So often we hear or see so many people we know travel to foreign cities for short term engagement or long term deployments. Through them many details flow back about lifestyle changes like food, time zone, social sense, people behaviors and even about dog shit cleaning. Though we take them as news and good to know, there are many instances where one can't bear the incessant references of how their new world is so wonderful and different. Sometimes we hear odd details about how they suffer in supposedly wonder land. To save the world, you can safely assume this odd crib about new wonderland as mere lip service and indirect form of conveying the message. That wonderland, true to the techie habit has been encapsulated, shortened and sweetened as 'Onsite'.
Enough with intro talk, we move into decoding instances(include odd ones) of Onsite acts into true meaning. Going with a old saying, we shouldn't take everything as its said, we need to see the other side of it.
So what does the bulk upload of new wonderland pictures means: Going back to days of 1990's where the gates of US were truly wide open for new people, in those times sharing pictures comes with cost. There was no UNLIMITED hosting or easy to use software's to share. Fast forward to present, with Facebook and Flickr giving options for free and unlimited flow of details, everything works in favor of consumers at least when internet is concerned. So when you see the picture next time, credit/blame Internet.
What does the flashy, ultra fast, hi-tech mobile means: In India we remember the mobile service company only when you go out to purchase the recharge cards. Few people wont even remember that if they are postpaid customers, where they just pay the bills online. Compare this against major western world where, getting mobile is like pulling the toilet paper or buying the dog with really long leash. Mobiles and Service providers are so interlinked that its SAVES cost when you buy phone with long contract. When its long contract, getting a just phone or hi-tech phone cost more or less same. So why normal phone when hi-tech phone is just a cost slab different. So when you see 'updated from Blackberry' or 'sent from iPhone 4', laugh yourself about the beast they are holding on the other side.
What does trips to trekking, malls, fantasy amusement parks means: In the new wonderland, its all about ONE and handful of acquaintance. Its a new land, new job and new acquaintance. There is no prior commitment. No prior relationships. No prior hatreds. The social life is new and it starts with going out. When its out, its public. Its to mall, its to trek, its to restaurant. All this can be pictured and posted wherever and whichever notice board permits. Now compare this against the life in the motherland. You have very big fabric of social life. Filled with good, old and bad. You have to attend good and bad of family/friends. You need to be part of the problems and solutions. You can't share the picture of lunch you have with your uncle and family. So many stakeholders to deal with. So many threads you need to follow. So when you see the trekking picture next time, think about the social fabric.
In short Onsite is just like the gaseous state of Earth when it started, where everything was new and all were great and fresh. But as the time goes and the gaseous state transforms to Earth, there are equal problems for all the good things.
I think that's all I got now. May revisit this post when I get more time and energy.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Letter Drafting For Your Enemy!!!
Considering the current social-political scenario, If you want someone you dont like get arrested, take a printout of this letter and fill in and fax the details. You are 100% assured that person is behind the bars.
******************************************
தலைமை காவல் துறை - நிலம் மீட்பு பிருவு
சென்னை 01
மாண்புமிகு காவல் அதிகாரி அவர்களே
கடத்த தி.மு.க. ஆட்சியில் முக்கிய கையாக ஆனால் தற்போது அல்லைகையாக இருக்கும் மரியாதைக்கு தகுதி இல்லாதவர் _____________________(உங்கள் எதிரி பெயரை விலாசத்துடன் இங்க நிறபவும்), பழைய ஆட்சியில் பல கோடி ரூபாய் மதிப்புள்ள அண்ணா சாலையில் உள்ள முக்கியத்துவம் வாய்த்த அரசு இடத்தில ஒரு பெரிய மாளிகை தனக்காக கட்டி உள்ளார். அவருக்கு பல ஊர்களில் முறைகேடான வழியில் சொத்து நிறைய உள்ளது. தயவு செய்து நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கவும்.
இப்படிக்கு
_____________________(உங்கள் புனை பெயரை இங்க நிறபவும்)
அன்ன நாமம் வாழ்க, எம். ஜி. ஆர். நாமம் வாழ்க
(at your own risk. forewarned.)
