SCRABBLE is Addictive

SCRABBLE... we have this game board in our office. Fun club bought this game for employees. It all started with the Scrabble competition... I am hearing for the first time about this game when I received the fun club mail...I normally don't pay much attention to these mails.

But the tallest guy is my team laughed at me for not knowing about this game. I argued...with him. Its not required to know!!

I see people sitting around a chess like board arranging letters in some weird manner...who cares.
Crazy people!!! Daily after I take my evening tea..I will take a look at this madness for a moment and leave...

Days passed...one day..when I was doing my daily look.. I started suggesting words to a friend...some of them worked...I did this often there after....I realized the pleasure you get when you form words that connects... Heeeahhh.. Its interesting.....

Then another day... I sat down to play a game... I learned the rules....I made words that connects...some of my words are strange..I myself don't know the meaning....But if you can convince..you can make new words :)

Nowadays I find myself playing this game quite often...its addictive...

So my dear friends never start playing this game... Its like like any other addiction....stay away!!

He is cooking

Yes.. He is cooking...."He" is none other than "Me..Myself and Irene.." Sorry... Irene is not there....That's actually the name of a Jim Carrey movie... Its just me..and myself. :)

So what is he cooking.....I am a lazy cook.. lazy people prefer more with less effort... So my recipes are simple and scientific....all the items that I cook will have almost similar ingredients. The most common ones I use are green chillies, onions,  mustard seeds, and sun flower oil. Thats it...

So recently I tried a breakfast item... Its called "Uppu mavu" in Malayalam..If you ask me the English word...Its  "Salt mango tree" I don't know if there is any other name  for this in English... I realized that I can prepare this delicious item from my regular ingredients. So I bought some Suji ( Rava ).

First attempt....heated pan, oil, mustard seeds....water, salt.... And then Rava.... I stated stirring..thinking that I will get solid SMT( Salt Mango Tree)... but even after 10 minutes of stirring.. its still liquid....and more than half of Rava is sticking to the pan...Failure.... I tasted a bit ...That's all I got from the pan.

I generally don't give up so easily....

Next  attempt also failed due to excess water...
Third attempt... Last time I had used more water...so this time I should not add more water...heated pan, oil, mustard seeds....water, salt.... And then Rava....  I started stirring....Good..it looks good..then I felt..hey...its called SMT so I should add some more salt isnt it. I added one full spoon salt. Its ready within 5minutes..

I have washed a plate and taken the SMT on it..My mouth is watering...I am really hungry.... I took a spoon full and tasted....Shhhhhhit.... its full of salt... I tried to complete the first spoon..But I had to abort the mission..soon..I threw it in to the waste basket..

I could get it working only after next two trials..Now I can prepare eatable SMT.

So that's how he is cooking.. if you know any recipes..with my ingredients....let me know I will try it.

Infection de la gorge

I am suffering from "Infection de la gorge".... Nothing to be worried....Its common throat infection....

Symptoms are throat irritation, feverishness, sometimes stomach pain.... I was suffering from these symptoms from the last 1 week.

Like any modern Indian guy..I searched Google with my symptoms... I got two suggestion.

1. Increase height of pillow while sleeping..
2. Eat 2 hours before going to sleep. ( Its really hard for me...)

I decided to try some home remedies initially...started sleeping in double pillows, started drinking plenty of water....stopped my regular morning Tea. Cut down the number of teas that I take in office. Its hard.. but I drank hot water instead...Nothing helped.. still same symptoms...

So last Saturday I went to a small clinic nearby.. took medicine for 2 days....

But later I realised that the doctor was fake... he was an Ayurvedic doctor and he prescribed me Antibiotic medicines for two days....It didnt help.... most probably the he don't know the correct dose required.

Waited another two days..and today is a holiday..I decided to go to a proper hospital...But I am new in this place..I don't where  the hospital is.. Again opened Google...searched list of nearby hospitals... Found one very nearby....Met a doctor...told her the complete story....

