Moust on Sale..Only $9,999

This one was posted on edealinfo.com today....

Check out this link

In case they change it, here's a snapshot as evidence ;)

Hrishikesh Mukherjee....Anand sab ko chhod gaye...

It's one of those sad days for Indian Cinema...Veteran Filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee died today.....

It's a coincidence that some days back we saw the movie Bawarchi, one of those movies, which had that typical Hrishikesh Mukherjee touch, simplicity with a deep message....

His movies Anand, Chupke Chupke, Bawarchi..and so many more have always been a pleasure to watch, and one of my all time favorite movies....

May his soul rest in peace..

The Lull

Well, I know there has been a lull in my blogging, the reason..work...and basically the fact that I have not been able to get some free time to think.
News for today:

Pluto ko ghar se nikaal diyaa gaya hai.. The poor little planet was thrown out of the solar system You can read about it here

Paryushan is on, so my diet has been reduced to eating moong and chana for the past few days..though we had dosas just before the onset of paryushan ..

I was just explaining a friend as to why the probability of an Indian guy (studying in the US) being committed is less than that of an Indian girl . One picture was quite enough reason...The picture can be found here

Life n times..when it all began..

This is a post from one of the mails that I sent out to friends and family back home in India about my new experiences in Uncle Sam's land. Given below is just one of them, and I simply find it amusing to read this ...

"hi

well its me back again...i actually wasnt having time
to write mails..but the writer in me.....

well been to Arizona over the weekend..and met some
NRIs and some ABCDs....and was pretty eventful at tht

well..tht day i had my first exp of findin my way to
the airport by bus..

here , the system though is good u just write in the
start and end points..and u;ve a map with
directions..pretty interestin though

so i typed in the points and got this map with
directions..now the best part

this is the link for the map in case neone is
interested


http://mtaweb6.mta.net/scripts/esrimap.dll?name=trip&day=TOD&m=A&fare=RG+&min=30&hour=11&timecrit=AR&format=TABLETEXT&pOrigin=@03960%2C+08393%2C6475631%2C1833062*+S+Hoover+St+%2F+W+28th+St+90007%2C+Los+Angeles&pDestination=@03502%2C+08015%2C6437906%2C1801816*Lax%2C+Los+Angeles&Submit=Continue


so with a printout in hand and a small handbag ( woh
bhi borrowed frm dipesh coz mine had torn
apart..remember)

now as u can see..it says go to the NW corner of
hoover and 28th..now i reached the spot..it was 4
roads..but

HOW DO I FIND NW???????????

there was not one single person on the road...and i
didnt knw wht to do..

and it was 10 am..and i suddenly realized tht there
was one thing which cud guide me..the SUN..and yes it
worked...

i saw the sun..took tht as east and went to the
corner..caught tthe 1st bus and got down at the
required place..the bus drivers are pretty co-op u c

the 2nd time rnd..i wasnt lucky...it was abt 11 ..and
the sun was right above me...so cudnt do nethin..

i thot for a while and went to one corner...

at a distance i cud see a board..which said


SOUTH 101 -------------->

i was pretty happy...tht i finally found somethin and
started to calc accordingly..just then i observed tht
just above this board there was another which said


^
NORTH 101 |
|


now i realised tht these werent directions..and so...

well somehow got to the airport and off to AZ by
southwest airlines..

but b4 tht, a bit abt buses here

there are metro buses..there arent any conductors..but
yes u are reminded by our mumbai cha conductors who
kick u out if u dond have 'Sutte Paise'

Here its simpler...beside the driver, there's a
machine ..u just put the xact fare into tht..if its
less u arent allowed..if its more..well no change
provided :)

neways thts abt buses..somethin better

SouthWest Airlines..seems like a gr8 american airline
doesnt it..well its a cost saving one..it costme 73$
in all to go to arizona by a 1:20 hr flight and be
back...and this fare is very less if u book in advance

and the airline..wow..proper country stuff...

they dont serve food on the airline.. :)
babes for airhostesses...well they seem more like
strict matrons(they r followin indian airlines on this
so..all 40+)...who behave like...'hey fasten ur seat
bet..wht r u doin?'

u r allowed to bring ur own food on the plane..so if
we all go..we wud prob hv thepalas and puris...and
stuff:)

then after a bit of a hassle at te airport..went for
mahavir jayanti...and the first taste of wht american
indian life is all abt...

