got tagged by pranav. here goes... :)
Three names I go by:
1) Pradeep
2) Prads (all college friends)
3) Peep (Family)
Three Screen Names:
1) wooster
2) roark
3) code
Three things I like about myself:
1) being practical
2) determined
3) sarcasm
Three things I don't like about myself:
1) fickle-minded
2) lack of sensitivity
3) lazy to the bone
Three things that scare me:
1) narrow passages
2) metal door handles and taps (extremely prone to static!!)
3) my temper
Three essentials:
1) freedom
2) space
3) a convertible car
Three things I like in the opposite sex:
1) their eyes... oh my!! ;;)
2) that soothing voice
3) their ability to understand you amidst all the incoherent talk
Three things that I want to do badly now:
1) fly
2) swim
3) sleep
Three careers I am considering right now:
1) IT Consultant
2) photographer
3) deep sea diver
Three places I'd love to go on vacation:
1) switzerland
2) andamans
3) kerala backwaters
Three kids' names I like (Why?):
1) dinku
2) peep :D
3) pubby :D :D
Three things to do before dying:
1) sky dive
2) become CIO of a fortune 500 company
3) walk in a rain forest
Three people who get to take this wonderful quiz (!!!):
1) still searchin'
2) vinay
3) sabita (so glad you started blogging!) :-)
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Thursday, July 14, 2005
wha..?
i love taking jabs at the media. ample opps to catch them unaware :-)
there was this news piece by NDTV the other day (i target NDTV the way hackers get at microsoft)... reporter was covering a police firing on unarmed villagers in rajasthan and goes on to implicate the villagers for creating a havoc.
reporter: "it is unthinkable to even imagine..." some emphasis!
this reminds me of one more of their goof ups. it was delhi and in winter.
news reader to live reporter: "so tell me, when will the delayed flights be allowed to leave on time?" .....!? we can question the need for a live reporter some other time. :-)
of course, we can catch all their goofiness when they 'let us know they are goofy' during an end-of-the-year-laugh-your-ass-out snippet.
there was this news piece by NDTV the other day (i target NDTV the way hackers get at microsoft)... reporter was covering a police firing on unarmed villagers in rajasthan and goes on to implicate the villagers for creating a havoc.
reporter: "it is unthinkable to even imagine..." some emphasis!
this reminds me of one more of their goof ups. it was delhi and in winter.
news reader to live reporter: "so tell me, when will the delayed flights be allowed to leave on time?" .....!? we can question the need for a live reporter some other time. :-)
of course, we can catch all their goofiness when they 'let us know they are goofy' during an end-of-the-year-laugh-your-ass-out snippet.
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Bas!
honest word of caution. dont watch DUS. not been able to find a reason why that movie was made in the first place. it seems the director anubhav sinha used to make music videos before this. probably he should've stuck to that. i for one would've never bothered to find out about him or his works. can they make hindi movies so predictable!? ok. its a suspense movie. a suspense where you know that if a not-so-popular actor is staring at you for more than 2 seconds, there will be a bullet through him at the third. a suspense where the 'secret agent' placed in canada is murdered and substituted by a vamp in front of the audience. extreme edge-of-the-seat action this.
not to miss the heavy use of electric guitars for EVERYTHING. someone told the music director there isnt any other instrument ever made. feels like you are sitting through a linkin' park concert. of course, its quite a treat to find the visual effects go overboard. suddenly, for no apparent reason the frame zeroes in on the eyes of one character and slides out. a new found graphics effect that the director wanted to flaunt. what a waste of a 70mm frame! and a la X-Files, they HAVE to tell you the location of every scene. rather gripping.
Q. what do you do if there's an engagement in the morning and you have a flight to catch at night?
A. keep singing and dancing till its time for your flight.
Q. how do you add a twist in the tale, when all you have to do is see off our brave duo at the airport?
A. make the newly engaged go onto a lonely trail. that way they get kidnapped by terrorists.
NBA pros can take a tip or two in slam dunk from our stunt masters. hero 1 passes grenade to hero 2. hero 2 in turn catches it, removes pin and throws to hero 3, who happens to be airborne on his bike. hero 3 catches the grenade mid air, right at the spot when he's above villain's sun roof. hole in one! score!
if all four heroes leave the same house and reach the same stadium at the same time, why arrive in four different cars, all parked out of line, one behind the other? and looks like Ford expects movies like these to help it earn brownie points the way james bond did for aston martin. cant even say ha!
so why would anyone want to watch this movie? well, they would if they didnt have a prior booking for any other movie and have driven 30kms out of the city with the purpose of watching a movie come what may!
Bas!!
not to miss the heavy use of electric guitars for EVERYTHING. someone told the music director there isnt any other instrument ever made. feels like you are sitting through a linkin' park concert. of course, its quite a treat to find the visual effects go overboard. suddenly, for no apparent reason the frame zeroes in on the eyes of one character and slides out. a new found graphics effect that the director wanted to flaunt. what a waste of a 70mm frame! and a la X-Files, they HAVE to tell you the location of every scene. rather gripping.
Q. what do you do if there's an engagement in the morning and you have a flight to catch at night?
A. keep singing and dancing till its time for your flight.
Q. how do you add a twist in the tale, when all you have to do is see off our brave duo at the airport?
A. make the newly engaged go onto a lonely trail. that way they get kidnapped by terrorists.
NBA pros can take a tip or two in slam dunk from our stunt masters. hero 1 passes grenade to hero 2. hero 2 in turn catches it, removes pin and throws to hero 3, who happens to be airborne on his bike. hero 3 catches the grenade mid air, right at the spot when he's above villain's sun roof. hole in one! score!
if all four heroes leave the same house and reach the same stadium at the same time, why arrive in four different cars, all parked out of line, one behind the other? and looks like Ford expects movies like these to help it earn brownie points the way james bond did for aston martin. cant even say ha!
so why would anyone want to watch this movie? well, they would if they didnt have a prior booking for any other movie and have driven 30kms out of the city with the purpose of watching a movie come what may!
Bas!!
