While in the US, one of my favourite T.V shows was America's Funniest Home Videos or AFV. Why was it funny? The audience weren't a sadistic lot to see others plights in vengeful humour. It was funny because it brought to light in a very funny way the nuances of daily life. It created a sense of empathy and we quickly connected with the people in the videos. It made us take a look at our own life and take time to laugh at ourselves. It did wonders to a quarrelling household, for instance :) And hence, it improved a nation's lives.
So why isn't anything like AFV still not popular in India? AFV as such isnt aired here, but great substitutes are available on AXN and other channels. To be fair, there are some goof shows on many local channels. But they are all the same, painfully - they all capture the host(s) putting other people in wierd situations and the camera crew secretively capturing it on tape to play it to the delight of the sarcastic viewers (if any).
Again, why isn't an honest show like AFV not popular in India? In my view its one of the subtle things that can improve an otherwise quarelling and greedy society. I suspect, in our daily lives of dealing with the corruption and pollution (of all sorts), we find it hard to suddenly put ourselves to some honestly good stuff. For we have to be impure to surivive in an impure place. Corruption breeds corruption. Anger breeds anger. Everybody is involuntarily now busy getting suspicious of everybody else and thinking about riches they once will make. But the subtle riches of laughing together is lost in this moment. Thanks to the society.
Honestly, how many of us are loving each day, anywhere in India? The clean air, the green pastures, the friendly neighbours - well, really? Not in India. Maybe in a few corners tucked away, for brief spurts of time.
Wake up India!! This isn't how it is in other places. And we vehemently claim to be a quickly advancing nation, proud of all its values and culture? "I love India" they say - well, I do not; even though deep down I have an attachment to this country due to my roots and childhood experiences. Money or material wealth might have increased here. But that cannot be a substitute for clean crisp air, friendly society or the cheap thrills as clean places to enjoy a hike or bike with friends. Fight for the right to an honest life..however close!
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Thank You!
Of late, many of my friends have been saying they like what they see on this blog and have encouraged me to write. Thank you so much for your words and encouragement! Infact, any honest comment would be an equally good morale booster.
My aim is not just to state my feelings for the sake of it but to try and put it to good use too to (hopefully) have a positive impact on the way things are. So thank you so much for visiting and please do feel free to comment on anything you would like to discuss. Thanks again and peace to all :)
My aim is not just to state my feelings for the sake of it but to try and put it to good use too to (hopefully) have a positive impact on the way things are. So thank you so much for visiting and please do feel free to comment on anything you would like to discuss. Thanks again and peace to all :)
Friday, August 18, 2006
Multitasking @ work
Most of the employers nowadays seek employees with the ability of multitasking. Be it in the IT field or elsewhere. However, I have come to realize that nobody can have a customized set of skills as demanded by certain employers with blind expectations.
By observing a variety of people during my two and a half years of work experience, I've realized that those who can mulititask are better at technical concepts but poor at attention to detail, usability and aesthetics. On the other hand, those who have high creativity, sense of perfection and high involvement into their job are generally poor multitaskers. But the blind trend now seen shifts the scale towards recruiting only people with mulititasking ability. They are loosing out on the fine pool of resources who can lay that final touch that altogether elevates the appeal of a finished product making it really appealing to the customer. Be it in a software company or a florist's.
By observing a variety of people during my two and a half years of work experience, I've realized that those who can mulititask are better at technical concepts but poor at attention to detail, usability and aesthetics. On the other hand, those who have high creativity, sense of perfection and high involvement into their job are generally poor multitaskers. But the blind trend now seen shifts the scale towards recruiting only people with mulititasking ability. They are loosing out on the fine pool of resources who can lay that final touch that altogether elevates the appeal of a finished product making it really appealing to the customer. Be it in a software company or a florist's.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Now from Chennai
The world definitely is a small place. Afterall heaven, hell and earth are just a plane ride away.
On my return trip, I had the wonderful opportunity of flying over the breathtaking snow filled Alaskan mountains and crossing the Bearing Strait. Never did I ever imagine I would get so close to a pole. We infact traced the entire west coast of the US from California, over Seattle and onto Alaska to cross the date line and travel south over Siberia and then land in Seoul, to further take us to Singapore.
