Random Thoughts - Random Shots

Yours Royally

I just happened happened to come across this photographic novel called "Maharajas of India". It has some really rare and wonderful photos of the indian royalty and some interesting facts and stories about them. I have included some of the good ones below :

1. Maharajah of Patiala Hails (rather judges) Hitler

It was the time when Hitler was becoming popular and famous for his totalitarian and fascist dictatorship. The Maharajah of Patiala had this itching to visit Germany and travel around. So he wrote to the Indian Government (the then ruling authorities though it was under the British):

"There is also that rising Dictator, Herr Hitler, and it would afford me so much pleasure to see him and judge him on his merits or otherwise"

[Hilarious!!! A visit just to judge Hitler on his merits :D ]

The Maharajah then finally visited Berlin and had a meeting with Hitler that lasted 30 minutes. After all this pain you know what the Maharajah first spoke to Hitler ?

He began telling Hitler how much he had to pay extraordinarily for the Medical fees in Germany earlier!! Hitler did not even respond to this!

2. Bahadur Shah Zafar - The Shaayar
We all know that Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last of the Mughal rulers. He was imprisoned at the age of 80 and his sons were killed, for being a part of the Great Indian Sepoy mutiny of 1857. He had also another side to him. He was a great poet and below is one of the verses he wrote when he was in the midst of all this misery:

The Tempest of Misfortune has overwhelmed me
It has scattered my glory to the winds
And dispersed my throne in the Air

Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled in Rangoon which is where he died.
The following was the verse written by him as his epitaph (translated in english):

My heart is not happy in this despoiled land
Who has ever felt fulfilled in this transient world

Tell these emotions to go dwell elsewhere
Where is there space for them in this bismirched (bloodied) heart

I had requested for a long life a life of four days
Two passed by in pining, and two in waiting.

How unlucky is Zafar! For burial
Even two yards of land were not to be had, in the land (of the) beloved


3. Washing Hands Washes Away the Throne

At a royal gathering in the year 1911, the Maharajah Jai Singh of Alwar chanced upon Queen Mary and King George V. As was the formality Jai Singh shook hands with the King and then with the Queen. It was considered a sin in those days for an Indian King to shake hands with a stranger woman and hence to purify his hands he washed himself with Ganges water later.
The English Royalty came to know about this somehow (:D) and this indiscretion cost him quite a lot and he was forced to step down by the British Queen.

Profound - Gems from the Gita

Indriyanam Hi Charatham
Yat manah anuvidhyathe
tad asya harati prajnam
vaayur navam ivambhasi

As a strong wind sweeps away a boat on the water, even one of the roaming senses on which the mind focuses can carry away a man's intelligence.


Yogasthah Kuru Karmani
Sangam thyak-thva Dhananjaya
Siddhi - Asidhyoh Samoh Bhoothva
Samathvam Yoga uchyathe

Perform your duty equipoised, O Arjuna, abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such equanimity is called yoga.

280 S

He:
Oru azhagana ponnu irundha
Adha-vida oru Azhagaana paiyan irundhan
Avanga oru naal sandhichaanga

She:
innutu

He:
avalukku tamizhe varla di

She:
poda

He:
Avanukku avala pudichudhu
Anaa sollala
Yennu Therla
Andha ponnu pesuva pesuva pesi-kitte irrupa
Anaaa adhan avanukku pudicha raagam

Avan Thannodu ulagathaiye avaloda periya periya kan-la paathan

Avalodu kai-ezhuthu kirukkal
ana andha ezhuthukkal mela payithiyamaa irundhan

Ava mudi asaiyaradha paatha
andha kaathukke poramai varum

She:
Hey niruthu

He:
You know priya he just loved everything about her!

Naraiya kindal panni irrukan
Azha vechurukkan
He was really bad Priya
Anaaa eppavum thaniyaa irundhan

Avalukku avana pudichudhu priya
I dont know why
yaen Priya yaen Priya!

=== End of Post ===
Any takers for guessing the source of this post?

Rantings from My Room

The Cool breeze over my head,
Soothing music to my ears,
Everything Seems so heavenly

I dont know what happened to me recently
Everything seems so beautiful to my eyes
I appreciate even the smallest of things

Sometimes I wonder whether life is a Photo album
A compilation of "Say cheese" moments captured at various instances of our life.
There is an inherent paradox here.

Mathematically:
Life is a variable that can be represented by two variables, say X and Y.
X- Discrete Variable.
Y - Contrinuous Funtion variable.

If we strive to achieve those "Say-cheese" moments, there- in trying to maximize
f(X), we might infact be missing out those small pleasures, and joys in life, thereby
minimizing our continuous function variable Y.

Life represented by F(X) - Discrete variable and F(Y) - Continuous variable.
If we maximize F(X) then F(Y) might take a hit, and vice-versa.

Am I making any sense here. It makes hell a lot of sense to ME!!!

I should strive to achieve a balance where in I optimize both F(X) and F(Y).

= end of post =

Lines of The Week: I dint realize itz depth until my bro 'IM'med me:

Naangu Kannadi Suvargal Kulle
Enclosed in four glass walls
Naanum Mezhugu Vathiyum
Alone with only a candle
Thanimai Thanimayeeee!
Solitude and Solitude
Kodumai Kodumaiyee!
Torture it is great torture.

Buffaloing with English

I recently came across this nice article on wikipedia: wiki
Apparently buffalo has another meaning in english meaning: to confuse, to deceive.

The weirder part comes here. The following is a grammatically correct English sentence:
"Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo."
The meaning of this sentence goes something like:
The Buffalo bison that Buffalo bison intimidate, intimidate Buffalo bison. OR
New York bison, [that] New York bison annoy, [also] bother New York bison.

