Excited and nervous now

The counter now reads:
Remaining: 00 weeks, 06 days, 15 hours, 49 minutes, 38 seconds, and 594 milliseconds
as I prepare for my wait at the Dublin Airport for another 8 hours before I can check-in!!!

Could be sometime before I post again.

Wrapping up another phase, bracing for the next

Well, now I am on the verge of wrapping up this phase of my life. This phase started with the world and life showing it's true and harsh face to me. Out from my adolescence, these realities were a great jolt to me in the beginning. Later they replaced themselves as my teachers and today I have a much better knowledge of life and it's ways than I had 10-12 years ago.

I have learnt many lessons. However harsh it may sound, there are only certain relationships in life that are genuine. I have also learnt that one should dream to the fullest, no harm in that, but one should not get carried away by them. One should act towards them taking all the limitations of one's surroundings into consideration. If one is hardworking, he or she never fails. My work taught me that, hardworking necessarily does not mean slogging, it means smart work and work that is effective to achieve it's desired goal. Also, you may be right on certain issues, but there is no point in getting worked up to make others believe in it, if their belief or disbelief doesn't matter to you much. Argue definitely, but there is no need to go overboard after a certain point. One should exercise "controlled aggressiveness".

Out of the many mistakes I have made, one of the biggest seems to be my premonition that love (as in two young individuals) and subsequent relationship is doomed to be bad. Rather it is a challenge that should be accepted as a part of life. One needs to be ready to alter drastically one's lifestyle till now, and also be ready to make more "un-selfish" sacrifices. 2nd April this year onwards, my views definitely took turn in the right direction, and it is for this new phase of my life that I now prepare myself to fight and enjoy!!

Praying to god and expecting blessings from all my well wishers in making it a success!!

Virtualization - New Age Coming

During my recent project experience, I was introduced to this wonderful concept of virtualization. This concept allows one to install the true installations of "guest OSes" on a host OS. For example one can install Windows XP, Windows 2003 server on a PC running Windows Vista. What's more you could install the Linux flavours too! And the best part is that you could setup a virtual lab of these systems!!

Leading software provider of virtualization is VMWare. However, VirtualBox from Sun (Oralce??) offeres a free and GNU/GPL license for use. What then? I have installed VirtualBox on the laptop. The laptop runs the office version of Windows Vista and I have installed Ubuntu as the guest inside VirtualBox. In a few days I plan to setup a mini lab of my own, depending on how the hardware fares ;)

Below is a screen shot of the setup. Check out the Vista logo in the bottom left corner... and the Ubuntu desktop covering the entire screen. In fact, I am posting this blog from within Ubuntu!

Second Chance and more

There are few relations, that are always there for you. Like your parents and God (or whatever power you believe is equivalent to that).

Even after thousands of mistakes, if you go to them and accept your wrongdoing they will forgive you. Why? Because it is unselfish love, something that is very difficult to cultivate with every other person. When you do enter into such a relationship, ego on either side is lost somewhere in a deep dark corner and you are filled with an overall pleasant feeling.

I thank God, for making me so fortunate!

By the way, here is a video on the same lines. From "Colonial Cousins", featuring Hariharan and Leslie Lewis. The part of Hariharan is a classical Kannada song, "Krishna Nee Begane, Baaro", composed by Vyasaraya Tirtha in the late 15th century A.D. The meaning translates roughly as: "Krishna! You come soon"

Travel Time Again!

Well, next week would be travel time again. This time to Sweden for around 3 months or so. They say it is already cold there and going to get even more colder by the coming months.

We will be off to a city named Linköping. Work there should be hectic, and let us hope it is hectic. The laziness and the lethargy gained here in Athlone, would wear off somewhat.

Also, starting to get excited about December. The counter says:

14 weeks, 06 days, 19 hours, 38 minutes 48 seconds, and 288 milliseconds
but she says that it is not going to be before 07:30 in the evening that "shubho-drishti" shall take place. Hmmmm......

