When I Paint My Masterpiece

Back to Blogger

2005-01-16T22:42:00.000-08:00

On a different blog.

http://abhimanyus.blogspot.com

Cheers
Abhi

I Quit

2005-01-15T06:39:00.000-08:00

Blogger messed up my page. I did not make any change to the template but still the display went haywire. Then I tried changing the template. None of the templates is fine.

So, I have planned to quit blogger and continue at http://spaces.msn.com/members/abhimanyu

Cheers

How can we help?

2004-12-28T00:59:00.000-08:00

1)
If anyone is interested in helping out the affected people near the Neelankarai area, please contact Priya at 25506284.

2)Donate clothes,food and other essential items: Contact Kiruba at 98415 97744

3)Swaminathan: 9884017767
Shriram: 9884088788
Vikram: 9840084485
Dr. Vijay: 9381015118
Dr. Chitra: 9841512976

They need essential items like non-perishable food, clothing and essential drugs like antibiotics, paracetamol and pain-killers.

4)Donate in Rupees in India: If you are in India and wish to donate to AID-India in INR, please make your check payable to "AID-India" and mail it to

AID-India
Old No 132, New No 242,
Avvai Shanmugam Road
Gopalapuram, Chennai - 600 086 Ph: 044- 28350403, 28115058

Donations are 50% deductible under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act.

The AID-India office will be the central co-ordination place for all activities. Balaji is co-ordinating overall and is also visiting other districts. Others are taking care of efforts in Chennai.

Please contact AID office (2835 0403), or Balaji: 94440 61033/Ravishankar: 9444084910, in case of urgent requests.
-Ravishankar, AID Chennai volunteer and IIT Madras Professor.

If you are abroad and want to donate-
https://www.aidindia.org/aidadmin/DonateToRRF.jsp

5)Red Crosshttp://www.ifrc.org/helpnow/donate/donate_response.asp

6) Prime Minister’s National Relief Fundhttp://pmindia.nic.in/relief.htm

7)
If you would like to send money, please

write a cheque with the contact details to:

Bhumika Trust A/C Tamilnadu Earthquake - Tsunami Fund

And send it to:

Pravin Shekar
Dexterity Business Analysts (P) Ltd
D95, Anna Nagar (E), Chennai 600 102, India.
Ph: +91 44 2663 0063
Fax: +91 44 2663 0079

or

Call Ms Vyshnavi(98400-82793) of "The Banyan" and she will send someone to collect the Cheque from you and you will also get a receipt.

"The Banyan" is a Social Welfare Organization in Chennai. It is currently tied
up with BHOOMIKA TRUST for the Disaster Relief.

You can contact Pravin in case you have any queries about the status and operations.

Please send your contact details also.

Other Links

WikiNews
Strongest earthquake in 40 years hits Southeast Asia
http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Strongest_earthquake_in_40_years_hits_Southeast_Asia

Wikipedia
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake

Wikipedia
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake in India.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake_in_India

Wikipedia Emergency Numbers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake_in_India#Emergency_Numbers

The Hindu
The Hindu Relief Fund
http://pay.hindu.com/thrfpay/thrfpay.jsp

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Sri Lanka
Tsunami: OCHA Situation Report No.1

http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/480fa8736b88bbc3c12564f6004c8ad5/f8bd0416c9d6bb36c1256f76004072b1?OpenDocument

TN Govt. Website: Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund

http://www.tn.gov.in/misc/cmprf2003.htm

TN Govt. Website: Press Clippings

http://www.tn.gov.in/pressclippings/default.htm

Economic Times
Anil Ambani contributes Rs 1 cr to PM's relief fund

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/971874.cms

Indian Express
Lanka says more tsunamis on their way, UN warns of possible epidemics

http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=40059&headline=More~tsunamis~on~their~way,~epidemics~possible

Rediff USA
How you can help tsunami victims
http://us.rediff.com/news/2004/dec/27tsunami8.htm

Rediff USA
Tropical paradise islands are worst affected

http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/dec/28an.htm

Rediff USA
Tsunami after-shocks: Panic in Kerala

http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/dec/28kerala.htm

Rediff USA
'Everything happened in 5 minutes'

http://us.rediff.com/news/2004/dec/27tsunami6.htm

NewIndiaPress
'I dragged my friend by his hair and swam, but could not save him'

http://www.newindpress.com/coastalcalamity/News.asp?Topic-367&Title=&ID=IE920041226213721&nDate=&Sub=&Cat=&CHENNAI:~''We~were~all~hit~by~the~first~wave.~I~caught~one~of~my~friends~by~the~hair~and~dragged~him~along

NDTV
Killer tsunami: Toll rises to 24,000

http://www.ndtv.com/template/template.asp?template=Tsunami&slug=Killer+tsunami%3A+Toll+rises+to+24%2C000&id=15965&callid=0&category=National

NDTV
Govt announces Rs 500 cr for relief

http://www.ndtv.com/template/template.asp?fromtimeline=true&id=65882&callid=1&template=Tsunami

Night Out

2004-12-26T18:13:00.000-08:00

Working through the night is fun. Trust me!

Ofcourse, if working in the night is compulsory, it is not. I slept through most of this weekend because there was some maintenance work at the office. I tried reading "Atlas Shrugged", which proved pretty tough and very sleep inducing. On Saturday I helped my friend with some marketing work for his new venture and went for a ride, on bikes, with some friends, in the night.

Then on Sunday, I met a friend who's back from Canada after 4 years. It was nice to meet him after such a long time and even better because he gifted me a pack of chocolates. I haven't tasted them yet but, according to me, chocolates can never be less than delicious. This guy told me I don't look as baby-ish as I used to. Well, I guess that's a compliment. Actually, it is! I used to feel bad in 11th and 12th standard, because I was shorter, and looked younger, than the 8th & 9th standard kids. [I think most girls considered me a kid...too bad!!...That's alright, the future seems pretty bright!!]

