in no particular order.
- Made a trip to the Northeast (Boston) and to the Northwest (Portland) in a span of 2 weeks for professional and personal reasons.
- Moved from Vernon Hills to Prospect Heights, leaving behind a fully-furnished apartment to a clean-slate whiteboard (literally, the paint in this house is snow-white).
- NFL season started and ended (September to January) and thus the exile from blogging.
- Joined a Fantasy Football league and for a change, won the regular season and finished 3rd overall for a rookie season.
- Gave in to a long-standing demand and got a good deal on ...wait for it....An Apple product. We are officially in the Apple cult. Proud owners of a 4th generation iPod Touch. Somewhere Steve Jobs is saying; "I Win" (evil laughter all around).

A note about Fantasy Football. While the excitement about the league was palpable, it took the fun out of the NFL games. Instead of enjoying the great season, it made all the Pseudo-General Managers (Read: the suckers who lost valuable Sundays) battle it out for individual glory and the few superstars to earn their position in the team. Heartbreaks and blowout victories of a made-up league has unfortunately lost a customer; I am no longer playing Fantasy Football starting next year. This is a commitment I intend to fulfill for myself and for K, who has given me dirty looks all throughout the season for trying to stare and refresh the GameCenter website and the FF App on the iPod Touch for the best part of 4+ months, just in the hope that my player is going to score and score big.

More importantly, 2011 was probably the quickest year to fly past me in recent memory. The whole year was a blur with lots of great times and anxious moments. Welcomed the new year in the company of relatives and we are off to a fast start once again (it's already the 8th).

Here's to a great 2012 to all of you. Spend the year enjoying life because once December comes along, let's hope for 2 things (1) That the Mayan Calendar is wrong and (2) If they happen to be correct, there are no regrets for the life we spent on this Earth.

Cheers and Go Pats!!

4th of July - NJ, PA, NYC

2011-07-10T18:46:00.017-05:00

DISCLAIMER: The post is ridiculously long even for my standards, continue at your own discretion. Just kidding.

Ahhhh - the joy of July!!!

4th of July weekend, a trip to NY/NJ to meet who else - you guessed it. S, S, Y and A {identities protected as these folks are VIPs and are in the witness protection program of a high profile case}.

With that out of the way, K and I left town on Friday night in a highly tension-filled ride to Milwaukee with traffic problems ensuring that we almost missed our flight to LaGuardia. But, of course we made it to the airport on time (got to say, Kirti ran like a deer to the terminal) and we were on our way.

Flew with Frontier for the first time and must say, in spite of staying true to the words "Discount Airline", the warm and delicious chocolate chip cookies was a welcome surprise.

An hour's drive from LGA to Mahwah gave the 4 of us some much needed face time. It is always fun to meet Sam and Such and this time was no different. After a great dinner (chicken biryani), we sat down (or should I say stood up) for some play time on Sam's newest toy - the Kinect. Thank God for my experience with the Wii, the games were fun, add to it the 55" Samsung flat-screen, it was an awesome night. Called it a night a little past 2:30 AM.

The next day, after picking up Y and A from Newark, the 6 musketeers (or should I say, proud members of T-Group) were off to Edison for lunch. Next stop - Manalapan, NJ for some outdoor Laser Tag. The greatly forested area seemed like a training camp for the US Army with folks in fatigues and the guns resembling the real deal. After a good 2.5 hour fire-drill, without knowing where folks are firing at you and you pretty much staking out your post, it was time to head back home. Overall, the experience could have been better had the playing field been smaller. But if you are not into regular workouts, this was a great way to lose some of the unwanted "areas of ridicule".

After a smooth ride back home with Captain Sam at the controls of the flight a.k.a The Highlander, it was time for some great food (Thank you Such, again) and a round of Carrom. Its been nearly 10 years since I last played, but it was good to get the fingers have some fun as well. Called it a night well past midnight with a promise to get out of home early for our planned trip to the Poconos.

And it was Sunday, clearly 2+ hours behind schedule and the heavens wanting to explode. And explode it did, with the 2 hour journey to the Poconos (Bushkill Waterfalls, in particular) almost sabotaged by the downpour. It was deja-vu all over again (Re: Memorial Day disaster) but this time, nothing was going to stop the determined group. With the plans to go river-tubing washed aside, we concentrated on our efforts to enjoy Bushkill to the max. And boy, it did not disappoint. Great hiking trails and a terrific waterfall (I am talking to you, Bridesmaid Falls), it was a fantastic way to spend a rain-drenched holiday weekend. All 6 of us took turns underneath the tremendous power of the falls, with the boys spending some extra time right near the feet. Looking at us, a few more folks braved the water and jumped in. Normally it would be Sam taking the lead, but this time it was Yog who egged Sam to join him. K's constant pestering about me being careful in the rains (considering what happened last time around I was getting all macho) was to no avail as I too had no reservations about taking a dip.

Thank God, my health stayed the course and I was not a nuisance to the rest of the gang. After completing the 2 hour trek, we went to a shooting range where we actually fired real weapons. Another first for me and K, we shot a 44 mm revolver and were just about to fire an AK-47 when it was time and the range closed. So close, yet so far. The recoil from the 44 mm Magnum Research was so powerful that it was unbelievable at first but then the "macho" in me brought back a sense of control.

It was time to head back to NJ and cap off the night with some Malaysian food at Penang (when K insists, all the horsemen bow down to the queen).

Next day with our return trip to Chi-town looming, we headed to NYC and explore some unvisited locations, namely Wall Street, Ground Zero and Central Park. With those in the bank, we bid adieu to Y, A, Sam and Such and spent another 2 hours at LGA with our flights delayed.

We finally got back home and dreaded the next 4 days of work. I was praying that the workload be light and guess what, the Lords up above listened. While starting tomorrow, the pains of a grueling schedule will try to take its toll, the weekend trip with these guys gave us a much needed break and a fresh start to July.

Until next time, Good Night and Good Luck!!

Weekend in Chicago

2011-06-26T18:21:00.018-05:00

With the summer - or sort of summer - kicking in, pollen season is in full bloom. And just like Phoolan Devi wrecking havoc in her heydays, Pollen Devi was leaving a trail of sneezers and wheezers on the war path. Your's truly truly had a disastrous few days beginning of June emptying boxes of tissues along the way and making Walgreens a tad bit happier with my spending on medications. I cannot remember the years prior to this whether my health was this bad, but I am thinking I am not immune to these allergies. Sundays have been particularly bad - for K - considering I have been bed-ridden almost 2 straight weekends - while she took on the regular Sunday-tasks upon herself. Poor soul :)

But (hopefully) I have conquered the elements now. To celebrate that and the fact that the Taste of Chicago was happening this weekend, K and I decided to make a trip to the city to have some fun with cuisines from Chicago.

After a round of samplers from various outlets, we took a lesson in making tasty Potstickers from Ms. Ying (from Ying's Kitchen - who repeatedly reminded us that she has been teaching Asian cooking for the past 12+ years). The funny part was when she showed us a map of China and to the amusement of the audience indicated that China was shaped like a chicken with no feet. It is actually true - China does look like a chicken with no feet. By the way, did you know that Beijing is the neck and Shanghai is the breast and Ying is from the head.

I must admit that I have never seen quite a few places in downtown even though I have been there a few times. Guess I can check off Buckingham Fountain, Magnificent Mile, Water Tower Place and Hancock Observatory from my bucket list. Beautiful weather and a non-cranky K made my day worth it. What a wonderful city Chicago is to walk and spend a day out with folks who can tag along. Probably the only things left to do in the city is take the architectural tour on a boat and eat at one of the restaurants on the River Walk.

The peace on the ride back home was interrupted by a group of tweeners who kept to themselves (loudly) but didn't do the other tired travelers a favor by keeping quiet and in the process taking the award for Most Obnoxious Person/Group Traveling in a Train.

July 4th weekend is next up and K and I cannot wait to get out of the city. Next up: New Jersey.

Memorial Day 2011

2011-06-05T20:27:00.011-05:00

Between India's World Cup victory and now, there have been quite a few significant "world" events - like the Royal Wedding and the death of OBL - but I just thought there is nothing new to share about these topics anyways. For one, I still hold a grudge against England for all those years of colonial rule and the bloodshed that resulted in splitting an undivided India. Secondly, writing about OBL was just too sensitive (even for my blog) but more importantly there was nothing that I could have written that would have been even remotely interesting.

So finally, with the advent of summer, it was that time of the year when the sunrise feels just a little bit happier and the evenings a lot more longer - Memorial Day Weekend 2011. Just like last year, Kirti and I met with few of our closest friends from New Jersey (Sam and Such) and from Nebraska (Yogesh and Anuja).

The planning for the trip began much earlier in late March when a casual conversation turned into where to do we meet this year. Little did we know Y&A had already reserved their train tickets to Chicago with a simple IM on G-talk saying "we booked the train tickets...see you soon". What followed soon after that was a mad scramble to get S&S their flight tickets.

April flew by and May was just beginning to warm up and we couldn't wait to get them here. With a little bit of confusion (Y&A) and a whole lot of delays (S&S), the six of us finally were at one spot. While we met S&S last year and Anuja had (with a weird twist of fate) come home last year, it was a long time for Sameer, me and Yogesh to meet up. The last time was in Minneapolis - and that was ages ago.

We planned on going camping to a place called Oregon (roughly 90 miles from home and about 25 miles south of Rockford) - to Lowden State Park. We had rented a cabin for couple of days and had barbeque on the menu for both days. With Chef-in-chiefs (Yogesh and Such) being so good at what they do (prepping the chicken), the rest of us got to work with packing and getting ready on Saturday morning. Additional items on the menu included - corn, bhel, kababs, burritos and drinks, of course. With 2 cars packed to the rim, the ladies (driven by Kirti) and gents (driven by yours truly) were on our way out of Chicago. With one anxious moment (Kirti would vehemently disagree), we reached our destination (the cozy cabin with comfy bunk-bends and a double bed) with the weather gods threatening us with rain.

Undeterred by the gloomy climate, Sam started the grill and we followed his lead. Chomping on juicy chicken and corn for about an hour, we decided to get some action (by way of playing some tennis, cricket and hiking). The guys - went their separate ways playing tennis at a local school tennis court - while the ladies ended up with hiking and photo sessions.

At night, we fired up the grill again and had a nice bonfire where drinks were served and songs of old filled the evening. Once the wood turned to ash, we turned our attention to playing cards and Pictionary inside the cabin, wee hours in to the morning. The fun we had while playing Pictionary was a sight to behold as each one of us had a varying degree of emotions while trying to convey to the team the word on the card (anger, frustration, total confusion were just some of them) with the sand-clock reminding us of the impending time.

While we got away relatively unscathed on Saturday, the heavens reminded us that Mother Nature still holds all the power. She unleashed such an unrelenting downpour that we had no option but to wrap things up on Sunday afternoon and head back home. While K, A, Such and Y had at least got to brush their teeth and freshen up, Sam and I had to enjoy the bhel and coffee as-is.

We got home to Chicago on Sunday afternoon and feasted on veggie burgers and fries - what an awesome answer to crappy weather. Unfortunately, yours truly fell victim to a terrible cold that did not go away until after the weekend was over. Determined to work my way out of misery, I took my share of medications and felt just good enough to venture out for dinner. After a good time spent at TGIF, we came back home for another round of Pictionary and a card game called - Kaali ki Tirri.

While I was a spectator to what was unarguably the funniest round of Pictionary ever - Sameer imagining an Octopus to be an Amoeba, misinterpreting and funnily enough for the rest of us - calling the word Sundae a spelling mistake and venturing out to draw a wall calendar - which pretty much looked like a temple or a multi-storey building. Words cannot justify the fun that we had that night.

Soon enough, it was Monday and it was time for Y&A to head back to Nebraska (after spending a few hours in downtown Chicago). After barely making it in time for their train to downtown, Sam and I went back home and the four of us went out to lunch and ended up going to Wilmette to the Baha'i temple. While the ladies were keen to get some good pictures, Sam and I were more interested in the lovely beauties (architectural, that is *wink wink*). Despite signs of "no photography allowed", there was no dearth of aspiring photographers (including Sam) willfully and intentionally breaking the rules of the meditation place. With that all wrapped up, we had a nice round of mini-golf and we called the night with couple of hours of bowling.

Tuesday came quickly and alas, with all good things, this trip also came to an end. Kirti went to work early so that she could make it back in time for the drive to Milwaukee to drop Sam and Such.

We wish we could have more of these days everyday but memories of such an awesome and relaxing time are with us only in the photos and videos. We had a terrific time with you guys and we always wish for more.

Thanks Yogesh, Anuja, Sam and Sucheeta for spending a fantastic weekend with us.

Time to think about the July 4th weekend now. Oh wait, isn't that already done. Nevermind.

World Champions - Once Again!!!

2011-04-02T23:07:00.028-05:00

Let me start with this: INDIA IS THE WORLD CHAMPION OF ONE-DAY CRICKET.

We have waited 28 years for this day, having come real close in 2003. Lets just say that this victory, more so the path taken for this victory has re-ignited the passion and interest in me as a cricket fan which I was a few years back. Its been a case of redemption for the 2003 team members who played their best cricket during this edition of the World Cup. Sachin, Zaheer, Viru, Nehra, Yuvraj primarily come to mind from the feeble memories of the heartbreak in 2003.

While the league phase of the World Cup was nothing but ordinary due to the horrendous planning, the knock-out phase was just mind blowing. Knocking out your chief nemesis in the Quarters (the once mighty Australians), dismissing your arch rivals in the Semis (the always unpredictable Pakistanis) and holding your nerve to edge out possibly the best team in the tournament (the never-say-die Sri Lankans), I am truly delighted for Team India: THE MEN IN BLUE.

What once was an obsession during my teen years in India, Cricket had taken a back seat in the US with Team India focusing more on individual achievements rather than the team concept which is a must-have to win big tournaments. Sure, we won tours overseas and held our own in hostile environments in Australia and South Africa, but it was never gripping enough for me as a huge India fan to think of it as substantial victories. Growing up in India, if you did not win the World Cup, then moral victories are baseless - unless of course if you beat Pakistan.

I want to concentrate this post only on India's success in the knock-out rounds as that was when the Real World Cup started. While the drama of the group phases meant India faced Australia in Round 1, none of the other Quarter-Final games had the intrigue or the tension of a real contest. Never in the die-hard fans' wildest imagination would this scenario have unfolded that India's path to World Cup glory would have to pass through these opponents.

Australia vs. India - Ahmedabad:
Nerve-wracking from start to finish.
Did India have it in itself to withstand a century from one of the greatest players? - Check
Did India's famed batting lineup have the self belief to counter a deadly pace attack led by Brett Lee? - Check
Did we finally get the right combination of batsmen and bowlers that would have to adapt at every tense situation to come out on top? - Oh YES (Thanks for including Suresh Raina, the guy along with Yuvraj were masterful).
Did we finally feel relieved to get the "Cannot beat Australia" monkey off our backs? - HELL YEAH!!! (while this was not hard to believe as India had been on the upswing for a while everyone knew Australia is a different beast in WC cricket).
On to the next one.

Pakistan vs. India - Mohali:
Must have been scripted in the heavens.
India took their 4-0 record against Pakistan in World Cups and threw it out of the window. In past WCs, India's victory over Pakistan meant the WC is won, even if the eventual champions of the tournament would be Australia or in the case of the 1992 edition, Pakistan themselves. While everyone knows how the match turned out, it was interesting to see what happened at our company here. The Wipro team here planned to set up a conference room to broadcast the 2nd innings live. What an atmosphere!!! 50-70 people crammed in a room with laptops searching for any available "link" to the match - just in case if the primary link had stopped working. Cricinfo open on every available viewer's computer to catch ball-by-ball updates. Americans unfamiliar with the game, learning the nuances, the rules, the 'everything' of cricket in about 3.5 hours.
Thanks to some poor fielding during India's innings, a respectable score was on the cards for India's bowlers to defend. The start of the Pakistan innings was eerily similar to the Quarter-Finals in 1996 when Aamir Sohail and Saeed Anwar were blasting runs off of the Indian pacers. Then Venkatesh Prasad happened and the rest is history.
In this match, while wickets were steadily falling and there was no obvious hero for India in the bowling department, Misbah-ul-Haq happened and the rest is history.
While India has traditionally been incapable of throttling opponents with their bowling, this time around they smelled blood and went for the jugular. Dhoni, while accepting that he mis-read the pitch and turned to pace for the game, couldn't have fumbled with his game planning any worse but the master-stroke was getting Nehra in the side for R Ashwin and it worked wonders for India. The game was won in what we thought was unnecessarily made into a tense encounter by giving up easy runs in the field during the Pakistani innings. We lost Nehra to a broken hand but we were in the Finals.
Manmohan Singh did not show much emotions during or after the win, maybe because while Madam Gandhi and Rahul Baba were enjoying themselves with the public, they forgot to inform MMS that he too can savor the victory and enjoy the proceedings. What do we say, right, Puppet PM.
The Gods had smiled again and India moved on to what would be one of the greatest matches ever played in WC Finals History.

Sri Lanka vs. India - Mumbai:
Played under heavy security cover - and rightfully so, India played their strongest and most complete opponents in the form of the Lankan Lions who had won their Semifinal game against a wily New Zealand team that once again found themselves on the wrong side of the match. 6 WC Semifinal appearances and no victories to be proud of.
Dhoni vs. Sangakkara. Flair vs. Technique. Attitude vs. Grace.
Sachin vs. Murali. Champion vs. Champion.
WC hosts have never won a final - screw that. A Final's centurion has never lost a game - what humbug!! (Although, due credit to Mahela Jayawardena for a brilliant knock).
Had the makings of a truly memorable game and it did not disappoint one bit. While there will be many many news reports about the match in itself, the key thing would have been the number of people around the world who would have tuned up for this match. No matter who you are - a die-hard India or SL fan or just a die-hard cricket fan or a casual fan who would watch a game if shown or a once-passionate fan who wanted a reason to cheer for his team (I include myself in this group) - YOU SAW THIS MATCH. And it did not matter if the game started at 4:00 AM or 2:00 AM, you were not going to miss this for anything. The game was worth every bit of the hype. While "out-played" is not the right word, India clearly held their nerve in a nail-biter.

Thanks to Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli and Captain Cool, we won the game with a flourish and a huge six to crown India - WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS for the 2nd time.

In the post-match interview, some one asked Virat Kohli why the team carried Sachin on the shoulders and the response was simply brilliant. He said, "Sachin has carried Indian Cricket for almost 21 years, it was about time he was carried around". The greatest batsman of all time is finally a CHAMPION of the ODI format and that too in his home ground. Does this mean a farewell is on the cards? You never know with the Master Blaster. He is one ton away from a 100 hundreds.

So while India sits today as a 20-20 Champion, #1 Ranked Test Team and now ICC Champions, the only question I have now is - Where the hell is Poonam Pandey?

Frustrations of a Different Kind

2011-01-30T19:03:00.007-06:00

What have we allowed ourselves to become? How have we become so insulated from all the (crazy) things that have happened over the past few months? I guess we (Indians) will probably never have back problems. Why? Coz we don't have a spine.

We allow the scums to carry out their "work" and in due course, these become what we have become so accustomed to - SCAMS. Commonwealth Games SCAM, 2G Spectrum SCAM, Adarsh Society SCAM, Nira Radia, Lalit Modi, Aarushi Murder Case etc. Few years ago, the basic necessities of the common man were Food, Clothing and Shelter. Add a new "requirement" to the list .

In 50 years, I predict (no Nostradamus here) that India either will self-destruct or we will have another "East India Company" type takeover. Everyone is going to become so greedy, so corrupt that we are going to lose hope of any law and order and more importantly self belief.

Villains like Suresh Kalmadi, A Raja blatantly challenge the public, the media, the courts to audit them, but what has happened. Nothing. The way these individuals refuse to step down from their esteemed positions gives an idea how powerful these violators have become. Why? Because we have allowed this to happen.

Tonnes and tonnes of onions have been rotting in government storage allowing prices to spiral out of control. Things have become so bad that we have to import onions from Pakistan, of all the places. Why isn't Sharad Pawar (Honorable Minister for Agriculture) being questioned for such a crime? Few years ago, it was Wheat rotting, now it is Onions? Tomorrow it might be something just as basic as Cotton, then what?

The Cricket World Cup is less than a month away, but the World Famous Eden Gardens in Kolkata is not even ready, subsequently forcing the BCCI (in turn forced by the ICC) to shift the 3-4 matches (1 featuring India) to be moved to an alternate location. Jagmohan Dalmiya, the CAB (Cricket Association of Bengal) chief has vowed to get the stadium ready in time, only to be shot down (up until today). I think this just has to scare the public out of their wits, considering the CWG fiasco that almost put the lives of spectators and the athletes in serious jeopardy. How can someone or some organization which has advance knowledge of the World Cup schedule mess up planning in such a disastrous way. The blame must be shared by the BCCI top-honchos for this debacle.

The blazing economy, the rise of the middle class, the earning power of the people of India, all good things for the outside world to see. Now, we have the ignominy of sharing these "breaking news" with the rest of world to ridicule us to no end.