You want more of this :)
here it goes:
1. Cowes cows Cowes cows cow cow Cowes cows.
2. Bore boar Bore boar bore bore bore Bore boar bore.
3. "I wonder whether the wether will weather the weather, or whether the wether the weather will kill.

Wishing you a Happy Married Life !!!

Humor Ungal (your) Choice

Today in Pepsi ungal choice I came across some real humor situation.

This Lady calls up Pepsi Uma, and after this usual hysteric remarks, like "you are really beautiful", "I am really grateful to speak in this show etc", Uma asks this question.

The following was their conversation:

Pepsi Uma: Ungallukku Kuzhandhai Irruka ?
Do you have any children ?

Caller Lady: Illa, innum illa.
No, Not yet.

Pepsi Uma: So Inimel Dhaana ?
So in the future is it?

Caller Lady: Naan rendu varshama try panren.
Have been trying for two years!

Inniku dhaan kadaichudu
Got only today!

Enakku romba sandoshama irruku
I am really happy.

(Btw. for those who dint get it, the lady was referring to the call, that she got through to Ungal choice program and not her efforts for a kid !!!)

The Sweetest Lines of the Week

For most this must be gibberish, but for me the follwing 3 lines are the sweetest lines of the week:

2006-09-08 15:35:00,265 INFO - I came here finally
2006-09-08 15:36:52,578 INFO - Session Factory look up from JNDI: org.hibernate.impl.SessionFactoryImpl@89ca51

System.brain.dump()

I am thinking about...
singara chennai and my home

I said...
live in the present, dont wait .for that ideal future

I want to...
be rich, really rich both intellectually and materially

I wish...
for a Black Lamborghini with Jyothika on the driving seat :D

I hear…
Violins playing when I see a pretty gurl.

I wonder...
where and what I will be five years from now.

I regret...
Not taking risks in life

I am...
The one

I dance...
in the future

I sing...
in the past

I cry...
rarely, though no one knows psssst.!

I am not always...
this boring

I make with my hands...
a good rythm and also nice bread upma

I write...
code

I confuse...
sometimes, or never, not sure. confusing?

I need...
some excitement in life

I tag
none for now

Personality tests

I took this interesting personality test, that matches your personality to famous people. I took the test twice and ended up with two leaders :D
It also matches your personality with a movie.

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

I Love it When you sing to me

The book of love is long and boring
No one can lift the damn thing
It's full of charts and facts and figures and instructions for dancing

But I
I love it when you read to me
And you
You can read me anything

The book of love has music in it
In fact that's where music comes from
Some of it is just transcendental
Some of it is just really dumb

But I
I love it when you sing to me
And you
You can sing me anything

The book of love is long and boring
And written very long ago
It's full of flowers and heart-shaped boxes
And things we're all too young to know

But I
I love it when you give me things
And you
You ought to give me wedding rings

And I
I love it when you give me things
And you
You ought to give me wedding rings

And I
I love it when you give me things
And you
You ought to give me wedding rings
You ought to give me wedding rings


"The Book Of Love" Sung By Peter Gabriel - "Shall We Dance Together"

The Story of X Y Z

It is morning 8.00 A.M. in the morning and it is a real chilly morning in X. "Kousalya Supraja Ramapoorva Sandhya Pravarthathe" - Venkatesa Suprabatham is playing in a soothing tone in the background. I slowly walk towards the the windows and open the curtains. The view is breathtaking. The sun is perched on the vast crest of mountains, floating on cottonbales of silvery clouds. Down below is the never ending expanse of tea estates looking like streches of green sheets draped over the lands.The gurgling stream below the house seems to be playing a rythm of its own and gives a pleasant feeling. After enjoying the view for sometime, I brush my teeth and settle myself on the couch in the drawing room to read the morning newspaper.

The house seems to be smelling full of incense sticks (oodhuvathi) and Sambrani (aromatic substance) . She (Y) comes to me and hands me a full glass of hot and steaming coffee. I complement her that she is looking all the more beautiful today, at which she blushes and brushes away the remark with a pat on my shoulder. The coffee smell is heavenly and I take a deep breath to revel in its effect. The froth (norai) on the coffee seem to reflecting all the colors of the world. That is how coffee is perfectly made : hot, strong, thick, a bit milky, full of froth, served in a shiny glass (tumbler) and a saucer (davara). I enjoy every bit of the morning coffee while skimming through the newspaper. I get ready for my morning walk and together with Y we set forth on our usual picturesque morning walk trail.

...To be continued

A Tribute to All Parents : "Thavamai Thavamirundhu"

"What a movie"! Really emotional and moving!! I unabashedly admit that I cried after seeing the movie. I am not that kind of really emotional person. Maybe because I do miss staying with my parents, though I have been out of home for around seven years now!!

The movie beautifully portrays what kind of sacrifices parents make and how much important a role parents play in our lives.

oru murai dhan oru murai dhan
Only once and only once
oru sila thavarugal oru murai dhan
some mistakes are made only once

oru murai dhan thavariyadhal
Even though we erred only once
Adaigira Vedhanai pala murai dhan.
We might have to face the consequences many many times.


Overall an awesome movie!

Lost and Found

In college I had this habit of collecting poems I liked and I used to keep them in a diary. I recently found that diary in a junk of books ;).

Here are some of the verses from the diary:

Ketan Valand: Burning the Passions

To me she's no angel, thats' for sure
But this love as I know has no cure.
Every hour the feelings are there
Burning desires and passions to bear.

