Into the Wilderness - Part 2

So guys, this is the continuation of the first part written in the December of 2010.
This is a fully updated list of places I have been to(worth mentioning) in 2011.

Meesapulimala,Munnar

1. Munnar  Everyone has heard of the misty tea estate location of Munnar in Kerala. And almost everyone has been there too. But we went to a less traveled place near Munnar, which is Meesapulimala. It is the second tallest peak in South India, after Anaimudi. The trek route consisted of a total 15km round about path covering few waterfalls, dirt roads, pure jungle tracks and rocks. The view is truely enchanting. Tours are arranged by the forest department at INR 300 per head.

2. Kuntibetta Kuntibetta and Onakke betta are two rocky hills situated near Pandavpura in Mandya district of Karnataka. Both the hills provide challenging rock climbing/trekking options. For the rugged people, Onakke is hardly an hour of trek, whereas Kunti is even lesser. But for normal people the whole place is a one day indulgence. There is also a temple, a pond and a lake in the vicinity. Please avoid climbing in the hot sun without proper protection as the rocks offer almost no shade, and can burn your feet. Also, don't forget to grab some of the juicy sugarcanes from the nearby cane factories( Pandavpura is famous for its sugar industries). I climbed these hills two times over, different routes and all.

3. Kabini Reservoir Situated at about 60km distance from Mysore, is the reservoir of Kabini. Better known for the resorts and tourist lodges in the location, the destination is good for a short bike trip. The roads leading to the place are in excellent condition, and the location is good for playing around river banks with various kinds of flora.

4. Mullayangiri Situated near Chikamagalur,it is the tallest peak in Karnataka. What else do you need to know to visit it, if you are in Karnataka? The place is ultimate in the mornings, with all the clouds and mist floating around everywhere. But even during usual morning hours, you can savour the experience of looking at the  little world below, so it is worth visiting any time of the day. Also, the view along the road up to the peak is quite breathtaking while the road itself can be lifetaking if proper precautions are not taken. Watch out for the strong winds. Keep kids and lean people out of its path, else you might have to search high and low to locate them in the wilderness below.  You can try different things like practicing gliding, flying paper planes etc in the strong winds through which you communicate only by signs or shouting in each others ears.

5. Shivagange It is a popular pilgrimage location, near Tumkur. Involving, nearly 5+ kms of highly steep climbing and walking, this was the most strenuous trek I had undertaken in recent times. Though there are plenty of hawkers selling tonnes of refreshment stuff along the path, the insanely steep climbs and narrow steps make it a very difficult trip indeed.  In places where steps are nothing but shallow cuts made on the smooth rock, the railings erected on the rocks are the only apparatus you can use to help yourself. Unless you are perfectly fit, your limbs would soon give in to the painful and continuous climb. The view from atop is certainly deserving of all the pain taken. Don't forget to click some pictures of the 90 degree rock faces you climbed.

6. Devarayana Durga This place is also located near Tumkur. Broken fort and temples.Has a very short trek also. The USP of the area can be considered as the good view it provides, the pond filled with cold water even in the hot mid-days, and the temples.

7. Baba Budangiri Baba Budangiri is famous religious place for both Hindus and Muslims. It is near Chikmagalur, and is reached after a long drive through beautiful forest areas and picturesque mountains. Though there isn't much at the spot to look out for , it can be a spot for the families to visit.

8. Kalhatgiri This is a water falls in the vicinity of Kemmannugundi. There are three levels of this waterfall. The higher the better. The lowest part is quite dirty due to the people taking bath and also has a temple tucked under a rocky face over which the small stream creates a fall.

9. Kemmannugundi  It is a very popular hill station of Karnataka. It is also the major tourist spot in the Chikamagalur region. There are some parks and view points which make it look like a usual tourist spot. And that is exactly why we didn't find it interesting at all. (We had visited it after Mullayangiri and Baba Budangiri, hence kemmanugundi had nothing new to offer to us).

10. Halebidu Located in Hassan district, this was the crown of the ancient Hoysala empire of the 12th century. You can find buildings with the fine architecture of that period, depicting battles, mythological figures and stories. It is a good place to explore the ancient history and architecture of South India.

11. Belur A few kms drive from Halebidu, Belur was the capital of the Hoysala empire. Major attraction here is the Chennakesava Temple complex. The beautiful temples and sculptures inside this complex are worth a visit.

12. Wayanad - A north-eastern district of Kerala, which shares border with both Karnataka and Tamilnadu. Wayanad is a popular destination for people from all over the world. The major attractions are Kuruva Islands, Soochipara falls, Meenmutty falls, Chembra peak, Banasura dam, Vythiri,Tholpetty Wildlife sanctuary and so on. Gives lots of opportunities to enjoy the natural beauty, and do some adventurous stuff. Also famous for the tribal settlements. There is a deep history buried in there for people interested.

13. Madurai is a major town in Tamilnadu. It is situated near the Kerala border and hence is quite accessible. The drive to Madurai from Kerala side passes through scenic locations especially in the Kambam, Theni areas. Famous for the ancient and majestic Meenakshi Temple , Madurai provides a great location for lots of religious visits and some country tour.

14. Vagamon is one of the least exploited scenic beauties of Kerala. Lying in the Idukki-Kottayam border , the road passing through Vagamon provides lot of breathtaking views of the meadows and valleys. It is ideal for family trips or from schools/colleges. Even nature lovers and shutterbugs find many secluded spots to explore.

View from Nandi Hills

15. Nandi Hills - The only immediate go-to hill for Bangalore people, Nandi hills provides a good location to chill out (in all senses). Ideal time to visit is early mornings, to catch a glimpse of the sun rising from amidst the dense fog and mist. Try going on two-wheelers, especially bicycles for some extra fun :)

16. Sakrebailu - This place near Shimogga is quite similar to the Ana-kottils in Kodanad,Kerala. It is famous for the elephant camps. Good place to go especially if kids are accompanying.

17. Kukke Subrahmanya - Kukke is  a popular religious destination in Karnataka. The deity is Lord Subrahmanya who is worshipped as the lord of the serpents. Worth a visit.

18. Kumaraparvata - Nothing I can type here matches the experience I had climbing this behemoth mountain. Kumaraparvata rises above the clouds and makes its presence felt aside the gopura of Kukke Subrahmanya temple, albeit far away in the background. Totaling nearly 15kms, the trek route provides a very challenging set of steep climbs over a variety of terrain ( forest, plain, rocky, grassy, misty). There are a variety of techniques/routes to climb this hill and each one is interesting in its own sense.
The cold winds and the dense fog covering the dangerous routes near the top gives you an adrenaline rush while trying hard to stay aground. We even camped there overnight on New year's eve,making it a very memorable experience of my life.

Google search the above locations to see beautiful photos of the places, or if you are my friend in Facebook, check out my albums for most of these places. I shall be updating pictures here when I find small sized ones.

2011 as it passes

At new year's eve, most of the people do two things:-

a) Prepare a list of noteworthy events of the year
b) Prepare a list of resolutions for the new year


The former is largely observed with the media which would be obsessed with summarizing the year in a set of events, and get comments/articles from noted celebrities or politicians regarding the same.
All that blah is there every year and is not going to stop.


The latter is done by individuals trying to fix something up about themselves, like eg. stop smoking cigarettes, workout regularly etc. For most of the people, these goals never materialize, as they aren't serious enough at the first place.

Anyway here I intend to jot down some memories of the year that was 2011. As a whole it was a very special year indeed for me, and for some reasons for many of us too.