There is no accountability for anything. The Supreme Court can keep questioning but nothing ever happens. And in due course, the public will forget as newer and newer scams will replace the stale ones. A villain will rise (for a short time) and he too shall fade in memory. Come election year, I don't know how the UPA wins it for the 3rd consecutive time. Their actions, rather the obvious lack of it, on these "Bharatpremis" will once again be overshadowed by the promise of Roti, Kapda, Makaan and inadvertently - Scams.

We need change, in a bold way, in a way where every India holds every man accountable for his actions, responsible for every corrupt decision that empties the treasuries of the Government of India. Until that change happens, we will continue to allow these politicians, these babus to screw us, left, right and center.

I can continue to hope that things will be alright in the future, for us, for our kids and for generations of Indians. Until that happens, let us build the frustrations inside us only to be floored (and angered) by the next wave of "This just in....".

The clock is ticking.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T20:19:00.001-06:00

Wish you all a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Hope the new year brings you all that you hoped and prayed for.

Stay safe and have fun!!

Au Contraire

2010-12-12T18:26:00.019-06:00

Whatever I said last week about snowfalls, please do me a big favor and throw that "good feeling" out of the window. I guess I jinxed it as Mother Nature was not happy today (She still isn't done) and everyone is feeling her wrath. A weekend in snowy, wintry Chicago will change the perception as to how you look at the upcoming season.

So strong was the blizzard this weekend that the New York Giants football team was stranded in Kansas City and they were not even scheduled to play the KC Chiefs. They were to play the Minnesota Vikings at the Mall of America Field (previously the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome) in downtown Minneapolis. A terrible snowstorm did not even allow travel near the state of Minnesota and the old stadium could not withstand the pounding.

Here is how the stadium would look on a good day.

And here is the stadium today.

The city got pounded with snow and unfortunately the storm dragged its feet all the way to Chicago and the rest of Illinois. Sitting inside my house, the noise outside is so scary compounded by the constant rumbling of the trees and the swirling effect of the windy snow that it has made yesterday (26F and pouring rain) look like a distant dream. And oh, it is coooold outside.

You must have wondered, one week he talks about all the "joys" of snowfalls and Christmas decorations and the very next week he writes horror stories about incessant blizzards and scary noises. I am as taken aback by the level of destruction that such a day can cause and frankly, it plays tricks on your mind. You do realize that I did not harp about the bitter cold last week. I would save that for another day (in February). Last week it was all about sharing the joy, today it is all about sharing the pain.

There is however one good news to share. The University of Akron won its first NCAA tournament. We are the champions of College Soccer.. While it may not be the biggest NCAA sport as compared to Football and Basketball, but who cares, it is our day and I am damn proud of being from Akron U. Go Zips.

In unrelated news, my cousin got married this weekend and I called him to wish him good luck on a happy married life. One of the first things he asks me is "Brother, give me some tips" and I told him "You are on your own". Guess that was not the inspiration he was looking for. But being a veteran of a 5 1/2 year marriage, I would say to him, be ready to make a lot of sacrifices, treat her well, don't take her or yourself for granted just because you are married and most importantly, have a good time.

Of Snowfalls and White Winters

2010-12-05T16:00:00.013-06:00

It snowed this weekend for the first time. Enough said, this is going to be a white Christmas and a long winter to look forward to. With every snowfall comes great complaints about short days and never-ending nights. Depressing to say the least. However, with all those years living in snow-clad regions it is about time we embrace and appreciate the beauty of all things white.

Christmas and snowfalls bring about the colors from all the cities across the country with decorations lasting a few weeks to months into the new year. Winter wonderlands come up at communities inviting suburban folks to have a few smiles and gawk at the decorations.

Heavy snowfalls are no reason to stay indoors. In fact, they are to be enjoyed outside by building a snowman and having snowball fights with close friends (and enemies if you can find them and entice them for a fight). Snowfalls are to be enjoyed on mountains where ice-tubing and ice-skating are as eagerly looked forward to as a sizzling summer afternoon spent at the beach. Folks in the US actually enjoy a winter vacation in the Rocky Mountains and the snow covered mountains of Utah.

Shoveling snow out of the driveway or getting the ice scrapped off your car tends to bring out frustration in many folks (me included) but it is something to be dealt with. If you have underground parking or a garage nothing like it, but at least you burn off some of the calories while getting your car out. How about that for an advantage.

Snowfalls bring out the urge to get under a blanket with your loved ones and share a hot cup of coffee or a hot chocolate and maybe, just maybe that will re-kindle a romance that has lost steam due to various reasons. I sound like an agony aunt, don't I? Anything that will help cheer up the troops that will see nothing but white until April, I am willing to take that chance.

A white winter is not something I used to look forward to in any of my previous years but here I am writing a blog about soaking up the moment and having a blast while you could be suffering from a prolonged depression.

While Buffalo, NY gets buried under a heavy snow blanket, most of Europe blanketed by an unprecedented whitewash, Minneapolis staying true to its reputation of being one of the harshest places to be inhabitate, here I am wishing you all a very white winter and hope you have fun memories to last.

Now, go get a shovel.

New York State of Mind

2010-11-27T22:42:00.016-06:00

Thanksgiving weekend, Kirti off to India, what else but get the hell out of town. That I did, in real quick fashion by snapping off a cheap deal to get to New York/New Jersey to meet Sam and Such.

What if I had to travel from Illinois to Wisconsin and then fly to New York and get to New Jersey to meet these two, it was worth every mile driven, every mile flown, every dollar spent at the toll-booth and every bit as relaxing as I had expected the trip to be. Talk about much ado about nothing, the airport X-ray scanners and full body pat downs, that is: NOTHING. No one seemed to be bothered and no one raised a ruckus about it at Milwaukee or in NY.

Spent the best part of Thursday walking in the cold rain on the streets of Manhattan figuring out our next hot-spot to cover and for a few brain-cramp moments we mistook Bryant Park to be the unmistakable Rockefeller Center, wild enough to think that just because there was an ice rink and people were having a great time that this was it. Even with the landmark that is the NBC Tower not even in the same zip code, that this particular piece of ice was part of the icon. Even signs on the street and the rink such as Bryant Park did not deter us from believing that it was indeed not 30 Rock.

We did however, find out where we wanted to be and spent a good time ogling at what we normally see on the TV. Adults and kids skating on the ice, some effortlessly finding their feet and some struggling to the point of being "internet video-funny". This place was called the Rockefeller Center and standing next to it was 30 Rock. We started to breathe again and all was normal :)

Next stop: Times Square. Just "The Place" to be. Oozes New York, simply New York. Can never get enough of that place. What crowd, what lights, what energy. It was about 5:00 PM and we were just about ready for dinner (skipped lunch, of course). Took a cab to Lexington Avenue for some really awesome Indo-chinese food at a place called Chinese Mirch (beats out Bamboo Inchin in Chicago). If you are in that area, try out the place. Yummy!!

Took the trains back home to Jersey City for some rest as Black Friday loomed just around the turn of the night. Not since 2003 have I ventured out in the cold November Friday for "some deals" but we had this planned since the trip itself was planned. Serpentine queues at Walmart and Best Buy took the life out of us but we chugged along till it was time to go get some much needed sleep. Did not see any awesome, jaw dropping deals but people here are crazy for flat screen TVs. Seemed like the average Thanksgiving revenue (for the past 10 years) of about $445 Billion was very well achievable (even in a bad economy).

For dinner that night, we went to Saravana Bhavan in Edison and it was possibly the best South Indian dinner I have had in the States. Too mouth watering and authentic for the palette. Loved every morsel to the end.

But as all good things come to an end, so did this wonderful trip. Had a great time with these 2, always do. With the weekend winding down and 2011 staring down the barrel, it is time to get the final act for 2010 together and get some work done.

Lets go!!

Loss for words

2010-10-17T15:43:00.006-05:00

Being in touch with family and friends is always a must-do for all of us NRIs. I am not much of a talker but I do call my family twice a week for about 6-10 minutes of updates from both ends. Same goes with Kirti and her folks and her calls last for about 10-14 minutes.

What I don't understand is some of our friends have their customary/mandatory calls every weekend and some calls last at least an hour and some even more. My first question every time to Kirti is "What is there to talk to parents for more than an hour?" Both of us are literally at loss for words every single time.

Just for the heck of it, I have tried talking to my parents but almost always close to the 7 minute mark, I am done. I have nothing to talk about and surprisingly enough, my parents have no tidbits or in Kirti's terms, no more masala khabar. Even if there is a marriage or an occasion in the family, we just don't go beyond the threshold.

Raise your hand and drop a line if you are like one of us or if you belong to the majority, I would like to hear from you as to what it takes to talk a lot.

Moving on, I am shocked and amazed and extremely proud that India hosted the Commonwealth Games successfully and more importantly, proud that our athletes raked up more than a 100 medals. Numerous articles in almost every national newspaper have applauded the efforts of the athletes but more importantly have ordered the audits to start for gross misuse of funds and authority. Since the PM has made it clear that the guilty will be brought to justice, some heads are sure to roll. Can't wait for the accountability and the finger pointing to begin.

Bigg Boss 4 started with Salman Khan hosting the 3-month event. Shiv Sena and MNS have started their morchas and threats against the channel for inviting Pakistani folks to participate in the show and for once, just this once, I am on their side. Why do we need "them" when we have enough cartoon characters in India. We all live for TRPs and ratings but having a dacoit with murder charges (Seema Parihar) and a bonafide thief in the house just doesn't gel well with me. No wonder these so-called participants are called inmates. I am no moral police, but we as an audience should draw the line in what we want to watch and clearly, the common man has spoken. Give me more Bigg Boss. What the heck, from Arshad Warsi to Shilpa Shetty to Big B to Salman "Dabangg" Khan, the audience waits lustily and breathlessly week-in and week-out.

Dusshera has come and gone and we wait eagerly for Diwali. Hopefully will be a good one for all of us.

Happy Dusshera!!

Viva Las Vegas

2010-09-27T20:18:00.009-05:00

Back after a refreshing trip to Sin City for the Labor Day Weekend, we immediately got back to the preparations for Ganesh Chaturthi.

Traveling to the desert and back to Chi-town literally had us in a tizzy for the rest of the week. I haven't felt jet-lagged in my 5-6 trips to and from India but this 3 hour Red-eye from McCarran to O'hare was just tiring. Reaching Chicago at 5:30 in the morning and then picking up the Boss from the hotel at 8:30 and then staying at work till 5:30 was exhausting, so exhausting that we both dozed off at 8:30 every night for the rest of the week.

Back in Vegas, a lot had changed (obviously) since 2002. We stayed at one of the older hotels (Riviera) and it showed. Nicer hotels like the Aria, Cosmopolitan, Wynn & Encore had altered the Vegas landscape. Still the kings of the Vegas Strip are The Bellagio, Caesar's Palace and The Venetian and throw in a mixture of the Mandalay Bay, New York New York, Luxor and MGM Grand.

Lots of free shows and a ton of walking up and down 100 degree weather made it a worthwhile trip. Kirti and I checked out the O show from Cirque Du Soleil and it was just terrific.

Rode the superb roller coaster at New York New York and the heart-stopping triple monster (X-Scream, Insanity and Big Shot) at The Stratosphere. Brilliant. Any reservations I might have had with heights, just evaporated.

By far the best free show we experienced was....of course, the Bellagio fountains. Beautiful orchestration and perfect timing. A visit to downtown Las Vegas (Fremont Street Experience) was pretty good with some photos with the Showgirls and a little bit of gambling had us nicely set up for the O show.

Las Vegas means gambling. So we did gamble and came up short by about $150. Overall, a very superb experience and for once Kirti can say I took her to Las Vegas.

Back in Chicago, Ganpati came and went and this this time unlike 2007, it was a pretty low-key affair.

Between Las Vegas and Ganpati, NFL season started and for the past 2 weeks, I have had my share of games that I had missed last season. Business trip, you see.

Leave Me Alone!!!

2010-08-29T12:15:00.008-05:00

Isn't that the first thought that comes to mind when you are approached by a Quixtar representative or with someone with a "business proposition"?

In my 8 years in the US, I have had 6 such moments when I wanted to strangle the person luring me into the world of quick money and fake dreams.

First time I had my brush with these folks was in Akron where in the name of a harmless presentation, I and a few of my newbie friends were called to a senior's house. On reaching there, we had a nicely dressed guy literally "setting up his shop" with a white board and a massive dream to sell. Like a storybook, he starts talking about how the McDonald's franchise got where it is today. An hour later, with the hardsell still going strong, the whole group collectively decided on an emphatic NO.

Few weeks later with a good "bad experience" about this business proposition, I had another brush with this nonsense. Unfortunately, I was cornered and I ended up with a one-on-one session. The first question I am asked is "What is your dream car?" An honest answer like a Toyota Camry did nothing but fuel the tempo in the associate to tell me, "you should dream about a BMW or a Mercedes". I believe my answer to that gentleman was, I am here in the US with little to no money in my pocket, with an on-campus job and a Master's degree to finish, you better take your mantra to some other unsuspecting FoB (Fresh off the Boat). End of story.

These buggers have no conscience in the fact that the students who come from India with a degree to get have dreams of their own, that is to get an education and start their careers in their the field of their choice and not to fall prey to a guy who has nothing but few pamphlets to distribute and then earn the money for those sitting at the top of the food chain. A lot of them get sucked into this act.

A year later, one of my friends from my engineering days wanted to pay a visit from Toledo. Great thing but little did I know he is going to "sell" me on the dream that he has fallen for. This time, I was given a CD to listen to and few days later my answer was another "not my thing".

Got "caught" in Chicago thrice back in 2006. Once in a temple (of all places), wherein a decent looking Indian family got Kirti's attention by praising the dress that she was wearing. Unsuspectingly, we ended up in a conversation with the husband and Kirti was fawning over how cute the couple's kids were. 10 minutes later, we were exchanging telephone numbers. Back in the day, there were no friends, no colleagues and no family to hangout with, meaning desperate measures.

A little while after reaching home from the temple, we get a call from the husband with whom we were chit-chatting and he tells us to come to his place and that he had a "business proposition" to discuss. After 5 minutes of "not my cup of tea, not interested" etc. we hung up never to pick up his phone call again (and boy, did he try to get in touch with us!!)

The fifth time was in the most unique circumstances I could imagine ourselves in. We go to the DMV to get Kirti her DL and we meet 2 older gentlemen who were also there for renewing their DL. They end up coming in an old car which wouldn't start in the middle of winter. After seeing their sorry state, Kirti and I decide to help them out by staying back with them in the DMV until they get their vehicle started and getting them out of there. Of course, we exchanged telephone numbers only to be called the same day with an invitation to their home for being so nice to them by staying back. By telling them some other day we would come by to meet them and their families, the phone calls kept coming until the guy dropped a bomb on us by telling me to invest $2000 which will become a lot more in a "business proposition" that he had in mind. Sorry, but no thanks. This wouldn't be our first time.

Funnily, the last (and I am sure we will be targeted again) time we were in the midst of this was in a mall. I am with Kirti shopping and this guy in a nice suit walks past us and then comes back to me and tells me "your hair is gelled so nicely", Are you fu..ing serious. Did you just tell me my hair is gelled nicely. What a way to start a conversation. Then he tells me that I look familiar and I straightaway tell him, it is not possible since I live in Minneapolis (nice try, I thought). With him selling short of giving me his business card (which I refused), I said to myself, FOR THE LAST TIME, LEAVE ME ALONE.

I am sure you also have been the target of many of these dream-sellers. If you have, share your story and spread the word.. LEAVE ME ALONE.

A Heartfelt Loss

2010-07-25T17:48:00.010-05:00

This past week a very close friend of ours passed away. It was very hard to see her go but her health was deteriorating rapidly and age had finally caught up to her. She lived a full life, traveling to places which otherwise would not be possible without extra effort from our end as well.

I have known her since 2004, since my Akron days. Even before Kirti became a full-time part of my life, she was with me guiding me through the initial phase of my career. Found her at a place not far from where me and Kirti called home for about a year.

Feel kinda sad that the end had to be this quick considering her heart had stopped while Kirti was with her on her way from work. Initially, we thought that her kidneys had failed and that she needed kidney transplant. But a trip to a doctor made our worst fears come true. Her heart was no longer what we had expected it to be. Strong, reliable and coming through at all times even under deadly pressures. The doctor recommended us to a specialist where it was confirmed that the fluids that she was on was not up to the mark and had fastened the demise.

She was with Kirti since the past couple of years where her need was felt more by Kirti than me. She dutifully performed what was expected of her, helping Kirti ease through the early days of work. I am glad that she could be with Kirti when I was away for 7 months in India, and while I was happy to see Kirti at the airport after a long break, I was pleased that she could make it too. Kirti even complained during our early days of marriage that I cared for my friend more than I cared for Kirti. While that may not be true entirely, my friend did hold a special place in my life. Soon enough Kirti realized the true value of my friend when they lived together for more than 2 years.

Even Kirti was sad to see her go. It was hard on both of us. My parents met her for few months in 2006 and they had a good time when we made quite a few trips to meet Sidhya and my folks on the east coast.

Over the years, she had to endure few ailments along the way. We took care of her all the way through her final days with regular checkups and while the last few years showed a diagnosis which we did not seem fatal, it was what caused the end to be so sudden.

My friend moved with us from Akron to Chicago to Minneapolis and back to Chicago. While she had been the butt of many jokes, she was the one who endured the most while we treated her to a comfortable life.

But as with all things necessary in the US, we did replace our White Knight with a sleeker Black Stallion. And we are hoping our new friend carries us through for the next few years just like the great one.

Rest in Peace, Rani. We miss you a lot!

I am sick...

2010-07-04T11:49:00.007-05:00

I am sick of the NBA free agency with the US media hell bent on covering LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and the likes and their tonnes and tonnes of analysis of where these guys should be and would be and shouldn't be and wouldn't be. Nauseating.

I have a high running fever; World Cup fever that is. Once in 4 years, the excitement of the world's biggest tournament is just hyped for all the right reasons. Surely it is bigger than the Summer Olympics. South Africa has planned and executed the tournament quite brilliantly, ala the Chinese during the Beijing Olympics. India has got to learn a lot about planning and organization from these nations. Come October, the Commonwealth Games should be a good measuring stick.

Back to the World Cup, even the office was hooked onto the Uruguay-Ghana game. Considering there is a colleague from Ghana in our team, that heightened the importance of the knock-out game even more. So much that my boss asked me to update her in case there was any result in regulation. But still, by and large Americans are very much disconnected from the Beautiful Game.

Ghana lost on PKs (a game they should have won in extra time) and Uruguay meets the Dutch in the semis. Netherlands-Brazil was a game that was won by the team that needs this WC more. The Dutch have not won a WC and a comeback win just proved how much they want this Cup. I have never liked Brazil for all their shenanigans about style. Even they buckled and folded under pressure and ended up with a Red Card for stamping on a Dutch player. Great result.

Germany-Argentina, Saturday morning, must watch. A game that was already decided by an octopus deciding which country's box to choose lunch from. It picked Germany after a long deliberation, meaning the game would be tight. Considering how correct this octopus has been (it predicted Serbia would beat Germany in the group stages), this was an important selection. I woke up at 9:04 am to see the replay of Thomas Mueller's 3rd minute header. The rest of the way, I made sure I was not going to miss another moment, should it arrive. And boy, did the Germans erupt in the second half scoring 3 more and allowing the Argentinians none. Lionel Messi would have to wait 4 more years to get a shot back at the Jules Rimet trophy. Germany move on and await their Euro 2008 final beaters, Spain in the semifinal. Should be a mouth watering clash since Spain has been hyped to win it all. ESPN and SI websites will be closely monitored come Wednesday.

Enough about the World Cup. Went to a beach on the North side of Chicago. 90 degree weather but the water was freezing. Not to mention the pebbles on the shore and the water was like an acupressure session. A whole lot of Indian-style barbecue, a little bit of volleyball and frisbee and a night full of Poker made it a nice holiday weekend. We planned for a St. Louis trip on Sunday but getting up at 11:00 did not make it a hard decision to skip it.

Oh well..

Wassup!!

2010-06-19T12:36:00.004-05:00

Inhales a deep breath....

Since the last exciting incident in my life (the fire, of course), life has taken a turn for normalcy to return back. With the hectic work schedules playing a major role in my life, getting the 3-day Memorial Day break was a great blessing. Met with 2 of my favorite people and had a blast in Sandusky, Ohio.

With camping, laser tag, bowling, Put-In-Bay, water-rides, cycling, endless barbecues, camp fires and recalling good ol' times of the past years in Minnesota, the 2+ days couldn't have gone any better. Had a terrific time in Put-In-Bay. Anywhere we went, we had great weather and a great party atmosphere. Extremely relaxing and a super time off from the mundane life we all lead. And truth be told, my occasional beer drinking took me out of my comfort zone this time around. I did have Sameer to fall back on, just in case. Alas, honeymoons don't last forever. On the way back to Chitown, we were greeted by the most horrific rainfall we have ever experienced. Timely reminder that days ahead are going to be anything but relaxing. Roughly 3 hours of the total drive was done in heavy downpour resulting in a near-crash on I-90 after reaching Chicago. Harrowing time that, I can tell you. Maharani passed with flying colors.

