Zuführung

2010 Travelogue

2011-01-16T09:40:00.027-06:00

“Travel is glamorous only in retrospect.” ~ Paul Theroux

It is true that looking back on ones travels brings back the joys of the simpler past and gives an opportunity to relive the adventures. Twenty years from now I want to be able to relive my travel experiences, whatever little I've been on. Here is an attempt at documenting some of my travels in 2010.

Chicago,IL
Although I lived in Chicago for nearly five years and consider it my second home (next only to Bangalore of course), 'S' had never been here and I wanted to show off my favorite city in the US to her and decided to visit in May. Most of our time on the first day was spent around the museum campus as we managed to visit the Field Museum and Shedd aquarium. The following day, we roamed around downtown, took the architectural river cruise which is one of the best ways to see the downtown and visited the John Hancock towers. No matter how many times I go to Chicago, I never get bored of it. It is absolutely one of the top cities in US, if not the world. Some pictures from our trip below.

'Field Museum'

'Chicago skyline from John Hancock'

Door County, WI
Door county is one of my favorite places in WI and I try to visit it atleast once every year. Traditionally we camp at door county, but this time around, we decided to rent a cabin. The cabin was a lovely three bedroom waterfront cottage in sturgeon bay. Some of our activities included wine tasting, kayaking the lake Michigan and it being the July 4th weekend, we also burst some firecrackers. It was just fun being outdoors in the summer by the water.

'cabin by the lake'

'Kayaking the Lake Michigan'

Colorado
Visiting the rocky mountains of Colorado had always been on my travel list but never had a chance to visit it. However this summer we got an opportunity to visit Colorado with 'C' and his wife. Since our cabin experience in door county was such a hit, we decided to do it again in the rocky mountains. The cabin was an amazing find. It is so secluded, that we had to take a five mile dirt track to enter the cabin area. Although the setting was very rustic, the cabin itself was luxurious and we took advantage of all the amenities available to us, from lighting up camp fires in the evening to barbecuing burgers on the grill and relaxing in the hot tub.
The cabin was the main attraction, but we did venture out on day trips to Aspen and Royal Gorge bridge. Overall, this was one of our best trips in a long time.

'Cabin'

'Maroon Bells'

Cali-Vegas
Las Vegas was this December's winter escape destination. Joining 'Sri' and his wife we decided to fly out to California this Christmas break and headed on to our road trip to cover Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Grand Canyon. First stop was LA. Since 'R' lived here, he was kind enough to show us around Hollywood and the 'must see' spots around LA. After our one day stint in LA, we headed out to Las Vegas. With a short four hour drive we arrived at Stratosphere, our hotel for next three days. I guess I don't really have to tell much about Vegas, but couple of highlights of our stay in Vegas were the 'Cirque du Soleil' show (this show is not to be missed!) and dinner atop the revolving restaurant called 'top of the world'.
After an overload of looking at the man made wonders in Las Vegas, we decided it was time to visit the Grand Canyon to take in the nature's wonder. It lives up to its name. It is indeed grand and is a reminder of how small we are in front of such a magnificent creation of nature.

'Bellagio'

'Grand Canyon'

Puerto Rico

2010-04-03T17:50:00.000-06:00

I always had the urge to go on an island adventure and this winter got the perfect opportunity to do so. During our get together this Thanksgiving in Madison, 'U' had casually mentioned the idea of hiking the rain forests in Puerto Rico and it had immediately piqued my interest. Puerto Rico being a territory of the U.S. doesnot require a Visa to enter the island and hence is easily accessible. After some research about the travel requirements, we booked the air tickets and hotel. Here's how the itinerary folded out.
Day 1

"Pinones beach"

Quality Inn at Condado Avenue was our hotel of choice since it was cheap and they offered complimentary breakfast. Since we had landed in Puerto Rico the previous night at 1' O clock, the morning did not begin until 9.00 am. After quickly grabbing some breakfast, we headed out to explore the beaches around the area. First stop was at the 'Pinones' beach. The waters were amazingly blue-green in color which gives you the feeling that you are in the Caribbean.

"streets of Old San Juan"

Next stop was at the Condado beach, which was very close to the hotel. The temperature was about 85F and the water was perfect to get in. After spending some time in the waters headed back to the hotel to take a quick shower. Since it was Christmas day, most of the places were shut down, so we decided to head over to Old San Juan. This is the most charming little town that I have been to so far. Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony and all the remnants of the era can still be seen in Old San Juan. The town is a cris-cross of narrow cobbled stone streets and the buildings are all painted with vivid colours.