Chasing the sun wasn't fun though, with 16 hours of continuous sunshine threatening us to disrupt our biological clocks. I also had the good fortune of getting out at Signapore in transit. We had about 19hours of layover time. We were offered temporary visas to get out and see Singapore for ourselves. A neat bargain for the long layover. But the place was hotter and humid than expected. No doubt, with it being so close to the equator. I found a colleague of mine was in the same trip, so we hopped on to a taxi to get around Singapore City. We visited Little India (which was totally indistinguishable from Chennai!), Esplanade, Suntec city, Orchid garden etc. And my impression of Singapore was just a place full of first class hotels, shopping malls, apartments and pretty much thats it. Natural beauty was quite limited, and so I would rate Dubai higher overall. In my whimsical thoughts, I think one would develop into an incurable shopaholic if he/she is to live in Singapore for long. But the construction and architecture I must say was marvellous.
Well, seeing many places were only the minor takeaways from the entire trip. The spiritual lessons and occasional sparks of enlightenment during this period is what will benefit me in the long run. I learnt that a lifetime's perceptions, beliefs, fears, and notions can be shattered/changed by a single hop to a different place on this very earth. Different places have different problems. The simple gem of a lesson that I got was how to use my heart always, in destroying my ego, being polite and more importantly, being courageous to face life. Bon jour.
On my return trip, I had the wonderful opportunity of flying over the breathtaking snow filled Alaskan mountains and crossing the Bearing Strait. Never did I ever imagine I would get so close to a pole. We infact traced the entire west coast of the US from California, over Seattle and onto Alaska to cross the date line and travel south over Siberia and then land in Seoul, to further take us to Singapore.
Chasing the sun wasn't fun though, with 16 hours of continuous sunshine threatening us to disrupt our biological clocks. I also had the good fortune of getting out at Signapore in transit. We had about 19hours of layover time. We were offered temporary visas to get out and see Singapore for ourselves. A neat bargain for the long layover. But the place was hotter and humid than expected. No doubt, with it being so close to the equator. I found a colleague of mine was in the same trip, so we hopped on to a taxi to get around Singapore City. We visited Little India (which was totally indistinguishable from Chennai!), Esplanade, Suntec city, Orchid garden etc. And my impression of Singapore was just a place full of first class hotels, shopping malls, apartments and pretty much thats it. Natural beauty was quite limited, and so I would rate Dubai higher overall. In my whimsical thoughts, I think one would develop into an incurable shopaholic if he/she is to live in Singapore for long. But the construction and architecture I must say was marvellous.
Well, seeing many places were only the minor takeaways from the entire trip. The spiritual lessons and occasional sparks of enlightenment during this period is what will benefit me in the long run. I learnt that a lifetime's perceptions, beliefs, fears, and notions can be shattered/changed by a single hop to a different place on this very earth. Different places have different problems. The simple gem of a lesson that I got was how to use my heart always, in destroying my ego, being polite and more importantly, being courageous to face life. Bon jour.
Saturday, June 24, 2006
To heaven and back, voluntarily!
I've been...
"Afterall, heaven and hell are all an illusion. Reality denies both."
"Afterall, heaven and hell are all an illusion. Reality denies both."
- An agnostic saying from somewhere, but I truly believe in.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Caste still tearing us apart
Thanks to Arjun Singh, we have once agained surfaced the once suppressed behemoth of class and casteism back to India. Although we thought modernisation had educated us, we still seem to be having heated debates over the issue.
Whether Reservation for OBCs is justified or not is not the issue. The fact is its tearing up our society again. Remember the divide and conquer rule? This time, its by ourselves!
Whether Reservation for OBCs is justified or not is not the issue. The fact is its tearing up our society again. Remember the divide and conquer rule? This time, its by ourselves!
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Photo Competition
hi5 is conducting a photo competition. Your submissions are free of cost and you can immediately see the easy-to-fill submission form when you log in. $10,000 is at stake!
So all you photographers out there do give it a chance to get lucky.
And pass on the commission.
So all you photographers out there do give it a chance to get lucky.
And pass on the commission.
Some crap scribblings about success from me..
success is illusory as it is temporary, for everybody. Because nobody can be successful all the time. So if nobody is successful all the time, then sucess is achieved by everybody - a possibility. So nobody is a looser or a winner. Or, everybody is only a temporary winner or looser.
success is illusory as it is temporary, for everybody. Because nobody can be successful all the time. So if nobody is successful all the time, then sucess is achieved by everybody - a possibility. So nobody is a looser or a winner. Or, everybody is only a temporary winner or looser.