She told me that there is some kind of infection. It could be either started from throat to stomach or vice versa.

She prescribed the following.

1. Salt water gargling 4 times a day ( this is a MUST )
2. Antibiotics for 5 days.
3. Some pills for stomach ache.

Plus,
Stop eating non-veg, have lot of curd, butter milk..

While coming back from hospital I did some shopping in Reliance fresh mall. Took some bananas and fruits..and then I noticed the ice cream box. Did she tell me to skip ice creams??? No she didn't...I picked up one.

Lets see what happens !!!

How a God takes birth ?

Da Vinci Code....I watched this movie 2 or 3 years after its released.... I never got a chance before...

Interesting .... finally i got to know that Jesus Christ was married had kids... Anyway how does it matter to christanity.... if he is the son of God...he can do anything.... why would man think or decide what God should do...  The Gods, religions..and everything that follows are man made...   man decides and Gods obey...

I was just wondering..how a God of the size Jesus is formed.... God man's are are always there...For instance if we take  India.. there are many living God's...but they never gained the popularity or credibility similar to Jesus....

The reason may be that world is more connected... TV, satellites, telephone and internet. So very less chance for false information like... Blind man was cured by a God.. Yes...If any such incident is reported... you will find videos in youtube... debates in BBC... So spreading a false information is very difficult...or impossible.

People have freedom.... there's no need for a Saviour.... Even if somebody claims to be a saviour there is no resistance...no suffering.. So to prospective Gods... "No pain no gain".

Powerful and popular heroes are born only when there is a  powerful villain.

I am back

Yes. I am back after away for almost a month and a half. And the good news is that I got  a new house....exactly the one I was looking for. I moved in to the new house 1 month ago. It took me a month to actually settle down here....The main difficulty was to get an Internet connection.

The major internet service providers like Airtel or Hathway don't have network in this area. Most of my neighbours uses Tata Indicom WiMax.. Its expensive and useless..

Then there was one more provider I have never heard before. RailWire, provided by the great Indian Railways. I heard about it on the same day I landed here..but I was doubtful about their connectivity and service.

They provide internet through direct LAN cable to your home. Direct Lan to Home...DLTH ?? I don't know what people call it. First time I heard about it from my friend in Chennai.. He was using a Sify connection...but he was not happy with it.

http://www.railwire.co.in/

The most tempting thing about RailWire is that its damn cheap.  256kbps-Unlimited @ 320 Rs./Per Month...
For similar plan Airtel is charging 800 Rs. per month.. Tempting but risky..

Finally I decided to take the risk and took a  RailWire connection. Surprisingly the speed and connectivity is very good. Its been a day since I got the connection...I am getting 256 kbps up/down consistently...

I am impressed...

House Hunt 2010

Finding a good house in Bangalore is herculean task.I have gone through this many times before.. But it was in the same area where I live.But this time I have to find a house somewhere else...far away from my current area.My office is shifting to a place 27 Kms away from my present house. I did a measurement this Saturday.

There is no way, I must shift. I can not drive 27 Kms everyday because It takes hell a lot of time to travel 27 Kms in peak hours in Bangalore.

I tried through my friends first.. I started from Koramangala some of my friends live there.It seems one part of Koramangala is only for Millionaires. The other part is just the opposite.I could locate a few houses...but there is not parking facility...That's a major criteria for me.

OK. fine ..I decided to see another area..So visited HSR layout with my friends.There were a lot of good houses...good location..but I was lost after some time..The area is too wide. And no trace of human beings on the roads. Felt like I am in some alien land.We searched some time for TO-LET boards. But we found none.

Ok. That's fine..Good things don't happen so easily. we moved to another area. This time we have an agent with us.People say agents are the best people for anything..but you need to pay them one months rent as brokerage.

He boasted us about a lot of houses in his custody and showed a few of them. None were good. All of them looked like haunted apartments.