The complain remains from Kirti that I have to lose a lot of weight, an argument which I can never win. Hence to counter that, I have started to do 2 things. 1) Run (away from her) and 2) Ignore the constant buzz about how terrible I am :)

I do intend to lose "some" of the flab that I have accumulated since the days of my India (& Europe) stopover. I don't understand one thing however, Kirti and I were both under severe stress during our time apart. While I have become the Goodyear blimp, she has become the equivalent of stick figure (Sucheeta and Sameer can vouch for that). I have been tasked and warned to get back to my 2008 "shape", while she conveniently forgets that she has a lot more to lose by not gaining any weight. I have a "work in progress" status for that. And just like the never ending signs of construction work in Chicago, this too is going to be a tough out.

In good news, Kirti got a project at CVS/Caremark for 6 months. Great relief. After nearly a year of near misses and what-ifs, things are looking bright. Don't know how long this will last, but we are not going to waste our time thinking about what-ifs and what-nots. Thinking about the last year, it could have been easily possible that both of us would have been in India with a lot of resettlement issues. Things happen for a reason, elders say. While our focus and our family's constant reminder is for having one or more additions to Rajesh and Kirti (one at a time is enough for Kirti while I would welcome more, the future headaches not withstanding), we are taking one baby step at a time. Now is the time, but actually, the time is now.

In other news, basketball season is over, football does not start until September (sob, sob!!!) and I don't give a damn about regular season baseball. However, FIFA World Cup is here and it has been fun to catch up on some of the games. My favorite team (Die Mannschaft, guess this and you are amazing!!!) has 1 win and 1 loss but given their track record, it is safe to assume, they will be through. I am hoping that is the case.

July 4th weekend is about 2 weeks away and we have made no plans yet to do anything. Lots to look forward to this year. Keep checking back here for more. You will not be disappointed.

Exhales...

M.I.A

2010-06-10T23:16:00.001-05:00

This is the longest that I have gone without posting anything. Been busy the last month with work and everything else.

Watch this space for more. Something will be up soon.

Burn Notice

2010-05-03T22:09:00.011-05:00

We finally moved to our own apartment by mid-April. Everything should be hunky-dory right. Well, partly.

Great trail behind the house, with a huge lake and a beautiful setting. Just picture perfect.

Had a major incident last week. As you might have guessed from the title, we had a fire break out in our home. Blame it on the garlic bread or the fact that we had a container with a plastic lid in the broiler. In fact, it had nothing to do with the garlic bread.

Thick black smoke blowing all over the cooking range and a contained flame had me and Kirti running for cover. To make matters worse, the smoke detector in the apartment didn't go off. Rather it was the alarms in the hallway that signaled the fire brigade to pay a visit. Did call 911 for the first time and the response time was great. Couple of cops showed up with a fire extinguisher and quieted the fire. Fire personnel made sure that we won't be using the existing cooking range anymore.

Just that we have been eating out since last Tuesday and the wallet became lighter by $400, I am just glad that we both are safe and unaffected by the fire. Soot had covered pretty much the entire counter-tops, fridge and other appliances near the cooking range.

Thanks to $10 pizza and pasta, dinner at Shaily and Vaibhav's on Friday and Sunny's birthday party on Saturday, we are just managing fine.

While we are tired from all the cleaning, and then more cleaning, I am relieved the ordeal is finally past us.

Till I write more, stay cool and stay away from fire and all things flammable.

The Korea Syndrome

2010-04-11T20:44:00.004-05:00

What is it with me and the Koreans, I mean Samsung, LG and then Hyundai. Loved the Samsung 19" monitor, 50-50 on the LG Chocolate and the EnV Touch cell phone & finally the Sonata. 'Nuff said.

Became the happy owner of a 2009 Sonata last night. Got a good deal and couldn't resist. After all, the research did come in handy.

But again, with strict instructions from wifey, "Maharani" is only allowed out when "Rani" is not available for use. (Maharani = Sonata, Rani = Corolla).

The Sonata is actually bigger than I thought it would be. Quite a comfortable ride and per the manufacturer, great on great mileage (like I would buy one without a decent return on a gallon of gas). I am also pleased with the 5-star safety rating and the 6-standard airbags and of course, the looks.

Soon enough, by the looks of it and the general trend that I am following, I am going to be in with the Koreans and out with the Japanese. There was a time in 2006, I was sure I was going to buy a Toyota Camry (but then again which Desi wasn't). With the Sonata's rating and the recent flurry of recalls from the Japanese giant, my decision was a no-brainer. Fit the budget and the need. Soon enough, Rani would be off to sleep and Maharani would have to take the lead.

Went to the temple and had the Car Pooja done this morning. Money well spent on the Pooja.

With that out of the way, the only thing left now is to pack up from here and move out to our own apartment. Heavy lifting coming up next week. Till next time, have fun.

Recap

2010-04-03T19:43:00.010-05:00

Tax season is upon us and the due date for filing is quickly knocking on the doorsteps. Thankfully, got ours done this week and got a good tax consultant to help us out with it. Every year I think, we can get this done on our own and then reality strikes when I know someone can bail me out better. Same story this year as well.

Past years' consultants never recommended opening an IRA or a 401(k) account, but this year, our consultant insisted we open one for atoning for past years' lost money :)

More than ever, I am relieved that we finally got our house that both of us liked, its close to work and that rent is affordable. The 'hunt' was very frustrating and ironically we ended up in a locality where we had already checked out quite a few apartments.

A dangerous situation occurred last night. For all the right reasons, the temperature in Chicago was 80 degrees, the house started heating up and we ended up sweating all evening. So after dinner we start watching a movie and turned the fan full swing. A little past 11:30 pm, we hear a noise as if someone is throwing stones on the glass windows. Turning up the light, we figure out that the fan above is missing one of the blades and that the blade was broken and luckily flew on the opposite end of the room where no one was. It was just too scary to imagine what would have happened if it sliced through any one of us.

IPL-3 is really becoming monotonous like IPL-1 and IPL-2, except that Mumbai Indians team is doing amazingly well. It is really no surprise that IPL stars are being paid amounts second only to the NBA stars. IPL becoming a $1 Billion enterprise is not small feat but it is really pathetic to see bowlers being carted around the ground. While it is always good to see a 6 being hit with a good cricket stroke, hammering the ball from the start with no solid technique and that too to good international quality bowlers is really sickening. Kochi and Pune join the party next year onwards and that means increased revenue for the BCCI.

Amitabh Bachchan gets hammered by the Congress for being a brand ambassador to Gujarat. Why is Congress raising the issue now, only because Narendra Modi is being investigated and questioned for his role in the 2002 riots? But then again, AB is ubiquitous and sooner or later controversies will always follow him. Got to wear a layer of teflon to be unaffected by all this.

All I can think of is negative things that I have seen in the news in the recent weeks. Help me with something good if you can. Can't seem to remember anything. But then again controversy is what sells the newspapers, doesn't it?

No other notable events since I wrote something last time around and I am sure by now you know how boring my life really is. But still, writing about daily news that all of you really can get from other sites is not something I wish to shove down your throat. And as always, till next time, file your taxes and enjoy the spring.

Filmfare Awards

2010-03-14T18:06:00.002-05:00

Watched the Filmfare Awards for 2009 last night. Was so disappointed that I wanted to let it out in this post. Past years' awards used to be long and never ending but the excitement and the performances were something the whole family used to look forward to. Javed Jaffrey used to be tremendously funny and confident as a host. Missed him doing his usual routine.

In the recent years, the performances were 'taped' prior to the awards at YRF studios and then shown 'live' to the audience. 2003's Kal Ho Na Ho set the trend for homosexual jokes between Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) and Saif Ali Khan (SAK) and that further spilled onto insulting the film industry folks with their sometimes witty and sometimes crass humor. SAK and SRK indeed put up a slightly watchable performance and their take on Shiv Sena was brief but funny.

Karan Johar, who seems to be everywhere, doesn't seem tired to host these shows but fails to give a good movie everytime. I don't understand after repeatedly failing to direct good movies, he is talked in the same breath as India's other great directors, and the list doesn't even include regional stalwarts.

Last night, I was shell shocked at 2 instances. Firstly, Best Dialogue was written as Best Dialouge which itself was unacceptable. No one bothers to proof read these things and unsurprisingly, the audience is left to see what is shown.

Secondly, the organizers wanted to pay a tribute to Michael Jackson. Fair enough. Karan Johar in his teleprompted script, announced the date of death as July 25, 2009 which for all its importance was so improperly done that it was unwatchable. MJ died on June 25, 2009.

On the performances, Deepika Padukone, who for starters cannot act to save her life, did such a yawningly boring dance sequence, that the organizers must have second thoughts about having her on stage in the coming years. She looked so disinterested that she herself must be wondering what the hell was she doing there.

Why did it seem that anyone who had a movie in 2009 walked away with an award. Ayan Mukherjee (Wake Up Sid) and Zoya Akhtar (Luck By Chance) should have done more to get the Best Debut Award. Thoroughly undeserved. The more these awards are given out, the more respect a certain Aamir Khan deserves for not putting up with this sham. Filmfare has absolutely lost its credibility.

No Forward Progress

2010-03-08T19:38:00.006-06:00

We are exactly where we were 2 weeks ago. That is, no house yet. Got the DL, paycheck etc. All good there but severely lagging behind on the most important thing.

Watched the Oscars last night and no surprises that The Hurt Locker swept all the major awards that it was nominated for. Saw the movie while I was in India, thought good movie, no big whupp!! Avatar was a major disappointment but at least it made a gazillion dollars.

Madam Sidhya turned 4 this past weekend and the birthday party awaits next week. With the antics that she is up to now, God knows what's in store during the party on the 14th.

A major search is underway for a nice car as the Corolla is on its final legs. For those who know me, know that I was hooked on to a Hyundai Sonata then, am hooked on to it now too. Sooner or later, a Sonata is going to be standing on the driveway.

Work becomes heavier and the schedules tighter than ever before. Lots of responsibilities handed over and as usual with anything, Failure is not an Option.

That's it for now, but I hope the next time something is posted, the househunt should finally be a closed chapter.

Getting in!!

2010-02-21T18:58:00.002-06:00

Got the (work) engine restarted last week and the 4 work days just breezed past me. Looking at long work hours for the next few months. Absolutely want this to happen after months of futility in India.

House hunting going on at a very slow pace. Nothing affordable and convenient at the same time available to zero in on. Taking things lightly as moving out is not an issue currently.

Got the first glimpse of falling snow on Saturday and surprisingly, it felt good inside. Missed this environment a lot while on the sabbatical in India. Now that I am back for long, the cold winter is also a pleasant sight.

Short one for today. Will be back to my monster-blogs sooner than later. Cheers!!

(UN)LUCKY SEVEN

2010-02-14T19:40:00.005-06:00

Exactly 7 months have passed since I reached India with a mind full of uncertainties, anger and a sense of desperation to get back to the US; just any part of the US would do. As luck would have it, I made it back to Chicago this past weekend for a long-term assignment with a client of ours. Lots of people would say I am darn *lucky* to make it back to the US to be with my wife, not realizing the heartbreak I have experienced in those 7 months that I have been away from her, *unlucky* to have my visa denied when things seemed hunky-dory.

I would gladly trade away my 3 trips to Bombay and 1 month in Europe to being in the US continuously without a break in between. But, at the same time, I am sort of clear in my head now, with my standing in my company and the exposure that I have received since being at the nerve center of the organization, Bangalore.

Equally importantly, being in Bangalore has given me the opportunity to look at the way my company operates and this India experience has certainly put me in close proximity with many top guys in Wipro, whom I would have never got a chance to talk to, let alone know their names had I been in the US all this while. Who knows when those contacts would be needed, but nevertheless, its worthwhile to be in their radar.

Being in this project also has provided me the opportunity of a lifetime to assume a senior position and continue my work-ex in the medical device industry. Although the real test of being in the outsourcing industry begins right now, with 24x7 access to people and work, the comforting thing is that at the end of the day, I get to come home to my wife, who has had to spend the same agonizing time away from me.

But as one Idiot would say, All Izz Well, it sure feels that way now that I am back where I am really comfortable and where I think, I belong.

Calling Chennai

2010-01-27T07:24:00.008-06:00

Made a quickie to Chennai over the weekend for some 'official' work. Details about this official work to follow in the upcoming blog. The last time I was in Tamil Nadu, it was way back in 1996 and on a trip to Chennai and Madurai with parents in tow. Just wrote Class X exams (then) and (the whole family) wanted a breather.

No vivid memories of the city from back then but where I was put up during this trip certainly left a good impression on yours truly. Auto's still trying to rip customers not accustomed to bargaining or not from the city or state at all. Thanks to the advice of a colleague, my wallet wasn't (that) lighter after the hefty extortion, I mean, the hefty charge to go from Koyambedu to Royapettah. The cruelest and mindboggling part is that ALL autos are equipped with electronic meters. Fair game right, wrong. One colleague who had been to TN many a times, recalled that while Jayalalitha was the CM, every auto had to use the meter, but as power changed hands, with Karunanidhi ruling now, meters are back to what they used to be. Show-cases, show offs. Who comes to power in the next elections will probably seal the fate of the meters, and of course, the paying public.

The one thing that might never see the light of the day, Chennai folks talking in Hindi. Never going to happen. Pakistan also might get integrated with India, but Hindi in Chennai is pretty much a disaster waiting to happen, for obvious reasons. Crude example, Tamil Teriyuma to a Hindi speaking guy would probably evoke a response as sharp as Hindi Tera Baap. Get that.

Jokes apart, I must say the way Bangalore left a bad taste in the mouth when I first got here in July, Chennai certainly was the exact opposite. Not too much construction going on except for a significant chunk of the roads dug up due to the upcoming Metro Rail. When that would eventually shape up is left to your own imagination, but still a long way to go before even rail-tracks are introduced. But again comparing Chennai's short stay to Bangalore's extended stay is not the greatest of levelers, but still, some strong feelings for the land of my mother tongue.

That said, beautiful posters of Amma (Jayalalitha) and Kalainger (Karunanidhi) have adorned the walls of Chennai. Every little political mileage counts and this city with its thirst for power is no different. Even had the (mis)fortune of getting stuck in traffic for a little while as the CM's motorcade zoomed past us on the way to the guest house.

All in all a satisfying experience, for the fact the work got done and I ended up with some money in the wallet, and the wallet itself.

Welcome to Chennai, Saar.

He said what!!!

2010-01-18T06:37:00.007-06:00

The initial part of this blog is in reference to the horrendous outpour of affection shown by our former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda towards the Karnataka CM B S Yeddyurappa (BSY) calling him a Bloody Bastard and a Kannada version of an SOB (Son of a Bitch, for all those unfamiliar). While it is too graphic and frankly, too funny, I believe the actual term used was Bosudi Maga. While this news has been more than a week old, I couldn't resist writing about this. Karnataka politics is already in deep shit thanks to the Reddy faction ganging up against BSY and his cohorts, this chapter darkens the mood further. My initial memories of H D Deve Gowda from the early 90s is that of a silent politician who rarely spoke (and who probably rarely acted upon). I distinctly remember a Doordarshan footage of the PM and his entire family boarding the equivalent of the Air Force One for a vacation in Africa. I guess public opinion was pretty high of him then allowing him such kind of liberties but the recent blasting has surely dented or destroyed whatever little image the general public had of him.

Talking about abuses, Ajit Agarkar and some of the Ranji winning Mumbai squad did not earn themselves any friends after the final against Karnataka in Mysore. Rarely has a Ranji match been interesting, but this one was for all the wrong reasons. An India international behaving like a school-kid (even worse) was downright pathetic.

Even more pathetic than the Cricket hoopla was the state of our national game, Hockey. Hockey India, unlike Cricket, and like ALL the other sports in India is run by policitos, bureaucrats and babus who have no business allowing our Hockey-heroes to suffer this embarrasment. Not getting the promised monetary reward for excellent performances in 2009 was nothing but a tragedy waiting to happen and a timebomb waiting to explode in the faces of the sport's so-called administrators. I am glad that the team stood together and got rewarded (although just a recorded assurance from Suresh Kalmadi is all they have for now as an incentive to participate in the upcoming Hockey World Cup in March).

Talking about tragedies, what happened in the western hemisphere's poorest country, Haiti is heart-wrenching. A 7.0 magnitude earthquake eating up majority of the capital (Port-Au-Prince) and close to 200000 lives lost/accounted for.

And here I am cribbing about nothing to do on Saturdays and Sundays. Someone whack me clean.

Happy New Year - 2010

2010-01-04T07:50:00.008-06:00

Back from a very good trip to Aamchi Mumbai for Christmas and New Year. The journey to Bombay was anything but.

The Hell-Ride
A regular 19 hour bus ride compounded to 24 hours and that too in an ST bus. Last minute ticket booking did not help the cause one bit. Left Bangalore on December 24 via Majestic for a 4PM start through Karnataka and Maharashtra. While I was booking the ticket, I knew that I would not be travelling via the comfortable Volvo but little did I know that the 'downgrade' would be this nasty. A little while past 3:45PM, after an uneasiness to locate the bus to Bombay, I stumbled upon an old lady to ask whether the bus had arrived. To my heartbreak, she pointed to the bus behind me and said, "Yeh raha Mumbai ka bus". An old ST bus crammed with people and luggages. I get to my seat, the very last row of the bus, which unfortunately seated 6 well-built men, including me (and when I say well-built, one was a Yokozuna, you can imagine the thrill-ride I had bargained for).

NH-7 was completely under-construction for road-widening and fly-overs and I am sure some one from the bus is suffering from lung-congestion as I write this. Dust-filled roads caused the windows to be locked and while it was hot enough for the thinnest person to start sweating, it didn't help when old used socks started showing their true colours, rather their true smell. In between the many halts, the closed windows and the dust storm, the bus finally made its way into Maharashtra in the wee hours of Christmas morning.

At Satara, I couldn't wait to empty my bladder and also to take a dump. Took a crap in possibly the dirtiest shit-hole you will find on earth. Ya, it was that bad. Further unloading of passengers in Pune made the ride a bit more comfortable but it couldn't quite compensate for the roller-coaster of a ride through the middle of the night.

Home Sweet Home
Reached home on Christmas day afternoon and after a hearty meal prepared by mommy dearest, I took a nap which was one of the most comfortable ones that I have taken in a long time. No deadlines to work with, no early morning phone calls, no Yokozuna leaning on the shoulders. Wow.

Took off for our once-in-a-month temple trip to Chembur and then to see relatives whom I hadn't seen in a very long time. It was nice to catch up with folks and hear the same questions about "when are you going back to the USA?" or "when is Kirti coming back?".

3 Idiots
Thanks to Shetty saab, Amma, Appa and I caught with up a night show of 3 Idiots. While all 3 of us enjoyed the movie thoroughly, for me, it didn't quite match the funny-ness of the Munnabhai series. As Shetty saab had rightly pointed out earlier, the movie did have a character just like me, Chatur Ramalingam. Not quite 100% but definitely shades of me.

New Year in Vasind
Met with parents-in-laws over 2 days and went on a temple tour with them as well. Feel a lot more comfortable with them now than in the previous 4+ years. Good sign, isn't it.

While it may not have been a conventional New Year party, it definitely did not feel anything less. Went to Vasind for a night of prayers as it was an auspicious moment. I had never seen my Guru so drunk..drunk with devotion that he sang and danced his way into the night, praising the Lord. A moment that shall stay with me for a long time. Not once did I feel bored or left out in Vasind. Good times.

Avatar
Caught a show of James Cameroon's Avatar with Mayank a day before my trip back. Great movie and a great experience. Made a trip to VESIT, yes VESIT of all the places and re-lived some of the good ol' days of Engineering. The place has changed significantly but still retained some of the 1998-2002 like atmosphere. Surreal. Shetty saab joined us later for dinner and some ru-ba-ru and ended up knowing our 'bhavishya' from a 'jyotishi' at the hotel we were having dinner at.

Wound up my trip yesterday and made a comfortable 19 hour ride on an AC Volvo to Bangalore. Lots of good times and lots of good fun.

Ripped off in Lalbagh

2009-12-13T09:57:00.007-06:00

Sam is back in town, this time for good. Bugger drove from Delhi via Udaipur-Mumbai-Pune-Kolhapur-Dharwad and reached Bangalore in 5 days. Total distance driven in 5 days: 2502 kms. As a result of this great achievement, or lack thereof, we planned to visit Lalbagh Botanical Gardens.

Expected a lot from this place specially after seeing some pictures that were forwarded from people who had visited previously. What total crap!!

Covered the entire garden and couldn't spot one flower. There is an area called Lotus Pond, but the pond is a mess with empty plastic water bottles 'beautifying' the Lotuses, and not one Lotus spotted. Moving on to the Rosery, which you guessed it right, not a single Rose lining up the place. Guess it was just not the right season. Another so-called attraction was the Aquarium, closed!!

It is a paradise for couples who want to get away from the maddening rush of the city itself, but with the number of people staring at them, there is no solace in the garden either.

Frustrated, tired and hungry, we left the place close to 3 PM, thinking about having lunch at MTR, but again experiencing the kind of day we were having, it was also closed. Up on the bike and back to Koramangala, hoping to find some lunch at Gramin, as luck would have it, closed!! Aaargh.

