The Great Indian Train Journey
Sunshine's posts about her experiences with the buses and some conversations on cricforum with my friends made me reminisce about my favorite mode of travel. The train.
Most of my journeys on the train were made as a kid. Before our travel time became too precious to waste on a train journey, the train was my family's modus travellandi. :). Be it Delhi, or Agartala, no place was too far for a train journey. Happening to be a kid that loved to travel and see new places, I used to adore our journeys on the train. The majority of my travels used to be with my mom, or patti as I escorted them on their journeys from Madras to Delhi, Bombay, Bangalore, Mysore and all over the south.
What is it about the train journeys that seemed so magical to me?
Was it the food, the bunk beds in the 3rd tier and 2nd class AC, the chai and coffee wallas who served up this nectar that had you smacking your lips, the other travelers who hailed from all parts of India and spoke with strange accents or languages? Or could it be the joy of being able to wander about the train compartments knowing that you were ambling towards your destination? The possibility of being able to observe people from all walks of life on the train getting from pt A to B?
The poor bachelors used to be at the beck and call of all, old and young to get the most menial tasks done. Whether it was getting suitcases out of the storage places, or running out onto the platform to get everybody's water bottles filled.
Was it being able to watch other people at work in the paddy fields or on their way to and from office as you were on holiday? Perhaps it was the feeling of being so fast that you could outrun any car or bus on the road, the telephone and power poles rushing past you as the train rocked you to sleep.
Then again maybe it was those wondrous Western Ghat tunnels that peppered the tracks and interrupted the breathtaking views afforded to a nature starved city boy.
Or could it be the hawkers that went up and down the trains selling everything from masal-wadais to spinning tops. On the other hand, nothing could beat the feeling of achievement that I felt when I made it across those spooky joints that connected the train compartments from one corner of the train to another.
How about the feeling of awe and fear that I felt when the train made those huge booming sounds as it passed over the rushing waters of the Godavris, the Narmada, Krishna and other rivers that stretched as far as the eye could see!
Train trips were also a time to read new books and get away from the grind of doing homework or other mundane things that seemed to become so tedious to a small kid. It was a time to see the scripts of the posters on the walls change from Tamil, to Telugu, to Kannada, Devanagri and many others that I could not name. A time when your ticket collector would start off speaking Hindi and before you knew it would ask you for your ticket in Bhojpuri.
Did I mention the food? Why did everything taste so much better on the train? The Frootis tasted fruitier, the bondas and bhajjis tasted more delicious, the masal-wadas spicier, the pongal warmer, the chutney - well chutnier than any food at home or hotel ever could aspire to. I remember waiting desperately for our home-cooked food to run out, so I could could gorge on the greasy train food served in those aluminum foil tiffin boxes. I felt so important when I got to order the kind of food that I wanted.
However nothing could beat the feeling of getting to your destination often greeted by the people you love as they come to collect you from the belly of the metal beast that brought you to them.
Why did I love train journeys so much? Maybe it's time I found out again.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Monday, August 28, 2006
Youth vs Experience
Our team was the team to beat. We had not lost a single match to any of the teams our region. We first pummeled and then rolled up our opponents in style. I was a big part of our success in our previous seasons. I had lost only one game out of all the games that I had played. However, when the going is that good, it is the humble that succeed. No doubt I was good, but thanks to my victories there was the little matter of becoming over-confident. Still it seemed to make no difference to my game. I was winning games everywhere! And then fate decided that it was time for me to come back down to earth.
It was the second match of our season. Faithful to our reputation we had just rolled over our previous opponents and were looking to walk in and out to record our second victory. After all we had thrashed this team the last time we had played them. It was full of old guys who weren't expected to hold a candle to us.
I was told that I'd be playing this 60 year old guy. I smirked and asked a teammate of mine if he was sticking around so that I could practice a little with him after I was done with this guy. We made some jokes about how these old guys were making our games so boring. I mean we weren't playing professionally or anything, but playing these old guys who could hardly move around was just taking the fun out of the game.
My decrepit opponent shuffled up to me and we introduced ourselves. The first thing that went through my mind on seeing him was that he seemed to look like a turtle! His face was all shriveled up and he was hunched up a little making him look like he had a mini shell on his back. I sighed thinking what a waste of energy this was and we warmed up. He took awfully long! I was sympathetic and figured I may as well give him a little fun. So we traded blows and after an eternity decided to start the game.
He won the toss and floated a serve across the net. I almost fell over laughing. I smacked it with all the power I had and watched it zoom back to him. I expected him to fall all over himself trying to avoid getting hit by it. However to my amazement all he did was get his racket to it ... and it sailed over the net for a perfect drop shot. I could have got it easily, had I not been rooted to the ground, mouth open in shock! He grinned at me and said, "Great shot!", and then shuffled over to hit the next serve. Another floater, another boom as I smack it, another lovely deflection, followed by the grin and shuffle. I couldn't believe it! Two returns that any pro would have been proud of and I was two points down!
I then decided I would make the bag o' bones run a little. The next serve was another floater, but somehow he managed to put it in the one spot that I couldn't reach even I had dived after it. He had aced me. I didn't have to look up to see the grin on his face. I could almost feel it!
Game after game, he out-thought me, making me run and play the kind of game that he was most comfortable with. I did win the occasional game and point, but I was completely unnerved. I would not have been able to recognize the game this old guy was making me play. Game after game, point after point, the grin-shuffle kept coming and going, until I couldn't stand it anymore. My captain who was watching the game walked up to me and asked me why I was playing the fool. All I could do was shrug. Another sly grin formed on my opponent's wizened face when he heard this. I managed to make a mini-comeback and win a set but in the final set he had wrung every bit of energy from me. And somehow he was still standing. Here I was, a strapping 25 year old in the form of his life toyed with by a man almost three times his age!
At the end of the game, he walks up to me and handed me his hand gingerly said, "So your friend still sticking around for that game you wanted after you thrashed me?" and ambled off into the darkness.
All I could do was stand there with my mouth open.
In order to win, ability alone does not count. In the fascinating world of sports, you could be faster, stronger, more competitive, more talented, and able. However, unless you respect your opponent you could get schooled by your opponent. Never again will I doubt someone based on their appearance or age.