******************************************
தலைமை காவல் துறை - நிலம் மீட்பு பிருவு
சென்னை 01
மாண்புமிகு காவல் அதிகாரி அவர்களே
கடத்த தி.மு.க. ஆட்சியில் முக்கிய கையாக ஆனால் தற்போது அல்லைகையாக இருக்கும் மரியாதைக்கு தகுதி இல்லாதவர் _____________________(உங்கள் எதிரி பெயரை விலாசத்துடன் இங்க நிறபவும்), பழைய ஆட்சியில் பல கோடி ரூபாய் மதிப்புள்ள அண்ணா சாலையில் உள்ள முக்கியத்துவம் வாய்த்த அரசு இடத்தில ஒரு பெரிய மாளிகை தனக்காக கட்டி உள்ளார். அவருக்கு பல ஊர்களில் முறைகேடான வழியில் சொத்து நிறைய உள்ளது. தயவு செய்து நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கவும்.
இப்படிக்கு
_____________________(உங்கள் புனை பெயரை இங்க நிறபவும்)
அன்ன நாமம் வாழ்க, எம். ஜி. ஆர். நாமம் வாழ்க
(at your own risk. forewarned.)
Monday, July 04, 2011
Why is United States Perfect?
We often come across views about how beautiful, organized, perfect US is. There are so much things to say but to name few - traffic signals, fly overs looking similar across states, lane standards across states, automatic vending machine that gives from money to cigars, drinks etc.., drive thru food outlets, drive thru brush-less car wash, lined similar looking homes etc.. etc.. so many things to rant about..
A retrospect at what could have lead to this gives interesting thoughts. With limited labor power, vast area, limited population but huge consumption, they got to match supply/demand things at some point. Then comes the big plan of mass production and employing machines to make stuff that one use from the time you wake up to sleep. Important thing to note here is everyone uses the same quality stuff irrespective of where you bought and how big your lifestyle is.
When Apple's Steve Job drives thru Burger King in Cupertino, CA, he gets the same exact weight, quality burger content just like anyone like Joe the Plumber from Ohio gets there. All thanks to great supply chain logistics in place. Mass produced meat from one place, Mass produced bread, Mass produced sauce and every ingredient that goes in is controlled by machines so say potato mash has .2g of salt, each machines in Burger King is set to release the same exact content. Take this and apply to every ingredient that goes into making a burger, every hell in the country gets the same exact size, quality and taste.
Compare this against the making of meals in Indian hotel. Quantity of salt depends on in what degree the chef tilted the salt container - more he tilts more salty the food is; same applies to pulses, spice etc., the amount of time it cooked depends on whether chef gets a phone call or not while he is on the job of cooking, taste of food depends on what brand of spice, pulse the chef got on that day and finally the time you visit hotel have final say on how delicious the food tastes for your bud.
Take another example of Star Bucks, every item that goes in to making the coffee are measured and set in the machines that delivers the same exact quantity and taste to everyone. Apply the same development style to the making of ingredients, and those are made exactly the same way by its machines.
Take the example closer to home, the morning tea. Its dip tea, mass manufactured pockets. The Tea container, its standard size 'small, medium, large' cups. So standard size cup with standard size water. Then comes the sugar, that comes with mass manufactured pockets. So say always a standard 2 pockets i.e. 2g. Mix all. Time to heat. Then comes the Machine Microwave oven. Heat the mix always to standard time 2mins. Everything repeats the same every single day and unarguably the mix is perfect but its the same perfect taste every day of life. When its perfect every single time, how can it be felt? Perfect from non perfect or even more perfect.
Compare this against typical Indian tea shop, where the quantity of milk that goes into glass depends on number of people visited (to make sure all gets), quantity of sugar depends on its cost at that time in market, the coffee mix is random since its manually added and also depends on the sales, and finally the temperature depends on what time you visit the shop - daytime, outside temp is hot and coffee will be even hotter; night, outside temp is moderate and coffee will be little less hotter than other times. Considering so many variations that goes into coffee/tea, there is so many possibilities of perfect to bad tastes.
Take the example of fly overs. In US, machines play almost all part from controlling the quantity of mix to making the size of structures and placing them in place. So a perfect, standard across the places.