Disappointing....But I still have hope...now a days I am going through a lot of these..So I have become more experience in keeping hope...even when I don't see a remote possibility of it happening in near future.After all hope is the thing that keeps us alive.

I registered in www.sulekha.com, an online classified and yellow pages service. I short listed a few house owners in the Airport road area.. Their rent seemed cheap compared to market rates.Visited the area.... whole day... tiring search. First thing area was not good. Secondly all the houses are pretty old...looks they were constructed in British colonial period. I couldn't finalized any..

I contacted one of of my old colleague.. I visited a few houses with him..The first one was a really haunted one.Second one looked like a joined family in Tamil Nadu...Five houses in one row..Women and grandma's were siting out side with kids and small babies...One of them is doing  zoozoo in the middle of the small courtyard. For a moment I imagined about me doing baby sitting....No No.. I don't want this..

Third one was on 2nd floor..But the rent they asked was not worth it. The last one was a good house..in good residential area.. have car parking..semi-furnished.. Looked like the one I had in mind....The broker said owner is willing to let out.I am yet to talk to the owner...

Traffic police fined me again

They did it again....This time they fined me for jumping the signal. I know for sure that it was green when I  crossed the signal...I am so angry that.... smoke is coming out of my ears....

It was around 8 PM..I was crossing the Sadasiva Nagar  signal.. as soon as I crossed, a police man stopped me. He told me to park my car because I jumped the signal.. I told him several times that "It was GREEN"..."It was GREEN"..

He asked me my license..the usual trick...I took out license and given to him..He took me to another AH.
I told him the same... "It was GREEN"..."It was GREEN".. No response ...Grrrr...I shouted.. IT WAS G-R-E-E-N. He did not even look at me... He is busy operating his Blackberry...

Finally he said..either pay 100 Rs. fine or take court notice.. Hmm..court notice..I know..what that is..I had an incident before..I had chosen court notice instead at that time..but when I reached court, they did not accept it..They said its a fake slip to scare people...there is no case...nothing..

So I confidently said..Ok give me court notice.. He said..I will cease your car..(another trick)...Ohoho...
You will cease my car for jumping signal ???

By that time lot of people assembled..I noticed...a queue forming behind me..they all told me in feeble voices.."Yes It was green" and they were murmuring each other..."Yes it was green" "It was green"....

Oh!..I have lot of supporters now..I shouted again.."This is unfair"..I asked the police man "Do you have proof that I jumped the signal?"..He said yes we have cameras all around this signal....

Finally my supporters told me "Bhaiyya fine dedo.. and get out of it." Ok. Ok... I felt that it is better to listen to them..than to waste the rest of the day..proving that I did not jump the signal....

Meanwhile I saw another funny incident..one guy..is giving 70 Rs. bribe to escape from 100Rs. fine..
He is almost hugging the police man, begging to accept it....who to blame for these ??? pathetic!!

I know for sure, whatever happened today was planned..It's a big scam..they are collecting a lot of money as fine and bribe too....
May be their they did not meet their monthly fine collection target..
Or May be its time to pay house rent..buy sarees and lipsticks for wives..

Today they stopped a lot of vehicles...the last ones who cross, before the signal stops are the victims..

To protest against this injustice.. I jumped the next 5 signals...even when it was red...By the time I reached home..I was relaxed that I saved 400 Rs..You must be thinking how..Its simple mathematics.

Jumping 5 signals, Fine = 500 Rs. But actually I paid 100 Rs. Only. So... profit 500-100 = 400 Rs.
Smart isn't it?

Solar eclipse 2010 as seen from Bangalore, India

What are these people doing?...Yes they are watching the solar eclipse from Bangalore planetarium. Today everything was favorable for me to watch this wonderful event. Planetarium was just 100 meters away  from my office...sky was clear....timing was convinient..

I reaching planetarium by 1.10 PM..there was a big crowd...Photographers carrying long camera lenses...TV channels... vehicles with big dish antenna mounted on it...I was really excited..I felt like I am part of some big event....