Our team was the team to beat. We had not lost a single match to any of the teams our region. We first pummeled and then rolled up our opponents in style. I was a big part of our success in our previous seasons. I had lost only one game out of all the games that I had played. However, when the going is that good, it is the humble that succeed. No doubt I was good, but thanks to my victories there was the little matter of becoming over-confident. Still it seemed to make no difference to my game. I was winning games everywhere! And then fate decided that it was time for me to come back down to earth.
It was the second match of our season. Faithful to our reputation we had just rolled over our previous opponents and were looking to walk in and out to record our second victory. After all we had thrashed this team the last time we had played them. It was full of old guys who weren't expected to hold a candle to us.
I was told that I'd be playing this 60 year old guy. I smirked and asked a teammate of mine if he was sticking around so that I could practice a little with him after I was done with this guy. We made some jokes about how these old guys were making our games so boring. I mean we weren't playing professionally or anything, but playing these old guys who could hardly move around was just taking the fun out of the game.
My decrepit opponent shuffled up to me and we introduced ourselves. The first thing that went through my mind on seeing him was that he seemed to look like a turtle! His face was all shriveled up and he was hunched up a little making him look like he had a mini shell on his back. I sighed thinking what a waste of energy this was and we warmed up. He took awfully long! I was sympathetic and figured I may as well give him a little fun. So we traded blows and after an eternity decided to start the game.
He won the toss and floated a serve across the net. I almost fell over laughing. I smacked it with all the power I had and watched it zoom back to him. I expected him to fall all over himself trying to avoid getting hit by it. However to my amazement all he did was get his racket to it ... and it sailed over the net for a perfect drop shot. I could have got it easily, had I not been rooted to the ground, mouth open in shock! He grinned at me and said, "Great shot!", and then shuffled over to hit the next serve. Another floater, another boom as I smack it, another lovely deflection, followed by the grin and shuffle. I couldn't believe it! Two returns that any pro would have been proud of and I was two points down!
I then decided I would make the bag o' bones run a little. The next serve was another floater, but somehow he managed to put it in the one spot that I couldn't reach even I had dived after it. He had aced me. I didn't have to look up to see the grin on his face. I could almost feel it!
Game after game, he out-thought me, making me run and play the kind of game that he was most comfortable with. I did win the occasional game and point, but I was completely unnerved. I would not have been able to recognize the game this old guy was making me play. Game after game, point after point, the grin-shuffle kept coming and going, until I couldn't stand it anymore. My captain who was watching the game walked up to me and asked me why I was playing the fool. All I could do was shrug. Another sly grin formed on my opponent's wizened face when he heard this. I managed to make a mini-comeback and win a set but in the final set he had wrung every bit of energy from me. And somehow he was still standing. Here I was, a strapping 25 year old in the form of his life toyed with by a man almost three times his age!
At the end of the game, he walks up to me and handed me his hand gingerly said, "So your friend still sticking around for that game you wanted after you thrashed me?" and ambled off into the darkness.
All I could do was stand there with my mouth open.
In order to win, ability alone does not count. In the fascinating world of sports, you could be faster, stronger, more competitive, more talented, and able. However, unless you respect your opponent you could get schooled by your opponent. Never again will I doubt someone based on their appearance or age.
Friday, August 25, 2006
Ten things that you love about your life
Being miserable about things in our life is the easiest thing to do in the world! Think about it. How many things can you name that you hate about your life? I can bet that you can list a 100 problems in the space of 5 mins. Car and house payments, gardening (maybe that's just me :) ), feeling underpaid at work or overworked, losing out in love, the situation in Iraq, et al. Now name 10 things that you love about your life.
Go on ... take your time.
Too hard?
I was astounded when I could not think of 10 things that I loved about my life. 10 measly things.... I mean even after I separated my family out to occupy one item each I barely got to 10. How many times do you count your blessings? How often are you happy for the fact that there are people you love that love you back? That you have never had to worry about starving or are in good health? That you never have to worry about scrounging for money to go see a movie or order in that pizza you love to feast on?
Why do I have so few things to be happy about? It was a question that I was only able to answer when the American Red Cross came to our office for blood donations. I volunteered at their booth to get a break from my office routine and then found out what I was missing. Giving. Giving without expecting back in return.
To cut a long, sappy story short, I signed up on the spot and donated a pint of blood as well. Maybe it was the lack of blood rushing through my body, but suddenly I fell in love with life again. The feeling of satisfaction I received from knowing that something that I take for granted everyday can be the difference between life and death for another.
Sure I've volunteered before. I've helped build houses, take pictures of dogs for the local SPCA, stood and run in mini-marathons for CRY, cancer etc etc.... but I always wanted something back in return. I realized when I gave blood that there is so much more to life than just taking all the time.
Today on Amit Varma's blog Indiauncut I read a post that directed me to this plea by Balaji. I followed the links until I got to the page where I learnt about the fate that awaited these patients for lack of something that I have no problem producing. I am going to make an appointment to see if I can help any of these people out in any way. I'm not saying this to make you think that I'm special. It is an indirect plea to everyone out there to start giving. Maybe you may not want to donate your blood or bone marrow. Do something else. Give without expecting anything back. Trust me. You won't need ten things to make you love life again.
P.S. To the guys. At the blood drive I got 8 telephone numbers from drop dead gorgeous girls that wouldn't have bothered to give me the time of day otherwise.
P.P.S Don't worry mom ... I didn't call them (yet! :))
Being miserable about things in our life is the easiest thing to do in the world! Think about it. How many things can you name that you hate about your life? I can bet that you can list a 100 problems in the space of 5 mins. Car and house payments, gardening (maybe that's just me :) ), feeling underpaid at work or overworked, losing out in love, the situation in Iraq, et al. Now name 10 things that you love about your life.
Go on ... take your time.
Too hard?
I was astounded when I could not think of 10 things that I loved about my life. 10 measly things.... I mean even after I separated my family out to occupy one item each I barely got to 10. How many times do you count your blessings? How often are you happy for the fact that there are people you love that love you back? That you have never had to worry about starving or are in good health? That you never have to worry about scrounging for money to go see a movie or order in that pizza you love to feast on?
