A Peek into my devilish mind...

When are we Indians going to learn ?

2008-03-03T21:17:00.001-08:00

It has been 60 years since we achieved independence from the British Empire. In these 60 years we have gone from international pariahs to a world power that no corporation or country can ignore. Who hasn't heard of the term "Bangalored" ? We crow about how we are the biggest democracy in the world. One of the best examples of a diverse yet peaceful society.We have the Japanese trying to copy us

I won! I won!

2007-04-19T13:41:00.000-07:00

The finals of the Table Tennis Competition were held today at Visto Corporation's offices in Seattle. There were three divisions, A, B and C in descending order of skill level. I was in the A-group finals, played at 1p today.I was unbeaten in the preliminary round, winning all of my matches, and compiling a 6-0 record. The top 2 players in each group faced off in the finals.I beat Paja Stankov in

A World without men ?

2007-04-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

Hhmmn... I thought the journey was more enjoyable than the desination, but apparently, the journey is not gonna be needed for much longer, either! ;)http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article2444462.ece

Dixie Chicks Win!

2007-02-12T17:24:00.000-08:00

Ok, I will be very honest - I am not a Dixie Chicks Fan. I don't even listen to their music that much. I have a hard time naming any of their hits. With that being said, I was quite gratified by The Grammys on Sunday night.Their sweep of every category they were named in, was as a strong rebuke (can you spell understatement?) of their treatment by the Nashville-based Country Music establishment

Armenia trip highlights

2006-12-12T02:33:00.000-08:00

- Wonderful breakfast at the Marriott.- The cab driver who got lost.- Armenian Falafel and Lavash. To die For.- XX and Dhurram (Goat Cheese and Lavash)- Giving cab rides to strangers.- Women taking pictures with me (Kayane and Geghardt)- Indians who wont talk to you (Hara Barag and Geghardt).- Riding a horse- Name ends in yan? You must be Armenian.- Dining at an Armenians place (Richard Bezjian)-

Trip to Armenia..

2006-12-12T00:59:00.000-08:00

I was recently in Armenia (Nov 8 - 17th, 2006) on business, and here are some salient points, including the "landing" experience. This was my first international business trip and I came away with a lot of very "interesting" experiences. I read quite a lot about the country before I went there, and that helped me understand and appreciate some of the things that I saw and experienced.I have

Never judge a book by its awards (The Inheritance of Loss)

2006-11-29T23:26:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading "The Inheritance of Loss", by Kiran Desai.Some books entertain; some books make you think; some books rip your heart out and leave you sobbing; some books have plots with so many twists and turns that you feel like you are travelling on a dozen S-curves a minute at a 100 miles an hour.This book is not any one of those. Not even close.Some books meander, take you on a

You speak Tamil ? You must be a terrorist...

2006-10-11T14:32:00.000-07:00

This is the kind of idiocy that makes my blood boil...http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/287261_tamil02ww.html?from=wtnewsA man speaking to his friend on his cell phone about a football (the american kind) , and an off-duty airline employee, thought that was suspicious and called the Police.What kind of nonsense is this ? Do I have to just speak a foreign language and the idiots amongst us start

Oh god, I love to see the Yankees lose...

2006-10-07T00:17:00.000-07:00

It is that time of the year again. Baseball playoffs are on, the Yankees are losing, and every non-Yankee fan is taking considerable pleasure in watching them lose. Count me among one of them. And tonight was great: they got blanked.Oddly enough, I started off liking the Yankees, even cheering for them when they beat the Braves. But I was turned off by their owner, by their signing away free

Layoffs suck!

2006-10-05T00:29:00.000-07:00

A lot of people at my company lost jobs; my own group got cut down by a third, losing 2 people. Both of them were nice guys. Another guy gone in Tech Pubs, also a nice person.Oh well, this is part and parcel of life, but why does it always have to happen to good people?Hopefully my position is safe. :)

Book Review: A Fine Balance, by Rohinton Mistry

2006-09-20T18:26:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading "A Fine Balance", by Rohinton Mistry. This book was recommended to me by Minu, who I met while I was living in Canada. She was the administrator of the community center of our condo complex, where I was renting at, and she commented that this was a great book that she simply could not put down. I agree with her assessment, but it is certainly one of the most heart-rending

Just what the world needs...

2006-07-10T17:55:00.000-07:00

... another freak in saffron robes, attempting to lead us into nirvana. India has produced a lot of intellectuals, but the profusion of these religious heads boggles my mind.This new guy is called "Paramahamsa Nithyananda", and is a new "Swamiji". Run away as fast as you can. One of the people endorsing, nay inspiring him is a "Mataji Kuppammal", a "deeply pious lady". Oh my god. One unknown

Is a Car really freedom?

