East,West and somewhere in Between

Ethanol Boom

2007-05-30T16:25:00.000-07:00

Now..... this puts me in a low spirit.

Weight is fine ......how about the 'tude

2006-11-17T00:47:00.000-08:00

Interesting news originating from Indian skies.State owned Indian Airlines has grounded a few over weight air hostesses Now since the weight issue is taken care of , will someone address the 'attitude ' issue too.That seems a more 'weighty' issue to deal with.I'm also one of the many who have suffered from their 'since you are here you can very well have a seat' attitude. I have cops talk to me nicely after hit & run accidents than the Indian airlines air hostesses.

Can someone be grounded 'coz of their attitude too ? On asking for a glass of water their cold stare has made me as uncomfortable as Kapil Dev judging a Sa Re Ga Ma contest.

BTW,those potbellied pilots are no good either......

Santa & his Blackberry

2006-11-15T16:18:00.000-08:00

Christmas is approaching and kids are already salivating over Nintedo Wii, PS3 and the new Ducati 1098 .

Your parents are not going to buy you any of that so better call Santa to deliver that for you.Came across an innovative and free service TelSanta launched recently for this Christmas.

Parents and kids get a toll free wish list number from Telsanta website.Kids can call Santa for free and tell him their wishlist. The audio recording of the wishlist is than emailed to their parents for keepsakes or to deliver ;-)

NBA in India

2006-11-10T13:57:00.000-08:00

An insightful article in Time on NBA's slam dunk in India.

Brilliant Ad

2006-09-18T17:02:00.000-07:00

An ad so brilliant, I had to post it.

Teri Diwani

2006-08-21T00:31:00.000-07:00

Kailash Kher - one time railway station dweller has worked very hard to achieve the success he enjoys today.'Teri Diwani' is a great song with a great video.

Lets begin somewhere...

2006-07-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

Courtesy :Time Magazine

The Myth of the New India

2006-07-07T13:50:00.000-07:00

The New York Times has an insightful article on The Myth of the New India

Bully Teachers

2006-06-28T16:04:00.000-07:00

What happens when teachers start bullying....?

** Courtsey Boing Boing

The Rise of India

2006-06-24T09:41:00.000-07:00

Foreign Affairs Magazine published by the Council of Foreign Affairs has a few articles on The Rise of India in the recent issue.

Hit Wicket

2006-06-20T15:47:00.000-07:00

A must watch for all cricket fans. A rare clip of a standup comic pulling some cricketer's legs.

Bombay's Boom

2006-06-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

Article in Time magazine on India Inc.

You will hear this only in Canada

2006-05-28T22:59:00.000-07:00

He was grinnin' like a butcher's dog - [All is well]

Everything is jake.Everything is jakealoo - [All is well]

Up sh*t creek without a paddle - [All is not well]

The porch light is on, but there is no body home - [Good looking but dumb]

You smell better than a dime whore on a nickel Tuesday - [Bad Odour]

You can't grow grass on a busy street - [Baldness]

She was vaccinated with a Gramophone needle - [Blabbermouth]

Strong enough to grow hair on a wooden leg in three days - [Said of a potent home brew in Quebec]

I feel like cat had kittens in my mouth - [Hangover]

Redder than a turkey's ass during cranberry time - [Embarrassment]

You must have gotten your tan though a screen door - [Freckles]

Wired up like a Christmas Tree - [Nervousness].

So old he could have been a waiter at the last supper - [Old Age]

Patience is trying to to take a pin out of your butt with a boxing gloves - [Patience]

It was so quiet that you could hear a fish fart - [Quiet]

You didn't lick that off the ground - [Runs in the family]

He couldn't say sh*t if his mouth was full of it - [Snobbery]

He is so stingy he wouldn't pay a nickel to see Jesus go over Niagra fall on water skis - [Stinginess]

He doesn't know which fingers to scratch his nuts with - [Stupidity]

No use keepin' a dog and barkin' yourself - [Stupidity]

She is so thin, she has to run around the shower to get wet.

He is so thin, he has to stand in the same place twice, just to make a good shadow.

She looked like a professional blind date - [Ugliness]

As out of place as a brass doorknob on a pig pen.

He is always putting things off.He didn't get the birthmark till he was seven.

** Compiled from the book 'More Wacky Canadian Words & Sayings' by Bill Casselman

Feeling Nostalgic

2006-05-26T13:46:00.000-07:00

Brit songstress Sandi Thom singing 'I wish I was a Punk Rocker'.

An Inconvenient Truth

2006-05-25T17:29:00.000-07:00

Links to the trailer of Al Gore's 'planetary emergency' movie on Global Warming and the Movie Blog.

Say Cheeeeeeese .....

2006-05-17T18:34:00.000-07:00

Hold your breath ....most photographed kid in the world is not Brangelina's or Gwenyth Paltrow's but it's a desi kid who takes this coveted title .

What kind of Vear is that ... ?

2006-05-02T16:54:00.000-07:00

Nothing represents a 'kasba' like this picture.

This pic is downright hilarious at so many levels. Apparently ,the guy painting the signs didn't know hindi or english.It will be too late before he understands the difference between 'chilled ' & 'child' bear .

& I thought you won't read my novel

2006-04-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

When Oprah tore James Frey down to a billion little pieces on television for adding a lot of fiction to his memoir,I thought it was an exception and bestselling authors are usually not copy cats or plagiarists.While there is still a lot of fire left in the 'A Million little pieces ' controversy another sophomore controversy has hit the literary circles....Our country cousin Kavya Vishwanathan has boldly gone where no newbie author has gone before.The teen author's claim to fame was her half a million dollar advance for two novels.

Her very first novel 'How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got In' was smart and funny before anyone realised that it had several passages copied from novels by Megan F. McCafferty.

But there was one Indian who really got deep into it and tried to find reasons for this incident.Here is the link to give you an Indian's perspective on this teen Indian guffaw.

Bubbly Grind

2006-04-21T15:32:00.000-07:00

Future of Freedom

2006-04-14T10:07:00.000-07:00

My apologies to all who are reading 'Marley & Me' & 'Game of Shadows' ,I have not quite reached there yet.I'm a slow reader and still reading 2003 publications.

'Future of Freedom' is definitely not for readers who liked 'What to expect when you are expecting' .It is a thought provoking book for readers interested in Democracy , Liberty and contemporary history .It probes deep into, if there is something as 'too much of democracy'.

Fareed Zakaria's book is well supported by facts and statistical data on why democracy has survived & thrived in some countries whereas not in some other parts of the world.There is a direct correlation between the country's GDP and chances of survival of democracy.Although some poor countries have become democracies ,but when countries become democratic at low level of development their democracy usually dies.India of course being an exception here.

Land reforms have played a crucial role in turning a backward society into a modern capitalist, democratic one.Countries like Zimbabwe ,Pakistan and parts of Central America have failed in implementing land reforms and hence have a painful experience with democracy.Even in parts of India where democracy is most dysfunctional are those where land reforms have failed (UP & Bihar).