Ended up eating at a place called The Empire. Although it was a bit late for lunch, at least there should have been some courtesy from the waiters there. We asked for water and the waiter plonks a jar of water on the table, without even filling the glasses. Even spoons and forks had to be begged for before being handed down. Sam thought that we would be the ones who would be cleaning the dishes as well. Guess the Telangana split had gotten into the hotel staff's heads. With loaded bellies, we trotted off to end the mis-adventurous day with an ice-cream. Probably the best part of the day, 2 scoops of delicious chocolate, fudge n brownies. Yummy!!

We are like this only??

2009-12-11T10:28:00.002-06:00

Just stumbled upon this article on CNN.com from Chuck Thompson. The following is from his new book, "To Hellholes and Back".

I found this really funny, though for some it might be offensive. But who cares, enjoy the ride.

http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/none/no-argument-indian-salesmen-are-evil-geniuses-735666

Memmorees from the paast

2009-12-05T07:35:00.007-06:00

Sign on an ice cream vendor's stall in Bangalore read "FURIT SALARD". This is pretty damn close to the "I AM SUNAMI" sign in terms of funny captions/postings.

I am going to be on the look out for more of these. While I was in college back in Mumbai, I used to travel via train from Mulund to Kurla and then hop on to an auto to reach VESIT.

Kurla station in Central Mumbai is like a library of real funny & cringe-worthy captions written in English. Pasted on a pillar once was "DO NOT SPIT HERE, PEALEASE". It was literally like some one was pleading not to spit there. Unfortunately, I don't think the message and the PLEASE was strong enough to convince anyone. There was 'fresh' spit all over the hoarding.

One of the most common sights in late-night Mumbai are the Chinese food stalls in possibly every nook and corner of the suburbs. While the food itself would be delicious, you would encounter the most liberal use of the English language just for the word "Chinese". I have seen CHINISE, CHENEES, CHINIS and many more that I don't even remember. Who cares as long as the message is conveyed. The most ironic part about these so-called Chinese food was that they are not even authentic Chinese, a fact that I learned only after going to America. See the irony here, Chinese food, India, America. Ya, you get the point.

Twitter

2009-11-28T12:09:00.002-06:00

A new bug bit me while I was in Europe. No, not the bed-bug but the Twitter bug. After having profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn, Orkut etc. could Twitter be any far behind.

So, those who are interested, you can follow me on Twitter at @RajAnan. Am I not a propaganda machine? My wife would surely agree.

More blogs and tweets to come up in the coming days from Namma Bengaluru.

Stay tuned.

The Italian Job

2009-11-25T12:29:00.007-06:00

As written in the previous post, I was scheduled to fly out to a country with 5-digits and starting with an I. €100 to anyone who thought that country was Italy.

Milan, in particular, was the 'next' destination for me. But just a short trip it would be. Left the comfortable confines of Amsterdam for Milan on Saturday morning, scheduled to report to the client on Monday. Sight seeing on Sunday then, right? Wrong. Terrible weather welcomed me to the birthplace of the Congress Party chief and unfortunately, I was confined to my hotel room on Sunday. Many difficult and screwed up things in Italia. First, English language is a 'foriegn' language and hence a rarity for any Italian to string a perfect sentence together. Second, taxi fares in Milan start from the time the taxi 'starts' from its location (Linate airport, most times). So by the time you are actually seated in the taxi, you already have minimum €10 to pay. The farther the destination you need to be picked up from, the higher the tab. I have paid (an unheard of) €172 for 2 18 km round trips. Wallet empty, heartbreak full!!

There were at least 5 instances which I would term as "Perilously Close To a Nervous Breakdown" or PCTNB and "So Close To a Meltdown" or SCTM.

SCTM# 1: Traveling from client location to Holiday Inn. Fare total €62. Cash available: €5, Credit Card: Lifesaver. But as my luck would have it, No Englisho, No Credit Cardo, Only Cash. First heart-attack. Had to borrow €65 from the hotel staff to pay the cab driver. Not bad!!

PCTNB# 1: After a quick call with my project supervisor, it is learnt that I need to travel to Munich, Germany and that evening (Tuesday)itself!! Great, I get on the internet, start contacting Travel and Hotel folks for making appropriate arrangements and things looking rosy good. Then approximately at 4:50PM, the ticket arrives, with the original flight timing of departure set at 9:05PM. Just a slight glitch. The flight is from Milan Malpensa airport, roughly 40-50 km away from where I am. Looking at a taxi fare of €100. Politely blasted the travel agent and got the ticket fixed to Milan Linate. Only problem, the flight departs at 6:20PM. Time on my watch, 5:00PM. Second heart-attack. I gather my thoughts and my belongings and contact the travel person to issue the tickets, like RIGHT NOW!!

PCTNB# 2: Here I am at the check-out counter, trying my level best to breathe normally. Hotel fare for 4 days, €415. No problem. There is no money on my corporate card, so I take out my personal card. Swipe. NO FUNDS!! GULP!! Not only am I going to miss my flight, I am going to spend the night in an Italian jail. Third heart-attack.

I use my Amex card, which I have not used in the past 4-5 years and that is my life saver. What a day!!

SCTM# 2: I reach the airport barely minutes before the final check-in time and I hand over the ticket details to the desk and BAM!!, my name is not listed. Fourth heart-attack. After about 4 rounds of checking and re-checking, I am good to go. Heading for the security check point? Nopes. The shuttle driver is waiting outside for me to handover the €65 that I had borrowed earlier in the day. Refer to SCTM# 1.

SCTM# 3: I frantically search for an ATM at Milan Linate, cabin baggage and laptop bag in tow. I find one, in one remote corner of the airport. I try to withdraw €200 and HELL!! not enough funds to dispense. Fifth heart-attack. Flight to catch in less than 20 minutes and a shuttle driver waiting to collect his money. Better sense prevailed and I withdrew €70 to just handover the money to the waiting hands. He wished me luck and I was on my way.

So finally after a day when every second counted, I was on my way out of Milan to Paris and then to Munich. No problems for the next 3 hours. Right? Wrong. At Munich Airport, I am told that my baggage did not arrive from Paris. Great and I am supposed to meet a client first thing tomorrow morning. I need to wear the same pair of T-shirt and Jeans and meet the client. That is precisely what I did.

Travelled through beautiful Bavaria from Munich to Wasserburg in fantastic conditions through a taxi service which cost me €125 roundtrip. Totally valid, when the distance is nearly 120 km.

So here I am, at last, with the trip finally ending (return ticket is 99.99% confirmed), I have completed a really frenetic trip to Italy and Germany.

Back to the homeland this weekend.
Happy Thanksgiving to folks in the USA.

Friday Night in Amsterdam & Rotterdam Saturday

2009-11-16T04:18:00.001-06:00

Another Wipro colleague took me to Amsterdam for a drink on Friday night since it is my last week here in the Netherlands. After a quick stop at his place to meet his wife and baby boy, off we went to the pub where he hangs out quite often. Translated into English, the pub’s name is The Stork and instead of loud music blaring out of the loudspeakers, this time for a change, it was just loud people. It is incidentally one of the oldest pubs in Amsterdam. Needless to say, lots of ‘senior’ folks who showed up were having the time of their lives. My colleague’s favorite bartender was not present and the reason was that his wife had passed away. That did not deter couple of folks to crack a joke on the deceased lady. Bundled around this corner of Amsterdam were all kinds of pubs. The ones that play loud music, a pub situated in one of the few remaining wooden buildings, a gay bar and for equality, a pub founded by a lesbian in the 1920s.

After a round of ‘biers’ (just one glass of Brand Bier for me), we headed off into the narrow lanes of Amsterdam’s own China Town to eat. Found a Thai place and the food just summed up my fun evening. Amsterdam is clearly more beautiful by night than by day and the Christmas lights just made the place merrier.

On Saturday I had planned to visit Rotterdam come rain, wind or cold, and boy did those 3 come out to party. While Amsterdam gave me a grand rainy and windy sendoff, Rotterdam welcomed me with mighty winds and equally bone chilling cold. Unperturbed, I focused my sights on visiting the Erasmus Bridge (Erasmusbrug), the futuristic homes and in general, the city of Rotterdam itself. Having accomplished the above and walking for exactly 3 hours through the city, it took the wind out of me completely (literally). Got a lot of good pictures (thanks to the sunny afternoon) and some videos which no one will ever want to see. The central part of the city of Rotterdam has a strip mall (to satisfy every man, woman and child) and an open market for flowers, vegetables and the likes. I even got a 2 minute show from an apparently homeless man, dancing to beats of Michael Jackson’s Black or White and Thriller. Brilliant stuff I must say, but then again, he was shooed away from the very busy market place by the police.

A colleague’s suggestion to visit the city of Delft remains unfulfilled but I am sure I have captured the significant spots in Amsterdam, The Hague, Haarlem and Rotterdam in a 4 week span. As for the Windmills, I really did not miss them much since they are pretty much scattered all over the country and the scenic train ride accounts for a significant portion of these to see.

As I wind up my European tour, a good chunk of work remains to be accomplished in my last week. But then again what are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday for. Friday is an exception though; I am scheduled to fly out.

Haarlem

2009-11-09T04:17:00.001-06:00

By now you (& I) are accustomed to the cold-rainy-windy environment here in Amsterdam. With the majority of last week spent at Hoofddorp office, it was time to move out of the city to either Rotterdam or Haarlem. The weather forecast for both places for the weekend was…… cold-rainy-windy, so I decided to take it easy and visit Haarlem. Haarlem is about 30 minutes away from Hoofddorp as compared to more than an hour and half for Rotterdam.

As a result, slept late on Friday night and woke up just in time before the McDonald’s breakfast menu stops being on offer at 11 AM. Caught the Zuidtangent# 300 from De Hoek (pronounced as Dohook, spelling classes for my non-Dutch friends) and reached Haarlem station at 11:30. Reached the city center, precisely 5 minutes from the station. The way Haarlem is ‘structured’ is that there is a big church in the middle (hence the term, city center, duh) and there is an open market for cheese, flowers, vegetables, fruits etc (old fashioned stuff) and then is there are the modern stores for clothing, jewelry, accessories and the works. Surrounding that are multiple canals and some good looking buildings. Quite a mix of the old and new. I asked a local vendor selling his food right outside the church, for the name of the church and unwittingly he answered, ‘big building’. I sympathized with him as I am sure I don’t know crap about all the buildings in Bombay. Sigh.

One interesting scenario today though. As I was walking, I saw a group of men wearing “Hell’s Angels” jackets and proudly window shopping as many of us were. A lot of looks went their way and they were least bothered about it. I dare not think these were the ‘actual’ Hell’s Angels. I read somewhere these guys are the ‘protectors’ of the prostitutes from the RDA, but surely they won’t be roaming around the city of Haarlem shopping for turtle neck T-shirts or Longines watches for their ladies, right?

Not much of a picture-spree day today. Just a couple of the “big building” and canals here and there.

On Thursday, a Dutch colleague and I went to an Indian restaurant in Amsterdam called Gandhi. My colleague was actually feeling sorry for me as I told him the McD outside my hotel was my dinner den. The food was delicious and it didn’t pinch my pocket at all. The friend paid for it :)

Den Haag – Scheveningen & Madurodam

2009-11-03T04:24:00.000-06:00

On Saturday I planned on seeing Den Haag (The Hague) and the surrounding areas. With tips from the hotel crew, I zeroed in on Scheveningen and Madurodam.

Took the Intercity train from Schiphol to Den Haag – Holland Spoor and caught a tram (for the first time) to Scheveningen. Unlike the US, the Netherlands is comfortably connected by trains, buses, taxis, canals and of course, by cars. So there is never really a sense of helplessness while traveling within the city or within the country.

Scheveningen is that part of Den Haag which has the best beaches in the city. But then again, with winter just introducing itself to the country, there wasn’t much to do other than just take a stroll along the path parallel to the beach. There is a magnificent pier with upper and lower decks that ends in the water with an attached casino and a restaurant. Went to neither, but the walk along the open upper deck was very calm and relaxing. Just the right solace I wanted (Don’t take me seriously when I say solace). Scheveningen is the house to the grand Hotel Kurhaus which stands out looking into the sea like a royal signature. Took a ton of pictures and videos here but saved the best part of the handycam battery for Madurodam.

Took another tram to Madurodam from Scheveningen. Den Haag is pretty in the sense that the trams take you through the inner city neighborhood which is surrounded by so much greenery and grand houses that it is just visually very pleasing.

Madurodam is named after George Maduro (a very famous Dutch military person), and it is a 1:25 scale representation of the entire country. Just unbelievable! Just do a search on the web and check out the images. The place has everything, from miniature city palaces and historical/government buildings in Amsterdam, Den Haag and many other 12th to 17th century cities, to the industrialized Rotterdam and Amsterdam as well as an insight into the farming and shipping industry. Bang in the middle is the miniature Amsterdam-Schiphol airport with planes circling around the runway. Spent the best part of the afternoon here and with the weather changing from cloudy to sunny, gave a lot of people some terrific pictures for a memorable look back at this place.

But then again, winter just reminded that it was here to stay for its vacation and it was time for me to leave the place. It was the coolest day for me here (both literally and figuratively speaking, of course).

Back in Hoofddorp with the plans of seeing Haarlem being severely threatened by impending rains. Guess will have to leave that to next week or later.

Next on the agenda is to visit Rotterdam and hopefully get a chance to see the world famous Windmills of the Netherlands. The will truly make this a grand trip. Belgium, France and Germany will have to wait longer.

The Seven Year Itch

2009-10-29T03:51:00.003-05:00

My journey to India has completed just more than 3 months and now, unexpectedly, I find myself on a trip through Europe (of all the places). Thank you, Wipro. So as I prepared myself for this trip to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, a lot of my older memories from my first international flight are flashing right in front of me.

Just a little over 7 years ago, precisely in the wee hours of August 8, 2002, I boarded a Lufthansa flight enroute to Chicago (and Cleveland) via Frankfurt. Brought back a lot of nostalgia from that night. While on that night, I kept thinking, is a Master’s degree really worth staying away from my parents; last night, I thought, wow, what an opportunity to make a name for myself. 7 years have passed since that maiden flight out of India and here I am all grown up and (nervously) ready to win some business for my company. Boarded from the Bengaluru International Airport and must say, it is an International Airport. By the time I got to my seat, my battery was dead and I slept throughout the plane ride, not even waking up for food or for a mandatory trip to the loo. Those who know me know that I will eat, no matter the time or place. Quite unlike me, this time around!

Caught the Inter City Express (ICE) train from Frankfurt to Amsterdam-Schiphol. A very comfortable 4 hour ride, speeding past Germany and into the Netherlands at average speeds of 220 km/hr.

My early winter expedition through Amsterdam should last for 2-3 weeks, but that should be enough for now. As beautiful as the scenario is now, I wouldn’t mind (in fact, I would love to) coming back with Kirti and enjoy Europe once again. Oh well, lets hope this trip gets me back here soon. Ever the optimist!!

For those who know about this trip, the one thing almost all of them have said is to visit the Red Light District in Amsterdam. Sure, I will (and shall send some snaps too, if I am able to). Tulip Gardens are closed for the winter, but there are many other places of interest too.

I am sure some of you are pleasantly surprised at the sudden change of events, but I just wanted to ensure that I reached Europe before I let the cat out of the bag.

Hoofddorp
I can so get used to the Mercedes taxis in the city. Amazing feeling. The slightly surprising part is to see so many (Maruti) Suzuki Swifts, Altos and Wagon Rs in Hoofddorp (City neighboring Amsterdam, where I am located). Unfortunately, food wise, I am surviving on the McDonald's that is right across the parking lot from the Best Western. Apparently, this is the busiest and largest McD in the Amsterdam area (This is the first McD I have seen in the US, India and Amsterdam combined which has the loudest noise made by the kids. Unreal).

The client is located in a city called Haarlem (pronounced as Haailem) 14 km from Hoofddorp. After initial fears of spending 34 Euros (one way) to reach Haarlem, we found out a bus that takes me to and from the hotel for 8 Euros. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!! Buses are (again), Mercedes. Too rich a continent (Western Europe, that is).

So far the work that has been discussed and brainstormed is very good but I do anticipate long days at the client location, precisely the kind of days I have become used to at El. City, Bangalore for the past 3 months. The only significant difference here might be that there is actual work to be done.

Amsterdam
Planned to go around Amsterdam downtown Saturday morning and check out the city. Got some tips from the hotel and was on my way to Amsterdam Centraal Station from Schiphol airport at about 11:15 am. The hustle-bustle at Amsterdam Centraal is no different from what it is at C.S.T in Mumbai. The amazing part about this place is that when a train is timed for say 11:00 am; that is the departure time from the station. The train actually arrives couple minutes before the departure time. Simply keeps getting better. If India wishes to become world-class, here is one such example to follow to a T.

Anyway, coming back to my day-out in Amsterdam. Choose a windy-blustery-rainy-cold day for the walk across the city. Unlike most major cities in the US, Amsterdam downtown is actually a cultural hub as compared to a business district. People just seemed to have such a good time. Walked around Damrak Street for the best part of the afternoon. Dam Square is probably the most happening place in the city and is ideally located in the city center close the A’dam Centraal. Trams, bicycles, cars, buses, horse-carts and people exist peacefully just as cars, buses, trucks, people, cows and dogs exist unpeacefully (but effectively) in India. No honking here either (just like the US).

Made my way to the shopping district, in a location called Koningsplein. Amsterdam is a very fashionable city with almost every brand of clothes, jewelry, watches, shoes etc. known to man (and woman!!) existing in and around the city. The flower market is also an interesting place on the way to the shopping district. Located almost entirely on boats, it is quite a visual treat.

By the way, a major part of Netherlands is below sea level and most of the inhabitants and structures (incl. buildings etc) are constructed on reclaimed land. Amsterdam city has close to 100 canals cutting across the city evenly and hence boats have become an important necessity for trade & industry as well as tourism. As with the canals, there are many more bridges built over and across these canals for easy and convenient transportation. The city has a very rustic charm to it and the government has been very careful and active in keeping up the architectures from the old ages intact.

Now for the part which is the most talked about. My trip to Nieuw Markt, commonly known as the Red Light District of Amsterdam (RDA). The only place in Europe, where prostitution, the world’s oldest profession, is legal. Found a lot of ladies strutting their stuff on windows attracting customers from all parts of the world. The ladies themselves seemed to be from all parts of the world and also ranged from A- to Double Ds in size (if you know what I mean by that). They certainly didn’t like their photographs and videos taken and I certainly didn’t want to risk my life doing that. This experience will die with me one day. Sorry folks, for not getting you the eye candy. The area (and some of the prostitutes) seemed interesting and depressing at the same time. It is said that less than 5% of the prostitutes in the RDA are natives of the Netherlands. For a moment while I was there, I just thought of getting the hell out. Not the kind of place you want to take a date on.

Continuing through the day, I took a boat trip through the multiple canals of Amsterdam. Amsterdam is located on the Amstel river and hence the name. It reminded me of the ferry ride Kirti and I took when we visited NYC in November 2005. Cold and windy! At least this boat had insulated enclosures. The city has its share of churches and museums, zoos and parks and maybe, I would visit these places some day.

Called it a day close to 3:30 pm through an incredible city and I wish, I can experience this place once more on a warm sunny day (are you hearing me, Wipro!!).

Happy Diwali!!

2009-10-17T02:07:00.002-05:00

Wishing you and your family a very happy Diwali and a prosperous new year.

Keep rocking!!

Picture courtesy: http://www.indianswv.com/images/diwali.jpg

Funny Sighting

2009-10-12T21:47:00.001-05:00

Posted on the back of a Tata Sumo in Bangalore:

"Don't overtake me............I am Sunami".

Just Brilliant.

Joke of the Day!!

2009-10-10T04:22:00.006-05:00

Take a guess what it would be. No, just take a random guess. Fine.

Barack Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize. Oh My God!! I almost fell down from my chair when I first read the headlines on TOI. I just couldn't believe my eyes. How could the Committee which decides these (prestigious) awards just handover the Peace Prize (of all the things) to the President of the US, whose country is involved in two bloody battles in Iraq and Afghanistan.

One alarming note I read on the CNN website was that the nominations for these awards were were to have gone in on February 1, barely 10 days after Obama's inauguration ceremony on Jan 20th. That was enough to decide if Obama should get the coveted Peace Prize or not??. Apparently, the Committee comprises of quick decision makers. World over, the common topic of discussion is that the Nobel Prize has lost its credibility. Mahatma Gandhi, the ultimate symbol of peace, was not awarded one. That says it all.

I wonder what would have happened had John McCain had won the November elections. It is a fact that McCain was for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, so it might not have been possible for him to win the Nobel.

Talking about Peace prizes, at least our own PM Dr. Manmohan Singh should have been considered for that award since he (and his UPA government) has tried to broker peace with Pakistan for the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. Either it is a peace initiative (by asking the Zardari government to take action against the perpetrators) or gross inaction on MMS's part is to be discussed separately, but still. The Islamic world might not be too happy with the Nobel Committee's decision about the 2009 Prize. I won't be surprised if in the coming days there is an audio (or video) tape from Al Qaida (through Al Jazeera TV) ridiculing the prizes. Should be interesting. At least, George W. Bush was not considered for this is itself a big accomplishment.