The ppl who arent jains or not acquainted with it prob
wont understand much..but its interestin..

..hmm i hd better write tht in a separate mail so tht
ppl can easily skip tht..but ffor jains a must read!

Harshit

"

I don't know if that link works, but I did not want to change the content of the mail..

But then, I am nostalgic about these mails, and those days, when I feel that the boy in me made way for a man..and I learnt some of the most important lessons of life...from the best teacher in the world ...Experience :)

btw..the mail uses a word ABCDs. A friend of mine Prashant told me once...tht 'we ABCDs don't mind being called ABCDs, except that the C in the ABCD means 'cultured' '. To this day I remember those words, and have utmost respect for the guy..!

Interesting notice on VESIT notice board

Supposedly, the following notice has been put up on the ground floor notice board of VESIT .. Hope Bhavik Vora has given accurate information on the orkut VESIT folks community



" A 10 Rupee note has been found out outside the Office. If its urs and if u can tell the serial code of the same... u will get it!!!"


Maybe everyone should try...make a big line outside the office and enter a random number each...Too Good though :)

yeh hai bombay meri jaan...

Call it Bombay..Call it Mumbai..

It's all the same...It's where the heart is..

I won't say that it's the best or it's the number one...but it's different. there's something special in this city that you'll never find anywhere...it's the spirit of the city...it's the spirit of Bombay...

It was the usual morning for me....but even before I had opened my eyes, i got a call from my father that there was a bomb blast, and that everyone was safe..and they informed me because mobile networks were down, and it could have been difficult for me to contact them..

I read news articles that evening about the blasts and the aftermath...and i cried..cried for those people who had lost their lives, or their near and dear ones...and then suddenly it seems that the thousands of miles don't make a difference to your attachment to that city you love so much...

As always, the spirit of the city was up, and Mumbaikars from all sections of society and from all areas of Bombay rushed up to help stranded commuters, victim families, and in general to ensure that the city is back to normal the next day...

I found these lines in an article on rediff.com...

"Mohammad Karim and Mahesh Kumar, both from Malad in northwest Mumbai, are regulars; both were surprised at the relative lack of commuters. "This train is always crowded," Mahesh said. "Both of us came today to prove that our city will stand up to any kind of terrorism."

The two, cloth merchants by trade, routinely catch the 5.54; they are part of the 'local' sub-culture, where regular commuters know each other, keep space for one another, and spend the commute catching up on each other's lives -- strangers-turned-friends for the duration of each day's journey. "

yes, bombay has this category of friends..train friends as they call it...and as my father tells me...that in his career, he has had so many close friends like that...'

if you want to read more about it...read these articles.

http://specials.rediff.com/news/2006/jul/14slide1.htm
http://specials.rediff.com/news/2006/jul/12mahim1.htm

But then, enough is enough...a city that contributes 60% of the taxes should get more..and if it does not..it's time that the politicians are given a run for their money...

My prayers and sympathies for the victims of the blast.....sorry...we could not be there in the time of need..

Solid bole to.....Wikipedia...!

I got this as a forwarded mail from Virag. This is basically from an article in Wikipedia, which talks of Bambaiyya (Bombay-Mumbai) Hindi. It makes for quite an interesting read, and you'll feel nostalgic if you are from Bombay. Check it out...!


The best part is that you can add new words or change the meanings of words if you have more information.. The next time someone asks you about Bombay, :)


The language of Mumbai is an altogether different lingo ... wonder why?

Bus kya :
The meaning of it is that com'on don't take me for granted.

Apun :
It's actual meaning is WE but in Mumbaiyya hindi it means I or me...

Chava / Chavi :
Actual meaning of a chava is a lion's cub. However, in Bambaiya hindi
(Bhindi) it would mean a Boyfriend/GirlFriend (normally the one that's
going steady). Chava, is also used to describe to a good looking chap or
the normal stud in the locality. No, Chavi would still mean the steady one.

Chikna / Chikni :
Stands for any good looking fellow. Chikna actually means smooth.