The single most important test of connection between capitalism & democracy will take place in China in next few decades.

Less taxation and wealth from natural resources tend to make democracy weak.Rulers/Government in countries rich with natural resources like UAE , Nigeria or Venezuela are corrupt ,autocratic and heavy-handed. They have not only plundered the natural wealth to make the bureacracy more autocratic but also less responsible towards strenghtening institutions like Free Press & Judiciary.As these provide framework & laws that generate natural wealth.

The author points out at process flow when governments starts liberalising.Economic liberlization should preceed political liberlization.Some countries after claiming independence immediately succumebed to a dictators rule soon after.For a developing and a middle income country the biggest challenge today is consolidating into a true democracy.

Singapore & Mexico are good examples of how by scheduling economic reforms first, can bring excellent results before the government starts liberalising the political system.

Author is concerned over Americans losing faith in their democracy.Voting levels in Presidential elections have gone down by 20% since 1960.Politics of Populism is hurting American democracy to the core.Special interests , organised groups now run Washington.Two Senators every state has also hurt states like California. Getting represented with only 2 senators while states like Alaska and Wyoming with significantly less population got an unfair distribution of resources and federal funds.

Fareed Zakaria also points at how politics and governance is tightly controlled by different lobbyists in DC and not by real agenda.Author points at scores of subsidies given to different industries because of their powerful lobby groups.All these moneys could have been utilised to fund welfare and healthcare programs.

In California the system of refrendums & initiatives has left 85% of the budget out of legislature's control.Over the years lots of bills & ordinace have piled up which are redundant and obsolete and government cannot do much about it.This is a great example of how too much democracy can completely go wrong.

Despite all its flaws democracy is still the 'last best hope' for people around the world.In twentieth century the challenge was to make world safe for democracy. Today as we enter the twenty-first century the challenge in front of us is to make democracy safe for the world.

** Fareed Zakaria is Editor of Newsweek International.He graduated from Yale and has a Ph.D from Harvard .

Commonwealth - My Ishtyle

2006-03-26T17:54:00.000-08:00

Courtsey : Times of India
Saif Khan & Rani Mukherjee performing at the closing ceremony of Commonwealth Games in Melbourne on Sunday,March 26.

Kiran Ahluwalia

2006-03-22T14:35:00.000-08:00

Recently got a chance to attend Kiran Ahluwalia's concert.Fellow citizens who don't know her have to look at her accomplishments and her music.

Kiran Ahluwalia was born in India but raised in New Zealand & Canada.Leaving a career on Bay Street to become a ghazal singer in Canada was a risky proposition by all means but she is an example of what a determined will can achieve .

A determined will can sell full houses and make a firangi crowd hear and admire your talent.Making a living with Indian music in western world an impossible feat but she has achieved it.....
That's what Kiran Ahluwalia stands for. Her achievements are beyond boundaries....

She is not only a singer but an interpretor of the great music she sings and composes.Interpreting Urdu ghazals in english for her non hindi speaking audience was the highlight of the concert.The audience transitions between her quick wit and flawless melodies of Ghazals & Punjabi folk songs.

She has not only made music her passion and career but I'm also amazed by the number of fans she has among non hindi speaking Canadians.Most of her ghazals are written by expatriats in Canada.

In one of her recent albums she has collaborated with great Celtic fiddler Natalie Macmaster.A rising jazz guitarst Rez Abbasi often accompanies her at the concert.

Kiran is a combination of Jagjit Singh & Reshma in one.She has joined their ranks as an artist who has reinvented ghazal with time and made it immortal ....

One of my favorite ghazals sung by Kiran Ahluwalia goes as below :
Lyrics By Rasheed Nadeem (Rashid drives a cab in Toronto)

Kina nere ho ho baithan, fair ve doori reh jan di ai
Oodi maree yari vali, ghazal adhuri reh jan di ai

Ruh kalboot deh sare panchhi, ik ik kar kai ud jan dai nen
Pinjara khali ho jan da ai, hath wich choori reh jan di ai

Sara sona rul janda ai, miti deh wich dhul jan da ai
Nam we apna bhul jandai ai, sab mashhuri reh jan di ai

Yaar Nadeem eh ilma, amla kisnu paar langaya eh
Rah de vich he kidre sajna eh mazdoori reh jandi eh

Translation:
Regardless of how close I sit to my lover
there is still a distance between us,
and so my love song remains unsung.

My soul leaves my body like a bird takes flight.
Despite all my riches I feel the isolation of an empty cage.

What value is my fame if
before my love I cannot recall my own name.

O Nadeem, what value are my knowledge and good deeds
if this labour is left behind when my soul leaves.

Khamosh Pani (Silent Waters)

2006-03-18T20:33:00.000-08:00

A story of people who bore the brunt of the partition .... whose life were partitioned into two distinctly different phases .... where they were forced to turn away from their previous lives to start a new one living with the ghost of the life they had known...

A movie.... a woman's perspective on partition... and how she suffers silently yet again at the hands of people she loves.....

A take on political / religious fanatism to involve unsuspecting youth in the name of religion.....

A woman (Ayesha played by Kirron Kher)... for whom a well of water symbolises death ... not life ... yet she is forced to drink the water from the same well that was the grave of her mother and sister .......

How people on the other side chose of think of her as dead for their own peace of mind ........
How she was without a religion as she was not good enough for any... ??
She questions .. which heaven she will go to ...

A man .... who left his wife on the other side.... still hopes for her to be alive....but observes her death anniversary every year ..

A statement on people lost in two worlds..... trying to make sense in the insanity that we call life today....

Kudos to Sabiha Sumar for creating such a riveting piece....

The Constant Gardner

2006-03-16T09:57:00.000-08:00

I read somewhere ....."It's easy to fight for our principles than to live up to them". Here is the story of Tessa Quayle in Kenya fighting the international pharmaceutical giants and their ruthless practices of drug testing on human guniea pigs.

It's a brilliant adaptation of John le Carre's novel by the same title. It has some brilliant acting by Rachel Weisz & Ralph Fiennes and some breathtaking cinematography of beautiful Kenya .

But I will watch this movie again for the amazing music score by Alberto Iglesias.Some tracks are by Kenyan musician Ayub Ogada.The music has rich blending of the African sound.

Despite being a thriller the music is very calm, soothing and some tracks very sad.

Indians of the Week

2006-03-09T17:41:00.000-08:00

Little girl VP Rubiya from a small town defies all odds and refuses to dance to anyone tune than hers.

Fired 'Apprentice' candidate Raj Peter Bhakta is running for the Congress.He is on the dark side of the force........that story some other day.

Raja Cinema

2006-02-23T21:38:00.000-08:00

I heard so much good about 'Rang De Basanti' that I had to see it even if it meant crossing the ocean.Yes, that's what we Victorians do to go to Punjab (Vancouver).