"Fort El Morro"

Old San Juan also boasts of two 500 year old forts built by the Spanish to protect the port city. Visiting fort "El Morro" gives you an insight into the 500 year old history while also giving you magnificent views of the turquoise waters.

Day2

Hiking the rain forest in Puerto Rico was the goal of the day and we reached the "El Yunque" national forest in the morning after about an hour and a half worth of driving from San Juan. El Yunque is the only rain forest in the US forest system and it lives upto its name as it receives copious amounts of rainfall each year and remains damp through out. It lies in the Loquillo mountains and the hike to the peak is absolutely amazing. The hike takes about 2.5 hours, but you are rewarded with some of the most scenic views you can imagine. Hiking 'El-Yunque' is definite 'must-do' in Puerto Rico.

"Loquilla beach"

A 15 min drive from the El-Yunque forest takes you to Loquilla beach, probably the most well-known beach in Puerto Rico. Diving into the cool blue waters after a tiring hike makes for an amazing experience, or you could just hang by the beach sipping on some authentic puerto rican pina coladas!

Day 3

Puerto Rico is well known for its rums and the trip would not be complete without a tour of the Bacardi Rum factory which is situated about 30 min drive from San Juan. The tour is free and includes free rum drinks of your choice (Got to have the 'Mojito'!). Although you wont actually see the process of rum making or the bottling, its worth taking the tour which gives you a history about the Bacardi family and hey!.. anything for free Mojitos right!

Following the Bacardi rum factory tour we headed out towards the west to visit the Arecibo Observatory. The observatory boasts the world's largest radio telescope and is probably recognized even more so for its appearance in the Jame's Bond movie, 'Golden Eye'. The telescope is situated amidst the mountains and is extremely huge. Although the drive to the observatory is interesting, since you have to drive through the mountains, the hour and a half journey is probably not worth it unless you are a really keen student of science.

The one thing that we did miss-out on doing in Puerto Rico was kayaking the bio-luminescent bays in Fajardo. This is supposed to be a one-of a kind experience as, the kayak tour is in the night and you can see the waters illuminate when you disturb the tiny bacteria which cause the luminescence. Well! I guess that's good enough reason for me to re-visit Puerto Rico!

The Dog incident

2009-01-05T20:28:00.018-06:00

Read this article on times of india today about a dog dying after it bit a man in Chandigarh. "Dog dies after biting judge" was the very creative and apt headline that would have caught any reader's attention. Apparently, the man, a judge no less, was performing social service in Chandigarh and this stray dog walked by, bit his leg and died. Being a victim of dog bites myself (twice), I can imagine what the judge must have felt. But the dog's death after the bite is preposterous and warrants a blog entry (Heck!! if this story can make the front page of a leading newspaper, it definitely deserves a blog entry).

To add a twist to this story, it has been reported that, after the incident occurred, a team immediately reached the spot to capture the dog and the dog died in their custody. At first glance, it seems like the dog died after biting what must have been one hell of a toxic human leg. But having followed Indian media during the recent terror attacks in Mumbai and learning to dramatize any incident, here's what I think actually happened. After capturing the dog, the special team established that the dog had links with elements in Pakistan. The dog, whose name has been with held by RAW for security reasons, was taken into custody and interrogated. The experience gained in interrogating the recently captured terrorist, 'Kasab' was ruthlessly applied in this case. Periods of physical abuse accompanied by starvation and psychological torture was used. Apparently the dog denied any links to LeT, ISI or the local municipal dog pound. But the torture continued nonetheless and the dog succumbed to its injuries. The dog was also identified as being of Islamic faith and unconfirmed reports have said that Dayanand Pandey's men were part of the special teams which captured the dog. Clearly, the poor dog has become the victim of a god-man's Dogma!!. Pandey denies any involvement, but in typical George Bush like reaction, the Bush govt has intervened and seeing this as an act of discrimination has denied US visa to Narendra Modi for the next 10 years. Modi was stunned at this move by the Bush govt, but hopes that the Obama govt will revoke this ban.

After learning about the dogs death and leaked reports of the dogs' innocence, people became agitated and held morchas in front of random politicians' house all over Kerala. Medha Patkar has also been informed of the incident and she will soon be holding a hunger strike along the banks of a yet to be identified river, but people suspect it could be Narmada. There have also been reports from Tamil Nadu, that the dog has become a hero and the Tamil Nadu govt is considering building a temple in its name (once the name of the dog is released by RAW). A plot of land has already been identified for the temple and is said to be next to the temple dedicated to Khushboo (for obvious muslim connection).

Amidst all this, the judge who was bitten by the dog, has been completely forgotten and is pissed at the media for not covering his side of story and hence denying him an opportunity for some sympathy money from the Chandigarh govt.