Lets see..

a) I changed jobs.
b) I travelled a lot. Some new and exotic locations.
c) I bought a bike.
d) India won the ICC World Cup
e) The end of American occupation of Iraq
f) Some of my friends flew away while some settled
g) Some really popular personalities in the field of art,music and technology passed away
h) Most importantly - New perspectives. New temperament. New strategies ;)

That is all that 2011 gave. It might sound less,but it is quite big indeed.

Have no resolutions for the new year, only some plans which have no relations to the year by themselves.

"Chala jaata hoon kisi ki dhun me..dhadakte dil ke taraane liye"

Bookery!

My favorite 50 books from Goodreads records.

My favorites

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Also, I successfully completed by 2011 Reading Challenge of 15 books. Will push it further.. :)

2011 Reading Challenge

Vivek has completed his goal of reading 15 books in 2011!

hide

15 of 15 (100%)

7 AM Arrived and Departed!

A quick review of the movie Ezham Arivu (7th Sense or "7 AM Arrivu" as known to many) is my intention.

Not considering the technical side of the movie and the other stuff behind the scenes. You can find all such information and reviews elsewhere on the net. I am a bit short of time, so getting to the point.
And btw Spoiler Alert. Don't tell you weren't warned.

The story revolving around the historical figure, Bodhidharma who is known in some quarters as the father of Martial Arts in China, had a brilliant and vast set of plots to choose from. But the plot selected for the movie turned out to be half baked against the gigantic plot they could have used.

OK, Bodhidharma was a Tamilian, no Tamils ever heard of him, all Chinese know and worship him. This point is delivered at the very beginning. OK, where is the story?
Now, all that the plot could turn up was English speaking Chinese officials sending a one man army Dong-Lee (sounded like Donkey in many scenes) with hypnotic powers(seriously!) and superhuman strength, to start a bio war in India. Lets not forget the role of genetic engineering students played by the heroine and her pals who change the DNA of Aravind(Surya), who is from Bodhidharma's genealogy, to that of Bodhidharma.
OK, interesting so far leaving the questions regarding the capabilities of such students and the science itself.

But in the movie by the time these scenes unfold you would have been subjected to long sequences of suicides, and zombie attacks powered by Donkey Kong's eye power. You would be wishing to see some story or some real fight. Lets consider for a moment what Bodhidharma's DNA infusion can do to Aravind's. What I expected was that his natural strength, stamina, metabolic capacities and many more features of the body would be enhanced to the level of Bodhidharma. I didn't expect Bodhidharma to be reincarnated into Aravind. This fellow started fighting in sleep as if he were doing it for centuries. I didn't know DNA stores memory also!!!
Disappointed.

Another itching point of the story which is quite a political point is the comments regarding Malaysia and Srilanka. Aravind talks about how Tamils have been beaten everywhere and they couldn't hit back. He even praises the LTTE leader Prabhakaran for being a tiger. He encourages Tamil separatism even more. This seemed quite out of context except for maybe the political interests of the investors who are known political supporters. In Tamilnadu there is no differentiation between politics and movies, both are part of one other. Even the heroine lashes out at professors who are supposed to review her research with obscenities which are muted out when one mocks the Tamil traditions. Again, cheap way to promote the already sick idea of separatism.

Overall, the initial part where the story of Bodhidharma is depicted is the only interesting one in the movie. Rest everything is filled with cheesy stunts with thousands of vehicles launching kamikaze attacks on the untrained hero-heroine and both of escape with minor botches of red on their cheeks(heroine) and a torn shirt revealing muscles(hero). Not to mention the Dong Lee fellow getting his ass kicked by the modern Bodhidharma in a matter of seconds when he does his dry-leaf-wind-blow-attack. Disappointed is one word I have for these stuff.

Want to hear my alternative plot which I believed was more interesting? Instead of some silly students holding up a major research to protect against Chinese attack, the actual stuff is done with the full support of the central intelligence and secret labs. They let this girl collect samples, and get Aravind to agree for undergoing the transformation. After the DNA is transplanted, he is given extensive training on martial arts, medicines etc based on the Book of Pallavas. He slowly learns to use the qualities of Bodhidharma's DNA to invoke the superhuman strength and abilities of his body.

After Dong Lee attacks with a hopefully more sensible mode of attack, the training is hastened, which leaves the process incomplete by the time he is attacked by Dong Lee. Then by his will power, Aravind awakens the spirits of Bodhidharma within him to fight him a hitherto unknown technique which defeats the master Dong Lee. Throughout the movie, the officials and scientists who hail from all parts of India are awed by the rich knowledge of the Tamils, and greatly respects the people. Doesn't this suit the political needs of the investors, while making sense and putting focus on the hero properly too?. Sigh. I only wish Murugadoss had consulted me with his story before squandering it like he has!

Ramblings of a Positive Day

Oyy..today was a great day.

Morning:- Slept a lot. Haven't slept like this for a week or more now.

Day:- Received my brand new USB mouse. Now I can play all those games I have kept aside.
I even received the complimentary 2kg Mysore Dasara Special Sweets from office, this time supplied from my favourite (even Mysore's) "Shree Mahalakshmi Sweets".
Had a great lunch with all colleagues who joined with me as freshers, on the occasion of the farewell of one of us, who was also my college-mate.

The entire day, I was congratulated and was centre of attention of all colleagues for the phenomenal bandwidth usage against my name(yes, they do that now), as declared by the IT Dept. I came clean from their audit and my R&D efforts were lauded while the IT dept had to be embarrassed for questioning a 'sincere and hard-working' employee. :)

Finished up my day by collecting a few beautiful and elegantly designed wedding cards, and some Hard Disk Drives with loadful of movies. And, mainly I nailed a pain-in-the-neck wireless issue for which I had to suffer lot of humiliation and questioning from superiors. I am glad that I could answer their challenge in a what I call "Mooh-thod jawaab" fashion.

So, all is well that ends well.
Have two days holidays ahead, in which I am planning to travel to good locations..so enjoy..happy Dasara and God bless you for your patience, for reading through this. Sayonara.

Ramblings of a Slumbering Idiot

I wake up after a deep slumber, and sit up in my bed taking my time coming to senses. My laptop sits on the table, a glimmering blur in my eyes. I rub them to see clearly, and suddenly something bothers me.

I crawl over to the chair, and slump into it, simultaneously activating the laptop screen. A few tabs of browser are seen open. I find the one with the blue icon, and am relieved to see that number in the bracket says "1". I quickly check it out, and being nothing of much interest, I start scrolling down reading all the things people said, did, shared, liked, over the past many hours. And that too, people some of whom I know personally well enough, others being mostly acquaintances and a few complete strangers whom I connect via a mutual friend or two.

But, the nauseating thing about all this, is the nature and diversity of contents which can only be described as mundane, repetitive, randomly boring, exclusively surprising and quite unnatural. It brings a bad taste to the mind, having to thrive on such news about people to entertain oneself.

Every time I involuntarily scroll to the bottom of the feed, trying to find if anyone said anything 'interesting', I wish I would not be so addicted to this junk medium. Now, that I am mostly out of my sleep, another side of my brain has woken up which is advocating for this kind of 'socialization' which gives a multitude of information from diverse content sources, all connected through some 'real-life' connections (which are no longer being sustained).

But anyway, the debate will rage on, like those within the network itself which range from the trivial to the most important matters. Decisions are not close by. But yet, I decide its better to get freshened up and go for a walk , and meet a few pals outside rather than being inside here typing away.

Adios amigos. Life is calling, and it is very much real.