I also bought a filter goggles to watch the eclipse..I paid Rs.25... The eclipse in Bangalore was around 80-85%...the sunlight was dim like its going to rain soon...But if you look at the sky...you wont find the rain clouds...

There are multiple reflecting telescopes installed in the open space...They will show you a reflected image of the eclipse...so that you dont have to look directly to the sun.. But they steal the real excitement....

There is some sort of psychological impact also...whether scientists agree with it or not...I felt something...unusual...after sometime..I had a headache like feeling...not exactly a headache.... my friends also told they are experiencing same like me....may be I can say that....the dim sunlight...scary shadows..etc.gives you a sad feeling or... a fear that... the world is going to end now.

The shadows of trees...they become magical..the small holes between the leaves..they all take the shape of the eclipsed sun....this is really amazing....especially if you are in a place with lot of trees...and bangalore city is known for trees... I have captured the shadows of trees in Millers road during the solar eclipse shown below.

My Little Cousin Master Ostin

This is my little cousin Ostin. We call him "Mottu" with love. This time when I went home for two days, he was there.He is the youngest amoung my cousins..just 9. He easily mingles with people....keeps on asking questions. There is no end to his questions...And its very difficult to answer his questions as they are thought provoking.. At the same time funny too..

He is born and bought up in Mount Abu...he visits Kerala during his winter vacation...When he comes, home is filled with lot of fun and energy...His favorite past time is watching TV...and don't try interfere in that...He wants full control of the remote..

Sunday morning I was in sitting in the veranda and reading newspaper he was sitting next to me..He was talking to me..I did not pay much attention to him as I was reading news paper...After some time...he tried to interrupted me...it didn't work.

After serveral attempts suddenly he asked me a question..."Who makes this newspaper?" I said.... "Manorama News Paper Company" He is not interested in the answer..his aim is to turn my attention...Immediately he asked another question. "Who makes currecy notes?" ...I said.."India Goverment"...

He is not happy with the answer...He continued...who is printing....it?...I said somebody...some machine will be printing...he replied.."Then they can take any note from it right?" I thought for a moment..I am caught!!!... yes why not..the guy who is supervising the currecy printer can take a bundle from it...isnt it?

I didnt surrender..so I said...police will be watching them when they print the notes..so they can not take it...He replied..then the police can take money right??....Finally I said...no they are good people..so they can not. I returned back to reading...

I wanted to be with him some more days..but I had to leave on sunday evening to reach office...Next time when I visit home probably he won't be there..his school will reopen soon and he will be going back..

Saving a little kitten

It is around 10.00PM. I was preparing my dinner..suddenly I heard dogs barking in my veranda..
I opened the door and found a cute little kitten being attacked by two adult street dogs
Insane...!!  I felt really angry...don't they have common sense? two big dogs attacking a small baby cat.

I took out the broom from my kitchen and chased the dogs...I locked the gate so that they don't enter again..
came  back to the kitten..its terrified....crying and shivering...

I felt like picking it up and consoling...but..I don't touch pet animals..as we never had any pets in my family...
my mother hates bringing pet animals inside house. Frankly speaking.. I like them only from  a distance...I really like them a lot.

I told her...don't cry...the dogs are away and they will not come back....she still crying..I took another a soft broom and pushed her back..and said.. Go..Go..she is not moving....I moved to the other side and pushed a bit hard..she moved.. to the other side..

Now the tone of her cry changed....She is looking at me...I felt like..she is saying thanks and adopt me..Meanwhile a boy from the next apartment came...He likes pets..I asked him.. Is this your cat? He said No...Though he gave me a tip...Uncle...go away for sometime and come back..I went inside the apartment to close the main door.I saw the little kitten following me....crying myavuuuu....myavuuu...

