Experiencing a new city

After 10 days of hectic travelling, finally managed to park my rear side at home this weekend!

A grossly mismanaged project took me to Coimbatore few days ago. although ive had short aquaintances with the city recently, this time it was an extended stay (i think 4 days felt like ive know this place for ages)!
Wasnt prepared for the pleasant surprises in store for me..For a start the hotel i checked in (Aar Vee) had a very modest facade, but 
Rooms- Neat and very well equipped *****
Room Service- Very Good ****
Food- havent had such wonderful idlies in a long long time. Filter Coffee at its best! *****
Tariffs are a bit high, but I guess Coimbatore has always been a place for the above middle-class clan.

I love the thamizh spoken here..sounds like music to the ears (atleast mine)..always thought kollywood exaggerated the kovai dialect in all its movies..to listen exactly the same language was wonderful.
auto drivers are friendly and a bit laid back for sure.

the biggest surprise for me was the traffic management..handful of cops (young girls resembling NCC cadets) manning traffic signals, control the pedestrian movement impeccably. As a guy ud think its easy to cross the roads by not paying attention to these young ladies. gross misjudgement!! A middleaged man next to me was trying to cross the road inspite of seeing the rushing vehicles.there was a loud shriek from the opposite side and the man actually froze thinking he'd be convicted of murder if he dared to take another step..Wow, this was a very new and exciting (yes u heard me) xpreience for me!! As my auto stopped at a traffic signal, another girl in kakhis walked up to a guy in a moped to ensure tht he wore the helmet which was parked on his handlebar. Imagine a similar scene in chennai...the pot bellied cop wouldve extracted atleast three rupees and 50 paisa from the motorist.

Finally I had to take my client for dinner and I chose Residency which I was told has the best restaurants in town. The name of the restaurant was Afghan's Grill (attached a pic from the web). Ambience was wonderful and the service great..the crowd was great too.

On the whole, I think Coimbatore is definitely on the list of top 3 cities tht id like to live in.

Borrowed this video from another person's blog...really hilarious one!!



Enjoy maadi!!

Avatar-my xperience

The name has been on everyone's lips since the past couple of weeks..finally i managed to watch it yday.
One of the main reasons id been waiting to watch it in Sathyam/Inox was like everyone i was attracted to the 3d version. But Unlike others rather than the movie i was more eager to wear the 3d glasses.
I can vividly remember the number of spectacle pairs i broke as a kid watching the iconic 'My dear Kuttichathan'.. when i got my hands on them yday i grabbed them like an over xcited brat...wow, it was travelling down memory lane! Wearing the over-sized pair of 3d glasses and annoying ppl arnd me jus bcoz it doesnt fit me...being such an attention seeker(back then), how i made sure i got 3 new pairs within the first half of the movie...

How innocent and fulfilling life was back then! Hmm....
Anyways coming back to the subject, Avatar came across as a breath of fresh air entertaining wholesomely. I know the visuals and the colours in the movie hav been reviewd and wowed a brazillion number of times..i wonder y ppl are not talking abt the compassion and the empathy displayed towards fellow living species. The movie is so very touching (u dont hav to be a weak soul to feel so).
one other aspect tht i liked is JC's witty take on the US army and intelligence who blow things out of propotion and create a rucus over nothing. Their prejudized decisions kill them finnaly aka vietnam war aka gulf war (bush jr).
By the way did JC name his movie based on indian mythology?

Is Gandhi more violent than Hitler??

And that's the paradox of cinema, the paradox of belief. We don't simply believe or do not believe. We always believe in a kind of conditional mode. I know very well it's a fake but, nonetheless, I let myself be emotionally effected

 Heard of the name Slovaj Zizek?
The man is in India currently and has already courted controversy for saying that Gandhi was more violent than Hitler..
Shocking?? What he means by violence is the persistence of Gandhiji which drove the Brits crazy...anyways thts for another debate!!