Then I played indoor(one pitch one hand) cricket and had some nice chat sessions with my cousin and friends. Main topic of discussion was Tsunami and earthquakes and cricket on Sunday morning at Madras beaches. Then I called up home, and some of my friends, to find out the well being of all friends, relatives and property (the last one obviously, is not my own) in Madras.

Then I had dinner and came to office. I worked from around 12:00AM to 7:30Am (Please deduct 2 hours of gupshup with colleagues, TT and coffee, in case you are calculating the actual effort :)). When I went out at 7:30, it was a new day. It is a wonderful feeling. I plan to go home now, bathe and get back to work. Then go home at around 6:00 pm and sleep(may be try reading "Atlas Shrugged").

The book is a birthday gift from a friend who is a big Ayn Rand fan. Let's hope I complete the book- it is huge(enormous by my standards).

All those who were cursing me for having made you read my apologyover and over again...."I pardon your French!!" :)

And hey, I donated blood on Tuesday!...I think this was the 8th time. The number is for a certain Mr. Sharad Venugopal. :P

An Apology, my introduction & "Pardon My French!"

2004-11-17T07:29:00.000-08:00

I deleted the post -"spamming trivia"- because, although it was a good piece of information, it wasn't well presented. I should have made it more humourous. With just posting in mind, I cannot let the quality of content suffer. So, I decided to go ahead and remove the thorn in the flesh (or ____ in the ____ ).

******

I joined a yahoogroup recently and in my first post, I included a small introduction.

About Me: I'm Abhimanyu Sarvagyam. I've completed my B.Sc(Chemistry) from Loyola College, Chennai. I'm presently working at D.E.Shaw India, as Associate (Resource Development). My career interests are Technology(specifically, biotechnology) and Management. I'm also interested in entrepreneurship and am making an effort to learn basics of programming.

Disclaimer: The last sentence is a sensitive topic and may not be discussed in public.

This is a pretty serious group where business ideas are discussed. I'm sure you would've realised why "i put so much scene"! ;) (Madras lingo).

******

Today, somebody i know kept saying f*** during the course of a conversation and later said "pardon my french!". I have heard this before but did not know whether cursing and french are "made for each other" or is it the f-connection. As always, I googled and found that it is after all not the f-connection. This is what I found:

What is the origin of the phrase pardon my French?

This phrase, in which French refers to "bad language", is employed when the speaker feels compelled to use an obscenity despite having listeners who might be offended. It's a late 19th century euphemism which first appeared in Harper's Magazine in 1895.

It is thought that the term French is employed in this sense as it already had a history of association with things considered vulgar. As far back as the early 16th century, French pox and the French disease were synonyms for genital herpes, and French-sick was another term for syphillis. The OED also equates the adjective French with "spiciness", as in French letter for "condom", French kiss (1923) and French (i. e. "sexually explicit") novels (from 1749).

Source: http://www.takeourword.com/Issue058.html

and...

Where does the phrase "pardon my French" come from?

The phrase in this form started out in the 1950s as an offshootof "excuse my French." This is a result of racial stereotyping -Anglo-Saxons of the late 19th century blamed the French for anythingremotely dirty. The belief started in the mid 19th century and heldthat was France sex-obsessed and pornographic.

Source: http://www.mindlesscrap.com/stumpme/07-02.htm

I also found many more similar explanations and came to a conclusion that the English have a habit of using national references in derogatory phrases. Another such example is "Mexican Standoff":

Mexican standoff's origins are not known, but one source supposes that the term, which means `a situation from which nothing at all can be expected,' comes from a derogatory origin. This source notes that adjectives of nationality are often used in derogatory manners. Several expressions were coined by the English in the 17th century to put down their Dutch rivals: Dutch treat `pay for yourself,' Dutch defense `surrender,' and do the Dutch `suicide.' The same is true regarding the Mexicans: Mexican athlete `an athlete who goes out for a team but does not make it,' Mexican promotion `a promotion in which the employee gets a new title but no raise in pay,' Mexican breakfast `a breakfast consisting of a cigarette and a glass of water,' and Mexican standoff .

Source: http://www.takeourword.com/et_k-m.html#Mexican

Anyways, I hope you guys do not do the dutch after feeling very french because of a Mexican Promotion! :P

******

One piece of advice: do not go to the NewYorker restaurant in Somajiguda, Hyderabad, because it is F***ing bullshit. Pardon My French! Detailed description of my experience, at that place, in the next post.

Random Walk Theory

2004-11-15T00:56:00.000-08:00

Since I work in a company which deals with finance, a very interesting subject, I thought I should provide you some interesting information in finance.

One of the most basic theories is the Random Walk Theory:

The theory that stock price changes have the same distribution and are independent of each other, so the past movement or trend of a stock price or market cannot be used to predict its future movement.

In short, this is the idea that stocks take a random and unpredictable path. A follower of the random walk believes it's impossible to outperform the market without assuming additional risk. Tenets of the theory, however, recognize that stocks maintain an upward trend over time.

This theory raised a lot of eyebrows in 1973 when author Burton Malkiel wrote A Random Walk Down Wall Street, which remains on the top-seller list for finance books.

courtesy: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/randomwalktheory.asp

This is one of the main theories which is used to explain that investing in stocks is not equivalent to gambling, which is a zero-sum game.

Investopedia is a wonderful site for beginners to learn all about finance, stock markets and investment. If you are a novice, but want to learn about all this, I strongly recommend this website.

Two weekends, a so called "sage" and blog-updation...