Summer/Fall '08 - Travelouge

2008-12-09T20:32:00.000-06:00

When I first moved to Wisconsin, people told me that Wisconsinites are hard core about summer and they take summer seriously and I thought sure they like to brag about their summer activities. But I understood what they meant after witnessing the extreme winter last year. Winters are so severe and force you to stay indoors, that people just cant wait to get out when the sun is out. Summer is a privilege here and people make the most of it indeed. I myself did some traveling this Summer/Fall and I thought this is a good place to recollect some of the travels and ponder over the new places I visited.

Devil's Lake,WI
Did most of the traveling in early summer (thanks to R, who wanted to show some of Wisconsin to his visiting parents with us). First trip of the summer was to Devil's lake, WI. Its only an hour's drive from Madison and is a great get away for adventure and camping. With a beautiful lake surrounded by the cliffs, its a huge attraction in Southern Wisconsin. Although on the day we were there, Sauk county had the biggest thunderstorm causing major flooding and forcing us to take in the scenes from with in the car.

Baraboo,WI
Baraboo is a historic little town in the Sauk county area with lush greenery and also home to the famous Ringling Brothers circus. Watching the circus takes you back to the childhood days and it brought memories of our very own Jumbo Circus in India. Although the circus was not as grand as in India, it was fun to see live performers still performing the 'old style' of circus. Unfortunately, Baraboo was also affected by major floods from a later thunderstorm and is recovering from it still.

Mt. Horeb/Cave of the mounds,WI

Another local visit was to Mt.Horeb. It is a small Norwegien settlement and the Norwegien heritage is seen all over the town with little Troll statues in the front yards of the locals. The town also claims itself to be the Troll capital of the world! There is also a museum dedicated to the Norwegien history in this area and it is quite interesting.

Traveling a few miles west of Mt.Horeb is 'Cave of the mounds', which is a colorful cavern of limestone formations that was accidentally discovered in the 30's. Its one of the national landmarks and worth a visit if you are in this area.

Wisconsin Dells,WI
Dells is a popular vacation destination for Wisconsinites and many mid westerners. Although famous for its water parks, we spent most of the day around the downtown area. We took the Wisconsin ducks tour, which is an amphibious boat tour taking us around the woods and into the Wisconsin river. Although the tour itself was relly good, I defenitley did not like the diesel exhaust fumes in my lungs. The boats are actually from WWII era and they need some serious over hauling. We also got a good look from the boat at the devastation the previous fortnight's flooding had caused in this area. The man made lake Delton which was a popular destination was totally engulfed and just vanished in one night.The pic on the right shows part of the road which was eaten away by the collapsed lake Delton.

Chicago,IL
Made a few trips to Chicago this summer. It was kinda like going back home, back to your nick of the woods so to speak. Again thanks to R and his visiting parents, we had a wonderful time going around Chicago. We took the 'architecture river cruise', visited the John Hancock center and spent sometime roaming the downtown area on a perfect summer day. Some pictures form the 'windy city'.

California

Always love California!! This was my fourth trip there and was a good trip coz I met so many old friends who I hadn't seen in years. Pashya's place in Orange county was my base camp and its a lovely place, close to the PCH and plenty of beaches in the vicinity. Made a one day trip to Santa Barbara. Great little town on the pacific coast.The downtown area is extremely lively and filled with little shops and resturaunts on tree lined streets. Its a magnificent weekend get away in the So-Cal area.

Texas
My first trip to Texas and it was an awesome trip. It was a reunion of sorts with Dudda and Pashya joining me from New York & California and Ranga hosting us in Austin. Ranga had planned a day trip to San Antonio and on our way we stopped at the Guadalupe river for some water tubing. If you have never done it before, all you do is lie on a big rubber tube, drink beer and just float on the flowing river, till you are tired. Trust me, its fun. After a wet and relaxing afternoon, we continued our trip to San Antonio. It is ofcourse well know for its river walks and for a reason. The river walk is lined with resturaunts and shops and is a perfect place to spend a summer evening. The following day took a dip in the 'Barton Springs'. I learnt about this place through Samanth Brown's 'Passport to great weekends' and I just had to visit it. It is a natural spring in the middle of the city and is a popular local recreation spot, especially on a hot summer day.
With so many things to do, Austin will defenitley draw me back and I hope to visit it again sometime.