Friday, July 08, 2005
computer 101
learnt a few things about computer hardware yesterday. firstly, its important to clean your computer regularly. if not, you might end up giving a roach a free bangalore-chennai trip.
just as important - if the cd drive is stuck (quite possible if its not used for a year), using a knife and a pair of scissors to jerk the tray out is a very very bad idea. it screws up the knife edge. homes hardly double up as operation theatres. not advised. but now i can gladly warn "don't try this at home" :-) oh yes, there's that tiny little hole one can poke a wire into to eject the tray. but that works only if the eject button fails. what good is it when the motor has given way? could hear the overawed expression of my roomie... with the thinner end of an incense stick into the drive's pinhole he cries out "its pushing me out man! its pushing me out!" hated breaking the news to him; thats what the switch is supposed to do to that stick.
it was a valiant fight the drive put up. refused to open up! but the scissor and knife episode (which is a bad idea by the way) did have its effect and the tray relented. managed to yank it half way out. made sound like a ratchet. (cd drives have ratchets too!?) thats where it put its foot down. a real stubborn ass! could hear the motor hum everytime we tried to eject the tray. yes, the tray moved too. about half an inch each way. sliding a cd into the drive in such a state was suggested. but having had similar experiences with floppy drives, my knowledgeable self quickly dismissed it without argument. utterly preposterous. we might as well continue yanking at the tray. i did contemplate using my foot for support. but then, it wasnt my drive. taking the drive to a repair store seemed most intelligent at this stage :-)
why all this ado? well, wanted to install the dsl modem driver and get going online. a flash of brainwave hits roomie and decides to get the cd contents onto his flash drive from a local cafe, only to realise that windows98 requires a USB driver too :-) and where does one find this driver? i ask my roomie. "why, its in the drive itself!" of course! where else :-)
just as important - if the cd drive is stuck (quite possible if its not used for a year), using a knife and a pair of scissors to jerk the tray out is a very very bad idea. it screws up the knife edge. homes hardly double up as operation theatres. not advised. but now i can gladly warn "don't try this at home" :-) oh yes, there's that tiny little hole one can poke a wire into to eject the tray. but that works only if the eject button fails. what good is it when the motor has given way? could hear the overawed expression of my roomie... with the thinner end of an incense stick into the drive's pinhole he cries out "its pushing me out man! its pushing me out!" hated breaking the news to him; thats what the switch is supposed to do to that stick.
it was a valiant fight the drive put up. refused to open up! but the scissor and knife episode (which is a bad idea by the way) did have its effect and the tray relented. managed to yank it half way out. made sound like a ratchet. (cd drives have ratchets too!?) thats where it put its foot down. a real stubborn ass! could hear the motor hum everytime we tried to eject the tray. yes, the tray moved too. about half an inch each way. sliding a cd into the drive in such a state was suggested. but having had similar experiences with floppy drives, my knowledgeable self quickly dismissed it without argument. utterly preposterous. we might as well continue yanking at the tray. i did contemplate using my foot for support. but then, it wasnt my drive. taking the drive to a repair store seemed most intelligent at this stage :-)
why all this ado? well, wanted to install the dsl modem driver and get going online. a flash of brainwave hits roomie and decides to get the cd contents onto his flash drive from a local cafe, only to realise that windows98 requires a USB driver too :-) and where does one find this driver? i ask my roomie. "why, its in the drive itself!" of course! where else :-)
Monday, July 04, 2005
walking the plank
* graduating from b-school
* getting a job of my liking
* living on my own
* doing things i liked most....
hmmm sounds like fun! but relatives think otherwise. or maybe they think i've had too much of fun! i have begun to dread the weekend trips i make home. wanna give them a lowdown on my life, the office party, the long drive i went on, the new friends i made here in chennai, et al. but they beat me to it. sometimes i wonder if they can see the happiness on my face and read it all. 'son, we think its time you settle down. we have this proposal coming our way and....' i blurt an exasperated 'what the...!' and hear no more. i say they are jealous! the whole bunch of them.
by living true to Darwin's theory, they have done their bit to this world by furthering their blood, but now they insist on me following suit. my brother getting married last year, hasnt advanced my cause one bit. of course, the countless sinister looking and sounding 'beta, you are next!' that followed soon after. and to think of it, i consider them my well wishers!
they claimed logic in their demand. 'look, there are so few eligible girls in our community nowadays!' i wonder if i missed some early-bird bonanza or am at a clearance sale. attending a cousin's wedding was no less a nightmare. 'you are their second son is it!? what are you doing now?' seemingly harmless question this, but 'running away from you!' is the best answer one can give. have a polite, jaw-aching conversation with relatives i wouldnt care to remember and hear them talking behind my back 'you know, he's done his MBA. he just returned from the US. his elder brother is married too.' hullo! am i invisible!? by now i am feeling like a sitting duck, or a bleating ba-lamb at the butcher's block. raise my head either way and find huge bindi-stamped mercenaries giving me that snearing look...
'you are well educated, have a decent job. what more is it that you want to do!? whats wrong in getting married!?' eh? what? do i even need to answer that? i am sorry, but i would like to know if i am the only one who fails to see a logic chain in that. its like finding rakes with SE and NW on the same train but i get a feeling i am in a minority. of course, there's that random dose of senti from grandparents thrown in for good measure. 'as long as i can move around, i would like to do so and see you married.' what the...? but they are not done yet. there still is that last gasp of life left in me. parents are only glad to pitch in. 'son, if there's someone on your mind let us know. we are quite open to all these things nowadays' aarrggghhh! by now i am counting the hours for my train back to chennai. but i must say, my parents seem to be more optimistic on this matter than i am!
friends until yesterday who evoked an eye of censure through dad's bifocals are today pieces of human treasure. all them are either betrothed or have gone ahead and taken the plunge. examples of ideal sons is what they represent today!
