Coffoholic

Need to have one of these everyday... else the day does not feel complete!

Yes, truly, Starbucks Rocks!

Nothing like entering Barnes & Nobles, grabbing a book, a cuppa coffee (or should I say, grab a frapp to sound hip) and read away!

In Baltimore we have this open air mall kinda place. They have an awesome fountain with a live band which performs there every weekend. And a Starbucks right next to it. Sip on coffee, listen to music! If you get bored, walk into B&N, sip more coffee and read some book. And its funny, but I never have coffee at work (and am surrounded by coffoholics). Sometimes I feel these people come to office to have coffee. But when I see Starbucks, I am like a lost baby who suddenly found his mother.

News Flash. Interstate I-495/I-95 had a comeplete backlog of traffic since some guy wanted to jump off the bridge which connects these two and he held up traffic for a while.

I dont get it. Why did traffic stop? The guy anyways wanted to commit suicide. Do him a favour and run him over! At least others will get home on time!

Linking Part

Oh well, call this lazy blogging or call it information sharing. Nothing much to write about this time, except for providing you guys with some links about events happening around in the last few days.

One day man landed on the moon. Now Google goes to the moon. Check it out here or also here, and make sure you zoom in to the maximum. These guys know how to work and have fun. And they are the best example of word-of-mouth marketting.

Taking on Google maps satellite imaging, MSN goes live with Virtual Earth. I am having fun playing around with it. You dont need their zoom bar to move in. You can just use the scroller on your mouse. And they zoom into the image much much much more than Google. Also brilliant features like "Locate Me". Unfortunately, no maps for India are available. But hey guys, just try Baltimore, MD. You'll know where I am.

Edit [7/27]: I had a typo in a link. Instead of virtualearth.msn.com, I typed virtualearth.man.com. Hmmm... Someone needs to warn Microsoft.

Next generation of Windows (code named LongHorn) is going to be called Windows Vista. Hmmmm... its Italian for something to do with "Visual Beauty" or something on similiar lines. VISTA! Sounds like a new car being luanched. Suzuki Vista! Also reminds me of my Visa Card. Donno why.

Also, I didnt know my blog was public and up for sale. Check this out. Blogshares is something I discovered few days back. Try it out, its good fun. A stock market simulation where your blog is your company and you can trade in other shares too. Good timepass when you have nothing to do.

And I heard about the incessant rains in Mumbai. I think the phone lines are down so I cant get in touch with Mom or Dad. I hear that my Uncle is stuck in his office without electricity and had to have biscuits for dinner. Why do I sense my aunt was smiling when she told me that! Heh! Also read, the Harbour Locals were not really affected. Does this mean, that when the entire Mumbai got a day off, Bird was travelling to work? Bird, I wanna hear about it! Anyone else have any horror stories? Did anyone I know head out for a swim? IdeaSmith loves the rains. Do we get some poetry on the tapur-tupurs? What say?

A Rafting We Shall Go

The weekend of 9th-10th July I went rafting with my Jamnabai chaddi Pals who I had mentioned about before. They called it white water rafting but it was just a level 1 and 2. Having done a level 4 previously this looked like childs play.

Lessons Learnt, Visuals Seen:

Friday nite I drove to Newport (which is as good as driving to NYC) to Ani's place. Ani's pad is one hell of a thing. He's got his bedroom all done up from IKEA, just like one of their model rooms. Enter his room and you feel like you are in a different world. Look outta the window and you get a view of downtown Manhattan. Like I told him, he pays 2K a month just for that view. And its bloody worth.

Finally I got to meet the newly married couple. Meghana, welcome to da gang. Hope we didnt scare the hell outta you!


When things get too easy, have booze:

Since its difficult for eight (nine, if you count me as two) to fit in one raft, Booga and myself grabbed a Kayak each. Considering the fact these were just level 2 rapids (personally I say you can just swim through level 2 rapids), to make things interesting some of us (yours truly included) consumed good quantities of liquor and carried a bottle of rum for the occasional gulp. Trust me, it feels like Level 5 rapids now!!