Friday, May 12, 2006
Hijacked
Like how Trojans and other viruses affect your Windows computer and use your CPU and bandwidth without your knowledge, is it possible for others - through meditative prowess - to control your brain without you knowing it? We wouldn't be able to realize it cos the very instrument to detect it is being controlled by a third party. The brain waves could be hijacked, just as radio waves can be hijacked.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
The Imax experience and a police street chase
Leowes theatre has inexplicable Imax experience. Due to this, I watched two movies on Saturday there. V for Vendetta and Ice Age 2: The Meltdown.
First for Ice Age 2. The story line was pretty drab I thought. Atleast for the 17 and above group, quite unlike its prequel which had all of my friends and me rotfl. The animation, I admit was marvellous. The depth of detail into the scenes were good. You could see each strand of hair on the mammoth's body animated. Now that was amazing computer rendering and would love to know how they did it and whether it was open source technology to the rescue again!
V for Vendetta. On the Imax the action was superb and it actually felt like I was there in each of the locations. The dialogue rendition by V, the hero is superb and all the actors do good acting. Set in the near future and based on the wars raging now, it also mixes some thoughtful 'ideas' from 500 years ago. No spoilers here.
Ah, now to the police street chase. My first full blown police chase on the streets of Sfo. Hence this hubbub about it in this blog. Twas very much like in the movies. Somebody had robbed a bank and sped away in a Cadillac. The sirens through the streets soon echoed the arrival of the high-speed police cars. 2, 5, 10 I counted about 15 of them go past where I stood at a crossing. Perplexed but excited, I kept walking and soon came by another junction where a few police cars had stopped and were questioning a witness. Apparently they had lost track of the theive's car!
The passion and committment of the police to spring into action are praiseworthy. Much unlike the squanderings of a typical Indian Police Dept. But this chase reminded me of my wild school days where we used to play police and robber and the excitement with which we played it, and this tickled a small laugh in my mind seeing. Difficult to judge if it was real or an act, I left the scene.
First for Ice Age 2. The story line was pretty drab I thought. Atleast for the 17 and above group, quite unlike its prequel which had all of my friends and me rotfl. The animation, I admit was marvellous. The depth of detail into the scenes were good. You could see each strand of hair on the mammoth's body animated. Now that was amazing computer rendering and would love to know how they did it and whether it was open source technology to the rescue again!
V for Vendetta. On the Imax the action was superb and it actually felt like I was there in each of the locations. The dialogue rendition by V, the hero is superb and all the actors do good acting. Set in the near future and based on the wars raging now, it also mixes some thoughtful 'ideas' from 500 years ago. No spoilers here.
Ah, now to the police street chase. My first full blown police chase on the streets of Sfo. Hence this hubbub about it in this blog. Twas very much like in the movies. Somebody had robbed a bank and sped away in a Cadillac. The sirens through the streets soon echoed the arrival of the high-speed police cars. 2, 5, 10 I counted about 15 of them go past where I stood at a crossing. Perplexed but excited, I kept walking and soon came by another junction where a few police cars had stopped and were questioning a witness. Apparently they had lost track of the theive's car!
The passion and committment of the police to spring into action are praiseworthy. Much unlike the squanderings of a typical Indian Police Dept. But this chase reminded me of my wild school days where we used to play police and robber and the excitement with which we played it, and this tickled a small laugh in my mind seeing. Difficult to judge if it was real or an act, I left the scene.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Random Pics
My favourite so far.
City Scape. All the looks of a great city.
City Scape, another view.
Ah! the calming, magnificient, enigmatic ocean.Today's Link: Finding the Meaning of Life.
Sunday, April 23, 2006
The name game
A little about names...
My co-workers and I, last Friday, thought of lunching out at a buffet place. Over lunch, I guess fueled by the really good taste of the food, our conversation moved over to the interestingly silly but factual stuff about names!
Scandinavian Sons...
