Kevin James Green

On Happiness

2012-02-09T10:11:00.001+05:30

"When will I learn?
The answer to life's problems aren't at the bottom of a bottle, they're on TV!"

- Homer Simpson

Until afew years ago I actually thought that a lot of my happiness was to be foundon my "To Do" list. Some of that was stuff, some were experiences andsome were people.

Discoverychannel worsened that by adding travel shows titled "100 places to seebefore you die". Which makes it seem that your life is not worth living ifyou haven't been to those places.

I see nowthat I was seriously undermining my present joy, as well as the true value of alot of what I presently have [ not "stuff" ] which makes me trulyhappy. And most of that happiness comes from within; from deep inside me.

We alsoderive our Joy from different sorts of things.

New Years eve 2011 and the maid confides to Deepa that her daughter has savedup a hundred rupees of her pocket money to buy a gaudy coloured butter-creamcake from the local bakery. In my opinion, this is a fairly large amount forher to be blowing up on something so transiently flippant as a New Years cake.But she is only 12years old and is determined to go ahead. Deepa insteaddecides to bake a cake for her and save her the expense, yet also giving hersome fun by involving her in the baking process.

Deeparightly pointed out that clearly they were excited about it and there was joy to be had for their familyfrom that little cake cutting, and who are we to judge that.

I mustagree that when I sat to list the actual [ unpublishable ] list of things thatmake me happy, they are mostly quite simple in nature and unique to me. And inall honesty, I've probably never been as happy and content in my life as I amright now.

So screwyou Discovery Channel !

[ And allthe other advertisers who keep trying to tell me my life is incomplete withouttheir products. ]

Srisailam

2012-01-31T14:11:00.004+05:30

Srisailamis a temple town located about 230 KM South of Hyderabad in the Nallamalaforest range, and along the banks of the Krishna river. Its been on our To Dolist of places for a while now, and last weekend we finally decided to just go.

Areasonably nice drive, especially through the forest reserve, which is home toa fair sized population of Tigers, Panthers, and other wild cats I'm told. Allwe saw however are Langurs, Bonnet Macaque, and a Palm Civet. Last one courtesyDeepa's keen observation, and something I'd never seen before.

One ofthe highlights on the way is a little known view point called Octopus point forwhat resembles a sort of squid like spread of the river and the embankments.

Sadly, most of the Pilgrims who visit theplace, tend to litter the side of the forest enroute and the scraps of plasticslining the roadside is quite disheartening.

The checkpost prior to entry and at exit is manned by the forest officials, whodutifully note down the vehicle number and expected return date as some sort ofdeterrent to poachers & hunters I guess. But they both asked for"chai-paani". And so I'm guessing, if I was a bonafide hunter, allI'd need is a couple of hundred rupees and they'd most likely let me poach thehell out of that place.

Theindigenous "Chenchu" tribes have a conservation programme via alittle museum and awareness building initiative, which was quite nice andstraight out of the Iron Age.

They still live in the forest, and are hunter-gatherers to this day. Some of themhave branched out into fishing along the river, and some live in isolatedgroups far upstream accessible only by boat.

A goodhours trip upstream by boat, took us to a 12th century cave which is considereda meditation site of some ascetic baba, but today exploited by AP Tourism viaboat cruises and a counter selling Coke, Chai & Frito Lays. This was a bit of a let down, but that’s theprice you pay when you want to do the tourist-circuit right ?

TheKurnool district produces Sunflower, and in the last rays of the closing daywhile returning back to Hyderabad, we got a few pics in the field which Alishaand Deepa were waiting for.

Alisha's 10th Birthday

2012-01-09T20:59:00.003+05:30

Christmas 2011 & New Year 2012

2012-01-01T13:17:00.003+05:30

Ecclesiastes 7:10

2011-12-31T11:22:00.003+05:30

Say not thou,

What is the cause that the former days were better than these?

For thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.

Ecclesiastes 7:10

Its been a year where the distinctions between Villians and Heroes have blurred even more. Such are the times to which I now bear witness.

My daughter's classmates enjoy the Twilight Saga series. [ Yes, the one where Vampires are Heroes.] The books have been a huge success and have now spawned graphic films.

An acquaintance of mine publicly supported Anna Hazare during his hunger rally, then a week later vilified him.

Popular film and television media show the Main-Man saying "that’s my shit" to mean "those are my possessions".
Multi-Platinum Hip hop artists and role models for youth call their wives / girlfriends "my bitch" or "my hoe" [whore].

I could go on, but I think you know what I'm talking about.

So for us as a family its time to re-group and huddle, re-emphasize, clarify and re-commit to our values. These are strange times, so be on the watch and guard your minds.

I wish you all a coming New Year 2012 filled with love and joy.

Alisha Wins State Level Gold & Silver

2011-12-18T11:43:00.000+05:30

Yesterday Alisha took part in the State Level Martial Arts Championship and did quite well.
In her age group and belt category, she won the GOLD Place for "Katas" [ Kungfu routines ] and SILVER Place in Sparring [ Fights ]. There were more than 120 Shaolin style Kungfu students from different Dojos across the state. I am so proud of her !

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritūs Sancti

2011-12-08T10:31:00.001+05:30

Last evening I received an email that someone I'd only recently met had passed away. He was just a few years younger than me. The suddenness of it seems to have stirred me up.

Somehow when I think of the final moments, I imagine it sepia-toned, it plays out in slow-mo over a period of time, as we say our goodbyes, grow old gracefully, set all our affairs in order, make our peace with our lives and then go. No such luck for some of us.

Death is the Ultimate, impartial and Randomly generated outcome there is. The only thing you can be certain about, is that it WILL come to you ! …………. Did your stomach just turn when I said that ? If it didn't, perhaps you should re-read that line.

So, what is it about death that seems so intriguing to me ? Is it morbidity ? No, I think not.

My earliest recollection of a funeral was when I was maybe about 3 or 4 years old. I don’t know whose it was, only that I was there with my grandmother. Maybe some vague friend of hers or a distant relative ? Not sure. I remember some woman bawling her eyes out. Seeing her cry made me want to cry. Not so much for the dead person [ whom I didn't know ], but more from a sense of how inconsolable she was.

My grandmother in her later years became something of a religious nut [ don’t we all ], as she began going to church EVERY evening, with the Rosary prayer on Wednesdays or Thursdays or whatever day it's done. Novena's at the churches in Mahim, Sion, Vakola, and night vigils at the Portuguese church during Lent. I was all of 3 years old, and she carted me everywhere. Why she prayed so much I can't say, but I felt somehow she was trying to either atone for a lifetime of decadence or maybe she was just plain scared for her eternal soul.

During those times, the slow boring drawl of the priest and the drill of kneel-down, stand up, sit down, pray, sing, chant and repeat in unison would get to me. I would wander off into the nearby graveyard which most churches have adjacent to them. I would spend my time amongst those gravestones; marveling at the cherubs, angels, and floral tributes and verses carved in marble. "Who was this person ?" I wondered, and "what was the 'beloved family' like ?" I would try to calculate their age at the time of death using the Born and Died dates engraved.

Now when I think about those times, I find it weird that I spent so much time in those places. What an odd little boy I was ! Yet in a strange way, it has helped me look at death with eyes of curiosity rather than fear.

As the years passed there were a few more deaths of people I knew. It seems that as I got older, the frequency and proximity to me of the deceased grew. Until recently a few batch mates, the neighborhood tailor and most recently last evening's news; made me feel that death was just sitting around going "Tick-tack-toe, ….I take this !" and tapping on the guy who sat right beside me.

So does that scare me ? Not really. Funnily, it has an excitement to it. Its like playing Russian Roulette. You know the how, you just can't be sure of the when. Or even terminally ill people. The doctor tells them the how as well as a fair estimate of the when. And then they cry.

Ha! I say those people are actually lucky. They have a far better handle on it than the rest of us do. We just wait and wonder. We immerse ourselves in our lives assuming we'll live forever. And all the time, Death keeps going : "Inky Pinky Ponky…"

I now feel a renewed sense of urgency. To savour the sense of NOW. To live more fully in the present. And I ask myself, "if I were to die tomorrow, what would I do today ?".
After a long hard think, it comes down to a few phone calls, and a few hugs and kisses. Apologize to a few people, tell a few I loved them, and be kind, loving and gentle with my immediate family. And yes, publish this blog post hopefully. That’s it really.

No epic legacy. No big bang.

I wonder how many of his fans will remember Steve Jobs beyond the next Iphone model ?

Welcome to the 21st Sensory

2011-12-01T20:41:00.001+05:30

It seemsto me that we humans have become excessively dependent on stimuli. Let mere-phrase - we are over-stimulated. A cursory glance at almost any medium wouldconfirm that.

Letsstart with our Ears.

We wakeup to an alarm clock. We are attuned to our individual ringtones. Music in thecar as we drive. As we look out we see the guy in the bus or on the street withhis headphones on too. FM on mobile / MP3 player. The traffic sounds, engines,honking, and street sounds.

Our eyes.

We are soover-sensitized to the high-end visual imagery of movies, we need HD and 3D TV.As if the trashy TV serials were not enough, we now want to be"inside" it. We want wallpapers on our mobiles and laptop. Immersivegraphics in multiplayer XBox, provocative billboards, titillating gossip /fashion magazines, loud tabloid style newspapers and internet adult X-ratedcontent.

Our nose.

Perfumes,deos, shampoos, soaps, talc and hair-perfume [ ?! ] that can be smelt in theneighbours house. Mouth freshners, car freshners, mosquito repellent withperfume, Pot Pouri, Fabric freshners, Bathroom freshners and good oldagarbatti.

Our Skin

Thousands ofpersonal care products that tell us we are all slowly dying and must pay themmoney if we wish them to fight it for us. Poor women, they get targeted the most. Earlier felt really bad for them, but now for every ladies product, there is a gent's version as well. Anti ageing cream, sunscreen,fairness creams, moisturizers, scrubs, natural oils, cleansers, face bleach andwhat not.

Our Taste

Foodadditives, new restaurants, newer cuisines, noodles-in-dosa, fried idli,curried pasta and flavoured milks. Fruit Sorbets, chocolates which you have toearn, energy drinks to remind yourself that you're young, and fruity alcohol tonumb the other four senses.

I'm notsure if we were designed for such large scale bombarding of our sensoryapparatus, and as a result, I fear we are now getting addicted and alsoreaching a state of semi-stupor as our brain gets overloaded. Ever get thefeeling that the people you talk to are so "not present" or have thatvacant Zombie expression all the time ?

DidI forget to mention the scented, coloured, textured & flavoured condoms ?

The Big Four Oh

2011-11-29T13:45:00.001+05:30

Rachakonda Fort

2011-11-24T14:37:00.001+05:30

One of the lesser known places, Rachakonda is a 14th Century Fortification. No real presence of a Fort as we understand the term to be. That aside, the place is beautiful and nestled in the minor hill range of Nalgonda. Great place for rock-climbing and exploration; with a couple of ancient temples scattered around the region.
We had originally planned to camp the night there, but ended up returning by about 10pm after a beautiful Full-Moon rise and campfire dinner.