it was rather amusing to watch my group of friends at a friend's wedding. almost every one of them present there with their significant other (certainly better) halves! i could hardly contain my pleasure when i told them about my latest escapades, weekend getaways... somewhere through those tanned faces i saw a shade of green creep up :-) my ears began to take shape of that of Mr. Spock. 'man! we (it no longer is 'i') would love to do such trips yaar, but.... she is busy when i am free and...' poor bloke gets a whack before he could go any further. ouch! told them about the andaman trip and the other treks that i've lined up for myself. never knew they had such long tonuges. wow! so many red carpets :-)
* getting a job of my liking
* living on my own
* doing things i liked most....
hmmm sounds like fun! but relatives think otherwise. or maybe they think i've had too much of fun! i have begun to dread the weekend trips i make home. wanna give them a lowdown on my life, the office party, the long drive i went on, the new friends i made here in chennai, et al. but they beat me to it. sometimes i wonder if they can see the happiness on my face and read it all. 'son, we think its time you settle down. we have this proposal coming our way and....' i blurt an exasperated 'what the...!' and hear no more. i say they are jealous! the whole bunch of them.
by living true to Darwin's theory, they have done their bit to this world by furthering their blood, but now they insist on me following suit. my brother getting married last year, hasnt advanced my cause one bit. of course, the countless sinister looking and sounding 'beta, you are next!' that followed soon after. and to think of it, i consider them my well wishers!
they claimed logic in their demand. 'look, there are so few eligible girls in our community nowadays!' i wonder if i missed some early-bird bonanza or am at a clearance sale. attending a cousin's wedding was no less a nightmare. 'you are their second son is it!? what are you doing now?' seemingly harmless question this, but 'running away from you!' is the best answer one can give. have a polite, jaw-aching conversation with relatives i wouldnt care to remember and hear them talking behind my back 'you know, he's done his MBA. he just returned from the US. his elder brother is married too.' hullo! am i invisible!? by now i am feeling like a sitting duck, or a bleating ba-lamb at the butcher's block. raise my head either way and find huge bindi-stamped mercenaries giving me that snearing look...
'you are well educated, have a decent job. what more is it that you want to do!? whats wrong in getting married!?' eh? what? do i even need to answer that? i am sorry, but i would like to know if i am the only one who fails to see a logic chain in that. its like finding rakes with SE and NW on the same train but i get a feeling i am in a minority. of course, there's that random dose of senti from grandparents thrown in for good measure. 'as long as i can move around, i would like to do so and see you married.' what the...? but they are not done yet. there still is that last gasp of life left in me. parents are only glad to pitch in. 'son, if there's someone on your mind let us know. we are quite open to all these things nowadays' aarrggghhh! by now i am counting the hours for my train back to chennai. but i must say, my parents seem to be more optimistic on this matter than i am!
friends until yesterday who evoked an eye of censure through dad's bifocals are today pieces of human treasure. all them are either betrothed or have gone ahead and taken the plunge. examples of ideal sons is what they represent today!
it was rather amusing to watch my group of friends at a friend's wedding. almost every one of them present there with their significant other (certainly better) halves! i could hardly contain my pleasure when i told them about my latest escapades, weekend getaways... somewhere through those tanned faces i saw a shade of green creep up :-) my ears began to take shape of that of Mr. Spock. 'man! we (it no longer is 'i') would love to do such trips yaar, but.... she is busy when i am free and...' poor bloke gets a whack before he could go any further. ouch! told them about the andaman trip and the other treks that i've lined up for myself. never knew they had such long tonuges. wow! so many red carpets :-)
Thursday, June 30, 2005
clueless
had been to the Tata Crucible Corporate Quiz regional eliminations and finals today. always had bloated impressions of my quizzing skills. it is that way before every quiz and gets deflated as quickly soon after. this time it deflated with a difference. i think the quizzing standard was way under par. now i know why people like parnab mukherjee dont even raise an eyebrow at such things.
the business quizzes back in college (parnab mukherjee used to grace it) used to leave me answering as much as 3-4 qts from a boquet of 20. here i managed 8. dont think that i've added much to my corporate gyan over a year, though it has always been on my wishlist. but this performance was a morale booster of sorts. maybe i can get good at this!
i subscribe to ET everyday. its time i start reading it too.
the business quizzes back in college (parnab mukherjee used to grace it) used to leave me answering as much as 3-4 qts from a boquet of 20. here i managed 8. dont think that i've added much to my corporate gyan over a year, though it has always been on my wishlist. but this performance was a morale booster of sorts. maybe i can get good at this!
i subscribe to ET everyday. its time i start reading it too.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
pulsed and nonplussed
just about everything about mumbai gives one an adrenalin rush! stepping out of the arrival gates, mumbai fills your lungs! a deep breath 'pranayam' just extended my longevity by that much! had it not been for the distance, a walk to saki naka would've been the ultimate nectar. settled to getting drunk in its air.
was glad somethings never changed. the comfort of coming back to all that was so familiar, so warm. however strenuous it might seem, living in these environs comes as second nature. the traffic filled roads, potholes thanks to the rains, wobbly autos and cars wading their way through. people oblivious to these little obstacles in their lives, all they had to do was get to work. they seemed to be walking on water. little kids loaded with school bags twice their size, covered in flowery raincoats right down to the toes. looking like miniature jayalalithas. amma would be proud of this fan following :-)
i was there to attend an engagement and a wedding. but for a moment had forgotten all about it. oh yes, the e. and w. revels are a blog post on their own!
out to catch the early morning flight back here. the wee hours too have something distinctly mumbai. 4:45am and i am walking towards the main road. there's a auto chap at the turn. all he can see is my silhouette. a lanky figure with a bag on one shoulder. and he doesnt wait for me to reach the main road. try stopping a rick in chennai. wave out when he's 10ft away; he'll be crawling on the road but would still stop 10ft ahead of you. soon am off to the airport once again.
the santacruz stretch of EE highway never looked so beautiful. a medley of 5 taxis performing a ballet as they race down the banking. looked like an indy car race in silverstone. out emerges the prima donna BMW behind me cutting across like a knife through butter. but the peasants are not humbled, they have their pride very much in place. eventually they all turned at the same airport. my auto included.