Why do I have so few things to be happy about? It was a question that I was only able to answer when the American Red Cross came to our office for blood donations. I volunteered at their booth to get a break from my office routine and then found out what I was missing. Giving. Giving without expecting back in return.
To cut a long, sappy story short, I signed up on the spot and donated a pint of blood as well. Maybe it was the lack of blood rushing through my body, but suddenly I fell in love with life again. The feeling of satisfaction I received from knowing that something that I take for granted everyday can be the difference between life and death for another.
Sure I've volunteered before. I've helped build houses, take pictures of dogs for the local SPCA, stood and run in mini-marathons for CRY, cancer etc etc.... but I always wanted something back in return. I realized when I gave blood that there is so much more to life than just taking all the time.
Today on Amit Varma's blog Indiauncut I read a post that directed me to this plea by Balaji. I followed the links until I got to the page where I learnt about the fate that awaited these patients for lack of something that I have no problem producing. I am going to make an appointment to see if I can help any of these people out in any way. I'm not saying this to make you think that I'm special. It is an indirect plea to everyone out there to start giving. Maybe you may not want to donate your blood or bone marrow. Do something else. Give without expecting anything back. Trust me. You won't need ten things to make you love life again.
P.S. To the guys. At the blood drive I got 8 telephone numbers from drop dead gorgeous girls that wouldn't have bothered to give me the time of day otherwise.
P.P.S Don't worry mom ... I didn't call them (yet! :))
The fastest of 'em all?
Which is the only car that can outspeed a Lamborghini, Evo, Audi TT, and, a Corvette?
The Mahindra Jeep. How? Check it out for yourself! Sometimes as they say it's good to be mysterious. :)
Which is the only car that can outspeed a Lamborghini, Evo, Audi TT, and, a Corvette?
The Mahindra Jeep. How? Check it out for yourself! Sometimes as they say it's good to be mysterious. :)
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Holy Orkut!
Google has the Midas touch. It really does. I mean take almost anything that they ventured into (software wise). They have an astounding rate of success - because their products are amazing. I was coerced into joining Orkut (Google's version of Myspace). With much reluctance I got past my inertia for these public forums where people fall over themselves to give out information about themselves to strangers. And I'm loving it!
You can join Orkut by invitation only... which means that there are far fewer spammers that can get onto it unlike other similar sites such as hi5 and Friendster. The layout and tools supported rock! I was especially astounded by the super speedy page loads and times taken to upload pictures from your machine. There are few kinks in the system... and the network there is amazing. I suppose they have used Ajax to the max on these sites. Ajax is awesome! It is revolutionizing the web industry! Ok... sorry enough geeky stuff :).
Getting back to the site... I have found friends that I had completely forgotten about! Just the other day I was going through some digital pictures of mine and remenescing about the wonderful people that I have met in my life. I wished that I had been more proactive in keeping in touch with the people who had been a big part of my life at some point or the other. Living in Charleston playing tennis to fill my time is great... but I miss my college friends and other friends who made my life complete!
I must give a big thank you to Orkut and the people that made me join. There are too many ppl to thank for that... so well u know who you are... And if you are not reading this, then well you don't deserve to be thanked in the first place :).
So well I have been Orkutting since day before evening at home, in the office, when I get up in the morning and before I go to sleep at night. So well if you have an Orkut account I'd love to hear from you.
If not you should try it out!
Google has the Midas touch. It really does. I mean take almost anything that they ventured into (software wise). They have an astounding rate of success - because their products are amazing. I was coerced into joining Orkut (Google's version of Myspace). With much reluctance I got past my inertia for these public forums where people fall over themselves to give out information about themselves to strangers. And I'm loving it!
You can join Orkut by invitation only... which means that there are far fewer spammers that can get onto it unlike other similar sites such as hi5 and Friendster. The layout and tools supported rock! I was especially astounded by the super speedy page loads and times taken to upload pictures from your machine. There are few kinks in the system... and the network there is amazing. I suppose they have used Ajax to the max on these sites. Ajax is awesome! It is revolutionizing the web industry! Ok... sorry enough geeky stuff :).
Getting back to the site... I have found friends that I had completely forgotten about! Just the other day I was going through some digital pictures of mine and remenescing about the wonderful people that I have met in my life. I wished that I had been more proactive in keeping in touch with the people who had been a big part of my life at some point or the other. Living in Charleston playing tennis to fill my time is great... but I miss my college friends and other friends who made my life complete!
I must give a big thank you to Orkut and the people that made me join. There are too many ppl to thank for that... so well u know who you are... And if you are not reading this, then well you don't deserve to be thanked in the first place :).
So well I have been Orkutting since day before evening at home, in the office, when I get up in the morning and before I go to sleep at night. So well if you have an Orkut account I'd love to hear from you.
If not you should try it out!
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
This was just so funny that I had to bump it up again!
Coming soon... Da Machi Code
One of the funniest forwards I have ever read! Courtesy of Cricforum :D ...
YENJOY the 10 min preview of the impending blockbuster!
Robert Lingam I.P.S (Rajanikanth) visits Madurai to deliver a lecture in college about public safety. The head pujari of Meenakshi temple is murdered. He was stabbed to death, but before dying he lies down in the robotic break dance position next to a shiva lingam, the message clearly being "call robert lingam". He had also smashed the breasts of a goddess statue and hung a bell with a chain from her hip. Also clutched in his hand is the Congress party manifesto with the 49% reservation for OBCs underlined with his blood.
Pujari's grand daughter Mahalakshmi (Sneha) had just returned from USA with a degree in cryptology, symbology, singing and group-dance. She cuts short her weekend trip to Chennai and returns to Madurai upon the murder.
She meets Commissioner Lingam at the murder site and together embarkto solve the murder and in the process "witness the biggest cover up in Hindu history". "My 'Thaatha' used to insist that me and my brother play hide and seek inside the temple", said Mahalakshmi.