Feed all your kids "Dabur Chawanprash" (or however you spell it):

Booga is the only human who probably can work as a McKinsey consultant during the day and look like a caveman at night (ok, while rafting). I like the schedules he runs. San Francisco during the week, NYC during the weekends, when he runs marathons, goes mountain climbing, kayaking and knocks me in the head with an oar.

Caveman Booga and Tandon

Booga always carried a bottle of Chawanprakshhoweveryouspellit to school

Any place is good for lunch:

One of the beauties of rafting is you can just pull up on a huge rock and break for lunch (and drinks). Imagine you are on a 10m X 10m island, chilling away with a bottle of rum in ya hand and a juicy sandwich in the other. The downside of doing that is Tandon steals your kayak and now you are stuck on the raft (not that I didnt enjoy it - but Kayaking is more living on the edge kinda thing). This also brings me to conclude that when it comes to plotting something evil, even Mogambo cannot beat me.


It Takes Two to flip a Kayak:

I need to get my Kayak back from Tandon who refuses to let it go. So I give his girlfriend Kathy a brilliant idea that she should get into the Kayak with him - will make it look like a very cozy couple. The Kayak I know is not meant to withstand the load of two people. So mid-stream, Kathy transfers herself from the raft into the Kayak which causes Tandon to panic and the Kayak to turn over. The problem which we didnt foresee - Tandon does not know how to swim. And his life-vest begins to slip off.

Tandon struggling for his life

I finally pull Tandon into the raft (actually I tried to pull his life vest off but he managed to cling on to it)

Next, I dive out and get into the Kayak. Its the victory of evil over good! He he!

Ethiopian Food Rocks!

Yes, dinner was at an Ethiopian Restaurant in New Brunswick. The food rocks. And do you know what they serve as bread? DOSA! Yeah, you heard me right! DOSA!! And they have this traditional way of sitting across round baskets (each basket is shared by two) and they serve you food in a plate which kinda put in that basket (oh hell, this is difficult to explain). Just remember, when you enter an Ethiopian restaurant in a group, the person who sits opposite to you should be the one who eats the least!


HAIR DOES GROW BACK

Look Mom, the hair is back. My boss says I finally look civilized (a bit).




Do Not Laugh At Ajay Devgan:

Also, did anyone notice. After all the drowning and aquatic torture Tandon has been through his glares are still on. I wonder how they didnt come off? And we laugh when Ajay Devgan (or the regular Hindi Movie heroes) do all those stunts with an intact cap and RayBans.

The photos can be viewed at:

http://www.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=25532319/t_=4483165
(will require a snapfish account)

and also at

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2123891465&code=17216033&mode=invite&DCMP=isc-email-AlbumInvite

All possible disclaimers you can think of apply. Should be over 18, should be insane yada yada yada to view these snaps.

Videos coming soon.

Build Me, Tear Me

Abbs latest post really got me thinking about this whole inspirational thing I had mumbled to myself few weeks back to keep myself on track.

Abbs wonders "The fact remains that deep inside we're grossly undercut and at certain levels, we choose to shell ourselves in." And do we do what we do just for convenience?

The current road I take to work (I-695) has been in various stages of deconstruction and construction. For as long as I have lived about Baltimore there has been some or the other construction going on and on. Some street is being torn up and repaved, some high-rise being constructed. All this means Baltimore is being taken care of.

The human brain is also a muscle. And like any other muscle, you have to push it past its limit to make it grow. You have to break the muscle to rebuild it into something stronger and something bigger.

There is a saying I believe in. If you aint getting your hands slapped once in a while, you aint pushing the boundaries far enough. To grow you need to pull out of that comfort zone. If you stay within your house boundaries, you'll never know if your neighbour has a beautiful daughter (ok, I made that one up!).

I try to read up anything which will help me (remotely) grow my skills. While interviewing people I like to see what side projects they are working on. I actively seek to learn from people smarter than me. I like to have many projects on my plate at the same time. Sometimes this has burnt me. But in the long run its helped me grow.

Picked up straight from Abbs post

(quote)
"Let not the high cost of failure halt your pathway
it is you who defines the paradigm of failure and its consequences
you can mould and decide which path to take
it is you, who has already defined and set thy goal"
(unquote)


If you look at something (roadways, buildings, code, people) and dont see any de/construction going on, then either they are dying.... or perhaps, already dead.

