A window to my world ...

"Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide." -- Napolean Bonaparte I have enrolled for a decision support course and we have a very nice professor. Our first class started with this poem. "To be or not to be" http://www.artofeurope.com/shakespeare/sha8.htm The next session on decision trees started with note on how Darwin decided whether to marry or not. Quite interesting ! http://darwin-online.org.uk/content/frameset?viewtype=side&itemID=CUL-DAR210.8.2&pageseq=1

http://itsfine.wordpress.com/2008/07/24/chetan-bhagats-speech-at-symbiosis/

How often we use this phrase and I was surprised to find a theory which has actually backs this. From wikipedia.. Six degrees of separation (also referred to as the "Human Web") refers to the idea that, if a person is one step away from each person they know and two steps away from each person who is known by one of the people they know, then everyone is at most six steps away from any other person on Earth. --John Guare Well this has been the foundation for successful ventures of social networking sites.

Swami Narayan Birla Temple Near the Tomb at Qutub Minar The Lotus Temple Red Fort Near the Qutub Minar Guru in front of the Qutub Minar India Gate Just back after a tour from Delhi.Went there for the visa interviews.This time we got to see some more historical places at Delhi.Just wish that the weather was more tolerable.It was just tooo hot for a Bangalorean and that took away most of the zest in visiting all these places.Well,that doesnt take away any of the splendour and magnificience associated with these places. Couldnt help noticing ... 1.People eating chats in the afternoon when it's really hot.. 2.People Selling "Machine ka thanda paani" at 1 rupee per glass at many places 3.Fiery Red seemed to be the choice of lipsticks of middle aged women 4. Awesome sense of dressing in some of the girls -- Great salwars and kurtis and matching footwear The downsides The hot-n-humid weather -- it was a damp squib ,an energy drainer and brought down my travelling and shopping ze

Guru and I set out last Saturday to Visit BR Hills. Highlights of the place : Very scenic route from Maddur to BR Hills --Just beautiful.Lush green,dense jungles as you enter the Sanctuary area.It may not be so great in the summer though.Great to visit when it has just rained. I suggest ppl trvelling there to rent out your a cab,if you can afford to, so that you can stop by, immerse yourself in all the freshness of the place ,and move on ,rather than a non stop journey to the top of the hills. Reaching there: KSRTC has a direct bus which starts at sharp 7.00 am from the Mysore Road Satellite bus stop.If you dont get it the next one is at 9.00. But there are numerous buses plying to Kollegal. So your options are Hire a cab or if you plan to take the bus : Bangalore ->BR Hills Bangalore-> Kollegal->Yellandur->BR Hills Bangalore-> Maddur-> Kollegal->Yellandur->BR Hills Do's : Carry Food if you are not keen on having the food served at the temple t

Its been two years since I got married. Rushes : 6 months at "Amchi mumbai" Initial days of marriage :) Worked in a startup in which i was the 13th employee :) Life in the campus ... Treks in the sahyadris Return to bangalore Joined Citrix --Bored employee intially 9 weeks of non stop weekends around Karnataka and more treks Fun at Citrix ..great time with friends at work // Crosswords and carrom The occasional house hunt //peer and family pressure Mrg phase 2 //acc to G's traditions :) Getting to know the inlaws and G's family Weekends at inlaws //which i dreaded ,then tried avoiding ,then got used to,now i can hande it well :) Some weekends at Hospet //the kids,G's adorable neices save me there :) The memorable trip to manali and the 3-day trek to malana Trips to kodai,pondi ,shimoga,chikmagalur Read some good books Escaped a layoff in office //just for the time being ... may ne