In the real past, the Scandinavians had a particular way their sons got their names. They had their first name, given to them by their parents, and their last name was their father's name with a suffix 'son' added to mark the relationship and association. So if Peter had a son whom he named John, John's full name would automatically be 'John Peterson'. Likewise, if John's son was George, he would be George Johnson. And so on the names peacefully hung around until Scandinavia had to go to war.
The military addressed their men with their lastnames. And so if the leader wanted to talk to a particular Anderson, about 20 of them sprung up! They quickly decided to patch up the naming convention. So each person was asked to choose two totally different objects of nature and combine them to form their last name. So they picked mountains and clouds, rivers and flowers and so on, in the local dialect, and the permutations were many. Interestingly, this method stuck on and to this day, thats how the Scandinavians name their sons!
Irishmen...
At this juncture, our Irish coworker pitched in his 2 cents of the name game. But err.. yours truly was so obsessed about getting his second share of food that I carelessly missed the first part of the Irish story. Nevertheless, I did arrive to catch the last fact - that Irishmen did/do name their lastname with respect to their occupation. So you have John Shepherds, Adam Shoemakers, Thomas Cooks, etc...
Well, I knew a little about names too. Names of the type McGraw or MacMillan mean 'son of' Graw of son of Millan. But I don't remember - was this an American or an Australian style? I didn't dare ask, as I might have been offending the two Americans with us :-) Whatever it be, naming has been a subtle yet historically interesting procedure, sans nations, thanks to which we have the many jokes today.
My co-workers and I, last Friday, thought of lunching out at a buffet place. Over lunch, I guess fueled by the really good taste of the food, our conversation moved over to the interestingly silly but factual stuff about names!
Scandinavian Sons...
In the real past, the Scandinavians had a particular way their sons got their names. They had their first name, given to them by their parents, and their last name was their father's name with a suffix 'son' added to mark the relationship and association. So if Peter had a son whom he named John, John's full name would automatically be 'John Peterson'. Likewise, if John's son was George, he would be George Johnson. And so on the names peacefully hung around until Scandinavia had to go to war.
The military addressed their men with their lastnames. And so if the leader wanted to talk to a particular Anderson, about 20 of them sprung up! They quickly decided to patch up the naming convention. So each person was asked to choose two totally different objects of nature and combine them to form their last name. So they picked mountains and clouds, rivers and flowers and so on, in the local dialect, and the permutations were many. Interestingly, this method stuck on and to this day, thats how the Scandinavians name their sons!
Irishmen...
At this juncture, our Irish coworker pitched in his 2 cents of the name game. But err.. yours truly was so obsessed about getting his second share of food that I carelessly missed the first part of the Irish story. Nevertheless, I did arrive to catch the last fact - that Irishmen did/do name their lastname with respect to their occupation. So you have John Shepherds, Adam Shoemakers, Thomas Cooks, etc...
Well, I knew a little about names too. Names of the type McGraw or MacMillan mean 'son of' Graw of son of Millan. But I don't remember - was this an American or an Australian style? I didn't dare ask, as I might have been offending the two Americans with us :-) Whatever it be, naming has been a subtle yet historically interesting procedure, sans nations, thanks to which we have the many jokes today.
Friday, April 14, 2006
Of reincarnations
Did you know..
To the Hindu, time and space are multidimensional. According to a Hindu classic called the Yoga Vasishtha, your next incarnation, or your last incarnation for that matter, may be happening right now. Your next life may actually occur in the past! This is because your innermost spirit exists outside of time and space, and can travel to wherever and to whenever it wants.Now whatever that means, it sure is going to change a lot of perceptions for me!!
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Pain relief - a distant truth
I have always thought we are scientifically advanced day-by-day and have all the equipments, techniques and concepts to take care of any situation. Like an incurable disease for example. But when it strikes you or someone near you, you realize the primitive jungle of human thought and emotion that can't be cured easily. But wait. Haven't we all heard about the new reality called pain relief techniques? Where is it, and how does a poor guy like me though literate (duh, with all the junk about the 100 years war, Hitler's suicide, Moon's craters) get it when I or my friend needs it the most?
Pain relief is a distant truth that many know exists, but never really get the opportunity to learn it.
'It is all in the mind', they say. But how do we practice it? How can we control pain with our minds, as it is said to be possible? Hello researcher, hello cutting edge scientist, you may have won the Nobel prize, but you have learnt haven't been applied and reached the ordinary people. Neither does an onlooker like me know how to help them. Help me help them. What improves lives? What decreases pain? What changes to the society can benefit us? Go out of your way and put it into practice. Few people will help initially. Gradually, a whole nation will be behind you.