This Happens (Also) in Amrika

Syracuse University, sitting in an auditorium, attending one of the professors lectures (Was it Digital Machine Design or was it VLSI?).

The professor is Turkish (I think) and speaks in a heavy Turkish accent. Also keeping lectures at 8 AM never really helped in being attentive. Half asleep students, monotonous professor speaking.

"So this was blah blah blah. And finally I have compiled a list of links which would be useful to go over (projector flashes a page with many links). Say if I click on this link it will take us to.... (clicks on link)"

Porn Website opens up.

Class is suddenly all awake.

"No, no, no. This is a mistake."

Closes window, 2 more windows pop up, closes windows and more windows keep popping up.

Ok Sir, you have us awake, you have our attention..... whats for homework?

The History of The Pic

Since the picture in my previous post has developed such controversy I think I need to dedicate an entire post to it. This was about Dec-Jan 2002/03. I was back in India for a good 40 days and all the Nanguys decided to have a night out. It started off with Bakshi's Zen and my 1984 Maruti 800 missing collision near Alfredos. After which we realized we had forgotten to pick up Bird Mask and Beamer (trust me, Bakshi is to blame for this fiasco- Abbs is proof).

When "missing" Farro was called up he said he was at Regal which happens to be the other side of town. "Gimme half an hour" he said, "I'll be there." How he made it from Regal to Juhu in 35 mins at 9 PM is yet a mystery. Killer. And then he comes up with a brilliant plan to drive up to Cafe Mocha at bandstand. So off we go. Abbs, my blind navigator, Mask and myself in my car. Farro and an innocent Dada in Farros Indica. Dada had no clue what was gonna hit him. Bakshi and Bird in the Zen.

Mocha was a fiasco, 1 hour wait. Farro used his filmi contacts to get us a seat. This resulted in all of us getting kicked out. To liven things up, everyone decided to race to the Juhu Cafe Coffee day. Loser pays for others. A Zen, an Indica and my 1984 Maruti 800. I smartly did a false start and took the lead till Farro did a "Schumacher kaa Baap" move on me. The visuals of that were pretty hilarious (Abbs, Mask and myself were witness). The Indica was half on the footpath, vegetable sellers were running helter-scelter, dogs were barking and farro had his music system blasting Enrique. I wonder why he has never put this up in his resume? But Farro was racing so hard that he missed the final turn and ended up behind.

This by any standards was a better race than this years F-1 at Indy.

And dada was so shit scared sitting in Farros car that he had to pee. But we are the Holy Brothers. We stick through thick and thin. When one pees, we all pee. No, I am kidding about that. But we started off some late night dhamaal on Juhu Beach. The start was with that contrversial snap. More followed.


Abbs did a swirl around the electric pole (a-la Demi Moore in Striptease, only with his clothes on - thank goodness)

Dada had got so crazy with Farro's driving that he started digging in the sand and burying the coffee glasses.

Mask was thrown into the water (No, we were just giving him Birthday Bums, but no idea if it was his birthday)

And I got drunk, went home and started playing the Harmonium at 4 AM.

Chain Reaction

The many captions I got for this snap.



Life is nothing but a chain reaction

Warning: Flash Floods predicted.

Saathi Haath Bataana

United we Stand

1... 2... 3.... Pee!!!

We pee, hence we are

Wait! Not yet!

The Juhu Beach Cleaning Drive

Mass release of pressure

To pee or not to pee, that is the question

What would your one-liner be for this?

Bar Talk

Talks between my (F)riend (who I refuse to name) and I. Note that this is after a few many pegs and the dude is completely drunk and seems heart-broken. The talk tho' is in a pretty serious tone.

F: F***, you are one lucky guy. You always had girls around you.

I: Where did this suddenly come up from?

F: My parents are after me to get married man.

I: Good. About time. Whats the problem in that?

F: Where are the women??? There are no women around me!

I: Man, they are everywhere. Look, theres one.

F: No man. The ones I like, they dont like me.

I: Thats everyones story man. When the ideal woman enters your life, you gotta have the courage to look her in the eye and say, "Sorry, I am married"

F: Eh?