Lacrosse, WI
Lacrosse was the final trip of the season. It is about two hours drive from Madison towards the west and is a beautiful town on the banks of the Mississippi river. It is also a border town with the state of Minnesota. Since the fall season was at its peak it was the right time to see the foliage in full bloom. Although Central Wisconsin is famous for its fall colors, we were a little disappointed to not see the full colors in Lacrosse. But it was an awesome fall day and hence the trip was not a total let down. We spent most of the day near the river just taking in the scenery and ended the day with a river cruise on the Mississippi river. Some pictures from Lacrosse.

Summer/fall season has come to an end and we are almost into the peak of winter here. Sucks to let go of summer, but like what a wise man/woman once said, 'If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant' , right?

Sourav Ganguly - RIGHT HANDED

2008-11-09T22:43:00.001-06:00

Ever wondered what it would look like if Ganguly batted right handed?

Looking back

2008-01-28T20:24:00.000-06:00

Its been five years since I came to the United states in the hopes of pursuing my MS. Being just another "Desi", leaving home for the first time, trying to make my mark in the land of opportunities, I vividly remember all the events that led up to my first day in America. I remember my parents sending me off at the airport reminding me at least 8 times to secure my passport in that upper left pocket of the Jacket. I remember my uncle explaining the nuances of air travel including the landing and take-off procedures. I also remember the first breath of air I took as I walked out of O'hare international airport. It was mid January and the peak of winter and the cold air clearly hit my lungs and took me by surprise. I was both scared and excited at the same time to have stepped out of the comfort my home and to have stepped into a whole new country.

As I look back into those five years, I realize how much I have changed and how much more there is to change. Life in the United States has been a great learning experience for me. I have been fortunate enough to have met the people that I have met here. The friendships and bondings that are made when you are away from home are the strongest and the most meaningful ones. Living with plenty of roommates over the course of my Masters', has taught me to accept different kinds of people. I believe it has also helped me open my mind up a little bit more. To be open, and be receptive to ideas and criticisms from people and their actions and probably more importantly how to have fun and live the life. Life as graduate students will probably be one of the most memorable years of all of us who went to school together and suffered the same pains and enjoyed the same pleasures.

Although I have spent most of the five years in Chicago and only recently moved to Madison, I think I'm starting to learn a little bit more about myself only now. Having lived with roommates through those years in Chicago, I never got a chance to reflect and think about myself. This is truly the first time I have lived alone. Living alone sometimes brings boredom and many a lonely days (I'm still a bachelor), But it gives you an opportunity to step back, slow down and think about yourself.

Stepping out of my home has been a big and important step for me and I hope the next five years will give me an opportunity to learn even more and change for the better.

You know you are in Madison, when...

2007-11-01T22:30:00.000-06:00

1) Every 'Thank you' is responded with a "You Betcha!!"
2) Bicyclists & Deers fly past you from all directions with no respect towards motorists. If you are not careful, one of them might end up under your vehicle.
3) Every second conversation is about the 'Badgers' and every third is about the 'Packers'.
4) The city is broadly divided into East side and West side. I've yet to come across someone pointing toward the north or the south of the city.
5) The West side mall is conquered and ruled by soccer moms and the East side mall is occupied by the teenage army.

Chicago

2007-10-02T18:19:00.000-06:00

Chicago

Chicago has been my home away from home for the past 4 3/4 years and I've enjoyed the city so much. Having lived in the infamous 'South side' during my grad school years and later moving to downtown Chicago, I've experienced the contrast the city has to offer in terms of society and lives of people in these two vastly different parts of the city. With its diverse mix of people, the city is a true cultural melting pot. Although the harsh winters, with their 'lake effect' snows made me wince and moan and bitch about the city, the warm, and beautiful summers made me fall right back in love with it. Summers in Chicago is something to be experienced. The lake, the beach, and the buzz of the people all around just pumps in a great amount of energy into you. A very small part of my memories from the windy city has been put up in the mosaic.

The time has now come for me to move away from this wonderful city. A new and exciting career opportunity has brought me to the quaint little town of Madison,WI. The feeling is very mixed. I'm excited about a new career opportunity but at the same time I know I'm going to miss the good times I had in Chicago. However, the great thing about this is the fact that Chicago is not very far away from here. I hope Madison brings me the same excitement as did Chicago. It is now my new home.

Madison by Night

Desi Rap

2007-08-17T14:02:00.001-06:00

My initial reaction to this video was uncontrolled laughter!! To see a bunch of 'Desis' spitting out gangsta rap, wearing XXXXL clothes big enough to fit two people, and using gangsta names like 'Lock up Guna' is hilarious. This right here is wonderful material for some stand-up comedy. Russel Peters will be happy to watch this video. But after carefully reviewing it a couple more times ( the song is catchy...com'n) I was amazed by the talent these guys have. Rapping is an art and not everybody can do it (atleast not in Tamil!!...or wait!! its easy to rap in Tamil..its such a mouthful!!). I love the fast flow of words and the clever use of slang to compose a rhyme. Although the video is very armature, I loved the song.