"Why the congress manifesto? Why the underlining on the reservation part? Was your thaatha going to lose his job as head-priest to an OBC candidate?",puzzled look on Lingam's face with knit eyebrows."Thaatha always said reservation was plain bull shit"
"What?"
"Bull shit - very rarely he used english but whenever this topic used tocome up, he wud use that term"Lingam's eyes lit up.
"That's the clue...yes, bull shit, oh Rama how did i miss that", excited he clutches Mahalakshmi's wrist as they bolt out of the murder scene.
"Where is the biggest Nandi bull statue in this temple complex?"
"By the east gate"
"Let's go".................
Lingam put his hand into the orifice which was the asshole of the Nandi bull statue. His fingers felt the cold touch of an ancient palm leaf. Pulling it out Lingam attempted to read under the flickering light of the solitary lamp post nearby.neatly written in outdated tamil script were the lines,
"Kai Anchu, Vaai Nooru Periya bookukule oru chinna book" (Literal Translation: 5 Hands, 100 Mouths, Big book with a small book inside)
"Ah", Lingam sighed.
"What does it mean?"
"I have heard both these lines before...but in a very different context"
Lingam looked skywards for some divine intervention to help him solve this new clue. Towering into the skyline in front of him as dawn was breaking,was the tall gopuram of the temple. Quickly turning around, a smile danced on Lingam's lips as his sight fell on all the five towers. "The five towers, phallic symbols...the five Pandava brothers, We need to get to a library,I need to see the original copy of the Kama sutra", "this early in the morning?" asked Mahalakshmi as they hurried towards Lingam's jeep. "And what does it have to do with Reservation?"
As they jeep hurtled towards the town library, Lingam explained, "Few temples in India are famous for their erotic art and architecture.
The kings built those to encourage population growth. For centuries, there has been rumours of a secret society that guarded a secret behind such art and symbols, a secret so powerful that if revealed would shake the very foundations of conservative culture. In fact it may make our OBCs into FCs and FCs into BCs and BCs into OBCs and STs into SCs. We may even discover more castes in the entire process!"
"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!", screams Mahalaxmi
COMING SOON TO A SCREEN NEAR YOU....
WITNESS THE GREATEST COVER UP IN HINDU HISTORY
A SECRET SO DEVASTATING THAT IF REVEALED COULD LEAD TO EVEN MORE CATACLISMIC POPULATION EXPLOSION..... LEADING TO MANY MORE CASTES!!!
WAS THE MOST NOTORIOUS PIECE OF INDIAN LITERATURE ORIGINALLY PART OF
THE GREATEST EPIC POEM EVER WRITTEN?
WERE THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE KAMASUTRA THE SAME GODS AND GODDESSES GLORIFIED IN ANCIENT TEXTS? ARE WE GOING TO DISCOVER MORE CASTES? WILL OBCs FINALLY BECOME FCs?
CONTINUING WITH THE MODERN INDIAN TRADITION OF BLATANTLY APING THE
WEST....
A.M.RATNAM PRESENTS
SUPERSTAR Rajni and assorted castes in
THE DA MACHI CODE
'SO CORNY A DARK MAN'
PONGAL 2007
Coming soon... Da Machi Code
One of the funniest forwards I have ever read! Courtesy of Cricforum :D ...
YENJOY the 10 min preview of the impending blockbuster!
Robert Lingam I.P.S (Rajanikanth) visits Madurai to deliver a lecture in college about public safety. The head pujari of Meenakshi temple is murdered. He was stabbed to death, but before dying he lies down in the robotic break dance position next to a shiva lingam, the message clearly being "call robert lingam". He had also smashed the breasts of a goddess statue and hung a bell with a chain from her hip. Also clutched in his hand is the Congress party manifesto with the 49% reservation for OBCs underlined with his blood.
Pujari's grand daughter Mahalakshmi (Sneha) had just returned from USA with a degree in cryptology, symbology, singing and group-dance. She cuts short her weekend trip to Chennai and returns to Madurai upon the murder.
She meets Commissioner Lingam at the murder site and together embarkto solve the murder and in the process "witness the biggest cover up in Hindu history". "My 'Thaatha' used to insist that me and my brother play hide and seek inside the temple", said Mahalakshmi.
"Why the congress manifesto? Why the underlining on the reservation part? Was your thaatha going to lose his job as head-priest to an OBC candidate?",puzzled look on Lingam's face with knit eyebrows."Thaatha always said reservation was plain bull shit"
"What?"
"Bull shit - very rarely he used english but whenever this topic used tocome up, he wud use that term"Lingam's eyes lit up.
"That's the clue...yes, bull shit, oh Rama how did i miss that", excited he clutches Mahalakshmi's wrist as they bolt out of the murder scene.
"Where is the biggest Nandi bull statue in this temple complex?"
"By the east gate"
"Let's go".................
Lingam put his hand into the orifice which was the asshole of the Nandi bull statue. His fingers felt the cold touch of an ancient palm leaf. Pulling it out Lingam attempted to read under the flickering light of the solitary lamp post nearby.neatly written in outdated tamil script were the lines,
"Kai Anchu, Vaai Nooru Periya bookukule oru chinna book" (Literal Translation: 5 Hands, 100 Mouths, Big book with a small book inside)
"Ah", Lingam sighed.
"What does it mean?"
"I have heard both these lines before...but in a very different context"
Lingam looked skywards for some divine intervention to help him solve this new clue. Towering into the skyline in front of him as dawn was breaking,was the tall gopuram of the temple. Quickly turning around, a smile danced on Lingam's lips as his sight fell on all the five towers. "The five towers, phallic symbols...the five Pandava brothers, We need to get to a library,I need to see the original copy of the Kama sutra", "this early in the morning?" asked Mahalakshmi as they hurried towards Lingam's jeep. "And what does it have to do with Reservation?"
As they jeep hurtled towards the town library, Lingam explained, "Few temples in India are famous for their erotic art and architecture.
The kings built those to encourage population growth. For centuries, there has been rumours of a secret society that guarded a secret behind such art and symbols, a secret so powerful that if revealed would shake the very foundations of conservative culture. In fact it may make our OBCs into FCs and FCs into BCs and BCs into OBCs and STs into SCs. We may even discover more castes in the entire process!"