Small Ironies & some KG Wisdom

2011-09-22T23:28:00.001+05:30

The Wild Alamanda bush planted in the corner of the front yard has been blooming to glory, but is facing the direction over the wall and right into the face of my neighbour's gate ! I realised it only today after Deepa pointed it out to me.

And our ongoing organic-garden experiment has yielded a beautiful bunch of bananas. Ironically these too have fruited only last week and from the looks of it, wont be ready until after we've left for Ludhiana.

We'll probably have to ask the maid to harvest them, keep some for herself and distribute the rest to the neighbours. [ 10 dozens and counting ! ]
You could say the Banana Tree has given us a .... KELA !

Moral of the Story : Be prepared, that many fruit and flowers of your labour may not neccessarily be enjoyed by you, but by others.

ROCK CLIMBING & RAPPELLING

2011-07-11T19:16:00.001+05:30

Climbed up a 60-70 ft rocky structure and then rappelled down from there.
[ 10-Jul-2011 ]

The Powder Puff Flower

2011-06-20T14:43:00.001+05:30

This amazing flower blossoms with the first showers of the monsoon, stays in bloom for exactly a week after that; and then its gone. Until the next year.

Of Love

2011-06-14T13:01:00.001+05:30

Love it seems to me is a word that has been hugely corrupted, over-used, misused & over-rated. Let me explore the contexts; and see if we can make finer distinctions between the expressions of it.

"I love my parents and my parents love me".
To start with, our early notions of the emotion can only be that which is experienced through our parents / primary care giver in our lives. Sadly, at this stage we are more the recipient than the giver of the love, and so we naturally conclude that we are immensely lovable and have to do little else to be loved / appreciated.

At this stage what we probably experience as love in return is merely a deep sense of gratitude and a sort of relief that we have someone who can look after the complicated stuff for us.

"I love Idli Sambhar"
"I love Football"
"I love the Monsoon"

What we actually are saying is that we really like & enjoy something strongly, and derive a significant amount of satisfaction from that object, activity or event.

"I love You" [ As said in an amorous fashion ]

This is a tricky one.
Most often it is preceded by powerful attraction, but easily confused as intellectual or emotional attraction. Over the last 50 years, enough objective studies have shown us that it is primarily sexual attraction, though very few people would admit to it.

"I love You" [ As said by a couple to each other ]

Depending on what stage of the relationship has been reached it has subtle nuances.

Prior to marriage, what they mean : They enjoy spending time with each other and feel that there is a lot more to know about the other. There is the joy of discovery.

A few years into marriage, what they mean : They have now experienced each other; both in their wonderful aspects as well as their limitations and have now developed a sort of comfort in knowing that they are not really being judged but accepted as they are.

There is a strong sense of familiarity, and bonding through shared experiences. If children have been born, then there is also a sense of purpose for the couple as well as an aspirational quality about the future for them.

"I love You" [ As said by a parent to a child ]

What is meant here is : The parent has a very strong protective & nurturing instinct. In many aspects he / she delights in the child's antics and accomplishments as though they were their own. This by the way, is hard-wired in our brains to ensure offspring survival.

"I love You" [ As said by a child to a parent especially after having children of their own ]

What is meant here is : The child now having reached adulthood has a deeper appreciation of the whole parenting process and in many ways has experienced selfless love. Hence the expression when used back to the parents, carries with it a fuller understanding of the various facets of the emotion.

"God loves you"

Aside from the huge ontological arguments this presents, I think it would be safe to say that we really cannot know how far that statement is true.

Even then, assuming it is; what is probably meant is more likened to the way a parent loves a child. ( See above )

So, what if "true love" is really just a conspiracy being sold to us by advertisers, publishing houses, movie-makers, musicians [ who want to sell albums ] and greeting card companies ?

Popular culture portrays Love as this intense magical experience that cannot be found easily and has to be sincerely sought after for it to be true.

As for me, I've never experienced it in that way. How's it been for you ?

Disclaimers and Warnings regarding this site

2011-05-18T18:46:00.001+05:30

By entering this site you certify that you are of the prescribed age, gender and mental fortitude, and a fortiori have read this disclaimer in toto.

This site is maintained by me.

Privacy Policy
I reserve the right to use your personal details / email id provided anywhere on this site to share with other websites ( for a huge consideration ) as well as spam, and other unsolicited periodic offers which may or may not be true.

Disclaimer of Endorsement
Links to other websites from here are provided as a courtesy and do not have my approval, endorsement or awareness of their content.

( To put it simply, you’re better off never leaving here )

Other websites which you may access through the links here, are run by other people, ( which is why the little address at the top of your page changes.)

View at your own risk. The reader (you) is hereby forewarned that the content outside of this website is beyond my control. I can't even control what is on this website sometimes. I had to create it or I'd never get to sleep.

I am barely mature enough to be responsible for my own behavior, how can I be responsible for anyone else's ?

I also state that I haven't received any money from anyone for promoting their site, not even Amazon or Ebay, though it's not like I'm not open to the prospect.
I can be bought, I just haven't been offered the right price yet.

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For material on this site, I do not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for accuracy, veracity, precision, exactitude, perfection, applicability, relevance, dietary fibre, fat content, appropriateness, fitness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, images or process disclosed or their outcomes, effects, results, side effects, consequences, emotions or aftermaths. I also have a thesaurus and I'm not afraid to use it.

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(though sometimes it just happens)

I do not list this website on my resume, and that should tell you something.

Statement of accuracy

I'm not a professional anything. I'm an amateur. And immature as well.

I barely know what I'm doing. There are times that I look at my website and

wonder how the heck it got there.

This does not mean I'm wrong, it just means I haven't got it right yet.

Other Miscellaneous Disclaimers / Warnings

Use of these pages may result in accidental spilling of drink, uncontrollable laughter, peeing of pants, bleeding hemorrhoids or a case of the hiccups.

Please view responsibly.

Do not view these web pages in conjunction with large amounts of alcohol. If you are drinking large amounts of alcohol and viewing my web pages you are a sad, pathetic person, and quite possibly my ex-girlfriend.

Do not view this website while driving. Use of cell phones to view web pages is pretentious and a hazard to the other drivers.

Do not combine this website with your other medications. Please.

They were prescribed for a reason.

Some of the content of this website may be deemed objectionable by sensitive groups. All of it may be deemed objectionable by narrow-minded intolerant uptight jerks with severe dysfunction, boundary and / or control issues.

People with odd notions of romance and / or adventure may go running off to the woods to tear up flowers and tree branches after viewing this website.

This may lead to charges of damage to wildlife and the environment by GREENPEACE, or trespassing if done on private property.

Viewing of this website may lead you to an obsession with the motion picture Fight Club or music by Dave Mathews Band.

I do not think this is a bad thing but thought it was only fair to mention it.

Viewing of this website may lead you to believe I'm bitter, opinionated,

and somewhat strange. You're probably right.

No rabbits or other fluffy creatures were injured during the making of this site.

Your mileage may vary. And objects in the rear view mirror may be closer than you think, infact they may already be in your back seat.

Any claims by you upon this website will be judged ex aequo et bono

Note: All works Copyright Kevin Green unless otherwise noted

Disclaimer to the disclaimer

I couldn’t afford a fancy lawyer, so this disclaimer has been made by me; consequently some of the legal jargon may not have been framed correctly.

I hope the intent is clear: Please don't hold me responsible for anything, and if you try to sue me you’d not get much anyway.

Don't say I didn't warn you

KG WISDOM 05

2011-05-05T09:05:00.000+05:30

"True appreciation is born from deprivation." - KG April 2011

BHONGIR FORT

2011-02-26T17:22:00.005+05:30

Bhongir Fort is located about 45 Km North of Hyderabad in a little town called Bhongir. I orginally came through this town around 2003 and passed it by on many other occassions. Always secretly committing to myself that I'd come back someday and climb this geological marvel.

Basically its built on a massive 500 ft height and spread over 40 acres, bulbous igneous rock with sheer faces on 3 sides and a tricky approach from the main.

Today started with a rainy monsoon morning, which doesnt surprise me anymore, even though its the end of Feb ! Alisha remarked saying "Maybe its the April showers starting early this year".

An hour later we got our day-tripping gear together, some delicious cold roast lamb sandwiches, fluids and we were off. It was the perfect day for rock climbing and we made fairly good progress.

The climb I'd rate as Moderate in difficulty and risk, but we did all right.

The ramparts of the old fort still stands today, but some parts are in disrepair and potentially hazardous. Especially considering that the drop from atop is sheer.

Most material on the web states it as being built in the 12th century by some Chalukyan king; now I may not be an expert, but I've seen enough to make an educated guess that its more like 14th-15th Century, and certainly NOT Chalukyan, seeing the cannons and all.

A lot of the motifs, and stucco work on the walls as well as the classic bevelling of arches pointed more towards the Qutub Shahi dynasty. But thats my personal view, so don't quote me on that.

The Vandalism and people carving their names on monuments is still prevalent & pathetic, and in one instance some nerd called ZAFAR had carved his name, to which Armaan said maybe its Zafar the Duffer !

KANHA REVISITED

2011-02-23T14:02:00.000+05:30

KG WISDOM

2011-02-23T08:10:00.000+05:30

Rainy mornings are conducive to lengthy discussions on spirituality.

About Amit Shah

2010-07-24T10:19:00.001+05:30

Interesting aspect of human social behaviour.
You can get away with pretty much anything, if you have a large enough number of people to share the same belief as you.

EXAMPLE :
Various Christian groups around the world espousing and talking to angels and saints etc, who they believe to be around them. Since large groups believe this nobody dares question the sanity or the truth of this.

But if one single person [ you for example ], were to stand in a public place and claim that you can actually "see" one of these heavenly persons, you'd pretty much get locked away by the men in white coats. Why ? Because its only one person [ you ] who believes this.

So, TRUTH is true only as long as it is the belief held by a majority.

CUT TO GUJARAT -->
Our great political puppets, the CBI want to arrest AMIT SHAH the Home Minister for giving tacit approval to the Gujarat Police, in what is being termed a Fake encounter to kill some guy called SOHRABUDDIN SHEIKH.

3 important facts to consider here :
1) The Home Minster is responsible for the law and order as well as safety of the citizens against bad guys.
2) SOHRABUDDIN was a known criminal with a record of extortion etc; and some say even terror links.
3) The CBI is controlled by the centre [ read Congress ] while Gujarat is run by the BJP. [ Sounds familiar ? Yes, I thought so…. ]

Now our problem with the BELIEF SYSTEM lies here :
The Civil Rights activists & the CBI believe that our Police force should operate within the bounds of the law, which actually ends up making our country vulnerable to attacks. Especially since the bad guys don’t follow the same rules. They can pretty much blow up Bombay like AJMAL KASAB, who after 2 years gets tried, convicted, sentenced to hang by the Supreme Court and he has the cheek to STILL APPEAL !!

