Broad Band?

I am frustrated! My internet connection is too slow for today’s online media and applications. Due to my high data transfer, I need an unlimited connection. But BSNL (right now the most reliable and cheapest service provider) has unlimited in only a speed of 256Kbps. Ants move faster in the network these days. The speed is so slow that I have to buffer my favorite ‘Mile sur mera tumhara’ for 15 minutes, have a coffee break and then come back to check if it has buffered. I remembered having had a quick shower once while it buffered.

What is worse is that my favorite Microsoft World Wide telescope just refuses to load high detail space imagery with my connection. It says it would be faster to take a flight to space, escape earth’s gravitational pull, have a peep show at the universe and return to the ensconce of my home. What a pity.

India is growing, 3G, blah blah…. This is all a load of garbage. While Shashi twitters and India’s politicians wake up to the fact that twitter exist, we, who are trying to keep in times with the rest of the world, are forced to tread as slow as our slow moving camel-of-a-politicians. They say the chain is as strong as the weakest link. When will they wake up and give me more? It’s after all, speed I ask, not good roads!

Until then,I blog and wait… desperately…

A Mullah Nasruddin story

Once it happened that Mullah Nasruddin was walking on the path. It was a lonely path, the sun had set, and darkness was descending. Suddenly he felt afraid because a few people were coming in a band, and he thought, "These must be robbers... and there is nobody here execept myself." So he jumped over a wall that was just nearby and found himself in a graveyard. A newly dug grave was there so he climed into it, somehow calmed himself, closed his eyes, and waited for the people to pass so he could go home. But the people had also seen that somebody was there. Mulla had jumped suddenly, so they also became afraid : What was the matter? Was somebody hiding there, or doing something mischievous? So they all jumped over the wall.

Now Mulla was certain : 'I was right, I judged rightly, they are dangerous people. Now nothing more can be done; I must pretend that I am dead.' So he pretended. He stopped breathing because you cannot rob or kill a dead man.

But the people had seen him jump so they became very worried . What was he doing? They gathered around, looked into the grave, and asked, 'What is the idea? What are you doing? Why are you here?'

Mulla opened his eyes, looked at them; then he felt certain that there was no danger. He laughed , and said, 'Now, here is a problem, a very philosophical problem. You ask me why I am here, and I would like to ask why you are here. I am here because of you and you are here because of me!'

Wonderful Lalbagh

This is one of my favorite places in Bangalore. I go there again and again, and this time I did so with my camera. Here are a few snaps.

Music and Meditation

To me, music and meditation are two aspects of the same phenomenon. And without music, meditation lacks something; without music, meditation is a little dull, unalive. Without meditation, music is simply noise -- harmonious, but noise. Without
meditation, music is an entertainment. And without music, meditation becomes more and more negative, tends to be death-oriented.

Hence my insistence that music and meditation should go together. That adds a new dimension -- to both. Both are enriched by it.
Remember three M's . The first M is mathematics; mathematics is the purest science. The second M is music; music is pure art. And the third M is meditation; meditation is pure religion. Where all these three meet, you attain the trinity.

~Osho in the Dhammapada

Back in India

After an eventful ten months and four seasons in Europe, I am back in India. I come back with joy, happiness and many expectations.

My perceptions on the world and India have definitely changed. But India has not. This poses a big problem to someone like me, who has seen progressed civilizations and societies and expect India to match this. This, I know, is unfair. But let us take a minute to jot down some points which I felt were stark contrasts to Europe, good and bad.

The Good :

1) People :- The warmth and affection from people here in India is immense. People are willing to go the extra mile for you without expecting anything in return. In Europe people do it as a social custom or in most cases refuse point blank.

2) Freedom : Europe, and especially Germany is a country of rules. For everything for everyday life, there are rules. Times are strictly adhered to and in general people are also programmed in such a way. This is a pain in the neck when you want to do something in the spur of the moment.

3) Time :- The Europeans work less. Far less. This is a huge inconvenience when you want a tube of toothpaste on Sunday or a razor at 10:00 PM. You have to plan to buy that tube when it is 2 brushes away.