Raagi Malt is a great healthy drink [native to Karnataka] to beat the summer heat. In bangalore you can get raagi flour in all supermarts.Buy a small packet coz it gets spoilt very soon if unused [from my personal experience]. Here's the recipe from the master chef "Guru" Serves : 4 Ingredients: 1. Water [ 4 tea cups] 2. Finger millet [Raagi] flour : 2-3 tea spoons 3. Curd : 3/4th cup 4. Coarsely Chopped garlic : 1 clove [Very little just to give a faint taste ] 5. A little finely chopped ginger 6. 2 chopped curry leaves and little coriander 7. Salt to taste [ 1/2 tea spoon or a little less as per your taste] 8. 1/2 chilly [Optional] Preparation Time: 10 mins Method: Mix the raagi flour with water so as to avoid lumps. [Mixing with your hands will ensure this] Add the garlic,ginger,curry leaves Heat it for 5-8 mins with constant stirring to avoid lumps on a low to medium flame [Dont let it get too thick ] Add the curd , salt and mix it with a curd churner Garnish it wit

A brilliant book and it would be one of the most informative and interesting book i have read to date. It dwells on the lives of the most successful people ,the circumstances what helped them become what they are. Its not a self-help book.Its backed by factual data, runs down to the cultural roots of people's lives and the time they lived in .It's more like Freakonomics in my view. Do read it.Watch out for the theory of Hofstede's cultural dimensions.Chapters like "The ethnic theory behind plane crashes","The 10,000 hours rule","The story of Joe Flom" seemed particularly interesting to me. A must read for one and all.I genuinely felt sad that the book ended.

Maybe I've started enjoying all movies ... You can spend some time watching "Gran Torino" if you can live with the language [ disparaging racial remarks are strewn generously throughout the whole span]. At your own risk do watch watch "Dhoondte Reh jaoge" which is a no brainer stupid time pass movie !!! :).But which i had a good laugh at anyways. Well dont watch : "Twilight" . Its a movie about a "veggie vampirish family" ,to mean they only feed on animals and not humans . Who said only Bollywood was capable of churning no brainers. You have tough competition here !

Go watch it ... The movie is fabulous. This is one of those movies best watched alone .Will not reveal the story here.It left an impact on my mind and it's very unlike the movies i've watched in a long long time.It's a slow movie but with a strong script and have the patience and watch it till the end.The movie begins in a mood of intense passion,but well there's much more to it.It is based on WW-2 and gives an insight into the minds of one of the perpetrators of crime. Changeling is another good movie which you should not miss..

Bengaluru habba is back and yes ! we are making the most of it. The inaugural ceremony was good with a classical Drupad Gayan performance by the Gundecha brothers,followed by a fultoo Bollwood Shankar Ehsaan Loy performance. Then we watched a Kannada play on Monday. [Maybe i didnt get the funny dialogs right ,bcoz Guru was having a blast ] We attended an Oddisi and bharatnatyam dance performance on Tuesday and i was mesmerized by the Oddisi dancers from Nrityagrama [Bijoyni and Surupa Sen]. Tommorrow there's a play "Hamlet" by Evam which i think i have watched before,but i will ,again ,coz I like the troupe . Good night! A follow up by Guru... Events that we watched in this year's Habba: --------------------------------------------- 1. Umakant & Ramakant Gundecha (Gundecha Brothers) - Classical Hindustani - Dhrupad Music 2. Shankar Ehsaan Loy - Bollywood music 3. Samsaradalli Sa Ni Da Pa by Spandana, Sagara (Shivamogga) - Kannada Theatre 4. Nrityagram (Bijayini Sa

Our breakfast discussion at office generally these days is focussed on the rampant conversions of the lower-tier-worker classes into Christianity. D,P,S and myself have had very vocal arguments on whether what is being done is right or wrong. But first its a fact --If you have ever stayed around the Banaswadi/Kammanahalli area in bangalore you will see lots of people getting converted.And its a no brainer that these people have been given strong incentives of a better education for their children and possibly financial help as well by the missionaries. The debate is whether all this is right or wrong : P,S and I keep stating that there is nothing wrong abt it --At least they get to lead a better life that way and probably that's what any poor man would do -- What does religion mean to me when I have no food and shelter ?But also, i do believe that if you aim to reach out your hand to someone in need ,it should be unconditional . D however has a different view point. This method he