** Incredulous **

Now, on the other hand, our custodians of safety, the Police Force, believes Sohrabuddin is a bad guy deserving of death.

But perhaps, constrained as they are, they bump him off in an "encounter", as they know the judicial system will not deliver justice.

Now let me think….. Hmm…. Good guys bump off known bad guy…. this is a tough one ......

*ding!*

…...I know what we should do !!.... Lets arrest the good guy and somehow make him the bad guy !!

Lets get Amnesty International & other human rights groups and the media involved, lets put some spin on it. And lets raise divergent issues and lets make accusations and lets cast a doubt on what Amit Shah's motives may have been.

Soon the uninformed and mentally lazy public will all believe what we tell them and then we will reverse the imbalance between who believes who is a bad guy and who is good. [ "It must be true, I saw it on TV. Or It must be true I read it in the newspaper." ]

Wait, better still, lets make it out to be like he was the perpetrator and the real criminal was actually the victim. Yes, I think that’s what we'll do.

Learn Chinese in 5 minutes

2010-06-23T10:29:00.000+05:30

That's not right = Sum Ting Wong

Are you harboring a fugitive? = Hu Yu Hai Ding?

See me ASAP = Kum Hia Nao

Stupid Man = Dum Gai

Small Horse = Tai Ni Po Ni

Did you go to the beach? = Wai Yu So Tan?

I bumped into a coffee table = Ai Bang Mai Ni

I think you need a face lift = Chin Tu Fat

It's very dark in here = Wai So Dim?

I thought you were on a diet = Wai Yu Mun Ching?

This is a tow away zone = No Pah King

Our meeting is scheduled for next week = Wai Yu Kum Nao?

Staying out of sight = Lei Ying Lo

He's cleaning his automobile = Wa Shing Ka

Your body odor is offensive = Yu Stin Ki Pu
.

ODE TO MY TORCH - By Kevin Green

2010-06-01T10:33:00.000+05:30

.

As you lay, upon the shelf
'Twas then that I first knew
That I must soon possess you
In shiny Red NOT Blue.

Your curvy frame
and sturdy grip
To me they were quite plain.
For what I loved
about you most
Was not second but MAIN.

The way you blinked
Once ON then OFF
It took away my breath
Your tiny bulb and shiny face
Will haunt me till my death.

We left the store
just you and I
and couldn't wait till night
As soon as we got home that eve
I switched off all the lights.

With trembling hand
I held you up
And softly clicked your switch
But not a gleam or beam you gave
You naughty little bitch !!

2009-07-15T11:35:00.000+05:30

These are from last weekend's trip to Nagarjunsagar Dam & the 4th Century Buddhist ruins on an Island on Krishna River.

Yell Yum & Yen

2009-07-15T11:28:00.002+05:30

I’ve been puzzling over some oxymorons I experienced recently.
Ever hear someone say “Cut it in 3 halves”. What do they mean when they say that ?

Or when your kids have been pestering you for something and you say to them “Do you know the meaning of NO ?” and they cheekily reply back saying “No.”

Then last week I watched Hannibal Rising with McDonald as the sponsor of the movie. Hows that for irony ? [ Hannibal Lecter of Silence of the Lambs ]

The Liberhan commission submitted its report after 17 years ! Does anyone get the humour in these things or is it just me ?
SEVENTEEN YEARS !

Some philosophy now :

We dislike beggars not because they are smelly and needy and “in-your-face”. We dislike them because they seem free and un-inhibited in ways that we are not. They have the courage to walk upto a random stranger and ask for money.

But I think mostly we dislike them because they remind us of how poor we really are. Of how much we lack in the spirit of human kindness and generosity. And the times we do pull out a few coins to hand over to them, what we are really doing is postponing thinking about it.

Meanwhile the kids have been settling into the new school. Yes we changed this year as we found that in the last one Armaan was insisting that his teacher said the letters that follow H I J K was Yell Yum and Yen. That’s when we knew we had to get them out.

On a separate note, in the past 1 year I find myself getting back in touch with many buddies from school and college days, thanks to Facebook and other networks. What I find striking, is that I am in very few photographs from back then. Which makes me wonder about whether I’ve been generally camera shy or not involved enough…... this made me sad somehow.

HYDERABAD'S NEW IMAX

2009-04-06T23:41:00.000+05:30

This is Hyderabad's new IMAX Hairdresser.

[ Seen on the ring road. ]

sample pieces

2009-04-06T23:31:00.000+05:30

Jamaica Farewell

Silent Night

Amazing Grace

Fur Elise

Year End 2008 & Year Begin 2009

2009-01-27T16:03:00.000+05:30

“Does Santa know what we are thinking ?” – Armaan
“If he makes his toys at the North Pole, why does the barcode sticker say WALDEN ?” – Alisha

Earlier this December the Anands came over for a quick break to Hyderabad.
The kids had a great time & we all had a blast. [ See VDO feed at the end of this page ]

How do you break the news to a seven year old that it’s the spirit of Santa, and not really a fat old man who goes from house to house ? I don’t know either, so I postponed the telling for another season. Maybe I’ll get Deepa to do it.

Our first Christmas at No 12, and we had a great time as usual.
I wonder why for some odd reason people think that wine and cake is made / served during Xmas…. I’ve heard it so often now that I’m beginning to think I’m the one whos got it wrong….

New Years eve in the Gazebo was nice with all the other inmates, and I think we managed to stir up some of the stiffs as well. It seems to me that as we get older we forget how to have a good time. Or even if we do know how, we pretend that having a good time is somehow very shallow and not sagacious enough or befitting ones age. I hope I never get like that.

I now know 2 people with un-timely birthdays. One is on 31st Dec and the other is on 1st Jan. Tough luck I guess, speaking of which, what do people who are born on the 29th of Feb do ? How do they calculate their age ? How do computers at pension funds calculate their earnings ?

Meanwhile Alisha has turned a cheeky seven years old and seems to have developed an unspeakable taste in sweet & confectionery. More on that later, but here’s her birthday cake as conceptualized, designed, decorated & eaten by her.

I watched the Republic day parade yesterday, and I see that the turn-out of our forces are quite impressive. The State floats too were not bad at all. I didn’t get Bihar though; and when the railways float came up, the camera panned to Lalu Prasad, who was at that very moment spitting his paan into the spit bowl placed near him.
‘GUSTING ! – as Armaan would say.

Before I forget, heres Armaan’s favourite knock-knock joke :

Tak Tak
Kaun Hai ?
Agarwal
Agarwal kaun ?
Agar wal pe su-su kiya to gussa ayega apko ?

CLICK THE PLAY BUTTON BELOW

JENTS TAILOURS

2009-01-27T12:44:00.000+05:30

Just when your think you’ve seen them all, some new signboard comes along to break all previous records.

Check this one out :

1) Firstly wot eet ees a “Readymade Tailor” ?.
2) He’s gone for a French touch by calling himself a “Tailour”.
3) Jents
4) Were
5) Metrial
6) Cutpees
7) Bust-Stop

2008-11-12T22:14:00.000+05:30

If you looked hard enough, you'd be surprised at the micro-universe that exists all around us, even in our own backyards....

These are the FRANGIPANIs in our garden that have begun blooming, petals so smooth, buds so fragrant, and colours so subtle.

This is an exotic variety of GRASS.

The Moon on Halloween [ Look closely for the spooky silhouettes ]

These next two pictures are dedicated to HARITHA who sees beauty all around her, even in these common wild flowers, as she quickly gathered them up and made a most wonderful wild-flower display.

2008-10-30T10:23:00.000+05:30

It is said that the Diya at Diwali is supposed to signify
light dispelling darkness [ ignorance ].
With a wife named Deepa, the least I could do was make an effort in that direction.
So, this Diwali we were determined to reduce our Carbon Footprint and decided on a few small improvements in our celebrations.

1) We invested in a set of LED lights [ LED superior to tungsten ]

2) We developed hand-made paper lanterns courtesy the R&D team at GreenMan Labs [ see later image of Chief R&D officer in the lab ]

3) We burst fewer crackers thru joint community celebrations. We tried to get as many people from the colony into a common area, so everyone could enjoy the fireworks jointly without them burning individually.

I know I know…. Pollution, and all that… but we’re getting there. It would be weird doing a Diwali with zero crackers, so we did it, but with fewer than we did last year. We also split it into two lots so the kids would get more mileage over 2 days.

4) We used non synthetic material [ simple coloured chalk ] to create Rangoli [ local term : "muggu" ] designs instead of synthetic coloured powders. See picture of the kids with their Rangoli designs.

But yes, the quantum of Mithai was constant like each year, some things don't change.....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------- Below : LED Lights & Handmade lanterns

-------------------- Below : Chief R&D Officer at GreenMan Labs.

---------------------------- Below : Non Synthetic Rangoli Colours.

-------------------- Below : Fewer crackers through joint community celebrations

BACKYARD ORGANIC GARDENING

2008-10-24T21:35:00.000+05:30

Deepa seems to be going back to agrarian roots, as she feels the strange yet powerful urge to connect with Mathrabhoomi. [ I think shes regressing into a Freudian - "Latency Stage". ]

She's set up a cozy little organic garden in the backyard, and now grows Bottle Gourd, Ridge Gourd, Tomatoes, Bhindi, Curry Leaves & Coriander. She intends to also cultivate ginger root, methi, bitter gourd, chillies, papaya and may get carried away and start off with rice paddy in the front lawn if I dont get a handle on this soon...

LIFE’S LESSONS FROM THE TOON WORLD

2008-10-20T20:46:00.000+05:30

.
.
.

When you scratch beyond the surface of a lot of children’s animated movies, you’ll be surprised to find a rich source of life’s lessons that can be learnt. Not only the obvious moral & ethical ones, but also the deeper mystical and spiritual stuff too.

Lets take a look at CHICKEN RUN as an example. Firstly it is made using stop-motion, which in itself is an awesome effort. I loved it ever since the first Wallace and Gromit episode.

Each time I watch this movie I learn something new. For those of you who’ve seen it, the following discussion will make sense. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. [ My overall rating = 9/10 ]

1) Ginger the chicken NEVER gives up. Even though at one stage when she asks “What have we not yet tried” [ to escape the chicken coop ] one of the other chicks points out – “We haven’t tried not trying”. And this tenacity is shown to us in the first 5 minutes of the movie, before the titles are complete.
2) She always has a sense of hope, even when someone points out that the chances of them ever flying out are 1 in a million, she replies “then there’s still a chance”.
3) The mice who help them “acquire” their stuff to make their contraptions teaches me that sometimes the most unlikely people can become our friends and work with us in times of need.
4) The concept of Freedom is what is central to the theme of this movie, set against the backdrop of the ominous Mrs. Tweedy’s intentions. The Freedom that we all take so much for granted; but if we look closely, are we really Free? And what does freedom really mean?
5) Throughout the movie, Ginger doesn’t selfishly think only of herself, but wants Freedom for ALL the chickens at the same time. Selflessness.
6) She displays courage and fortitude far above the rest of the hens. How many times do we give up our own dreams because those around us say it cant be done ?