Slovaj Zizek is a pro-communist philosopher living in the West, who firmly believes that Capitalism will kill the world. Its funny that the Slovakian

loves Hollywood and is also a vocal supporter of the american film industry. He has now come to India to understand Bollywood and also look at the effect of industrialization on the common man.

Zizek firmly believes that India is much better placed than China due to the fact that our neighbour is growing into a monstrous capitalist..

A recent conversation with a Chinese delegation gave me some interesting hindsights of their believes..
My amiable chinese friend mentioned the fact that the only reason they have grown/growing at such a a rapid pace attributes to the absence of religion in their culture? another shocker??
Yes! Since they do not believe or practice any religion, the only thing that they think about is money...every single chinese, young or old, is looking at diff opportunities of multiplying the buck..
those who've been to Vegas will submit testimony to this...the slot machines are always occupied with chinese octogenarians, while the blackjack tables are mobbed by young Chinese execs.

Coming back to Zizek, he's planning to write a book on India and Bollywood..research underway!! if you hav anymore info on the philosopher pls feel free to share the same!!

Screwing the Other Guy

For those who've follow the Devil's Advocate on CNN-IBN, this paticular episode would be thoroughly enjoyable..the articulate Mani Shankar Iyer takes the devils's seat grilling the "Obnoxious" Karan Thapar as described by the interviewer..

While I've embedded only the first video,  3 other  clippings complete the interview. See each one of them if you are one of those who'd enjoy Karan Thapar getting royally screwd..there are moments wher the interviewer and the interviewee swap roles (due to the familiarity), but on the whole the former Sprots minister does a commendable job in ridiculing Karan Thapar..

Laya Project

Laya Project’s musicians are the people of coastal and surrounding communities in the 2004 tsunami-affected regions of Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar and India.
This production is based on regional folk music traditions, recorded and brought back to the studio to create a composition that mixes and enhances the original recordings, and embarks on a musical journey crossing borders, while preserving the music of the people.
The Laya Project is a personal and collective tribute to the resilience of the human spirit, and is dedicated to the survivors of the 26th December 2004 Asian tsunami.

The composition above is called Tapatam, by a group of South Indian artistes living along the coastal areas of Nagore, Naggapattinam, Traquelabar, Vandavasi, Kanyakumari, Manuppadu, Kovalam, Adhimalathura and Paniyur Beach. The producers created a mobile studio by removing their car seats and powered them with the car batteries..

Various instruments used include the Nadaswaram, Tavil, Tabla and Mohrsung. The combination of the percussion instruments, nadaswaram, mohrsung and vocals create a splendid composition..


Switch off the Lights, Shut ur eyes and listen to the full version of Tapatam in a 5.1 audio system...believe me u wudnt stop replaying the record for another 3 times atleast!!!

The sad part is that as usual, only foreigners appreciate our indigenuos talent.....

Whistle For your Beer

Read an article recently on a strange beer drinking ritual..
In old English pubs, beer was served in Ceramic Cups/Mugs which had a whistle baked on the rim of the mug or in the handle itself....
One jus had to whistle thro' it for a refill. Therefore whenever people went drinking they would "Wet their Whistle"!!
Imagine having the same system in our country. Along with the whistle an amplifier will have to be complimentary..

World Cup 2010: Mark your calendars! | ESPNSTAR.com

World Cup 2010: Mark your calendars! | ESPNSTAR.com

The draws have been finalised in a simple ceremony hosted by the lovely Charlize Theron!!
Every World Cup has a Group of Death where the unpredictble happens. and this year the coveted group is headed by only team to have played every single World Cup since inception- Brazil. My pick is definitely the African country captained by the dashing Chelsea Centre Forward Didier Drogba. his Chelsea mate Kalao adds flair to the team.
I believe the couple will overshadow Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Brazil's Kaka. The Real madrid duo will have a lot of work to do if they have to over come an in-form Ivory Coast or the virtually unknown Korea DPR who will return to the world stage after 40 long years.