On the topic of Nobel Prizes, it is heartening and proud to see Dr. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan win the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. A "hold your head high" moment for all Indians (Resident and Non-resident alike).

On a totally unrelated note, the other day while coming home from EC, saw an aunty riding a Scooty, wearing a saree, jeans and sneakers cruising on Hosur Road. Guess we know who wears the pants in that household :)

Hogenakkal Waterfalls

2009-10-05T08:16:00.004-05:00

Last long weekend of the trifecta (Eid, Dusshera and Gandhi Jayanti) and it was quite a pleasant one. Headed off to Hogenakkal Falls on Saturday morning. With a comfortable drive of less than 4 hours from Bangalore, we reached there before noon, not before stopping for some hearty breakfast at A2B (Adyar Anand Bhavan). Every local was keen on advertising the falls to be as grand as the one in the US and Canada. What is it called? Oh yeah, Niagara Falls.

Not quite the same but pretty neat. Water levels were great and the Coracle ride from the river banks to the falls was, well scary in the beginning to comfortable towards the end. The falls is 'supplied' by the Cauvery, which flows from Karnataka into Tamil Nadu and which has been the topic of many political rallies and controversies over the years, not to mention the 'home' of the sandalwood brigand, Veerappan.

Took a bath in the river after ages and almost got sucked downstream because of the strong undercurrents. Not to worry here, nothing alarming to note (don't tell my mother). Heavily overpaid for the roughly 1 hour boat ride (Rs 1100/-), although, it was the cheapest amount we shelled out to the persistent boat-driver (I can't think of the appropriate term here). Overall a fun day of excitement and my first trip out of Karnataka (if you discount the Mumbai trip earlier). Yipeee.

I have nicknamed my roommate Terror on Wheels, and the reason is 1) He rides a bike, correction, he FLIES a bike, 2) Slowing down happens only when the destination is reached, 3) It does not matter to him if you are riding pillion or not, he just does not care. My nearly couple hours ride through Bangalore city was as exciting as it was terrifying. I got to say though, there were nearly not enough 'dead'ly encounters that I was expecting before I got on the bike.

Back in the office today and as usual, going through the motions. Check back for more. I've got Jog Falls on my list to do next, and then a must-see Mysore trip. Should be fun.

Happy Dusshera

2009-09-27T01:03:00.008-05:00

Got absolutely drenched Thursday night due to the heavy downpour in Namma Bengaluru. The last time this happened was somewhere in the late 90s after college or so. To make matters worse that day, we got stuck in traffic for nearly 2 hours, for a 10km ride from El. City and the fact that we were starving to death because of a light snack in the evening. But alls well that ends well. Got a good night's sleep and was back to work before time the following day.

Sam flew in from Delhi on Friday night and went around town last night (Forum and Koramangala area to be precise) and then to a friend's place later on. Earlier in the day, met a family friend after nearly 10 years and had a good time catching up on old times. Caught up with some ICC Champions Trophy match between India and Pakistan and called it a night past midnight. All in all a good Saturday after a long time.

Planned to watch What's Your Rashee at the last minute, but, unfortunately (or fortunately) all the shows for the evening were booked. Went to dinner at a place called Spiga on St. Marks Road, stopped over at Corner House for my first experience with Death by Chocolate and called it a night at around 2:30am at Kaustubh's house in Koramangala.

Decided to run off to Bombay during Diwali and spend it with friends and family. I haven't celebrated Diwali in India since 2001 and hence, I need to make up for those lost years. Diwali in Akron used to be spectacular though.

Work during the past week was mild but the week itself was short, so that was acceptable. Same with the 3-day week following Monday as Friday again is a holiday. Got to plan well ahead. I am just wasting my time doing (practically) nothing useful. Think!!

Happy Dusshera to all you folks. Have fun.

Eid Mubarak

2009-09-21T06:33:00.004-05:00

Eid Mubarak to one and all. Long weekend in India. This one will be followed by one more (Dusshera) and one more (Gandhi Jayanthi). Literally, back-to-back-to-back. Good thing right. Naah! I will be in Bangalore till at least Diwali when I run off to Bombay again. One silver lining next week comes in the form of Samit who drops in from Delhi. Should be a good time then.

So what did I do this weekend? Went off to see Wanted: Dead or Alive at the Forum on Saturday (all by myself). That's a first for me. Enjoyed a Salman Khan movie after a long time. The movie could easily have done without at least 3 songs. Thoroughly needless ones. With all the trouble Boney Kapoor went through financing the movie and the court troubles, not shooting those songs would have saved him some highly needed cash.

Sunday went without much excitement as I was home watching movies on my roommate's laptop. Ended up watching Dil Bole Hadippa as well. Barring 15 minutes of watchable scenes, the movie is completely over-the-top and mindless with over-acting by the lead, Rani Mukherjee. Her stock in Bollywood has fallen way down and she has (unfortunately) not chosen the right script for her so-called comeback. Glad Lagaan was made earlier than this.

One interesting thing happened Sunday night. Right across the building where I live, saw couple of Owls (of all animals and birds). Gorgeous creatures must say and they got right down to business (if you know what I mean :)). At one point during the live action, one even got up and looked me right in the eye and must have said in the language of the owls, "Hey buddy, what you lookin' at? Can we have some privacy please?". A couple minutes later though, they left the theater themselves.

Almost the whole of Monday morning and afternoon went without electricity in Bommanahalli. Finished watching UP, which was left halfway last night due to power cuts.

So there it was, watching a movie all by myself in the cinema hall to watching owls mate summed up my long weekend. Yeah, it was one of a kind. I seriously need a break.

Please Help

2009-09-14T08:51:00.007-05:00

While I have been blogging for nearly 2 years now and that visitors (like you) are fairly low in number, I would still like to know who you are. Although I know one of my UA friend is a regular here (and yes, it is you Hari), I don't know who are the other frequent fliers.

If you choose to remain anonymous, that is also fine, but kindly leave a comment or two in the message box that is on the right side of the webpage. I am trying to get a feel for how often do you stop by.

The reason I am asking you to do this is because I need your help. No, it has nothing to do with donations or anything monetary, but here I am in my third month in Bangalore and I am absolutely bored. I need some suggestions to utilize my time efficiently and effectively. Please refrain from suggesting using the gym or joining a book club. These 2 are not my cuppa tea. My mind is 100% blank about extra-curricular activities and I need some 'external' help. One of my closest friends had suggested joining a Salsa club (which I am strongly leaning towards) and me being a sports buff, I was thinking about staying after work to play TT or volleyball. I also have tried a musical instrument (guitar, to be precise, way back in the stone ages). My passion used to fizzle out quite easily before but this time I am determined to put my time to good use.

Now, I really want to do some hatke stuff and here is where you come in the picture. Throw in some random stuff and I might just be pulled in that direction. And if I end up doing your thing, you make it to the Wall of Fame here. Just kidding. Nothing of that sort is going to happen (the Wall of Fame stuff, that is).

So now the ball is in your court and the clock has already started ticking. I need to make a decision fast and it needs to be a good one.

Please help!!!!!

H1N1 Virus or Not

2009-09-09T08:22:00.004-05:00

Earlier this evening there was a near scary incident at work. A Korean/Taiwanese employee of the company was complaining about having a 'sore throat'. In the present circumstances, this could only mean one thing. Swine Flu symptoms. Well, not exactly. At least for now. The person was sent to a hospital for tests whose results would come 3 days later. An agonizing and uneasy feeling.

The ironic or sad part is that multiple groups of engineers share the same wing in the same tower and yet only one group has been given the permission to work from home. And our group did not even come to know about this incident until about couple hours after the "sick" person was asked to leave. We are still supposed to report to work tomorrow since there has not been any official announcement. What to do!!

I am just praying that the test results are negative and we can all 'breathe' a sigh of relief. Until then it is going to be an excruciatingly long and arduous couple of days.

The Extra Inch

2009-09-02T08:52:00.005-05:00

Just wound up a relaxing and refreshing trip to Mumbai this past week. Met with family and friends and had a great time catching up with details of the last 6 months. The new house is very spacious and airy. This is the first time in 23 years we have lived above the ground floor, 4th to be precise. There isn't much scramble about swine flu in Mumbai although one of my closest friends is down with jaundice for completely unknown reasons.

The main "issue" for some of my family members (in-laws included) was the length of the mustache that I had grown. I had been growing a "handle-bar" moush for the past 1 month and it had grown to a fairly reasonable "length", I suppose. My father (and to some extent, my wife) have opposed any look that goes beyond a short hair cut and a clean shaven face. This time there was staunch resistance from my mom-in-law as well. My mother-in-law recommended that I cut-off the 'handle-bar' portion of it, but I was not going to have any of it. My mother doesn't care about these things. On the other hand, she is actually supportive of me in public. But this time, I was determined to keep the moush for the entire trip. My resistance in the face of this outrage did last only for 10 days and I eventually managed to get rid of it couple of days before I left for Bangalore. Saw a great deal of relief from my father and my mother-in-law. Became a "seedha-saadha bachcha" again.

I have promised folks back home that they can expect something "different" from me the next time they see me. My father is actually dreading that day, I am pretty sure.

Kept Ganpati at home for 5 full days. Had a very low-key celebration this time around. We performed an eco-friendly visarjan by immersing Lord Ganesha in a bucket at home. I think this was the first time we had actually performed the immersion. My mom was pretty disappointed about the whole "letting Ganesha go" thing. Captured the whole thing on camera.

Laptop is finally up for repairs and would only get it after couple of weeks. That means I am lonely again. Feels great to be blogging again though. The real test begins tomorrow when I resume "work" after a good break. Somethings gotta give.

Janmashtami & Swine Flu

2009-08-17T01:49:00.004-05:00

A (slightly belated but) very happy Independence Day to all you folks!! Enjoyed my first long weekend in India (Janmashtami, August 14th). For the first time in my life, I experienced a full blown version of Lord Krishna's puja at a friend's place at midnight on Friday. The attention to detail was fantastic and the devotion displayed by Panditji and his cronies was thoroughly remarkable. The amazing fact about the night was the heavy downpour at midnight, which coincidentally was the case when Lord Krishna was born.

Saturday and Sunday were equally painful because of the boredom. I still have not been able to get the laptop fixed (which was supposed to have been done by now already).

Leaving for Bombay this weekend to spend Ganesh Chaturthi, first time after marriage in India and enjoy some quality time with family, friends and specially Mayank's baby girl, whom they have named Nayonika (Expressive Eyes).

I will know my fate (supposedly) of my US trip end of this month, that is, if there is going to be a US trip for me or not. Might be off blogging for a while because of the Mumbai trip.

Swine flu has taken 28 lives in India so far and the number only seems to be growing. With no cure in sight, the public has been victimised and threatened because of the media's onslaught. Chaos everywhere!

Stolen

2009-08-10T06:42:00.005-05:00

An eventful weekend to say the least. While returning from work on Friday night, lost my wallet and mobile phone to a group of thugs that entered the bus just a couple of stops from my destination. In a packed bus (possibly one of the last to leave the Wipro campus) with not an inch to move, this group identified me as a weakling. It hit me just as I alighted from the bus that my wallet and the phone were missing, and so were the group that probably whisked them. A double whammy! one from the back jeans pocket and one from the front.

Called up the bank to block the debit card from misuse. Next morning, made a stop at the Police Station to lodge a complaint and subsequently expect some action from them. High hopes. I end up paying the cops Rs 100/- for notarizing my report. For a moment, I didn't know who the thieves were.

Got a new Nokia with the same number (after paying Airtel Rs 75/- for the same). The really disheartening thing about the whole incident is the fact that it happened with me, when I am so careful about money, that too my money. Well, a lesson learnt. Thankfully, I did not have much on me that day. This incident has just made me more suspicious about everyone that walks around me. Will take a while to get this phobia out of me.

Till next time, let's hope, both my arms, my feet and the rest of my body parts are in order.

Nandi Hills and Bannerghatta National Park

2009-08-03T03:00:00.003-05:00

Went out to Nandi Hills and Bannerghatta National Park with roommate and his friends on Sunday. Had a terrific time with all of them. Got up at 5:40am on Sunday (after ages) and reached a beautiful foggy Nandi Hills at around 7:30am. Cloud covered hill top made it an amazing view and the crisp weather made it haunting.

Later in the afternoon made a trip to the National Park, which to my satisfaction, had a lot of wild life to offer. The park staff had their and the animals' welfare as a top priority by posting signs that made the public sit up and take notice about tossing their garbage in dust bins only, not to tease any animals etc. But, looks like we were surrounded by blind people who just did not care for the advisories. Trash all over the place.

One particularly funny moment was when an (educated) person was calling the leopard out to him as if he was petting a dog or a cat. One growl and he would wet his pants, thats for sure. Thats another thing where people need to be educated that all animals are required to be considered living beings and not just for their pleasure.

Overall, a fun time and a long day. Back to work this Monday.

India Adventures - Part 4

2009-07-30T01:19:00.005-05:00

Nicely settled in Bommanahalli, about 12 km from Electronics City. Good roommates to hang out with. The 3 others that I live with are from Delhi, Lucknow and Ujjain. The guys from Lucknow and Ujjain have a feel-good nature about them and life is very comfortable (for now).

Finished a small assignment and attended the induction program (normally reserved for freshers). Why I have not been inducted even after 2+ years in Wipro could very well be a topic for another day.

Kind of getting restless about staying in India (direct contradiction from the first paragraph). This restlessness is coming out due to professional committments only. Have to, have to travel back to States at the first opportunity. Awaiting my turn very patiently.

Had my first tryst with the "stomach upset" bug couple of nights ago and I am still not completely out of it. Root cause analysis and preliminary investigations have led me to the Daal that was served on Tuesday night. FIR has been lodged at the nearest toilet (crude toilet humour to finish the blog).

India Adventures - Part 3

2009-07-22T22:07:00.003-05:00

Nicely settling in to a kind of routine. Getting re-used to the dust and traffic, cows and dogs, shit and trash. No complaints what-so-ever.

Hasn't rained for the past few days but the weather has been kind. Cool breeze still wafts through the air and the sweat glands are keeping their mouths shut!!

Just getting hooked onto Suduko on the cellphone. Let's see how long does this love affair lasts.

Planning to go to Mumbai soon. Just don't know when.

India Adventures - Part 2

2009-07-15T05:32:00.004-05:00

Seems like a weird occurrence in the Cyber Zone inside Wipro El. City. There are about 50-55 PCs through which one can surf personal email websites like Gmail, Yahoo etc. I have used about 5-6 computers for my personal use and the alarming fact is the number of resumes/CV that are saved on the desktops.

Employees really want to get the hell out of here seems like. Hope they get what they want.

Going to check my first house today at a place called J.P. Nagar about 8-10 kms from EC. Lets hope the search ends successfully and I get to move in to a house before Sunday.

More to follow.

India Adventures - Part 1

2009-07-13T23:06:00.002-05:00

So after a chaotic and scary air travel from New York to Bombay to Bangalore, I reported to work on Monday, July 13th only for my Manager to tell me that he was at another location and would not be in the office the whole day. Great start. With the help of a colleague, managed to look around the campus (which to me looks more like an engineering college campus than a technological major).

People are hooked on to their cell phones all throughout the day. It is going to be fun little experiment for me trying to settle here. I am not familiar with the city and it is going to take some effort from my end to get those nerves settled. I was almost expecting to be duped once I landed here but that adventure so far has been smooth.

The weather here is fantastic. Cool and calm. Guest House is comfortable and within the campus and the office building is exactly at a 3 minute walk from the GH.

Workwise things are a bit slow (it's only been one day for God's sake)!! Will write more as I continue my journey here.

Watch this space for more India Adventures.

An Abrupt Ending or A New Beginning

2009-07-09T13:02:00.004-05:00

Whichever way you may want to put it, my US journey has been halted by my visa extension denial by the USCIS, because of which I am heading home to India this Saturday. Reporting to work on the day I land in Bangalore is going to be a challenge along with the other issues that I might be facing during my stay there.

I don't want to think that I won't be back in the US. I am going to pursue all means to convince my managers back in Wipro to send me back on a new H1B visa. It is going to take some work and a lot of persuading but it must be done.

Looks like I have all my bases covered there (for now) although several questions are yet to be answered, like how to reach the Guest House from the airport at 5:00am in the morning, how to contact people without a cell phone etc. I guess I will figure those out as and when I reach there.

Leaving Kirti behind is going to be a big heartache but again me being the ever optimist, I am sure things will work out for the better. Moving back to India was always on the cards, but this sudden jolt from the INS was little surprising...correction...SHOCKING.

Friends back home are happy to say the least that I am coming back but parents are worried that wifey is all alone in the States. Guess we'll have to tackle that sooner than later.

Bangalore is going to be a very exciting and nervous experience for me. I think I am ready for the good things and trying to be ready for the setbacks. I wish to be back in the US at the earliest but I am keeping my fingers crossed that things will eventually work out for the better, in the US or in India.

Keep coming back for more as I embark on a voyage rather surprisingly to a place I always wanted to end up at. Here I come India. Watch out!!

A Very Sad Day

2009-06-30T18:12:00.005-05:00

I just got the news from my Akron roommate that our Master's advisor Dr. Glen Njus passed away. This is really upsetting and sad. He had done so much for us when we initially landed here in 2002. He took us under this tutelage and we worked in his lab for 2 years.

His teaching skills weren't the most exemplary as he hated teaching in a classroom setting. He loved spending time in his lab at Akron General Medical Center, reaching early to start working and on most days skipping lunch. Multiple cups of black coffee and cigarettes did the trick for him. He was very supportive and tried his best to fund and educate us.

He once told us (when we were vary of graduating without a job in hand), that we must graduate on time because that was what we initially came to the US for. Graduating on time under him was a must and he made sure of that. He gave us full freedom to execute and finish our project/thesis on time and helped whenever we hit roadblocks. I even got my first position at Theken based on his recommendation although his name never featured while I started working there. I just know he probably put his weight behind my internship there. I can't thank him enough for this.

A gem of a person and a man of very few words. Few things got him to talk at length, especially his younger years in Iowa and how old times in America were. He must have been hardly 55 or 56. His death is untimely.

He was very much injury prone and once had taken a fall from a ladder while working at his home. His head was injured and while we visited him in the hospital during his treatment, he did not even recognize us. That was a scary moment for us. He recovered from that fall very quickly and resumed work within couple of months.

We last met at Suneel and Sindhu's wedding party in 2006, a day before Kirti and I were to move to Chicago. We talked at length with him and he wished us well and asked me to stay in touch. But as the distance grew, we lost touch and I never contacted him since 2006.

I am indebted to him big time and just lost a great teacher. May his soul rest in peace.

R.I.P Dr.Njus

Slumdog Millionaire

2009-06-20T12:50:00.002-05:00

Call it delayed or lazy, I just saw Slumdog Millionaire last night. Hoped to see the movie with an unbiased outlook. I have been BABU in Mumbai. BABU --> Born And Brought Up. I do feel a special bond with the city. I have seen the highs and lows of Mumbai as well. The initial reaction that I felt after seeing the first 15 minutes was that Ram Gopal Verma had written the screenplay of the movie. No one has captured the slum and gloom of Mumbai as well as Varma has.

The movie was definitely enjoyable but certainly not Oscar-worthy. There were much better movies in competition this year at the Oscars for best movie, best director and other awards that this movie took home. A R Rahman deserves an Oscar but not for this movie. Lagaan was a masterpiece but he was not even nominated for that.

As has been discussed in various other blogs and news articles, if an Indian director had made this movie, it probably would not have gathered so much attention, not to mention worldwide awards. As far as the 'reality' that has been depicted in the movie, people in Mumbai and certainly the rest of the country surely know that the prostitution rings and the ganglords go hand in hand. This is not the first movie to exploit that scenario. Madhur Bhandarkar's Chandni Bar was and it was a movie brilliantly written and executed and of course won him a National Award. That was a real "reality check". Not Slumdog Millionaire.

Also the fact that most dialogues were in English just didn't hit a chord with me. At least the youngest Salim, Jamal and Latika had dialogues in raw bambaiyaa hindi which was fantastic. This is the first movie that I have seen in which the very first dialogue is "MotherF@#$%^" in hindi which sounds even more disgusting. Kudos to the director to bring that up :)

Much has been said about Dev Patel and Freida Pinto, but I thought they were strictly average. Mohd. Azharuddin was spectacular as the youngest "Salim".

All said, the movie has been lapped up by the Western world but not so much in India (probably, rightly so). The movie wasn't that great!!

My Love

2009-06-06T12:48:00.003-05:00

One bean chalupa supreme, no beef only beans...and...one nacho cheese gordita, no meat only beans...and...one cheesy fiesta potatoes...

Sounds familiar? These wonderlicious foods are an Indian vegetarian's savior in the United States. Right from the days of F1 visa and on-campus/off-campus jobs to earning insane amounts of $$$ on an H1B, these Taco Bell items are always going to be with you, no matter how many people come and go while you move on in your American way of life.

I remember the second day of my American journey (08/09/2002), my friend Sai took me to the place that I consider a temple (strangely because of the 'bell'). The love affair started that day and still continues strong to this very day and surely enough, will continue to blossom. It has never happened that I entered a Taco Bell and came out feeling unsatisfied or to take matters to the extreme, never skipped on a bean chalupa. Now that is some feverish devotion. What say.