Something serious

I was thinking about writing something serious, something that took quite a lot of my brain cycles to process.

But now I just can't recall what it was about.

So take this junk post instead, you netizens of the blogosphere.

I promise to come back and post the path-breaking discovery of my research soon enough.

Watch out. :)

PS: I am on a vacation.

Motivato

Some people motivate you by showing you the path, i.e walking on the path you want to.
Some others motivate by showing you the path you shouldn't walk.

You might wonder how the latter can be termed motivation. Any deviation or sense of direction is considered as motivation here. Anything that pulls or pushes towards a state that provides more hope and happiness is motivation.

Any state where you are capable to do more than when you are doing things that you know are bad, is worth calling motivated state.

Motivation is all around, you just need to pick the right one at the right time and move on. When you are excited, you tend to pick up more motivation from all around, and in the process also radiate some of it to others. That is the observed theory of motivation.

My heart goes out for some people who wait for a motivation. It is true that when you are depressed and quite unable to pick yourself up, you 'await' the motivation by other people, events or thoughts. But one thing you never notice is that even at that moment a choice is made to be motivated. And that choice is entirely yours. Hence you are enough to motivate yourself, but it is easier said than believed.

If you ever get motivated and do good things, the credit is entirely yours. No one who motivated can take the credit, unless they had undergone special pain to motivate you. In that case, what they deserve is a heartfelt thanks for lighting the lamp in you. And also, keep such people close to yourself. They are precious. But as your own motivational team is more important than the external one, give yourself the praise you need and then share it with the others too. Be proud for each time you beat the odds, each time you felt that you stood up for what you thought was correct, each time stood up after a big fall, each time you repainted yourself after a period of paleness..

Go ahead.. you need all the sabaashi you can get.

Be motivated to motivate the motivational motto :)

Finally a Kannada Movie

In spite of being in Karnataka for the last two years, it is now that I finally watched a Kannada movie.
And that too... without subtitles!!! Yeah!
(I still wonder how I managed.)

But it did happen.










The movie was "Mungaru Male" or Monsoon Rain(2006), a hit Kannada movie or rather as per what I heard, the only one until recent times. The movie was quite good, with lots of picturesque locales and nice cinematography. I struggled a bit at points where heavy dialogues were delivered. I might re-watch those parts with subtitles later on. But for time being, I understood their feelings and moved on ;)

Frankly, I didn't expect the subtitles to be absent when I started watching. But then I just got along, and saw the entire movie.

The part where they show the Jog Falls was simply awesome, because they showed the exact spot me and my friends had sat when we went there last year. It is an AWESOME location.

Sort of like the cult Malayalam movie "Thoovanathumbikal", rain has a very important role in the romantic scene. I loved that part very much. Leaving out some complicated dialogue delivery, it all seemed like a normal Indian movie. So it was very pleasing to watch the movie sitting in my cubicle at office :D :D

Psyched up games

"Speak out a word that comes to your mind when you hear my word"

So began the rules of the game I created sometime back during my college days. At that time, it contained a pinch of psychology to gauge emotional and intellectual depth of all participants. And it was a rage. I even named it Neural Network Mapping (NNM).

But when applied during long journeys in a large group of friends, it soon started turning plain as people lost out on depth. So the game metamorphosed into a more flashy style wherein all were encouraged to explore wacky and witty answers to maintain the tempo. During these changes, I discovered that the vocabulary and memory capacity of honest participants showed a remarkable improvement, especially for me as I played sort the role of a sort of referee.

Anyway this continued as a hit game into my corporate life, where I effectively deployed it during boring training sessions and long journeys. I even presented this idea to a trainer. That is when I came to know that it is a known method for psychoanalysis. I was pleasantly surprised and patted myself on my back for discovering the "psych frequency".

But, I was taken by surprise after nearly 1.5years when in the movie "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara", Abhay Deol uses this technique to make his friends talk about their problems. Everyone in the gang which accompanied me threw me a glance, threw comments and appreciated as if my idea was used by the movie.

I was just walking a normal psychology line, where people's subconscious always has the real feelings. When the person has to talk about what he/she sees in the mind, it doesn't engage the brain. It comes directly from the subconscious. When the brain tries to restrict or modify, a significant and observable delay or stammering can be seen in the subject's response. Their lies the key to whatever is hurting the person. Key to psychology is observation, understanding and inference.

Happy Psyching!! :P

Zindagi Shayad Na Milegi Doobara

Heavy food, 60rs worth petrol in each bike's tank, full heart, empty roads and no plans.

So began our small trip.

Maybe inspired by the movie "Zindagi Na Milegi Doobara" which talks about living life king size, we guys decided to roam around instead of returning to our rooms.

It was fun! After a long time, the small group of travel-frenzy guys got together.
Adding routes and deviations upon each other, we wandered and sometimes stopped to crack some jokes or catch a glimpse of some beautiful landscapes.

Through the pouring rain, the two bikes moved at very even and normal pace, enjoying every moment. Every now and then, when we encountered unknown routes we just took a call and continued. It happened to lead us through new ways to our planned destination itself.

The plan was to get to Ooty ;) knowing well enough that all four were joking. But on the way, the lit up stairs to Chamundi came into view and we went there. What a beautiful spot at night it was. We climbed only a few steps and then climbed some rocks for an awesome view of the lit-up city. Sat there and discussed about the moon, the NASA missions and other blah-blah before deciding to go ahead till Bandipur forest owing to a fierce but crazy argument between me and another guy whether a hill we saw to our South was in Tamilnadu or Kerala. He said it was TN, whereas I stuck to the point that it is Kerala. Hence, we called a truce and decided to go there and check out.
But it was getting too late and a black cat crossing our path caused everyone to drop the plan and we returned.

Soon we realized that we circled the Mysore city thrice :)

List

Kemmangundi, Hebbe, Yana, Kudremukh, Agumbe, Kumaraparvatha, Kunthibetta, Sravanadurga, Brahmagiri, Mullayangiri, Meesapulimala, Chembra, Karakoram, Kanjanjunga.. Alps..

A day in the life of Vivek

Today was our product release. Yes, we have a weekly release(i prefer to call it 'weakly').

In spite of that, I went late. But did my part, helped everyone, calmed down things, solved problems, negotiated with concerned parties and other blah blahs. But unlike other release days, I went for a lengthy lunch- that too outside. Felt like college days.

Then like crazy college kids, we went for a ride around the industrial area through unknown roads. That too, without notifying superiors - especially after having heard a dress-down awarded to a colleague for behaving similarly.

Anyway from that moment I was getting the feeling that I was in a different world. Everything was so light and easy. I closed tasks in 1/10th the estimated time, zipped between cubicles handling various domains and various technologies as well. All done by 4pm. Smooth release, ours and our neighbors' - both involving my hands. Increasingly I was feeling that today was Friday and tomorrow is Saturday.

All was well, everyone left early. I sat down for a moment of quiet, reflecting on some strange behavior of our products. Rebooted the machine which was shutdown as a reflex. Sat through the scenarios meticulously simulating and ready to hammer it then and there. And lo - everything worked so smoothly that I wondered whether this was the same application everyone including myself cursed for the last week.

So got to the business of printing huge programming reference books ("Programming Pearls") for office purpose. After a marathon queue of print jobs, walked out to the printer - just to find dark corridors, wet with the fresh drizzle dripping through the slightly open windows. Suddenly felt so good about being there, but not about being there at that time. The clock said 7.30pm. Not good when you don't have any legitimate work in office.