Dhapnya / Battery / double battery :
Refers to a person wearing prescription glasses. Dhapnya is a marathi word.
The Ghati way of saying this would be "bya-tree".

Chaayla :
The original meaning is quiet demeaning. The contemporary meaning is so
flexible that "Chaayla" can be used anywhere in a casual conversation.
Agmatically speaking this word doesnt have any meaning.

Haila :
This originated from "Hai Allah " But I don't think 99% of the users know
about this.
Haila would translate to "Oh God"

Keeda /SulemaniKeeda / RehmaniKeeda :
An absolute pest.

Paka Mat:
Its means don't eat my head or leave me alone.
Actually pakana in hindi is to cook.

Jhakaas :
Superb. Excellent.

Mandvali / Mandavli :
Compromise /Negotiation or truce

Gangaram :
For a barber. Gangaram is a guy's name. I guess some Gangaram must have
played an immortal role in some play or movie for his name to stick on.

Dhakkan :
Dhakkan in its true sense would mean a cover. Here it refers to anyone with
a moronic intellect or an Idiot.

Dhating:
The word Dhating also refers to drama.

Atrang :
One meaning of this word is similar to Hajaam.
Atrangi also mean something strange or extraordinary.

Funter / Tapori :
Roadside loafer. Tapori is among the most commonly used words in Bhindi.

Shana :
Literal meaning in marathi means wise..but mostly used in sarcastic way.

Diid shana :
The word diid means 1 and half times the original one In Marathi.
That means 1 and half times shana.

ChappanTikkli :
Actual meaning 56 spots : this is not used now-a-days.
but in Bhindi it means one with lots of pimples / marks on his/her face.

Dum :
Actual meaning is cigarette with marijuana for kick.
but nowdays commonly used to refer ordinary cigarette.. or even
scold someone.

Hul [Hool] :
hul means to scold but not quite literally ..

Bevda / Gutter / Taankee / Batli / JohnnyWalker :
A Drunk. Johnny Walker comes from either the actor by the name or the
whiskey brand. Daru and gutter are very closely linked for reasons beacause
cheap beer is made from gutter water or so goes some old saying. Bevda is
often used to describe the drink as well as the totally drunk

Charsi / Fookya / Soootya :
A smoker. Charas is exactly marijuana. Charasi would mean any guy who
smokes though.

Rappak [ Rappppppppak ] :
Means Slap.

Tapri :
A road side shop.

Chotu :
For any kid working in a Tapri.

Mava / (120 - 300) [ EkSauBees-TeenSau ] :
This is a prototype of paan you get here. 120 and 300 are the flavors of
tabacco. Mava is everything that paan has without the betel-leaf.
Term also refer to the person who consumes it.

Dhakta :
Actual meaning is younger in Marathi. in this case it is small paan packet.

Dhoop Chaav :
Means Sun and Shade. Refers to the shops owned by the road side
barbers who just have a rag for the Chaav and is obviously hole-ridden to let
the Dhoop come in.

Chinese Gaadi :
No this is not a Chinese make of anautomobile, Its the "Tapri" selling
chinese food on the side of the road. You find one after every 10 meters.
The best part is that all these Chinese Gaadis are red in color, with the
picture of a dragon or a chinese man and have names like "Red Sun", "Red
Dragon", "Fong's", "Ching" "Sung-Ming"or "Chow" or anything that sounds
even vaguely Chinese. The cook is normally a Nepali working as a night
watchman in some nearby apartment complex. The only criteria to get a
chef's job at a Chinese Gaadi is to have slanted eyes.

Mahim - Matunga / Vasai - Virar :
This is a term used for squints.

Ghungroo Salmaan :
This term is very new but catching on fast. Ghungroo refers to a curly
haired guy. Salmaan (Khan) comes in the picture
since the "Ghunroo Salmaan" fellow is obviously mistaking Himself
to be a Hindi film hero. It's used as a put-down.

Cutting :
A little_more_than_half cup of Tea is a cutting. The Cutting concept would
have been started by people who used to split a cup of tea between 2
people... and finally the tea vendor started selling half cup of tea and
called it "cutting". A little_more_than_half is given to increase the patrons.