Oh! God..I became her savior...her hero...she wants shelter in my apartment. But I can not take her inside...I can not sleep when a cat is inside my room..A difficult situation...Anyway she can sleep in my veranda without fear...The dogs cannot come in as I have closed the grills.

She cried a lot near my main door...I watched her through windows..She is waiting for me to open the door for her...I felt like I am the worst human being on earth...I did not open the door...now she is sleeping in the veranda..as I write this article....

A Journey with the pilgrims

Last Friday I traveled to my home town...as usual by train..Bangalore-Ernakulam Express. I had reserved a berth in the sleeper coach..

There's nothing unusual about it..I travel quite often..once or twice in a month.. But this time as soon as I entered my coach...I felt something different..its full of people in black attire..yes..I can easily identify them..they are pilgrims to the Sabarimala temple in Kerala. The people sitting in my coupe is staring at me..I felt little uneasy..but I gave a nice smile at them...one of them suddenly asked a question...I couldn't guess their language initially... but I understood the question..they are asking which is my seat..I told 13 middle berth.

Very soon other people with similar dress code surrounded me...they are looking at me as if I am a monkey in zoo..and I felt that they are not happy with me siting in that place...But I have no choice..I told myself...All is Well...All is well..the famous slogan from 3 idiots..

They started asking me weird questions...I figured out that they are speaking Telugu..but its not the standard telugu I have heard from my friends....I could not  understand many questions..and we don't have any other language in common....they know only Telugu...

One among them.a very young guy...looks like the most educated in their group... started speaking to me in broken English..but we used hand signals a lot to connect words..

He asked me "Job..?.Job..?." then he types on a virtual keyboard in the air..I got it ..he is asking what is my job..I told in the same way... I typed a in the virtual keyboard in the air and said..Computer... Oh! oh!...they looked at each other....Next immediate question....Salary..? Salary...? I replied.. No.. Salary...

Then this guy gave a lecture to the other guys..which I did not understand...may be he told...This guy is doing computer job without salary!!...This I could make out from their sympathetic look..But what I actually meant to say was that I can not tell you my salary..!!

Meanwhile other people started coming to the coupe and I figured out that these people did not have a confirmed berth....but they were not willing to move from here. Since nobody knows Telugu ...and nobody is able to convince them that this is not their seat...it was really funny...finally TTR came and asked them to move out....

I have never faced such a situation in India before...I thought I can speak to all Indian's somehow...Telugu is the only south Indian language....which I can not handle...and there are people in remote areas ..not getting proper education and exposure..It was shocking to realize this fact when India is growing at an all time high rate!!

Lots of things but no time

Today morning I just returned from a trip...then office..so feeling very sleepy and tired.
I have lots of things on my head to write...Most probably will start writing from tomorrow....

Goodbye 2009

2009 was a year for myself...I felt like I lived for myself...I really enjoyed this year...I spend like anything...I traveled... eaten and drank hell a lot of unusual stuff.. Yeah! I put on an additional 10 pounds this year!!

This year I migrated from 2 wheeler to a four wheeler...I bought a laptop...I took broadband connection..I started blogging seriously..

This is the year..first time in my life...I was scared about a common flu...the swine flu..I took precautions..eaten Ayurveda immunity boosters...consciously kept 1 meter distance from people... stopped shaking hands and did Indian style namaste...

Now its time for new year resolutions...I have no resolutions...I don't believe in preplanned activities... I want to be as free as a bird flying up above the white clouds...

When it comes to life..I like to live the life as it comes...its ups and downs..I don't want to foresee or forecast and worry about it..though sometimes it happens unconsciously...

New year is just half and hour away from now ..I want to publish this post this year itself. So..Wish you all a very happy and prosperous New year!!

What's Google Wave?

I heard about this new product from Google a few days back and I talked to one of my friends about it..Though he doesn't have any idea about it..he got me an invitation for the Google Wave Preview.

As always.. I am very curious about Google products.. So here's Google Wave.. let me try it..