2004-11-14T02:44:00.000-08:00

Regularity: these days, this is the first word which strikes me, whenever I think of my blog. I have always thought that one should update his/her blog only when there is an urge to write. But didn't I start blogging because I liked writing? Yes, it was the prime reason. In such a case, if I am not regular, it can only mean I'm dishonest about my interest in writing. And that's just not true! So, I have decided to make blog-updation a routine feature of my life. This is mainly keeping in mind the few regular readers (??) I have. They would already be feeling, "what the hell man, this guy's updates are like superstar's (Rajnikanth) movies these days. One in few (few>= 2) years."

******

Well, the long Diwali weekend is over. I have heard one question, repeatedly, throughout this weekend- "Abhi, why didn't you go home for Diwali?". My answer might not sound all that impressive, but still, here it is: I had work at office and my only teammate left Hyderabad on 5th itself. So, I did not want to take leave. And going home just during the 4 holidays didn't seem to be a good idea because, anyway, one whole day would be lost in travel. Moreover, all we do for diwali, at home, is wear new clothes and eat sweets. So I thought I'll save up my holidays and go to Madras on a long vacation, some time later in the year.

******

I watched the movie "The Juror", on Star Movies, and liked it. Although the climax wasn't very good, the plot was interesting and Demi Moore's performance was worth appreciation. When I was watching the movie, a current issue came to my mind. The Jayendra Saraswathi episode. It is just another case of misuse of power. This man, has not only done that but has also played with the faith and trust of so many innocent people. I have personally met people who considered him no less than god, and I really felt sorry for all those people.

I read 2 books during the weekend- "In the Morning", by the Master, and "Rich Dad, Poor Dad", by Robert Kiyosaki. Both were really wonderful and from the latter, I have learnt a lot of things to which I had not given a thought earlier. Financial Literacy is a very important concept and those of you who do not know (with clarity) what that means and have not read the book, just do it!

Last weekend, I played cricket after about 2 years. It was just tennis-ball cricket, but I had great fun and I think I should start playing more regularly.

******

I would like to thank all the regular readers (actually, I don't know whether such a group exists!) for coming back and I promise that I will post regularly, from now on.

Till then, signing off thinking of the Tandoori Kabab at the dhabas on Medchal Road.

~Abhi

yours photogenically

2004-10-25T05:20:00.000-07:00

Am I photogenic at all? Well, I don't know and do not really care...

Presenting you with the pictures of my trip, as promised!!

http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/manyu_loyola/my_photos

Cheers!!

Road Trip to Nagarjuna Sagar dam: A Journal

2004-10-24T03:22:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 05:30 am yesterday and started wondering, when was the last time I did that. I had slept only at around 2:00 am, so I was sleep deprived, and worried that I might not be able to enjoy the trip. But my mind felt pretty fresh, so after having a cold shower, I went to office with my roommate(technically, flatmate), to meet three of our colleagues whom we went with. They asked us to come at 06:30 but they came only at 07:15. Till then we played some nice games of TT.

We started at 07:20, filled up petrol, and asked the guys there for the route. We actually knew the route from Hyderabad, but did not know which road we should take to get out of Hyderabad. They told us the route and then as soon as we hit that road, we stopped over and had breakfast- south indian staple diet- idly, vada, dosa. Then, we started off on our journey on the beautiful road to Nagarjuna Sagar. It is one straight road with no big curves or turns. One straight smooth road. Except for a couple of ditches, there was no hindrance whatsoever. We did the stretch of 160 km in just a little over than 2 hours.

We then went to the AP Tourism information center to find out about the places of tourist interest around Sagar(that's what most people there call it). They told us that there would be a light show at Ethipothala waterfalls, which is around 17km from the dam, in the evening. There is a buddhist monastery and a museum on an island near the dam. We had to take a jetty to reach there and it took forty five minutes. Before going there, we went to a few places close to the dam and took pictures and had lot of fun. We went to a broken bridge and also climbed down one side of the dam. Then we had lunch and got on to the jetty.

They told us that the last boat from the island will leave at 05:00 pm, so we went around the museum very leisurely, but then at around 04:15 some security guards shouted, "saab, the last boat is about to leave", so we had to leave (I was cursing the guys incharge of the boat for having given us wrong information) without having seen the monastery, which I really wanted to visit, because I really like the serenity, peace and beauty inside a buddhist monastery(I had once been to one such monastery in Mussorie).

After coming back from the island we went on a small, round, row boat (they call it parisal in Tamil) till the dam and got back. It was a nice experience but water seeped in to the boat slightly and wet my pant. My friends shot me from the back(obviously without my knowledge) and this made a superb photo. (i wasn't too happy about it but thought it was really funny).

Then we went to the falls, saw the light show and got back to have dinner. After dinner we drove back to Hyderabad. Again, during this drive, yours truly provided a lot of amusement and humour to his fellow passengers, at his own cost. (now, stop laughing!!..let me tell you, this doesn't happen too often).

We got back home late in night and had a good night's sleep.

I'll put up the photos soon, somewhere on the net, and give the link on my blog.

Till then, one advice from my side- Visit Nagarjuna Sagar with a group of friends. It's great fun.

Word of caution: It was really hot yesterday, so whenever you go, make sure you do not wear anything thicker than cotton!!

Trivia: It is the largest masonry dam in the world. It has 9 gates for irrigation, 11 for power, and 26 gates for the reservoir. (the number of gates info was provided by our parisal man)

Ladder 49

2004-10-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

Fire Fighters: These are people who cannot afford to be late and cannot get distracted off their goals (especially short term). In this movie, it is shown how much these people love their jobs. They take up these jobs just because they want to help people and save people's lives. Obviously, not everyone of them is like that but yes, all of them have guts.