Which society has modestly realized that life truths like these have to be incorporated in their school curriculum? I have a junk of knowledge which I won't use. But everyone needs some amount of knowledge which they will all use. But sadly, most of such 'creme' knowledge are not taught!
A lot of highly valuable information is limited to the conference halls and thesis-presentation halls of the high strata of scientific community for eons before it reaches a dying person, who could have been benefitted from it at its point of discovery. Many researchers spend about half their lifetime preaching and proving their work to the scientific fraternity than really going out with compassion to give it to the sufferers to help them straight away. This is how the scientific community is functions. This sort of system should change.
There are a few exceptions that laymen like me are now learning of. Thankfully. Take for example, Dr. Devi Prakash Shetty, or any doctor at the Cancer Institute of Adyar who provide their valuable knowledge with confidence and compassion to the people who need it. That's what makes them respectable - that they took their knowledge to the people who needed it knowing that wasting time takes lives. Trusting in what they have perfected, they go about their duty. Free of cost to most! This is justice to their knowledge. The real heroes. May more be like them. (Pray I would too.)
Well, yes this post conveys an exaggerated amount angst and ill feeling towards the scientific community. Although they are the path-breakers, they aren't really heroes until they get their knowledge to the people.
For, what good is he who earns the gems of knowledge and do not take pains to get it to the needy, thus completing the circle?
Pain relief is a distant truth that many know exists, but never really get the opportunity to learn it.
'It is all in the mind', they say. But how do we practice it? How can we control pain with our minds, as it is said to be possible? Hello researcher, hello cutting edge scientist, you may have won the Nobel prize, but you have learnt haven't been applied and reached the ordinary people. Neither does an onlooker like me know how to help them. Help me help them. What improves lives? What decreases pain? What changes to the society can benefit us? Go out of your way and put it into practice. Few people will help initially. Gradually, a whole nation will be behind you.
Which society has modestly realized that life truths like these have to be incorporated in their school curriculum? I have a junk of knowledge which I won't use. But everyone needs some amount of knowledge which they will all use. But sadly, most of such 'creme' knowledge are not taught!
A lot of highly valuable information is limited to the conference halls and thesis-presentation halls of the high strata of scientific community for eons before it reaches a dying person, who could have been benefitted from it at its point of discovery. Many researchers spend about half their lifetime preaching and proving their work to the scientific fraternity than really going out with compassion to give it to the sufferers to help them straight away. This is how the scientific community is functions. This sort of system should change.
There are a few exceptions that laymen like me are now learning of. Thankfully. Take for example, Dr. Devi Prakash Shetty, or any doctor at the Cancer Institute of Adyar who provide their valuable knowledge with confidence and compassion to the people who need it. That's what makes them respectable - that they took their knowledge to the people who needed it knowing that wasting time takes lives. Trusting in what they have perfected, they go about their duty. Free of cost to most! This is justice to their knowledge. The real heroes. May more be like them. (Pray I would too.)
Well, yes this post conveys an exaggerated amount angst and ill feeling towards the scientific community. Although they are the path-breakers, they aren't really heroes until they get their knowledge to the people.
For, what good is he who earns the gems of knowledge and do not take pains to get it to the needy, thus completing the circle?
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Baker Beach
Away from the city...
Another Saturday;
and another opportunity to explore the place!
I'm posting pics from this latest trip here, some of which are pure scenic, like this one. There are more coming up, while I am deciding which is the best place to put it online. Till now I have been using Yahoo photos, yeah outdated I know. The photos were getting compressed and they lost their quality. So I am contemplating on Flickr. Will soon post the remaining pics there.
Before I begin, here's a tip: San Francisco is a large city. Take a day pass ($11) and you can hop on any Muni, Trolley, or Cable car for the whole day. Its a good way to see the city real quick. The route numbers 29, 28 and 18 are quite scenic, although I didn't try all the routes..I guess there would be better ones too.