Personally my fav team is once again France, who was the last team to qualify amidst controversy; Henry's fate is unclear after he infamously admitted the Hand of God Ball. They have been clubbed along with the hosts (the surprise package), while the daangerous Mexico is also in the same group.

Delicious Dinner in 30 mins....

How do I keep breaking my own record when it comes to cooking? ;-)
Yup..finished cooking my dinner in flat 30 mins with a single burner stove.

Menu- Egg Curry and Rice

Time starts now....
take half cup of rice, wash and close the pressure cooker.rice is ready (10 mins)
While the rice is boiling chop onions,tomatoes and green chillies in a linear pattern. (5 mins). Replace the cooker with a kadai and saute onions to get rid of the rawness (3 mins)..keep the kadai aside and replace it with a vessel for boiling the eggs (2 nos.).
crush the onions and tomatoes in a mixer. by the time the eggs get boiled, u can wash the mixer jar.
After boiling the eggs (10 mins), heat some oil in the kadai, add jeera, salt,ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, green chillies and the mixture of onions and tomatoes. close & cook for 5 mins.
Finally peel the egg shell off and add them into the gravy. the eggs can be cut into pieces of desired size and cooked for another 3 mins..
Bingo!!! Dinner is ready..
Believe me it does taste gud! :-)

Enchanting Vizag

Last week i had my chance to visit vizag,which was the largest district in india before independence. What took me ther? A couple of projects on the top of the hill in rushikonda.
I must admit that I wasnt aware what was in store for me. Vizag in short is in my opinion one of the most unsung tourist spots in the country. The beautiful city which runs along the bay of bengal coast boasts of an enchanting topography wher the lush green cliffs have a permanent date with the beautiful beaches. Its more in line with Varkala, a small town in kerala frequented by foreign tourists. Right from the moment i stepped out of the airport the people seemed to be very amiable and the city felt very safe indeed. RK beach which lies at the epicentre of the city has been developed on the lines of Hussain Sagar in hyderabad, although its a lot more clean and articulated.
One of the most astounding features of this strech is the display of the remains of the submarine that was bombeb by pakistan durimg the 1974 war. Currently its been housed as a museum.
I was very lucky to find lodging right in front of the beach, breathtaking seaview. Its saad that civilians arent allowed to visit the naval base here, which is the headquarters for the eastern naval coast. I just cant wait to go back to this beautiful city.

Rains…..finally!

Chennai in June- Hot

Chennai in July- Hotter

Chennai in August- Hottest

Chennai in November- Monsoons……………….

the rains hav finally graced the city. the monsoons hav failed to keep their annual appointment, but as they are here their arrival has been nothing short of splendor……

not many things can be more enchanting than sipping a hot coffee watching the early morning rains from your balcony.

I consider myself thoroughly lucky for being able to experience this every single morning during the past few days…………….

Technorati Tags: rain,chennai,splendor

Mona Lisa on Ovi (and on sitting for Da Vinci for a very long time)

Mona Lisa on Ovi (and on sitting for Da Vinci for a very long time)

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Its a Mad Mad Mad Week

Scene I

Location: My apt at Ayanambakkam, Chennai
Date: 11/10/2009

My parents arrive on their way to hyd (train at 4.30pm tht evening), which assures a gud culinary treat for me for atleast coupla days.

As expected home made idlis (made the previous evening) for breakfast. The remaining ones take the form of Upma for my dinner. Menu for lunch- Beans thoran (fried with grated coconut), eruli (a gravy made with fried grated coconut), potato fry and pappadam. the former 2 items were prepared keeping in mind my food for the next day too. I dropped my parents at the station at 4.00 pm and went to my frendz place in royapettah. reached home at arnd 10pm. too drained out, i skipped dinner and hit the bed rightaway.

The next morning I got up with the usual monday blues and had to rush to work after a quick bath and no breakfast.