while my flight was being readied, heard a rather lifeless bark from an air sahara crew, "sahara passengers to bangalore!". dont know what made her sad. maybe that she was to stay here at the airport while her fellow crew members got to go there! i am told that airline counters at gates have PA systems that help reduce stress on the vocal cords. apparently she wanted to make a point. the walkie-talkie only made her look more important. she was sad no one took notice of her or her call. passengers headed to bangalore anyway were moving to that gate. but i had heard her, even though there was little i could do.
jet airways is not in the LCC category. here are people who have pockets deeper and its imperative that they show it. ironically i have found more bluetooth enabled phones at chennai central railway stn than at the international terminal. i should have checked it here. they maybe on an official trip, but would still show that 'air of superciliousness'. they HAVE to pick a pink paper, wear thin rimmed glasses and have black coffee. an occupational hazard in a way! for me, i had my priorities. a screwed up playlist and lack of sleep in that order. but jet provides breakfast which i have already paid for! cannot afford to miss that, so held eyes wide open with toothpicks. could hear aerosmith crooning in the background "dont wanna close my eyes, dont wanna fall asleep..."
as the plane taxis down, the air crew starts its drill. reminded me of the PT sessions from my school days. good exercise to the wrists and the waist as they show where the emergency exits lay. but heads were still into the pink papers. hmmm, we just rolled past a plane that said 'global peace ambassador'. wonder what that is. got to google it.
was glad somethings never changed. the comfort of coming back to all that was so familiar, so warm. however strenuous it might seem, living in these environs comes as second nature. the traffic filled roads, potholes thanks to the rains, wobbly autos and cars wading their way through. people oblivious to these little obstacles in their lives, all they had to do was get to work. they seemed to be walking on water. little kids loaded with school bags twice their size, covered in flowery raincoats right down to the toes. looking like miniature jayalalithas. amma would be proud of this fan following :-)
i was there to attend an engagement and a wedding. but for a moment had forgotten all about it. oh yes, the e. and w. revels are a blog post on their own!
out to catch the early morning flight back here. the wee hours too have something distinctly mumbai. 4:45am and i am walking towards the main road. there's a auto chap at the turn. all he can see is my silhouette. a lanky figure with a bag on one shoulder. and he doesnt wait for me to reach the main road. try stopping a rick in chennai. wave out when he's 10ft away; he'll be crawling on the road but would still stop 10ft ahead of you. soon am off to the airport once again.
the santacruz stretch of EE highway never looked so beautiful. a medley of 5 taxis performing a ballet as they race down the banking. looked like an indy car race in silverstone. out emerges the prima donna BMW behind me cutting across like a knife through butter. but the peasants are not humbled, they have their pride very much in place. eventually they all turned at the same airport. my auto included.
while my flight was being readied, heard a rather lifeless bark from an air sahara crew, "sahara passengers to bangalore!". dont know what made her sad. maybe that she was to stay here at the airport while her fellow crew members got to go there! i am told that airline counters at gates have PA systems that help reduce stress on the vocal cords. apparently she wanted to make a point. the walkie-talkie only made her look more important. she was sad no one took notice of her or her call. passengers headed to bangalore anyway were moving to that gate. but i had heard her, even though there was little i could do.
jet airways is not in the LCC category. here are people who have pockets deeper and its imperative that they show it. ironically i have found more bluetooth enabled phones at chennai central railway stn than at the international terminal. i should have checked it here. they maybe on an official trip, but would still show that 'air of superciliousness'. they HAVE to pick a pink paper, wear thin rimmed glasses and have black coffee. an occupational hazard in a way! for me, i had my priorities. a screwed up playlist and lack of sleep in that order. but jet provides breakfast which i have already paid for! cannot afford to miss that, so held eyes wide open with toothpicks. could hear aerosmith crooning in the background "dont wanna close my eyes, dont wanna fall asleep..."
as the plane taxis down, the air crew starts its drill. reminded me of the PT sessions from my school days. good exercise to the wrists and the waist as they show where the emergency exits lay. but heads were still into the pink papers. hmmm, we just rolled past a plane that said 'global peace ambassador'. wonder what that is. got to google it.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
LCC
i think its a nexus between the airlines and the taxi operators. they keep their flights so early in the day, the cabbies rake in a rather healthy moolah! all excited, albeit grogy eyed i reach the airport saturday morning 4am. my first air deccan flight! lest i be categorised as the 'nouveau riche', i must insist that this mode of transport was enforced on me. absence of teleportation and circumstance are my scapegoat. but with the iPod plugged into me, i did not quite come across as a chap who has stretched his pockets to make this trip. stares moved from the paper ticket to the iPod and then to me.
probably the first flight out of kamraj domestic airport for the day was DN 613. LCC is the lingo air deccan (AD for convenience) has taught the indian traveller - Low Cost Carrier. the thriftiest of the travellers will feel at home. in time for check-in, i come with the most abyssmal expectations from AD. free seating a la general compartment, delayed flights, old aircrafts et al. first dose of suprise came in the form of a boarding pass WITH a seat number on it! but was left wondering why a sticker with a seat number was attached onto the boarding pass which already carried a number!! ever since i bought this ticket, cost cutting was so engrained in my head, i found this a wasteful expenditure, not to forget a wasteful activity too. the chappie at the counter is also paid to stick those tags onto the passes. extra cost. i am not asked my seat preference. this must be the free seating i was told about.
move on to security check. not one to have had problems in this part of airline journeys, was rather amused to be pulled to the side for 'detailed inspection'. turned out, the iPod had stirred the security personnel's brains. i've seen it to do to one's heart, but this mental connection was new to me. i gathered, the connection was new to the security personnel too. with a pleading eye he turns to his superior, apprehensive hands holding the iPod and a bleating "saar!". would have gladly inquired what was choking him, but my sight was set on the iPod. almost hit myself for putting it in the bag for the X-Ray! the security superior though casts an omniscient eye from afar and okays the junior to let me go. i would rather have him not look at the iPod that way! humpf! world peace restored, the junior hands me back my precious piece and am off on my way.