Compare this against India, constructing the fly over has one critical component. How much % of commission was asked by that part of local politician, govt officer in charge. Forget about quality, quantity and standard. With this variation, a bridge may live for 10years to few days(recently a day before Mumbai mono rail bridge collapsed before starting the trail run).
With just these few accounts of comparison, I know why things are so perfect here in US.
A retrospect at what could have lead to this gives interesting thoughts. With limited labor power, vast area, limited population but huge consumption, they got to match supply/demand things at some point. Then comes the big plan of mass production and employing machines to make stuff that one use from the time you wake up to sleep. Important thing to note here is everyone uses the same quality stuff irrespective of where you bought and how big your lifestyle is.
When Apple's Steve Job drives thru Burger King in Cupertino, CA, he gets the same exact weight, quality burger content just like anyone like Joe the Plumber from Ohio gets there. All thanks to great supply chain logistics in place. Mass produced meat from one place, Mass produced bread, Mass produced sauce and every ingredient that goes in is controlled by machines so say potato mash has .2g of salt, each machines in Burger King is set to release the same exact content. Take this and apply to every ingredient that goes into making a burger, every hell in the country gets the same exact size, quality and taste.
Compare this against the making of meals in Indian hotel. Quantity of salt depends on in what degree the chef tilted the salt container - more he tilts more salty the food is; same applies to pulses, spice etc., the amount of time it cooked depends on whether chef gets a phone call or not while he is on the job of cooking, taste of food depends on what brand of spice, pulse the chef got on that day and finally the time you visit hotel have final say on how delicious the food tastes for your bud.
Take another example of Star Bucks, every item that goes in to making the coffee are measured and set in the machines that delivers the same exact quantity and taste to everyone. Apply the same development style to the making of ingredients, and those are made exactly the same way by its machines.
Take the example closer to home, the morning tea. Its dip tea, mass manufactured pockets. The Tea container, its standard size 'small, medium, large' cups. So standard size cup with standard size water. Then comes the sugar, that comes with mass manufactured pockets. So say always a standard 2 pockets i.e. 2g. Mix all. Time to heat. Then comes the Machine Microwave oven. Heat the mix always to standard time 2mins. Everything repeats the same every single day and unarguably the mix is perfect but its the same perfect taste every day of life. When its perfect every single time, how can it be felt? Perfect from non perfect or even more perfect.
Compare this against typical Indian tea shop, where the quantity of milk that goes into glass depends on number of people visited (to make sure all gets), quantity of sugar depends on its cost at that time in market, the coffee mix is random since its manually added and also depends on the sales, and finally the temperature depends on what time you visit the shop - daytime, outside temp is hot and coffee will be even hotter; night, outside temp is moderate and coffee will be little less hotter than other times. Considering so many variations that goes into coffee/tea, there is so many possibilities of perfect to bad tastes.
Take the example of fly overs. In US, machines play almost all part from controlling the quantity of mix to making the size of structures and placing them in place. So a perfect, standard across the places.
Compare this against India, constructing the fly over has one critical component. How much % of commission was asked by that part of local politician, govt officer in charge. Forget about quality, quantity and standard. With this variation, a bridge may live for 10years to few days(recently a day before Mumbai mono rail bridge collapsed before starting the trail run).
With just these few accounts of comparison, I know why things are so perfect here in US.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Team Treat @ Food Village, ECR
After a long gap we are back again to dent a big bang hole in wallets of recent birthday buddies...
war table... so many unnamed chickens, mutton, fish gonna have its last rites...
a part of the army...
you may think these people are after some serious discussion by their look here.. but they are after none other than one plate onion...
here is the core army of flesh eaters... you will know soon why this part of gang is core...
these woman's may be called as soft power... but when it comes to dining table, they are no way in short of men... all equipped and ready for deadly catch...
here is someone who brings armageddon to little chickens...
with so many flush eaters around... here is the soul who believes in peace and showing sympathy towards lovely birds... dedicating these bird statues to the world in fond memory of numerable birds killed for food...
here is almost statue like Ducks... how clean... thats one proof of impact when u take bath regularly...
thanks for the treat folks...
L to R: Kishore, Prabhu, Dinesh, Myself, Satha, Tamil, Selva, Kannan, Illayaraja, Kuppu, Pachai, Seeni and Prakash
our very generous hosts has got this one additional item... really expensive one... very lucky guys...