Loving the smiles, laughter and dreams,
Sharing the tears and life as it seems
Brushing away each other's grief and sorrows
Touching each other's present and tomorrow.

I can see the fire kindle in her eyes
Now I know for sure that there wont be any more good-byes.


Borrowed from my College Friend:
:) (Thoda filmi hai but I still like it !)

For the world you might be someone,
But for someone you are the world.

Don't marry someone you can live with,
Marry someone you cannot live without.

Everytime I meet you
I take a decision that
That I should never meet you again
For to meet you again
We need to part
And that makes me fall apart. :)))

Staying watching you
For a long long time
Is a pleasure unsurpassed
And whatever I do
You are on my mind
"My Permanent Passtime"

Love is an endless pit
Once you fall in love
You get deeper with time
There is no way you can climb out of it!!

(P.S: For that friend who wrote the above: in case you are reading the above: Hi da long time
...whatz up in life! Had collected some of the stuff written by you in our first or second year dont remember!! Letz get back in touch daa! cia)

Love Across the Salt Desert

"Love Across the Salt Desert" was the Title of one of the best stories in our Standard XII syllabus English text book. I am quite thankful to the NCERT (National Council for Education ? ?) for compiling lovely short stories and for introducing us to great authors like Oscar Wilde, RK Narayan, Khushwanth Singh, Rudyard Kipling etc.

This particular story I am talking about is set in an Indian village at the borders of India and Pakistan in the Salty Deserts of the Rann of the Kutch (somewhere in Gujarat or Rajasthan). The village is totally parched and dry and it has not rained there for years together. Many villagers earn their livelihood by smuggling goods across the border braving the BSF(Border Security Force) , Pakistan Army and bringing back goods from Pakistan as exchange. Our hero and his father too smuggle stuff into Pakistan and bring back spices from a Pakistan Village.

On one such visit The Hero meets the Spice Seller's daughter. "Eyes Meet, Love at First Sight" - Kannum Kannum Nokia - The Eyes do all the talking and it is understood that the Hero will come, "aur Dulhania Le Jayega". The Hero returns home with his father then informs his mother of his love and that he will be going to bring home his bride. As do standard Indian Movie mothers she wants her son to be happy, but his concerned of his safety and finally she courageously sends off her son with some food and jewels. Our hero braves the border forces in style and reaches the Pakistani village. The Spice Seller is hesitant but he sees the love in their eyes and does not stand in between their love. The Hero brings his lover in style, back to his village and it rains for the First Time after long long years. The village hails the girl as the saviour, and All is Well That Ends Well!!

Subham

(:) was watching Veer Zara for a while yesterday and thatz what prompted to write this entry.

Enlightening talk

I had been to Swami Swaroopananda's (Chinmaya Mission) talk on "The Art of Medidation - and The Power of Gayathri Mantra" . I should say it was really a enlightening talk. Though some concepts that he covered were OHT (Over Head Transmission) most of the contents of his talk were very practical and relevant to day to day life. After my upanayanam I was religiously doing the "Sandhyavandhana" [which I have currently discontinued ;) ] but now after attending this lecture I really feel that I have not done justice to it, even while doing it. One lesson that I have learnt is : just uttering prayers etc. and repeating shlokas are good but only to serve the purpose of chaneling the wavering mind and streamlining our thoughts so that we can concentrate on particular thing. The true power of meditation is to achieve greater mind control. I just tried a simple test, I counted how many different thoughts that crossed my mind in just 10 secs : I counted about 8 + 1 counting process = 9, that makes 9/10 = ~ 1 thought process per second. In Computer Science a well established fact is that "Context Switching is Expensive". Thus I have come to realise that I lose so much time in unnecessary context switching overheads. If I can tune my mind to concentrate on a particular thought without distraction for longer periods of time then I could be much more productive and efficient.

Happy New Year!!!!

Wish you all a very Happy New Year!!
Fireworks At Sentosa (Siloso Beach) 12.00 A.M 1st January 2006



Books in the Last Month:
One Night at a Call Center (Chetan Bhagat) : A decent read and could associate with all the places in Gurgaon and brought back nostalgic memories of my shorts visits to Gurgaon while at Pilani.

Movies in the Last Month: (Rated according to my liking)
1. Parineeta: Awesome movie - Story was great, songs were great, Vidya Balan Roxxx.
Dil Ki Jo Baatein Hain
Baatein Jo Dil Ki Hain
Dil hi Mein Rakhna Piyaan
AAnkon Ne Sab Key Diyaa!!
Piyu Bole Piyaa Bole Kya Yeh Bole Janoona :)

2. Kanda Naal Mudhal : A different kind of Tamil movie, Re-recording by Yuvan was enjoyable.
3. Paheli : Shah Rukh + Rani Mukherjee starrer - Liked the Folk Story concept and the authentic Rajasthani background captured in the movie.

Yet Another Travel Blog

It is great to be going back home and this is yet another blog from the airport. I am going home after a period of six months and looking forward for my stay there. These six months were quite good. I just got into groove into my first job and it has been a great experience till now. Having good fun other than work too with lots of sports like Tennis, Badminton, Bowling, Pool etc.
Planning to get a bit more serious with life after I get back as a New Year Resolution :))

Have fun and TIG

DNR - Do Not Resuscitate

Prolonging life artificially through Life Support and Euthanasia (Mercy Killing) have always been a subject of debate. From the patient's point of view Euthanasia seems valid, but from a general perspective saving a person's life even so be it for a small duration is still worth the effort.

Just came across this terminology called DNR - Do Not Resuscitate. If a patient at the time he is admitted has a DNR order it means that he wishes that his life not be prolonged artificially or he wishes that his life not be revived artificially in case he suffers from any attack.