Theres a lot more in that movie, but I’m not just going to lay it all out for you. So this weekend it might be well worth your time to go out and rent it, and watch it with the kids; who knows what you might learn…..

NOTE :
Dont forget to take the Poll at the top right corner of this page, and VOTE for your views.

XMAS 2007 & NEW YEAR 2008

2008-01-11T16:05:00.000+05:30

It seems odd to me that the reason people should celebrate the arrival of a "New Year" is presumably due to a sense of hope, and for the possibilities in new beginnings.

Then the very first day of said new year, they waste away in a dull drunken stupor and hungover.... EVERY YEAR its the same !!

Am I missing something ?

DIWALI 2007

2007-12-01T13:36:00.000+05:30

Wait for the slideshow to load.

ALISHA ASKS 006

2007-10-27T02:19:00.000+05:30

Alisha asked me yesterday why some people cut the hair on the top of their head but leave only some at the side and the back.

"Is it a Punjabi style ?" she asked. [ She was referring to balding people ]

Dussehra [ Light over darkness ]

2007-10-22T12:13:00.000+05:30

Darkness [ evil = ignorance ] is merely the absence of light., shine light to dispel darkness. – Shakti Gawain.
To be seized of and possessed by a creative impulse so strong and powerful that it surpasses the vessel that contains it. And that what it goes on to produce is something so fantastic that it serves to be a source of inspiration for generations after that.
Such is what I want the purpose of my life to be. Such are my thoughts on inspiration and life’s purpose [ while listening to Alison Moyet – Love letters, and my inspiration to make a music VDO to that. ]

MUSSOORIE 2007

2007-10-21T14:07:00.000+05:30

Deepa & the cubs went off on their annual visit to Louisiana. Stopover in Delhi and onward to Mussoorie with the Bidanis [ Dilip, Anju, Shiv & Rishi ].

I was holding the fort at Hyderabad so ended up I missing out on some fun stuff.

KG WISDOM 04

2007-10-15T16:01:00.000+05:30

It is in the nature of TRUTH to be rooted in subjectivity and thus self-contradictory. It follows that no such thing as a "Universal Truth" can exist.

– Kevin Green Hyd. October 2007

The School Re-Union

2007-10-07T13:06:00.000+05:30

There are places I remember
all my life,
Though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone and some remain.

[ Beatles - In My Life ]
I attended a school mates re-union in the last week of July. About 50 of us from different parts if India / the globe, met up at the Alma Mater in Pune, and spent a good part of 3 days catching-up with each other, reminiscing, and basically becoming kids once more.
The official term for ex-students at Bishops is “Old Boys”, and that should tell you something.

We had a terrific time as we met up with old teachers, our ex-principal & his wife who was the head mistress. Played basket ball / volley ball with the present kids, who seemed like bachhas compared to when we were at school. But then all guys feel that way I guess.
20 years is a long time to catch up; but what made it easier is that most of us could pick up where we left off last.

PAPIKONDA RE-VISITED

2007-10-02T15:22:00.000+05:30

Papikonda is a wild life sanctuary which starts in the foothills of the Eastern Ghats, and runs right along the leg of it, as it feeds the mighty Godavari river.

We made a trip there once more, as I had wanted Deepa & the kids to also experience it.
We had a great time, although we all got pretty exhausted by the end of it.

here are some pics.

[ WAIT FOR THE SLIDESHOW TO LOAD. Depending on your connection speed;
Dial Up Approx 56 secs, Broadband 4 secs, ADSL /Cable 9 secs ]

Butter Fly

2007-07-16T21:13:00.000+05:30

Hampton Court Palace -England 1547

His Majesty - King Edward VI paced across the room. He stopped to glance wistfully out of the window at some children playing in the rose gardens below.

All of 10 years old, and crowned King at such a young age, he took his role very seriously. Little did he realize that behind the scenes, his uncle Edward Seymour and a council of regency oversaw all matters of the state and thus the kingdom was ruled.

The then Archbishop of Canterbury - Thomas Cranmer, keen to separate from Papal authority and the influence of Rome, began to write and re-write important public documents which he thought would greatly impact the gentry at large and help to unify certain cultural and religious practices.

Amongst these, was his personal favourite - that of creating the first documented list of all words that were to be found in the English language.
Whilst noble and lofty were his ideals, he had to get the King’s seal of approval for each of these, without which they could not be decreed.

And the young King Edward, was turning out to be a bigger snot-nosed brat than he had imagined.

“Sire”, he began – “there is this matter of the lingua-compendium which we simply must complete before the French produce theirs.”

Bringing up the French angle he thought would spur the young heir to grant approval. If there was anything the English hated more than its weather during these troubled days, it was the French.

“Alright Tommy”, said the monarch “but you need to do it the way I say.”

The Archbishop cringed inwardly. Firstly he hated the way he called him “Tommy”, and he also knew where this was headed.

The last time they sat down at this, they got stuck at the letter B.

The young King in his infantile exuberance, began calling a Flutter-by as a Butter-Fly.
The Archbishop already knew that in Rome these creatures were being called Sbattimento Vicino, [ trans. - flutter by ], but little Edward would not yield.

He paced across the room once more, then with his hands on his hips, pulling himself up as tall as he could, he pouted his lips and said –

“Tommy, you shall name it – ‘BUTTER-FLY’ or you can take this compendium of yours and stick it right up your bottom !”

“Indeed, your Majesty”… said the Archbishop as he bowed low, turned briskly and left the room, thinking murderous thoughts all the way until he reached his chambers.

No. 12, Silver Oak

2007-07-16T19:09:00.000+05:30

We are happy to announce that at 7 am on the 7th of July 2007, [07.07.07.07] we did our Grh Pravesh, and we are now the proud owners of No 12, Silver Oak, Cherlapally, Hyderabad.

The ride has been a challenging one, and when we took the plunge 18 months ago, little did we know what we were really in for.
But as with all things we do, it has come out really well, we are proud of ourselves.

And everyone’s invited !

ARMAAN'S 3rd BIRTHDAY

2007-06-30T21:56:00.000+05:30

We celebrated ARMAAN’s birthday this year with all the Methodist colony kids.

Armaan got a shiny new red bike for his birthday which he simply loves. And for the next few days got away with a lot of mischief saying “I’m the birthday boy !”

Alisha got him a little digital watch and he was thrilled to bits. Feeling all big now.

In the same vein we tried to get him to give up his “du-du” bottle, but he’s thinking about that one…..

THE 17 JUNE SHOOT

2007-06-24T22:18:00.000+05:30

On 17th june 2007 I took this picture from one side of the lake. What was amazing was that the same location but from 2 other sides, 2 other people took pictures, all 3 of us doing so in less than 24 hrs ! The funniest part was that on of the guys lives in the green building on the LHS. See this link http://17jun2007shoot.blogspot.com/

Spooky rating 6/10

The 17th June Shoot Pics

2007-06-18T05:09:00.000+05:30

The break up with Natalie

2007-06-17T20:12:00.000+05:30

The sky isn't always blue
The sun doesn't always shineIt's alright to fall apart sometimes
[ Robert Miles & Maria Nayler - One & One ]

Things haven’t really been the best between Natalie [ Portman ] and me lately.

I’ve left over a hundred messages on her answering machine, she doesnt reply to my emails, and after the restraining order that came by post last week, I’ve decided to call it quits.

I’d begun feeling that things had gotten too one sided……..

If you’ve watched GARDEN STATE you’d know how cute she was especially in that scene where she does her “totally original thing that no one else in the world has ever done”.

We had a manic week gone past, no maid, driver disappeared and both of us had a schedule like a pizza delivery boy. Plus Armaan new at school, and Alisha on differing timings so drops, pick-ups, between the school office and day care was maddening.

But my outlook is looking better now with the weekend ahead........

* Reaches for and opens 7th beer *

And now the Storage Meter has gone Goodbye

2007-06-17T17:47:00.001+05:30

This week Yahoo has discontinued its storage meter, so now emails & attachments can be stored forever without filling up your mailbox.

Guess where thats going to take my housekeeeping......

I like to wave at them . . .

2007-06-04T18:37:00.002+05:30

Elizabeth : "There will come a moment when you will have a chance …..To do the right thing. "
Capt Jack Sparrow : " I love those moments. I like to wave at them as they pass by. "
[ Excerpt from the motion picture The Pirates of The Caribbean ]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi there

In the last 6 months it seems I’ve discovered Dylan, and I think his music is pure genius. Amongst others who are in the genius league [ in my opinion ] include Bjork & DMB.

Meanwhile, its nearing the end of summer here, and all the good film releases are happening just before the kids resume school in 3 days. Theres POT - Carribbean, Shrek 3, Mr Bean on Holiday. All great characters, loved by the cubs and me as well. I think Capt Jack Sparrow is the next best thing after Tyler Durden.

So much for my media obsessions.

The seeds of competition are sown in sibling rivalry. This observation I have made, prior to having my own [ cubs ], and my case is now strengthening this pet theory.
If you have a set of your own [ cubs or siblings ], you’d know what I mean.

I was in Bangalore last week, only to find that it is imploding. And as is always the case with inhabitants of metros, they rationalize their existence there by seeking heightened levels of creature-comforts to help them dull their senses to the truth they wont acknowledge.
You know what I mean right ? Then again, maybe not…….

THE STORYTELLER

2007-05-20T21:43:00.000+05:30

Gopadri, Northern Indian Peninsula - Circa 2nd Century

The hot summer’s day had left the soil, pebbles, trees and wood still throbbing with heat. What remained of the little light in the sky was just enough to get the cattle back to the sheds. All around, the village was settling down for the evening.

Most of the men were washing off the mud from the field, cleaning their tools, as they did themselves. The women were preparing the firewood for the evening meal.

This was Hari’s favorite time of the day. Throughout the day he lay beneath the shade of the mango tree by the dirt track that ran onward to Dilli. Once every few hours as a cart passed by with its hot and tired travelers, they would stop there for their noonday meal, to refresh and rest, as they would continue on their way before dusk.

He would befriend them, and help them water the bullocks, and give directions. Then he would sit with them and talk for a while. Asking them where they came from, what the places were like, what events had transpired on their journey thus far.

Some spoke of the kingdom they came from. About the courtesans, the town gossip, minor battles with neighbouring kingdoms. Local sport and hunting episodes, customs and traditions. Hari was a keen listener and absorbed all this.

By the end of the day he’d heard enough to narrate a full 2 hours worth after the evening meal. His vivid flair for story telling had recently begun to capture the imagination of young and old alike. “The flavour, not the facts” is what Hari believed people wanted. He was right.

It was now the season of Chaitra and since the Paush season last year he had begun telling his stories. Vibrant tales that he heard from travelers as they passed through.
It had now become a regular feature each evening, for the townsfolk to gather around the Pipal tree, as they sat around on the sun-baked dung spread thin on the ground.