the essence of a low cost flight did not quite hit me till i found two seemingly rustic men climb aboard. long kurtas, over-washed dhotis and matching yellow turbans to boot. skins well tanned in the summer sun. i must remind the reader here that i had to stretch my pockets to make this trip. now i need to remind myself to ask my boss for a raise, or probably hone my agricultural skills. the emphasis on cost saving was further drilled into me when the flight purser reminded us to not assume that the life jackets were freebies. also, help them bring to book those who considered it so! boy! i am now a vigilante too! her reasoning was infallible. the more we deprive them of their life jackets, the more they spend on getting new ones, the more we spend on our tickets. rather potent logic. i understood it without the need to be told again. by now i was quite convinced that AD was serious about saving money, but wondered whether the flight crew would charge us for a smile. i suppose they do, but i was on a cost saving trip too! did not want to find out.
the interior seemed quite well made, i had imagined electric chairs with straps for seat belts. but my iPod was acting up. it showed 4 instances of Rock and 5 of Slow Rock. must be the Real Player's handywork. had connected to it the previous day. damn s/w screwed up my playlist. i was no longer interested in the decor. but such maladies hold little fort against a slumber induced by a 3hr sleep the previous night. drifting off into the clouds, i am stirred by the sweet scent of a woman's perfume, fresh bread and coffee. maybe i was dreaming but i do recollect having seen a food trolley go past me. the air hostess chose not to disturb me. bless the soul! back to my slumber and this time jolted wide awake by turbulence. pilot crackles into the PA system asking us to belt up. blast his soul! yeah, he would know what was going on, but i did not and i certainly was all (blocked) ears! we were almost near mumbai. i think of all the rain clouds there and tell myself it must be these that created the shake. telling me that something i had so longed for, is finally here!
mumbai. i am back! but the screwed up playlist was disturbing me. i need to get to the nearest iTunes and fast!
probably the first flight out of kamraj domestic airport for the day was DN 613. LCC is the lingo air deccan (AD for convenience) has taught the indian traveller - Low Cost Carrier. the thriftiest of the travellers will feel at home. in time for check-in, i come with the most abyssmal expectations from AD. free seating a la general compartment, delayed flights, old aircrafts et al. first dose of suprise came in the form of a boarding pass WITH a seat number on it! but was left wondering why a sticker with a seat number was attached onto the boarding pass which already carried a number!! ever since i bought this ticket, cost cutting was so engrained in my head, i found this a wasteful expenditure, not to forget a wasteful activity too. the chappie at the counter is also paid to stick those tags onto the passes. extra cost. i am not asked my seat preference. this must be the free seating i was told about.
move on to security check. not one to have had problems in this part of airline journeys, was rather amused to be pulled to the side for 'detailed inspection'. turned out, the iPod had stirred the security personnel's brains. i've seen it to do to one's heart, but this mental connection was new to me. i gathered, the connection was new to the security personnel too. with a pleading eye he turns to his superior, apprehensive hands holding the iPod and a bleating "saar!". would have gladly inquired what was choking him, but my sight was set on the iPod. almost hit myself for putting it in the bag for the X-Ray! the security superior though casts an omniscient eye from afar and okays the junior to let me go. i would rather have him not look at the iPod that way! humpf! world peace restored, the junior hands me back my precious piece and am off on my way.
the essence of a low cost flight did not quite hit me till i found two seemingly rustic men climb aboard. long kurtas, over-washed dhotis and matching yellow turbans to boot. skins well tanned in the summer sun. i must remind the reader here that i had to stretch my pockets to make this trip. now i need to remind myself to ask my boss for a raise, or probably hone my agricultural skills. the emphasis on cost saving was further drilled into me when the flight purser reminded us to not assume that the life jackets were freebies. also, help them bring to book those who considered it so! boy! i am now a vigilante too! her reasoning was infallible. the more we deprive them of their life jackets, the more they spend on getting new ones, the more we spend on our tickets. rather potent logic. i understood it without the need to be told again. by now i was quite convinced that AD was serious about saving money, but wondered whether the flight crew would charge us for a smile. i suppose they do, but i was on a cost saving trip too! did not want to find out.
the interior seemed quite well made, i had imagined electric chairs with straps for seat belts. but my iPod was acting up. it showed 4 instances of Rock and 5 of Slow Rock. must be the Real Player's handywork. had connected to it the previous day. damn s/w screwed up my playlist. i was no longer interested in the decor. but such maladies hold little fort against a slumber induced by a 3hr sleep the previous night. drifting off into the clouds, i am stirred by the sweet scent of a woman's perfume, fresh bread and coffee. maybe i was dreaming but i do recollect having seen a food trolley go past me. the air hostess chose not to disturb me. bless the soul! back to my slumber and this time jolted wide awake by turbulence. pilot crackles into the PA system asking us to belt up. blast his soul! yeah, he would know what was going on, but i did not and i certainly was all (blocked) ears! we were almost near mumbai. i think of all the rain clouds there and tell myself it must be these that created the shake. telling me that something i had so longed for, is finally here!
mumbai. i am back! but the screwed up playlist was disturbing me. i need to get to the nearest iTunes and fast!
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
colour ocher?
prads: colleague returned from his trip to mumbai... has coloured his hair ochre... looking like fowl
frnd: i dont even know what color ochre uis
frnd: is it the orangish looking color?
prads: something like the output of a bad tummy
frnd: aiyooo
frnd: i dont even know what color ochre uis
frnd: is it the orangish looking color?
prads: something like the output of a bad tummy
frnd: aiyooo
peaceful weekend
should say, it was one of those frutiful weekends. you plan so much in advance, like a week before and to have it materialse - has its own pleasures. much like a dream come true. anything you get to do beyond that, is added attraction.
Saturday: the much looked forward to Wodehouse Talk happened at The Corner Bookstore (Abhiramapuram). It seems they have such talks every month on books. but it would take a genius bigger than Wodehouse himself to pick one book of his and discuss his marvel. am still envious of one of the loonies there. old chappie, displayed a personal letter from Plum himself! i can merely reconcile with the fact that i was born a mere month before Plum died. having a quill in hand for purposes other than waving it in gay abandon was a far cry. sigh!
the evening had a marvelous end with a peaceful gathering with a bunch of friends and a midnight walk by the beach. the cop made it a point though to have the place cordoned off by the time the clock struck the hour. will try and get there earlier the next time.