I got to admit that I have started enjoying the Spicy Chik'n'Crisp from BK and the McChicken from McDonald's as well. But somethings in life hold a special place in your heart and that admiration is solely felt for the Chalupa :). Don't get me wrong but I still love French Fries. They are like the Robin to the Chalupa's Batman.

Also another item that stands tall on my list of favorites is the Cheese Pizza. Have stuffed that in my never-ending pit (correction: wonderfully round stomach) many a times in the recent years but that too (rather surprisingly) comes a distant second.

So if there is anyone who reads this blog and is willing to share his or her love for the Chalupa, make the guys at Taco Bell a little bit happier by ordering what else but...One bean chalupa supreme, no beef only beans.:)

Now if you will please excuse me, I got to run and get one myself. How to resist eating these is the next part of this blog. Stay tuned. Just kidding.

Memorial Day 2009 - Chicago

2009-05-27T21:18:00.007-05:00

Finally completed a superb 3-day Memorial Day weekend in downtown Chicago, arguably the most beautiful downtown that there is. Thanks to CityPass, saw 5 attractions with little to no wait times at the long ticket lines. Visited the Museum of Science and Industry, Navy Pier and Sears Tower on Day 1. Day 2 started early with Shedd Aquarium and Oceanarium, Adler Planetarium and ended with Millennium Park. Day 3, also early, started and finished with the Field Museum.

Sears Tower (soon to be Willis Tower), Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum were my personal favorites. Adler was boring. Missed out on the architectural tour of the city.

Chicago may be called the Windy City for its see-sawing political climate, but the weather was chilly and windy on the second day.

Made grand and to the minute plans prior to the trip, but all that was washed out as soon as the plane landed in Chicago on friday evening. Decided to take Day 1 on the go and underestimated the time that would take to complete each site. Days 2 and 3 were meticulously planned and hurriedly completed.

Back in Minneapolis now greeted by cold winds on a cloudy Wednesday. The only consolation that I've got is the shortened week.

I will know my fate in 2 weeks about the work at BSC. 50-50% chances of staying or termination. One group of 4 got the bad news today. I am the only one left to know what's in store. Hope it is the scent of new life.

Victory for the UPA

2009-05-17T20:59:00.006-05:00

The people of India have spoken and its the UPA (again) who will form the next government. And what a victory it has been. Indian National Congress gains 205 seats by itself and the UPA has close to 260. The UPA can literally pick and choose from the whole gamut to reach 272.

It is a slap on the face of the BJP led NDA coalition which had dreams of forming a (radical) hindu government. L.K. Advani, Narendra Modi and co. have to rethink their strategy of forming a stable party before they can think of leading India again.

Dr. Manmohan Singh is the right man for the top post. As various media outlets have shown and his own profile matches that of a non-corrupt, thinker, non-judgemental person who is silent but strong enough to lead India out of this economic recession. Weak PM.... that's all shredded to pieces by the Indian voter. Advani is called the Iron Man, but that title should go to MMS and righfully so. MMS has a lot to look forward to and his guarantee that India will be back to its economic glory in 100 days shows a lot of promise and requires a lot of work.

This general election has been similar to the presidential elections in the US between the Republicans and the Democrats with a lot of smear campaigning by both parties, more so by the Republicans. Judging by the news outlets in India, both the UPA and the NDA did not mince their words in ridiculing the opposition. But in the end, common sense prevailed and the common man looked beyond the communal and caste based campaiging and moved to vote towards a secular India.

Rahul Gandhi is touted to be the next PM in waiting and given the shrewdness of his mind and his intellect, India should be served well for years to come. Considering the number of under-40 MPs and MLAs in the current setup, young India can be a global superpower in this new age of rough and tough politics.

Summer Might Be Here...

2009-05-10T18:14:00.003-05:00

And so after several unsuccessful attempts, I have decided to make this Memorial Day weekend an outing that I have tried to take for a long time.

Its time that I visited and struck-out downtown Chicago from my list of want-to-visit-so-badly places. All the people that I know are seriously stumped as to why in the 9 months that we lived there, we couldn't see the place. Well, the situation then (2006) was different as we thought that Chicago was going to be our home for the next few years and that there would be ample time to visit. Ya right. Kirti eventually wound up moving back to Chicago and I remained in the wonderfully frozen tundra known as Minneapolis.

Just the other day I was thinking, it has been 2 years in Minnesota, a place I did not think I was going to live for 1 year, let alone 2 years and counting. Having great friends made it possible.

So the graph goes like this; Akron, Ohio (2002-2006), Chicago, Illinois (2006-2007), Minneapolis, Minnesota (2007-2009). The weird factor here is that I have left out alternate states like Indiana and Wisconsin and moved subsequently north. This pushes me out of the US on my next move into Canada. Gosh, that would be awkward. Or probably not.

This weekend was painfully boring, specially Sunday. Watched Ghajini last night and for brief moments, I kept on remembering Sidhya calling me Ghajinikant. God knows where she got that from.

Karthik got hitched on May 8 and is off to his honeymoon to Goa. Hope his tryst with marriage is long as his hair that he has grown. No kidding. He will put Katrina Kaif to shame with his long flowing locks.

Feelin' Blue

2009-05-03T11:57:00.002-05:00

So the second edition of the IPL kick started on April 18 and now in the middle stages of the tournament, it feels as to when the games are going to end. Can't help but notice that 4 out of the 8 teams in the tournament have various shades of blue for their jersey color (Rajasthan, Mumbai, Delhi and the newest entrant Deccan). Whatever happened to the other colors, God only knows. Guess every one is turning a blind eye to the rest of the spectrum.

Kolkata is nicely sweeping the bottom of the table while Deccan are a surprising choice for the top. This is only the middle stages of the tournament so who knows how the points table might look towards the end.

The Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics played out a fantastic and memorable 7-game series of the Eastern Conference first round. Boston prevailed but not before some butt-kicking by the under-rated Bulls team.

Less than 2 months to go for the project to come to a close...unless...Wipro pulls out a bunny from the hat (once again...).

Summer is here..or at least I hope it is here. The winter has been long and cold to say the least. While the cold season gets over, it is scorching hot in India and the rains are going to be unleashed in a month or so.

Elections in Mumbai and the rest of the country were held on April 30. Nothing eventful or spectacular happened. Less than 50% voting in Mumbai (surprising considering the events on Nov 26 and the people vying for fresh leadership). Thousands could not vote because they could not find their name on the voting list. If the election is decided by a small margin, this could be totally unfair for the losing party.

With an uncertain future looming and the economy showing no positive signs of improving, I can't help but wish things were bright again but for now, similar to the IPL colors, I too am feelin' blue.

Funny

2009-04-12T18:30:00.000-05:00

Some of the funniest jokes I have ever heard. Laughed my ass off. Actually, started reading this at work (after 5PM) and couldn't control my laughter. Hence read the rest at home. Courtesy: Elsmar.com/forums

These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts, and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published
by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place.

____________ _________ _________ _________ _____

ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?
WITNESS: No, I just lie there.
____________ _________ _________ _________ _____

ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget.
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
____________ _________ _________ _________ ____

ATTORNEY: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo?
WITNESS: We both do.
ATTORNEY: Voodoo?
WITNESS: We do.
ATTORNEY: You do?
WITNESS: Yes, voodoo.
____________ _________ _________ _________ _____

ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
____________ _________ _________ ______

ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: He said, 'Where am I, Cathy?'
ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?
WITNESS: My name is Susan!
____________ _________ _________ _________ _____

ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?
WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.

ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS: He's twenty, much like your IQ.
____________ _________ _________ _________ ____

ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Are you shitting me?
____________ _________ _________ _________ __

ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?
WITNESS: Getting laid.
____________ _________ _________ _________ _____

ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?
W ITNESS : Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?
____________ _________ _________ _________ _____

ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS: Take a guess.

____________ _________ _________ _________ _____

ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Unless the Circus was in town I'm going with male.
____________ _________ _________ _______

ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
____________ _________ _________ ________

ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS: All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight.
____________ _________ _________ _________ __

ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral.
____________ _________ _________ _________ __

ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: If not, he was by the time I finished.
____________ _________ _________ _________ _____

ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question?
____________ _________ _________ ________

* Lawyer: "Were you acquainted with the deceased?"
* Witness: "Yes sir."
* Lawyer: "Before or after he died?"

* The Court: "Now, as we begin, I must ask you to banish all present information and prejudice from your minds, if you have any."

* Lawyer: "Did he pick the dog up by the ears?"
* Witness: "No."
* Lawyer: "What was he doing with the dog's ears?"
* Witness: "Picking them up in the air."
* Lawyer: "Where was the dog at this time?"
* Witness: "Attached to the ears."

* Lawyer: "When he went, had you gone and had she, if she wanted to and were able, for the time being excluding all the restraints on her not to go,
gone also, would he have brought you, meaning you and she, with him to the station?"
* Other Lawyer: "Objection. That question should be taken out and shot."

* Lawyer: "What is your relationship with the plaintiff?"
* Witness: "She is my daughter."
* Lawyer: "Was she your daughter on February 13, 1979?"

* Lawyer: "Now, you have investigated other murders, have you not, where there was a victim?"

* Lawyer: "And what did he do then?"
* Witness: "He came home, and next morning he was dead."
* Lawyer: "So when he woke up the next morning he was dead?"

* Lawyer: "Did you tell your lawyer that your husband had offered you indignities?"
* Witness: "He didn't offer me nothing. He just said I could have the furniture."

* Lawyer: "So, after the anesthesia, when you came out of it, what did you observe with respect to your scalp?"
* Witness: "I didn't see my scalp the whole time I was in the hospital."
* Lawyer: "It was covered?"
* Witness: "Yes, bandaged."
* Lawyer: "Then, later on...what did you see?"
* Witness: "I had a skin graft. My whole buttocks and leg were removed and put on top of my head."

* Lawyer: "Could you see him from where you were standing?"
* Witness: "I could see his head."
* Lawyer: "And where was his head?"
* Witness: "Just above his shoulders."

* Lawyer: "Do you drink when you're on duty?"
* Witness: "I don't drink when I'm on duty, unless I come on duty drunk."

* Lawyer: "Any suggestions as to what prevented this from being a murder trial instead of an attempted murder trial?"
* Witness: "The victim lived."

* Lawyer: "The truth of the matter is that you were not an unbiased, objective witness, isn't it? You too were shot in the fracas."
* Witness: "No, sir. I was shot midway between the fracas and the naval."

And the best for last:

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.

North Korea's Satellite Launch

2009-04-05T22:04:00.003-05:00

This sure enough felt like a middle finger to the rest of the world when North Korea launched a 'satellite' in space on a (missile) rocket launcher. It definitely looked like one from all the Google images that were shown on CNN and other american news stations. Kim Jong Il doesn't care and imposing sanctions on these destructive minds only makes their resolve stronger. But there aren't many options for the UN Security Council regarding this.

The G20 summit happened in London last week and the Europe went ga-ga over Barack and Michelle Obama. Too much importance was given to Michelle Obama than the summit itself. Over a trillion $$ pledged to the IMF et. al by the developed nations. Good for them. Where is the money going to come from?

Election campaigns in India are taking steam and the public is noticing every move made by the biggies (UPA and NDA). I strongly believe, UPA will form the next government and Dr. Singh will continue to be the PM. Unless, NDA has something really good to counter the UPA offensive.

As I write this, India is all but getting ready to win their test series in New Zealand. Barring the couple of losses in the T20 games, Indians were utterly dominating in their ODI and Test matches. I don't care if they lose all their matches till the next World Cup, but they better regain this mindset of winning when the tournament is on. Surely, with the WC in the sub-continent, India will feel the added pressure and crowd support will be second to none for the home-team.

The fashion week, which is going on in Mumbai currently, looks like it has been sponsored by Bollywood. Major names from SRK and Akshay Kumar are headlining the event which is supposed to be a showcase event for the models. Guess they will be joining the un-employed queue as well. The recession isn't sparing anyone.

The American Dream & India News

2009-03-28T18:16:00.005-05:00

Its been rather slow all through the winter with no new developments happening on the personal and professional fronts. Sure, Kirti made a trip here and we stayed at home for the best part of 2.5 days.

Except for gaining weight steadily, I have not made any progress in gaining any additional knowledge about anything else. The keyword here being 'gaining'.

The IPL has moved its base to South Africa for this year and God only knows how successful this time around the event's going to be. Knowing BCCI and all the money that's on the line, this year is going to be bigger and better. It probably would not have mattered to the BCCI if the IPL were to have happened in the Arctic Circle. BCCI will get richer by a few thousand crores and all franchise owners will recover their initial investments.

Such a sorry state for the ICL which was a big flop this year. I did not hear any buzz from them (don't even know if it happened this season). I think its the economy that hit Subhash Chandra's pet project. Expect fireworks, though, from Lalit Modi and co. for sure.

Talking about fireworks, Varun Gandhi sure knows to start something incendiary. With BJP or NDA playing the religion-card, I hope they don't come to power this summer. Hoping better sense prevails and the development of the country is put forward and not the development of a Hindutva country as BJP or NDA wants it projected as.

Whoever wins should ensure Afzal Guru is hanged and there is some action from the Indian government on the Nov 26 terrorist attacks. By the looks of it, as the time for election nears, the case and subsequent justice to the victims both are going to get delayed. And Pakistan will get some time to relax and make foolish & irresponsible comments.

All those H1B visa and American dreams are evaporating with many or most desi consultancies backing off from filing fresh H1Bs this year or ordering people to move on to dependent visas (subsequently canceling their H1 visas in fear of an audit from the INS/USCIS). What happens to people with no one to fall back on. Going back to his or her home country becomes the major option, the other being going back to a student visa. Times are tough and the bad economy is sparing no one. Mine and Kirti's positions are also dicey and we are not immune to the problems that hundreds and thousands of us are facing. Post after post on sites like immihelp.com and path2usa.com are based on questions regarding H1 visa cancellation from non-paying employers and how to escape from a bad situation. These sites are a God-send and the advice of senior members provide great relief to some and terrible agony to others who don't seem to have much options.

Seems like there is no escaping the truth and sooner or later we all are going to be victims of our own choices that we made either out of desperation or riding our chances on embarking on an American dream that is hellbent on proving itself as being the biggest nightmare of my generation.

The Terror Front & The Indian Scenario

2009-03-07T19:32:00.002-06:00

The epicenter of terror has become its own victim. By attacking the Sri Lankan cricket team, Pakistan has proved that it is the terror capital of the world. No sane person including sane Pakistanis can talk about Pakistan being a safe place anymore. With the Islamic law okayed in the SWAT region and the Northwest Frontier Province being one of the deadliest war zones in the world, no place in Pakistan is safe anymore and the virus is going to spread to the entire nation.

India has bore the maximum brunt of these attacks and considering India's evergrowing population, India has to be more defensive and political in its attitude in dealing with these tough situations because frankly, India is not ready to deal with a full blown war with radical terrorists who have nothing to lose. And 26/11 proved that the border security in India is a big question mark.

It is just unbelievable that Pakistan (for the above reasons), Bangladesh (Bangladesh Rifles causing a bloody mutiny) and Sri Lanka (fighting the longest civil war with LTTE in Asia) are bordering India with so much bloodshed. I really pity India's geographic location in the world map.

General elections are due in April and the second season of IPL is to kickstart in and around the same time. Lalit Modi for all his bravado has announced that the IPL season shall go on in full-swing but for some minor modifications. So much for putting general citizens' and the visiting celebrities and cricketers' lives in peril. Hope last year's bombblasts in Jaipur during the IPL taught him a lesson. But unfortunately, with the money BCCI is expecting to cash in even during the hard times of economic turmoil, a few lives potentially are not worth saving.

I hope some common sense prevails and the elections are conducted smoothly and that there is a new dawn for India this year and the party that wins helps India in becoming an upcoming and respected leader of the world.

Happenings

2009-03-01T18:09:00.002-06:00

Things are looking better now that my father is back home recovering from the hip fracture he suffered beginning of February. Life has slowed down tremendously for him and my mother is trying hard to cope up.

Last week saw the heaviest snowfall of the winter and unusually it was terribly cold when it snowed. A rare occurrence for freezing temperatures with snowfall. The past two winters in Minneapolis have been anything but good.

Nothing special on the work front as well as the home front. Things are looking to improve at work with the project now lasting till June end with definite possibility of extension beyond the 2nd quarter of the year.

Slumdog Millionaire swept the Oscars last week and for a change the Oscars seemed like a truly international event. Penelope Cruz (Spain), Slumdog Millionaire (India and Britain), Kate Winslet (England), Heath Ledger (Australia) and Hugh Jackman (Australia) definitely made it seem like a world-ly event, something not seen everyday in the United States. Heath Ledger winning made it the best award but there were no surprises in any of the other categories as well. All awards were predicted before the ceremony.

Our own version of the most anticipated awards happened this week, The Filmfare Awards. Predictably, the awards were won the the same people who win it every year and the awards are given out by the same people every year. Whats new??

NFL season getting over in February brings a wave of boredom during the weekends. The weekends are hardly worth looking forward to after a dull week. At least I get to sleep more and expand the ever increasing waist-line. Hardly any motivation to lose the recently put on fat. Need to work out :)

Idol & Hell

2009-02-18T19:59:00.002-06:00

Typical me that I thought a reality show like American Idol would be just another drama filled event with everyone wanting to win the grand prize.

But I must say, I am hooked on to American Idol. There are some genuinely amazing talents who can sing. And it shows on the show why they need to win the title. People ridicule Simon Cowell for being brash and rude to the contestants, but he is brilliant when it comes to identifying a gem from the also-rans.

Another show that I am beginning to like is Hell's Kitchen, a reality show for aspiring chefs. The show's main attraction is Chef Gordon Ramsey who is probably the rudest and arrogant person to step foot in a kitchen, but again he is simply the best.

British personalities like Cowell and Ramsey are churning up America's best talents in the singing and the food business. No wonder they are coveted and so are the people whom they identify as the ones to carry a huge legacy on their shoulders.

Peculiar Observation

2009-02-08T17:12:00.002-06:00

Had been to the Hindu Temple today. One of the first things that I noticed about the temple parking lot was that it resembled a used Honda and Toyota car showroom. These two Japanese auto powerhouses have to thank the Indians all around the US for their exceptional sales. And this observation is true about any temple in the US. Pittsburgh Balaji Temple, Aurora Balaji Temple, Lemont Rama Temple etc are the few huge temples that I have visited and have been pleasantly shocked to see the number of Hondas and Toyotas in the parking lots. Lexus and Mercedes are also catching up. Seems the Indian diaspora is not gravely affected by the recession. They were/are smart about the money they earned.

Talking about car sales, almost everyone from GM to Ford to Chrysler to Toyota to Honda to Nissan have seen their car sales decline by double digits. American automakers are struggling to sell their "bad" products to the consumers and this time unlike earlier years, the consumer knows better. Only Subaru and Hyundai have shown positive sales but thats partly because they did not have a huge market and the fact that both these car makers have good cars.

Nothing significant to talk about this weekend. Was strictly OK. Got all of the videos and photos saved from the India trip and that was a mini-project by itself. Kirti shows up next week for Valentine's day and I hope there are no Sri Ram Sene or Bajrang Dal or Maharashtra Navnirman Sena or Shiv Sena activists to disrupt our weekend. I fear for the health and lives of couples in all cities across India who wish to celebrate Valentine's day. Hope it goes without any unruly incidents and that people can come out in the open and enjoy the day.

New Kid On The Block

2009-02-05T20:08:00.006-06:00

Shri Ram Sene...naam to suna hi hoga..says Pramod Muthalik, chief of the new 'terror' squad spreading havoc in Mangalore. After the 'punishment' that was unleashed at the pub-goers couple of weeks ago, there is a new "law and order" in town so to speak. And the occasion to 'celebrate' the new law is none other than the scorn of the hindu-tradition loving purists, "St. Valentine's Day".

The 'rule' apparently is that if a couple is found 'together' on V-day, Shri Ram Sene activists are going to get them married off without (apparently) resorting to violence. Unka maanna hai ki 'itna hi pyar hai to shaadi kyun nahi kar lete'. Fair enough. But what the hell does Democracy mean or for that matter Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Speech mean to a citizen of India. Nothing when it concerns the Sene.

Also, noodle straps and some western wear are not allowed to be worn by females. Good God. I thought America is going to the dogs; looks like India is not that far either. I think the global recession is taking a toll on the Sene causing them to taking such drastic action towards restoring Hindutva.

Renuka Chowdhary, the Minister of State for Women and Child Development (WCD) is so pissed off at this menace that she declared today what pre-independence Indians used as a freedom struggle movement i.e. Jail Bharo Andolan. Instead of Jail Bharo, she suggested Pub Bharo Andolan.

But clearly, 21st century India needs to adopt a new 'freedom struggle movement'. I would call it Bas Karo Andolan.

To turn the tables on these fanatical groups, the ideal way would be to adopt Gandhigiri. Let them enforce their so called 'strength', after a period of time, they will stop these antics themselves. But alas, Bharat ab woh Bharat nahi raha jiske liye Gandhiji ne apni jaan qurbaan kardi. Had Gandhiji been on his deathbed today, he probably would refrain from saying "Hey Ram"...for obvious reasons.