AndhaDhuni / Aadva-Patta :
These are a cricketing terms. AadvaPatta comes from Pune, means "Cross
batted shot". AndhaDhuni means "Blind shot".But nowadays these refer to
any guy who doesn't bat well.

Mama / Maushi :
Mama and Maushi translate to the maternal uncle and aunt. These words are
thoroughly misused to get some work done.
Normally used while speaking Marathi. Every other Marathi speaking street
vendor would be a Mama or a Maushi. (to increase the stakes while bargaining)

Dada / Tai :
Translate to elder brother or sister.

Uncle / Auntie :
This is used for the more sophisticated public. Normally with the Marathi ignorant.

Ghaati :
Ghaatis are the residents of the rural regions of Maharashtra. It's usage
is quiet demeaning..... and thus heard more frequently.

Ganda bhai/Gujju / Marwadi :
The money men of Mumbai. These guys are easily spotted on the road - either in colorful shirts, embroidered trousers, against the mirror of a parked
vehicle combing their hair, or doing something equally funny. These guys
are the second largest community in Bombay after the Marathi-speaking people.

Madrasi/Anna :
Madras is a place in the southern part of India. Madrasi refers to any guy
from a place to the south of Maharashtra. Doesn't matter where he is from. Bangalore, Goa, Anywhere....And the best part of being a Madrasi is that you are supposed to eat idli sambar forbreakfast, lunch, and dinner. And rasam-chaval is supposed to be the favourite dish.

Gulti :
This is a fairly new term. Used for people from Andhra Pradesh.I don't have
a clue about its origin or actual meaning.

Bhaiya / Pandit :
Any guy from UP / Bihar / MP / Delhi / Northern states is called a Bhaiya.
Pandit is also used interchangeably but is mostly used for the guys at the
Lassi/Doodh shops or for Panwallas.

Paapay / Papajee/Sardar :
A Sikh. Dont know what a paapay means. Actually its not insulting or anything like that.

Pavwalla/Maka Pav :
The Christians. I guess this started because of the fact that they eat
bread instead of chapatis.

Another very common used bhindi word is abey or abe ! This is often used in
combination with other words like abe saale, abe halkat (females tend to
use this more often), abe dhapnike, abe battrey, etc.

And last but not the least is Saala : Literal meaning wife's brother....but
in Mumbai it is used in every context whether good or bad...when friends
meet and greet then it is "kya saala kaisa hai....." when angry "abey
saale....phoot na"...

In fact this is the most common used word in mumbai.... and can be used
when you are happy / sad /depressed / angry / shy / vulgar / teasing / and when there is nothing else to say then use a saala....

Sophisticated Meaning In Bombay
There's a minor problem
Arre yaar, "Waanda" ho gaya

There's a big problem
Arre yaar, "Zol" ho gaya

There's a huge problem
Arre yaar, "Raada" ho gaya

You'll be surprised .
Ekdam "Hill" jayega tu

I am going out of this place
Chal apun "Kaltii" marta hai.

Don't make a fool of others
Dekh , Tu "Shendi" mat laga sabko

He duped him of the Money
Saala "Chuna" Laga ke Gaya

Just get out of here, you oversmart fool!!
Chal e Shaaane, "Hawa" aan de

I am not a stupid out here
Apun kya "ALIBAUG" se nahi aaya

There's some misunderstanding
Arre kuch "Galat Faimili" ho gayi

Do u drink daily?
Tu kya roz "FULL TO" hota hai?

See, You are afraid..
Dekh , teri to "FAT" gayi

Shall I just bash u?
E Du kya "Kharcha Pani" ?

Get Lost from Here
Aee Chal "havaa" aane de

Just take him into a secret place
Use jara "Khopche" me leke ja

What a beautiful lady !!
Kya "Zakaas Item" hai yaar!!

What a sensuous/unexplainably sexy lady!!
Kya "Raapchik Maal / Piece" hai yaar!!

Don't just bluff..OK?
E Jyaada "RAAG" mat de..

Ya..she is staring at u.. buddy!!!
Kya sahi "LINE" deti hai "Bhiduu"!!

Don't take much tension..
Jyaada "LOAD" nahi leneka kya??