The Bad:

1) Air : You breathe European cities’ air and you don’t want to breathe air in India. Fresh, clean and void of smoke. Perfect for clean lungs and a long life.

2) Cleanliness :- Ultra clean cities. No dust, no dogs, no rats, no plastic, you get the dough.

3) Nature : Pristine and un touched. Cities have woods and parks which are huge and enough to make you feel you are in no man’s land. Clean rivers and clean lakes. Nice for outdoor activities on a summers day.

4) People : Non interfering and extremely cultured and mannered. They are polite, sometimes plastic, but nevertheless polite and courteous. Maybe just the Germans. French are a lot ruder. No back biting, no criticism, you are free to be who you want. All things are accepted.

5) Discipline : For those of us who like to plan, the plans work. Buses, trains, shops everything have a clock in their DNA. You can expect to catch the bus at 7:51 AM every single day.

There could be a lot more to write here. But these are just a few. I think the best approach is to accept both worlds as it is. Not compare, not judge like I have done. Just accept and know that things are this way.

It just makes life easier.

Laugh of the day

I was sick yesterday down with a bad tummy and when I returned to office this morning, the usual lip sympathy ensued. There was the usual , "How are you? Are you better" , "You should have taken today off as well". But what stuck out of the usual banter of questions was when I waked up to my German manager and announced that I was back. He immediatedy retorted, "I am glad you are back, I was under the impression you have the pig's influence". For a minute my mind froze trying to understand which pig's influence was he talking about, especially since I am a vegetarian. He added, "It is after all spreading through Germany as well". It was then a huge smile spread across my face and I replied ,"No No Dr.Hans, thankfully I don't have the swine flu" and quitely walked back to my desk.

By the way, this really happened this morning. Couldn't wait until I shared it with you guys.

E-Scribe with ScribeFire plug in for FF

Here is my first post from the Firefox plugin 'ScribeFire'. So far it looks quite good. Just took my first screen shot in Ubuntu. Just press the print screen button and voila! Out pops a dialogue box, asking me where to save my snapshot. Here is a snap shot of the Scribefire plug in for FireFox.


Quite impressed with this blogging client. Need to get more comfortable with it of course. Will use this more often to blog.
Also my Linux learning curve has been quite good. The best part is that there is so much support available in the forums for all kind of issues. Also lots of free software which can be browsed and downloaded through the Ubuntu Software Centre! Amazing!
Thinkning of starting a new blog for all my Linux learnings. Maybe I re-use one of my older blogs. WIll keep you guys updated. But I do strongly urge you to use Ubuntu. It is fantastic!

The story of the Mosque and the Temple.

L.K.Advani said today and I quote:

“I am proud of my association with the Ayodhya movement. I was grieved over the demolition of that structure but the establishment of a huge Ram Temple on that spot in keeping with people's aspiration is my aim in life and until it happens, I will keep pursuing it“ (link).

Two things here bother me

1) The country’s leader of the opposition party says that the aim in his life is to build a huge Ram temple. Whoa! Are we talking about a head priest in some temple or are we talking about the Prime Minister of this country in case the opposition comes to power? I find this ridiculous and truly amazing. This just goes to show the aspirations of this man. I would expect the aims and aspiration of a leader like Advani to be on the lines of elimination of illiteracy, modernization, development, agriculture and rural development. But No! A temple! Who cares if a temple is erected or not, how does it effect one’s life? How is contributing to the growth of this nation? Truly scary.

2)He says he was grieved over the demolition of the structure but also wants the temple to be erected. Now isn’t that contradictory? How can one exist without the other. If he says the aim in his life is to build the Ram temple, then this automatically means that all his efforts are in destroying the Mosque. How can that grieve him. This is a lie and quite evident from this contradiction. It is like saying that I love the heat of the summer but I am grieved at the disappearing winter!

Leaders like this shape our country. We have seen in the past what costly mistakes we Indians and India has had to pay in the hands of such leaders. Make sure whom you vote for next time.