Today was going to be special thought Hari excitedly. Just last week his friend Bhole the cow herd had crafted a new flute from the bamboo reeds, and it had produced a most delightful range of notes. Bhole had suggested that today’s story be told with more drama than usual, and the addition of some music during the session. Hari was hesitant at first then excited. “Do you think they’ll like it ?” he asked, half knowing the answer before the words were out of his mouth.

That night was like no other they had ever had. The night sky was their stage, the full-moon their lighting, and the crickets and the owls the ambient sounds. Bhole’s flute recital thrilled the villagers at each stage of the story. At first, somber then trilling, melancholic and wistful, then fiery and piercing like the battle conch.

The villagers spoke of it for many days after that, and had begun to warm up to Hari now, more friendly and eager for the next episode.

Mumbai, Western India - Present Day
He woke up suddenly to the loud air horn of the local train as it passed by, causing the old building to tremble and his small shanty room to rumble. He knew it was the 1.40 am Virar fast, as the motorman did that every night as he passed through.

“I must find a better flat" he told himself.... Then remembered that he was but a scriptwriter churning out trashy scripts for B grade Hindi movies. The pay was like the industry, cheap and common.

Somewhere from the dark recesses of his mind, Hari comforted himself knowing that the roots to his profession lay not in this mass produced entertainment industry that was Mumbai.

The source he thought to himself, was deeper, ……pristine, ……and as far back as time itself. The coming together of storyteller, musician & audience was part of the very fabric of human existence. The need was eternal, the imagination ever flowing.

Only the telling had changed.

LAST MONTH IN GREENLAND

2007-05-06T21:38:00.000+05:30

Last month was busy interacting and networking with batchmates from school.
Batch of 1986-87 at Bishop's in Pune, as we've decided that its been 20 years and we should have a reunion ! Its been fixed for the end of July this year, and I'm really looking forward to it.

Its been great fun catching up with old buddies, and seeing how much some have changed [ or not ].

Meanwhile since summer is in full-swing, we've begun our amphibious activities once more, and Alisha's target is to learn swimming by the end of summer. She's really going at it and being brave and determined. Armaan too is giving it a shot.

Armaan has become a regular chatter box, and some of the words he says are so unique to him that we havent had the heart to correct them.

for example :

Sofa = Fofa, Limca = Linka ..........stuff like that.........

Summer vacations are really tough to keep them busy, and Alisha has been producing art by the kilo. So i got her to make a poster protesting for Greenpeace [ who i support ] against Japan restarting its whaling activity.

You can view the campaign and Alish's art here :

http://whales.greenpeace.org/campaign/7065

And being a big fan of ROB on POGO [ which kid isnt ] of MAD fame.... she made this for him, scanned and sent it to him. See the image here :
http://alishaart.blogspot.com/

===================================================================

As we were coming back yesterday in the car, we got stuck in a particularly bad traffic jam, with trucks on either side, blowing thick black smoke.

It was just Armaan and me, and he let rip a smelly one.

The windows were rolled up since the A/c was on, and i was now faced with the dilemma of rolling them down and getting monoxide poisoning from the trucks or staying as is with the H2S in the car [ i dowsed the car lighter lest we blew up ]. Well what can i say ? He's my son......

This got me thinking to another situation -

CONTEST QUESTION

What if, in the car its just you and your boss, and you get wind of a stinker, and you know its not you. Do you keep a straight face and pretend nothing happened, or roll down the window at the risk of of offending him, as he'd know you know.

What would you do ?

[ Best answer wins a year long supply Of CREAM BELL icecream ]

===================================================================

2007-05-06T21:11:00.000+05:30

Alisha made this one for ROB from POGO TV [ who does the M.A.D creative art show. ] and scanned and emailed it to him.

===========================

This is the reply she got from him :

Hi Alisha,

Welcome to MAD! Thanks for taking an interest in my programme and writing back to me. It’s great that the artist in you loves every moment of Music Art and Dance. Let me know what you love about my show and what I can do make it even more thrilling for you! Send me your creative ideas, suggestions and feedback and together we’ll make even more exciting things than you can possibly imagine! From now on I’ll send you regular updates of MAD programmes. Thanks for sending me your very cute greeting! It’s very nice! Keep up the good work! I get tons of artwork from kids all over India , and I can’t put up all of it on the board. But I love getting it so keep sending me your work!

This Sunday the 17th of June, it’s time to go exploring in the jungle, so let’s start with spotting diverse and fascinating birds with a bird watching expert. Later watch me make a chameleon with an interesting weaving technique, and a bird house for your chirpy little friends. Make your own flying insects and try and spot me in our big jungle picture! So come walk on the wild side - only on Camp MA.D !!

Jab Mad hai to sab cool hai!

Love
Rob

2007-05-06T21:09:00.000+05:30

Alisha made this poster for the SAVE THE WHALE CAMPAIGN on Greenpeace, to get Ecuador to vote against Japan resuming its whaling activity. [ May 2007 ]

For more info visit the link : http://whales.greenpeace.org/campaign/7065?start=15

=====================

UPDATE AS ON 22 JUN 07 from Greenpeace :

Whales safe for another year at International Whaling Commission

Thanks to the work and effort we've all done together, today we can say the whales won at the recent International Whaling Commission meeting!

One of the decisive points for this triumph was that, with your help, we had a majority of countries voting FOR whales and AGAINST whaling. The momentum of last year's one-vote victory for the whale-hunters was reversed.

This victory was thanks to the work of Greenpeace staff and volunteers around the world together with I-GO Campaigns and events that all of you created, like: the "Saint Valentine's at the Japanese Embassies" campaign, the "Ecuador say no to hunting" campaign and finally the "Big Blue March for whales," which began as one supporters' suggestion and became an event in 50 countries.

Thousands of people from around the world mobilized to defend whales. We've shown once again that together we can obtain real goals in our mission to defend the environment!

You are already part of this! But the more numerous we are, the more we can do.

That is why you should invite your friends, colleagues, and everyone you know to join Greenpeace's worldwide community of online activists NOW! Forward this email to your friends and ask them to join in.

This year alone, we've stopped efforts to renew commercial whaling and we've convinced Apple to make their products greener with a phase out of dangerous chemicals: and these are but two of many, many victories we've all achieved together over the years.

Next year the IWC meeting will be in Santiago, Chile. There is much to do before then, and a ways to go to secure a long-term victory for the whales. We must continue strengthening our numbers. Please do what you can to help: the whales need you!

Bday VDO - Are your speakers switched on ?

2007-05-02T16:16:00.000+05:30

KG WISDOM 03

2007-04-05T19:51:00.000+05:30

When you're married to someone for eternity, what does it matter when you began the journey ?

– Kevin Green Hyd. April 2007

Shirdi

2007-03-27T23:46:00.000+05:30

We went to Shirdi last weekend.

Spirituality in a can.
Packaged, convenient, cost effective, guilt-free and low calorie.

Right up there along with bottled drinking water, instant noodles, lays chips, ambica agarbatti and the rest.

AP Tourism offers the bus ride there and back, with hotel accommodation on arrival, trashy telugu films on board the bus, and Sai Baba bhajans at bed time and on awakening.

I went thru the motions, but couldn’t really “feel” much. Look out for my forthcoming paper to be released sometime next month titled :
DID GOD CREATE MAN OR THE OTHER WAY ROUND ?

Meanwhile here are two random images from my collection for your viewing pleasure.

CONTEMPORARY IRONIES

2007-03-27T00:11:00.000+05:30

1) Isn’t "Multiple Centres" an oxymoron ? I saw this on the back of a bus advertising NIIT.

2) Last month I read a report about the lowering of HIV incidence if circumcised; this research was published by Dr Kevin De Cock who is currently a Director at WHO. I mean how did he ever get through the early years at school ?!

3) Isn’t it weird that we get Financial ratings and reports from a company called Standard & Poor and another called Moody’s !

4) 2 days back on the front page of the local rag - Deccan Chronicle [ toilet paper posing as a newspaper ] they carried an article about 55 jawans killed by naxals somewhere in Chattisgarh who were drunken and snoozing. Meanwhile, front page news is about cricket pak Coach Wollmer’s death and a pic of Yuvraj singh goofing about with a tennis ball.

In some countries, 55 people killed would be a National Tragedy. [ 37 killed in London Bomb blasts, Tony Blair acted like it was the end of the world ].

5) In December last year our idiot CM opposed the placement of the stautory warning of a skull and cross bones on beedie packs, as he thought they would hurt public sentiment. The tobacco lobby is very powerful in India [ 2nd largest producer in the world ] and particularly Andhra, which accounts for more than 80% of total production when clubbed with Karnataka & Gujarat.

The CM of AP refused to place the Statutory warning of skull and cross bones on Beedie packs. Speaking of which, you absolutely Must watch this brilliant and hilarious movie called Thank You For Smoking.

6) Now how do you explain Various B school bozos from Univ of Texas & Virginia coming to meet thief and village bumkin Lalu Prasad Yadav. And back home IIM-A inviting him to lecture.

I mean he has more criminal and corruption cases against him than he has white hair on his head. And he is now being credited with turning around the Indian Railways, [ while his relatives are detained for travel without a valid ticket ].

It’s a well known fact that anyone with half a brain and the support of a bunch of hyper intelligent IAS officers can achieve wonders in this country. This goon has actually set-back Bihar by a 100 years. And it is so true that Public memory is very short, but shameful that educational institues should use him for a role model when there are so many others who are far more accomplished and genuine.
Times are really weird when villians become our heroes and this country cannot wake up and open its eyes to the truth.

HELGA'S HUT

2007-03-18T03:21:00.000+05:30

Bornholm, Northern Europe - Circa 6th Century BC

Helga groaned as she saw the returning men, as yet faint indistinct forms outlined against the windy snow-covered landscape. In a few minutes they would be knocking on her door expecting some food. They invariably came to her house after each hunting expedition. If they had success, the mood would be upbeat and boisterous with stories of the hunt. If not, they would sit around sullenly as they drank deep from their jugs of brew.

Hans, her husband, was the smelter of the tribe. After they left the warm plains of the Rhine, the tribe wanted to move further northward. Helga wanted to go back, but Djork – The Elder, wouldn’t let them. Hans had to go where they went; he played a useful part in the tribe.

Although most of the things he smelted were misshapen; Helga found some way to put them to good use. Why, just a few moons ago he was inspired by the shell of a turtle which he had seen and attempting to make a battle shield, he produced this huge concavity which was too rounded and heavy for battle.

Helga was a practical woman, she hung this over the fire, slung over two sticks. In this she had poured some water and watched how it came to a boil. Back home, all the other women in the tribe thought she was strange and spoke of her in hushed tones as she passed them each day while collecting twigs in the woods. But she didn’t care for what they thought.

When she was alone at home, she would keep throwing stuff into the boiling pot, and watched excitedly as the colour of the water changed, and it thickened or thinned depending on what she threw in; yesterday it was some forest root, today it was pieces of meat. Each night after the fire died down, the pot would simmer and cool down, and by morning it would be coagulated into some semi-thick liquid, which she would taste with her fingertip. The freezing temperature prevented it from spoiling, and each morning when she relit the fire, she would see the pot steaming and wonder what she could throw in today.