In a few places in the movie, the fact that they are so brave as to run in to a building when all the others are running out is mentioned and shown. Their sole aim is to save others lives and they stick to it. One very good scene is when Jack ( Joaquin Phoenix) saves a man by climbing down from the terrace with the help of a rope, when there is a TV reporter covering the scene from a helicopter. This movie tells us that when they save lives, nobody thinks about them and their family and what they would be going through. We are so indifferent that sometimes we even say, "that's what is their job, so it's alright". Yes it is their job, but even they are human beings like all of us.

When one reads the name John Travolta, in the credits, he/she is bound to expect acting of the highest class but in this movie there is not much scope for innovation in terms of acting. This doesn't mean that the acting is not good, it is good enough to keep you interested and make you 'feel' the movie. It really makes you understand the emotional side of their life.

The movie starts with Joaquin Phoenix, and a few others, going into a burning building. He gets trapped alone in the building and there is more destruction. The most important thing is that he saves a man from dying but is on the verge of dying himself. He then thinks about his life so far, after joining the fire brigade. The screenplay is really good and the shift from the present to the past is smooth and at the right situations.

Travolta, Phoenix, Jacinda Barrett and all other actors look good and really fit their characters perfectly. When you go to watch this movie, don't expect a thriller or an action packed movie. It is just a peep in to the life of these heroes and it has been depicted very well.

It is tough to predict how this movie will do at the box office, but it will surely be a hit with people who expect to see something valuable and thought provoking, during the two hours at the cinema. The movie is surely worth watching for- the direction, screenplay and acting.

Ladder 49: Official Website.

***********

Lots of things have happened since my last post. Met new people, had good food and had lots of fun. Work is getting slightly hectic, so I haven't been able to update my blog.

Went to meet a few friends at Coffee Day today and got free passes for a preview show of this movie. This is my first movie review and I would appreciate comments and suggestions on how to analyse the movie, how to structure the write-up and how to write better.

The Matrix has you!!

2004-09-27T13:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't know why but, I was feeling for the past two weeks or so that there's a lot happening in my life. A lot, which is, worth space on my blog but I just couldn't get myself to sit and type. Made quite a few changes to the settings- blog roll, blog chalk...all this seems pretty good but not if the blog isn't updated at all. But I believe that one shouldn't write under coercion. It should be a natural instinct. Only then, you can...well...type your fingers off!!

Life has actually been pretty normal. I watched some really good movies. The Ghost and the Darkness, The Terminal, The Matrix (yes I watched the first part (fully) only now...laugh, i don't mind...as if you care... and I'm yet to watch the third part). All extremely well made movies. My friend and I were wondering why "The Terminal" bombed at the box office. It had all the right ingredients (ok I know...it is slightly so, but that's ok!). Steven Spielberg film [now you'll say so what, there are other such flicks, what about "Road to Perdition" (that piece of info courtesy: my friend...I haven't watched that either...will watch it soon)], excellent acting by Tom Hanks (as usual), and the icing (certainly better than the cake, atleast to some sane mortals like me) CZJ!!!

I am reading a book called "I am Right, You are wrong" by Edward De Bono. The full title is "I am right, You are Wrong. This to New Renaissance and Rock Logic to Water Logic". I'll write about the concepts explained in the book in the subsequent posts (note: this is not a promise...I hope to write, that's all).

I did something which I never thought would happen. I read about 7 out of 10 articles in a software engineering magazine called "Better Software". Most articles were general, ethical hacking and SQL injection and the kind...but still...I'm seriously feeling good about that.

Four of my very good friends are in UK now. Warwick, Aston, St.Andrew's and LSE. Chatted with all of them. They all like their universities and all of them feel it is going to be a real tough year ahead because the courses are very difficult and because all their courses are of a one year duration (intensive). I wish them all the best.

I'm working, eating, sleeping(not much), eating, listening to Beatles, watching movies, and orkutting [sometimes I don't get donuts :( ].

For people in Hyderabad (and those who visit this place)- Do not miss the Mohini's Chicken Biryani and the "Butter Chicken (boneless) Masala" at Needs...Heavenly stuff !!

Comments Please

2004-09-15T05:29:00.000-07:00

"Remember, that if thou marry for beauty, thou bindest thyself all thy life for that which perchance will neither last nor please thee one year; and when thou hast it, it will be to thee of no price at all; for the desire dieth when it is attained, and the affection perisheth when it is satisfied."

Sir Walter Raleigh (1552 - 1618)

And for those who don't want to think about it and comment...

---The spelling used in those days was rather erratic and thus "Raleigh" is just one of the (over 40) ways in which his surname was written. He used numerous of these spellings, with "Rawleigh", "Ralegh" and "Rawley" being more often used than the currently accepted version. His name was pronounced "raw lie" and it is said he is never known to have used the modern "Raleigh" spelling. ---courtesy my very own Google Search Bar.

Do the Ads make Sense ?

2004-09-07T10:06:00.001-07:00

That's for you to answer!

I have a new Google AdSense account and I feel that the ads look pretty decent. They (google) say that these ads will be related to the contents of the site. The first ad on my blog is about crossword compilers. That's because there is mention of crosswords at quite a few places on my blog.

*---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

Way to Go(a) !!

Goa...it was amazing. Actually, it was a lot different from what I had imagined. I don't know why, but I had never thought it'll have that olden charm to it. The houses were old and beautiful. Lots of Portuguese influence, and there wasn't much development(read concrete). It was green, peaceful and serene.