Came across this interesting article where a retired nurse has tatooed a DNR on herself.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2819149.stm

SFO in a Different Light

Some interesting snaps clicked in San Francisco.

Bushwhacked!!














Smoke Pots of different shapes














Pile of crabs Fisheman's Wharf















American Heroes on Harley Davidsons














The Modern Day beggar














Marilyn Monroe and Mickey Mouse

Java Rocks

This is a name of a cafe in Haight Street in San Francisco. I totally agree with what it says. Java Rox and it earns me my bread now :)

Sindhubhairavi

Simple yet touching:

Poomalai Vangi vandhan pookal illaye
He got a garland but alas it had no flowers!

Sevi Illai ingoru Isai Edharku
Without the ears what is the use of music

Vizhi Illai Ingoru villaku Edharku
Without the eyes what use is a lamp

Naalum Naalum Aval Ninaivil Ivan Azhudhu!!
Day by day he is pining in her memory

Poo malai vangi vandhan pookal illaye!

In Rememberance of the Almighty

I am really indebted to GOD for whatever he has given me. I am ever grateful to HIM.


I have always felt that chanting mantras and slokas helped me concentrate and gain focus.

Came across this wonderful site with all important Sthothrams and Slokas:

http://mailerindia.com/slokas/mantras/index.php?mantrahow

Orchard Photographs Lee Hsien Loong

Wow man!! Amazed at the Christmas decorations at the Orchard Road Singapore. Really lovely and gives a nice happy feeling. To add to the joy was a photography exhibition on the Road pavements. Mind blowing pictures clicked all over the world. Anyone in Singapore at this time should definitely visit Orchard as soon as possible to catch the Photo Exhibition as well the festive lightings and decorations. Also by chance spotted the Prime Minister of Singapore Mr Lee Hsien Loong on the roads looking at the photo exhibition. He was just another person among the busy Orchard Road crowd and though he had security, one could not really notice them unless anyone observed carefully.

I Walk a Lonely Road

Really touching song ....

Loved the song as well the the lyrics... song by a band called GreenDay

I walk a lonely road
The only one that I have ever known
Don't know where it goes
But it's home to me and I walk alone

I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleepsand
I'm the only one and I walk alone
I walk aloneI walk alone
I walk aloneI walk a...

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone
Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Aaah-ah,Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah

I'm walking down the line
That divides me somewhere in my mind
On the border lineOf the edge and where I walk alone

Read between the lines
What's **ed up and everything's alright
Check my vital signs
To know I'm still alive and I walk alone
I walk aloneI walk alone
I walk aloneI walk a...

My shadow's the only one that walks beside meMy shallow heart's the only thing that's beatingSometimes I wish someone out there will find me'Til then I walk alone
Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Aaah-ahAh-ah, Ah-ah
I walk aloneI walk a...

I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps
And I'm the only one and I walk a...

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone

Call It Conservative Call it Chennai

Being born and brought up in Chennai, I have experienced the conservative way of living in the City. I would say that this conservativeness is in a way necessary and good to inculcate moral values and ethics into the people (especially for children and adoloscents). But this recent case on Khushboo, Suhasini etc. has really crossed limits and so much hullaballoo on this is totally unnecessary and nonsensical.

Read this Article from Times of India on this Issue:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1298218,curpg-1.cms

What is the most ironical about this Khushboo issue is that the people who are raising their voice
against her (White-Dhoti Politicians and as much black on the inside) constitute the least moral and unethical people who are known for their polygamy, affairs, and various other shady businesses and have no business talking about Tamizh Panpadu (Tamil Ethics and Culture).

I Love My Job

Found this poem recently: was really funny. Has a sarcastic note to it. Sure does not reflect my opinion though: I love my job in the right sense!!

The Lost Dr Seuss Poem

I love my job, I love the pay! I
love it more and more each day.
I love my boss, she is the best!
I love her boss and all the rest.

I love my office and its location,
I hate to have to go on vacation.
I love my furniture, drab and gray,
And piles of paper that grow each day!

I think my job is really swell,
There's nothing else I love so well.
I love to work among my peers,
I love their leers, and jeers, and sneers.

I love my computer and its software;
I hug it often though it won't care.
I love each program and every file.
I'd love them more if they worked a while.

I'm happy to be here. I am. I am.
I'm the happiest slave of the Firm, I am.
I love this work, I love these chores.
I love the meetings with deadly bores.

I love my job - I'll say it again -
I even love those friendly men.
Those friendly men who've come today,
In clean white coats to take me away!

In Transit

Taipei September 10 2005

This is probably the first time I am going on such a long distance journey alone and probably that is the reason I feel quite bored. I have to kill ten hours of my time in this place ... man one instance where idling away makes you feel tired.

What do people generally do while travelling alone:

Read books
Listen to music
Blog :)
Work
Watch movies
Pick up a conversation with co-passengers

All this while I have been kind of doing a mixture of all the above things, and currently due to lack of sleep I am too bugged to do anything but blog.

Met this guy called Jeff from Denver in the transit lounge. He was travelling with his three year old kid from Manila to Denver. His kid's name was Kimberley. She was really cute, and had the combined looks of her filipino mother and a caucasian father. We hit upon almost all the topics in the world, like politics, oil exploration, Katrina, linguistics and world langugages, travel experiences, Linux vs Microsoft, Apple and Steve Jobbs etc etc. Overall it was a really good conversation. Jeff was of swedish origin and he told me how immigrants in US after one or two generations forget their native language and that he hardly knew swedish. He was born in Boston, educated in Colorado and now works for an organization called SWCA (www.swca.com) as an Environment Consultant. His specialization was Archaeology and survey. Aged around 40 he is still looking forward to taking up a Phd. One thing I am really amazed by the educational system in US is that most people pursue a career in their own interest area, however commercially inviable it may be and also that the country does offer employment opportunities in all areas. Recently I believe in India too the focus is moving away from engineering and IT and more and more students and willing to explore the arts and science field.