This was really exciting for her, as she knew of nobody in the tribe or even neighboring tribes who had ever tried something like this.

And each day the liquid became more aromatic and richer in flavour, till at last one day she took a hollowed out walnut shell and dipped it in the liquid and took a deep sip. “Shhhrroop”, came the sound as she sucked it out of the shell.

That was 2 full moons ago, and now all her husbands friends would come over after a hunt each day to drink of this refreshing hot drink which Helga had begun making. She had refined the mixture of ingredients by now, and could recreate the same thing again and again.

Today, was going to be an important day, as she saw that Hans had brought along Fragn, the warrior chief. As they all settled down and began warming themselves by the fire, Helga poured out some of the hot liquid into a mug and handed it over to Fragn, who looked at it doubtfully. As he put it to his lips, the first sip scalded his tongue and made him wince, but as he took a second sip, he sucked in some air as he drank, to cool the hot liquid.
“Hmm Helga, this tastes good ! What is it ?”

She hesitated for a second, and then said - “Shoop”.
Because that’s what it sounded like, and that’s what she thought it should be called.

Moula Ali

2007-03-05T05:49:00.000+05:30

Chim-Chimney Chim-Chimney Chim-Chim Cheroo

I does wha' I likes

And I likes wha' I do . . . .

- Bert from the OST of Mary Poppins

The dargah at Moula Ali is a shrine of Hazrat Ali, and that is as much as I know about this place.

Located approx 400 ft atop a massive rounded outcrop of granite rock, it has steps hewn into the side of the rock to get to the top. Worth the climb for the effort and increase in BMR as well as the view from up there. Fairly deserted all week long owing to it being on the outskirts of the city, as well as the climb can make you huff and puff a fair amount.

I went there early Saturday morning 0640 hrs 4th Mar 2007, and heres what I came back with.

Sleeping Angels

2007-02-15T11:43:00.000+05:30

Boogers

2007-02-05T09:48:00.000+05:30

It has been my observation as a parent of 2 cubs, that boogers can be broadly classified into 3 varieties.

1) CRUNCHY BLACK : As the name suggests, these are black in colour, generally dry, and crumbly-brittle in texture. [Some of the more unscrupulous critters even make a crunchy snack of this.] Generally found at the edge of the nostril flapping in and out with each inhalation and exhalation.

2) GUMMY BOOGERS : These are brownish green in colour, semi-dry, and have the binding capability of industrial strength super-glue. I can testify to this use as I have personally used this to stick together a wooden knob on a drawer, as well as seal courier packages, fix the leather in-sole and broken pieces of crystalware.

3) NEBULOUS GLOBS : These present themselves as neither solid nor liquid, and are tricky shape-shifters. Slimy to feel, they can travel down the nasal tract as well as upward and down into the gullet if they feel threatened or cornered. These little devils are best handled at the bathroom sink with plenty of soap and water.

And while on the subject, heres a pic contributed by Stanley D'cunha :

Now, enough of booger talk.

Post my miserable cough, the doctor suggested I do a full and complete examination with a bunch of tests now that I’m 35 years old and all….. “To check the general condition of your body and plan for long term treatment of the asthma.”

I’ll say this about the staff in the pathology dept of private hospitals :

You are not a person to them.

You are a piece of meat that must be prodded, covered in gooey gel, pierced, drained, probed and pumped with radiation.

Anyway, judging from the reports it turns out I was happily eating myself to a massive myocardial infarction.

Those jerks behind the KFC counter don’t tell you what they put into their yummy “Original Recipe”, but it seems my Cholesterol and Liver enzymes have been having a rave party of their own. Not to mention the Left Atrial enlargement of my poor (broken) heart !!

So while in my head I was developing my diet and exercise programme for the next 3 months, heres some pics I managed to produce this week.

CLICK THIS LINK :

http://ruinsatbolarum.blogspot.com/

RUINS AT BOLARUM & OTHERS

2007-02-04T09:23:00.001+05:30

This first one is a Random Image for your viewing pleasure.

===================================================

In a side lane in ABIDS [ the shopping district in Hyderabad ], there is this guy who sells the prettiest dresses you can imagine.

And he operates right on the street, in a space of 50 sft !! But his product display and Visual Merchandising beats the best of the Malls anytime.

===================================================

In the Cantonment part of Secunderabad there exist many Colonial Style Army buildings which were made during the British Raj.

Some are still in use, some are now abandoned and in ruins.

Legend has it that my (in)famous grandfather, in his days of hot blooded youth has served time with the British Army as well as done time in a prison cell at Trimulgherry. [ For desertion ! ]

Anyway, these here are from the ruins of one of these buildings of what I fancy may have once been the residence of his Commanding Officer.

=======================================================

Spices

2007-01-30T23:20:00.000+05:30

A Month since the New Year... !!?

2007-01-30T09:06:00.000+05:30

These days my mind and thoughts are increasingly occupied with stuff like Dow Jones theory, MACD, moving average crossovers, Elliott wave theory, RSI etc. Did you know that graph paper comes in two varieties ? Arithmetic and semi-logarithmic. What is worrisome is not the extremely dry nature of these things; its that I think I secretly enjoy it !!

So there its out. Now you know.

Also the formation of my latest conspiracy theory : People from the MoF are on the payroll of some of the FII biggies. Wait and watch as this situation develops / gets blown out of the water.

I’ve also re-opened my studies on Synchronicity, and in turn they have opened themselves to me. The blog : The Plum Pudding incident is being updated and when it has adequate plums in the mix I shall keep you informed. [ Update : 25 Nov 2011, this blog has been merged with the main blog and no more exists as a separate one .]

Still haven’t been able / inclined to go out and shoot anything fresh. My mind has been dulled with some meds I’m taking for my cough and asthma. The weather too is not helping, as its changing from cool to cloudy to warm and back.
Then again, maybe that’s just an excuse…. I’m just being creatively lazy.

Dreamland

2007-01-28T14:09:00.000+05:30

Earlier this morning, driving on our way to Shamirpet, just me and the kids.

Just as we are passing the crowds coming out from Sunday service near secbad club, I'm thinking about the previous night and my readings on the Sephiroth and Malkuth and thinking to myself how fickle minded I could be.

At that exact moment Alisha says " Can we be two things papa ? I want to be a doctor and a teacher."

Meanwhile at the exact moment DREAMLAND by Bruce Hornsby is playing on the car stereo, with these exact lines :

Wake up tomorrow maybe you'll find

Darkness gone from your mind

Want you to be what you want to be

Don't want you ever hurt like me

Smiling through the saddest times ...

And I further reflect about Archangel Sandalphon, and how he is associated with prayer, and heavenly song.

Spooky Rating 8/10

Flashbacks

2007-01-27T21:33:00.000+05:30

I watched the movie WAR OF THE WORLDS last night, and it brought back a flood of memories.

I remember watching the earlier version the first time around 1978-79 or thereabouts, while about 7 yrs old in Pune. It creeped me out then and it creeped me out now.

I think it was the serpentine things that come looking around for human survivors.

Flashback to age 7-8 again, and I had a high fever one night in the Infirmary, and a nightmare which involved me being a stadium surrounded by a grill with plants etc, which are creepers vines that have reached out and eaten my acomplices who were with me but a few minutes ago.

That dream I remember to this day, and it still freaks me out !!

Strangely, around the same time [ present day ] some creepy ad film maker has used the similar concept for CHANTILLI wines where thre grape vines reach out and suck up a rooster alive.
[ Loves food as much as you... ]

Creepy and spooky !

Rating 7/10

The Times...

2007-01-23T13:49:00.000+05:30

Yesterday as we were coming back from school, Armaan and Alisha were in the back seat; Bob Dylan playing on the Stereo, the track was The Times They are A-changin'.

......."Come mothers and fathersThroughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand...."

And that EXACT moment Armaan pipes up saying “Papa change this. I don’t like this song.”

And Alisha says “ Yeah me too”.

And the song continued…. “Your sons and your daughters Are beyond your command”….

Rating 6/10

Sankranti 2008

2007-01-18T12:36:00.000+05:30

Sanjeevaiah park on Sunday 14th Jan morning for SANKRANTI, had us flying a [ Chinese ] kite, quite a good one, but too many others wanted to ladau page. So we brought it back down. This was Armaan’s first kite flying experience, and he seemed to like it.

A day earlier and the school had put out the list of new admissions. So Armaan will be joining Nursery in the same school as Alisha. Term starts on 6th June 2007. And he’s been looking forward to going to “big school”. Infact sometimes when I go to pick up Alisha I’ve been taking him along, and he’s quite familiar with the place and her classmates now.

My creative urge seems to have taken a back seat, and I haven’t shot anything for over a month now. The last batch was some still-life studio work which I shall put up hopefully later today.

We watched the Hindi movie GURU last night at the IMAX, and I would recommend it to anyone who hasn’t seen it yet.

Meanwhile L’OREAL Paris has been trying to sell me some shampoo with : “LIGHT REFLECTIING BOOSTER TECHNOLOGY” which they assure me will reflect light upto 85% more and have a “Cashmere Touch”.

They tell me I’m worth it, so I guess its alright and I’ll go buy some today.

The Week that was. 1st to 7th Jan 2007

2007-01-07T21:02:00.000+05:30

... And a Happy New Year to you too !!

As I mentioned earlier, the Bidanis from the plains of Delhi and the Bedouin Anands from Dubai came to Hyderabad to find new meaning and purpose for the New Year 2007.

The long and short of it is - Rishi and Alisha are now more of a deadly combination than ever. Shiv and Seerat are preparing for their teenage years ahead. Sachit and his babies are still inseparable [ stuffed pillows he’s had since an infant ] and Armaan is friend of all the world and is game for just about anything.

During this time we have stretched the little flat at No 3 Methodist Colony, as well as the Wagon-R. We now know what both are capable of [ or not ]. Which by the way, reminds me that I should be phoning the Limca book of records or something for this :

RM Dhawan 80Kg, Sanjay 85 Kg, Dilip 75 Kg, Seema 65 Kg, Anju 65 Kg, Deepa 60 Kg, Seerat 50 Kg, Shiv 40 Kg, Sachit 20 Kg, Rishi 20 Kg, Alisha 15 Kg, Armaan 10 Kg, and yours truly 75 Kgs at the wheel.

7 adults 2 teenagers and 4 kids = 13 people [ 661 Kgs ] in the Wagon R !!

We kicked off the evening with PINACOLADAS for all at home, followed by some Moet & Chandon Champagne.

Then off to the Taj, where we rocked the pants off the place and what would otherwise have been a prim and proper sit-down buffet, had us playing Goan Mandos [ Seema carried CDs from Goa ], and who else should be on the keyboards than Sebastian !

The week flashed by in a blur of Biryanis, Rose wine, BIBINCA, laughter, crying, nose-bleeds, Macchar Fry, late nights and even later mornings. And as the Mob Bosses in Chicago would say, we “hit the mattresses”.