2006-06-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

I was sitting on the 522 this morning - after a lung-busting climb up from the Burke-Gilman trail to Lake City way - when I overheard a few conversations a woman had on her cellphone. I wasn't privy to who she was talking with, or even her face, for I never turned back to look at her. And no, I wasn't eavesdropping: the whole bus was privy to her conversation it looked like. It was like a puzzle.

The trouble with (a few) bicyclists....

2006-05-03T22:40:00.000-07:00

If you are thinking this is going to be a tirade about bicyclists, you thought right.... I am sick and tired of all these cyclists not obeying traffic laws and doing whatever the heck they can. Allow me to explain.My commute to work is 12.5 miles, and it takes about an hour from our apartment in Bellevue, WA. I work in Seattle, and I witnessed all of the following incidents, during this morning's

Car Free!

2006-04-10T16:36:00.000-07:00

After years of wanting to be one, we are finally Car Free! I drove up to Vancouver on Saturday and sold our car off to Carter Honda. The plan is to be Car-ownership-free for as long as possible, using the bus and the bicycle locally, and rent a car if need be. But, we will try to use public transportation as much as possible.Not owning a car and not having to worry about things is a great relief

Nearly roadkill on a mall parking lot.

2006-01-19T11:18:00.000-08:00

Would people please please please, look ahead when they are driving? You know, there just might be people there that you might run down and kill ?I had this most scary incident at Factoria mall (Bellevue, WA), Sunday afternoon.I had parked our car and was walking across the mall parking lot, to Rite-Aid. I was crossing the final 2-car-length stretch before reaching the sidewalk, when I saw an SUV

Why is my wallet so much lighter?

2005-11-04T14:57:00.000-08:00

...because I am now in the states...And, we don't have loonies and toonies here... :) :) :) Back to the days of good old bills for $1 and $2.And... http://www.canadianfavourites.com (for xCanucks in the States). Get those Canadian things that you cannot seem to get in the States. You are welcome!

World Champions?

2005-10-27T00:20:00.000-07:00

I just watched the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball win the "World Series" (sic). The phrases "World Champions" and "World Championship" were splashed all over like the (cheap) champagne that flowed freely in the victorious Chicago locker room. And, as is often the case, I wondered why ALL US sports leagues claim their titles to be "World Championships"! Am I just a anti-hype kind of

How many beers in your culture?

2005-10-13T21:34:00.000-07:00

It was a weekday evening, and my wife and I were at a local Pizza Hut restaurant near our house, hardly a 15-minute walk. The skies threatened - as they often do in Vancouver, BC - to dump a load of liquid sunshine on our heads at any time, but being the brave souls that we were, we had walked our way. And the skies opened up a little, right as we entered the restaurant.The restaurant was far

I quit INDE.

2005-10-13T15:29:00.000-07:00

Well, after slightly over 3 years, I quit from INDE Electronics, Richmond, BC. It was quite a different experience, unlike any other company I have ever worked at. A new chapter in my life begins.http://www.visto.com, in the Queen Anne district of Downtown Seattle. No showers though, so I gotta find a way to shower after cycling to work.

The new Wallace and Gromit rocks.

2005-10-09T13:37:00.000-07:00

I saw the "Curse of the Were-Rabbit" recently (October 8th) and it rocks. I have been anticipating this movie ever since it was announced, and I went the day after it was announced, being a big fan of the lovable-but-not-so-smart Wallace and the mute-but-supremely-intelligent dog, Gromit.Nick Park, as is usual, sets up a very humorous situation for Wallace and Gromit: the owners of a business

Getting the next generation hooked…

2005-03-08T18:43:00.000-08:00

As most cruciverbalists (aficionados of crosswords to the uninitiated) know, a morning is complete unless it starts with a crossword. This past weekend I was in Portland, visiting my brother and his family. This day started that way too. I was looking over the crossword Saturday morning, a cup of coffee in my hand. My two nephews, already at the table munching on their breakfast moved closer to

Fitness is a journey; not a destination

2005-02-24T01:09:00.000-08:00

Their voices were deafening. I heard them every step I took. I tried my best to commiserate and yet I had to look the other way. They begged for relief, and I was torn between giving them what they want, and achieving what I wanted to. They clamoured for relief and I paid them no heed, for my actions are to be ruled only by my backlit watch.By now, you might have guessed who "they" are - my

Suckered!