While in India I was under this impression that IT is the THE THING and is really cool. Only after a bit of experience and exposure to others viewpoints have I come to realize that IT is just a tool or means by which one can improve the process and make business processes faster and efficient. An IT company can never match a Brick and Mortar kind of organization and this is also reflected in fact that the world's top two companies are Exxon Mobil (Oil Giant) and GE (almost all possible sectors). Even the IT and Services Giant like IBM cannot compare to these organizations in terms of their huge presence in the world, and market value.

Flightellogue

This is my second blog from the Airport. Blogging is really a good way to kill time in the airport, especially if you are travelling alone. Had a nice hot cup of coffee from Deli France. I am surprised that you get much better coffee from Deli France rather from exclusive coffee outlets like Starbucks or Coffee Bean. Have 20 min more before boarding, and I am quite paranoid about how I am going to kill 10 hrs in Taipei airport. Shall try and get a transit visa there and would like to see the current tallest building in the world, before it is overtaken by the Dubai tower which is under construction and also the Memorial Building over ground zero in New York. Even if I cant get a transit visa I guess it should be fine, cos' I have more than 500 pages of design specifications to read before I reach "Silicon Valley". :)

Talk of the week:

Katrina and its devastation - Emergency in New Orleans

Iflex majority shares bought over by Oracle

Now Reading: LION BOY THE CHASE - Zizou Corder

Have a long journey to make

signing off

SPAM DELIGHT

Having the privelege of a very common name as my gmail account, I have received umpteen e-mails that were not meant for me. I once even got a marriage proposal asking when to schedule a marriage and conveying that all in the bride's family were happy with the alliance!

The following is an e-mail that I received today and I felt quite happy after reading it, thought it was not meant for me ;)

Dear Rajesh,
It is my pleasure to inform you that you have been accepted into the
doctoral program in Biophysical Sciences and that Dr. Sachs has agreed to
be your mentor and to provide both stipend and tuition support for you
while you pursue your doctoral studies in his laboratory.

Malcolm Slaughter
Department of Physiology and Biophysics
124 Sherman Hall
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY 14214

Suttum Vizhi Chudare : Ghajni

Code Meets Verse

This is supposedly the theme song of our previous product release:
Really cool, lyrics!!

Why do birds suddenly appear
every time you are near?
We've only just begun to live.
White lace and promises,
a kiss for luck and we're on our way.
We've only begun.
Before the risin' sun we fly.
So many roads to choose,
we start out walking and learn to run.
And yes, we've just begun.
Sharing horizons that are new to us,
watching the signs along the way.
Talking it over just the two of us,
working together day to day, together.
And when the evenin' comes we smile.
So much of life ahead,
we'll find a place where there's room to grow.
And yes, we've just begun.
Sharing horizons that are new to us,
watching the signs along the way.
Talking it over just the two of us,
working together day to day, together, together.
And when the evenin' comes we smile.
So much of life ahead,
we'll find a place where there's room to grow.
And yes, we've just begun.

Thought Constellations

Lakshya
Independence Day
Tri-color
Embassy
Late
Office
CrimsonLogic
Pressure
SMA
Awesome
Fun
Canadian Pizza
Movies
Chupke Chupke
Amitabh Bachchan
Kajra-re
Aish
Kuch na Kaho
Home
Palm Gardens
Computer
Forgot Mac-Power PC lugs
Linux
Caldera
Pilani
Ak 248
Common Room
Cooler
Water ...
Thatz enuff...

Bye to RedHill Close

It has been almost a year in Redhill now. The name does sound exotic right, like Beverly Hills, or Malabar Hills (Mumbai). I have now moved from this quite nice locality and it has been quite a memorable stay here. I just finished seeing the last season of Friends ( Season X). It was quite a touching episode. In this episode too Monica and Chandler move away from the In-City-apartment. I also found myself in such a situation. But change is an inseperable part of life. Just a day since I have shifted and already so many changes.

Change Number 1 : Got up quite early at 8 and reached office by 9:15 or so... Wow!! I am quite pleased with that.
Change Number 2: Came back from office and jogged on the treadmill for 3 Km. :))
Change Number 3: Cooked (or rather watched my flatmates) and ate home cooked food (Parathas and a nice subzi) and this is supposedly the regular plan. I surely plan to be a part of this cooking and revive my culinary skills.

Now playing... Khali Hai Tere Bina Dono Akhiyaan Tum Gaye Kahan
(Both my eyes are empty without you... where art thou have you gone...)