Raja Cinema is a hole in the wall theatre situated on Kingsway. One has to focus on what one is looking for ...there is a good chance you will miss it.

We headed towards Raja Cinema early in anticipation that since the movie is a big hit , we should be in the queue early on. To our dismay the theatre was closed. The nearby shop "Panwalla" (.....yes it is Vancouver) was unaware of the timings. We went to another shop"DVD Palace" even they did'nt know why the theatre is closed.

For the 6'o clock show the ticket counter opened after 5:30 PM. Ticket counter looked like a small toll booth and the guy inside the toll booth was giving tickets and answering enquiry calls at the same time. This guy gave me three tickets which looked like a receipt from Safeway. This small piece of paper was a tkt for three. We entered the lobby and it resembled my living room in size and looks.Yes, including the posters plastered all over the walls.This minuscule lobby had a restroom on the right and a restroom at the left.There was also a lifesize poster of a blue bikni which puzzled me initially only to find out later that it was part of the big Neal & Nikki's missing poster and in the front was this concession stand.

At the doors of one of the restrooms was this giant poster of 'Desi Brokeback Mountain' leaning against the wall.

This theatre replicates 'Mohalle ka Cinemaghar' like no other but only with cleaner toilets and no Paan abstracts on the wall.The whole theatre is run by a staff of 2.

We got the tickets and went in ...and now I started to get somewhat uncomfortable.We were the only one in the theatre. In front was the screen with a jazzy dazzling curtain and two Raja neon signs on the sidewalls.It's interiors were definitely done by a bar enthusiast.

Movie started and I saw a few audience coming in...we were a total of 10 in the theatre. Rang De Basanti grips attention from the very first scene.Enough has been written on this great movie. It is a thought provoking movie. This movie has moments where you can feel the hair on your skin move.The background music is not synth generated run of the mill stuff. Its very original and complements the movie every second.

Come interval and we had the same ticket dude handing out popcorns and coffee..now that's some multitasking and efficiency.

Aamir Khan's acting keeps one mesmerised to the end . His Dilli Punjabi rendition is flawless. I have never walked out of a theatre so moved & inspired.

As I headed out of the theatre ...I saw the same ticket booth cum concession stand guy handing out tickets for the 9:00 PM 'Fight Club' show. Did I mention he was also having his dinner in the booth itself.....

Teacher Man

2006-02-09T14:05:00.000-08:00

So its not only Peter Jackson who makes Trilogies .Teacher Man is Frank McCourt's final book in his trilogy of Memoirs. 'Angela's Ashes' won him a Pulitzer and much critical acclaim.'Tis' & 'Teacher Man' followed through his journey as a Teacher for thirty years.

Teacher Man takes readers in to the world of teaching, a thankless profession where no body gets in by choice. Teacher Man is more a Tutoring Gospel than a memoir. Frank takes readers through the phase as he improves on his teaching skills. He was a witness to class fights, love stories & setbacks. Frank saw his students getting drafted in Vietnam War to never return. He saw teenagers falling in love and not gettng married due to racial stereotypes.

Frank Mccourt continously challenges himself during this journey to inspire kids to be creative. He made kids write different excuse letters to make writing creative and interesting. His unusual teaching methods drew attentions of the principal, administrators & parents. He is willing to open up his life in front of the students to make lectures more interesting.

Teacher Man is also the story of an immigrant trying to succed in United States - a writer who bloomed late. Its the story of a man who considered himself fraud and rediscovers himself as he matures in his job.

It is Frank's story of his evolution as a man & a teacher.

Teacher man is full of self depricating humor, it's meticulous and a must read for individuals connected with teaching profession. The thing that struck me most was the challenge he faces as he taught his students through their tumultous teens.

Curious Campaign

2006-02-05T21:28:00.000-08:00

Curious George Campaign

Fragments of Grace

2006-01-29T20:27:00.000-08:00

Got a chance to read Pamela Constable's "Fragments of Grace" recently.Pamela is an award winning author and writes for The Washington Post.

It's an old book that I got to read more than a year after its publication.Out of all the books written on India recently this one is very realistic and 'down to earth'.'The World is Flat' is Thomas Friedman's hands on narration on Globalisation and the pivotal role India is playing in outsourcing world. He talks to CEOs of IT comapnies & Call Centers.He interviews the young graduates working in these companies.But Friedman's India is urban India and the transition sweeping urban India.Pamela's India is rural India,India battered by terrorism & 3 wars and a mighty country with an unfriendly neighbor.

Pamela Constable is a fearless journalist. Her memoirs are a warrior's journal.She has travelled far & distant to Taliban controlled Afghanistan,charred LTTE controlled territories and interviewed the Taliban Ministers & the 'Man on the street' enforcing 'immoral clothes' ban.Be it burnt down villages or vineyards of Afghanistan ,Pamela has travelled to all these isolated places to give a first hand account to Post's readers .What makes this piece of work unique is the honesty and zeal with she wants to gets the first hand account of the situation and talk to the victims or the criminals.She has travelled to Afganistan when it was being bombed by USA & she has travelled to Batticaloa in Sri Lanka during violent elections.

Between extended stays in south east Asia she returns to the safety & comfort of home for introspection. Adopting poor families , kids and stray dogs in strange land is also a woman's narration of the war and a relentless pursuit in finding and giving love.Be it the horrifying tale of Zaheeda Parveen or travelling to Ganges for her house help Pandey family son's 'Mundan'.Her approach is very compelling.

'Fragments of Grace' does falter on the history behind the Kashmir & Afghanistan conflict.I wish there were more details ,investigation in the reasons of the conflict.Chapters on Nepal could have been avoided.The massacre of the Royal family does not go beyond what we have already read and heard.

'Fragments of Grace' is more than a travelogue or a chronicle of political events in the south east Asia.This may not be a great piece of literature , but a compelling document of honesty & humanity it is.

Blues Clues

2006-01-28T22:23:00.000-08:00

Courtsey : Hindustan Times

There is something wrong with this picture ...I just cannot fingure it out

The other side of Outsourcing

2005-12-26T00:48:00.000-08:00

The other side of Outsourcing

Thomas Friedman visits India and explores the other side of Outsourcing.He filmed this documentary for Discovery Channel .

Thomas L. Friedman, a world-renowned author , journalist and a three time Pulitzer prize winner is writing for The New York Times since 1981 .

Reflections 2005 - The year it was

2005-12-22T00:50:00.000-08:00

A lot has been written on the earthquake,floods and bombs some other events that shaped India of 2005 were :

10.MPs asking commissions to release aid
Poor and needy please wake up ....there is nothing such as free lunch.Your representetive needs to be financially strong to support you folks....rich individuals make 'gareeb' politicians.

9.MPs receiving bribe to ask questions in Parliament
Some eight MPs were caught asking money to raise questions in Parliament.Most of the MPs are from the party I had high hopes from and voted for them every time there were elections.
I'm surprised they don't ask money for getting up every morning and brushing their teeth.I had another analogy in mind ......but I want to keep it clean 'coz there is a 11 yr old that reads and likes this blog.