Respectz Yo!! :)

Side Effects

2007-07-19T11:35:00.000-06:00

Recently saw this commercial on TV for a drug called 'Requip' to treat 'Restless Leg Syndrome'. Remember how the announcer guy at the end of the commercial, blurts out a list of side effects that might accompany the drug, in a funny, high tempo voice? Thats my favorite part.
Most drugs have fairly common side effects like nausea, dizziness, vomiting, and things like that. Take a look at the list of side effects for this drug listed on their website.

Most people who take Requip tolerate it well. The most commonly reported side effects in people taking Requip for RLS are nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and drowsiness or sleepiness. You should be careful until you know if Requip affects your ability to remain alert while doing normal daily activities, and you should watch for the development of significant daytime sleepiness or episodes of falling asleep. It is possible that you could fall asleep while doing normal activities such as driving a car, doing physical tasks, or using hazardous machinery while taking Requip. Your chances of falling asleep while doing normal activities while taking Requip are greater if you are taking other medicines that cause drowsiness.
When you start taking Requip or when you increase your dose, you may feel dizzy, nauseated, sweaty or faint, when first standing up from sitting or lying down. Therefore, do not stand up quickly after sitting or lying down, particularly if you have been sitting or lying down for a long period of time. Take a minute sitting on the edge of the bed or chair before you get up.
Some patients taking ropinirole have shown urges to behave in a way unusual for them. Examples of this are an unusual urge to gamble or increased sexual urges and/or behaviors. If you or your family notices that you are developing any unusual behaviors, talk to your doctor.
Hallucinations (unreal sounds, visions, or sensations) have been reported in patients taking Requip. These were uncommon in patients taking Requip for RLS. The risk is greater in patients with Parkinson's disease who are elderly, taking Requip with L-dopa, or taking higher doses of Requip than recommended for RLS.

Hmmm... gambling?? sex?? halucinations??.....are you sure this is a "drug to treat Restless Leg Syndrome"??

Mysore

2007-02-17T15:03:00.000-06:00

Its always so nice and pleasurable to visit good old(and slow) Mysore. By slow I mean really slow. It takes ages before anything new ever happens here. I'm constantly amazed by the slow pace and the calmness of the city given its close proximity to the burgeoning and rapid paced Bangalore. Although you can see some new 'coffee days' and couple of other new buildings here and there, the contrast between the two cities which are almost like twins, is deep and wide......... which is a good thing after all. Mysore provides one of the most relaxing atmospheres.
During my trip to India this December, I spent two days in Mysore (like I always do). These were the two most relaxing days of the trip. You can just kick back,relax and laze around the whole day without a care in the world. The people are so warm and gentle, the neighbourhood is calm and quiet and the traffic is not at all an issue :). Throw in a couple of palaces, couple of old temples, a zoo, some good food joints, a pleasant weather and you have the perfect place to relax. Talking about food, 'Hotel Mylari' in the Nazarbad area serves some of the most delicious dosas. Unfortunatley Dosas are available only in the 'mornings' (an unfairly defined term. No dosas after 10 a.m). As you order your favourite dosa and start enthusiastically gobbling it, the waiter comes up and refills your plate with more dosas. Before you go "stop pampering me mom', you realise its the waiter and not your mom standing by your side with dosas and a bucket of chutney. Its just like home, only you pay for your food. An excellent filter coffee after the Dosa makes you forget you had to sacrifice the morning sleep :).
Some pictures from the old city.

'Yummy Maddur Vade'

'Wheat fields on the way to Mysore'

'The Famous Mylari Hotel in Nazarbad, Mysore'

' Heavenly Dosas at the Mylari Hotel, served only in the mornings'

flavour of the month

2007-01-24T16:43:00.000-06:00

Music is the one of those things in my life which I cannot live without and I constantly need something new to keep me going. That's been my task this past weekend. Trying to find some new music for the week/month/year/life . Typical life span of any new music ranges between a couple of days to a couple of weeks in my play-list. Although, I must admit some songs just stay fresh forever (like 'Marooned'....it surely must be Gilmour's 'Magnum Opus').
Being mostly a classic rock guy, I've lately been hooked on to lounge. Here's some of the songs that survived the many try-outs and made it into my 'flavour of the month' play-list.