We were put up at the Holiday Inn Resort (very far away from many famous beaches) which has its own beach and we visited only that beach. We had a hectic schedule. We arrived at Londa station on Saturday morning and reached the resort late in the afternoon. Then we just freshened up, had a late lunch and went for a walk at the beach and then to the party. The highlight of the party was the "Limbo Dance". The dancer was playing with fire as if it were water and he was very humorous. He did a great job. Then we danced through the night.

Next morning we woke up at around 9:30, had breakfast and went to the beach. I was fully clothed but I couldn't resist the sea so I got myself completely wet. Then we played football for about an hour and went into the sea again. Then it was time to dive in to the pool (obviously with just the swimming trunk on). We played a superb game of waterpolo [I scored 2 goals and made 4 direct passes]. Then we went to the Mangesh temple and the St.Francis Xavier church. Then we went on a one hour cruise and got back to the resort. I was already too tirtd but we had a party again.

Woke up next morning, had breakfast, went swimming, packed up, had lunch and got ready for the flight. Eventually this was my first flight. There was some turbulence due to cloudy weather and all the tea in my cup landed on my knee. My pant was wet from knee to ankle(note: knee to ankle). Goa to Bombay and Bombay to Hyderabad.

Although we weren't able to explore Goa, it was a nice break from work. Most of our time was spent in travelling and yours truly cannot keep his eyes open for more than half an hour in any mode of transport (even scooter...trains are sometimes an exception depending on the company and/or the books I have). So I felt I was missing out on a lot of things but made up my mind that I'll go back to Goa some day and spend atleast a week there. I really want to enjoy its beauty and I feel that can be done only when one's alone(or with some"one").

Let's see, may be that day is not too far. Goa....I'll be back soon!!

Bonanza

2004-08-30T07:30:00.000-07:00

My office "Share" folder suddenly has a superb collection of ebooks. I generally find it tough to read from the monitor but it's ok, I'll have to get used to it.

I can actually use my office printer...but no...conscience does not allow me to do so!!

Readers...don't get annoyed if I don't post all that regularly...lots a reading to do !! How do you guys bother anyway??...no comments on my last two posts !!

Let me give you a taste.

P.G.W, Douglas Adams, Tolkien, JKR, JD Salinger, stephen king, ayn rand, george orwell, hemmingway, arthur c clarke, edgar allen poe, lewis caroll, jane austen and lots more....there are some movie scripts too!!!....Feels like I've won a lottery....

Added Attraction: Kamasutra translated by Richard Burton :P

Cooking Oils

2004-08-28T05:29:00.000-07:00

No! I'm not going to discuss the various varieties of cooking oils and their qualities. I'm going to talk about the use of oil in cooking. Something which our cook, Saraswathi, does not have a clear idea about (i wish she could read this blog!!). We add oils to our dishes for better taste, better texture and because Indian cooking requires the use of oils. But as far as Saraswathi is concerned the primary and most important ingredient in cooking is huile.

She's been cooking at our house (for 4 people) for two weeks now and she has successfully finished 2 litres of Sundrop refined oil!!

Today I had oil rasam and oil curry (with some snake gourd in it). I think I have had more oil in the past week than what I usually have in about 2 months or so. We actually think she's using so much oil only because she has access to the bottle itself. So we've devised a strategy :) - buy a small container with a very small opening so that she can pour less at a time. And everytime the container needs to be refilled, one of us will do the honours.

I tried to explain to her that first of all I'm not the Sultan of Brunei or Saudi Arabia, nor am I the President of the US...Money doesn't mean petro-dollars to me, it means INR. Second of all, I already have a paunch and do not want to nurture it. Third of all, my friends (roomies) said we should have home cooked food because it is healthier and I thought they really meant it. And last (certainly not the least) of all, I'm not getting paid by Sundrop to use or endorse (on my blog) their product (remember the Idhayam Gingelly Oil ad with Jyothika in it ??).

I really hope she understands!!!...

Immediate plan of action: I'm switching to a diet consisting bread, curd and fresh fruits & vegetables for some days now...to bring my system back to equilibrium!!

Thought for the day: Too much oil in his food, makes abhi a..... suggestions please!!!

Tell the truth. The whole truth. Nothing but the truth.

2004-08-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

That is the first rule that any blogger should follow. I apologise that I did not stick to it in the previous post. The vacation was good, yes. I had loads of fun, yes. But it wasn't just that. I had my share of disappointments(other than the weather) as well. Serious disappointments.

Well, following are the lyrics of two not-so-famous-but-wonderful Beatles songs.

I Will

Crying Waiting Hoping

That's my predicament. Another friend of mine is in a similar quagmire. No one ever expected (not even our own selves) we would be in such situations. In my case people think I'm too casual and easy-going to get entangled in such webs. In his case they think he's a serious and above-all-such-frivolous-things kind of a guy. But let me make one thing clear- it is not frivolous.

Well as of now, with the frame of mind I'm in, I can only think of one song.

I'm a Loser

Relatives, friends, treats, money & Best Friends

2004-08-23T07:37:00.000-07:00

It was a lovely week long vacation. I reached by Charminar express on 14th. I went by bus to Thiruvanmiyur, then by another bus to Vijaynagar and then took an auto home. That day was the most pleasant in terms of temperature. I met a junior, from school, in the bus who told me that the present 11th and 12th std students of my school are planning a trip to Hyderabad in October. I was initially happy but then I was told that they would be accompanied by a certain Mr.can't-reveal-the-name and my mood changed completely. I cannot stand even the sight of this person. So I'm not really looking forward to their visit but I'm sure they'll enjoy the trip because their choice of the place to visit is really good.

I spoke to a few friends and relatives on phone. Then, Shankar and I went to the beach and although we'd met after just 3 months it seemed like a really long time. The next day was the Landmark Quiz. I met a lot of friends and had a really good time. I'm sure you all, by now, know what happened to my team in the prelims (If you are not a regular visitor to this blog, we did not qualify); we did pretty well though.