8. Dada is thrown out of India team
This issue caused such a stir that a question was raised in Parliament .I'm not sure if event #9 played a role.

7. Lalu/Rabri are shown the door
Each circus has to end ..this one lasted for 15 years.The woman who could not balance her domestic budget all her life ,played with multi million INR state budget to her heart's content.

As JFK rightly said 'People get the goverment they deserve'.

6. Amitabh Bachan is sick
This issue got so much of press ....as a Hindu priest quoted "this much has not been written even about Lord Shiva in the Vedas'.

5.Raj Thakre kicks Bal Thackrey's A@#
The roaring tiger didn't even purr when his 40 yr old political empire crumbled to pieces.The prodigal nephew turned into an ambitious opponent.The real son is more of a lap cat than a tiger .He is still cleaning the debris after the hurricane.

4. Sania Mirza's Skirt
Fundamentalist don't like the size of her skirt.....Thanks for pointing it out..next time when she is on the courts ...forget the game .I'm measuring her skirt length.If she starts playing in Salwar Kameez she won't win a game but for sure she will make a few people happy.

No pun intended but where do you keep the extra balls to serve when you play tennis in a dress........?

3. Dance bars are closed in Mumbai
Crowd active in the Mumbai cultural scene is disappointed & looking elsewhere to appreciate this art form....People even fear that this art form that flourished vigorously under patronage of police & politicians may die soon in its absence.
With these bars now closed politicians and doctors are looking for other avenues to invest...may be Web 2.0 startups.....

2.Ambani brothers split
If the elder brother is a shrewd business man and younger brother wants to run an oil refinery and produce a movie at the same time.....It was about to come..sooner or later.This corporate feud has settled for now but in words of George Carlin there is still enough bull#@#@ left to open 2 law firms and a religious book shop.

1.Job reservations in private sector.
Now this is something I cannot wait to get implemented...There is so much I want to write about it ....I cannot wait to see the can of worms it's going to open.How would Narayan Murthy react to people immolating themselves in front of Infosys ....just an afterthought.....

Bhagwun (The Almighty)

2005-12-15T19:02:00.000-08:00

A Designer friend of mine ...as talented as Amitabh but in alltogether a different profession compiled a list of his 10 best dialogues that have kept the Bollywood fans glued to him for last three decades.This gentleman has seen all Amitabh movies x 10 times.....as they say there is always a good time to watch his movie and I can bet there are millions more in our country of billions for whom life imitates art.

It's easier to explain nanoscale engineering but what makes this guy a phenomenon is beyond reasons.

This thespian of acting has blended anger,emotion ,comedy in one and became an icon globally.An icon so powerful that some fans call him 'Bhugwun' (The Almighty) .

As our beloved star turns 64 and he is not as angry as he used to be .Here is an avid fan's tribute.Amitabh's 10 most memorable dialogues.

10. Kaalia
"Hum jaha pe khade ho jaate hein , line wahin se shuru hoti hai."

9. Trishul
"Sahi baat ko sahi waqt pe kiya jaye to uska maza hi kuch aur hai, aur main sahi waqt ka intezaar karta hoon."

8.Satte Pe Satta
"Chain kuli ki, main kuli ki chain! Chain kuli ki, main kuli ki chain! Chain kuli ki, main kuli ki chain!"

7.Chupke Chupke
"Jis tarah gobhi ka phool phool hokar bhi phool nahi hota, waise hi gainde ka phool bhi phool hokar phool nahi hota."

6.Zanjeer
"Yeh tumhare baap ka ghar nahin, police station hai! Is liye sidhi tarah khade raho!"

5. Agneepath
"Pura naam, Vijay Dinanath Chauhan. Baap ka naam, Dinanath Chauhan; Maa ka naam, Suhasini Chauhan, gaon Mandwa; umar chhattis saal..."

4.Namak Halal
"I can talk English, I can walk English, I can laugh English because English is a very phunny language."

3.Shahenshah
"Rishte me to hum tumhare baap lagte hain , naam hai Shahenshah."

2. Deewar
"Haan, main sign karoonga, lekin pehle us aadmi ka sign le ke aao, jisne mera baap ko chor kaha tha ; pehle us aadmi ka sign le ke aao jisne meri maa ko gali deke naukri se nikal diya tha; pehle us aadmi ka sign le ke aao jisne mere haath pe ye ('mera baap chor hai') leekh diya tha. Uske baad... Uske baad, mere bhai, tu jo kahega us par main sign karoonga."

1.Sholay
"Tumhara naam kya hai, Basanti?"

A Potter's World

2005-12-10T23:34:00.000-08:00

On a balmy December afternoon what one can do is either act lazy keep on sleeping on the couch in the living room and watch a bollywood flick....or go out and head to Saltspring Island.

Saltspring Island is a half hr boat ride from from Victoria and the most populated (appx 10,000) of the Canadian Gulf Islands.Its about seventeen miles long and nine miles wide.There are large no of musicians,artisans and sculptures living on this island.

So this weekend we head out and meet Gary Cherneff. He has made Salt Spring his home for last 30 years. He is exhibiting his work for last 32 years. He is represented in private collections as far as Japan, UK and Australia.Gary Cherneff's studio is nested in a long winding driveway in a forest.The studio is a 2 storey structure split in the Gallery area & the workshop.

Gary's wife Beth runs her studio just next to Gary's.She owns 'Flowers by Arrangment'.

Overheard

2005-12-02T00:45:00.000-08:00

Recently two monorails crashed in Seattle....That's not the Seattle I grew in ...earlier the only thing known to crash in Seattle was Windows 98.

P for Passport

2005-11-19T09:34:00.000-08:00

Some useless statistics .........

60% of Canadians don't have passports.
80% of Americans don't have passports.
& only 30% of US Congressmen have passport.

Fellow countrymen and neighbors...if you have seen enough of each other ,stop strolling in each others backyard and start seeing the rest of the world.

Congressmen, I'm not surprised at the above figures although English is my second language and I always thought antonym to pro-gress was re-gress......but it's not.

Cheaper by dozen or two

2005-11-13T21:31:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine had sent us tickets for a movie premier.Since we reached early we had to wait outside the theatre for few minutes.

The family standing next to us demanded our attention immediately.The daughter was clinging to Dad's legs,two sons were running amock in the lobby ,a toddler trying to free himself from his mother's arms.Another young guy (GAP youth size) was pulling his mothers overcoat and trying to hide under it....This valiant woman seemed undeterred with all this crying , pushing pulling. At the same time she was comfortably involved in girl talk with another woman in the line.They were busy talking about everything under the sun and I was not evesdropping ,they were just talking loud. I could hear the conversation drifting away from the weather to the kids and gradually to how old and how many ? Now I was hearing that was clearly not for my ears ... This woman had 8 kids. She was accompanied with 7 and one was at home and to top that she had no plans to stop , she wanted to have 20.Suddenly this Mom looked mightier than a polar bear who had just hunted down a whale......