2005-02-20T18:33:00.000-08:00

It all started with a simple voice message from an acquaintance, related to a (former?) close friend of my wife's."There is going to be a seminar in your neighbourhood. We are doing some very innovative things in Vancouver, and I think you would really benefit from attending this little seminar, being held Sunday morning at 11." the message said. Being of the polite disposition, I called this

My beef with Baby Showers

2005-02-08T10:23:00.000-08:00

I was standing in the lunch room, lost oh-so-wonderfully in making my afternoon cup of coffee , when my reverie was rudely interrupted by our company accounts maven. Normally, she would enter the lunch room and go about her business, exchanging nary a word with anyone already present."Hello Narayan," she said in greeting. "Hi," I said, giving her a smile that told her I knew she had something

Am I writing material?

2005-02-02T18:47:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe that there are actually 2 people on Earth who think I am talented enough to write. Well, the only problem is that I haven't written anything since High school English composition (which they haven't actually seen). So, what could this opinion be based on? Talent evaluation is an art indeed and the aforementioned two are ill-qualified at it. When do you decide someone is talented

In a land of milk and honey...

2005-01-31T23:27:00.000-08:00

Immigrants always face terrible dilemmas. On the one hand, they move to a new country to better themselves and allow themselves better opportunities, but their mind constantly dwells on what is back home, what price they are paying for the privilege of all the fine things their new home has brought them. I am one such immigrant. The son of a welder-father and a headmistress-mother. My brother

Ladies and Gentlemen, thaw your brains

2005-01-29T14:45:00.000-08:00

Why do people ordinarily so suspicious of everyone in their lives revere some religious institutions and follow some religious leaders with utter and complete devotion? What makes people follow these pied pipers in the mistaken belief that they are doing the "right" thing for the "good" cause? We

Babysitting Murray

2005-01-28T13:01:00.000-08:00

I found out this morning that I am going to be babysitting my colleague Elliot's dog Murray, a really really cute English Cocker Spaniel puppy for a few hours tomorrow. I love dogs - of a few kinds - and fortunately for me, I love his ilk. I am so excited to do this. I do want a dog of my own, though Raji has some pretty strong - and clinching - arguments against them. Pets as a whole, to people

My parents' prayers answered... decades later.

2005-01-27T11:56:00.000-08:00

I have to wear a mouthguard to stop gnashing my teeth at night, which would prevent my teeth from being completely ground away. I have been using it for about a week or so now. I find that I do not wake up in the middle of the night gnashing my teeth anymore. So, it works. That's the good news. It is so hard to go to sleep with this thing on. I guess I will have to put it on around 11p or so and

Hard earned lessons...

2005-01-26T17:32:00.000-08:00

Ran for about 50 minutes yesterday. Ran for 3, walked for 2, 10 times, and my left shin started killing me after about the 6th rep. So, I completed the rest of the workout in pain. Everytime I am in good running shape (twice now), I vow not to stop, because it is so hard to get to where I was. And then, just like that, something happens (get laid off etc etc), I completely lose motivation and

Close, but no Cigar

2005-01-25T17:04:00.000-08:00

Well, now that I have made a single mistake in Hindu xWord 2590, I am now working on the London Sunday Times xWord, that Rhona introduced me to. I have done a few now, far more than what I used to pull off on my own when I worked with her. Sad News: My father-in-law's visit ended today afternoon. He is actually one of those F-I-L's that makes one miss him. :D He is off to NY now. Another

Some days I am Hot! Some days I am NOT!

2005-01-24T14:39:00.000-08:00

Excellent Progress on Hindu Crossword 2590 Got everything almost on my own, with the notable exception of 2d, which is Ruritania. How, I know not! Well, I can explain most of the clues, but some of them are just pattern matches (such as my own answer for 2d which was Rarotonga). 15d had no indication as to being complete (it was missing wwrd count and length info). But thanks to my genius, I

It's been awfully silent in here...

2005-01-18T14:21:00.000-08:00

Long time no post... But if a tree falls in the forest... :D I am thinking no one is listening. Well, had a fab birthday for starters. Lots of gifts. Mostly from the have-to-love-me department. My parents sent me clothes, and none of them fit (too big!!). THE SO presented me with the Completely LOTR Special Extended Edition DVD's and a copy of "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. Well, our TV

2004-04-13T19:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I joined a Yahoo group dedicated to the Hindu Crossword yesterday. April 11th. Mainly to interact about the Sunday Crosswords. Looks like a fun bunch of people.

Shooting the breeze, not the messenger

2003-07-16T13:53:00.000-07:00

Well, Palani and Gomathi were over this past weekend and we spent some good time together. There were a couple of sessions about changing the world for the better -- those discussions always seem to dominate our meetings. One of the main things that we talked about was the need to get our ideas out into this world. After all, if you are going to change the world, you have to tell the world that.

Hello, World.

2003-02-17T17:29:00.000-08:00

- Created this Blog.... - Learnt the word Borked.