The next day was the beginning of a 4 day ordeal at Loyola to obtain my cumulative marksheet, TC and the provisional degree certificate. In the end I was successful in getting only the first one. I met a lot of juniors and met Sharad almost all the four days. He also wrote 2 cds full of blissful music for me. One has just The Beatles and the other has The Beatles, Dire Straits, John Denver and some other amazing 60s and 70s numbers(some of the bands are Lovin' Spoonful, Gerry & the Pacemakers and The Monkees).

I treated quite a few friends and it was a nice feeling because they're all students and I'm a "working professional". They might be enjoying being students and I might miss college & college life but still it feels great to be earning. Only regret on this trip was that I couldnt meet two friends who are leaving next month to UK and I don't know when I'll meet them again and whether I'll meet them ever. And the biggest blunder of the trip was not having called Laxi...he will be furious when he knows that I was in Madras for a week and didn't even call him.

Saturday 21st night was good. Shankar, Hemanth and I were at the beach for a long time just chatting away to glory before we finally bid farewell. Next day, I left by Charminar Express and got back this morning.

There was actually nothing extra ordinary about this trip but I enjoyed it and learnt a lot about people, friends and Best Friends.

One Crazy Meeting: A guy (complete stranger) sitting next to me on the bus asked me about call centers, technical call centers and how the jobs in these are. After talking for about 5 minutes he told me he was a Computer Science Engineer and was going for an interview to a call center!!!

Memorable Evening: 17th.

About Madras: It is terribly Hot & Humid. Please don't go there unless your parents, a lot of friends and the best of your friends live there.

Read "Five Dollar Smile and other short stories" by Shashi Tharoor, a fellow disciple of the master P.G.W. Before this, I had read only his articles in The Hindu. This collection of stories was really good and I think I'll surely try and read most, if not all, of his books . Most of his stories revolve around life at St.Stephens, Delhi and I found a lot of similarities between that and life at Loyola, Madras. The only problem is that his stories are dated 1970,71...and it seems similar to life at Loyola in the 21st century!....lol

And Kannan (i know he's not reading this): Thanks for the Morrison & Boyd !!

Madras...a cool place

2004-08-17T14:05:00.000-07:00

Well, if you've been here you know I don't mean it with respect to the temperatures or the weather! It's just that it's great fun to be here. I wonder whether it'll be this good this time next year because most of my friends won't be here...they'd be busy pursuing higher studies...most of them, across a few seas.:)

Met a lot of people today. Many of them mean a lot to me. Some of them, like the juice shop guy at planet yumm, don't. Some of them made me feel good. Some of them,like the car driver who was blocking my way for more than 3 minutes in a narrow bumpy road in tharamani and gave me a cold stare when i turned back to look after overtaking his amby, did not.

I'm confused! My friends are confused! ...aren't all of us confused about something or the other all the time?...

I'll be in Madras till sunday and I think I'll watch some movie. I plan to write my first (public) movie review....let's see...

"All you need is love" ---Lennon/McCartney

42 or Why I don't qualify for Finals

2004-08-09T04:36:00.000-07:00

Biggest question in my life now is "Why Don't I Qualify for the Finals in any of the open or corporate quizzes ?"

Well some people might say that I haven't reached that level. I do agree to quite an extent because when you are really good you can recollect what you've read, heard or seen and relate two totally different things exactly when you have to (i.e., during the prelims). My quizzing ability seems to have gone down because these days I'm not able to recollect many fundae I know, at the right moment...they simply don't strike me. All the striking is when the quizmaster gives out the answers- my hand and head are involved.

This Saturday, at the Kcircle open quiz I put up what a decent quizzer would call a sad show. Forget that! The quiz was pretty good but it was old style. The thing is the quiz had lot of factual questions and it did not have any visuals or videos. Two Chennai teams took home the prizes. First was "No Questions Asked" from IITM and placed second were two of the best quizzers I know, Samanth Subramanian and Gopal Kidao (they are god level)...It was a very close race which was decided only in the last round.

Then I went with them to Outswinger (a pub) and had something called Full Toss (Whiskey, Rum, Vodka, lime juice and a few other things...quite a heady mix...literally). Then I went for my thehinduxword yahoogroup conference on messenger, where we cracked last sunday's crossie in just an hour and then I wrote a comment on Vinod's blog- http://vinodg.blogspot.com/2004/08/cat.html

When I read that comment later I realised what I realise pretty often these days... I'm crazy!!!

On Sunday I went for the Orkut Hyderabad Community meet and met 8 guys (would've loved it even if one of them had been a girl) and had really good fun...I never realised that even strangers can have fun together, provided they have common interests and think at a similar wavelength. All these guys were great to talk to and I think I'll post regularly in that community from now on.

Monday Morning...no blues !!! Having fun...got my ticket to Madras, will be there between 13th and 23rd of August. Hope to make the best of the vacation...(read- hope to qualify for Landmark finals)....

"high hopes da Abhi"- this is what each one of the many people who know me will say !!!

The Hindu Crossword 8047: Cracked !!!

2004-07-28T05:54:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling great because I cracked the Hindu Crossword today and it took me only about 1 Hour and 45 Minutes. It had some nice words and the clues were really good. Seasoned cruciverbalists (people who take interest in crosswords) might call it an easy crossword but to me, it is still a great achievement. I want this feeling of Ecstasy (28 Across) to be Everlasting (29 Across).

I recently joined a hindu crossword group on yahoo. Do you know how I got invited ? Well, the moderator of the group just came across my blog by chance and, read my entry "Crossword" (July 02, 2004), thought I would find this group interesting. (that's one of the advantages of blogging i guess !;)).