I was feeling dizzy by then and it was not the caffeine in my Venti latte.

In my World

2005-11-11T01:36:00.000-08:00

I sat through this 2 hr DVD 'The inner and outer world of Shahrukh Khan' .I watched this documentary 'coz my wife loves Shahrukh Khan and with similar sentiments she tolerates Bipasha Basu movies. We call them The Gay & The Tramp respectively for the same reasons also.

Nothing new in the DVD that I didn't know about the Khan.The thing that caught my attention in the documentary ...Largest Mcdonald in the world is in Orlando,Florida and is owned by a Desi.

Amrita Pritam

2005-11-02T23:02:00.000-08:00

Renowned Punjabi poetess and writer Amrita Pritam is no more. She was awarded with Padma Vibhushan and Gyanpeeth Award for her literary prowess.

I got a chance to read her autobiography in high school 'Rasidi Ticket'. A lot of it I couldn't understand.I didn't complete it reading but somewhere I continued to follow her achievements, her life.I was also intrigued by her relationship with Sahir Ludhianvi & Imroz.More than anything she lived life on her terms as she wanted to.

Listening her reciting her poems was like watching Yehudi Menuhin in concert. It was an eternal bliss.

Few lines from her last poem were ....

Yeh jism hota hain to sub kuch khatm ho jaata hain,
Per chetna ke dhaage kaynaati kano ke hote hain ,
Main un kano ko chunungi,Dhhagon main lapetoongi,
Aur tumhe main phir milungi .......

From Darkness to Light

2005-11-01T19:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween !!!

2005-10-31T11:41:00.000-08:00

Optimism in Adversity

2005-10-29T17:12:00.000-07:00

Southern Indian is soaked in rains.Bangalore,Hyderabad and Chennai took the brunt this time. After the stock traders of Mumbai it was time for IT stalwarts to figure out what's gone wrong with the place where they have invested millions and want to spend a few more.

I received these two pictures from a friend of mine in India.This guy communicates with his Japanese client in Hindi, so I won't doubt the authenticity.

Catching fish in flood is what Indian life is all about. Kudos to the Junta and my friend who right now is standing knee deep in water and working on the floating server to get his world class enterprise application up and running.

Splendor Sine Occasu

2005-10-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

Before I moved to Victoria, Parliament building attracted me as a tourist too.This piece of art is a strong symbol of what Victoria is all about.

Vancouver Island was so huge that British Empire found it unmanageble and leased it to Hudson Bay Company [similar to East India Company but these days they are a super store chain and East India Company is still run by locals].

A young engineer from UK, Francis Rattenbury was awarded the contract for the building.He was only 25 when he started working on this magnificient piece of architecture.The architecture looks inspired by US Capitol Hill and Tajmahal.It is also rumored that he copied the design of a Maharaj's Palace in India.It also resembles Vatican, but forgive me father for I have sinned. Politicians work inside the building and this resemblance ends here.

Francis Rattenbury led a very high profile life in Victoria . Later he moved to UK and was murdered by his second wife.But this resemblance with Donald Trump too ends here.

Parliament Building is infact the provincial legislature.On a summer evening picnicing on the lawns of Parliament Building, eating a Tofu HotDog I often read & wonder why British Columbia chose the motto 'Splendor Sine Occasu ' (Splendor without diminishment).

This grand architecture is an evidence enough for me.

*** My spouse's office is also inside this building and..........Darling for the umpteenth time .......Yes, your office is better than mine.

Russell Peters

2005-10-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite comics......He is of Indian origin and funny at the same time.

Must watch clip .... (appx duration 45 mins)

http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~albertck/Funny%20shits/Russell%20Peters.wmv

Da' Pub UPAT

2005-10-16T16:52:00.000-07:00

I welcome ya'll to this great event tonight.Da Pub UPAT is pleased to induct Ms Harriet Miers to the Hall of Fame.Ms. Meyers is our newest member.Da' Pub is also pleased to have previous hall of fame inductees tonight :

Ashlee Simpson
Michael D. Brown
Tom Delay
Arnold Schawznegger
Paris Hilton
Madonna
& My Man George W.

Applause !!!

Friends don't forget to join us on Halloween when we meet again to witness a dual between Ben Affleck and Jack Hanna to qualify the next nominee.

Applause !!!

**Da' Pub UPAT [Unqualified People At The Top] is an equal opportunity employer.

Bollywood 2.0

2005-10-10T14:03:00.000-07:00

The recent bollywood films dazzle ..its like moving to Firefox after using IE for years.

Hindi movie fans like me are easy to please.Some Latkas good Jhatkas lots of melodies and I'm sold.Plots don't matter,stories are immaterial.If I can forget a bad day for a 2 1/2 hrs of razzle dazzle. I want to buy a ticket.

Storylines have moved out of Gulshan Nanda novels , Reservoir Dogs to folk tales of Rajasthan. There is a lot of originality. Teen Deewaren,Black did give me a mometarily flasback of seeing a 70s Hollywood classic but even than it had a lot of original stuff. There were a lot of movies which have made Popcorn my staple diet.Paheli,Mangal Pandey,My wife's murder,Chocolate,Ramji Londonwale are a few.The list is increasing by day.

Bollywood has been an integral part of being an Indian.If you are an Indian in any corner of the world from Louisiana to Ludhiana you have a birthright to gossip about Karishma's domestic dispute. That's how I keep myself busy on a taxing 30 hr flight home.My neighbor's 3 yr old son cannot remember his parents name but he knows who Bunty & Bubli are .

Bollywood fans are as fanatic as a suicide bomber.Nothing will deter them from watching hindi movies even when they have to spend 1/2 hr to figure out why Shahrukh is wearing lipstic.But the metrosexual hero is appealing to lot of urban & rural fans.

When I see Jr & Sr Bachan dancing together in 'Kajra re'... 'm on my feet .Salman & Sushmita's gyrating gospel in the rain thrills me more than War of the Worlds....... ..beat David Dhawan to that Spielberg.

2005-09-19T14:34:00.000-07:00

Elk grazing by roadside,Jasper

2005-09-19T13:30:00.000-07:00

Lake Vermillion,Banff,Canada

2005-09-19T12:01:00.000-07:00

When God made this place,he was showing off - Banff,Canada

2005-06-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

Tall Ship Festival ,Victoria BC

2005-06-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

Spring at Minter Gardens

2005-06-06T00:59:00.000-07:00

Spring in full bloom at Minter Gardens

2005-06-06T00:56:00.000-07:00

Setting sun at Lake Okanagan

2005-05-15T17:57:00.000-07:00

Evening Ferry to the Mainland from Victoria

2005-05-01T17:26:00.000-07:00

Bathtub Race,Vancouver

BC Elections

2005-04-24T00:52:00.000-07:00

Festival of democracy is back . News channels have dug out their teams of Pundits & Analyst out of hibernation.Ugly billboards are at every street corner.