Rest of the story is boring. Skipping it, prepared extended curd rice with special vegetable mix(mumbo jumbo).Mumbai Meri Jaan - Awesome.
Stirs the spirit of an undying attitude of perseverance.

The business spirit of India Inc.
A minute for the day to end.

Seasons in the rain

Monsoon season in Kerala.
Some year in the late 90s.

Evening time after school hours are over.

Each puddle on the road was an opportunity to try something exciting.
One day it is about soaking the shoes and socks, and another day it is about splashing the water. Sometimes it feels best to make paper boats and watch them flow endlessly across the gutter filled roads to the overflowing canals.

Sometimes it catches you unaware without an unfurled umbrella, and fetches you a nice thrashing at home or even worse, a cold. Actually cold was good. It meant not having to go to school, and mother would sit along preparing hot food, while you sit out and enjoy the rain to the maximum, which you can't do in school.

But over the years, the season formed a happy part of life and the fun kept on increasing. Started trying crazy things like getting drenched with the umbrella safely furled up, dancing during heavy thunderstorms, and having running races with brother and local kids across the puddled roads.

Having an extensive background of falling in water bodies makes a person sort of accustomed to water in a strange manner. :) You love it when it touches your face. The cold droplets transport you across time and geography to imaginary places that might exist only in an imaginative kid's mind. Even the now-familiar noise of heavy downpour, or the slow rhythm of raindrops falling from man-made constructions have their own inner meanings, which attract and hypnotize the mind.

Monsoon was fun season for everyone. But during the last decade there has been drastic changes in the weather patterns. And it has led to very disappointing performances by the monsoon many a times. Being well aware that the loss to the city dwellers was nothing compared to what the agriculturists faced, I still like to mark my disappointment. And now moved to another location which has a moderate climate, with an excess of nothing. Love the climate here, but deeply miss the monsoon.

A short walk in a drizzle is always lovely, while a short walk in a roaring Kerala monsoon is adrenaline pumping and exciting. :) Happy monsoon dreams.( Couldn't get any better title. Might be little cheesy )

Work Philosophy

When you have a choice between the easy and the difficult route, and you choose the difficult one, it is called foolishness or arrogance by the quick-guns, but the wise and perseverant call it courage or far-sightedness.

In the same way, when you know someone deserves to be punished and then you let them go, that is pure power. Nothing beats that kind of power. No king who followed the paths of Dharma alone was able to wield such power as those who used the same rules to instill respect in every heart.

Watching "Schindler's List" gave me the above idea, which has been sinking slowly into my mind for the past two days.

Also coming to my mind is an advice given by my father's elder brother when I visited him after I joined L&T. He said: "Those superiors who behave well with you even when you make mistakes are the best employees, and your best guides. Judge people by the way they treat subordinates". And I found that it is so far the best advice I received about corporate conduct. I have this rule carved in my mind: "Be strict about your work standards. But when others slip, don't curse them. Help them come to your level or go even higher. Also, never lose a chance to appreciate a good effort or to learn from someone more skilled than yourself."

And most importantly, never let the stress get to you. Do what you love and love what you do. The day you feel you are unable to do these, it is time to move on and try your luck elsewhere.

Happy working..

Ulterior Instincts

I am a very mean fellow.. sometimes. No, almost always. Yes, that is the truth.

However good I might be in X number of things, the fact remains that from within I am quite mean and ruthless. And the worst part is that I feel like I enjoy being so.

Often I find that my mood swings when I am unable to get to something I want to, or someone makes me feel bad about myself. Once that is done, I have often felt the anger and the negative intent corrupt all my positive side's efforts. And my conscience watches in silence. This might be due to the apparent difference in strength between my dark and shining sides.

This being a part of my nature from long back, and having been at the receiving end of lots of advisory sessions and bad experiences, I have been exercising severe caution in handling these instincts. But sometimes I feel my level of dedication is too low to make any difference.

But over the past three years, I had been strictly controlling such tendencies and almost felt like I had turned over a new leaf. But few 'leakages' here and there recently puts the things back in their original place. A deep cause analysis has shown increased stress levels as the culprit. So I had been actively defusing all unnecessary stress over various fields. I guess that sink needs to grow to suit my growing appetite for risks and associated stress.

Anyway I have decided to exorcise some of my own demons, and make myself a better person. As some great person once said. Know thyself first, then thou shall know everything.

Shower of Memories

For the last one week, I had been planning to start working out and as a part of it, go out for a morning walk.

Yesterday I was determined to do that, but fell asleep. So, I had kept all hopes for today, and wake up I did, just to find that God had other plans for me. It was raining already..

And what rain it is. Beautiful, subtle and enchanting. Unlike the rains we have in Kochi, which can be quite heavy, this is a subtle downpour ; more than a drizzle, but so lacking in the intent. The experience of just standing in the balcony watching the coconut palms sway lightly and the rain drops splatter against the walkways and roads, while the cold wind gives you goosebumps was invigorating to the soul and body alike.

I felt so refreshed and realized there is no better thing in life than people you care for being with you in such a nice climate. Mysore has given many such moments owing to its specialty as a beautiful place to settle.

But nostalgia always finds its way into all your emotions when rains are involved. So, I was reminiscing the experience of sitting in the sit-out of my house, watching the early morning showers, sipping the hot tea that my mother used to prepare.

Rains always provoke lovely feelings of calm, providing sense of purpose and energy to me. I have tried rain music and rain dance also to figure out the science behind it. It somehow eludes words even now.

So saluting those fun, inspiring, lovely and sometimes crazy things I have done on rainy days..

Chamundi Night Ride

A ride up the Chamundi hills on my new bike: I had wanted to do this after getting the bike. Today I had the chance.

It was freaking awesome. And to add to the pleasure, the weather was very good when we(myself and Bharath) started the climb.

As I couldn't cross the 40kmph limit, I had a hard time initially trying to stop myself from accelerating through the zig zag mountain road. But soon the awesome view on the sides made me enjoy my slow ride, with the helmet removed.

On one side was the unlit green patches and dirt roads, and when the road curved the hills, the other side revealed the glittering Mysore city. I wanted to stop by all the view points, but didn't. Anyway we stopped at the usual main view point which opens up an AWESOME view to the city.

A gang of college students were seated there. One of them had a guitar and was singing songs. He sang quite a few tracks and all the people seated there applauded him after each song, in spite of the darkness which made it nearly impossible the spot who was singing( but it was no recording for sure :0 ) . We sat there for nearly 20 minutes silently enjoying the atmosphere and deep in own thoughts, which then turned into a discussion about career and life :-O

Then we went up the hills to the temple and waited for 30 mins to get the darshan and came out soon. The return journey too was frigging awesome.

I only felt bad when we reached the foothills as I still wanted to explore many parts of the hill. This was the best trip to the Chamundi hills for me so far. I got to know my bike better and my self as a biker too. And yes, my bike hit 280km in the 12 days.

so.. its vroom vroom wing riding for sometime now..

ഉപ്പു സോഡാ തേടി...