After the invitation was sent, it took several hours to reach my mail box. I logged on to Google Wave..and  I could not figure out anything..Is it enhanced GMail ?? looks like... I can see my contact list and folder list on the left side and a window on the right side..probably the reading pane.. still the question is unanswered..what is it??

There is a link called New Wave..I clicked on it.. added a message..and it appeared in another window..asked me to add participants.. I selected a few from the popup windows,.....still i am puzzled....what is it...?


Then I found this video from Google which explains Google Wave...

Google Wave Overview Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6pgxLaDdQw

"A video speaks ten thousand words.." I got it.. Its email reinvented by Google..in 2009... People say "Do not reinvent the wheel.." but thats what Google is doing...but why?? Is it not invented properly??..No....they are reinventing a wheel which can be shared...

Can you modify an email message once it is send to people?..No..but you can do that with Google Wave.
A wave can be modified by anybody in the group after it is created... powerful huh!

When you send an email to a group of people.. they get a copy of it..they can reply to the message but can not modify the message in real time....

If you send a wave to a group of people..they don't get a copy..but they see the wave... they can modify the wave in real time..everybody in the group can see what others say about the message...

Its more like an instant message window embedded in an email message and send to a group of people..a crude analogy..but.. that's how it appears to me. But this instant message window can contain contents like...text..images..videos..maps...gadgets..etc..and the content can be modified in real time.

So Google Wave is all about real time collaboration ...and more..Its going to replace traditional emails and SMTP Servers..lets wait and watch how Google does it....

Movie Review: Avatar (2009)

"Avatar" Another master piece from James Cameron. I would give a 10 out of 10 for this movie.

I was so excited after watching the movie that, I was telling myself that... I am even ready to pay 10 times more than what I paid for the movie ticket..or even my one months salary.. I don't mind.

If I am giving a 10 on 10 then you bet me there's something in the movie..you don't believe me..Then I am going to tell you that this is the first English movie I am watching in a cinema hall after "Titanic"..that was in 1997. So..I guess you got a feel of how choosy I am about English movies...

I am not going to give you the story of the film..but will tell you the background. Rest you watch on the screen.

Avatar movie talks about human invasion of a planet called Pandora... 4.3 light years away from earth.
That means you need to travel 4.3 years at the speed of light to reach there...The story happens in the year 2154...And we have space crafts which can travel more than that speed.

Humans have already reached Pandora  when the story begins...and we have military base there..

There are a few scientists in Pandora military base ..who's mission is to bond with the Pandora people( called Navi's ).

The human military aim is to invade Pandora and capture natural energy resource of Pandora..called Unobtanium.. During the course of the movie they discover that Unobtanium is available under a massively big tree....where Pandorans live..and Humans..want to evacuate Pandora's from the Big tree and capture the Unobtanium...

Pandora's are blue colored human like beings...but  twice or 4 times the size of humans.. They look like tribal people..or more like monkeys..they have a tail..also...

Since humans can not breath in Pandora's atmosphere..scientists have developed a Navi-Human breed, which looks and walks like a Navi. This Navi-Human breed is called "Avatar". There is a device which can link Avatar's body with Human brain...

There are many Avatar's in the mission but one of them...the Hero...becomes "The Avatar"..

Apart from the story...its a  real visual master piece ..a three dimensional(3D) movie..you need to wear special lenses to watch it...Though it takes 10 to 15 minutes to get adjusted to the 3D environment..its really amazing..

There were shots where I had in fact moved my head not to get hit by one of the gas cans or missiles shot to Pandora's by Human soldiers..

Initially when I saw the posters of Avatar..and the animated character..I was not interested...as I am not a big fan of human like animated characters....But James Cameron..has changed my mind set totally..nobody can tell that they are not real...

I have even fallen in love with the lead lady Pandorea's character..she is attractive too..her eyes..facial expression everything so natural...so real... that... you forget the fact that she is just an animated 3D character...