After I completed the crossword (at around 5:15 pm...i generally try the crossie in the afternoon) I thought I'll go check my mail and post all the answers that others haven't got. But unfortunately I was too slow, and too late. Because all the answers had been posted :(. So I suggested to the group that there should be a fixed time for posting daily. This would give each one of us a chance to post whatever he/she got. Let's see what others in the group have to say about it....

Otherwise, nothing special is happening in life. Read 'Jeeves takes Charge' and think P.G. Wodehouse is a great writer. Now, reading two books simultaneously: Bleachers (John Grisham...my first grisham) and First Among Equals (Archer).

Did not watch any movie, did not visit any new place, did not meet anyone interesting, did not eat anything exotic, did not watch the India-Sri Lanka match.....My friends will say "What the hell are you doing then da?"...well...working,sleeping,sleeping, playing TT and sleeping !!!

On the Rocks !!!

2004-07-16T16:24:00.000-07:00

On 15th July, we had a company party at Dublin(ITC Kakatiya Sheraton). It was rocking...in every sense of the word. To start with, it was a costume party (I wanted to look like the Beatles in Rishikesh. Well, I'll post the pictures in the consequent posts and you can decide what I actually ended up looking like), the DJ played some real good rock music (floyd, gnr, doors and yes !!The Beatles) towards the end and I had the "eau du vivre" Scotch On the Rocks !!!

Not many turned out in something different (most of them said they'd come to the party "dressed as myself") but some were really amazing. There were people in lungis, dhotis, someone came dressed like a skeleton, there was a catwoman, a spiderman, a rap-music star, a journalist, the spice girls, the marlboro man...it was really wonderful to look at such a variety of costumes and it was nice to imagine, to what extent people can stretch their imagination. The concept of Spice girls because this group of friends had five girls...was shrewd. 'Marlboro Man' that day, was a guy who, I'm sure, would like to reach that level of recognition and become such an image. The Beatles fan just wanted a chance to express his loyalty !!

Well, whatever the reason, it is good that atleast a few, thought about it and, made some effort. One should always take active part in such events. It's a good feeling when someone comes up to you and says...'hey man, you look cool'...not that you look better than you normally do, it is just that you look different. And it keeps the host happy too...he/she thinks 'hey the idea worked, after all...'

Everyone and everything seemed relaxed and joyous. Though some people would've loved it if some others, close to their heart, were there; the atmosphere, the people, the drinks, the food, the rasmalai (worth a special mention) everything was just awesome !!!

Actually I wanted to look like Sir Paul, but I think I ended up looking somewhat like Ringo. But that's alright...after all, John once said that while some people thought "Ringo was the least of the Beatles," in truth "he was the heart and soul of the group."

By the way, fellow beatles fans, please do visit http://thebeatlesinrishikesh.com if you haven't already done so !!

Just a Random Thought

2004-07-12T05:57:00.000-07:00

Let me clarify! The 'childhood sweetheart' part was just a random thought which struck me when I was writing the blog. I believe in daydreaming and I call myself a "Daydream Believer"(btw Daydream Believers is a nice song by a band called Monkees whose story is really interesting). And this was just another such instance. So, as of now, it does not have any connotation, whatsoever, to my life.

I'm really sorry if I've disappointed any of you but I'm really proud of myself for having been able to keep people guessing for quite some time.

Let me make one more thing clear...Hyderabad is beautiful! Yesterday I went to a place called Durgam Cheruvu- The secret lake. One friend told me how that additional, "secret lake", part (in the name) came about. It's something like this: Durgam cheruvu means Durgamma's Lake. So in English, one would just call it a sacred lake and because the place WAS slightly 'shady', people started calling it secret lake. This story doesn't seem all that believable but it's very interesting...lol

Actually the place is a very well maintained rock garden on a hill next to a picturesque lake. There is also a beautiful amphitheatre which could host some plays, pantomime and stuff like that. We can also book that and two other small areas for parties after 9 PM (the park closes for visitors at that time).There are some small kiosks for snacks and softdrinks and at the lake you can go boating, try angling, or just sit and relax (which is what i did !).

And hey, I finished Catch22...and I think it is a good book but certainly not great. It's funny but I really wonder why people always said if I liked hitchhikers... i would like this book. It doesn't make you think, which is the case with the former. Although h2g2 is ultimately funny and totally fictional there is a lot in that book which makes you think. Just take the example of '42'. Almost every funda in that book makes you sit back and think and whenever you think about it you laugh and enjoy. I didn't find anything of that sort in Catch22. I think it might be because I'm not a seasoned reader or may be because I haven't read too many books or may be because I just don't want any book to be compared to h2g2...whatever the reason...Catch 22 as a concept rocks, as a book...it doesn't (atleast not according to me !!!)

Conclusion matters...

2004-07-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

Due to popular demand, I thought I'll write a sequel to the previous blog but ..ah..err..eh...can't think of the right words to start. I've learnt one thing though, in any kind of presentation, conclusion matters a lot. In books it plays an even bigger role. Recently I read a book called Vector by Robin Cook (btw this was my first Robin Cook Book)that...had a...HORRIBLE ENDING

Actually things get so very predictable. All the thrill, which in my case was doubly intense because I knew quite a lot about the bioweapons used, is spoilt by a cliched climax. According to me, if you call yourself a mystery or suspense author you better know how to build up the suspense and, more importantly, how to finish the book. Some people can do the former quite easily but falter when it comes to the latter.

From the first few pages of the book I even started imagining a movie and started casting and all...one of my favourite actors, John Travolta would be the hero in that imaginary movie...but then after a while I realised all the thinking and dreaming wasn't worth it after all. The book was just plain HOPELESS!