Scene II

Location: My Office at Annanagar

The first coupla hours pass as programmed- phone calls, emails n the usual chores. At 40 past 11 i get a call from a client calling me for an urgent meeting at bhubaneshwar. guess wat, theres no direct flight to bhubaneswar; i usually go via hyderabad. the only flight from hyd to bbsr is at 5:20 pm everyday. tht rules out the option. decided to go via kolkata (6:30 flight to bbsr). departure time for kolkata is 2:20 pm. i get my tickets at 12:13. luckily i got to work in my bullet instead of my jeep.

rode like a man possessed, only to find roads blocked abt a km from my place due to roadwork.thro this mad rush, i was on the phone trying to navigate the cabbie who had no clue wer i was residing.after few impatient minutes i decided to go over the rubble , gravel and the virgin tar..managed to reach home at 1:04 pm. dumped some clothes into my suitcase, while desperately trying to direct the cabbie to my apt. just as i locked my house the taxi arrived at the gate...guess wat?? he's asking me for the way to the airport...already past the boiling point, i tried to remain as calm as possible n explained to him the route. he has exactly 35 mins to reach the airport (usually takes arnd an hour and 10 mins from my place). the 100ft road was clogged with the lunch time traffic and our man was honking non-stop to beat the next guy. "cyle gapla car poguma"? i hav no respect for the yellow board vehicles who are definitely the most despised ppl of the road (atleast in chennai). but at this point my situation overruled me (hypocrisy?).

Was travelling well ahead of time until i came to a screaching halt at the end of the new flyover in front of le meridian. a pot-bellied cop clears the road for some idiotic VIP, who has no respect for the common man's time. the tension increases by the minute and was accompanied by the blarring horns (hulla bulla)! the time is 1:55..being the over optimist, i ask the driver to prepare the bill since we wer doing nothing but waiting for the road to be cleared. paid the guy and sat back, hoping to somehow catch the big bird.finally after all the drama i reached the airport at 2:04 pm. the cute girl at the boarding counter on seeing me helped me rush thro the security check, wher they had already annunced the last boadring call..i cud infact see another couple trying to cathc the same flight (i had company).. alas enetered the cabin inviting a lot of frowns (or was it guilt?)....the journey from kolkata to bbsr was less eventful apart from the glitch at at the security check, wer i had forgotten the security tag for my laptop bag..reached bbsr at 7:45pm to a very pleasant weather.the drama will continue!

camaan catch the enjaaiment............

Wat a long wait..finally got to watch "The Motocycle Diaries".
Just loved it. For those who havent watched it yet, here's a gist of the storyline.
A biochemist and a medical student from Argentina set off to a road trip on a Classic Norton (leaky though ;-))motorcycle around South America. The student here is none other than the greatest revolutionery of the contemporary era- Ernesto 'Che' Guevera..

The movie portrays the metamorphosis of 'Che' from a calm next door guy to a thinking revolutionary. they travel from Argentina to Chile to Columbia bumping into the sad state of the natives, which affects 'Che' in a strong manner. the last scene were he swims across the river on his bday gives u goosebumps right through the episode...

One might be tempted to think that its a strong political movie..surprisingly 'NO. there are numerous scenes filled with humour were the protagonists share a wonderful camaraderie.
the scenes are naked with mother nature at its best...lush green mountains to dense valleys to placid lakes to the wild river- enchanting beauty
how can i forget the beautiful ladies!!
throughout the movie i was reminded of the wonderful memories of my road trips..the only diff here- my royal enfield (better condition for sure ;-)) was replaced by the Norton..

A must watch for bike lovers, nature lovers and the rebels. a strict No if u are into only sci-fi movies.

the journey will continue................

Review on Nokia E71 - u can watch cricket too..;-)

Well, ive just gifted myself a Nokia E71 (black).; thought i shd share my week old experience with ppl.

Rationale behind selecting E71:
Had been looking for a handy business phone with a few fun elements.