Also what is this fuss that I hear about dependent visa in Ireland??? God!! I pray to you! please....

HTML 5

I started to read about HTML 5 since yesterday. It promises to bring revolutionary changes in the way we write mark-up code for our browsers to render the hitherto "static" web pages. What interests me specially are the new video, audio and the canvas tags.

Watched the seminar held by the Google guys involved in the development of Google Chrome regarding the HTML 5 support in that browser, for the future. Most impressive.

I also got to know that Firefox has started to provide support for the video and the audio tags from version 3.5.2 onwards. So here it goes... listen to the promo of "Inteha". The player you see below is from a pure HTML tag (the audio tag). No flash plugin involved, no Silverlight or Shockwave either.... :D... And if you are seeing a "Your browser does not support the new HTML 5 audio tag yet." message.. then that is what it means.. Grin, Grin...

Countdown timer to the Kaaboom day of my life

My Kaaboom downcounter

:D

From my very first days of programming the 8085 micro-processor and later on the 8051 microconrtollers, the x86 family and the Pentium micro-processors, I have a facination for the digital timers and counters. Well, decided to program this one in javascript. It is a down-counter, with a large number of bits in its register bank!!

The code is obfuscated, though you guyz using your grey cells may not require much of an effort to decode it. I hope. Grin, Grin!!!

Sweetest wish

.. Well I got that in the morning today, for the first time.

Chitra Ji

Well, I have posted a lot of JS on this blog, but may not have posted much about Chitra ji. So I decided to dedicate this one to her. I have posted a lot about her works in our PDJS wordpress blog though.

Chitra ji, is said to have brought in a whole new dimension to the life and personality of Jagjit Singh. Both came from totally different backgrounds. Chitra ji is said to have "polished" JS's outlook and image. Their first meeting was at the house of Chitra ji in Mumbai, where JS had come to record for an advertising jingle. And boy, did they have a fight! JS has a bass voice and Chitra ji has a high pitched voice. Neither was ready to compromise on their style of singing for the recording. Little did they know then, that in the future they would form the most popular duet pair, outside the film music industry, not only in studio records but also on live stage performances, revolutionising the mordern ghazal singing.

Below is a video from a very rare performance by them in the year 1979, at Vancouver Canada.

The ghazal "Meri Zubaan Se Meri Daastan..." by Chitra ji (offset 2:59) is said to have a story behind it. Sudha Malhotra recorded this ghazal eventually in her album which was composed by JS. But Chitra ji's short rendition above is classic by all means. Chitra ji never recorded this ghazal commercially later, but used to render it in 'mehfils'. Chitra ji had a fondness for this ghazal it seems. By the way the ghazal is by Sudarshan Fakir, the lyrics are below. The 'beher' of the ghazal is: mujtas musamman makhbuun mahzuuf Pattern: 1212-1122-1212-112 or mujtas musamman makhbuun mahzuuf maqtu Pattern: 1212-1122-1212-22 both of which can be used interchangeably as per the laws of Urdu prosody.

मेरी ज़ुबां से मेरी दास्तां सुनो तो सही,
यक़ीँ करो न करो महेरबां सुनो तो सही|

चलो ये मान लिया मुजरिम-ऐ-मोहब्बत हैं,
हमारे जुर्म का हमसे बयां सुनो तो सही|

बनोगे दोस्त मेरे तुम भी दुश्मनों एक दिन,
मेरी हयात की आह-ओ-फुगां सुनो तो सही|

लबों को सी के जो बैठे हैं बज़्म-ऐ-दुनिया में,
कभी तो उनकी भी खामोशियां सुनो तो सही|

कहोगे वक़्त को मुजरिम भरी बहारों में,
जला था कैसे मेरा आशियां सुनो तो सही|

Men or Women, humans are all the same

I have always held this view, from my childhood. Many a times in the debates hovering around the sort of topics, "women are better than men", men are potrayed as "bad" character guys. Examples are often set by citing politicians, law enforcers and positions to that effect, and the way they misuse them.