I'm a voter. I am like an oriental tourist in a hindu temple not sure if I'm gettting a'Dim Sum' or 'Darshan' when the results are out in May.

Bhangra Underground

2005-03-24T23:04:00.000-08:00

Oh yes ...I'm totally getting used to it. Adjusting to my new life better than I thought I would.Its cold..I'm sick and its raining for last one week but its good. I like it.

There is more India in Canada than I thought.There is too much of Punjab in B.C.There are more Indian grocery stores in Vancouver than 7-11.There are more Indian Video stores than Blockbuster...and that's just an iota of the big Punjabi influence in B.C.

I'm seeing some good Punjabi Rockers (Poppers doens't sound right)on T.V. Punjabi M.C is one of them and there is Babbu Mann and the legend Gurudas Mann.

My ears find it difficult to tune to the new kind of folk music. Its Bhangra Underground USA and Gangsta Bhangra.I think I have heard similar titles before and seen the video of scantly clad beautiful girls dancing in the background and ugly guys in the lead belting out uglier lyrics.The bad thing, I can relate with these guys ...

Next on my schedule to head to the video store to grab a copy of 'Jakhmi Jaagirdar-II'.I have heard the sequel is better than the first.

2005-03-09T22:37:00.000-08:00

Vancouver Skyline

Dear Star & Buc Wild

2005-01-12T19:04:00.000-08:00

Philadelphia Power 99 FM recently aired a show where two gentlemen (Shockjocks) Star and Buc Wild called up a call center in India and cursed the operator calling her bi##@@ and f$$% . It was a comedy sketch, I guess not .

Star and Buc Wild did cross a line by cursing a poor girl who doesn't even know what kind of jerks these guys are. Star and Buc Wild stop venting out your frustration on innocent folks.Its the corporate greed that is moving jobs to other countries and nothing else.

Trust me ,the day Clear Channel Communications finds cheaper RJs than you two ...someone will be broadcasting your show from China making an obscene call to you .

2005-01-01T23:54:00.000-08:00

Bellagio,Las Vegas

2004-12-19T10:21:00.000-08:00

At a Watch Boutique in Vegas

2004-12-11T19:45:00.000-08:00

Swimming with the lone Dolphin

2004-12-03T17:40:00.000-08:00

ISKCON Temple,Vancouver,BC

I'm on Equal

2004-11-19T23:29:00.000-08:00

Watched the much awaited Yash Chopra's movie "Veer Zaara" this weekend.What a movie....the masala algortihm that has made us all fall heads over heals with Bollywood strikes again.

I met a Sardarji at the box office queue.He said he is there 'coz his relatives in India asked him to watch this superhit dhaansu dhamaka.I was there 'coz I had a complementary tkt and had to buy one more.

Praaji was right.Who's Who of Bollywood,haunting music, ohh so colorful wardrobe,lush green fields ,tulip meadows ......helped me sail from Kabhie Kabhie ...to Silsila and right to Veer Zaara.There is so much sugar in the movie that I'll stay on 'Equal' the whole week.

Only complaint, it has a lame ending.The Magnum Opus falters at the climax.King Khan as usual was busy being (playing) himself .Beejee ( Preity Zinta ) acted well,burdened & camoflagued behind the designer drapery,but the real superstar is the music by late Madanmohan.

2004-11-13T10:58:00.000-08:00

Snowclad Sierra Peaks

2004-11-08T16:55:00.000-08:00

Lake Tahoe

What about me

2004-11-02T17:55:00.000-08:00

Results are in . Its sure "W" is going to be back in the Oval Office. I knew it all along ..I had that feeling when I registered to vote .Perhaps that is the reason I registered for the first time to vote.Drug Companies pumped in the moolah 'coz they were fighting against govt price control..Healthcare companies and Oil companies were interested for obvious reasons...

I just got pumped up by listening to a fat grumpy guy who came to my campus and addressed a bunch of us.

I voted for a pack of noodles and underwear .......What about me ..... I'm going back to my dorm and will play Grand Theft Auto till 2008.

Happy Halloween

2004-10-31T23:05:00.000-08:00

Dark Clouds over Carmel on Halloween

Something is Cooking ...

2004-10-27T13:55:00.000-07:00

As if the VHP ,Bajrang Dal were not enough for the ownership,now the Srilankan Parliament has also jumped in the ring.

Recently Srilankan Parliament was debating if Ram & Ravana were Tamil or Sinhalese .Sinhalese consider themselves descendants of Ravana and Tamils also consider Ravana to be a Tamil Hero.The speaker of the house didn't allow further discussions 'coz he himself identified Ravana as Sinhalese king in 1980 speech.

I wonder why the discussions on Ram and Ravana have taken the front seat in Parliamentary debate . I smell elections ....

Peacekeeper

2004-10-24T19:07:00.000-07:00

My peacekeeper the unshaven clad in an off white cotton dhoti sometime with a shawl sometime without it. He is like the black cat commando shadowing a VVIP. You cannot meet this VVIP until he wants you to at the same time he is as alert and agile so that no one harms his master.

He is our pujari at the local hindu temple.He is my saviour.On my request he will perform an 'Abhishek' . To all the nastiks .. Abhishek is like Fedex Priorty overnite. Charges may vary from $ 21 to $ 51.Nobody knows what punditji says or communicates with my deity,but people say it works.

Punditji has gone hi-tech recently,also I have seen his popularity ( business) growing in last couple of years. As he sits in front of the ..... offering prasad only if he likes...to the bhaktagans ..putting tilaks and performing abhisheks all while he is on phone with some bhakt in distress fixing time for a weekend puja.

I have also seen him reading palms and foretelling destinies right in front of the destiny creator. I have seen the pundit family swell in last couple of years ...the almighty is now better protected from all the evil doers . Don't even try to break the security cover between them and HIM. First you'll get the stare... than no prasad and than..... you'll be ashamed for your faith brought you there.

It seems the guy who was to broker a deal between me and God is busy closing deals for himself.
He is a pujari,astrologer,realtor and a property manager too. The human in service of 'Sahastrabaahu' has become a 'Sahastrabaahu' himself.

Ask the Tuskers

2004-10-18T20:50:00.000-07:00

CNN repoted today " Police kills Indian Robin Hood". Robinhood ? Its like reporting a crime in Bosnia from a resort in Bermuda.

His infamy was well deserved ..... 120 murders,88000 lbs of smuggled sandalwood and killing more than 2000 tuskers ..Munuswamy Veerappan Gounder a Robinhod ? For whom ? Ask Jumbo , Dumbo.

2004-10-16T12:31:00.000-07:00

...& more pumpkins

Workoholics

2004-10-14T13:07:00.000-07:00

There is this colleague from the other office . He comes before me and leaves for home after I have ( Don't ask me when I leave ...). During the daytime he is working with the US team and in the night the offshore team.I have always wondered Is he a workoholic? Is he a Democrat ? Is he an independent ? Don't ask me why he is not a Republican ....I have never met this guy, but I speak to him often ,all the time. We are in the same project team.