"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!", screams Mahalaxmi
COMING SOON TO A SCREEN NEAR YOU....
WITNESS THE GREATEST COVER UP IN HINDU HISTORY
A SECRET SO DEVASTATING THAT IF REVEALED COULD LEAD TO EVEN MORE CATACLISMIC POPULATION EXPLOSION..... LEADING TO MANY MORE CASTES!!!
WAS THE MOST NOTORIOUS PIECE OF INDIAN LITERATURE ORIGINALLY PART OF
THE GREATEST EPIC POEM EVER WRITTEN?
WERE THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE KAMASUTRA THE SAME GODS AND GODDESSES GLORIFIED IN ANCIENT TEXTS? ARE WE GOING TO DISCOVER MORE CASTES? WILL OBCs FINALLY BECOME FCs?
CONTINUING WITH THE MODERN INDIAN TRADITION OF BLATANTLY APING THE
WEST....
A.M.RATNAM PRESENTS
SUPERSTAR Rajni and assorted castes in
THE DA MACHI CODE
'SO CORNY A DARK MAN'
PONGAL 2007
Monday, August 21, 2006
Another one bites the dust
In the blink of an eye, another weekend has flown away into nothingness. I think I may have set some post-uni sleeping record this weekend. I remember being up very late on Friday night... and remember waking when it was quite dark outside. The clock showed 2. I felt like crap and figured it was because I was not getting too much sleep. Then I realized that it was very cloudy outside and my curtains were drawn hehe... So I had slept for 12-14 hrs solid!
Anyways the upside to the vanishing weekend is that I am now one weekend closer to my month-long trip to India!
Yay! 4 long years since I've gone back!
Can't wait to eat all the food that I was only able to dream about over these last few years.
Gobi Manchurian, Bhel Puri, Aloo Tikkis, Malai Kofta,.. I don't think I'm going to get much sleep if I go on.
Still you get the point. Food is going to be a major focal point of my trip back home this time. In fact I am doubling my stay at the gym and increasing my tennis workload to 4 hrs more a week, which means that if I were working out for a living.... I would be earning some pretty decent money on a weekly basis!
Oh well I'm sure the food will be worth all the gym time. Ah Bhel Puri... I'm coming for you! Until then I can only satisfy my perversions with pictures like this.
In the blink of an eye, another weekend has flown away into nothingness. I think I may have set some post-uni sleeping record this weekend. I remember being up very late on Friday night... and remember waking when it was quite dark outside. The clock showed 2. I felt like crap and figured it was because I was not getting too much sleep. Then I realized that it was very cloudy outside and my curtains were drawn hehe... So I had slept for 12-14 hrs solid!
Anyways the upside to the vanishing weekend is that I am now one weekend closer to my month-long trip to India!
Yay! 4 long years since I've gone back!
Can't wait to eat all the food that I was only able to dream about over these last few years.
Gobi Manchurian, Bhel Puri, Aloo Tikkis, Malai Kofta,.. I don't think I'm going to get much sleep if I go on.
Still you get the point. Food is going to be a major focal point of my trip back home this time. In fact I am doubling my stay at the gym and increasing my tennis workload to 4 hrs more a week, which means that if I were working out for a living.... I would be earning some pretty decent money on a weekly basis!
Oh well I'm sure the food will be worth all the gym time. Ah Bhel Puri... I'm coming for you! Until then I can only satisfy my perversions with pictures like this.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
The Paper Video Game
Something original for a change. My very own game! I'm sure there must be plenty of other ppl that have made something similar to this, but until they come and pull me up on this, I am the proud and sole creator of the PAPER VIDEO GAME! This is a special post for the Inventor of Games. Do check her blog out!
This was something that I had created sometime in 5th or 6th standard, when hand held video games were a craze in India. I wasn't able to get my hands on one, so well I created one with whatever resources I had plenty at the time - namely paper and pencils.
First how to create one. You need:
* A piece of paper (ruled or otherwise)
* Pencil and Eraser
* A fertile imagination
* Another tiny piece of folded paper/aluminium foil tightly curled into a small ball with a flat bottom.
STEP 1
First fold the sheet of paper as illustrated. There are two folds required. This gives it a kind of springy effect. Don't press too hard to make Fold 2. Otherwise the paper loses it's springiness.
Repeat for all 4 edges of the sheet of paper.
STEP 2
Now draw your beautiful game on it. I generally created courses that my little paper/foil ball had to make across, with alternate courses and bonuses etc. Draw your controls on the paper and voila... You have your paper game like so!
STEP 3
Now place the little ball at the start and navigate it through the meandering courses with your controls. Like I mentioned earlier, making your paper/foil ball flat at the bottom gives you better control. Otherwise you tend to lose control if it is completely round.
Practice makes perfect. It is quite difficult to master this game, so a little patience is required in the beginning. But once you master the art of moving your little ball, you can never get bored at airports :).
Something original for a change. My very own game! I'm sure there must be plenty of other ppl that have made something similar to this, but until they come and pull me up on this, I am the proud and sole creator of the PAPER VIDEO GAME! This is a special post for the Inventor of Games. Do check her blog out!
This was something that I had created sometime in 5th or 6th standard, when hand held video games were a craze in India. I wasn't able to get my hands on one, so well I created one with whatever resources I had plenty at the time - namely paper and pencils.
First how to create one. You need:
* A piece of paper (ruled or otherwise)
* Pencil and Eraser
* A fertile imagination
* Another tiny piece of folded paper/aluminium foil tightly curled into a small ball with a flat bottom.
STEP 1
First fold the sheet of paper as illustrated. There are two folds required. This gives it a kind of springy effect. Don't press too hard to make Fold 2. Otherwise the paper loses it's springiness.Repeat for all 4 edges of the sheet of paper.
STEP 2
Now draw your beautiful game on it. I generally created courses that my little paper/foil ball had to make across, with alternate courses and bonuses etc. Draw your controls on the paper and voila... You have your paper game like so!
STEP 3
Now place the little ball at the start and navigate it through the meandering courses with your controls. Like I mentioned earlier, making your paper/foil ball flat at the bottom gives you better control. Otherwise you tend to lose control if it is completely round.