Card Games

Card games are awesome fun and a nice timepass especially if you have a big group. In my childhood I used to primarily play Ass and Joker. Then during the numerous train journeys to College we used to play quite a number of card games and I learnt games like Rummy, trump, Bid etc. Yesterday I learnt a new game called TeenPathi (Flush/Flash). Really nice game. The problem with card games is that I tend to forget the exact rules if I have not played the game for a long time. I found a nice link that lists most card games with their rules.

http://www.pagat.com/alpha.html

http://www.pagat.com/

Happy - Happy Deepavali

"Happy-Happy Deepavali maa" - This is the phrase that an old man tells his grandchildren, son and daughter-in-law who live elsewhere(foreign land) in some telephone advertisement that used to come long time back on television. This ad caught my attention because that old man used to say these with so much of emotion and love which I could not understand at that point and had brushed it aside as overaction.
Little did I know when I saw this ad that I would be exactly doing the same thing for many more years to come. There is a bright side to staying away from home in the sense that you become very independent and responsible (supposedly) and worldly wise. But on the flip side it is quite sad that you miss out on all the love and affection from parents,siblings, grandparents and other relatives. This I feel all the more when any special occassion comes by. During every Diwali at college we did have fun, but it was never quite the same as it was at home. I used to call home and other relatives every Diwali, and each time I used to have this kind of weird feeling of "OutOfContext Exception". I used to ask myself whether was it really worth staying away from home missing so much. I still do ask myself this question, now occassionally though as I have learnt to live with the reality. The reality is that I am in a Hot Pursuit (a euphemism for Rat Race) now, in pursuit of career growth and achievement, money and social recognition and this pursuit has brought me so far away from home But I do live with the hope that soon in the near future the race will end soon or I will voluntarily opt out of the race. Whichever happens the good thing is that "The good old days look much more nearer now"!!!

Nature Retreat - MacRitchie Reservoir

For all Nature freaks in Singapore, the MacRitchie reservoir park walking trails are one of the best you can get in Singapore. It is a picturesque location with walking trails all along the perimeter of the MacRitichie lake. I think morning time is the best time to visit the reservoir park as it is very cool and the morning dew on the rich foliage is breathtaking.



There are various attractions also in this Reservoir, the best one being the Tree Top Walk. This is a strech of the trail where one can
walk over a Suspension bridge amidst the tree tops and it is really a worthwhile experience. You feel like you are over a jungle and we also get a very good view of the reservoir area.

My personal favorite attraction in the reservoir is feeding the turtles. These turtles are really bold and hungry and even take food directly from the hand. The turtles seem to eat whatever humans eat like Biscuits, Water Melon, Murruku etc. etc. Other attractions in the reserve include the Jelutong Tower which is a great view point. Adjoining one edge of the reservoir is the Singapore Island Country Club Golf Course and we can see the golfers teeing off there.

Located in Upper Thomson Road region, the best way to get here is to to get down at Thomson or Novena and take a cab to Upper Thomson Road (Venus Drive) or ask for Singapore Island Country Club.

Golf Club View ..















Can you Spot the Web?















The Tree Top View

The Beginning!!

I noticed her due to her tinkling anklets,
That first glance was enough to make a mark of a lifetime.
Her long plaited hair was adorned by the sweet smelling Jasmine flowers,
Or was it the Jasmine flowers adorned by her wonderful wisps of hair
Her broad forehead dotted with vermilion and kumkum
Reminded me of the morning horizon and the radiant rising sun
Dressed in crisp Kanchipuram silk here she was the girl of my dreams!!

I had become quite oblivious of our surroundings

Just then I realized that we were in a temple and I was supposed to pray!!
She had started making small steps around the sanctum
Quickly I began following her with my hands folded in piety
My heart skipped a beat when she turned around to look at me
In reflex my hands folded and my lips started uttering something...
She must have thought I was praying in devotion
Yes I was praying in devotion, that I could speak to her.

It was the full moon day and the temple was getting crowded
Soon I lost sight of her in all the chaos
Disappointed I completed two more rounds of pradakshina,
Made a deal with HIM that all be good,
And with a heavy heart walked back home .



As I was opening the gate of my house
I heard a sweet and soothing voice
Surprised I was when I looked around
Here she was the Jhaangri* of my eyes!
Slowly she walked up to me!!
I was too dazed by the situation to see!



While all the time I was looking down,
She spoke to me without a frown
She had just moved into the neighbourhood with her mom and dad,
And thought she would get to know her neighbours well, wasnt I too glad :)
She too had noticed me in temple, and in friendship she extended her hand
I too reciprocated while I was floating away into FairyLand...
And that was the Beginning, a really nice Beginning!!


*Jhaangri: A Really delicious awesome South Indian Sweet!!

Power Play in Cricket!!

Recently I read an article about the new rules in Cricket that have been tested in the Australia vs England series. They seem pretty interesting. Now we can have a 12 member team (one substitute) who can replace any player and do batting as well as bowling any time in the match, the only catch being the replaced player cannot come on field again.

It more feels like football substitution now. But it seems pretty useful. For example we can choose a fast bowler who bowls well with the new ball and have him bowl for 5-6 overs and then can substitute him with a bowler who bowls well with an old one in the slog overs. Or we can send in a guy to hit in the slog overs and if it looks like he is out of form or is underperforming then chuck him out and replace him with the twelfth man. Cricket is getting more and more interesting. Looking forward to see how well these Power play rules are put to use by the various teams.

Source: BBC News

MIT BLOG SURVEY

Do participate in the MIT Blog Survey!!

MKS - Windows Unix Interoperability

Recently installed a Windows-unix interoperability tool called MKS.
Details : http://www.mkssoftware.com/products/tk/ds_tkdev.asp

Really cool product. Now all unix commands are functional on the Windows command prompt. It is very helpful cos' it eliminated the need to change long unix scripts for running on windows.

Ooty Trip

Recently I had been Ooty during my trip to India. I was visiting Ooty after 6 years. The last time I had visited Ooty was after my board exams , actually just before my XII board results were about to come. I recollect being quite anxious and me and my parents were constantly checking the news, newspapers etc. for any updates on when the XII CBSE results were coming. But anyhow it was a really memorable trip due to two main reasons. The first one being: I got to see the India vs. Sri Lanka one day match there, where India made a whopping 376 and Ganguly made 176 (I think his career highest in ODIs) .The other was that we watched this awesome Super Duper Rajnikanth starrer movie "Padayappa" and it was total entertainment.