The only reasoning one can give, is that since the ratio of men in these positions are far more in number, such abuses of power are reported more from the men category. Women politicians (of the very few) also tend to be corrupt, inefficient and "rude".

Men are often quoted to be disrespectful towards women (and I do not deny that) but women have been equally known to pass on derogatetory statements about other women, when the going gets tough. Obviously, I am referring to statements made by Ms. Rita Bahugana against Ms. Mayawati. God knows what those "feminists" would have done, had a man made those statements! In fact no women organization of the country seems have condemed it so far!!

Human nature is all the same, be it a man's or woman's.

Change of reference frames

कर रहा था ग़म-ए -जहां का हिसाब,

आज तुम याद बेहिसाब आए.

-- Faiz Ahmed 'Faiz'

This rendition by Begum Akhtar is marvellous. Until a few months ago, when I used to listen to this 'sher' in her voice, I used to be in a state of desperate depression. But in the recent past, this sher has a completely different effect on me. I feel immersed in a soothing essence of a beautiful thought.

And the reason for this change? The change of reference frames. So relativity holds true not only in physics, but in one's life and mood too.

By the way, here is that epic rendition:

Travelling at speeds greater than light

Theoritically no mass can travel at speeds greater than the speed of light in vaccum. That is what the physics of today tell us. But just think of it for a moment, how boring it would be if this is true.

Man dreams of travelling to the great milky ways and galaxies thousands of light years away. If the above fact is true then man will never be able to make it there! In the history of mankind, no dream that it fosters remains long enough to remain a dream. I am sure Einstein's theories would be more 'generalised' in the times to come, so that inter-galactical transportation is just another matter of fact utility in future.

Why, do not thoughts travel greater than the speed of light? In my thought I could reach my destination even before I start my journey! I can also travel in time (at least in the past) in my thoughts. The problem is how to attach mass to it?

Good Poet

मैं रोया परदेस में भीगा माँ का प्यार,

दुख ने दुख से बात की बिन चिट्टी बिन तार|

... Yes, indeed Nida is a poet who has seen and felt things with his own eyes and heart.

Less people less trouble

If you have so less people, then things are ought to be in place. Everybody follows the traffic rules, the roads are clean and most importantly people are patient.

Just release half of Karol Bagh's population here... and just see the entire system crumble.

Change at a cost

When I asked for it, I did not know that by the time the request would materialize the situation would be so different. So different, that had I known, I might not have requested for it in the first place!

Anyways, still many factors support the cause for it, and may be it is the best time for it. Now is the time for packing and settling down at a far off place for some months. Hope everything happens smoothly. So uncertain life is of an individual, it does not take a split of a second for the tables of fortune to turn.

I pray for safety of all near and dear ones whom I leave behind, for this journey. I could not be more anxious to return to them and accept their love and affection personally.

Fingers crossed

The results of the general elections are out today, and I am happy that the people of India have been decisive in their mandate this time.

The people of this country have given the present government much more power this time to govern. I hope the allies of the main political party, do not start to act in a self-centered childish manner as they are known to do, say an year from now. These regional parties must rise above their regional level of politics to play a more sensible and matured role at the national level.

It was nice to see the leader of the main opposition, accept the defeat humbly and congratulate his adversary. We have once again proved, the power of our democracy, amid the "crumbling democracies" around us.

The verdict is loud and clear: "We have given you a clear mandate, please please please give us a clean and decisive governance" -- people of India, General Elections 2009.

Achcha hai

Well, was just going through the tracks on my hard-disk, till my ears struck on this one by Ghalib:

देखिए पाते हैं उशाक़ बुतों से क्या फ़ैज़,
इक बराहमन ने कहा है के ये साल अच्छा है.

Though it is never a good thought to provide an "implementation" of such a great poetic work, it turns out to be something like this: "Let us see what abundance the lovers will get by praying to the idols, One brahmin has said that this year is good."

I have heard and read this couplet so many times, but it never struck me so deep before today.