I decided to do some trekking this time. Went to Baker beach, on the west coast of SFO. Its one of the beaches that has a long way you can tread all to the Golden Gate bridge. Also a good view of the mystic (also misty) pacific ocean. 'Twas an opportunity to look from near end of the world (virtually) and stare into the vastness and beyond the International Date line, to Asia.Heard it had interesting terrain, and was right on that. Beautiful hills, though not steep enough, lead directly into the pacific ocean. Scenic winding roads adorn the hills like a necklace basking in the glory of sun gleaming into the waters nearby.
So I did eventually do some trekking, climbing small hills and traversing easy routes. But I loved challenging rock climbs. And I got that just here.At one point I almost made a mistake. Climbing up was easy. But getting down was real tough, especially with moving sand. I almost got myself killed atop this small climb. One slip and I'd be dead meat.
Somehow, I did manage to climb down. And when I did, the folks at the shore applauded and I flashed my embarrassed-sheepish smile. It was funny. I never knew it was dangerous trekking terrain. I simply fought my way up. And once I got there, I had trembling feet and moving sand beneath. A look down would kill what's left of my consciousness. I did manage to put on a brave face though and also took some snaps from above. God helped me, and I was back safe land. Why on earth did I attempt all this? The challenge was good, the terrain was inviting. The thrill and real scare made it memorable. So no complaints ;-)Well, that's about the trekking part...Here are some more pics from there..
Beautiful; just beside the shore.
Quite Poetic..Steps..Ocean and beyond. Your first step counts..
Lonely warrior returning from the unknown...
Adios..!
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Nobody's world.
Imagine ...
Give it some time - quite some time (maybe hours). Talk to yourself and allow the feeling to sink down.
At first it would be really disheartening and heart breaking. Keep talking to yourself to find an answer.
How do you feel? Its not catharsis. But its nice.
Nice to know that you are a nobody, and that actually everybody is a nobody..and that what you are striving for is foolish, and...
Peace.
- you have totally failed in your job...,
- that you stand no more scope in your career...
- Your future is bleak -
- you're gonna loose almost all your earnings..
- ..and you have nobody close to share your grief with..you are an orphan...
Give it some time - quite some time (maybe hours). Talk to yourself and allow the feeling to sink down.
At first it would be really disheartening and heart breaking. Keep talking to yourself to find an answer.
How do you feel? Its not catharsis. But its nice.
Nice to know that you are a nobody, and that actually everybody is a nobody..and that what you are striving for is foolish, and...
Peace.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Google calculator
Ok, I may be the last person to know this, but the thrill of finding out yourself is something unique. So while that feeling lasts for me, let me jot it down here.
Google can be used as a cool calculator! You can enter any (yes ANY) calculator related stuff on google.com and it will get you the result - be in scientific computation, currency conversion, what not..!
Sample tries:
Google can be used as a cool calculator! You can enter any (yes ANY) calculator related stuff on google.com and it will get you the result - be in scientific computation, currency conversion, what not..!
Sample tries:
Monday, March 06, 2006
SFO part 2
Here's another day's out travelogue in SFO, complete with pics for those interested.
This was my second visit to downtown and I could feel the pulse of the city better. Boy, its big! Every spot is so happening. So modern and quite fascinating. Theres a lot of variety in the kind of poeple you'l meet. I remember awe-ing at the big city streets of Dubai in my childhood. But I never thought I'd see a place this huge in every sense. I guess its second only to New York.
O.k, coming to my latest trip..I thought I'd try the world famous San Francisco cable cars all the way downtown to Fisherman's Wharf. It takes you across really steep hills going up and down. Its a nice ride. The crowd today was amazing. There were all kinds of people just out to enjoy the day. The vintage cable cars are quite fast for its age.
The other highlight of the day was a huge bunch of deep baritoned sea lions and seals awaiting my arrival at peir 39, complete with all the sound effects of their welcoming snorting and barking! Well, I didn't know, but they do give off a real barking sound. And today I saw about a hundred off them in the orchestra. Some of the people watching just joined the show....(the sea lions were better)
I had been to Fisherman's Wharf last time. But the place, the views and the crowd made me come back. Its a fabulous place with shops, restaurants, scenic bay views and lot of rides. Lot of street performers (wish I could be one) dancing and making music for money. There were also some who came there just to vent their feelings. Like a man I saw singing ballads, a red-head who just yelled at the top of her voice and using her violin in some frenzied ballet, created some sort of fusion music..all in all it was a place to be. My favourite was this person who played on deep flutes (the ones they use for Sufi music). It was so soulful and I wished I could lay in the grass there all day listening to that music.