ഞാന്‍ വൈകുനേരം ഒരു അഞ്ചു മനിയായപോള്‍ കിടകയില്‍നിനു എനീച്ചിട്ടു പറഞ്ഞു - " അമ്മെ, എനിക്ക് കുറച്ചു സാധനങ്ങള്‍ മേടികനുണ്ട്. മ്യ്സോരില്‍ കിട്ടാത്ത പലഹാരങ്ങളും പല സാധനങ്ങളും മേടികേണം. ഇപ്പോഴാ ഓര്മ വന്നെ. ചേട്ടനോട് സ്കോറെര്‍ കൊണ്ട് പോകേണ്ടാണ് താഴെ വരുമ്പോ പറയുമോ. ഞാന്‍ ഒരു കുളി കുളിചെച്ചു വരാട്ടോ." ഈ ചൂടില് സ്കോറെരും ഇല്ലെങ്കില്‍ എവിടെയും പോവാതെ വെറുതെ ചുരുണ്ട് കൂടി കിടക്കുനത ഭേദം ഏന് ഞാന്‍ എന്നോട് തന്നെ പറഞ്ഞോട് കുളിക്കാന്‍ കയറി.
സോപ്പ് തേച്ചു തുടങ്ങിയപോള്‍ ടെ.. ദ്ര്ര്ര്ര്‍ സ്കോറെര്‍ സ്റ്റാര്‍ട്ട്‌ ആയതിന്റെ ശബ്ദം. വേഗം കുളി കഴിഞ്ഞു ചെന്ന് നോകുമ്പോള്‍ സ്കോറെരും ഇല്ല ചേട്ടനും ഇല്ല. communication gap.
ഒരു മിനിറ്റ് ഞാന്‍ ശങ്കിച്ച് നിന്ന്. പോവണോ വേണ്ടയോ? അര മനികൂരിനുള്ളില്‍ ദൂരെ നിന്നൊരു ബന്ധുവിന്റെ ബന്ധു വരുനുന്ടെന്നു അമ്മ അറിയിച്ചു. ഹൂ.. ഒടുകാതെ കത്തി ടീംസ്. ഇവിടെ ഇരിന്നു പോയാല്‍ അവരെന്നെ കശാപ് ചെയും.
രണ്ടുമ കല്പിച്ചു ഞാന്‍ കച്ച കെട്ടി( ബെല്‍റ്റ്‌ മുറുക്കി) നടന്നു. ഒരു രണ്ടു മനികൂരില്‍ മൂന്ന്- നാല് കിലോമെട്രെ നടന്നു - ഒന്ന് രണ്ടു സാധനങ്ങളും മേടിച്ചു.
ഹോ എന്തൊരു ഉഷ്ണം..മേലാകെ വിയര്‍ത്തു. കുളിച്ചതിന്റെ എഫ്ഫെച്ടൊക്കെ പോയല്ലോ. ഒരു ഉപ്പു സോഡാ കുടിക്കാന്‍ ആഗ്രഹം.

ഞാന്‍ ചുറ്റും ഒന്ന് നോക്കി. നാരങ്ങ വെള്ളം കിട്ടുന്ന കടയെത ഉള്ളതെന്ന്.. പണ്ട് ഞാന്‍ കളിച്ചു നടന്ന സ്ഥലമ. ഇപ്പൊ ആകെ മാറി പൊയ്. ഒന്ന് രണ്ടു ചായ കടയും പച്ചകറി കടയും ഇരിന്ന സ്ഥലത്ത് എല്ലാം ഷോപ്പിംഗ്‌ കൊമ്പ്ലെക്ഷുകലുമ് തുനികടകളും ആണ് ഇപ്പൊ.

" വളവില്‍ ഷാജി ചേട്ടന്റെ കടയില്‍ നിന്ന് ഒരു ഉപ്പു സോഡാ അടിക്കാം. പണ്ടത്തെ പോലെ ടേസ്റ്റ് ഉണ്ടാവുമോ ആവോ?" വെല്യ പ്രതീക്ഷയില്‍ വളവു തിരഞ്ഞപോള്‍ അതാ അവിടെ ഒരു ഒരു രേസ്ട്രുന്റ്റ്. രേസ്ടുരന്റ്റ്‌ എന്ന് വെച്ചാല്‍ നല്ല സ്ടിലന്‍ - ചൈനീസ്, കോണ്ടിനെന്റല്‍ എന്നൊക് ബോര്‍ഡ്‌ വെച്ചത്. "ഹ്മം.. ഇന്നിയിപോള്‍ പത്തു മിനിറ്റ് നടന്നാല്‍ പഴയ സ്കൂളിന്റെ ഫ്രോന്റിലെ ജോര്‍ഗെട്ടന്റെ കടയുണ്ടല്ലോ അവിടെ പോയാല്‍ പഴയ കാര്യങ്ങളൊക്കെ അന്വേഷിച്ചു ഒരു കലക്കന്‍ ഉപ്പു സോഡാ അടിച്ചിട്ട് വീടിലേക്ക്‌ മടങ്ങാം"
കാലുകള്‍ ഇത്തിരി കഴക്കാന്‍ തുടങ്ങിയെങ്കിലും കിട്ടാന്‍ പോവുന്നു ഉപ്പു സോടയുടെ ചിന്തയില്‍ അങ്ങനെ നടന്നു. സ്കൂളിന്റെ ഫ്രോന്റില്‍ എതിയഴപോലെ തമാശ. അവിടെ ഉണ്ടായിരിന്ന കടകളുടെ മുഘചായ തന്നെ മാറിപോയി. ജൊര്ജ് ഏട്ടന്റെ കടയുണ്ടായിരുന്ന സ്ഥലത്ത് ടെ - ഒരു പെട്ട് ഷോപ്പ്. ഡോഗ് ഫുഡും കത ഫുഡ്‌ വില്കുന്ന കട. ഇത് കണ്ടപ്പോ എനിക്ക് കളിപ്പാന് വന്നത്.
അതിന്റെ അടുത്തുള്ള 'ഹരിശ്രീ ബുക്സ്' എന്നാ കടയില്‍ ചെന്ന് ചൊടിച്ചു. ചേട്ടാ ജൊര്ജ്ഏട്ടന്റെ കടക്കു ഇതു പട്ടി? ഇവിടെ പട്ടികള്‍ക് ഉള്ള കട എപ്പോ വന്നു? എ ചേട്ടന്‍ടെ മറുപടി - അതിരിഞ്ഞില്ലേ? കച്ചവടം മോശമയണ്ടോ ജോര്‍ജേട്ടന്‍ കട നിര്‍ത്തി വീട്ടില്‍ ഇരിപായി. അവരിപ്പോ ചെറിയ ടിലോരിങ്ങും ടിറേനുമായി ജീവിച്ചു പോണു. ഞാന്‍ - കച്ചവടം മോശമവുകെയോ? ഈ വേനല്‍ കാലത്ത് നാരങ്ങ വെള്ളവും, നല്ല ഉണ്ടാപൂരിയും മറ്റും കൊടുതോണ്ട് ഇരിന്ന ഗെഒര്ഗെട്ടന്ട കടക്കു ഇതെന്തു പട്ടി? ഹരിശ്രീ ചേട്ടന്‍ - എടാ അതൊക്കെ നീ ഇവിടെ പടിചിരിന്ന കാലത്ത്. ഇപ്പൊ പില്ലെരരും നാരങ്ങ വെള്ളമോനും കുടിക്കാന്‍ വരാറില്ല. എന്റെ കട ബുക്സ്ആയോണ്ട് നാടാണ്‌ പോകുന്നു. അത്രേയുള്ളൂ. ഞാന്‍ ഒരു ദീര്‍ഘ നിശ്വാസം ഇട്ടോണ്ട് അവിടെന്നു ഇറങ്ങി പോണു.