Notes From India

2009-01-25T18:27:00.004-06:00

25 odd days in India were probably the busiest and most hectic times in recent memory. The trip hardly qualified as a 'vacation'. Reached early morning on 27th and was off to Shirdi on 28th morning (4:00 am). Worst scenario possible: school holidays, sunday and unprecedented rush. Result: 3 hours of pushing and shoving and at the max 4 seconds of Baba's darshan. To top the day's workout, my mom-in-law, aunt and me lose our slippers to the crowd. Great way to say 'Welcome to India'. Travelled from Shirdi to Mumbai barefeet.

Celebrated the new year at my in-laws' place and the chinese food ordered at 7:30 pm comfortably made its way to the house at 11:45 pm. Guess everyone was in the mood for chinese. In the end, it wasn't that great. But the anticipation and excitement for food was just priceless. Wish that never happens again.

Went to a resort just outside Mumbai with my closest friends for a day and a half and had a great time there. Considering the events that were to follow in 2009, it was hard to imagine that I would be able to meet these guys again. But it happened on the last day and we went to dinner together.

Thanks to Appa's 60th birthday function, we were able to meet all the relatives and cousins in the hall and that saved a trip to most of their homes. We wouldn't have been able to squeeze out the time to go there anyways.

Sidhya came and we had a ball. Frankly, I did not think she would be comfortable with me and Kirti, specially considering the times we spent in Seattle last year. I have successfully taught her to call me Ghajini and she very innocently calls me 'Ghajinikant' for reasons best known to her. But she does say "Ghajinikant, I miss you" everytime we have a phone conversation or when its time for me to sleep.

We were planning (and almost certain) to buy a house this visit. But the houses we checked out did not meet our expectations and the house that we kind of liked, the price did not meet our wallet's expectations. So owning that dream is ....still a dream.

I am already kind of homesick after coming back last tuesday and the ongoing employment situation is not helping one bit. Everyone is under lots of pressure to find new work or possibly a new job, but it is very slow and things don't look much brighter.

But at least the India trip happened and I don't have to think what if...

Now, I have a new thing to worry about and it is not going to be pretty.

Back From India

2009-01-22T19:16:00.003-06:00

Got back couple of days ago from a well deserved and a pretty hectic India trip. Very fruitful and a very enjoyable one as well. 60th birthday celebration of my father was excellent and went without a hitch and so did mine and Kirti's visa stampings.

Back to work on the 21st and the pace is slow.

More later as we look forward to the new year.

Destination.....Home

2008-12-22T12:26:00.004-06:00

Taxi fare from Fridley to Megabus station in Downtown Minneapolis - Distance: approx. 5.5 miles, Fare: $25 (incl. tip)
Bus fare from Minneapolis to Chicago (2 tickets for 2 big suit cases) - Distance: approx. 400 miles, Fare: $110 (2 tickets)
Taxi fare from Union Station in Downtown Chicago to Buffalo Grove - Distance: approx. 40 miles, Fare: $68 (incl. tip)
Fare Total: $203
Coming home in absolutely "blizzard"ly conditions and negative temperatures in one piece with all luggages intact and 12 hours later - Priceless

India trip in 3 days' time. It is already beginning to feel like the trip time (25 days) is way less. Specially in comparison with other colleagues who have taken "extensive" holiday times. Add to that 2 visa interviews crunched in and a big family event planned, there is no downtime.... or is it?

Talk about "this-does-not-make-much-sense-at-all". The time it has taken for me to get ready for the visa stamping (incl. checking the VFS site daily waiting for the date to open up, filling out the forms at the website, contacting folks in Wipro on a regular basis for the right co-ordination of paperwork, getting all the documentation ready from my end), all I will get the visa for is less than 6 months. Almost feels like it's not worth it. But alas....

50 Posts & Ultimate Pressure To Deliver

2008-12-14T10:30:00.003-06:00

Last December I re-started blogging and I am glad I continued writing through the year. 50th post of the year. Lot of things (good and horrible) have happened. Kirti started working (and will continue to work in 2009), bomb blasts all around India (Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Mumbai, Malegaon and many more..), given the pink slip and then Wipro puts that on hold, going to India first time after marriage (almost 3.5 years later) and lots of other highs and lows.

Got a Canon Vixia HG20 High Definition Camcorder. Pretty neat gadget and a light weighter too. Manual is 10,000 pages long but it makes interesting reading since I am a first time owner.

At work, since I am the last person to leave for India, there is tremendous pressure on me to deliver before I leave. Most things are ontrack for completion, but it is/was a nightmare dealing with the situation. No back-ups this time around unlike last year when everyone who went to India almost had 2 backups. 7 working days to go for the shutdown and lots of work to finish, which will be done with good co-ordination from all parties.

Those left at Wipro-BSC are not too happy with the way the "highest authority" worked his way through the first two weeks in December before he left for India. Finding a new job is high on everyone's wishlist for the new year. Hope it comes true.

Temporary Relief

2008-12-07T11:21:00.002-06:00

Since the last post, a lot of good things have happened (temporarily..). We have been un-laidoff at least till March 2009 as the BSC project got extended till the first quarter of 2009. This means the India trip is going to happen.

Thankfully this news came just before Thanksgiving and hence those 4 days were spent happily and a sigh of relief could be heard from my parents in India. Ya, it was that big a burden off the chest.

I don't want to write anything about the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. A big salute to those who fought valiantly against all odds (including the 24x7 media coverage, shameful politicos making an unwanted trip and the hordes of mumbaikars who wanted a piece of the action...and yes, the terrorists as well). God bless the souls of the departed.

Coming back to the project extension, December seems to be gearing upto an extremely busy month with the new work starting in full swing and since I am the last to go to India, the responsibility falls on my shoulders. No problems there. Only hitch is that there are 2 other simultaneous projects that I am (forced to be) a part of.

Can't wait any longer to leave for India and have a great time. Shopping (almost) done and other activities taking shape. For those who read my posts, have a great holiday season and a happy new year.

Job Hunt Continues.....

2008-11-22T18:26:00.002-06:00

....and so does the hope for the 'bunny-out-of-the-hat' from Wipro....

The Inevitable (& Impending) News

2008-11-15T11:38:00.005-06:00

The dreadful news about "Layoffs" has finally hit Wipro...rather I should say Wipro hit us with the news of "Layoffs".

Yup, it is here and 4 of my colleagues (incl. me) have been given the ultimatum that Jan 15th, 2009 will be our last working day with Wipro unless....we agree to move back to Bangalore only to be placed (mostly) on bench awaiting the axe there, which some of the India employees argue that one will never be laid off in India (wishful thinking!!!).

This news (almost) cancels the long awaited and already paid for India trip. Yup, 3 and a half years and still counting.....

I am angry about the fact that Wipro management saw this coming that there is no visibility in the BSC account past December and still there was practically no initiative from Wipro's team to be more aggressive in pursuing other accounts...Although, a team did come in October to "talk" to companies in the Twin Cities and other places in the US.

And yes, annual appraisals are pending for the past 6 months...

We were told by the India team "not to panic and focus our energies on the job at hand". And in less than a week of telling us that, they are ready to hand out the pink slips. What a classy move....

But we are focusing our energies on the job at hand...i.e. looking vigorously for new jobs. Which probably Wipro should be doing. Nevermind..A lost cause hoping for Wipro to do anything for us.

Miracles happen and I hope Wipro can pull out a rabbit from its hat and keeps us employed at least till February - March so that the I-desperately-want-to-go-to-India trip happens.

Oh, will see....

New President & Hard Times

2008-11-05T18:49:00.004-06:00

Barack Obama is elected the president of the USA by a huge margin and he is probably the best orator I have ever heard talk. An extremely inspiring and a commanding figure. I have a feeling he will do fine as the president for the next 4 years and depending on his work, for the second term as well. Although he won yesterday, it would not have surprised me if John McCain had won the election primarily because of the "white rules" mentality that many have here. But not to be....

Hard times for the economy has got me worried about my job here with Wipro. Boston Scientific has (almost) pulled the plug on us and our services group doesn't have much to offer in terms of upcoming projects. Going to India is one option that none of the US hires even want to consider. Me neither...

Looking for a job in the 4th quarter of an abysmal economy during the holiday season with an upcoming India trip is the possibly one of the worst things that could be happening. Although losing a job in the above mentioned conditions will be the ultimate nail in the coffin. Lets hope we never get to that option...

Moving to the new apartment was smooth. Nice weather helped. Internet and tv were set-up after a week of moving in. Yogesh was smart enough to put together an antenna so that some channels were showing including CBS (need that for sunday football).

Pending work at BSC gets tighter as Nov 20th fast approaches. Nov 20th is the d-day for our project here. Its going to be a train wreck for the next 2+ weeks...

Happy Diwali

2008-10-27T21:02:00.001-05:00

Happy Diwali to all those who drop by my site and wish you the very best for a bright and prosperous new year.

Moving this week to a new place.

Dada's Departure & The Master's Record

2008-10-18T10:49:00.005-05:00

India vs. Australia (again) in India. One major announcement and one fantabulous achievement. The first being Sourav "Maharaj" Ganguly announcing that he is going to retire from international cricket after this test series. One of my favorite players of all time and one of the awesomest captains India has ever produced. A fighter to the core and an 'arrogant' one for the opposition. All those in India (and some around the cricketing world) who were against Dada all these years showed some respect when he announced his retirement. India probably relished his captaincy than Saurav did it himself. That was evident in the way the country responded to his leadership and his ability to get the players motivated.

July 2002, at Lord's he showed why to "Never Give Up". India chasing 300+ in the final against England. He set the tone with a blazing 60+ score and then left the responsibilities to Yuvraj and Mohd. Kaif to nail the English in their own backyard. Stuff legends are made up of. If cricket ever had a Hall of Fame, then Sourav would be in there because of his contributions to Indian cricket. One of the deadliest opening combinations in ODIs along with Sachin Tendulkar, it was a treat to see them bat together and score 100s at will. I could write a lot more about Sourav Chandidas Ganguly, but I will leave it at that and for others to cherish their own memories about one of the greatest captains from India and the sweetest offside player ever!! Rahul Dravid once said, "On the offside, first there is God and then there is Saurav". What a compliment to a player who has given his all for the greater good. Thanks for all the memories, Mr. Ganguly.

Time to talk about the Master Blaster who just became the highest run-scorer in Test cricket. 12,000 runs. Wow. Superb, elegant and always classy. The king of Indian cricket, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. He is the highest run-scorer in ODIs as well. 16,000 runs. I always thought he is going to finish his cricketing career earlier than what he himself would have in mind, but he proved everyone wrong. There were times when I thought that he was being given special treatment by the selectors, but time and again he used to come up with crucial knocks that would put all the nay-sayers away. There are thousands of stories and memories about Sachin that I could write about, but you know them already. All I can say to him is Thank you Sir, you have been a great ambassador for Indian cricket and may you score at will and retire gracefully rather than being dumped by the same selectors who have backed you over the years.

A Nuclear Superpower or A Guinea Pig

2008-10-04T13:32:00.004-05:00

India and United States signed a historic Nuclear deal this week that allows American companies to supply fuel and other necessities to India to build civilian nuclear plants to create nuclear energy. India promises not to test nuclear weapons under this treaty and allows for inspection of its civilian plants to international agencies. This should make me proud, shouldn't it. Is this the rise of India in the global map in terms of Nuclear Superpowers? Or..

When this deal was done, I was afraid a little bit because it reminded me of the naive India almost 250 years when it allowed a certain "East India Company" to trade with itself. We all know what followed for the next 175 years. I and most certainly the massive population of India does not want history to repeat itself. I trust Manmohan Singh to do the right thing for the country. I just hope India doesn't present itself as the guinea pig for the U.S. to have a strong base (militarily) in the Indian Subcontinent. That would just be disastrous for everyone, specially us.

What do you think?

I think India is much smarter and stronger at this present time to deal with grave situations. But again, India with its multi-religious and multi-cultural environment is ripe for political tensions and its poor geographical location in the world map doesn't help one bit either.

I am confused.

Sunday Night Update

2008-09-28T18:31:00.006-05:00

Watched the first presidential debate on friday night between John McCain and Barack Obama. Good timepass on a friday night, if you are into these things. I have been taking a keen interest in politics lately and it keeps the clock ticking for me after I reach home from work.

I am particularly annoyed and irritated at both these candidates on the Iraq war for always ignoring the fact that over 100,000 Iraqis have lost their lives. What wrong did they do? And there aren't too many news outlets that are willing to show the plight of (Iraqi) families who lost near and dear ones. That's obvious, isn't it?

Barack Obama looks confident and ready moreso that John McCain to lead the United States for the next 4 years. Looking forward to the Joe Biden - Sarah Palin debate this coming thursday. Should be interesting to see Palin talk extempore without a teleprompter.

Back to some sunday night news here. For the first time in few years since I started following football, I felt bored midway through the Vikings-Titans game and went off to sleep. Just one of those days I think when the conditions outside (cold and gloomy as hell) contribute to these aberrations. I love football though.

And just as I was starting to write this blog, the ceiling the bathroom started leaking water as the pipe in the floor above burst without warning. After an hour or so of water leakage, it is finally under control. I can understand the agony of Hurricane affected people now. Thankfully, it happened on a sunday night. And it could have been worse. Check this out for what happened. This is kind of my Youtube moment.

More reasons not to live in this damned apartment complex. The lady in whose house this all started, moved in this month and has vowed not to renew her lease after 6 months. My lease gets over at the end of October and I will be moving out for good from here. Good riddance, but hope nothing happens here till that time.

Chief Eliminated Officer??

2008-09-22T19:37:00.006-05:00

Hate to be this person. Think twice about being the CEO of a company. At the same time, got to make sure never to get in this embarassing situation in the first place. The embarassing situation of the (dismissed) employees, that is.

Ganesh Chaturthi & More

2008-09-12T19:47:00.010-05:00

Kirti and I completed 3 years of our marriage on August 28th. Feels like yesterday when we got hitched. This year was different as we celebrated our anniversary (if you want to call it that) in Minneapolis and Chicago with respective roommates and friends. Hardly a consolation.

Like last year we had Ganpati celebrations at my place. But a lot of things had changed from 2007. Most importantly, for obvious reasons, Kirti wasn't here although she did help a lot in the preparations.All the furniture was gone for reasons less said the better. The idol itself was "Made in China" (not kidding). The events were low-key this year compared to last as lot of people from Wipro and HCL moved on with their careers to different parts of the U.S. There were some new faces this year.

It started getting colder much earlier as compared to any of the previous 6 years since I have been here. Looks like the making of a long and cold winter is ahead of us. In the office, it feels terribly similar to a freezer. I think the facilities department didn't get the message to turn up the heat.

India trip just about 3 months away. Very excited. I felt couple of months ago that 25 days would be a good enough vacation. But as the time nears and the list of work that needs to be done there gets longer by the week, it seems like a bargain gone wrong, especially with the deals that others have got for themselves. I can imagine the rush that I am going to feel to extend the vacation once I am there. I am expecting Mumbai to change a lot and hope my expectations are met.

Nothing more to rave about since the last time I wrote. Going through the motions. Work is great but I need some change. The challenge that I face is daunting but can be handled with proper planning and execution which unfortunately wasn't thought of during the previous stage of the project. Times are tough, its time I got tougher.

Cruel Intentions

2008-09-04T15:21:00.002-05:00

It is the first week of September.

Then why the hell does it feel like November!!!!

God surely has a cruel way to show us the middle finger. Could be a lot worse though.

Keep praying.

Game Over??

2008-08-24T19:18:00.004-05:00

The Olympics are officially over. The games and China will be forever remembered for largely being exciting and thoroughly spectacular. The closing ceremony was as grand and unbelievable as the opening ceremony. I just felt that it got over too quickly. Olympic games from past years have tend to last forever. This one ended with lot of stars born and 2 huge superstars to remember for a lifetime. Michael Phelps (Swimming - 8 Golds, 7 WRs) and Usain Bolt (Track & Field - 3 Golds, 3 WRs) are going to be super-star attractions in 2012 when the London games start.

Over to the U.S. Open Tennis tournament which starts in New York (for once the pressure is on Rafa Nadal as compared to Roger Federer) and the upcoming NFL season. You can't get bored in America once you start following sports here.

But the biggest game of all is just getting started. It is presidential election year and the 2 sides are all but ready for "war" to get to the White House. John McCain vs. Barack Obama. Its going to be fun. Old style politics of the Republicans vs. the message of change from the Democrats. I am looking forward to the debates and the expert opinions of the debate postmortems by the analysts. Mark your calendars. The Democratic National Convention from Denver starts tomorrow. The Republican National Convention starts a week later in St. Paul. Can hardly wait.

A Tribute

2008-08-19T20:11:00.003-05:00

Sixty years ago on August 20th, in Tamil Nadu, India, a baby boy was born. The second-to-last of many children. He grew up in south India and moved with his family to Bombay to complete his schooling and college. He completed his Bachelor of Science degree and got a job in a bank. By 1976 he was married and well settled into his career and in 1977 his first baby was born. A nasty little rascal at that. Few years later, he welcomed his second gem, a silent but "strong" type. Correction, a silent but "heavy" type. Life moved on and his work was steady in Canara Bank, having risen up within the ranks and transfers to multiple branches including one to a remote village in Tamil Nadu.

I haven't seen anyone do more for his family and siblings than this man. He has been the cornerstone of the family he grew up in and a rock-solid support that everyone was looking for. He supported his sons in whatever they wanted to do and become in life leaving nothing to chance and praying (literally) all the time so that his sons could do what they do best. An extremely humorous person with a great knack of cracking the best jokes at the opportune moment and a golden voice in a family of golden voices when it came to singing. Even though diagnosed with diabetes in his middle ages, he did not stop living his life, living it carefully and "walking" as much as he could to lower the "bad things a.k.a sugar" to acceptable levels.

I have praised him enough. Now retired and enjoying retirement. A man of God. Grandfather to a beautiful little girl. He misses his sons as much as his sons miss him. They are far away from him physically but with him almost everyday (Thanks to Yahoo Messenger and Reliance India Call). And on the most important day of his life, his sons cannot be with him to celebrate his 60th birthday. I am glad his wife of 32 and a half years is by his side.

A man of many sacrifices and a big heart to take the backseat and let his woman do the "talking", I wish him the best in life. He will not be reading this blog but those of you do, hope you realise whom I am talking about here.

Happy Birthday Appa!

The Olympic Games - Beijing 2008

2008-08-11T20:34:00.008-05:00

China is the host of the 29th Olympiad and they have welcomed the world with open arms leaving politics to the politicians and lawmakers and the games to the athletes. The opening ceremony on 08/08/08 at the Bird's Nest stadium was simply the grandest spectacle I have ever seen for any event. One World One Dream is this olympics' motto and by the looks of it, China is doing all it can to bring the world together. China finished second to the USA in 2004 in Greece and they have revenge on their minds as they want to win the overall medal tally and desperately the gold medal tally, at all costs. Estimated amount spent by China to get Olympic-ready, $43 billion. Boy-o-boy, they are proving to the world what they are made up of. Just as The Rock from WWE would say, "Just bring it".

India's Abhinav Bindra made a billion of us beam with pride and happiness by winning the gold in the 10m rifle event. India's first gold medal since the 1980 Moscow olympics when the Hockey team won gold. India sadly did not even qualify for the hockey event this time around. India, of course, has won Bronze medals in the form of Leander Paes and Karnam Malleswari in the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Olympics in Tennis and Weight Lifting respectively, while Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore did India proud by winning the Silver in Athens in Shooting in 2004.

Abhinav Bindra's gold medal couldn't have come at a better time. India lost the test series to Sri Lanka 2-1 putting rest to all claims that the Indian team is the only one that can beat Australia. We will see that in October when the Aussies visit us for a test series. I just hope that the Olympic glory is just the right motivation for parents to bring up their children in sports other than cricket. But the cricket-obsessed media and the people have a long way to go in embracing other sports. A start nevertheless.

I remember Madhu Sapre when she was in the top 3 for the Miss Universe title way back in the 90s, she was asked what would she do if she was the Prime Minister of India. She replied she would build a world-class sports stadium and give a lot of importance to sports. A nation of close to a billion people laughed at her then and unfortunately, she didn't win the crown. But, the next generation is here and sports matter to them.

Let's all cheer for Team INDIA at the Olympics and hope a few more medals to the tally will bring back an Olympic size revolution and kick-start a new awakening in one of the world's fastest growing economies. Happy Independence Day. Independent India completes 61 on the 15th.

Why So Serious?

2008-08-03T21:09:00.009-05:00

"Why so serious?" asks the knife wielding Joker in The Dark Knight. If you seriously haven't watched the movie yet, I strongly recommend you do that. No, don't wait for the DVD or an online print, go watch the spectacle on the big screen. You will not be disappointed. It is not the same comic Batman that we have seen with George Clooney and Val Kilmer in leading roles. This is Christopher Nolan's Batman who also directed Batman Begins. This is Christian Bale's Batman who played the lead in Batman Begins and reprises his role as The Dark Knight/Bruce Wayne. And finally, this is Heath Ledger's Batman who is undoubtedly the bestest fit for this role. I can't imagine anyone playing the character of the Joker so viciously and making a comic book fantasy absolutely believable and astonishingly spine-chilling.