Your clothes are very awkward!!
Kya "ZAGMAG / DHINKCHAAK" pehna tune?

I don't care about it much..!!
Abe yaar , "Hata Saawan Ki Ghata"
Please don't overbore me..
Jyaada "PAKAA" mat be tu

All this must be done without anyone's notice
Sab kaam "SUUMDI" me hona chahiye.kya?

"SAHI HAI NA BAAP??!!!...KYA BOLTAY??"

India, Aha....!

The current issue of Time Magazine is carrying an interesting cover story. In fact, when I logged onto CNN.com, it too had this one as the main story.




It's kinda sudden, that over the last few years, India has become the center of focus, and most western countries have suddenly started treating India and China as the world leaders of the future. Lets hope we make it . The post before this, seems to be the biggest deterrent though :)

Here is the link to the story on CNN.

A lot of rage, a bit of Rang De

I had always heard of the freedom struggle from my grand uncles, from my grandmother and from my history books. Perhaps I was never imagine to visualise what the atmosphere would be like in those times when students stopped going to school and people started burning all international goods, or workers went on strike, and all of India had just one goal in mind. The true taste of 'Rang De Basanti'

Yesterday I attended a small gathering here in the Bay Area against Arjun Singh and the whole idea of reservations. It felt good, in some small way, if I could contribute against this stupidity, it would give me a lot of satisfaction. All these years of frustration in the minds of all students, including myself, has finally given way . And I hope they succeed. I hope WE succeed.

It doesn't make sense anyways. Having studies in an engineering college full of these reservations, it's an open truth that many of the guys who take advantage never make it through their engineering or medicine, and the seats are sold off once they drop out. And if you are so concerned about equal rights, why do you bring the caste system into picture at the first place? Me and Asim had quite an argument with one of the guys who had actually come to this anti-reservation rally fighting on his ideology that there should be more and more reservations. I have to say that we could no where identify with any of his arguments, leave alone agree with them.

It's sad to see the plight of students who are undergoing hunger strikes and clashes with the government. May God give them strength.

And probably some pictures that I thought were really worth a thousand words in this hour of rebellion. Picked up from cartoons and news articles

Question Paper Ho to Aisa

Imagine going to an exam, with one of your toughest subjects, and guess what , the answers are printed right there, just below the questions !

Mid-day is carrying a story that in the microwave-2 paper in Mumbai University, the answers to 2 questions were printed right below the questions .Check out the story here



I guess this kind of laziness on the part of paper setters is something that no one will object to ;)!

Pramod Mahajan - RIP

It was sad to hear about the death of Pramod Mahajan, especially given the circumstances surrounding his death.

I am a person who takes interest in politics, and someone who believes, that every citizen can take an active role in determining the future of this country. I know that like every other leader Pramod Mahajan too had his share of controversies, however, i would say he was one leader who could defend himself, speak fluently, take strong decisions, and stand by them. His oratory skills, both in English and Hindi were excellent, something which I consider as a very strong point for any politician.

May his soul rest in peace.

Reservations ki to...

This mail came to me as a forward. It's been posted at several blogs. Read the whole article and then comments at the end

that may happen in future..


Ahmedabad, 30 April 2056: I attended the bash at the IIM-OBC Alumni Association to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the reservation of seats for OBCs (Other Backward Castes) in IIMs. Since I’m not an OBC, I was not supposed to attend, but at present, we MBFCs (Moderately Backward Forward Castes) together with the Non-Scheduled Tribes have a political alliance with the OBCs. We sipped champagne and talked about how so many of us had progressed from reserved seats in the IIMs to reserved jobs to reserved promotions. Unfortunately, the party broke up when a Non-scheduled Tribes faculty member objected to the OBCs dancing with all the pretty girls — he wanted equal opportunities for every caste at each dance. I pointed out that the Non-scheduled Tribes had exceeded the quota of champagne reserved for them. The party ended in a pitched caste battle.

1 May 2056: Today, I became president of the IIM Board of Directors. Under the present rotating presidency system, a member of each caste is made the president by turn. When it was the turn of the MBFCs for president, they had to choose me because I’m the only MBFC on the campus. True, I’m only the campus dhobi, but then every caste must be given an equal opportunity. All those centuries of oppression by the OSBFCs (Only Slightly Backward Forward Castes) and the OFCs (Other Forward Castes) must be rectified. I hope to restore the high standards at IIM — I overheard some foreigners calling it the Indian Institute of Morons, the other day.