Bongs: The food loving, gourmets

No doubt, the bengali mothers spend most of their time of the day in the kitchens, cooking one dish after the other. The bengali tribe is known for it's love for food. Kolkata is one place, where there are a variety of cuisines available. "Oh! Calcutta" is definitely a must try (esp. for the Delhiets) if you are interested in quality bengali cusine.

The height of the love for food amongst 'bongs' can be judged from the transcript below, which is a sample transcript of a typical conversation between two lovers. Yes, both of them are bengali.

Girl: Ranna shesh holo. (Just finished cooking)
Boy: Ki baanal e, lunch e? (What did you prepare for lunch?)
Girl: Macher maatha aar laau diye sobji, daal, macher jhaal, aamer chaatni aar bhaath.
(Vegie with Fish-head and 'ghiiaa', daal, fish with musturd sause and chilli, mango chatni and rice)
Boy: Bah! tumi to khub bhalo mey. (Bah! you seem to be a very good girl) [The first deviation from 'food' in the conversation....]
Girl: Thank you... Tomar ki khete bhalo laage non-veg e? (What do you prefer in non-veg?) [Back again on 'food']
Boy: Chicken
Girl: Amader biyer pore tomake roj weekend e chicken er dish baniye khawaabo...
[After our marriage, I will prepare a new chicken dish for you on every weekend]
Boy: ummm... good...
...... and so on...

No doubt for them, food forms an essential part of their relationship.
Bon appétit 'bongs'.

Inteha Jagjit Singh

This is the name of the new ghazal album by Saheb (Big Music, Big Music and Home Entertainment). Released after a gap of couple of years, this ghazal album features 8 tracks, and thankfully containing ghazals by various poets.

There are two ghazals by Payyam Sayeedi (remember "ab ke baras bhi" & "hum dosti ahsaan wafa" from yesteryears releases of JS?), and one each by Faragh Roohvi ("dekhaa jo aaiinaah"), Rajinder Rahbar ("tere khusboo mein base khat"), Sanjay Masoom, Aalok Shrivastav, Amjad Islam Amjad ("chaand ke saath kaii dard") and Naseem Ajmeri.

The compositions are good and especially good is the rendition of "intehaa aaj ishq ki kar di" (Payyam Sayeedi). However, age has taken its toll over his voice as is pretty evident in this record. I think, he should now refrain from releasing and recording studio albums. Concerts are still OK, but not studio recordings.

In terms of poetry, "Inteha" is better than his earlier records, though choice of poetry could have been better. A romantic album by Saheb, could not have come at a better time in my life, than at present.

Here is the lyric of "Manzilen kya hain...." (Aalok Shrivastav), the ghazal having the most catchy tune in the album. Again JS outsmarts all other composers, in this very short beher (10 syllable) composition. The beher of the ghazal is Khafiif musaddas makhbuun mahzuuf maqtau with the pattern 2122-1212-22.

Manzilen kyaa hain raastaa kyaa hai,
hauslaa ho to faaslaa kyaa hai.

Woh sazaa deke door jaa baithaa,
kis se poochoon mirii khataa kyaa hai.

Jab bhii chahegaa chiin legaa woh,
sab usii kaa hai aapkaa kyaa hai.

Tum humaare qariib baithe ho,
ab dawaa kaisii ab duaa kyaa hai.

Chaandnii aaj kis liye nam hai,
Chaand kii aankh mein chubhaa kyaa hai.

N.B: This ghazal is ‘hamradeef’ with the famous ghazal by ‘Ghalib’, “dil-e-naadan tujhe huaa kyaa hai”…. I have no doubt, that if “pressed”:) , JS can render both the ghazals in vice-versa tunes.

Pink Panther 2

I have watched all the movies of the Pink Panther series. The ones featuring Peter Sellers as well as Steve Martin. Each movie is fantastic!

Now, the Pink Panther movies never have any basic sense of story and are filled with nonsense comedy. But the way it was acted by Peter Sellers, and now by Steve Martin is just wonderful. Of course one would find many people who would complain of "missing" Sellers, but for me both are hilarious.