Altogether Avatar is a must watch...don't miss it.

My Experiments with Indian Railways

The most difficult thing with Indian Railways is getting a train ticket...this is near impossible if your journey date is during a weekend or festival time like.. Onam, X'mas, Dewali etc... The funniest thing is that they allow you to book ticket 3 months in advance.... That's too early for someone like me to plan and act on...for that matter..any Indian..

I always think about things at the last moment...not because...I want it that way....but because...that's how my gene's are coded.. But It seems like Indian Railyway's is able to alter my genetic code with their 3 months advance booking feature...I used to book ticket always on the opening day of booking...and that too exactly at 8.AM. The reason is that, if I don't get train ticket I will have to travel..on local buses..that is hell!!

So.. the question in your mind is where do I go so often??.. Yeah! I am a home sick guy....My home is Kerala.. and I work in Bangalore away from home, 624km precisely. I go home quite often..minimum once in a month...anyway..its just an over night journey...you don't need to be home sick to go home so often...

But nowadays my gene's are fighting back...the trigger is Tatkal ticket feature of railways department...yes..now you can book Tatkal ticket just two days in advance...But the probability of getting a Tatkal ticket is the same as getting a Nobel prize for Physics...

But with my years of research and experiments..with Indian Railways booking service, I can now book a Tatkal ticket with almost 99% predictability...

But what I need for that..
1. A Core 2 Duo processor computer with minimum 256kbps..reliable Internet connection
2. An Alarm clock that works with 100% accuracy..

How to book a Tatkal Ticket using IRCTC

1. Get enough sleep the day before booking date.
2. Set alarm for 7.30AM and go to sleep with a calm mind.
3. When you hear the alarm, get up immediately ..resist temptation to press snooze button.
4. Wash your face, brush your teeth..urinate...
5. At 7.45 start your computer..
6. Start modem also..and check internet connection
7. If you see that internet connection is down...Dont think twice..go for Plan B described below.
8. Login to www.irctc.co.in ( I assume you have registered before)
9. After you login go to "Plan My Travel" page and press "Refresh" every 5 seconds
10.When the time displayed on the page turns 8.00.01 book your ticket..

You will get ticket..I always get..

Plan B - How to book Tatkal ticket using mobile phone

If Internet connection is down...Use your mobile..

What you need to use Mobile for booking

1. A decent mobile phone with Java support
2. GPRS subscription
3. Ngpay shopping software

There is a mobile application callled "Ngpay" download it and be ready to use it.
 http://www.ngpay.com

The above 10 steps are applicable for Ngpay also..

Internet - The World Wide Web

When I started using the Internet, the first thing I did was to create an email account with Yahoo!.. That was... I think in 1998. .....I dont remember anybody sending me emails to that id. It was just there to tell others that ..yes this is my Yahoo Id.

I remember, I used to go to internet cafe's after my college hours...It was around 45 Rs/ Per hour or so.. very expensive... escpecially when you are studying.. and you have very limited pocket money.. When I  go for browing..I use Yahoo Search. Yahoo Mail.. Yahoo was very popular at that time.. And the speed was amazingly slow...I think it was a 56kbps dialup connection shared by 10 people. So now you can imagine the speed.

Possessing a Personal Computer was my dream since I started using it in 1996..My dream partially came true when I assembled a PC(Celeron/128mbRAM/40GB HD) during my post graduation. And the cost was shared among my room mates. Even though It was a shared PC.. It was me who has used it to the maximum extend.. there was no part of the PC that I have not touched..I remember...Once the hard disk was crashed and it became completely unusable...then I had to seek technical support from Seagate(Hardisk Manufacturer) to repair it....I had this "Geek" image among my friends...May be because I used to crash the system quite often..I don't know.


In 2003 I have my first Personal Computer!!..at home. In fact it was the same old PC we assembled during my post graduation. When the course was over I paid them their shares.. and took it home with me..