To get over the trauma I started reading, what everybody said was one of the funniest books ever written, Catch 22. Because of slightly high workload I wasn't able to read it fast but from whatever I've read, I can say one thing- It is really very funny. Just superb.

Anyways, now that I've spoken about movies and casting...If I ever make a movie, it'll be about two childhood sweethearts ending up in the wedlock, and you would've obviously guessed by now who the hero would be and what his profession would be...lol...and as far as the ending goes, I don't care if it is cliched...after all, I am the producer damn it !!!

Ego Surfing...

2004-07-07T10:31:00.000-07:00

Today I indulged in an act which is not considered all that sane. Ego Surfing- it is somewhat like narcissism at a lower scale. Basically, if you google for your own name, this is what you are doing. I got one link that was my own name. I had come 4th in an online astronomy quiz when I was in 12th std and my name, 'Abhimanyu Sarvagyam', still remains on the net.

Other than that, I found quite a few meanings of the word 'Abhimanyu'.

Abhimanyu: other name for Saubhadra (son of Subhadra). Abhimanyu comes from 'abhi', which means to destroy, and 'manyu', which means all evil and vicious qualities in human beings.

Apparently, it also means fearless and wrathful.

There is one other myth which says that Abhimanyu was Chandra's son Vrachas in his previous birth. Chandra agreed to send him to fight evil but laid a condition that he can let him away only for 16 years, and hence the story about our man dying at that terribly young age.

Abhimanyu is supposed to have been a great warrior and among his other accomplishments is the killing of Duryodhana's son Lakshana. Abhimanyu's son Parikshith and his son Janmejay are respected as great rulers.

Well, I'm not saying I want to rule the world. I just want to accomplish something good so that my name gives a lot more links on google.

One of those will probably be a news article with the headline... Biotech industry bigwig, Abhimanyu, marries childhood sweetheart....lol...;)

Crossword

2004-07-02T09:23:00.000-07:00

Day before yesterday I thought of watching the movie 'Day after tomorrow' but ended up finishing The Hindu Crossword. It is a great feeling when you fill up the whole grid, and for a person, like me, who doesn't do it often, it is just wonderful. I developed interest in crosswords because of my dad. He used to solve the Hindu crossword daily and is quite an expert.

The main element in a crossword, or rather in making a grid, is symmetry. Any standard crossword(cryptic) grid has two symmetrical parts. One part is basically the mirror image of the other. This symmetry exists either diagonally or vertically or horizontally. It is a very interesting concept, highlighted to me by one of Sharad's friends. And from then on I realised how easy it is to make a grid.

Solving a crossword requires a decent vocabulary, an eye for detail and sense to pick up subtle insinuations. It is some sort of an addiction because as you start cracking a few clues you tend to think that if you've got so many, you can certainly get a lot more. And in the long run, wherever you see a crossword, even in kids' magazines, you put your head down and solve it. It is a great challenge and a nice exercise for the brain.

Otherwise things are fine. My alma mater in Hyderabad celebrated its tenth anniversary on the 1st of this month and I got to meet a lot of old friends. It was a pleasant trip down memory lane.

Life goes on...

Table Tennis Fiasco

2004-06-29T07:02:00.000-07:00

I wish the table were slightly wider!

The selections for the team that will represent our company, in the Hyderabad Software companies association TT tournament, are going on. I won the first match yesterday and went in to the second round, already dreaming about making it to the team. That was, obviously, not to be because my opponent was the champion of the intra-company tournament last year.

I think i put up a decent show. The score was 21-14, 21-14. Actually he is known for his smashes but didn't smash too many. May be he thought, LET IT BE....let this kid live his dream atleast for some time.

Table Tennis is a wonderful game. Actually most things small, are cute...bonsai, bonkei(that's the art of making gardens on small trays), babies...so is tt. It improves your reflexes like anything and also boosts your power of concentration. I have liked this game a lot. Infact from the time I started playing, it has been second on the list of my favourite games. First, ofcourse is cricket.

To add to all this, it is one of SACHIN TENDULKAR'S favourite games...

I'm glad I share, atleast, some attribute with that great sportsman !!!

Beylia Bangaloreana

2004-06-28T08:59:00.001-07:00

That's the botanical name for...let me explain the name first- Beylia is an acronym for BEautiful Young Lady...well, now you know what flora I'm talking about...actually it also fits in to the Hindi 'Sathiya, Beylia' and all that jazz...ok now, if you want to think that that's a pj, feel free to do so because 'I DON'T CARE !!'

I was in Bangalore this weekend to participete in a Corporate cricket quiz (conducted by QED), an Entertainment and Sports quiz conducted by KQA and an open quiz conducted by Arul Mani(also KQA). We missed the cut-off in the cricket quiz by one or two points (thanks to yours truly for conveniently messing up two answers). The cricket quiz was really superb...hats off to QED.

Had lots of fun. Camped at the IISc campus (thanks to a few great friends) and also met all the Madras QFI junta.

Bangalore makes you feel really good. The weather is good, the water is clean and real cold and the people are, generally, very nice. On the whole it was a great weekend and all the fun I had and all the people I met, have made me forget the slightly tough 12 hour bus journey to and from Bangalore.

Hyderabad Blues

2004-06-23T00:29:00.000-07:00

This place is great ! I stayed here for 3 years before and though it is a lot different now, it is still wonderful. I do miss Madras and my friends and family there but I've made a lot of new friends here. I've entered the 'Corporate World' now and it is a lot different from what I had imagined- may be that's because i'm in a companythat's not very particular about formalities and dresscode and work timings. I'm just getting in to the groove (perverts out there- dont get ideas now!) and everything seems nice and happy... is this what you call the "Blues" ?...