The recent trip to Ooty too was great as we went as a full family escaping the scorching Chennai heat. It is really nice to go back to places you have been before as it really brings back nice memories!!

Great Songs

Just listening to the song "Thai Sollum Uravai vaithe Ulagam Sondham" - an awesome song from the movie Kana Kanden. Really touching. Vidyasagar's music has been really top class in the past few years. Another song from the same movie "Moolai Thirugum (Kaalai Arumbi)" too is great.

The following songs have been my personal favorites in this year:

1. Mora Saiyaan (Fuzon) from the Hyderabad Blues II movie
2. Tere Bina Hyderabad Blues II
3. Kalayil Dinamum Kan Vizhithen from the movie NEW
4. En Aasai Mythiliye - Manmathan

and lately
Kana Kanden Songs.

It is great there is so much good music to fill up the void in my life!!

LAST DAY IN LAB!!

This is probably my last day (night infact) in the lab and I will be formally kicked out of here from tommorow. It has been an awesome and memorable stay in this less than 20 square feet of space and I am sure to miss the fun and freedom I got here.

Bye Bye Lab :(
Bye Bye SMA :(
But I have to move on!! :)

A Year in Singapore!!

One the June 24th I exactly completed a year of stay in Singapore. I arrived by the Indian Airlines flight on the same day last year, unsure of my future and what I wanted to do. This one year has been an awesome experience in terms of learning, international exposure and most important of all managing independently in any situation. On a divergent note, I am closer to home than I actually was before you know!! During college it used to take almost 2 days to reach home. When in Bangalore it used to take 5 hours. I am thankful that it just takes under 4 hours to reach Chennai from here. All my journeys back home have been eventful till now. The first time I went home they screened an awesome Trisha-Vijay Starrer Gilli Tamil movie on an International flight and to give company to this was "Avial- Vengaya(Onion) Sambar and Papad". The second time I travelled I got upgraded to Business class. It is another six months before I can think of going home again. Anyways the bottom line is though it has been a hectic stay here in Singapore and I kinda miss home, I have enjoyed and benefitted from the experience and stay here in Singapore and I am quite thankful for it!!

SATHI

Read a nice article from The Acorn blog. Nice name SATHI (Situationl awareness and Tactical Handheld information) for the Simputer that is planned for use by the Indian Army. The Simputer is a handheld device indigenously developed at the IISc (Indian Institute of Science Bangalore) and is quite cheap and affordable (~9000 Rs). It is great to hear that they are putting this to good use. I sincerely hope that the Simputer becomes a great success both in the national and international markets. Currently hell a lot of application development is happening for handhelds and mobile devices and I think that application development for Simputer too should be promoted for it to be a great success. Check out the product at http://www.simputer.org/simputer/. Look at the Aishwarya Rai background on the screen. Wow man nowadays she is on every damn product.

An Evening by the Beach

Every Chennai'ite (Madrasi) loves a visit to the beach. Exactly around six months back the deadly Tsunami struck and everyone dreaded a visit to the beach. Now when I visited the Marina beach though I could see minor marks of the devastation, things are pretty much back to normal. I have tried to capture the awesome scene that the beach offers in this post.

Bay of Bengal



Alaipayuthe!



Dont Remind the T****mi word!



Writings on the Sand



Shore Machaye Shor



The Foamy Sea



The Heavenly Sky


The Sand Beneath the Feet



Mollagai Bajji (Mirchi Pakora) - The Very Purpose of a Beach Visit

Mera Ghar - En Veedu - Mein Haus - My House

Whenever you buy any new gadget or an appliance there is something called a honey moon period associated with it. During this time you are in constant love with your gadget and keep trying out things with it. Recently I bought a new digi cam and have been clicking hell a lot of photos since then. In this photo blog I include some of the snaps I took of my house. The good news is that we are still getting Mangoes (recognizable in the photo) inspite of the poor care and water scarcity.

My Home

The Entrance

Abetting Crime

Today was my first direct experience of abetting crime. I was over enthusiastic of going to a movie today and went out in the scorching hot Chennai sun to watch”Bunty Aur Babli”. To my greatest disappointment the theatre was house full and we dint get any tickets. So we went to another theatre to watch a Tam movie called “Arinthum Ariyamalum”. There too there were no tickets available for any of the shows. All of us were quite sick of the Sunday crowd and the sweltering heat. Then in one corner of the road I noticed a boy throwing furtive glances and showing gestures at the crowd. I went near him and he told me “irubadu ambadu” (bees ka pachas or 20 at 50). Then I realized that he was selling black tickets for the same movie show that we wanted to go. In my sub-conscious I felt a bit guilty to buy the tickets and be a part of the black ticket crime racket. But on the other hand I was already tired and desperate to watch the movie. Finally the desire to watch the movie dominated over my pang of guilt and we ended up watching the movie. The movie was awesome. Songs were great, Prakash Raj’s and the other 2 guys’ acting was great. The heroine dint act so well, though she looked cute (a cross between Meera Jasmine and Sonali Bendre).

Trip to Home

This is the first time I am blogging from an airport. Currently I am at the Changi International Airport on my way to my home town "Chennai". Awesome the word "Home" sounds so great. It has been six long months now. There is another reason that made this trip memorable. I got upgraded to Business Class, thanks to that extra bit of concern shown and the smile to the lady at the Check in counter. Believe me the Jadoo Ki Jhappi Technique from Munnabhai (Kattipudi Vayithiyam from Vasool Raja) works really well in most cases. Just show some concern and interest in what others have to say and it works wonders. Anyways I have ten minutes before the scheduled flight take off. Let me sign off here. I have got loads of blogging to do but this is not the just the time.