At home I took a BSNL dialup connection..And you know the first time when I got connected to the internet from home .... I felt like..There's a channel from my house to the rest of the world...something like that....I don't know I can't explain it in a few words...

Are you a good manager?

This is the question people ask themselves if they manage people..
Surprise..!!  I found the answer.. this is the result of my several years of research and hard work..

So try to answer the following questions....

1. Do you pretend to be busy even if you are not? 
2. Do you ask your subordinate to repeat what (s)he said just now, even if you have heard it..??
3. Do you always look at your laptop wallpaper, while you are talking.. ?
4. Do you always follow "Walk when you talk" motto? ( Managers will never stop to talk to you. You will have to follow him)
5. Do you always call your subordinate to your desk? ( Even if you have to borrow money from him?)
6. Do you always win an argument even if you are wrong?
7. Do you scold credit card sales girls for 10 minutes over phone?
8. Do you send one liner emails?
9. Do you have easy solutions for every kind of problems under the sun? 
10. Do you have at least one person to manage?
    

If your answer to any of the above questions is a "No". You may not be a "good manager".
So... now the question is how to become a good manager.....The answer is simple..just follow the above..

Because these kind of skills you can not learn from Harvard Business School or IIM Bangalore....They don't teach these...it's inborn...genetic...or in other words.... genetic disorders you inherit from your parents..

Who am I ? .....If you don't know....Ask Google

I am a person who search for myself in Google quite often...I generally do this when I have nothing else to do....I type my name in Google and go through all the links that's related to me.. I find lot of things... It looks like google has complete history about me..for past 5 years. Photos..emails...videos...

Yeah! Google is so advanced nowadays that......you can even search and read your emails through Google...( I am not talking about GMail ).. If you don't believe this, look at the live twitter updates that scrolls in Google search results.....Type "Tiger Woods" and see the latest results at the bottom of the page...

Its good and bad....

Its good because I feel proud that I am someone in this world... Bad because...many people have access to my private information...luckily it looks like Google could not find my credit card number....



Today I found a funny video I uploaded on youtube 3 years ago when I was working in Japan. Those were the days I felt I was totally disconnected from the rest of the world...May be I was home sick!!. The apartment where I was living was on the top of a hill...very beautiful place...

My favorite time-pass was watching TV..and I had only Japanese Channels... 95% of Japanese programs are related to food... they will eat something and say each other...Oaisi this ne..( means.. its delicious)

This programe was a surprise for me....  I could not stop laughing.. after I saw this program...I recorded it and uploaded in youtube....

Spotted Rahul Dravid in Reliance Timeout !!

This is the first time in my life I am seeing a celebrity of such high stardom and fan following so close. Today he came to Reliance Timeout in  Cunningham Road to launch a book of some author I have never heard before. "Roadrash" .. was that the name of the book?..No.. it was "Roadrun"..something like that...Who cares about the book....

After a short time in the coffee shop inside the mall.. Rahul climbed to a small elevated stage....Oh! my god... That moment turned him to a real...star..... cameras ..flashs everywhere....autographs....

The program started and the media settled down..

I think an old man wearing round spectacles was singing some kind of african...song..me and my friends were busy taking....photos.. He has travelled 15 time to US..and the author has done around 20 trips to US..... May be they are travel agents or cabin crew..No idea.. But the point is that there is a difference of 5 trips....

Later I came to know... he was not a cabin crew.. my friend A.B told me that he is a history writer.... he writes about history of cricket and ..and..may be history of history itself..

They next was a speech by our Super star. the one and only Rahul Dravid....

Hmm... I liked him.. nice guy... I think he was a bit shy.. but he gave an honest speech...

If you just look around....you will see many beautiful girls....staring at Dravid...yeah!!! they look like statues with eyes wide open. Lucky guy!

Despite all these, I was not overwhelmed... He looks like the guy next door..And it happens when you actually meet a big star face to face....( It does not apply to female celebrities.. though..)