Practice makes perfect. It is quite difficult to master this game, so a little patience is required in the beginning. But once you master the art of moving your little ball, you can never get bored at airports :).
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Need a new religion?
Maybe you can become a Pastafarian.
First a little background. Bobby Henderson of Kansas had a problem with the State's board of education wanting to teach Intelligent Design aka Scientific Creationism as an alternative to Darwinism in schools.
Why?
Because he believed that they should also consider teaching about the Flying Spaghetti Monster. In this letter, he preaches that it was the mostly invisible but omniscient Flying Spaghetti Monster that created the universe.
Bobby and his horde of Pastafarians believe that our world began when the Flying Spaghetti Monster created a mountain with trees and of course a midget as evidenced by this piece of damning evidence.
Not your plate of complex carbohydrates? Need more adventure and the great outdoors to satisfy your theological needs?
Check out Frisbeetarianism.
No?
Take your pick of these.
Or maybe you should just see the light and join the Cult of The Bharath. Currently accepting applications for followers *wink*.
Maybe you can become a Pastafarian.
First a little background. Bobby Henderson of Kansas had a problem with the State's board of education wanting to teach Intelligent Design aka Scientific Creationism as an alternative to Darwinism in schools.
Why?
Because he believed that they should also consider teaching about the Flying Spaghetti Monster. In this letter, he preaches that it was the mostly invisible but omniscient Flying Spaghetti Monster that created the universe.
We have evidence that a Flying Spaghetti Monster created the universe. None
of us, of course, were around to see it, but we have written accounts of it. We
have several lengthy volumes explaining all details of His power. Also, you may
be surprised to hear that there are over 10 million of us, and growing. We tend
to be very secretive, as many people claim our beliefs are not substantiated by
observable evidence. What these people don’t understand is that He built the
world to make us think the earth is older than it really is.
Bobby and his horde of Pastafarians believe that our world began when the Flying Spaghetti Monster created a mountain with trees and of course a midget as evidenced by this piece of damning evidence.
Not your plate of complex carbohydrates? Need more adventure and the great outdoors to satisfy your theological needs?
Check out Frisbeetarianism.
No?
Take your pick of these.
Or maybe you should just see the light and join the Cult of The Bharath. Currently accepting applications for followers *wink*.
The Others
One of the members on cricforum had pulled the forum's attention to this beautiful story about a tiny school in Bihar called the Ramanujam School of Mathematics turning destitute students into IIT-ians.
My own dream is to be able to open a Sports academy similar to the U.S.H.A later in life. Although education is the surest way out of poverty for most, there are many in India who would be better suited to becoming sportsmen and women. In Brazil, football is considered by prospective footballers as the way out the slums. A way to break free of the shackles of poverty.
In India, on the other hand only an elite few manage to make a career in sport. One can only imagine the potential of our population and the heights they can reach should they have the kind of facilities afforded to people in more developed countries. I would like to start a private organization free of the red-tapism of the Indian Sports Authorities and to quote Jaffar from the animated movie Aladdin, discover the diamonds in the rough.
Although I love cricket, I believe that other sports are worth my love as well. We tend to focus too much on Cricket. I mean how many people know that Delhi will soon host the world's richest half-marathon with all the buzz about India's tour to Sri Lanka?
Hopefully someday in the near future I will have the honor of being able to help people the way Anand Kumar and Abhayanand currently are.
One of the members on cricforum had pulled the forum's attention to this beautiful story about a tiny school in Bihar called the Ramanujam School of Mathematics turning destitute students into IIT-ians.
Hats off to these selfless individuals who have put education on a pedestal and mentored geniuses such as Santosh Kumar to become an IIT-ian.Anand Kumar, 33, a local mathematician, and Abhayanand, 52, Patna's deputy director general of police and a lover of physics, founded the school in 2003 to help promising locals get ahead in the caste-based society.
My own dream is to be able to open a Sports academy similar to the U.S.H.A later in life. Although education is the surest way out of poverty for most, there are many in India who would be better suited to becoming sportsmen and women. In Brazil, football is considered by prospective footballers as the way out the slums. A way to break free of the shackles of poverty.
In India, on the other hand only an elite few manage to make a career in sport. One can only imagine the potential of our population and the heights they can reach should they have the kind of facilities afforded to people in more developed countries. I would like to start a private organization free of the red-tapism of the Indian Sports Authorities and to quote Jaffar from the animated movie Aladdin, discover the diamonds in the rough.
Although I love cricket, I believe that other sports are worth my love as well. We tend to focus too much on Cricket. I mean how many people know that Delhi will soon host the world's richest half-marathon with all the buzz about India's tour to Sri Lanka?
Hopefully someday in the near future I will have the honor of being able to help people the way Anand Kumar and Abhayanand currently are.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Kicksters
is the name of my new office Kickball team. I didn't even know there was a game called Kickball! Apparently there's a whole World Adult Kickball Association (WAKA) with teams from all over the "world" participating for the honor and glory of the Founders Cup. Can you believe that - All over the "world"? There are teams from California, New Jersey, Ohio, Florida and many others! There may even be a team from places as far away as *gasp* Hawaii!
For the uninitiated, Kickball is like baseball/softball, except instead of hitting a small ball with a bat, you kick the dickens off a big huge round ball that looks like Adnan Sami's stomach. I rigged the vote a little bit to ensure that I didn't become captain of our team.
Initially we had 12 players on our roster and we decided to hold an election to elect our captain. Everyone did their best to ensure that they were not elected captain. One of the 12 backed off at the last moment and then there were 11. Naveen and I were the leading contenders to be captain with 3 votes each. Unfortunately for him and fortunately for me, I voted twice (for our 12th member in absentia) to ensure that Naveen got elected. After all I'm sure that's what our 12th member would have wanted as well! You see I was in charge of counting the votes :D.
This is what a kickball field is supposed to look like.
Well wish our team luck as we get kicking soon! Will post some pics from the tourney if I can remember to take my camera.