(indeed a costly place when compared to Baseera Restra just two blocks away from Food Village)
Delhi 2010
With big relief of completing MS and a spare day before the connecting train to Chennai, we are on the roads of Delhi to see what our capital is really upto... we were lucky to be just in capital with Commonwealth Games 2010 around the corner... an attempt to make Delhi a super city can be seen with newly laid pedestrian pathway and all ugly shop banners were covered with white cloths and the names printed in English just in hope to serve visitors... but we all know how miserably Delhi was failed by our respectable babus and netas...
first stop was at Jandar Mandar...
I like this one...
our second stop, the India Gate...
patriotism was the feelings when we were around India gate and esp after seeing the Amar Jothi... all these years right from the days I started to track the Republic day parade, used to see this place when defense minister pays tribute to lost unknown Indian soldiers
infront of Presidential Palace - Rastrapathi Bhawan...
i think this place infront of palace is referred to south block/north block
with impressive Qutab Minar... a lasting legacy of Muslim rulers...
with Delhi Iron Pillar - a 1600 years old iron structure... remarkable...
infront of lotus temple... we got in to this place believing there was some hindu worship but later found its place of new religion kind of interesting...
At Lotus temple.... after this we went to checkout Akshardam temple but couldn't get chance to click any picture due to their strict no picture policy... the big trip finally came to end... and with that also the brief union of our gang... it was great experience.. Thanks folks...
BITS Pilani Visit for MS Viva
Its time to formally wrap up what has been started some 2 years before... to complete my Masters - Software System from Birla Inst of Tech and Science, Pilani. Since the place in which the university is located is far away/remote and area that speaks in tongue twister language, along with few friends connected through one by another one, decided travel in group to share whatever the trip is to offer(but we ended up sharing the food rather than anything....)
After putting behind the scheduling and other things, we got 6 people in the group and selected same data for viva appearance. with so much happenings for late viva report preparation, buggy project demo, monkey dance to get signatures from mentors and fight over trip planning, we got into Indigo flight bound towards Delhi... getting down there around 12AM, we started a long tiring 6 hour road journey by pre-booked taxi...
The Qualis has become the field of laughing riot with key participation from Bharathi and Saravanan and notable contribution from Sampath. Thanks guys for your remarkable patience all the time and leaving me unharmed :)
We are all amazed at growth of BITS despite the challenging location its been present... all through the distance upto Pilani we came across only sand barren lands, majority houses/shops that barely had one floor above ground floor, typical sholey film setup chai shops here and there, mazza/pepse/coke stocks that had upto 2 inches of dust settled over it - which may indicate either how long those has been kept idle or level of dust wind....
After reaching the BITS campus in Pilani around 6AM in morning, we checked in to VFAST hostel and it was great... neatly kept and calm all through the time we stayed..
Our first impression of BITS was more of disappointment after seeing those old styled entrance arch and potholed sidewalks... but that was the feeling only upto the dawn of sun...
After a quick nap to get rid of travel fatigue, we were ready to venture into BITS versity...
within the brief time we got accustomed to new guy who hails from Andhra... unfortunately forgot his name... another reason why I should blog happenings fast... some facts fades away from poor memory... that new guy joined us for a trip inside campus...
Here we go... the main clock tower of BITS
very memorable picture... the layout of streets inside the campus and this tower structure bring back my memory of few months old Standford university visit... not sure who followed whom.. or might be independent designs with surprise similarity..
it was great feeling to be back into classrooms... missing school/college days barring the homework/exams days ;)
that was birds eye art of BITS Pilani campus
from left: Karthikeyan(myself), Prince and Bharathi
gotcha.. here is that Andhra guy... sorry folk I forgot your name...
we missed the college feast by one day.. this sand sculpture was part of those functions...
really impressive complete 100% stone marbled temple... main deity is goddess saraswathy...
this is the flight used by current Birla scion KM Birla's grandfather... it was gifted to the university and kept in Pilani campus
this is Cadillac car used by the same grandfather Birla...