Sunday: not one to take focused interest in such things, agreed to go for it since a friend asked. it was my second play. evam Indrajeet, a must see. they have plans to hit other cities like bangalore and mumbai sometime down the line. "your life in 3 acts" is how they put it. quite true to their claim!
eventful and peaceful at the same time! memorable weekend this!
Saturday: the much looked forward to Wodehouse Talk happened at The Corner Bookstore (Abhiramapuram). It seems they have such talks every month on books. but it would take a genius bigger than Wodehouse himself to pick one book of his and discuss his marvel. am still envious of one of the loonies there. old chappie, displayed a personal letter from Plum himself! i can merely reconcile with the fact that i was born a mere month before Plum died. having a quill in hand for purposes other than waving it in gay abandon was a far cry. sigh!
the evening had a marvelous end with a peaceful gathering with a bunch of friends and a midnight walk by the beach. the cop made it a point though to have the place cordoned off by the time the clock struck the hour. will try and get there earlier the next time.
Sunday: not one to take focused interest in such things, agreed to go for it since a friend asked. it was my second play. evam Indrajeet, a must see. they have plans to hit other cities like bangalore and mumbai sometime down the line. "your life in 3 acts" is how they put it. quite true to their claim!
eventful and peaceful at the same time! memorable weekend this!
Saturday, June 04, 2005
summer
in a place where no other season is known, it is misleading to say 'summer'. gives an impression that another season exists. it should be simply called weather. someone asks you 'how's the weather?' and you say, 'as ever!' mind you, you cannot say 'hot' because 'cold' would then be a possibility! consistency is the key. would take a moron some effort to flunk a match-the-pairs test and miss out with 'summer' and 'chennai' in the list!
nevertheless, "summer" (i shall use it for the knowledgeable few to relate to) in chennai, is euphemism at its kindest! furnace, 24x7 open-air sauna, barbeque city, are more realisitc terms. this is one city that holds immense business potential for fashion too. one can design a spring-summer collection and expect to sell it all the year round! no clearance sale required to bring out a change.
no other place offers you a more compelling reason to land up in office on a saturday! thank god for thermodynamics, we now have air conditioners! people of chennai can learn a new concept - winter.
nevertheless, "summer" (i shall use it for the knowledgeable few to relate to) in chennai, is euphemism at its kindest! furnace, 24x7 open-air sauna, barbeque city, are more realisitc terms. this is one city that holds immense business potential for fashion too. one can design a spring-summer collection and expect to sell it all the year round! no clearance sale required to bring out a change.
no other place offers you a more compelling reason to land up in office on a saturday! thank god for thermodynamics, we now have air conditioners! people of chennai can learn a new concept - winter.
Friday, June 03, 2005
sorry for the delay in response
i am compelled to put this here. i would have probably left this as a frustrated customer and maybe even forgotten about it over a period of time. but companies, in their urge to remain in the high visibility range, have a way of reminding you of their stupidity, ineptitude, what have you.
i am happy that the bank keeps me informed about my account balance. but could they just leave it at that? i mean, send me the statement and stop! i dont want to know whether they have loans to dole out or credit cards that clamour for my wallet space. ICICI Bank has now taken a new fancy (yes, they think they are doing me a favour.) i can list myself under a "Do Not Disturb" category which will protect me from their telemarketers and cold callers. i have heard of a hafta* system thats prevalent in some places. but ICICI has a catch. i am supposed to call their call-centre (they call it phone banking) and plead them to leave me alone. its their way of punishing me for not letting them bother me.
Citibank lets you do this via email. its probably less of a hassle, and i might still argue that. but ICICI excels in "customer service". and they take pride that Outlook Money puts this customer service as one of their strengths. i say, Outlook has a wonderful sense of humour!
i simply love ICICI's customer service :-) i mean, it gives my understanding of this world a new perspective.
exhibit 1. log on to their secure net banking site. i have to insist on the term secure 'cos it uses my unique customer id (something the bank identifies me by) and a password the secrecy of which is my responsibility. now i ask them to change my communication address. they promptly reply after 4 days stating that they cannot change my address 'cos of security reasons. hmmm. i remind them that i am transacting through their secure website. it takes them another 4 days to remind me that communicating with them through secure netbanking is well, not secure!
exhibit 2. before i get charged for a credit card i never needed, i decide to cancel it. report to work late one day, make that dreadful trip to their branch and get rid of the plastic. a signboard "credit cards" overjoyed me. so i walk up straight to the "customer care executive" sitting "just for me" and ask him to just cancel my card. he actually isnt worried about losing a customer (it was not the end of the month, he could still hunt new prey). he merely tells me that branches are not authorized to cancel credit cards. it has to be done only through their call-centre. oops! sorry, phone banking. leaves me wondering, was this guy made to sit here just to direct people to ICICI's call centre!?
the most entertaining part of the whole deal while writing to your ICICI Bank account manager through (secure) Net Banking is that they seem to have a reply template in place. (and i love this part) All their mails have a common opening line. "Sorry for the delay in response...."
* hafta - protection money
i am happy that the bank keeps me informed about my account balance. but could they just leave it at that? i mean, send me the statement and stop! i dont want to know whether they have loans to dole out or credit cards that clamour for my wallet space. ICICI Bank has now taken a new fancy (yes, they think they are doing me a favour.) i can list myself under a "Do Not Disturb" category which will protect me from their telemarketers and cold callers. i have heard of a hafta* system thats prevalent in some places. but ICICI has a catch. i am supposed to call their call-centre (they call it phone banking) and plead them to leave me alone. its their way of punishing me for not letting them bother me.