I dont want the "layoff at office" post showing up when I open my blog :) the best way-write another mindless blog. Well for me blogging is all about killing time and adding more junk on the web. Because i have read some really serious good blogs --so i believe i am just wasting space .But nevertheless i will continue to do so ! at the cost of another reader's time --the next chap/chappeee who surfs by to kill some time like me. Some random thoughts ** Learning to laugh at yourself an asset.Life's biggest troubles will vanish before you. ** Its good to look at yourself as the best ,etc etc but considering yourself a small spec in the bigger system of things called life also easens your burdens at time. Bottom line : Let go .. and learn to take it easy .You cannot please everyone at all times . ** Marriages : It begins with love and lust ,then its love and then its secure ,reliable companionship .Expecting anything beyond that will give you deep deep heartaches.

Well it was surely not a regular day at office. Well,not one that I would want to experience again. I happily went to office,blissfully ignorant ,carefree ,picking fruits,singing a song to myself. Reached my cube space when I saw my colleagues all huddled up and discussing something. And ... Then read the not so pleasant early morning mail from the CEO abt how very "important and painful" it is ,but how necessary it was and blah blah. The air was tense-I too got panicky,felt super guilty for all the hours wasted at the carrom table/crosswords and could visualize myself being pink-slipped ! I knew it had to be me .Well many others also were feeling the same.I guess its a very common tendency to think it'll be you and still hoping that it shouldnt be you. The day went on .. Well,Miracles do happen and I truly believe considering my own performance that I am very lucky to not have been kicked out. It was an important day in my life as I have learnt not to take the job for gr

I tend to introspect and reflect everytime I visit my in-laws.It makes me don the philosophers cap. We lead contrasting lives ,if I may so put it ; as they make me believe .What seems a perfect existence to me is non acceptable to them and vice versa. Not that I am an angel / all understanding to get into their shoes to understand why they live the way they do . Anyways its not abt inlaws here : Its abt opinions of ppl in general. Whats the perfect life ? Where does this continuous pursuit of happiness lead us to. What is happiness ? I believe I am happy ,but the wise ppl around me tend to believe that there 's much more to life than spending some weekend outside /and lazing away ur time,etc etc . Which makes me believe its all an illusion . You are what you think you are [ Not a great revelation !!! ] .If you want to be unhappy ,you will be even if you're a millionaire have the perfect spouse and the so called perfect life.The same "me" feels superhappy and super d

Last week we went to Pondicherry.We actually planned a 2-day stay over the weekend.But A and G got bored on day 1 and we returned .Pondicherry looked apt for either those who want to drink and lie around the beach or for the very spiritual types who'd like to spend time in the Ashram and in Auroville . To our further disappointment Maitri Mandir was also under renovation and we were only allowed to see it from a distance . I wouldnt have minded spending another day there but since the rest of the gang was not too keen ,gave in . :) The evening stroll on the beach road was definetly worth remembering,since we stuffed ourselves with all the possible bytes sold by the hawkers there -from roasted peanuts to fruit bowl and pani puri. Also enjoyed the idlis and dosas fultoo at one "Sabthagiri restaurant" ,which was very close to the bus stand.They served the real khatta sambhar --unlike sweetish sambhars served in most eat outs in bangalore. If you could spend lots of money a

An interesting read. What was really good abt the book,besides the plot was the simple language.G who is not the novel reading types got hooked on to it and actually completed it.

Dr L.Subramaniam at the Violin,vocals by Kavita Krishnamurthy and the Leipzig Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Dr Michael Koehler : What more can I ask for a perfect evening .And not to mention free passes!!! All courtesy Times of India Bangalore Infinity concert . I had never been to a live orchestra before and so it was a very new experience and a wonderful one .It has also inspired me to learn some musical instrument!!!

The makers of the calendar called Jan 1st as the beginning of the new year. Its just another day,but something truly makes it special. For those who've had a bad times,it brings in hopes for something better - I've seen ppl actually saying --hope this year's better.So the concept is doing some good ,to someone. I believe that the world thrives on faith and optimism -- a pursuit of something better to come. So am rejoicing with the rest of the world -- Happy New Year to one and all alike!!!!