I: Nothing, more booze?

F: No, I wanna go home. Now! I will create a profile on Shaadi.com.

I: (controlling laughter) Not now man... take it easy, you aint gonna find your dream girl in one night.

F: No! Now! You had it easy. All chicks around you all the time... girl-guy mixed school you went to... then girl-guy mixed college... and now you are in bloody America. If I was you, by now I would be married so many times and had so many kids.

(By now I am laughing away)

F: Its not fair.

I: Whats not fair?

F: I donno... take me home! U drive.

*We are home, I am going through his fridge while he is on his computer (I assume shaadi.com)*

F: This is not fair...

I: Now what... (finally found some doritos).

F: You even have girls commenting on your blog.


Why wasnt alcohol also called Humour? And why do guys get drunk and think of reading my blog?

See a butt? Spank It!

Since a while blogger has introduced a simpler way to upload photos (Thank You). Doing it through Hello was quite a pain in the butt. Having an extended weekend, I have been looking up some pics from the near and not so near past (Nanguys: I found this pic where all of us are like 5 years old and lined up before my birthday cake, need to scan it). And I came upon so many where I felt, "Apoorva You look so awesome." But seriously, it got about memories of our Syracuse Cultural event and aching butts. We were supposed to do a traditional fashion show. The unconventional guy that I am, we mixed it up with two item numbers, - Kallu Mama from Satya and Patli Kamar from Jungle (and walked the fashion show on the original south indian version of Chandralekha from Thiruda Thiruda) . So it was Kallu mama followed by the fashion show followed by Patli Kamar. And to make things worse, we linked up the three to make a story out of it. So during the intro the guy was kinda confused if he should call it a fashion show, dance item, drama or piece of crap. He decided to stick with Fashion show and all American public was confused when 5 guys came out and started going round n round in circles dancing to Kallu mama.

What follows is a classic snap.... well, not so classic, of Sharma about to slap my butt while performing Kallu Mama (and the confused Americans wondering if this was some Gay Indian ritual).





There is one thing about getting an opportunity to beat up someone during an on stage performances. You can take maximum benefit of the situation and get away with it. Now, after this so called dance, my bottom did hurt and Sharma said, "Sorry man, I really got into the act."

The other time was during our undergrad fashion show (was it mock fashion show?) where the girl was supposed to come and gently place her hand on on my shoulder. What I experienced was something like a punch and a push and I was almost in the audience. And after the show I get a "Ha ha ha... I am so sorry. But that was for all the years you troubled me."

And its not too easy to walk the ramp in a lungi with an aching butt I tell ya. You can almost see me doing a leaning tower of Pisa in the snap that follows.



Myself (left), leaning a bit and Rohan (right).


Old memories... they make your butt ache!

Update: That photo upload tool seems to have a bug. Didnt work for now... had to use Hello. More pain in the butt.

I-Robot, U-Robot, V-Robot

Its a program which drives a robot. If X then do Y else do Z. When things get too monotonous (and probably boring) we humans end up getting programmed too. Just got back from supper at Panera Bread. All you foodies, the Frontega Chicken or Turkey Artichoke Panini with the Parisian Mushroom Bisque - Apoorva recommends.

Anyhoo... enter panera or Mc'Donalds or Burger King, you have the standard smiling (sometimes!) faces behind the cash register. And all of them are programmed to follow a certain routine. Sometimes I try to group my orders together but it really doesnt help.

She: I could help ya... (gets my attention)

Me: Its gonna be the pick two (FYI's: You get to choose 2 items for a reduced price). Frontega Chicken and Parisian Mushroom Bisque, nothing to drink and it'll be for here.

She: You said Frontega andddd....

Me: Parisian Mushroom...

She: Yea... yea... and would you like anything to drink?

Me: Nope (rolling my eyes)

She: And will it be for here or to go? (smiling)

Me: For here. (return smile).


Well, at least the food rocked!


And tomorrow I am doing a two hour presentation of this new software before all the "women who are non-tech" at work (Read: Teach them how to use it). I dont know why I am blogging this (and perspiring at the same time). Some of them mailed in asking if lunch will be served at the presentation. Heh! Should be fun!