Until then check out this awesome ad for shampoo! This is what I call quality advertising :) mmmmmmmmmmmwah... I must say the girl who is the princess is quite pretty!
is the name of my new office Kickball team. I didn't even know there was a game called Kickball! Apparently there's a whole World Adult Kickball Association (WAKA) with teams from all over the "world" participating for the honor and glory of the Founders Cup. Can you believe that - All over the "world"? There are teams from California, New Jersey, Ohio, Florida and many others! There may even be a team from places as far away as *gasp* Hawaii!
For the uninitiated, Kickball is like baseball/softball, except instead of hitting a small ball with a bat, you kick the dickens off a big huge round ball that looks like Adnan Sami's stomach. I rigged the vote a little bit to ensure that I didn't become captain of our team.
Initially we had 12 players on our roster and we decided to hold an election to elect our captain. Everyone did their best to ensure that they were not elected captain. One of the 12 backed off at the last moment and then there were 11. Naveen and I were the leading contenders to be captain with 3 votes each. Unfortunately for him and fortunately for me, I voted twice (for our 12th member in absentia) to ensure that Naveen got elected. After all I'm sure that's what our 12th member would have wanted as well! You see I was in charge of counting the votes :D.
This is what a kickball field is supposed to look like.Well wish our team luck as we get kicking soon! Will post some pics from the tourney if I can remember to take my camera.
Until then check out this awesome ad for shampoo! This is what I call quality advertising :) mmmmmmmmmmmwah... I must say the girl who is the princess is quite pretty!
Sunday, August 13, 2006
And then there were 8
Just read some shocking news today! Pluto may no longer be included in our solar system. How on umm... pluto am I going to unlearn that?
I have a good mind to sue my schools for teaching me false information. I want my money back schools!
Just read some shocking news today! Pluto may no longer be included in our solar system. How on umm... pluto am I going to unlearn that?
I have a good mind to sue my schools for teaching me false information. I want my money back schools!
The mystery of the disappearing weekend!
And there goes another weekend. Well technically I still have 7 hrs left today. But I don't feel like doing much. I have to do laundry *yuck* and well then I have to mow my lawn. Where do weekends go???? Why do they disappear so quickly? *sob* I want my weekend back :(.
On a positive note, just a little over a month left for me to fly home!
Mowing a lawn is much harder than it sounds and not much fun either! Luckily I have my super flash drive MP3 player to rescue me from the monotony of mowing. The reason I like it so much is that it can put up with rough treatment and is small enough to carry anywhere in any kind of clothing!
If you're a techie, would highly recommend Programming Pearls by Jon Bently. Super stuff that really makes you think about all the things that you could have done to make your coding tasks a lot easier! Kinda makes you wish that you had half the brains to think about it in the first place.
Lost my match against the Italian today morning. So basically I am the proud owner of a $35 t-shirt. Played very badly! I guess I taught him a few expletives that he didn't know. On the positive side learnt how to talk a few Italian words. Nice guy. He even wanted to play me again later! I thought my team would like him to join us next season. However another team scouting for a singles player pounced on him. There goes another tourney that I've bombed this year. Best result I've had so far is a runner-up :(.
Watched a super movie last night called Silent Waters. Made as a quasi-documentary about the rise of extremism in a Pakistani village during the late 1970s. Scary stuff indeed! Can't imagine how non-muslims survive there. The amount of psychological trauma they have to put up with must be incredible.
And there goes another weekend. Well technically I still have 7 hrs left today. But I don't feel like doing much. I have to do laundry *yuck* and well then I have to mow my lawn. Where do weekends go???? Why do they disappear so quickly? *sob* I want my weekend back :(.
On a positive note, just a little over a month left for me to fly home!
Mowing a lawn is much harder than it sounds and not much fun either! Luckily I have my super flash drive MP3 player to rescue me from the monotony of mowing. The reason I like it so much is that it can put up with rough treatment and is small enough to carry anywhere in any kind of clothing!
If you're a techie, would highly recommend Programming Pearls by Jon Bently. Super stuff that really makes you think about all the things that you could have done to make your coding tasks a lot easier! Kinda makes you wish that you had half the brains to think about it in the first place.
Lost my match against the Italian today morning. So basically I am the proud owner of a $35 t-shirt. Played very badly! I guess I taught him a few expletives that he didn't know. On the positive side learnt how to talk a few Italian words. Nice guy. He even wanted to play me again later! I thought my team would like him to join us next season. However another team scouting for a singles player pounced on him. There goes another tourney that I've bombed this year. Best result I've had so far is a runner-up :(.
Watched a super movie last night called Silent Waters. Made as a quasi-documentary about the rise of extremism in a Pakistani village during the late 1970s. Scary stuff indeed! Can't imagine how non-muslims survive there. The amount of psychological trauma they have to put up with must be incredible.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
How evil are you?
With my tennis match postponed till tomorrow I was resigned to browsing the web today. Such a disappointing day. First I thought things were going great! I was drawn to play against this Italian who looked like he had just stepped off the plane from Italy. He spoke with an accent and moved his hands around and everything! :( And I was cheated of learning some Italian expletives by the rain! Darn rain gods! Grr.... Oh well I play him tomorrow morning. Maybe I will use a few of these against him if things don't go too well! To make things worse I couldn't even enjoy the rainy day with a hot cup of coffee! No sugar at home! And I'm too lazy to drive 10 miles to get myself a new bag. :(.
Took a survey at the site below to find out how evil I was. A little disappointed with the percentage. I was hoping to be more evil :(. Oh well.
Or well you could find out what video game character you are. Here's me.
Oh and my garden needs mowing as well. Could things get any worse? *sob*
With my tennis match postponed till tomorrow I was resigned to browsing the web today. Such a disappointing day. First I thought things were going great! I was drawn to play against this Italian who looked like he had just stepped off the plane from Italy. He spoke with an accent and moved his hands around and everything! :( And I was cheated of learning some Italian expletives by the rain! Darn rain gods! Grr.... Oh well I play him tomorrow morning. Maybe I will use a few of these against him if things don't go too well! To make things worse I couldn't even enjoy the rainy day with a hot cup of coffee! No sugar at home! And I'm too lazy to drive 10 miles to get myself a new bag. :(.