It has become a fashion amongst the critics to criticize Pink Panther 2, but I found it as likable as the others in the series. If I find Sellers's dialog "Do you have a rrromm?" funny, then Martin's "AAmburyer" is funny too. Ms. Aish R. B. has done a good job too. Rubbing shoulders with Steve Martin is of course a "big thing" (remember the press conference by Inspector Clouseau in Pink Panther (2006)?) for any artist.

Observations

Well, the travel was a nice change, after a long time. Almost after six years! This gave me a good opportunity to note various kinds of people and their behavior under varied circumstances.

At a "romantic" night a newly wed couple who were on their honeymoon and having dinner on a beach side restaurant I observed the young wife, neatly dressed and her husband. The look on the wife's face was so strange. It was almost blank. The way she held the pizza-triangle in her left hand and munched on a small bit, forcing her lips to remain closed, made the entire scene so mechanically romantic. I hope, I am proved wrong in my analysis. Honeymoons should mean excitement and fun and laughter all through. On the contrary I had the opp. to get acquainted with two middle aged couples. Boy! they had a gala time on the whole trip, their tiny toddlers along with. No doubt, I vouched for the plan, that it is a good idea to go for one's honeymoon, after a certain period of time, say an year or so after the marriage, especially in cases of "classical" arranged marriages in India.

Another individual who left an impression on my mind. This time in the dirt filled road leading to "Traimbakeshwar" temple on Maharashtra's state transport bus. I observed the lady bus conductor. Now, for someone who has ventured not much out of Delhi, a lady bus conductor is in itself a "big thing". But what I noticed, was her smart, middle aged matured look and the way she carried herself during her duty. I really admired her professionalism and efficiency of work.

Just wondering, how it would to have a lady bus conductor on Delhi's blue line buses :). Just contemplate the situation that she is asking an elderly man to step back from the gate. "Arrey taaoo....paache na holey..."

Religious abnegation?

Shall the goal be achieved doing all these things? Maybe, because not doing these have not yielded results as yet. Let us see.

Oh yes! the title credit for this post goes to Tess. Thanks.
The question mark is to indicate, the confusion, whether the title phrase is actually what I meant or not.

Self proclaimed "Best Friend"

President Obama in his message to the people of India, on the occasion of our Republic day declared that America was the "best friend" that India has. Well, though the Indian media went "ga-ga" over this "personal" touch, is it not the other party that should feel the same? Is not President Obama's remark a little laughable? I hope, the President means with all honesty, in what he said.

And how many times have world leaders pledged their friendship towards India? It is always driven by vested interests, like cheap labour, opening of the Indian markets for their industrial dumping and even refuelling their fighter air crafts rather than actually standing by us when the nation needs international support. Our foreign policy too may be a bit to be blamed, since at times of international crisis we always tend to look towards the developed powers, rather than take bold and tough decisions by ourselves.

Getting married

No, not me as yet :) I refer to the title of the post in third person narrative. Actually, of late I've been attending in short spans, marriages of my close friends.

Knowing them so well for the past so many years, it is an unique experience to see them go through the motions of the rituals and the "hulla-gulla" associated with typical Indian weddings. I never forget to ask them the question, "Kya ab feeling aa rahi hai?" (Do you get the feel of marriage, now?) just after the marriage is over, and their answer mostly tends towards the negative.

They also speak of a "turning point" in their life. After this, they need to plan, act and decide taking another "big factor" in mind, which probably they never did during their bachelorhood days. That could possibly explain, the "change / maturity" one talks about after marriage.

Hmm.... interesting thing, this marriage stuff....

India Ga Ga over Obama

I congratulate the people of America on electing their 44th President. In these difficult times, I hope the decision of the citizens of America is proved right in the years to come.