Song: Sitar Gaze - Niladri Kumar
Album : Red Earth - India On My Mind
Short review: Most songs in this album are good, But 'Sitar Gaze' is clearly the best of them and deserves to be on everybody's play-lists. The mellow beginning and the sitar riffs certainly touches ones' emotions. Niladri Kumar is a very talented musician. Also worth mentioning is Nladri's rendition of Jana Gana Mana in A R Rahman's version of the national anthem.

Song: Drive
Artist : Karsh Kale
Album : Karsh Kale - Broken English
Short review: Karsh Kale is one highly talented artist. The sitar in this piece is played by Niladri and is very well mixed by Karsh. Very melodic and soothing , is a 'must listen' on a long drive!!

Song: All Bliss - John Wubbenhorst
Album : Incredible India
Short review: 'All Bliss' another one of those melodic pieces on sitar. Played by John Wubbenhorst, it proves, what a magnificent instrument, 'The Sitar' really is. The album has several good songs but only 'All Bliss' gets the special mention.

Song: L'amour
Album : Dubai Chill Lounge Vol 2
Short review: Just fell in love with the French in the song. Decent lounge music. Made it to the play-list because of the French :)

Song: Mumtaz
Album : Bombay Dub Orchestra - Vol 1
Short review: Beautiflul, melodic piece of lounge music. The flute just soothes your mind. Once again most songs in the album are good.

All songs are available on www.musicindiaonline.com for anybody's listening pleasure.

emissions

2007-01-18T16:49:00.000-06:00

Woo Hoo!! I passed my emissions test today.
I have spent a lot of freakin money on fixing my car this week. After having been kicked around by the auto shops, I ended up visiting the dealership to find a fix for my car. Auto dealerships are the worst of the lot. As soon as you step inside you can be sure of parting away with atleast a week's worth of money.The service guy greets you with a certain 'what-a-poor-bastard' kind of smile and you greet him back with an "Oh-shit!!" kind of smile. Its a perfect place to discover how notorious the service industry in the US is. All my car needed was a new canister (part of the exhaust system which is made of a thin piece of sheet metal) and some cleaning of a blocked valve. And it cost me 685 friggin dollars!!!!
I could have actually done away without the new canister, but I had received a threatening notice several days ago from the DMV informing of my driver's license suspension if I did not get my emissions done in time. WTF!!!
Having already had many encounters with the cops (darn luck!!), didn't want to take any more chances. So today I have finally got my car fixed and the emissions done!!! I wanted to treat myself for this wonderful achievement but remembered I had a big crater in my bank account. Crap!!!

'HOME is where the heart is'

2007-01-10T09:50:00.000-06:00

After 3 long years in the USA , I finally decided to take off for a month long vacation to 'namma Bengalooru' this December.It was a super relaxing trip and was indeed a well deserved break. There is nothing that can rejuvenate a spirit like visiting your home. After all 'HOME is where the heart is'!!

I had waited a long time to see my family and friends and my city and was super excited to meet them all. However this wait seemed to stretch longer and longer as I flew our 'warm and motherly' Air India (reminds me of a pun my sister once told me: warm because the A/Cs don't work and motherly because all the air hostesses remind you of your mother). I had heard horrid stories from friends about their flying experiences in Air India. But now I had the chance to experience it myself and I did! Firstly the flight from Chicago was delayed 'supposedly' due to the cold weather which didn't seem to affect any of the 100's of other air crafts taking off that night from O'Hare. It was just poor planning and irresponsibility by the AI management. Its amazing how the staff come up with such lame excuses knowing that not one soul on the aircraft would buy such an explanation. This joke seemed to have ended until we landed in Mumbai where there was further delay. This time it was because we were waiting for other transit passengers to arrive from other air crafts and board ours. And the joke was that the other air crafts hadn't even landed !! And we were made to wait inside the aircraft with no A/C and only an hour away from home which was so frustrating and resulted in my decision to not fly Air India ever again. Anyway, all this frustration flew right out of the window as soon as I landed in namma Bengalooru and saw my parents after 3 years.

Bangalore has changed tremendously and at an insanly rapid pace. Namma Bengalooru doesn't seem much like 'namdu', if you have missed all that's happened to the city in the past 3-4 years. What was once a relatively calm, green and peaceful Bangalore is now a bustling, polluted and loud metropolis. Apartments are springing up on every corner of the street like hair on a petrified cat, real estate prices have skyrocketed in only 3 years and traffic!....well, that's for another post on another day! And I can barely recognise Airport road...All this can be a little over-whelming if you have been away from Bangalore for three years as I found out!!
Well...no matter how much I bitch about the current state of Bangalore, its still namma Bengalooru and I'll always love it. Even with the aforementioned by-products of a booming economy, the people are still the same; warm, cheerful and with a 'swalpa adjust madi' attitude. You cannot help but feel the positive energy that is radiating form this place. I have made a promise to myself to visit Bangalore more often than I did before, for, the next time I see it, It may not be 'namdu' anymore !