Oh yes, I also saw a lot of Salar Jung’s stuff he collected round the house [ 3 floors each with 2 wings of amazing stuff ]. His jewels we couldn’t see, and when they go back to Delhi in Feb, looks like that’s where we’ll have to go to see them.
[ ha ha…….. very funny… I can see you laughing when I said “his jewels” ]

Alisha turned 5 years old yesterday 6th Jan, but we’d already celebrated on the 2nd, with Princess cake, balloons, bungee jump and all.

Looks like we’re going to have a Great Year ahead !!…….. see you next week.

KG WISDOM 02

2006-12-04T09:44:00.000+05:30

It doesn’t matter how much or what you have in life. What matters is what you do with it.

– Kevin Green Hyd. Thursday, November 16, 2006

KG WISDOM 01

2006-12-04T09:42:00.000+05:30

"When push comes to shove, you're on your own"

- Kevin Green 25th Oct 2006

MY NEW FIREFOX MOUNTAIN BIKE

2006-11-07T13:15:00.000+05:30

On Saturday 4th Nov 2006, I acquired myself one of these babies.

From the "Full-Sus Range" check out more at http://www.firefoxbikes.com/

Light-weight yet tough, with a 21 speed gear-box.
Imported from Korea and assembled here in India. Rides like a dream, and attracts a lot of attention from youngsters who wonder how this fat uncle came by something so sexy.

PAPIKONDA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY OCT 2006

2006-10-12T21:46:00.000+05:30

Please wait for a few seconds to allow the images to load and begin scrolling.

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

KOLLERU BIRD SANCTUARY OCT 2006

2006-10-12T21:39:00.000+05:30

Please wait for a few seconds to allow the images to load and begin scrolling.

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

Camera Advice

2006-10-08T11:07:00.000+05:30

The other day my cousin Cynarra emailed me to say her trusty Canon PowerShot was misbehaving and that it was now time to repurchase.

Her question was specifically seeking advice on whether to go for a D-SLR or just stay with the higher end point-and-shoot models.

Some of my other friends too have also asked me similar questions in the past, so I’ll attempt to answer that here, and pre-empt you from asking me in the future.

I think before deciding what to buy, you need to ask yourself some basic questions :

A) What is the intended use ? [ Birthdays, general use, business field-reporting, serious amateur use or professional etc ]
B) How far do you want to go with your camera / hobby ? [ Fiddle around with it once a month, take it to the next level, produce fine-art prints, share over the internet etc ]
C) How much are you willing to spend ?

While most camera and optic systems today cost far less than they did say 10 years ago, it might still be worthwhile fixing a ceiling limit to how much you wish to spend.

Given the bewildering options available, and what each camera manufacturer wants to promote as a “killer-feature”, stay focused on your specific need. Besides, they keep improving on technology every 18 months. So it never ends.

Some of the common questions people ask me :

a) How many Mega Pixels is good ?
b) Should it be able to record VDO ?
c) Which brand ?

If you’ve successfully and truthfully answered the self-questions earlier, it becomes easier to decide. For instance, general-use and occasions etc don’t warrant more than 4 MegaPixels.

The thumb rule is more mega pixels [ MP ], more the memory requirement for each image.
And if your intended use is for shaing over email / internet, you don’t want huge files clogging peoples mail boxes. Each MP is roughly half an MB [ Mega Byte ] unless you resize and save it in a smaller form.

Besides, most peoples monitors are set at 1024x768 screen resolution, so anything more than that is a waste. Also, if you wish to take domestic sized prints of a size like 4x6 [ generally acceptable ], you would get the desired results.

Now coming to VDO. I am of the personal view that still images and moving images are inherently different both from the technical angle as well as their subsequent usage, and should be treated and handled differently. [Which is why camcorders were invented in the first place.] So without going into the myriad world of screen size ratios, PAL/ SECAM standards, movie file formats, bit-streaming, vdo codecs and cross compatibility, I’d say don’t go there. Buy a camcorder separately.

But if you have to; and simply MUST HAVE that awesome moment of when the knife slices through the cake [ or someone’s throat ], then just do it.

Now the all important question of which brand.

In my opinion, we all have personal brand preferences, and no matter what you tell someone, they are pretty much pre-programmed towards one rather than the other for a host of reasons.
So I’m not going to open up a discussion with Hasselblad Vs Canon Vs Nikon Vs Olympus Vs Minolta Vs Sony. So just do whatever works for you, and go with whichever matches your needs and personal preferences.

Now for those of you who are planning to upgrade from point and shoot to D-SLR, my personal experience has been like this.

SLR offers you the greatest control over the results, and is personally very rewarding. It can be very exciting, the learning curve is long and deeply satisfying.
Entry cost can be high [ starting at Rs 40,000 to 50,000 ] and this may be only for the body and maybe an additional kit-lens to get you started.
Additional accessories can set you back a fair amount. Eg
- Prime lenses [ at the wide or telephoto end ] approx Rs 10,000 to 25,000, you’ll want at least one wide and one tele.
- A respectable speedlite is another Rs 25,000
- And between Rs 8,000 to 15,000 for additional soft boxes if you intend doing any indoor/studio work.
- A light meter [ if you want to be a purist, though most cameras now have a reasonably good one built in ] this could be another Rs 15,000
- A remote “plunger” for those night shots [ must have ] which cost another Rs 5000.
- A reasonably good tripod will come for another Rs 1500 to 2000.
- Then we have filters with another Rs 2000 each.
- Spare batteries, chargers and memory cards another Rs 5000
- A kit bag to dump all this stuff into another Rs 3000

Overall, the camera body is just the beginning of the story. Do the math.

I don’t mean to scare you, or to make it sound like you need to get all geeky and into gadgetry. Its just that as you progress, your needs WILL expand, and you WILL be confronted with these decisions at a later stage. Might as well you know it now, and choose wisely.
[ I’ve been evaluating which of my lesser vital organs I can sell to fund my studio expansion ] Ha ha, don’t be such a pussy and get scared off so easily

.
After all, at the end of the day if you don’t have a passion, where’s the fun in life ?….

ON SOLITUDE

2006-09-28T08:09:00.000+05:30

Tuesday 26th Sep 06

Deepa and the kids have left for Ludhiana today.

It’s the first time in almost 3 years that I will be all by my lonesome self.

Infact at first it was difficult to re-call what it felt like even during my bachelor days, to be living alone.

Such is the all pervasiveness of wedlock and child-rearing.

My observations on the experience of so far :

v I could play music at the volume I wanted, anytime of the day or night.
v I could listen to that music with the door of the loo wide open while I took a shower or whatever.
v Walking naked round the house is my next best luxury [ to the horror of Mrs Kamala Reddy in the neighbouring building ]
v I see stuff lying around the house and briefly wonder how it got there, and then I remember that I myself kept it there a few hours ago.
v I can see the whole house gradually morph into this messy and unkempt look, with stuff lying around, plates, glasses, crumbs, furniture moved around etc. In fact I had half an idea to photograph it day-wise to record how it [d]evolves.
v Finding some of my stuff in the original place I left them is nice, such as my slippers, which usually seem to travel around the house and under furniture.
v Reading till late in the night, and waking up without the crazy rush to go to school with Alisha [ bathe, dress, pack tiffin, do homework, feed breakfast, and drive to school ]
v With the exception of a couple of phone calls during the evenings, I’m silent and reflective with my own thoughts for company.
v I’ve watched more TV in the last 2 days than I have in the last 2 years. And that’s a fact. Speaking of which by the way, I just got a TATA SKY subscription last week, and had a satellite dish installed on my rooftop. The reception and audio quality is fantastic, and the features are lovely. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Lunar Eclipse

2006-09-25T21:11:00.000+05:30

For those of you who missed it , I'm attaching here some pics of the partial LUNAR ECLIPSE
which commenced 8th Sep 2006 at 2335 hrs and continued till 0100 hrs.
Suggested viewing of pics :
a) Save onto your desktop.
b) View in series, full screen, progressively as ONE TWO THREE ...
c) Observe the Umbra and Penumbra as it develops.
d) Look for the Lunar Oceans and craters in image FIVE where they are clearly visible.
[ monitor resolution set to 1024 x 768 ]
Feel free to circulate these, and if you wish to have them in high resolution copies, let me know.
[ Average file size of each goes up to 4 MB ]

For those who may be interested in the technical aspects of how these images were captured :
a) Canon 350 D [ 8 Megapixel ] digital SLR body
b) f stop 16, exposure time of between 1 sec and 5 sec
c) Sigma 70 - 300 mm tele lens [ using special low dispersion glass and multi-layer lens coating ]
d) UV filter removed to prevent lens flare

ETHIPOTLA WATER FALLS

2006-09-15T23:27:00.000+05:30

Ethipotla Waterfalls are close to Nagarjunsagar Dam on the great Krishna River.

As we approach the dam, further upstream Deepa took a ride in a "basket boat", which is a circular basket which serves as a boat. That the water is crocodile infested didn't seem to deter her.

This is the Nagarjunsagar Dam. [ Downstream ]

THE TARAMATI SHOOT

2006-09-15T22:36:00.000+05:30

ALISHA ASKS 005

2006-09-04T17:40:00.000+05:30

Recently Alisha has been attempting to refine her understanding of God as a concept. Here are some questions I've tried to field in the last 2 months. Mostly, I just pass them on to Deepa...

1) Is God a boy or a girl ?

2) Where does God live ?
[ deepa told her that he lives in our hearts ]

3) If God lives in our heart, how does he make soo-soo and potty ?

4) How can I speak to God ? And if he hears me, why doesn't he speak back to me ?

5) My finger was hurting and I asked God to make it better but its still hurting, why ?

6) If God really loves me as much as you say, why did he not catch me when I fell and bumped my head ?

7) Why are the street children poor ? God made them new, how can they be poor so fast ?

Suggested responses are always welcome.....

[ Circa Sep 2006 ]

Buddies

2006-08-23T21:27:00.000+05:30

ONE KATORI

2006-08-09T18:13:00.000+05:30

Today I began my self-styled ONE KATORI program. [ Armaan calls it a KATORETI ]

What I’d intended was that from today for an indeterminate period, I would eat 3, preferably low-fat meals in a day, each not exceeding a quantum of one katori.

Breakfast went off fine with one katori of vermicelli upma. [ Armaan calls it OOMPA ].

At lunch time I reached for a plate at first, and as my program flashed thru my mind I didn’t want to slacken so fast; so I placed a bowl on top of that, and proceeded to fill it with dal and rice. But then there was mushroom with peas, and roti.

I was ok with letting mix the rice and dal in the bowl, but the roti presented some serious problems in containment as well as in not getting it soggy, yet staying within my one katori definition.

So I let it go for now, thinking to myself that I MUST NOT start getting all neurotic about it. After all, I’m a mature and responsible adult & capable of self-regulation.

So I took half a spoon of mushroom-peas and a roti [ yummy ], halfway thru I realized that this would leave me unfulfilled, so I got another serving and another roti.
This was followed by the katori of dal rice.

And then a katori of ice-cream ...........with chocolate sauce to boot !!