Lot of crab eateries all around the place. Lot of shops on souvenirs and just about everything. Lot of rides and for the happy hour folks, a really jiving hard rock cafe! Aquariums, pools, rides, just about everything. People showing public displays of affection(!!), people proposing, and what not. Its fun. You'l find just your kind of place there. Oh and not to mention, lots of Indians too with the elderly gaping at, I guess the culture shock for whom it hadn't mellowed down yet! I just hung around the area a little longer and did some shopping for the folks at home.
And then I made my way back, yup in the cable car again. This time another route. And hey, what did I find!! A..secret, staring at me right in front of me. I did hang around a while though, trying hard not to be noticed and taking a peek inside, except when I was directly in front of the doorway an elderly dame just opened the door and walked out queering at my interesting pose, now frozen, looking inside. I walked the other way.
Well, the place I was then was the Union Square, a good place to hang out with friends. With artists painting potraits, all around the square. I hopped into Macy's, a high end shopping store, looking to buy a belt. The Calvin Kleins and DKNYs with their price tags made it just a frivolous visit with me rushing to the door. Duh!
Now dusk hit me sooner than I expected and it was time to take my train back to Redwood city where I stay. It was dusk. And I had planned to go to a Sushi place near my house for dinner!
Coming to my dinner - Sushi sucks (depending on which you have). Raw fish with some intoxicating sauce almost made me puke. I washed it down with some beverage. I tried oyster for starter and it was good. One thind I really loved was chicken teriyaki a dish similar to our chicken biriyani, with more chicken and more rice. The foods generally have a taste of vinegar and soy sauce, which when taken in excess is just not right for the first time. I tried using chopsticks to blend into the culture, but I found myself ordering a fork after having made enough fool of myself at the table.
So that's it from another round of updates travelling. Not to mention I'm in full awe with the city and striving not to get too attached. Until I get another time to visit the city, thought I'd pen today's experiences, first hand for those who missed...
Take care folks & have a good time. Adios!
This was my second visit to downtown and I could feel the pulse of the city better. Boy, its big! Every spot is so happening. So modern and quite fascinating. Theres a lot of variety in the kind of poeple you'l meet. I remember awe-ing at the big city streets of Dubai in my childhood. But I never thought I'd see a place this huge in every sense. I guess its second only to New York.
O.k, coming to my latest trip..I thought I'd try the world famous San Francisco cable cars all the way downtown to Fisherman's Wharf. It takes you across really steep hills going up and down. Its a nice ride. The crowd today was amazing. There were all kinds of people just out to enjoy the day. The vintage cable cars are quite fast for its age.
The other highlight of the day was a huge bunch of deep baritoned sea lions and seals awaiting my arrival at peir 39, complete with all the sound effects of their welcoming snorting and barking! Well, I didn't know, but they do give off a real barking sound. And today I saw about a hundred off them in the orchestra. Some of the people watching just joined the show....(the sea lions were better)
I had been to Fisherman's Wharf last time. But the place, the views and the crowd made me come back. Its a fabulous place with shops, restaurants, scenic bay views and lot of rides. Lot of street performers (wish I could be one) dancing and making music for money. There were also some who came there just to vent their feelings. Like a man I saw singing ballads, a red-head who just yelled at the top of her voice and using her violin in some frenzied ballet, created some sort of fusion music..all in all it was a place to be. My favourite was this person who played on deep flutes (the ones they use for Sufi music). It was so soulful and I wished I could lay in the grass there all day listening to that music.
Lot of crab eateries all around the place. Lot of shops on souvenirs and just about everything. Lot of rides and for the happy hour folks, a really jiving hard rock cafe! Aquariums, pools, rides, just about everything. People showing public displays of affection(!!), people proposing, and what not. Its fun. You'l find just your kind of place there. Oh and not to mention, lots of Indians too with the elderly gaping at, I guess the culture shock for whom it hadn't mellowed down yet! I just hung around the area a little longer and did some shopping for the folks at home.
And then I made my way back, yup in the cable car again. This time another route. And hey, what did I find!! A..secret, staring at me right in front of me. I did hang around a while though, trying hard not to be noticed and taking a peek inside, except when I was directly in front of the doorway an elderly dame just opened the door and walked out queering at my interesting pose, now frozen, looking inside. I walked the other way.