Citibank lets you do this via email. its probably less of a hassle, and i might still argue that. but ICICI excels in "customer service". and they take pride that Outlook Money puts this customer service as one of their strengths. i say, Outlook has a wonderful sense of humour!
i simply love ICICI's customer service :-) i mean, it gives my understanding of this world a new perspective.
exhibit 1. log on to their secure net banking site. i have to insist on the term secure 'cos it uses my unique customer id (something the bank identifies me by) and a password the secrecy of which is my responsibility. now i ask them to change my communication address. they promptly reply after 4 days stating that they cannot change my address 'cos of security reasons. hmmm. i remind them that i am transacting through their secure website. it takes them another 4 days to remind me that communicating with them through secure netbanking is well, not secure!
exhibit 2. before i get charged for a credit card i never needed, i decide to cancel it. report to work late one day, make that dreadful trip to their branch and get rid of the plastic. a signboard "credit cards" overjoyed me. so i walk up straight to the "customer care executive" sitting "just for me" and ask him to just cancel my card. he actually isnt worried about losing a customer (it was not the end of the month, he could still hunt new prey). he merely tells me that branches are not authorized to cancel credit cards. it has to be done only through their call-centre. oops! sorry, phone banking. leaves me wondering, was this guy made to sit here just to direct people to ICICI's call centre!?
the most entertaining part of the whole deal while writing to your ICICI Bank account manager through (secure) Net Banking is that they seem to have a reply template in place. (and i love this part) All their mails have a common opening line. "Sorry for the delay in response...."
* hafta - protection money
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
iPod recipie
Ingredients:
1 wax candle
1 iPod (preferrably mini or higher)
collection of ghazals on the iPod e.g. jagjit singh, hariharan, etc. (add more as per taste)
a power failure*
a relatively good voice to sing along
Directions:
on power failure, light wax candle and place at centre of the room.
switch on iPod and play ghazals by the candle light.
mix well and garnish with cool breeze in the midst of a moonlit night.
sing along with the selected artist for added taste.
Serves: 1 (serves more if those around can sustain the listener's sing along)
Note: Music afficionado can experiment with other collections like instrumental, new age and celtic genres.
* a similar scene can be recreated by switching off the lights, but such thoughts dont arise until one encounters a power failure.
1 wax candle
1 iPod (preferrably mini or higher)
collection of ghazals on the iPod e.g. jagjit singh, hariharan, etc. (add more as per taste)
a power failure*
a relatively good voice to sing along
Directions:
on power failure, light wax candle and place at centre of the room.
switch on iPod and play ghazals by the candle light.
mix well and garnish with cool breeze in the midst of a moonlit night.
sing along with the selected artist for added taste.
Serves: 1 (serves more if those around can sustain the listener's sing along)
Note: Music afficionado can experiment with other collections like instrumental, new age and celtic genres.
* a similar scene can be recreated by switching off the lights, but such thoughts dont arise until one encounters a power failure.
puppies at my feet
many a time i wished for a quiet evening, where i could be all by myself; no one to disturb or bother me. well, considering my ability to have a decent conversation with any normal human being, i ought to be having lot many such moments!
nevertheless, last saturday did bestow me with such a privilege. it was nearly sundown when i hit the trail towards the beach. being a weekend, it was bound to be crowded, but i was alone :-) one might find most of the chennai populace at the shores of Elliot's on weekends. that day it did not matter.
waded through the crowd to a sea-side cafe coffee day and got myself a comfy cold coffee. sipping at it, made my way to the waves. cold coffee in hand and breeze blowing at my face, felt like i was gliding over the sands :-)
stepping into the water was much more surreal. waves coming in rythmically, relentlessly, religiously. the sea seemed calm that evening. the waves were being kind. the wet sand tickling the soles and the waves playing at my feet. it was like little puppies romping in between! all so playful :-) under the spell of the soothing waves i look up and see a cloudy sky, no sign of the moon. so i stand there agog, admiring the patterns of the clouds, and the waves get me unaware. yes, some puppies are the naughty kind. they tug at your feet and bite your shoes. this one simply drenched me.
the evening ebbed and the tide grew. stronger breezes and faster waves could only fill the heart with more joy. their eagerness to play with me, like they knew i would be with them. joy enough to make me sing my heart out. "Woh Shaam Kuch Ajeeb Thi..." and "Aap Ki Aankhon Mein..." filled my senses and my very being! The rhythm of the waves to the flow of the songs... could heaven be elsewhere?
i wished for this to never end. but it was my own undoing. i carried my cell phone with me....
nevertheless, last saturday did bestow me with such a privilege. it was nearly sundown when i hit the trail towards the beach. being a weekend, it was bound to be crowded, but i was alone :-) one might find most of the chennai populace at the shores of Elliot's on weekends. that day it did not matter.
waded through the crowd to a sea-side cafe coffee day and got myself a comfy cold coffee. sipping at it, made my way to the waves. cold coffee in hand and breeze blowing at my face, felt like i was gliding over the sands :-)
stepping into the water was much more surreal. waves coming in rythmically, relentlessly, religiously. the sea seemed calm that evening. the waves were being kind. the wet sand tickling the soles and the waves playing at my feet. it was like little puppies romping in between! all so playful :-) under the spell of the soothing waves i look up and see a cloudy sky, no sign of the moon. so i stand there agog, admiring the patterns of the clouds, and the waves get me unaware. yes, some puppies are the naughty kind. they tug at your feet and bite your shoes. this one simply drenched me.
the evening ebbed and the tide grew. stronger breezes and faster waves could only fill the heart with more joy. their eagerness to play with me, like they knew i would be with them. joy enough to make me sing my heart out. "Woh Shaam Kuch Ajeeb Thi..." and "Aap Ki Aankhon Mein..." filled my senses and my very being! The rhythm of the waves to the flow of the songs... could heaven be elsewhere?
i wished for this to never end. but it was my own undoing. i carried my cell phone with me....