Took a survey at the site below to find out how evil I was. A little disappointed with the percentage. I was hoping to be more evil :(. Oh well.
| You Are 42% Evil |
 |
Or well you could find out what video game character you are. Here's me.
 I am a Base-defender.What's mine is mine, and I make sure everyone knows it. Nobody invades my space without permission - I'd destroy everything I own before letting someone take it from me. I tend to be forward-facing, which is both a strength and a weakness. What Video Game Character Are You? |
Oh and my garden needs mowing as well. Could things get any worse? *sob*
Dove ads
So my sis sends me these pictures in an email to get out the MCP in me. Well here goes Rams. I don't know if you were expecting anything different :)
She is not hot. Sorry. She looks her age. What's wrong with that? Why does she have to look hot? Maybe someone her age may think differently. I am a little more than half her age. So I think I can be forgiven for thinking so.
This lady is very cute. But did she have to strike that pose?!!!!
Also very bad dress methinks.
To answer the ad ... no... but that freckled? Isn't that why they made makeup. Although I doubt she would be able to afford owning a makeup kit that she would have to roll in everyday :D
This lady has aged very gracefully. She looks very good for her age.
Half-empty???????
Half of what? Nothing???? This girl needs to go see a nutritionist! Pronto!
Is this a trick question? Obviously she is wrinkled. She could be wonderful. But I wouldn't know unless she did something to make her wonderful innit?
So my sis sends me these pictures in an email to get out the MCP in me. Well here goes Rams. I don't know if you were expecting anything different :)
She is not hot. Sorry. She looks her age. What's wrong with that? Why does she have to look hot? Maybe someone her age may think differently. I am a little more than half her age. So I think I can be forgiven for thinking so.
This lady is very cute. But did she have to strike that pose?!!!!Also very bad dress methinks.
To answer the ad ... no... but that freckled? Isn't that why they made makeup. Although I doubt she would be able to afford owning a makeup kit that she would have to roll in everyday :D
This lady has aged very gracefully. She looks very good for her age.
Half-empty???????Half of what? Nothing???? This girl needs to go see a nutritionist! Pronto!
Is this a trick question? Obviously she is wrinkled. She could be wonderful. But I wouldn't know unless she did something to make her wonderful innit?
Friday, August 11, 2006
The testeronic male and their preference for young meat
To the uninitiated, this is a reply post to this post made earlier by my sis.
The article that I forwarded you did not say anywhere that all men are looking for women in their 20s. It merely explained why many women who choose their career over their personal lives end up regretting it later in life and that they deserve their fate. So love, you need to put aside that selective filter of yours and do a re-read of the article!
Now I would like to state before I say anything more that I believe that all women of this era should work - unless of course they would prefer not to - in any field that they like. They are streets, roads, and maybe even highways ahead of their male counterparts in some fields (vice-versa for others :D but hey ... equality and all that right?) . I understand that personal lives sometimes get in the way of their career, but hey that's true for guys as well! It's not always easy for guys to put their careers ahead of their personal lives (the ones that do are stupid IMHO). I mean once you have a family, it is almost impossible for the guy to make decisions that he could have otherwise!
Anyways enough digressing. Let's get to the matter in hand. That men tend to prefer younger women to older women. Again not true for all, but yes true for most guys. Why?
Well I'm sure that nature has something to do with that, but that aside, younger women are easier to grow into a relationship with for a guy. There is a sense of discovery for both parties and with a younger woman it tends to be easier for a guy. Also younger women tend to be more dependent on a guy, which makes it easier for a guy to play the knight in shining armour bit. Egotistical? Of course, but then don't women have thier own quirks?
Older women tend to have a been there done that attitude that is unsettling for a guy. Yes guys tend to be egoistical, but well, appearing to control a relationship is what guys are taught to be! Society is still progressing from being completely male-dominated to one where women have an equal status. Miles to go before we can actually say that men and women are considered to be equal in all respects.
In my opinion both men and women have to take the time to find a medium between establishing their personal lives and their professional ones. If they choose one over the other they will suffer and deserve to suffer for making such a poor choice. After all what is life without having a partner you love and can grow old with? So women who choose to further only their careers should learn to live with the fact that they are not as desirable at an older age no matter how successful they are at work. C'est la vie!
To the uninitiated, this is a reply post to this post made earlier by my sis.
The article that I forwarded you did not say anywhere that all men are looking for women in their 20s. It merely explained why many women who choose their career over their personal lives end up regretting it later in life and that they deserve their fate. So love, you need to put aside that selective filter of yours and do a re-read of the article!
Now I would like to state before I say anything more that I believe that all women of this era should work - unless of course they would prefer not to - in any field that they like. They are streets, roads, and maybe even highways ahead of their male counterparts in some fields (vice-versa for others :D but hey ... equality and all that right?) . I understand that personal lives sometimes get in the way of their career, but hey that's true for guys as well! It's not always easy for guys to put their careers ahead of their personal lives (the ones that do are stupid IMHO). I mean once you have a family, it is almost impossible for the guy to make decisions that he could have otherwise!
Anyways enough digressing. Let's get to the matter in hand. That men tend to prefer younger women to older women. Again not true for all, but yes true for most guys. Why?
Well I'm sure that nature has something to do with that, but that aside, younger women are easier to grow into a relationship with for a guy. There is a sense of discovery for both parties and with a younger woman it tends to be easier for a guy. Also younger women tend to be more dependent on a guy, which makes it easier for a guy to play the knight in shining armour bit. Egotistical? Of course, but then don't women have thier own quirks?
Older women tend to have a been there done that attitude that is unsettling for a guy. Yes guys tend to be egoistical, but well, appearing to control a relationship is what guys are taught to be! Society is still progressing from being completely male-dominated to one where women have an equal status. Miles to go before we can actually say that men and women are considered to be equal in all respects.
In my opinion both men and women have to take the time to find a medium between establishing their personal lives and their professional ones. If they choose one over the other they will suffer and deserve to suffer for making such a poor choice. After all what is life without having a partner you love and can grow old with? So women who choose to further only their careers should learn to live with the fact that they are not as desirable at an older age no matter how successful they are at work. C'est la vie!
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