2 May 2056: They’ve announced the cricket team for the series against Australia. I was overjoyed when they chose an MBFC man as captain. But my hopes were dashed when I realised he was a Most Backward Forward Caste and not a Moderately Backward Forward Caste. The selection committee lamented that it was gross discrimination that no member from the Jarowa tribe (the Stone Age tribe in the
Andamans) had ever found a place in the Indian cricket team. A squad has since been dispatched to the Andamans to capture a Jarowa tribal to play in the national team. I hope he will improve their performance — they had an innings defeat against the Maldives recently. I would have played myself except for the fact that I lost a leg some years ago when I was in hospital with a toothache and a doctor recruited through the Unscheduled Caste quota extracted my leg instead of my tooth.

3 May 2056: There are too many NFCs (Neo-Forward castes) in the IT business. Under the terms of the Business Reservation Act, their firms will now be taken over by the other castes. I hope they will be able to restore the Indian IT industry back to its former glory. For some unfathomable reason, it has gone down the drain after job reservations were implemented. I went for a movie featuring star actor Mungeri Ram. He may lack teeth, be four-feet-three and have hair growing out of his nose, but this year it’s the turn of the EBC-RYs (Extremely Backward Caste-Rural Yokels) to be stars and Mungeri Ram is the best of the lot. I wonder why foreign movies have become so popular.

4 May 2056: A truly great day. We now have an OFBMBC (Other Forward But Moderately Backward Caste) general as the Head of the Armed Forces. I hope he’ll be able to win back the territory we lost ever since reservations were implemented in the Army. Since then, the north has been taken by Pakistan, the North-east by China, the east by Bangladesh and the south by Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Only last winter, we lost the war against Bhutan and free India is now limited to the western coastal states. But I’m sure the OFBMBC general will turn the tide.

5 May 2056: My wife and I have been blessed with a bonny daughter. Since my wife’s an SBBNSBC (Slightly Backward But Not So Backward Caste), my daughter will be an MBFC-SBBNSBC. I must lobby for reservation for her caste. She’s the only member and I’m sure she has a great future.

COMMENTS:

To start with, this might seem funny, but when SC/ST reservations started many years back, a thought of having 8 different categories namely SC ST OBC SBC VJ NT1 NT2 NT3 seemed funny. Yes I remember all those names, coz I missed out on quite some good opportunities due to this. Isn't this cumulative ? 58 years after independence, and almost the same time for reservations, people who fall under this category have already taken advantage of these reservations in multiple ways, and have gone far richer and forward than the middle class ( and including the high castes ), and they no longer need reservations.

And then, India with its growing population, and scarcity of resources, such reservations are only going to deny opportunities to people who need it most. Is anyone hearing?

Uttering talaq in sleep lands couple in soup

Priyendra sent me this ourtageous article

Check this one out. Makes for a great read.

2 great TV shows...and 2 dreams...

Thanks to my roomies, i am getting addicted to 2 good TV shows, lost and 24 . Both of them are based on very unique concepts and make for an interesting watch.

'Lost' is about a flight which crashed on an mysterious tropical desert island, and now the people who survived the crash, have to fight it out for themselves on the island, and it describes their struggle, and the way things work out. There are also a lot of surprise elements in the series, which make it even more interesting.

'24' stars Keifer Sutherland as Jack Bauer, a federal agent, and every season consists of 24 episodes, each episode covering 1 hr of the day, and in each season there is some plot of assasination/bombing etc, which is finally fended off. The episodes are well made, and also have tht thrilling feel to it. Worth a watch.It's actually good to see it in this format of hours, as you can actually feel the day going on.

Yes, and i have 2 dreams, or 2 goals which I have been developing over the past some months. The first one is to run the marathon or at least half of it next year. A big part of the inspiration for this, goes to Animesh Pathak's blog and his description of the marathon. I guess I'll be able to do something about this by next year...

The second dream...well its something tht i hv been thinking for a while to do...Any guesses?