"ശെടാ ഇനി അടുത്ത് എവിടെയാട ഉപ്പു സോട കിട്ടുനെ? പണ്ട് സ്കൂളില്‍ പോവുമ്പോള്‍ രണ്ടു മൂന്ന് ദിവസത്തെ ബസ്‌ കാശ് സൂക്ഷിചു വെച്ച് കുടിചിരിന്ന ഉപ്പു സോട. ഇപ്പൊ ശമ്പല്‍ പറ്റാന്‍ തുടങ്ങിയ്പോള്‍ മാഷിയിട്ടല്മ കിട്ടുനില്ലലോ ദൈവമേ. ആ പണ്ട് ബാലരമ മേടിക്കാന്‍ പൊയയിരുന്ന സ്ഥലത്ത് ഉണ്ടല്ലോ ഒരു കട? അവിടെ ചെണ് നോകാം. അപ്പോതെകും വിയര്‍ത്തു കുളിച്ചു ഒരു പരിവമായി. 15 മിനിറ്റ് നടന്നു അവിടെ എതിയപോള്‍ - അടച്ചു കിടക്കുന്നു . desp scene.

ഉപ്പു സോടക്ക് വേണ്ടി എന്നെ 5km എക്സ്ട്രാ നടത്തിയ എന്നെ തന്നെ കളിയാക്കി കൊണ്ട് ഞാന്‍ തിരിച്ചു നടന്നു. വരുന്ന വഴിക്ക് ഒരു ബാകെര്യില്‍ കയറി ഒരു ഗടോരടെ ലെമോന്‍ ഫ്ലാവൌര്‍ മേടിച്ചു കുടിച്ചു. ആഗ്രഹിച്ച ഉപ്പ് സോഡാ പോലെയില്ലെങ്കില്മ ഉപ്പും ഉണ്ട് നാരങ്ങയുടെ ചുവയുണ്ട് ഉണ്ട്. സ്വയം സമാധാനിപിച്ചു തിരിച്ചു വീട്ലേക്ക് മടങ്ങി...

first post ഇന്‍ മലയാളം. aksharathettukal അധികം thiruthan kazhinjilla. bloggeril ulla മലയാളം ആണ് use cheythathu. based on reviews , venel manglish ആകാം.

Being at home

The bliss and feeling of being back at home after a long and hectic four months; is therapeutic and just what my stressed nerves needed.

Though not the big vacation I initially planned it as due to an unfortunate death in the family, it still turned out quite well. And one and a half days are still left to go.

Catching up with lots of relatives, local political and film stories, and general status of the state fires up some extra nerves. But apart from all that was the amazement in seeing the entire house in a new getup, with lots of renovations completed. The new energy seems to float everywhere.

A good rain yesterday night also made it feel like the good old summer season, with the roaring thunder and the scene of swaying coconut palms lit by mighty lightning.

But walking in the small but quite green vegetable gardens and clambering upon the large mango tree to pluck the almost-ripe tasty mangoes; that was really refreshing. Feels better than running a 2 km track in the early morning fog of Mysore. A special mention is required for the good subjects I got for my photography lessons.

Everything about being at home seems good. The small things especially. You get to realize what a shitty life you spend at your work place. So it mixes well with the vacation effect.

Well, as I go ahead to take more 'rest', I just wanted to record these moments, though not historic or everlasting, are just enough worthy of being remembered in our small lives.

A well deserved pit-stop before having a fast lap. Ciao.

We are the Champions

That was historic.

An achievement which we have only heard of and seen visuals of, that is what we got to experience now. India has lifted the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 after a long gap of 28 years.

The crowd here was electrifying. People dancing on the streets, bursting crackers, singing, screaming,doing victory laps and what not. Even we joined with our own style of celebrations, honking our bike horns in tune with the music being played out, and teaching new tunes to the locals to dance to.

The sheer euphoria out there on the streets defines what the game means to us Indians. The victory is not just about Sachin, Dhoni or the Indian team. It is much much bigger than that. It is about a long cherished dream coming true and given as a dedication to a true hero of the game.

Having said all these, today's match was one helluva final. Both the sides put up a good show.
India did well in the initial overs by restricting the Lankans. But Mahela's hard work put them at a challenging position. And Sehwag's and Sachin's premature exit made everyone lose confidence on the team. But Gambhir did a terrific job of digging in and fighting it out, helped by Kohli initially and Dhoni later on. I felt very sorry that he couldn't make it to his hundred. And also I believed it was unfair to have given the Man of the Match award to Dhoni. Gambhir deserved it more.

The game had lots of funny instances like Sehwag holding Simon Taufel's arm when he signaled a No-Ball, the funny mixups in the presentation ceremony, Munaf's monkey like posture in the dressing room gallery and subsequent appearance in half-pants to collect the medals, and Sreesanth's stupid looking face appearing everywhere. He was pathetic in performance except a couple of initial overs, and his "Sai Baba"/"Humbidi" style hairdo made it look like a complete buffoon.

There are many more things about this match, which we can see in the media in the upcoming days. So sit back and enjoy this very special moment.

Hope the extra monetary rewards find good use.

Method in Madness

There is a method in every madness and a madness in every method.

They day you are able to see your own madness in your method, and a method in your madness, you see the true you.. and it is the "I see you" kind of thing from Avatar.

Blurred Vision

All that is behind is a mix of pain and laughter. all that is ahead is a blur.

Don't feel like moving a limb, as the memories of the pain and ungratefulness haunts me.

The pain numbs my senses and clouds my judgement.

if only a sliver of light was available...

do i have to be one among them , to receive what is due to me?

For now, I stand there with doubts in my mind..staring at the blurred vision of life ahead.

Japanese Fantasy

I love the way the Japanese people live.

They are hard workers and they never give up.

They don't usually crib or cry much over anything.

They are uber smart.

The society is very obedient and sensible.

They know to shut their mouths and do what is required when the time comes.

They always have a plan, and they execute it meticulously.

They are solemn and courteous.

They are almost perfect.

They even eat good food and live longer.

Looking forward to a life amongst these fellows.

Beat the Boss in Life

Life is like a video game.

There are levels you have to play through. There are opponents, power ups, short cuts, cheats, tricks and many more. There can even be choice based endings and real-life physics.

But if you notice that for you to beat a level and go to the next, there is usually a 'Boss'. Those of you who play games regularly know what it takes bring down a boss. It might need a variety of skills and lots of hard work and patience.

The analogy of life with video games is here.

If your current life is like a level in the video game, you will inevitably encounter the 'Boss' you need to beat to get to the next level. Now, you have two options, either muster all your efforts and beat the Boss, and elevate your experience by moving to the next 'level' in life or you can give in during any part of the level and continue living the same life.

So, if you want to improve your life experience, or simply wish to have a change in track, you have to prepare to face your own 'Boss' and bring him/her down. If you love the experience of the current life, please don't take the efforts for beating any Boss. Just die and play all over again. The choice is in your hands.

Thanks to Nikil.V for leading me to this stream of thought.

PS: The Boss here has no resemblance to your superior in your office. It is purely pointing to the video game context.

Awakening of an Empire

I can sense the flowers blooming in the barren desert,spreading its fragrance once again across the vast land, devoid of life.

It brings back life to the hands of men, fire to their eyes, and sharpness to their blades.

Hot blood shall flow again, and machines will start rumbling, as an ancient and once prosperous civilization awakens from a deep death-like-slumber.

All those weaklings who are ravaging the lands shall now tremble with fear and scurry back to their holes, seeking protection from the fiery men of this forgotten empire.

All that is wrong shall be set right, and people will have justice and peace of mind.