The Joker exploits Gotham City's resources to get to Batman. Not only to get to Batman, but to actually see who is the man behind the mask. Everyone's done a great job in the movie in which Gotham City looks an awful lot like Chicago. Particularly enjoyed the scenes where the semi-truck flips and the Joker dresses up like a nurse. Evil personified.

I will end this blog with one line from an awesome movie, "Either you die a hero....or you live long enough to see yourself turn into a villain...". There are lots more to it than super hero dialogues and explosive action scenes. This is a movie you will remember for a long time. Worldwide collections till date, $600 million.

Go watch it.

Another Mindless Tragedy

2008-07-29T20:26:00.005-05:00

I am playing cricket and the body is aching. Real bad. It feels good though.

Feel sorry for the families that lost loved ones in the bomb blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad this past week. Terrorism really has no face and it has proven that it can strike without warning. In the Ahmedabad blasts, the terrorists (Indian Mujahideen) did send an email to the Gujarat police at 6:41 pm. The time of the blasts: 6:45 pm. How do you find and diffuse 17 bombs that went off in a crowded city. Whom do you question and how do you prevent creating a chaos. Tough. And India has got to get tougher against faceless atrocities. 53 people dead in Ahmedabad and close to 200 wounded. 18 bombs were diffused in Surat the next day and 3 in Rajasthan. Can't even imagine the panic among the Gujarathi community had the 18 bombs detonated. Good intelligence and thoughtful work by the calm bomb squads. India has got to pull up its socks. The people are willing but the ruling government and opposition have started the mudslinging. When will someone raise a hand in parliament and declare that all parties must unite against terrorism and not squabble amongst ourselves blaming each other.

If you are reading this blog and if you have some information regarding the blasts that can help the police, please duly contact the Indian embassy nearest to you so that you can do your bit to solve the puzzle and help the families that have lost near and dear ones to pick up the pieces and move on.

God bless the departed souls.

Formula 1 & A Whole Lotta Rice

2008-07-20T18:53:00.005-05:00

Watched the Formula 1 German Grand Prix today. A complete race from start to finish. The last time I did that was in 2002. Final year engineering. The races used to be on sunday evenings and the qualifiers on saturday evenings every 2 weeks. I first got hooked onto F1 sometime around 2000-01 much to the agony of my father. I have been a couch potato all my life and F1 just added to my father's misery. I can still imagine him wanting to tell me, "get out of the house and play". I used to play as well. A lot. Just that my body does not reflect that. Years and years of eating rice can attest to that. Once a rice eater, always a rice eater. No wonder you don't see too many tamilians with six-pack abs. The trend is surely changing though. Couple of my cousins (the younger lot) can easily "walk" into a body-building show and a soccer team respectively. I would like to identify myself as Gen-X but these guys are Gen-Y, as in my age-group is "Xpired". You know where to put the blame on right. Formula 1. No. "Rice".

But hey, I once outran the Akron cricket team in a team drill where I was not even a part of the team. "Pat on the back" moment. I just did it for kicks and some of the guys were dumbstruck. How can a pot-bellied non-cricketer just out-run "us", the fittest group of guys in Akron wondered. I hope that was a motivation for them to do well. I don't remember how that season turned out for the boys.

Played racquetball few months ago and that felt good. Running up and down the length of the court reminded me of the time in graduate school where racquetball after class was not a necessity but a way of life. No weekday was complete without sweating it out in the court. I loved that sport and it helped me shed some pounds. Notice to someone who wants to lose some weight, play racquetball and the pounds will vanish. But as I graduated and moved on to better things in life, the pounds came back and so did the paunch in a much round-about avatar. I have started eating better lately and "try" to exercise regularly hoping to lead a normal non-critical life. One thing though always has remained, "The Love of Rice".

The Pursuit of Happyness

2008-07-14T21:49:00.003-05:00

Saw Will Smith's The Pursuit of Happyness tonight. One word only to describe the movie: "Masterpiece". If Taare Zameen Par brought tears to your eyes, this one will flat out make you cry. I cannot believe how Will Smith did not get a Best Actor Oscar for this one. He has acted brilliantly in a very very tough role. An immensely talented actor with fantastic attention to detail. He is right up there with George Clooney as my favorite actors. The movie is based in San Francisco in the year 1981 and it portrays the shit that Chris Gardner (Smith's character) has to go through before finally making it big. This movie shows how you've got to grab opportunities when they don't even knock on your door and make full use of it when they actually do. The whole movie it about how good luck always evades you but still you fight through it just to make it to an unpaid internship the next morning.

The scene where Chris lies to his son (played by Will's own son Jaden) about the time machine and how they are transformed to the age of dinosaurs and consequently survive the night in the cave (actually the men's restroom in a SFO train station), sleeping on the dirty floor with tears flowing down Chris's eyes and reluctantly not opening the door of his "cave" when someone wants to use the restroom. Simply amazing.

I am deeply moved by this movie and will watch it again. Not for the hardships, not for the bad luck, not for the missed chances, but for the performance and character of Chris Gardner who survived it all and got through the toughest times. A movie based on a true story of Chris Gardner (A multi-millionaire investment broker). Watch it if you haven't already done so.

A California Vacation

2008-07-07T19:49:00.004-05:00

Got back from an awesome July 4th weekend in California. Fantastic place and a great time. Nothing can beat that. Silicon Valley is a beauty with almost all big names in technology within a 20-30 mile radius. Google, Oracle, Yahoo, Microsoft, eBay, McAfee, Apple, Stanford University, Abbott, Sun Microsystems, Intel etc and a whole lot more. That place is a haven for technology freaks. No wonder SV is as expensive and in demand as seen on the television. Gas prices are at approximately $4.55 a gallon. Ouch!!

Visited San Jose, Palo Alto, Monterey, Sausolito, Mystery Spot and of course, San Francisco. Couldn't help but enjoy the amazing creation that is the Golden Gate Bridge with the notorious Alcatraz prison and the jaw dropping San Francisco downtown in the backdrop. Lombard Street with its almost 90 degree uphill drive and the crooked downhill crawl is a sight to watch and a thing to believe that such wonders do exist. Driving in SFO is not for the weak hearted. Glad to be on the passenger's seat for the entire ride. Ended the day at Pier 39/Fisherman's Wharf. A jolly good place.

One of the most beautiful places in Northern California is the 17-Mile Drive between the Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach. The most lavish and grand mansions are situated here and the views of the Pacific Ocean is magnificent. Sunset was amazing and the ride enjoyable. I am praising the place too much isn't it. Can't help it but the place is indeed worth every penny spent.

Mystery Spot was a great mystery. There is no explanation as to what happened there a long time ago but defying the laws of physics was something I could cherish a lot. You see I wasn't that great in Physics while in school. Sarcasm indeed.

Wish we could stay there for few more days. But all good things must come to an end and blessedly it was the perfect ending to a great getaway.

Hope Goes a Long Way

2008-06-30T22:11:00.003-05:00

I remember the time in 2004 when I had started my search to land the perfect job in America. I was already working as an intern at Theken, hoping this would be it. 9 long months and 3 departments later, I had that H1B visa with me. A full time employee. Great!!! Not so much. The job scene at that time was crappy at the least with many of my friends and colleagues unlucky enough not to secure even an internship. One unwillingly pursued a PhD, one jumped the boat and turned to software and IT and one just left the US and went back to India. I guess the stars were shining on me that day in May when I got a call from a friend at Theken asking me if I was open to getting an internship. Yes please!!

4 plus years later, I am kind of settled in my role. The ride though has been bumpy. 2008 has not been kind to the job hopefuls. Economy has been in a slump since March and prices (of virtually everything) have sky-rocketed. An uncertain time looms even for those with permanent jobs making it terribly tough for those venturing into dark waters. Good luck to them and may they find the best job available. Grab it when opportunity knocks. It may not be your dream job but it will get you in the market. Sooner or later a door will open which will lead into that career that you have always dreamed of since stepping onto the plane from India in pursuit of an MS or MBA degree and eventually a shot at earning $75,000 per year. Confidence is the key and hope is an absolute necessity.

Take it from a guy who has seen the hardships even with getting that golden opportunity back when times were supposed to be bad.

Listen and Watch

2008-06-24T21:27:00.004-05:00

This song gives me the goosebumps and makes me feel proud and patriotic.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=BJ399KOoNRA

You should feel the same!!

Violence Rekindled

2008-06-22T19:29:00.002-05:00

This past weekend there was a major scuffle between 2 Sikh factions in Mulund. One group was allegedly and deservedly pissed off at Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's bodyguard for killing one of the protesters. The protesters were protesting for the arrest of the sect's chief for dressing up like Guru Gobind Singh at an earlier event. The killing of the protester spilled on to the streets and violence broke out. Once again stuck in the middle was the common man.

Shops were vandalized, railway tracks blocked, trains affected and innocent men and women were threatened by sword-brandishing rioters.

To add to this mayhem, a Shiv Sena leader has warned that there will be more violence if the Sikh group does not stop this violence. What!!!!!!!! Instead of lessening the pain, Shiv Sena is trying to inflict more. They are angry that innocent Maharashtrian men and women are being targeted and threatened. Shiv Sena is worried about the closure of shops and rail-roko stuff. What they don't realize is that they themselves are one of the most offensive political groups in the country resorting to violence and hampering the normal routine of the Maharashtrian people. No political group is non-violent but Shiv Sena's reaction is beyond sensible. I am sure they are going to play the "Hindu" card again or if it is Raj Thackeray, he is going to use the "Aamchi Maathi Aamchi Maansa" card to protect Maharashtra. The elections are nearing and Shiv Sena wants to win big by "protecting" the people. Bal Thackeray is getting older and the "Remote Control" is not functioning anymore as compared to the mid-1990s. The most horrible scenario would be when Thackeray Sr. dies of natural causes, Shiv Sena would call for a Maharashtra bandh or most certainly a Mumbai bandh, obstructing businesses and destroying anything and everything that moves to honor their leader.

You may have heard in the past week that Bal Thackeray wants Hindu Suicide groups to be formed to retaliate against Muslim extremists groups. This kind of propaganda and "out-of-the-box" thinking is going to leave Mumbai and the rest of the country burning again. 1992 anyone??

Quiet Desperation

2008-06-18T18:51:00.005-05:00

Sometimes I just want to pack up my stuff here and go back to India. Sooner or later I will be making my transition to India for good. I just don't know when thats going to happen. Life here has been great, but still yeh dil maange more. India is shining (in some parts) and I feel the need to be part of that gold rush. I know it is not going to be easy combining my years of experience and lifestyle in America to blend with India's non-stop work-o-holic attitudes. I am one step closer to the dream because of my job with Wipro. I have enjoyed my stay here more than any other jobs that I have had before because of the friends that I have made here and they help in making the day go by faster.

One of my closest friends back home has been urging me to move back to India for quite a few years now. I have been constantly telling him I am waiting for my H1B tenure to get over in 2011. But the reality is, I am always in 2 minds, with the question being should I get my Green Card and wait for few more years or call it quits at the end of the visa term. I never had the doubt about "should I go to India or should I make a living here?" I wasn't like this growing up. I (still) am quite confident of myself and very much in control. Insecurities have slightly increased over the years now that I am married. Kirti is a big part of the picture and the decisions are and will be jointly taken.

I dearly miss all the events, functions and festivals that was such a huge part of my life growing up. For almost 6 years, I have missed everything. Sure I have participated in Diwali functions and Navratri here, but the feeling just isn't the same.

I miss my parents as much as Kirti misses hers. They are growing old and we don't want to miss out on important events in their lives. I miss my friends back home. Miss the old times during and after college. I made the choice of coming here and my parents backed me 100%. I am a family person and have always been one. It is quite ironical that I am so far away from all of them at this juncture in my life. It is tough having a base in the US if you want to or plan to go back some day. It always helps in keeping an open mind and following through with what you want to accomplish. The day I do pack my bags and leave, I would proudly say Mission Accomplished.

World's Best

2008-06-13T20:01:00.004-05:00

When you surf the various television channels, when you look up thousands of advertisements, when you see any of the American sports championships - what is the one thing that has stood out from the rest of the glitz and glamor? The fact that anything "American" is the "World's Best". The 2 words that I am trying to equate here are America = World.

Simple, when a San Antonio Spurs or a Los Angeles Lakers basketball team wins the NATIONAL basketball association's championship trophy, analysts and the media are pouring out their affection calling them World Champions. America did not even win the basketball gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Argentina did. Or for that matter, when a New England Patriots or an Indianapolis Colts football team wins the NATIONAL football league's Superbowl, analysts and the media are praising these teams calling them what else....World Champions. No one plays American football outside the US and hence "arguably" they are the WORLD CHAMPIONS.

Take Tru-Tv for example, whenever the show "World's most shocking videos" are on air, for courtesy they will have couple of videos at the max from around the planet, while majority of the "shocks" are provided by the "we make up the world Americans". Another example of narcissism would be any of the modern wonders programme on Discovery channel (bridges, buildings, monuments etc.). You get the same dosage of America = World's Best.

I have been living here for close to 6 years now and I have been hearing all these for all this while. What do you think about this hype and the beauty nest that America has created for itself? Are you with the World's Best or are you part of the World's rest?

Barack Obama for President (No advertisement)

2008-06-08T16:16:00.004-05:00

Last week saw the end of the long battle of the Democratic primaries. Barack Obama vs. Hillary Clinton finally came to an end. History was made as Senator Obama became the first African-American candidate for the US Presidency. I followed the race closely and at times during the debates and speeches, the candidates had utter disregard for the opponent. I guess thats what you call politics. By May, Obama was targetting Republican candidate John McCain for his policies and ties to George W. Bush.

Last tuesday, when the decision was made about Obama winning, McCain gave a speech in Louisiana where there were 600 (disinterested) people inside the auditorium and about 600 outside. McCain's speech was outright boring. He looked at the teleprompter for almost every line that he spoke and once he finished his "punch-sentences", the audience were forced to applaud and laugh at his sarcasm pointed towards Obama.

On the other hand, Obama energized 17,000 people inside and 15,000 outside the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. His speeches are generally brilliant. He makes his speeches look so natural and powerful that it does not for once seem that he is reading from a TV in front of him. And unlike McCain's speech, the applause and ovation begins before Obama can finish most of his punch-sentences. I liked most of his speeches except for the ones on Iraq. He says he is going to pull out all the US forces from here at the earliest and he is disappointed that Iraqi government does not do too much to rebuild the country. I guess he forgot it was his government that destroyed the nation by continuously bombing the country for the past 5 years. Approximately 100,000 Iraqis have died and dozens are still dying everyday because of suicide bombings and communal clashes between Sunnis and Shiites. Obama needs to be reminded that it is the US government's responsibility to rebuild Iraq and not leave that to the Iraqi government. Some of his policies are no different from the other politicians (for eg: - bring back manufacturing jobs back to the US, stop dependencies on foreign oil etc.) Other than that, he looks fit to me to become the US president come November.

Your opinions and suggestions regarding this topic are most welcome .

To Quit Or Not To Quit

2008-06-02T14:24:00.008-05:00

Damn, its getting increasingly frustrating at work. May 8th was the last day I did anything significant to talk about. My current project is extremely slow and I am dreading the day when we all get the boot from here with no new projects in sight. It was all quite hunky dory last April when I had joined Wipro for this project. Hectic training schedules, new and exciting challenges at work, more people interaction, non-stop action in terms of protocols, component testing and reports. April to October was the golden period in terms of real and satisfying work experience gained. November 2007 was the start of Leads work for me and it has been slow ever since. Very recently have I started thinking about looking for another job, which if I get one, would be my fifth in four years. A dubious distinction to have in a short career span. Stability is one thing that I haven't had in any of my previous jobs. Complaints about pay, increasingly boring work combined with a weak growth outlook were some of my earlier reasons to be on the lookout for a new position. Wipro gave me the stability in terms of paycheck, and an opportunity to learn, albeit in a Project Engineer role. Tempted to stay with Wipro for the fact that it is an Indian major gives me the hope that if I have to go back to India for some reason or the other, I can trust Wipro to give me a job complementing my education and current work experience. I don't have many complaints regarding the people policies and have made quite good friends in the year that I have been here. Still that does not tilt in our favor the frustrating days that I and many of my friends have suffered here because of work, or rather the lack of it. Being in the medical industry, it is not the fastest in terms of product launches and new product development, but still, give us something..anything.

We started off in this project with 40 engineers. We are left with 25. There are still some more cuts to happen in the workforce. Some left to pursue other opportunities, some are leaving to get back to the grind in India. Some of us hope to get some projects in the down-spiraling US economy and the rest of us have no hope at all. In this day and age where $70,000 jobs are quite normal, we are increasingly becoming like beggars who cannot be choosers. Quitting this job and looking for another one in this volatile market is not the easiest and safest option. Even if we find one, that one necessarily might not be the best paying nor it might be the best in terms of stability, but looking at what we are currently experiencing, just getting to work at 8 am and getting some work done by 5 pm would be a gamble that most of us will gladly be willing to take.

Memorial Day Weekend - 2008

2008-05-28T19:02:00.004-05:00

Kirti was here for the long weekend on friday and went back on tuesday. On saturday about 11 of us went to Taylors Falls for an outing. Went go-karting, alpine sliding and canoeing. Yours truly took a big tumble on the alpine slide resulting in a lot of scratches and scrapes and a trip to the clinic on tuesday for a tetanus injection. It was a while since I got hurt like that and consequently, I was the butt of Mithil and Mukesh's jokes all through the day and that is continuing at work with others pitching in to rub more salt in the wounds.

After the adventurous fall, we went canoeing. Finding the place itself was a big deal as Google maps failed us with wrong directions. One hour of canoeing with Kirti and Harsha/Mukesh almost led to multiple swear words directed at Kirti who was "driving" the canoe and that too, at her leisurely best. She was the one, finally, who steered us back to the starting point with great deal of difficulty and maneuvering.

While only me and Mithil were interested in going in for a second round when "another" tragedy stuck. Everyone slowly agreed for a second round and Kirti went with Mithil's friends. In the last canoe were me, Mr. and Mrs. Suvarna. God only knows what happened but within 10 seconds of all 3 getting into the fateful canoe and just barely getting into deeper waters, the canoe capsized and all 3 of us got drenched. Mithil insists it was my fault and I am adamant I was doing just fine, with "something" happening between Mr. and Mrs. Suvarna. Pallavi didn't take sides with regards to whose mistake it was. Maybe it was her fault. An investigation is underway.

After some fine BBQ and bowling later that night, saturday finally came to an peaceful closure. On sunday, Mukesh took us to the mall and later that night Yogesh, Kirti and me went to Sameer's place. Sameer's hand was taped, Sucheeta's neck was taped and my leg was bandaged. It looked like a dispensary with patients waiting in line for the doctor.

Monday was boring with Kirti not ready to leave the next morning. The night before she leaves is the hardest part as we part ways early next morning. Very early next morning!!!!

She is back in Chicago and I am here recovering from my multiple wounds. I miss my running and the fitness center. Pace of work is 0 mph with no progress for just about 3 weeks now. Time and patience both are running thin. Till I write more, wish me a speedy recovery - health and workwise.

Earthquake in China and Bombs in Jaipur

2008-05-18T18:16:00.003-05:00

Thousands dead, missing and unaccounted for from the 7.9 magnitude earthquake that rocked China this past week. Thousands still without any kind of aid from Cyclone Nargis that hit Burma couple of weeks ago. Military government does not make it any easier for international help to enter the country. Close to 100 dead from a series of bombs that hit one of India's prettiest cities - Jaipur. Indian Mujahideen, a relatively new terrorist outfit proudly claims that they are the ones responsible for the bombs. Bomb squads were quick to diffuse one of the bombs that could have killed a few more.

My heart goes out to the people killed and the near and dear ones lost in the mindless attacks. Terrorism targets religion and the innocent. The brainless and heartless leaders of these outfits must be taught a lesson. Unfortunately, it is not an easy task as the terrorists look just like you and me and the government can't question all of us alike. This is where informants and the police (generalised) must be on their toes to thwart any impending attacks on our motherland. The public must be aware of their surroundings and must notify the authorities on anything that they find suspicious, however trivial their suspicions might be. It might just save hundreds of lives.

It is each and everyones duty to give back something to the nation as we try and clean up Jaipur and other cities destroyed by the bombs. Even after the terrible attacks, Lalit Modi, the commissioner of the IPL, announced that Rajasthan Royals' match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium will go ahead as planned. How are the people of the pink city supposed to enjoy the game of cricket when the blood is not even cleaned from the streets. That is heartless. Make a buck at every possible opportunity seems like the mantra for the IPL bosses and the BCCI. More and more reason for me to hate the IPL concept (which is the brainchild of Lalit Modi, going against Subhash Chandra's ICL).

In good hockey news, India won the silver at the Sultan Azlan Shah tournament in Malaysia, falling to Argentina 1-2 in extra time. Great job and good luck to the young players wearing the India cap. They have made us proud.

Wipro had its summer picnic yesterday at Snail Lake Park and 40 adults and children had a great time.