I have a neighbor. His parking spot is just next to where I park my Humvee....whom 'm I kidding its just a Camry with a war torn look . We live in the same building on the same floor. I have always seen the parking space vacant even on weekends. I have been thinking that the apartment is vacant for last one year.

I just got a chance to meet this guy. No prizes for getting it right .......

2004-10-11T19:54:00.000-07:00

Sun setting on the Pacific

2004-10-09T23:24:00.000-07:00

View from Berkeley Marina

Last Comic Standing

2004-10-07T23:37:00.000-07:00

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13343-2004Oct6.html

2004-10-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

More Pumpkins ..

Love Thy Neighbor...

2004-10-06T01:01:00.000-07:00

At a conference Bill Gates recently said US should not be concerned of India and China's growing economies.Not sure why he said that these are definitely the two coutries where people don't prefer 'buying' his Windows.Some recent developments reaffirm that job outsourcing is not that a big deal but in turn will yield higher profits for corporations and job opportunities for population in Asia and America.Some basic facts have revolutionised trade dynamics and changing the operations and strategies of how multinationals function.Not only US but the world economy is benefitting a lot from the recent growth in these two countries.

United States China trade is worth 130 billion dollars a year.Major Chinese export not being software but soyabean.

AIG was formed in Shanghai in 1919 .Operations in India and China will be driving future growth of AIG.General Motors now gets about third of its profit from China.The no 1 car seller in China is Volkswagen.

Intel commands 84% and AMD 16% of China's microprocessor market.12% of Intel revenue comes from China.US market for PC will have a projected growth of only 5% ,corresponding figure for India and China is approximately 20%.Not to mention Chinese population will be buying 3 million digital cameras this years, other asians 5.2 million.

China has 230 million cell phone users (20% of the world cell phone users are in China) and India has only 18 million , I guess they all need Motorola,Ericssion or Nokia handsets.Sales of Motorola mobile phones has increased in India by 200%.Indians are also more willing to take on debt. In the past two years, the number of new credit cards issued has jumped 25% annually, and new mortgages 35%. Five years ago, the average age of a Citibank mortgage holder in India was 41; now it's 28.

According to a recent study, India's youth has more than 10 billion dollars of cash to burn.High earners in India are spending $ 2000 per year on shopping and eating out (India's per capita income is only $ 470).No doubt,Hooters is opening six outlets in India by 2005.Food giant McDonald's has 48 stores in India, 60% of them built in the past 18 months. The outlets see on average 3,000 customers a day, placing the units in the company's top 10%.China is consuming 50% of world's Pork production.A lot is also being spent on fashion & footwear .Sales of Reebok India footwear are growing at 30% a year.

The growth spurt in these Asian Goliaths is not only booming the world economy but also supporting each other a lot. With the declining local consumption and increased capacities India is now one of the biggest steel exporter to China.

As these two most populous nation change the competition in services and manufacturing for ever,there are still their own demons to be fought poverty,AIDS,illiteracy,communal tensions are all time high. Till the prosperity percolates to grassroots,any achievement won't matter.

Little Shyam and Xiang both don't go to primary school,they work to compensate for their family income.Till both have their childhoods back no free trade treaty, no technology will be worth it.

We're Back

2004-10-04T13:23:00.000-07:00

October is PUMPKIN MONTH.Pumpkins and more pumpkin....

Milestone...

2004-10-03T14:28:00.000-07:00

'Freedom & Democracy are on the march.'

'Saddam is sitting on three fist of world's oil and is armed with WMDs.'

God bless C-SPAN. I was watching the recording of Presidential debate.It was year 1992 and these words were from Bush Sr. The location was Richmond,VA.

2004-09-27T17:38:00.000-07:00

I'm 350 yrs old today

Happy at 350

2004-09-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

I'm 350 years old today.Not everybody is happy after turning 30.I'm tentimes past that,still standing tall.Witness to the saga of love & romance,regime changes,freedom struggle and independence around me nothing much has changed since than.

My walls now pale but the foundation of love still glitters.I never knew I'll be a symbol of love across the universe ...not till the Guinness came and than I was the seventh wonder.I did hear about the brewing controversy that 350th anniversary celebrations are delayed by a decade 'coz someone in the government didn't get the dates right...I'm not surprised.

I'm elated to welcome more than 3 million guests a year for Concerts & Mahotsavas.Also happy to be in picture with Prince Charles Lady Di,Bill & Hillary and ofcourse our very own Ramprasad & Rukmani Chaurasia.

Today as I turn 350, I just want to be symbol of immortal love or as Tagore once said 'tear in the face of eternity'.What I definitely don't want is being a teaser to any husband on this earth.

The only thing I regret is the blinding of Ustad Ahmed, the very eyes that envisioned me.

Buffaloes at Wichita Mountains,OK

2004-09-26T18:09:00.000-07:00

Wichita Mountains Animal Refuge,OK

2004-09-19T23:53:00.000-07:00

Evening at Union Square,San Francisco

To boldly go where no man has gone before....

2004-09-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

"Ladies and Gentleman this is your Captain speaking ..I apologise the delay in the take off there are still some hutments on the runway I'll try to manouver around as we try to take off. The tarmac is still used as a cowshade ,I also apologise if you had to move through cattle herds to get in the plane."

Few minutes later ......

"I'll request you to not use the seatbelts.....due to unfavorable conditions in the sky our 747 will take this journey by road.All the passengers are eligible for 50% discount on their next flight....if they choose to make one...."

Iraq's national carrier Iraqi Airways resumed international flights today after a gap of fourteen years.Out of fleet of sixteen airplanes only one is operable.

Iraqi Airways says its offices have already sold dozens of tickets, but at prices the majority cannot afford. A return ticket to Damascus would cost $600, and a return to Amman $750. The same trip by road costs about $40.

All the return flights to Iraq will be free.

Please like me ...I'm a Billionaire

2004-09-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

I have started liking reality television.I love shows where some dudes make an ass of themselves to get a rose or some girls rolling tears for a made for TV bachelor. I like it when a young man gives up his love to get a cheque of one million dollar only to discover that it was only for one dollar and not what it appeared in the begining of the show . Lets leave that here ...its far more complex than that ....I'm glued to the shows where some people are stuffed in a TV home and than captured live for guilty pleasure of millions of audience and how about rich heiress with no life at all living a simple life ....I also like some body builders eat horse's rectum and live spiders.

And its not all about money. Why would billionaires like Mark Cuban and Donald Trump ask contestants to be a part of their circus and reendorse their egos.

My suggestion to both ..stop firing these guys from your show . They keep a better trimmed grass on their lawns than you keep your hair..yes...I'm talking about Mark and for the Trumpster...somebody advise him ,its not hygenic to carry a blow dried blonde racoon on head.

Flavors

2004-09-11T02:30:00.000-07:00

That's my movie of the month.Very few movies have recently made me laugh so hard .Even though its a sidesplitting comedy it couldn't have been more close to reality.