But, the awakening of the old empire brings back the question of its mysterious demise.
Lack of foresight and willpower is largely believed to be the reason why the once strong empire bowed down to relatively minor miscreants. If the new flag-bearers of the empire refrain from committing the mistakes of their ancestors, good days are certainly upon us.

For now, we stand frozen , waiting for a glimpse of the mighty army as the drum beats get closer...

Industry Experience

In the IT industry
If you are good at reasoning and analysis- you can be a backend engineer
if you have an eye for colors and intuitiveness- you can be a UI designer
if you are good at finding fault with things- you can be a tester
if you are good at making others work- you can be a team lead,
if you are good at talking- you can be a manager,
and if you are good at lying- you can be an HR,
but if you are dumb and argumentative- you can be a good client.

- my experiences and my view

Refueled

Refueled and rearmed am I now. That is the best way to describe my condition now.

I am not looking into others, or other things now. It is just me, in the spotlight. Hit the right note after sometime. if you see me type this, you can see the rhythm, there has hardly been a single typo for this many words and all done in 25 seconds.

And finally, Dream is not something you see while you sleep, but something that doesn't allow you to sleep.

rest are for myself...

Kochi IPL Team - The True Koothara

Ha the breaking news is that the much awaited Kochi IPL Team is named as Indi Commandos Kerala.
Omg what a sick name. And to add on that, they have frigging sick logo which looks similar to some mosquito killer brand. But they can argue that the logo was meant to be symbolic about Kochi's rich mosquito tradition.

My entire twitter timeline and facebook feed is filled with statuses and links containing swear words, mockery, war cries and even suicide notes about this sickening decision by the team owners.

So, what is so special about this team or maybe Kochi, that brings someone to a point where they can do such outrageous acts? Lets examine some facts.

The news of IPL Kochi Team came out of the blue, giving some good hope for cricket fans in Kerala, for we only had the superby veruppikaling(irritating under the skin , literally ) Sreesanth to talk about as ours.

All was well for sometime when the allegation of a 'sweat equity' with sweethearts blew over and a decent politician Mr.Sashi Tharoor had to resign from the minister's post. It was followed by some really nasty exchange of comments and allegations between high profile persons in cricket and politics, exposing the ugly underbelly of the sport in the nation. Then there was the exit of Mr Lalit Modi, the father of IPL.

When it all seemed good, came the auctions. Kochi fans were eager to see a fighting team to cheer for, but most of us fainted on seeing the absurd selections made during the auction. That was the day the fans started turning against the 'franchise'. The whole setup was turning out to be a big joke on the face of Keralites, especially Kochiites.

The fuming and heart broken fans who were shifting their support to the other teams received a critical blow when the final team name was announced. This is not just a disgrace to the cricket fans in Kerala, but also a shame to all the people in the small but proud community.

What were these buggers thinking when they auctioned for a team, and now chose a name? A peek into their site will tell you rest of the story. Headquartered in Mumbai, having no relation to Kerala other than having the supremely irritating Sreesanth, and now sporting the name 'Kerala' in the team name. They also have an 'About Kerala' section in their site which contains.... Kerala toursim related links. WTBF!!!
And lo, they have already applied to the IPL Committee to shift their homeground to Ahmedabad. Now did they think it qualifies to be within Kerala?

Truely, this is very disgraceful and irritating. I see no love for the sport in this outfit, but just some marvadis and big business magnets trying to rake in the moolah from the cricket-frenzy nation. Buggers, you could have let us alone without having to insult so much. I just hope this team does not come in the news again for such nasty things, adding to our insult. May the sport be the final winner.

Related articles
Banana Corporation- Indi Commando Fail! What were they smoking?
Times of India article on fan reaction

Vacation

i am sitting in the reclining chair
feeling so light headed and clear

eyes laden with sleep
but pc laden with work

mind is wandering so free
reluctant to join the spree

dreaming it is a saturday
though the clock say its friday

i just wish to be on a vacation
where no one comes for dictation

Travel Blood

It sounds a bit odd. But, I have been noticing that in almost all of the pleasure trips I have made in recent past, I have received some injuries, albeit minor ones.

As far as I can recall, this has happened. For example the Thattekadu trip from Hornbill Wildlife Club, while I was college; leech wounds, scratches and bruises were found all over my body.
The Srirangapatna trip with a trek to Kali Ghati, returned with itch marks, bruises and hurt toe finger.
Kodachadri,Apsarakonda trip - Lots of bruises, sprained ankle...
Gopalswamy Betta - Bruises and cuts from long grass blades
Venugopalswamy Temple - Bruise over shin bone

And similarly for some more trips, I recall the small injuries because by that time I had started noticing their continuous occurrences. Even one of my friends used to find similar stuff on his body after the trips. Hence, we are aware of it now.
That was the explanation of the phenomenon.

Coming down to what I think of it.

It is mostly occurring due to
a) Me exerting too much on myself during trips
b) Improper and spontaneous movements over tricky terrain
c) I am usually too excited/careless to watch where I am going

But definitely, it has become a sort of practice for me to close the account of any trip by seeing a drop of blood somewhere on my body. It gives supreme satisfaction about the entire journey.

Being at ease with Self

Certain things turn out the way we expect, and wish, while some turn out to be what we didn't expect,but wished. It can also turn out to be something we expected, but didn't wish.That is bad. But worse is when things turn out as unexpected, and in an undesirable fashion.

Leaving the combinations out, it is always good when good things happen when we don't expect and bad things happen when are ready for it.

I tend to curse and fume when bad things happen out of the blue. I also do it sometimes when it occurs expectedly, but I just wasn't prepared enough.

But being able to cope up to bad things, and get the positive thoughts flowing asap is absolutely paramount in clearing hurdles. I believe I have been learning that lesson from past 2-3 years now. So far so good.

Also, the ability of a person to be humble and benevolent even at good times solidifies his/her position as a level-headed person.

Too much emotional fluctuation is bad for the mind and the body as well. It takes a toll on the nerves, and infuses weakness.Having said that, I don't prefer to be stoic in nature or being insensitive. Each person has their own peculiar behavioural traits and character. Accordingly, some levels of enthusiasm, emotional fluctuation, poise etc match very well. Most part of a youth's life is spent in finding that matching set of characteristics.

If you settled for the wrong ones, you will find yourself in doubt and concern , even very late into the 30s, which can be troublesome or fun( depending on perception ). I have seen some 40+ people who are not so sure about certain basic things about themselves.

Being at ease with the world is one thing, but being at ease with oneself is a bigger matter.

Pandaaram

Should have been finished today and come out in humane hours. But as our misfortune is having a better hold over us, it all boiled down to the same old wretched process.

This time everyone got frustrated and left it as it is. Lets start over fresh,decided everyone unanimously.

blah. life is amusingly frustrating at times, ain't it!

Quit Notice

That's it. I need to do justice to my merit and hard working nature. I am quitting. There is no point in toiling on sub standard stuff, for peanuts and shit like treatment.

Just counting down to the perfect timing.

Bugs

As a developer I am not generous to bugs and I try my best to clear or hide bugs.

But there are a few bugs which are different and have various meanings in life.

Shutterbug - "a photography enthusiast"
I am one. I love clicking the random faces, scenes, animals and stuff that have no nouns in many languages. Though I am not so good at the art of creative photography, I am on my way. My new Canon Powershot SX130IS is meant to help in that.

Travelbug - "The urge to travel"
Once in a while I get bitten by this. Then there is no stopping me. I get restless and claustrophobic. Be it a long planned journey, or a short unplanned one, I will move out. Sometimes a stroll around the locality can cure this condition. Also, the shutterbug syndrome get amplified when bitten by this bug.