What has been irritating however, is the manner in which the Indian media has handled his election as the next president. The media is trying to portray that with him as the president, there is going to be some radical change in the relations between the two nations. Every where you find articles displaying how he appoints people of Indian origin to government posts. His fascination and admiration for M. Gandhi and Hanuman ji is also being hailed as being a sign of being "pro-Indian".

What the hell? We Indians have a tendency to serve and lookup to someone to take us out of the hole we are in. Do we really want our trouble of cross-border terrorism to be solved by the Americans? Why do we have to get a stamp of all our actions from some other nation? Did America care about the rest of the world when Iraq and Afghanistan happened? Did Israel care about UN and the rest?

And finally, why would Mr. Obama give a damn for the welfare and "war on terror" in India, if his interests are well served, by giving loans and aids to our neighbour? Any decision that he would take would be the best that would be for America and her people. And that decision may not be necessarily the best for India.

Swami and Friends

Last weekend, I bought VCDs and DVDs of two T.V. serial series, which were broadcast on Doordarshan in my childhood. One, "Vikram aur Betaal" and the other "Malgudi days". I had watched only a few of "Vikram aur Betaal" episodes, and only one of "Magludi days". We did not have T.V. at home in those days, so my viewing was even more restricted.

The last episode of "Swami and Friends" was touchy. It is always difficult to part away from a relationship. The moment when you come to know, that all this is going to end now, causes a thump in your heart. You do not believe it at first. It is more painful, when you know the exact moment, when you would see each other, probably for the last time in your life. You are never sure, if you would meet him or her again in your life. Suddenly you feel there is a void in your life.

No wonder Ahmed Faraz said:

Phir usi raah-guzar par shaayad,
Hum kabhi mil sakein magar shaayad.

Jo bhi bhichde hain, kab mile hain 'Faraz',
Phir bhi tu intezaar kar shaayad.

More in the WB net

After Satyam, we have two more firms that were barred from bidding direct contracts of World Bank. The ban on Wipro is much talked about, more so since Wipro claims to follow the highest standards of business ethics and practices in its operations.

After reading the detailed press release by Wipro, it seems that the intention of "offering" shares to its customers was driven purely to "promote" Wipro as a brand in the US. Wipro counters that all the people who participated in this offer (technically called the Direct Share Programme DSP, in the US) had signed the "non conflict of interest" certificate. This was to ensure that the purchasers (for example the WB employees) declared that this transaction did not violate their respective employer's policies. However, WB views this in other light, and therefore the ban.

Questions have been raised about the timing of the disclousure, which the company counters by stating that since WB has decided to make the hitherto private list public now, so it by itself made the disclosure to SEBI in advance. It also states that this information was duly shared with the board of directors in the July 2007 meeting.

I would have very much liked to publish the final feeling of the whole episode, but that would not be fair on my part. In any case, I will always have great faith in this organisation, and will always wish the best for it.

Sad, Anger and fear

I read the letter by Ramalinga Raju to the board of Satyam Computers. If I was an employee of that organization I would be chilled after reading it. I would probably be filled with anger which would gradually turn to fear, when I would realise that my earning is at a risk from the next month. Raju claims that he and the managing director had not taken a single "rupee/dollar" from the "inflated" figures. But does that give him the right to play with the livelihood of around 53,000 employees? He himself is secured financially, what about the shareholders and the employees? He mentions about "riding a tiger, not knowing how to get off without being eaten". He should have realised this, when this thing had yet not become a "tiger", but was merely a cub. His confession came only when he had no other option left to hide this fraud. Had he been able to manage, he would not have even cared to come out clean on this issue ever. Thus his confessions today, should not be taken on a sympathetic note during the proceedings that follow.

How is it possible, that such large scale account manipulation went undetected for several years? Questions are being raised on PwC's (Pricewaterhouse Coopers) role, which audited the accounts of Satyam. They are equally responsible, as much as, Raju and Rama. This also shows that corporate governance is a total sham in our country.

I wish the "big 3", of the Indian IT chip in if required, to get Satyam merged into themselves, for the sake of the employees and "to keep the wheels moving".