Shortlisted handsets:

Blackberry Bold (have always had a fancy for blackberry handsets)
Blackberry Curve
Nokia E75 (temtpting ads)
Nokia E71

BB Bold, i think is the complete handset although my boss has had battery problems with it off late. Plus i the price i think is a tad too xpensive for a phone.
Blackberry Curve lost on virtue of not having '3G' in it. too bad..

by the time i hit the store the choice was between Nokia E75 and E71 (my last choice initially). the first glimpse of E75 made my decision very simple. The finish of the phone was horrible and sliding the phone for landscape mode wasnt great. Finally got my hands on a black E71.

Review on E71:

I must say that ive been hooked on to it ever since i got my E71. very handy and sleek.
for someone who has migrated from N73, the querty keypad has been a revelation.quite a lot of features in the E71. infact the store guy activated the GPS (60-days free) while buying. happy to have an editable quickoffice (had a non-editable version on my N73).
got the phone synched to my old data and set the ball rolling....
configured 3 of my mail accounts (1 official). guess wat adding gmail and hotmail was as simple as just feedind my mail id and password..
one of the handy features is the Multiscanner, which can save business cards into your contacts with a single click of the visiting card. Expense is a good tool to track your spending pattern. for the mass u can watch your favourite cricket clippings in you tube at excellent video quality too (Real Player).

Cons:

-Camera not good enough (although it has a 3.2 megapixel camera)
-Music sound quality is average
-not many shortcuts as in my N73 (or probably i havent figured them out yet)
-battery is ok
-mail content (html) not as good as a blackberry

Pros:

-Xcellent design n killer looks
-Loaded with features which will be frequently used
-good mail client;easy to configure (especially for gmail/hotmail/yahoo)
-Nokia Maps and GPS (free 60 day license)
-Value for money

Verdict:

Some may wonder y i havent given a thought to Apple iPhone. have always believed that touch phones are for the fairer sex.plus don't have much time to spend on the zillion number of applications.

It has been a very satisfying experience using the Nokia E71. what more can ask for in a business phone costing jus 19K?

Any tips/suggestions/queries on E71 are most welcome..

P:S- this is my first blog using my E71...:-)

Global Warming

Que: Howz the weather during October?
Ans: HOT

Que: Howz the weather during Feb?
Ans: HOTTER

Que: Howz the weather during June?
Ans: HOTTEST

Are we talking about the Sahara desert? nope, its Chennai for u....
Isn't it supposed to be raining during the month of June?
Theoritically yes but...

Is there an explanation for the weather change? Are people being punished for getting too greedy. What i mean here is that we've been too inclined materialistically leading to the now universally accepted phenomenon Global Warming. the term sounds cool rite??

did we expect it to create such a quick change in the micro climate?? hell no...
would we take it seriously atleast now. no wayyyyyyyy

we're probably creating a wider market for Air Conditioners (i can see Mr. Lee Hyong Koo grinning)

I'm looking to go bak to some village and i can already see tht a lot more ppl are willing to give me company.

Osama's public appearance

Recently a number of television channels flashed videos of Osama's public appearance. In the wake of America doubling the reward on Osama's head, was this a public stunt to confirm that Osama was still alive????
Considering the fact that, all those videos had been on air quite sometime back does springup doubts about how relevant these videos clippings are at this moment. There are a few interesting questions that come to our minds;

1) Is Osama still alive, if 'yes' why has Al-Zawahiri been the face of Al Queda for a long time now??
2) Does it really matter to the terrorist outfit, if Osama is alive or dead??
3) How significant is it to the American budget?? I guess, very much..:)- ...

Confidence level at nadir.......................

In todays world of better education, better technology and a higher std. of living (for atleast a handful), its unbelievable to find people- mainly youngsters throw everything to religion and god. The questions arise in two; has the level of self-confidence hit the bottom?? or has the greed levels gone up?????????? I believe its a combination of the two. Is it not true????