Its ok I thought, considering most of the food came in katoris. [ a convenient solipsism ]

All went fine with my internal moral system, until it was snack time at 1745 hrs and the mini pizzas came around. Not only did I have mine, I ate my colleague’s as well !!
[ neither fitted in a katori ]

I’m not sure how dinner will go, but I’m staying positive…….

THE CENTRAL STORES SHOOT

2006-08-07T22:08:00.000+05:30

The Sigma Lens

2006-08-07T21:47:00.000+05:30

THE SIGMA 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG MACRO

For those of you who know what I'm talking about.

Basically I picked up this lens two weeks ago, to compliment the current one I have which came as part of the original kit.

For its price its not too bad. [ Approx 200 USD ].

yes its supposed to have the new coating on the glass and SLD glass ( Special Low Dispersion ), both of which work quite well and eliminate flare and does away with chromatic aberration commonly seen in higher-end tele lenses.

The macro setting is an over-rated feature, and frankly doesntly allow me to get close enough.

From 70 upto 200 its quite good, after which it drops sharply. AF mode too is a little slower, and it "hunts". So frequently I shot in MF mode. Easier for DOF calculation too at that range.

I ned to work it some more to do it justice, meanwhile here are some pics, not all using the SIGMA.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE CENTRAL STORES SHOOT

The Cosmic Twin

2006-07-20T08:46:00.000+05:30

Today 2 things :

As I was explaining to Juhi about the plum pudding incident, I got call from Aman in Delhi who is claimed to be very similar to me [ my cosmic twin I'm told].

Later in the evening when we got home from lifestyle, and Deepa explained to Alisha about the pink flower Alisha gets her and the concept of gratitude, I wasn't around during this explanation.

2 minutes later I explained the very same thing in the very same words.

Rating 8/10

ALISHA ASKS 004

2006-07-13T08:44:00.000+05:30

Last night Alisha set out to spell this fruit-

According to her and her present understanding of phonetics, it A for Aa, P for Puh and L for Luh. Her reasoning ofcourse is very good, and she is correct in spelling it so.

And like she rightly said to me : "There is no second P and an E at the end ! Why is it there ?"

And as usual, child intelligence prevailed over adult stupidity, as i sat there dithering about how someone made up the spellings earlier, and however crazy they may seem, we all need to learn them the way they are spelt.

Now its obvious that if i gave her the liberty to spell the way she wanted, no self-respecting teacher would accept that. And the reason being - "Thats the way its done"...."We cant change that"....

The way we perpetuate our own stupidity confounds me.

GERMANY VS ARGENTINA

2006-06-30T16:29:00.000+05:30

Today 30th June 2006 Germany plays Argentina in the FIFA world cup quarter finals.

I like both teams, and irrespective of whoever wins today, it will break my heart...

I've been so excited all day in anticipation of the match, and cannot wait to watch it.

Armaan's 2nd Birthday

2006-06-26T22:06:00.000+05:30

ARMAAN'S 2ND BIRTHDAY 26 JUNE 2006

80s Music

2006-06-22T17:13:00.000+05:30

2 nights ago I began downloading a whole bunch of music from the 80s. Mostly the period between 1985 and 1989.

Recently it seems I cant relate to the music that’s being produced, excepts unless it has the (by now overdone) – Retro feel, or a rehash of an earlier track.
Either the music industry is running out of originality or I’m moving up by a generation. Makes me understand what the 60s thing was all about.

So what was my music preference like during the 80s ? Mostly POP ish, mostly British, TOTP ruled !!

For many years I pretended I wasnt really into POP, but I guess I’m out of the closet now and can freely admit that I loved it !! Everything about it, including the weird hair, funny clothing, corny lyrics / titles ( French Kissing in the USA ) and trashy music videos.

What do you expect ?

Hey, I was a teenager! I couldn’t be held responsible for clear minded choices. I went with the mainstream. I was “with it”.
My hormones were responsible.

I fell in love with the idea of falling in love. You know how it is…

Then I actually fell in love. And some of these songs date back to very very special times in my life, as some of you who may be reading this would know.

Its my personal time machine now.

To this day when I hear these, I go back to the time. To when I feel I could do anything. Rebellious and omniscent. I owned the music, and the music owned me.

Heres a small listing –

The Commodores – Nightshift
A-ha - Hunting High And Low
Billy Joel - Uptown Girl
Cameo - Word Up
Peter Cetera - Glory of Love
Nick Berry - Every Loser Wins
George Michael Wham - Everything She Wants ( this track was before its time )
Jennifer Rush - The Power Of Love
Johnny Logan - Hold Me Now
Mr. Mister - Broken Wings
Prince - Purple Rain
Prince- When Doves Cry
Don Henley – Boys of Summer
Tracy Chapman - Baby Can I Hold You Tonight
Whitney Houston - Saving All My Love For You
Madonna - True Blue
Madonna- Open Your Heart
Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing
Dire Straits – Walk of Life

and another 100 more........

( oh by the way, if theres any particular track from the list or from that time interests you, let me know, i might have it on MP3 )

ALISHA ASKS 003

2006-06-22T16:38:00.000+05:30

This morning on the way to school - which by the way, is the time Alisha and I have some of the most amazing conversations; she asked me :

"Papa why are there birds ?"

( Explain the existence / usefulness / purpose of birds in this world )

I tried with starting to quote from one of my childhood favourites :

All things bright and beautiful

All creatures great and small

All things wise and wonderful

The Lord God made them All.

I admit that this was a bit lame, as it merely describes that they were made, but still doesnt address the "Why" part.

And she wasnt too convinced either.

So i went on to try and give her a bit of history, which usually has me start by saying :

"In the old days....."

And i tried to explain carrier pigeons and the like to deflect her with the novelty value rather than the true merit of my explanation.

Contemporary Classic ?

2006-06-22T16:35:00.000+05:30

Recently i saw a billboard in town, advertising something as :

"CONTEMPORARY CLASSICS."

Isnt that an Oxymoron ?

FIFA WORLD CUP 2006

2006-06-20T14:16:00.000+05:30

Halfway into the world cup, and its been fun so far.
Its good to see whatever few fans in office and around, talk of something besides cricket; which in my opinion is getting highly overexposed, more commercial and less exciting.

My top favourites for the season are Brazil ( of course ), but they seem to be playing some weird game. England has been playing like the pussies that they are, with one exception CROUCHing Tiger who is a Hidden Dragon. 3 yellow cards in one game. With a height similar to Kilimanjaro ( 6ft 4 inch ) his name is “Crouch”, can you believe that ?
Germany has been alright, with Australia showing some very good fighting spirit.

But Argentina looks like they’ve really got it together, and I’m putting my money on them.

Meanwhile the FIFA officials have made the match very tame, and seem to be giving fouls, and yellow cards left-right and centre.
Remember the movie GIANTS OF BRAZIL ? Now that was real football.
The other day I was discussing this with a Swiss client, who said that they've now begun playing BARRY MANILOW outside Swiss stadiums to keep the hooligans calm and under control !! I dont know how far its true, but that would be self-defeating in my opinion...Barry Manilow for Chrissakes !!

At home I’ve pretty much hijacked the TV and remote for the month. When I sit to watch a match, Alisha tries to understand what the big deal is about ( the last World Cup was the year she was born, which makes it all the more special that I should be watching it with her. She also asks very detailed questions about the game to figure it out. Armaan sees them running and has figured the game is about “RUN” and “BALL” as well as “BOOMBA” ( falling down ).

Deepa has joined in the hooliganism, and is propounding a centre-field strategy which largely involves off-sides. She and Ronaldo must meet up to fully explore this.

Don Quixote

2006-06-20T14:09:00.000+05:30

Downloading music, I found Nick Kershaw don Quixote ( ..."your mind can play tricks, makes you what you want to be )…

Remembered a faded acid trip around 1987.

The Nik Kershaw poster and the track by Simply Red - Holding Back The Years…….. And while I currently am reading NLP.

Rating 1/10

From Thus Spake Zarathustra

2006-06-15T18:23:00.000+05:30

And Zarathustra spake thus unto the people:

I TEACH YOU THE SUPERMAN. Man is something that is to be surpassed. What have ye done to surpass man?

All beings hitherto have created something beyond themselves: and ye want to be the ebb of that great tide, and would rather go back to the beast than surpass man?

What is the ape to man? A laughing-stock, a thing of shame. And just the same shall man be to the Superman: a laughing-stock, a thing of shame.

Ye have made your way from the worm to man, and much within you is still worm. Once were ye apes, and even yet man is more of an ape than any of the apes.

Even the wisest among you is only a disharmony and hybrid of plant and phantom. But do I bid you become phantoms or plants?

Lo, I teach you the Superman!

The Superman is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: The Superman SHALL BE the meaning of the earth!

Did You Know 001

2006-06-13T20:49:00.000+05:30

Did you know that if you go to the BSNL Telegraph office, you can pay your phone bill anytime......24 hrs a day !!

I discovered that today; and frankly I'm impressed.

THE 'TWEEN SIZES

2006-06-13T20:37:00.000+05:30

My waist currently measures 35"

Which speaks about my sedentary lifestyle, and possibly my love for the nice and greasy KFC which has recently opened downtown.

I was 36" for a short while, but then that troubled me, and so i unconsciously began to bring it down. But now I'm stuck here.

At 35.

Which is not so bad in itself, but these darn clothing companies make trousers in increments of 2 inches, so its 34 or 36.

Guess where that leaves me.

34 clearly shows my midriff protrusion, and 36 slides down to "half-bum". Unless i tighten the belt a notch further, in which case it gets bunched up around the butt, and i begin to look like a hood from Chicago in the 60's.

Now i have to either lose an inch, or gain an inch and love myself either way...

I also worry about how this is going to impact my already dis-jointed wardrobe.
( I'm moving back from the half-sleeved "Chennai corporate office" look, to the pin striped-with-tie Milan look )

ALISHA ASKS 002

2006-06-13T20:34:00.000+05:30

Thursday, May 04, 2006

ALISHA : Papa why is the signal light red, yellow and green ?

Me : it’s a standard people decided it should be like that

She : Why didn't I get to decide ? ( why was I not part of the decision making ? )

Me : I wasn’t either, it was before you or even I was born

She : When I grow up can I decide ?

Me : Sure.

ADOPTION

2006-06-13T20:32:00.000+05:30

I had this thought about a month back.

Why is it that when we think of adoption, we only think of parents adopting a child ?
Why cannot the reverse be true ?

Why cannot a child adopt a parent ?
And suddenly instead of feeling helpless, I felt empowered with the thought that I can adopt parents of my choosing !!

It seems like a wonderful and liberating concept to me.
Suddenly life doesn’t seem as depressing.

Amrutha Castle Shoot

2006-05-21T23:55:00.000+05:30

CYNARRA'S TALENT

2006-05-16T07:26:00.000+05:30

Self Portrait 01

2006-05-14T16:31:00.000+05:30

So here I am, trying out this new Inspector Closeau type self portrait.
A bit Dorky, but I like it !