Monday, May 23, 2005
selective idealism
in more crude terms its called hypocrisy. at times i wonder if i suffer from selective idealism. conform to my own set of standards when it suits me fine or when it feeds my ego well.
was on my way back home after meeting a friend. getting a rick (auto rickshaw) in bangalore is a rather intersting fete. walmart could learn a few tricks from the ultimate logistcs arrangement quite common here. all you do is ask the auto which direction he is headed. ask him if its ok with him for you to hitch hike. he may just about like you and oblige. but that particular night i was not destined for a ride home. multiple attempts at hiring a ride left me with no option but to walk it back. i am told its a 12km stretch. have not walked that much in a long time. situations have their way of presenting themselves when you least expect them. life any other way would have been a drag.
about three-fourths of my way back, one tainted soul did agree to take me home, but not before i coughed up rs.20 - that would have been close to the fare for the whole distance). attempts at going by the meter failed. i found it against my credo to succumb to his whim. i would not have insisted on the meter had it been chennai. then why in b'lore? human endeavour is always at bringing predictability in chaos. they tried it in bangalore and installed the meters, made the drivers use them. in a place like chennai where the fare meter is treated more like a vestigial organ, existance of any sort of system calls for a kodak moment. one would not expect that in b'lore. isnt it a happening place? but here i was privy to an exception.
exception? some b'lore old timers would doubt.
was on my way back home after meeting a friend. getting a rick (auto rickshaw) in bangalore is a rather intersting fete. walmart could learn a few tricks from the ultimate logistcs arrangement quite common here. all you do is ask the auto which direction he is headed. ask him if its ok with him for you to hitch hike. he may just about like you and oblige. but that particular night i was not destined for a ride home. multiple attempts at hiring a ride left me with no option but to walk it back. i am told its a 12km stretch. have not walked that much in a long time. situations have their way of presenting themselves when you least expect them. life any other way would have been a drag.
about three-fourths of my way back, one tainted soul did agree to take me home, but not before i coughed up rs.20 - that would have been close to the fare for the whole distance). attempts at going by the meter failed. i found it against my credo to succumb to his whim. i would not have insisted on the meter had it been chennai. then why in b'lore? human endeavour is always at bringing predictability in chaos. they tried it in bangalore and installed the meters, made the drivers use them. in a place like chennai where the fare meter is treated more like a vestigial organ, existance of any sort of system calls for a kodak moment. one would not expect that in b'lore. isnt it a happening place? but here i was privy to an exception.
exception? some b'lore old timers would doubt.
Saturday, May 14, 2005
perseverance
per·se·ver·ance (pûrs-vîrns) n.
Steady persistence in adhering to a course of action, a belief, or a purpose; steadfastness.
this has been my picture of him from the day i've seen him. its been a year now, and my colleague has seen him for four. i call him the madhyakailash beggar. etymology will reveal that he is a destitue found near the madhyakailash temple (adyar, chennai), under a lush shadowy tree. proximity to a busy bus stop is his locational advantage. or so i presume.
never does he fail to ask for alms from a passerby. age or gender is not a point of differentiation for him. but if you are well dressed, his pleas are louder. i did catch him once in a distracted mode and tried to sneak behind him - attempting to miss getting noticed. cannot say that i was successful. spotted me from the corner of his eye and out came his cry! in hindsight i think it was my eagerness to scoot that i must have stepped heavily behind him.
but there is something that baffles me about this chap. there must be something thats kept him at that place all these years. he probably has the pavement tile too marked out as his space! not everybody donates and i am not one to add to his coffers. he is not a senseless machine programmed to sit there all day. he certainly must be making enough to help him pull the day through. in that case, why has that place not attracted more of his type? surely there are more people using the bus stop than those visiting the temple! does he have a dual clientele!? people from the temple using the bus stop!? i wonder.
Steady persistence in adhering to a course of action, a belief, or a purpose; steadfastness.
this has been my picture of him from the day i've seen him. its been a year now, and my colleague has seen him for four. i call him the madhyakailash beggar. etymology will reveal that he is a destitue found near the madhyakailash temple (adyar, chennai), under a lush shadowy tree. proximity to a busy bus stop is his locational advantage. or so i presume.
never does he fail to ask for alms from a passerby. age or gender is not a point of differentiation for him. but if you are well dressed, his pleas are louder. i did catch him once in a distracted mode and tried to sneak behind him - attempting to miss getting noticed. cannot say that i was successful. spotted me from the corner of his eye and out came his cry! in hindsight i think it was my eagerness to scoot that i must have stepped heavily behind him.
but there is something that baffles me about this chap. there must be something thats kept him at that place all these years. he probably has the pavement tile too marked out as his space! not everybody donates and i am not one to add to his coffers. he is not a senseless machine programmed to sit there all day. he certainly must be making enough to help him pull the day through. in that case, why has that place not attracted more of his type? surely there are more people using the bus stop than those visiting the temple! does he have a dual clientele!? people from the temple using the bus stop!? i wonder.
big brother in your trash
Garbology is the study of refuse and trash. It is an academic discipline (a recent one for contemporary trash) ... thus proclaims wikipedia.
but can you ever imagine how much of an insight you provide the rest of the world, about yourself, with what you refuse to consume? it might provoke humour at first, but the paranoia is quite justified. read on... :-)
but can you ever imagine how much of an insight you provide the rest of the world, about yourself, with what you refuse to consume? it might provoke humour at first, but the paranoia is quite justified. read on... :-)
Friday, April 22, 2005
oxymoron?
heard this from an NDTV news reporter as he was covering the bus service from Srinagar-Muzaffarabad that started off.
"....the security as usual remained unprecedented...."
now 'unprecedented' ought to imply something that has never been paralleled. something that hasnt happened before. and 'remain' implies that something hasnt changed, or rather stayed the same. so we have a security cover at a level that has never been paralleled, but stayed the same. hmmm.
"....the security as usual remained unprecedented...."
now 'unprecedented' ought to imply something that has never been paralleled. something that hasnt happened before. and 'remain' implies that something hasnt changed, or rather stayed the same. so we have a security cover at a level that has never been paralleled, but stayed the same. hmmm.
rain on my window
in continuation to Aartz's poem.
droplets dance across the window
as i race down the road
cling to the leaves
as they bend from the load
atop the hills
smell the earth
feel the sting
span the girth
smile at the rainbow
stare at the cloud
hear the banter
they laugh out aloud
pardon my rambling
i'm just not the same
there's rain on my window
there's rain in my head
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