Cya

One Year Of SMA at a glance

June
Arrival to Singapore

July
Courses Begin

August
The much awaited trip to MIT
Really cool accomodation at Holiday Inn
A great feeling to be at MIT!!
Awesome fun at New York and Niagra falls

September
End of Sem 1
The Movie Marathons in the break
Sem 2 Begins

October
Compilers Compilers everywhere

November



December
Pervasive Computing project - awesome experience with different technologies
Begin Master's Industrial attachment at CrimsonLogic
Whew what a relief at last; sem over and a short trip home

January
Crimson Logic begins :(

February

Sem 3 begins

What a Beautiful Sunday!!

It has been an awesome sunday today. It rained quite well in the morning and as a result the evening is so nice, cool and pleasant. Saw a classic movie of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan - "Sleepless in Seattle", a nice and dreamy movie. The perfect movie to watch on such a day! Just now as I walked across the NUS play grounds, the whole place looked so green, and I whiffed the fresh air with the scent of the wet sand and I just could not stop humming this lovely song by Daniel Boone called "Beautiful Sunday ". This song holds quite a special place in my heart because often my mom and dad used to sing this song in duet with great enthusiasm, and it used to sound really good, and always brings back happy memories. Below are the lyrics of this song:

The Link to hear the tune:
http://users.cis.net/sammy/sunday.htm

Beautiful Sunday

( Daniel Boone )

Sunday morning, up with the lark
I think I'll take a walk in the park
Hey, hey, hey, it's a beautiful day
I've got someone waiting for me
And when I see her I know that she'll say
Hey, hey, hey, what a beautiful day

Hi, hi, hi, beautiful Sunday
This is my, my, my, beautiful day
When you said, said, said, said that you loved me
Oh my, my, my, it's a beautiful day

Birds are singing, you by my side
Lets take a car and go for a ride
Hey, hey, hey, it's a beautiful day
We'll drive on and follow the sun
Making Sunday go on and on
Hey, hey, hey, it's a beautiful day

Hi, hi, hi, beautiful Sunday
This is my, my, my, beautiful day
When you said, said, said, said that you loved me
Oh my, my, my, it's a beautiful day

Hi, hi, hi, beautiful Sunday
This is my, my, my, beautiful day
When you said, said, said, said that you loved me
Oh my, my, my, it's a beautiful day

Hi, hi, hi, beautiful Sunday
This is my, my, my, beautiful day
When you said, said, said, said that you loved me
Oh my, my, my, it's a beautiful day

I Wanna go Home!!

Recently I heard this song of Michael Buble called "Home". It is a slow and very touching song and yesterday I watched the video of this in MTV. Quite impressive! They have captured well, the feelings of a lonely guy who badly wants to return home to his love! What follows is the lyrics of this song:

Home (Michael Buble)

Another summer day
Is come and gone away
In Paris and Rome
But I wanna go home
Mmmmmmmm

Maybe surrounded by
A million people I
Still feel all alone
I just wanna go home
Oh I miss you, you know

And I've been keeping all the letters that I wrote to you
Each one a line or two
"I'm fine baby, how are you?"
Well I would send them but I know that it's just not enough
My words were cold and flat
And you deserve more than that

Another aerorplane
Another sunny place
I'm lucky I know
But I wanna go home
Mmmm, I've got to go home

Let me go home
I'm just too far from where you are
I wanna come home

And I feel just like I'm living someone else's life
It's like I just stepped outside
When everything was going right
And I know just why you could not
Come along with me
But this was not your dream
But you always believe in me

Another winter day has come
And gone away
And even Paris and Rome
And I wanna go home
Let me go home

And I'm surrounded by
A million people I
Still feel alone
Oh, let go home
Oh, I miss you, you know

Let me go home
I've had my run
Baby, I'm done
I gotta go home
Let me go home
It will all right
I'll be home tonight
I'm coming back home

Yet Another Poem!!!

My Blog is turning out to be a collection of poems nowadays. But what the hell, it is my wish and I can put whatever I want!!! The poem that follows is a lovely work by William Wordsworth. This remains fresh in my heart because this is one of my Dad's favourite poems. In my childhood days he used to recite this to me often, hoping that I could recite it back to him with the same fervor and passion. Though I have not managed to do that, the least I can do is put this poem in my blog as my personal collection, for all to read and enjoy. So here it goes:

The Solitary Reaper

Behold her, single in the field,
Yon solitary Highland Lass!
Reaping and singing by herself;
Stop here, or gently pass!
Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
And sings a melancholy strain;
O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.

No Nightingale did ever chaunt
More welcome notes to weary bands
Of travellers in some shady haunt,
Among Arabian sands:
A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence of the seas
Among the farthest Hebrides.

Will no one tell me what she sings?--
Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
For old, unhappy, far-off things,
And battles long ago:
Or is it some more humble lay,
Familiar matter of to-day?
Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,
That has been, and may be again?

Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang
As if her song could have no ending;
I saw her singing at her work,
And o'er the sickle bending;--
I listened, motionless and still;
And, as I mounted up the hill
The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.

 -- William Wordsworth

Two Gems Added to my collection!!!

The following two poems are among the best poems ever I have read so far. Both these poems somehow relate to the situation and plight I am currently in now!!

LEISURE by W. H. Davies

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.


Poem By Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.