Well, the place I was then was the Union Square, a good place to hang out with friends. With artists painting potraits, all around the square. I hopped into Macy's, a high end shopping store, looking to buy a belt. The Calvin Kleins and DKNYs with their price tags made it just a frivolous visit with me rushing to the door. Duh!
Now dusk hit me sooner than I expected and it was time to take my train back to Redwood city where I stay. It was dusk. And I had planned to go to a Sushi place near my house for dinner!Coming to my dinner - Sushi sucks (depending on which you have). Raw fish with some intoxicating sauce almost made me puke. I washed it down with some beverage. I tried oyster for starter and it was good. One thind I really loved was chicken teriyaki a dish similar to our chicken biriyani, with more chicken and more rice. The foods generally have a taste of vinegar and soy sauce, which when taken in excess is just not right for the first time. I tried using chopsticks to blend into the culture, but I found myself ordering a fork after having made enough fool of myself at the table.
So that's it from another round of updates travelling. Not to mention I'm in full awe with the city and striving not to get too attached. Until I get another time to visit the city, thought I'd pen today's experiences, first hand for those who missed...Take care folks & have a good time. Adios!
As always, more photos here.
Friday, March 03, 2006
Evolutionary Collectivism
Here's something I scribbled as a reaction to, well something! 'Twas in my email drafts for a long time.
Guess it was some bad day :)
My idea of evolutionary collectivism
I see the present world filled with madness. All energies wasted on materialistic
and unyielding activities totally unproductive to the development of freedom and
eternal happiness. Those deeds that are so entwined with self praise, pleasures
and self empathy that feeds itself to glorify its presence as a necessity and a fashion.
While the unattended truth lurches in the dark corners of the background awaiting
the right soul kind enough to lend it a hand and show it some light. People have to
reinvent themselves..there's no other go. They have to seek out the real nature
in them to collectively produce ever-shining light, if we have to have lasting peace
and dignity in the society.
Everybody collectively - the media, the schools, the employers, the government -
should understand the consequences of proceeding like the present and the huge
pit we are digging ourselves beneath us unknowingly. One day its certain the
ground will give way and we will all fall into this pit we created ourselves.
We have to hold back.
Resist the quarrying into human values, search for the holistic pursuits and
feed the pure thoughts to cover up the nation of muck we have dug up.
Guess it was some bad day :)
Friday, February 24, 2006
Maya and reality
I was just curious the other day what google would spurn out for the search on the above topic. The wikipedia article seems to be quite engrossing , and I haven't finished it yet.
I later laid my eyes on the first result of my search - a book 'MAYA - The world as virtual reality'. Thought I would provide the link for those intrigued and the sci-fi fans atleast. This book by the way deals with vitual reality in a computer science perspective, which I think would interest many.
An excerpt:
So I would term such books bogus if it is just mathematical proofs coming in. Because mathematics cannot define conciousness, not even quantify it. (Unless of-course you are interested in science-'fiction' which to any scientist would be an oxymoron).
I later laid my eyes on the first result of my search - a book 'MAYA - The world as virtual reality'. Thought I would provide the link for those intrigued and the sci-fi fans atleast. This book by the way deals with vitual reality in a computer science perspective, which I think would interest many.An excerpt:
"In the world of modern science, consciousness is reduced to a fading epiphenomenon, left over after the brain has been physically explained. It seems to arise when matter is suitably organized, but scientists and philosophers have been unable to explain why complex organization should produce anything beyond complex physical behavior. Yet consciousness won't go away."Well, a goldfish cannot even get close to how much we can explain - it has a memory span of just 3 minutes. We definitely have limitations too regarding the extent of intellect we are built with. We are afterall just another animal in this universe. Ant is an animal too. Do you think it can figure this with the limited brain it has? We too are ants relative to this universe. (Btw, does the ant even care? Hah!) Explaining metaphysical aspects and super-science thus requires another dimension of thinking, which we lack.
So I would term such books bogus if it is just mathematical proofs coming in. Because mathematics cannot define conciousness, not even quantify it. (Unless of-course you are interested in science-'fiction' which to any scientist would be an oxymoron).
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