USC Application- a Must Watch

Check this one out guys.

The next time someone asks you ' What are my chances of getting into USC ?' Show them this application..! I guess this one potrays why USC is also popularly called 'University of Spoilt Children' ! The application speaks for itself, though check out the meaning of signature, and also, that in lieu of ur transcripts an 8 by 10 glossy picture should also suffice.

It's a bit sad though to see some racist comments. Guess except them, it makes for a nice application :)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in that application are solely that of the original authors. I do not subscribe nor am responsible for any racist or otherwise comment on the link.

An American's view of India

People, this is an absolute must watch. An American's view of India, and how things that seem so simple and routine to us, seem surprising to him. Also interesting is, how these simple things could possible see India becoming the next superpower. Not much to write on this video, just see the video and leave your comments

Click here to watch the video

The Million dollar Web page

Many of you might have heard about this, but for those who haven't,

First the story:

Alex Tew, a 21 year old student wanted to study business management at the University of England, but like many graduate students , he wasn't sure of how he would get the money for it. Pondering over different ideas, he thought of making a homepage and selling ads on it for 1 $ / pixel, thinking that if there would be a million pixels up for sale, at least 15k to 20k pixels would be sold off, thus giving him enough money to get through his college.( http://www.milliondollarhomepage.com/faq.php#4)

This said and done, he started selling pixels and the site become hugely popular, and ultimately he made much more than a million dollars on it.

This one story is truly great. Simply because unlike startups (eg Google), where the underlying principle involved a great deal of technology and/or business models and business sense, in addition to the idea, this did not require anything at all. Plus, no venture capitalist, no proposals , and to top it all, no risk of failure. What would he have lost in case this idea did not work. Some dollars, and hardly any man hours. But then, it worked, and credit to Alex for proving to the world that 'where there is a will, there is a way '

Its good to be tired :)

On my first blog (http://harshits.blogspot.com/2004/11/tiring-day.html), I had claimed that most of my blogs wil contain the word tired or tiring. :)

After all the different turns that I went through, I truly have one thing to conclude. It's good to be tired. It's good to be working. It's good to be under pressure to do things.Idle days are good when they are few, but a monotonous life is really the last thing u want.

It is this pressure, and a desire to move ahead in life, that finally brings the best out of us, and the fruits of hard work are always sweet .

Call Center Video

Amit Rajadhyaksha sent me this nice video, of a call center scenario

http://callcentermovie.com/movie/movie.html

I have been having quite some trouble with these call center guys. I just get so pissed off when the guys act as if they are the greatest computer geniuses ever born on the face of this earth. To top it all, the most frequent habit of , 'Sure, we are here to help you' OR ' Let me connect you to an expert' . Maybe this video will tell you more.

See the video and leave your comments.

Scam busters...

It's so interesting. A friend of mine told me recently, that he had got an offer for a very high paying short term job. I was not sure what he meant. On further investigation, found tht it was in Africa ....And yes, the scam begins

Most of you might have got a mail from "BIBI LUCKY" asking you to contact them, if you wished to become an overseas agent and get 30% of the millions ....When i got the email, I found it funny, but interestingly enough a lot of people fall for such a trap. Also, the email tells u to keep the matter confidential, thus dissuading you from discussing these things with your friends.

However, there are more interesting things. Heard about the Q33NY, wingdings 9/11 email. The claim is that if you type Q33 NY in wingdings font you get a plane, 2 towers, and a skeleton, thus signifying the WTC attacks. The mail claims that Q33 NY was one of the hijacked flights which slammed into the World Trade Centers. For over 4 years now, people blindly forward tht mail.

Now, none of the flights flying on tht day was caled Q33NY

They were

American airlines N334AA
United Airlines Flight N612UA
American Airlines Flight N644AA
United Airlines Flight N591UA

So tht whole thing was a hoax. The trick is simple, send this email out, and at least 70-80% of people will send it out without confirming the truth. Maybe 4 yrs ago, i might have done the same.

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/wingdings-911.html

This site pretty much exposes the number of hoaxes that we might come across.. Definitely worth a look. Also, I stronglyrecommend, looking up any such mail on google and/or wikipedia before forwarding it.