Indian software consulting companies,software engineers on bench,telemarketers never looked so funny.

There have been a lot of movies on Desis in America but this one truly deserves all the praise and a green card.

Best Sellers - Fall 2004

2004-09-06T15:40:00.000-07:00

Paris Hilton has launched her jewelery line and a new book this fall.Inspired, some other celebrties too got busy with their projects.

Celebrity books competing for ranks in the best sellers list this fall are :

Revised Rapidex English Speaking Course By Navjyot Singh Sidhu
(Preface by Kapil Dev)

Prisnor of Azkaban- Before and After By Martha Stewart

My life and Carbs By Bill Clinton

Googlies and Bouncers By Sergey Brin & Larry Page

How I'll kill the Mocking Bird By Manmohan Singh

The year of Jackass and other predictions for 2005 By Laloo Prasad Yadav

First Grader's Assignment

2004-09-05T01:02:00.000-07:00

Click to enlarge

We just don't sell Lumber ....

2004-09-03T16:51:00.000-07:00

Fifty Home Depot employees participated in Athens Olympics.They brought home five Gold,two Silver and three Bronze medals.

If Home Depot was a country( I guess it already is...)they would have ranked 21st in the list of 202 nations.A rank below Canada and 42 above India.

Things I learnt....

2004-08-30T00:10:00.000-07:00

I slept for two hrs everyday for last two weeks to be a part of the Olympics,watching it on NBC.That was my triathlon. Staying awake,staying awake at commute and staying awake at work.

Believe me, its difficult to concentrate the next day if you watch Archers shooting the whole night.

As always there were outstanding athletes awarded for their prowess and skill and some important things that I learnt from them .

Michael Phelps - You can look like a Java programmer and still win a few golds.

Raza Zehad - If this guy can lift 450 lbs with a smile on his face , I should stop cribbing about carrying a bread loaf and a milk carton to second floor.

Swetlana Khorkina - Its ok to bitch,if things don't go your way.

Mohini Bhardwaj - You have to have Pam Anderson by your side to be succesful.

Paul Hamme - If you get something by luck,hold on to it so tight that people think twice even before asking what it is.

Major Rajyavardhan Rathore - If you are chosen by the destiny to give a reason to 100 million people to celebrate be the one and earn some mulla on the way.

Misty May - Watching TV for long hrs won't hurt anyone anymore.

Its all over now.I am back at work with a good rest and sleep on the weekend.Wish I was an Olympic announcer and could go to work once every four years.

Universal Rhythm

2004-08-29T01:21:00.000-07:00

Universal Rhythm,Musicians assemble in Santa Cruz

Kare Koi Bhare Koi ....

2004-08-24T17:12:00.000-07:00

July payslip of all Delhi University employees has a curious item under 'deductions'. It says: Sexual Harrassment: Rs 10.

It turns out that Rs 10 will now be deducted annually from DU salaries to fund the functioning of DU's harassment complaint committees and the implementation of the university's policy against sexual harassment.

I'm still laughing after reading the news ....I'll finish the post later .....

Chocolat

2004-08-21T23:46:00.000-07:00

Ghirardelli Square,San Francisco

2004-08-21T23:45:00.000-07:00

Pier 39,San Francisco

Please bear with me

2004-08-19T18:54:00.000-07:00

A black bear was found passed out at a campground in Washington state recently after guzzling down three dozen cans of a local beer at a Seattle campground.

It turns out the bear was a bit of a beer sophisticate. He tried a mass-market Busch beer, but switched to Rainier Beer, a local ale, and stuck with it for his drinking binge.

Wildlife agents chased the bear away, but it returned the next day.

They set a trap using as bait some doughnuts, honey and "two cans of Rainier Beer". It worked, and the bear was captured for relocation.

PETA ...action alert ...this is just an act of cruelty catching a bear with beer and doughnuts.....even humans will relocate with this bait.

Lights,Camera...Inaction

2004-08-16T23:07:00.000-07:00

I wonder if I'll see enough of it. Everytime I guess this is it and our beloved politicians take up the challenge and raise the bar.This time Maharashtra Governor took the honors.

On August 6, gates of Governor house were opened for Muhurat of three bollywood movies. A Dandiya was shot in the Jal Sabaghrah where state functions and swearing in ceremonies are held.This time too it was for a "swearing " ceremony of a different kind.

Lalu Yadav step aside here comes a new king of theatrics.....

Happy Independence Day

2004-08-15T21:41:00.000-07:00

Tricolor

Saare Jahan Se Accha .....

2004-08-14T22:16:00.000-07:00

Bay area Indians organised a two day event this weekend to celebrate 58th India Independence Day.

Patriotism kicks in the most on 15th August and 26th January. When I came to know of the Independence Mela, I slipped in my white Kurta Pyjama and was ready to be the Indian again,I left back home.

There were a few good surprises at the function. I had to pay to celebrate my independence.There was an entry ticket.The Mela was more of a congregation of Realtors,Insurance Agents and Food stalls from local eateries.There was also a job fair for positions in India.A cultural program had kids dancing to the tunes of 'Kaanta Lagaa..' to 'Kesaria hain roop mahro...'. I was still roaming in the Mela to celebrate my independence.I was on the lookout for a Neta dressed in Khadi and a Topi giving a long loud speech at some corner but he was not there.I was also looking for a band belting out Saare Jahan se Accha ....even it was not there.Was it all about feasting on Chicken Tikka and Chola Bhatura with one hand and holding the tricolor in other?

I guess if not Indians,NRIs certainely have found an India where the head is held high and mind is without fear ...

I'm going to the Mela again tomorrow and filling out some applications for jobs in India.

Left is Right

2004-08-13T10:49:00.000-07:00

Today is Left-handers Day. It started in 1976 when Left Handers International started celebrating August 13 as Left-Handers Day. It is estimated that 15% of world's population is left handed.

As a Southpaw only advantage I find is giving a butterfly to an aggressive driver on the road,other than that I find Lefties to be on the loosing side of ergonomics.

No one knows for sure why some people are left handers.A theory suggesting some link to the mystery is the brain being "cross-wired." The left hemisphere controls the right-handed side of the body and vice-versa. And hand dominance is connected with brain dominance on the opposite side. Which is why one is correct while saying that only left-handers are in their right minds!

Mensa,the elite club with people with high IQ score as its member,reports nearly 20 per cent of its members being left-handed.

As far as I am concerned I just feel right in the clubs of lefties.The club graced by Mahatma Gandhi to Queen Elizabeth,Bill Gates to Bill Clinton,Julia Roberts to Nicole Kidman,Babe Ruth to Ayrton Senna,Sourav Ganguly to Gary Sobers,Amitabh Bachan to Abhishek Bachan,Henry Ford to Gerald Ford,David Letterman to Jay Leno ..and did I mention Jack the Ripper......the list goes on and on ....I'm just happy to type it with both hands.