Great Smoky Mountains

2006-10-18T11:44:00.000-06:00

Clingman's dome
Originally uploaded by ravishankar_ha.

'Mambo Craze' by De Phazz

2006-09-27T16:22:00.000-06:00

- Why, Lucy, your eyes are filled with tears?
- My heart is strained with bloodness
Oh look, the orchestra is getting ready, dance with me, George!
Check the scene outside of Medellin.
Make a fuss in Caracas
Mixed guys and dark men at the bars
Mambo's slow Guantanamo
Was so glad escape in Trinidad
Outside down in Kingston town
Stole a car in the streets of Panama
Went too far in Bogota

Space cake brake at the Titicaca lake
Got some more in Ecuador
Out for a dance in a dive in Puerto Prince
Went too far in Bogota

A little weak, a little pale today
Looks like it's time, for that certain holiday

A little weak, a little pale today

A little weak, a little pale today

"Rip 'em up"

Space cake brake on the Titicaca lake
Got some more in Ecuador
Stole a car in the streets of Panama
Went too far in Bogota

A little weak, a little pale today
Looks like it's time, for that certain holiday

A little weak, a little pale today
Looks like it's time, for that certain holiday

A little weak, a little pale today

Apt 2002

2006-09-21T11:04:00.000-06:00

view from my apt :)
Originally uploaded by ravishankar_ha.

After 3 long years of stay at the IIT campus, I've finally moved out. The feeling is totally mixed. As much as I wanted to get the hell out of a very poorly maintained and totally neglected residential complex provided by the IIT, I feel pretty emotional and sentimental about leaving it. Those 3 years of fun, friends, and school can never be replaced or erased out of the memories of any of us who lived there.

However,with all that emotions, I'm also excited to move into the heart of downtown Chicago. Yeah that's right, its 'downtown Chicago' baby. The apartment is a beautiful 2 bedroom setup on the 20th floor with a pretty good view of Rush/Oak street and the oak street beach,(the pic shows what I mean).

Well, I hope this move brings equal excitment and fun as did IIT!!

Yellowstone

2006-09-12T10:36:00.000-06:00

yellowstone landscape
Originally uploaded by ravishankar_ha.

Visiting Yellowstone had been on my wishlist of travels for a long time. Finally I got the chance to be there this labour day weekend. Having a cousin live in Helena, MT (3hrs drive from Yellowstone) also helped :).
For all I had heard and imagined about Yellowstone, I must say it was bit of a let down. If you expect a green landscape you'll be dissapointed. There so much logging in the forest, the hills are only swatches of the lodgepole pine trees which is the main vegetation of the yellowstone forest area. Personally I like the smokey mountain landscape compared to this. However Yellowstone is yellowstone and no where else would you find so many gysers and springs in the world (maybe newzealand and iceland :)).
All said and done, Yellowstone is off my wishlist and is now captured in my head and my canon S3IS and I like it.

panning shot!! Mustang

2006-08-21T11:57:00.000-06:00

Mustang!! Originally uploaded by ravishankar_ha.

Macro

2006-08-15T11:59:00.000-06:00

Shooting small objects at blown-up sizes, seeing the minute details and capturing them in a camera makes it a very interesting field of photography.
I've also discovered that macro photography can be very painful if you donot have the right amount of patience. But once you have started playing with the settings and found the right one for you it is super fun.
From what I've read, true macro photography is best done with a macro lens and an SLR camera. However, I feel fairly satisfied with the performance of my Canon S3IS. Using the super macro mode with a low aperture setttings gives pretty good results. Ofcourse playing with the shutter speed and aperture a little bit can make the results even more satisfactory.

CANON S3 IS

2006-08-14T10:42:00.000-06:00

Once in a while there is this sudden rush of passion and interest that hits me when I least expect it. If it comes to me fast, then it leaves me even faster. This time around its an interest in photography. Well, this "sudden rush" thing is also often accompanied by an impulse buy. And this time around its a CANON S3 IS which is an absolutely marvelous piece of equipment and I love it so far. To be fair to the camera itself and just to give a comapritive idea on the performance of the camera, I think I should give a low-down on it. So here goes it...