Humbug - "A hoax, prank or jest"
One of my favourite usages, taken from Mr.Scrooge of 'A Christmas Carol' fame. I use it against people who pester me with silly trivia and tasks.

Bedbug - "bug of temperate regions that infests especially beds and feeds on human blood"
Hadn't seen or experienced the impact of one until I came to Mysore. The very first night, I received the payment in full. Thanks to the shanty-like room we got.

Then there are 'Bugger','Bugs Bunny' and so on, which are less significant.

Oh and by the way, the reason why errors in software or codes are called Bugs has a history. Check out this.

That's all folks.

Differences that should Unite

Ever felt how different your view of things can be with
1) An alien creature
2) a foreigner
3) a person from different geographical location
4) a person who speaks a different language
5) a person of different culture
6) a person of different gender
7) or just another person

I can assure you that in any of the above cases( or in any I might have missed ), you will find lots of differences, which might make you hate or just not make it comfortable in communicating with that being.

Yes, be it the foreigner who breaks all our cultural rules or the person from another place/culture who doesn't understand your ways and tries to explain/defend/impose his/hers. I am sure this happens a lot, especially in India , which has a plethora of cultures,languages, geographical variations and religions.

Leaving the alien creature out, as I personally haven't met one and can't comment on it, we human beings, who are supposed to be of the same species have more differences than similarities to consider when two people meet.

But are we really so different from each other that, at a time of emergency, we find ourselves helping only those whom we recognize as being from our own 'neighbourhood'( range of which depends upon the individual's generosity) ? Hell, I don't think so. Deep within, we are all similar in many ways which remain unknown to around 80% of us. OK, I am not talking about the physical similarities here. Only the thoughts, fears, reactions and general attitude is considered.

Ahem..I think I am drifting from the point.Lets zoom in to India.

We have lots of cultures, languages, festivals, Gods and Goddesses , and what not. For a person from outside, we are India. But for someone within, it is just a collective name taught in school , and used to address either the central government or something in which all of India is represented( sports, world politics, war,business etc ).

Leaving all those hi-fi things out, and considering only the normal things you or me would be doing on day to day basis, how different can you be from your neighbour, or your colleague, even some of your friends? I am sure you will find differences, sometime subtle, sometimes not.
But, we also find lots of common things between us to share and enjoy. After prolonged exposure, you also will start appreciating and understanding the other person's way of life, and maybe take part in making a difference in it too. Now, that is where the feeling of unit will bloom in the hearts of people. But if these differences make you hate the Indian next to you, and you have doubts, and any kind of negative perception owing to their varied culture, the concept of India as a unified nation will cease to exist from that point of time.

Having said that, some things are too diverse to which one is not easily adjusted, like food,religious views,blahblah. But being ignorant and creating unnecessary divisions between regions is strictly against the concept of a unified India. Having done such an act, any thing one speaks of India's solidarity or unity would be nothing but hypocrisy. And, I am sure, if one does not try to wipe out this hypocrisy from within the heart, he/she is truly a traitor to the cherished concept of brotherhood in this nation, unified,yet glowing under the diversity of a hundred nations.

Sticking to the corner

It is very difficult to carry on with other things, when something is sticking to your mind in a corner. It might be a pain, a pending task or a doubt. Without solving or burying it there is no peace.

I buried one such just now. Hopefully it won't return, but I enjoyed the challenge. Overall, this week had been quite boring because I had being doing lots of tasks without applying much mind to it. Now I got to sit down and hit few of the mind boggling stuff really hard. It gives lots of pleasure in being on top of the problem compared to being trodden over by it.

ciao

Someone Killed Jessica

Just finished watching the movie 'No One Killed Jessica'. I didn't go to the theatre to watch it. I just downloaded a pirated copy and finished watching it in 2 days.

After seeing lots of praises and high ratings by my friends in various social networking tools, and directly been informed so by some of them, I decided that this will be the first Hindi movie I will watch this year.

And so, moving on to the verdict.

I, as a person was quite unaware about the details of the Jessica Lal murder case,until I watched this movie. So, it was informative in a way.

But what entertained me the most in the movie was Vidya Balan's role. She was not acting, but living the role of Sabrina, the sister of Jessica. My respect for this actress has gone up several rungs.

Another contributing factor to the movie's astounding effect, is of course the brutally true story behind it. I don't know how much of the real story has been shown in the movie and how much in the movie is made up.

On the negative side, some parts were dragging and uncalled for. For example, Rani's role which defines a modern successful woman as someone who uses expletives excessively and takes pride in being called a bitch, was utterly boring. I don't know if this was based on someone in real life, or just something cooked up for the entertainment.

The editing too was quite patchy and disturbing at certain points. That was the main reason why I quit watching the movie half way through it on the first day. But I came back because I had lots of trust in Vidya's character. But she didn't do much in the latter half, and it was Rani all the way, except at the last.

Overall , it is a wonderful movie worth watching for various reasons. Leave out some of the oddities and enjoy the performance of Vidya and lament with the crowd about the sad state of our establishments. If you have conscience, it will make you think and if you have a soft heart, it might even make u shed a few tears.

Becoming a bibliophobe?

It has been a really long time since I read any book, or for that matter any printed material.

No. I don't read newspapers. Yes, it is the same person who up to about 2 years back, was a voracious reader of materials, printed or electronic.

I can easily blame this shift in attitude and habits to my profession which involves continuous staring at the computer monitor. But then, that would only be partially true.

So, I am a bibliophobe(no other latin word stuck me) or book hater now? I definitely feel not, but can't disagree my drift towards that direction either.

Without forcing myself to read, if I just think out the cause for my general lethargy in trying to find reading materials, I can't think of anything else other than plain old laziness.

Compared to my home, with my family or with my friends, Mysore and the people I hang out with are far less into books and associated materials. Knowledge gathering and sharing, as a hobby has taken a back seat hence.

But it is a not case where I don't get any books in spite of my efforts. There were too many books with me at one time, wherein I had to read them in a Round Robin fashion. Now, I have finished reading all and sent them back home.

For time pass, I have got my extra elongated work timings and my trusty camera + laptop with me. So, it is bye bye books for some more time.

Stupid Spam

I just noticed the bullshit spam messages posted in my chatbox(to the right side)of this article. It is interesting because it has a human touch to it, though probably posted by a bot.

Most of them don't have proper grammar or meaning, and are just meant to lure someone to click on the link which will lead to ad sites probably.

Though I find it very amusing, I wonder whether someone will actually seriously click on those links to read more about the person(:P) who posted it.

The reason why rushed to my blog was a quick increase in site visit via direct link from a particular locality(name to be withheld), as seen in Google Analytics. But this new development was not expected, and I am really happy that someone stepped on my turf with malicious intent.

Building honeypots was once my hobby. I don't do it nowadays. But this unexpected catch caught my attention.

OK. ciao

Just a blog

Just wanted to revisit my blog and write a few words. I, sometimes don't feel very enthusiastic about maintaining the blog here with its articles. Now, is such a moment.

But I am holding back the feeling to not touch it at all, and posting something. This blog is not first priority for me amongst my hobbies. I have many other hobbies that keep me alive and juicy.

Perhaps, the biggest and latest one in it, Photography is now at hand due to my latest procurement. So, I tend to forget all else and concentrate on that. I have even stopped putting efforts into some of my other hobbies. So it is all a natural stride. But, don't worry..I do love writing (some times) and I will be back when I feel like doing so.

Till then..bubye..sayanora kameraderie..