BITS Pilani campus is one of main tourist attraction for people around that place... its no surprise this university has evoked so much interest among people... after all its in midst of deserted area...
here is the Birla mandir - up close...
main deity Saraswathi...
view of BITS campus from Birla mandir.. watch the distance at which the clock tower is seen... a really huge campus... it has got residential units which in contrast to contemporary university campuses where they build apartments, but here you got independent houses... apart from this, a super market, a mini commercial street all located far apart...
its amazing view from the Birla mandir...
Birla mandir has got world leaders on its walls which includes George Washington, Vivekanandar etc..
A siva mandir in another side of campus... it was long tiring walk all around the campus...
with all of our VIVA got over successfully, our gang is out on final journey inside BITS for one final time.... this is next to skylab open cafeteria...
Its time to say goodbye to BITS... checking out of BITS VFAST hostel
here is first pic of our full gang...
L to R: Saravanan, Prince, myself, Sampath, Bharathi, Rajesh and Nagarajan
a quick tea break at the end of Pilani... a big relief at the fact of completing MS... a memorable visit...
After putting behind the scheduling and other things, we got 6 people in the group and selected same data for viva appearance. with so much happenings for late viva report preparation, buggy project demo, monkey dance to get signatures from mentors and fight over trip planning, we got into Indigo flight bound towards Delhi... getting down there around 12AM, we started a long tiring 6 hour road journey by pre-booked taxi...
The Qualis has become the field of laughing riot with key participation from Bharathi and Saravanan and notable contribution from Sampath. Thanks guys for your remarkable patience all the time and leaving me unharmed :)
We are all amazed at growth of BITS despite the challenging location its been present... all through the distance upto Pilani we came across only sand barren lands, majority houses/shops that barely had one floor above ground floor, typical sholey film setup chai shops here and there, mazza/pepse/coke stocks that had upto 2 inches of dust settled over it - which may indicate either how long those has been kept idle or level of dust wind....
After reaching the BITS campus in Pilani around 6AM in morning, we checked in to VFAST hostel and it was great... neatly kept and calm all through the time we stayed..
Our first impression of BITS was more of disappointment after seeing those old styled entrance arch and potholed sidewalks... but that was the feeling only upto the dawn of sun...
After a quick nap to get rid of travel fatigue, we were ready to venture into BITS versity...
within the brief time we got accustomed to new guy who hails from Andhra... unfortunately forgot his name... another reason why I should blog happenings fast... some facts fades away from poor memory... that new guy joined us for a trip inside campus...
Here we go... the main clock tower of BITS
very memorable picture... the layout of streets inside the campus and this tower structure bring back my memory of few months old Standford university visit... not sure who followed whom.. or might be independent designs with surprise similarity..
it was great feeling to be back into classrooms... missing school/college days barring the homework/exams days ;)
that was birds eye art of BITS Pilani campus
from left: Karthikeyan(myself), Prince and Bharathi
gotcha.. here is that Andhra guy... sorry folk I forgot your name...
we missed the college feast by one day.. this sand sculpture was part of those functions...
really impressive complete 100% stone marbled temple... main deity is goddess saraswathy...
this is the flight used by current Birla scion KM Birla's grandfather... it was gifted to the university and kept in Pilani campus
this is Cadillac car used by the same grandfather Birla...
BITS Pilani campus is one of main tourist attraction for people around that place... its no surprise this university has evoked so much interest among people... after all its in midst of deserted area...
here is the Birla mandir - up close...
main deity Saraswathi...
view of BITS campus from Birla mandir.. watch the distance at which the clock tower is seen... a really huge campus... it has got residential units which in contrast to contemporary university campuses where they build apartments, but here you got independent houses... apart from this, a super market, a mini commercial street all located far apart...
its amazing view from the Birla mandir...
Birla mandir has got world leaders on its walls which includes George Washington, Vivekanandar etc..
A siva mandir in another side of campus... it was long tiring walk all around the campus...
with all of our VIVA got over successfully, our gang is out on final journey inside BITS for one final time.... this is next to skylab open cafeteria...
Its time to say goodbye to BITS... checking out of BITS VFAST hostel
here is first pic of our full gang...
L to R: Saravanan, Prince, myself, Sampath, Bharathi, Rajesh and Nagarajan
a quick tea break at the end of Pilani... a big relief at the fact of completing MS... a memorable visit...
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