Type of Camera:
Compact digital camera with built-in flash, 12x Optical / 4x Digital / 48x Combined Zoom

Total Pixels:
Approx. 6.2 Megapixels

Focal Length:
6.0-72.0mm f/2.7-3.5 (35mm film equivalent: 36-432mm)

LCD Monitor:
2.0 inch low-temperature polycrystalline silicon TFT color LCD with variable-angle function

Maximum Aperture:
f/2.7 (W) - f/3.5 (T)

Shutter Speed:
15-1/3200 sec. (settable in Tv or M)

Shooting Modes:
Auto; Creative: P, Av, Tv, M, C; Image: Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Sports, Special Scene (Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Indoor, Night Snapshot, Color Accent, Color Swap), My Colors, Stitch Assist, Movie

All this interest in photography really started when I was going through a friends blog which had a link to the pictures she had taken. The pictures were really impressive and intiated an interest in photography in me.
I surprised myself with all the research I did on photography and all the forums I joined to learn the tips and tricks of photography even before I bought the camera. Although I did some research on photography, I didnt know squat about what equipment to buy. So I totaly relied on another friend's advise on buying the camera itself. She being a "total photography person" and all, owning a myriad of cameras from pentax to canon, sugested the CANON S3 IS and I just bought it without a second thought. And I must thank her for this beautiful suggestion coz I totaly love the camera. I just now hope my interest in photography lasts a little longer than the others did.

?

2005-12-30T19:12:00.000-06:00

Whenever you come across an idea or confront an opinion, you have a choice to handle it open mindedly or conservatively. Being open minded all the time means you are constantly changing your ideals, while giving a chance to the idea or the opinion that you come across.Which further means you cannot hold on to one ideal or one belief , which would make you feel vulnerable and wandering, without a foothold. This simply is not a recipe for success. However being conservative all the time, would mean you are sticking by your one ideal or belief and not giving a chance to other possibilities and simply not growing, which again is not a recipe for success. This seems like a perfect paradox. So, one can never approach any idea being either open minded or conservative. There has to be a bit of both to get ahead with the idea. So people who call themselves a liberal or a conservative can go take a hike. Everybody is a bit of both.

Productivity level...dangerously low

2005-12-29T13:33:00.000-06:00

Thanks to a very cool software called Autodesk Viz, and Autodesk Inventor, killing time at office has been made a
whole lot interesting. Theses accompanying pics are a couple of my creations. My productivity at office is at an all time low now.

The first pic is a supposed Mclaren MP4-20 with the famous Viking horns. The gold rendering is an attempt at displaying my artistic skills. I've used dimensional data from Mclaren.com and F1.com and pics from all over the web as reference.

The second pic is my rendering of a V6 engine block. I've used pics of a Ford GT 5.4L Aluminum Block as my reference.

Parle-G

2005-12-29T10:00:00.000-06:00

As I munch on a Parle-G biscuit at my desk, I see my R&D manager walk into his office. Boy Am I glad to see him back!! While he was away (for more than a week), loads of shit has been piled over me. I can now gladly hand it all back to him. The reason he was away for so long was a bizarre incident in the office. My supervisor who I think is full of shit, made a comment on the R&D manager about a virus attack on the server. He claimed that XXX( R&D manager), was the originator of the virus coz he downloaded some unsecured stuff from the internet. Ofcourse XXX (who was a former IT employee of Reuters and holds a PHD in Mathematics) denied the accusation and conveniently asked my supervisor to walk out of his office, which started a whole process of accusations and name calling (at one point of time "asshole" was also used). It was some entertainment for all of us in the office.

Well anyway, its over and the R&D manager is back. Although I can shift back most of the work to him, I know I'll be stuck with some of it. Thanks a lot!!

Oh learned one!! I bow to Thee!!

2005-12-28T15:13:00.000-06:00

Network failure...attempting to reconnect

2005-12-28T11:35:00.000-06:00

whoa!! its been a while since I posted a blog. Shear boredom at the office and a constant urge to reconnect with my ability to read and write has driven me back to blogging (although, I didnt blog a great bit before).

Back in Bangalore it was a lot easier and convenient to keep myself updated and keep my brain cells challenged, which drove me to atleast a semi-decent level of reading, quizzing and conversing. I guess it was the crowd that I was amongst and the constantly urbanizing atmosphere of Bangalore and hence BMS which motivated me to watch,read and learn. Although in the US, access to information is a lot easier, (thanks to a free 11mbps, 24/7 wireless internet connection on-campus) I feel a lack of motivation to do the things that I did in BMS. I miss the crowd. So I guess my motivating force is people. It is strange, because I'm truly an introvert.

However, this doesn't mean I'm not having fun here. I have loads of fun. Different kind of fun. But I feel an urge to get back to those days of quizzing, reading and stuff that I did in BMS. This is one such attempt.