Well, I'm in Tokyo! Will be here for another month or so! My first trip outside India and MAN!! what a trip!
The Japanese people are just amazing - they give each other a lot of respect, they talk very politely and they work very hard.
I wanna write some more stuff here - places to see, what to eat (if you're a veggie and non veggie), etc.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Virgnia Tech - "most horrific shootout till now"?
This is how TV reporters are describing what happened at VT. Other facts - there have 19 cases of shootouts in places of learning in the last 10 years (source: BBC). I'm sorry, but what will it take for the American Public to wake up and smell the gunpowder?
It is really only the public that can take a stand for gun control, because the American politician's sure ain't gonna do anything - the gun lobby is too damn powerful.
If you need guns for your protection, then what is your Police really doing? If the world's (only) superpower's citizens feel the need for owning guns because they need them for their protection, then one really needs to think if this is a sane line of thinking. Just because you have a history of owning guns (and doing so proudly) is not justification enough for continuing to sell firearms to the public.
This incident was not because that it was that guy at that place - it was just a guy who was nuts and had EASY access to guns. The most troubling thought is that this combination is frighteningly common in a country like the US (in other countries, it would just be "a guy who was nuts and threatened to jump of a building").
So all it takes is a simple sequence of events - "weird" or mad guy has enough of his employer or teacher, decides to take some revenge for the wrongdoings he is suffering.
Sad to say but unless there is a drastic change in gun control laws in the US, incidents like this will continue to take place (I wish I'm wrong).
It is really only the public that can take a stand for gun control, because the American politician's sure ain't gonna do anything - the gun lobby is too damn powerful.
If you need guns for your protection, then what is your Police really doing? If the world's (only) superpower's citizens feel the need for owning guns because they need them for their protection, then one really needs to think if this is a sane line of thinking. Just because you have a history of owning guns (and doing so proudly) is not justification enough for continuing to sell firearms to the public.
This incident was not because that it was that guy at that place - it was just a guy who was nuts and had EASY access to guns. The most troubling thought is that this combination is frighteningly common in a country like the US (in other countries, it would just be "a guy who was nuts and threatened to jump of a building").
So all it takes is a simple sequence of events - "weird" or mad guy has enough of his employer or teacher, decides to take some revenge for the wrongdoings he is suffering.
Sad to say but unless there is a drastic change in gun control laws in the US, incidents like this will continue to take place (I wish I'm wrong).
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Visa power!!
I just receieved my US B1 Visa! It's for a ten year period. Out of the 10 years, how many years would I actually spend in the US? That we will have to see! :)
Any Companies that are looking for IT folks with a B1 visa, look no further! Your search ends here!
Any Companies that are looking for IT folks with a B1 visa, look no further! Your search ends here!
And we're ....................
back!!!!!
I think I should be putting in more posts this year as opposed to last year and the year before that!
Hoping that this year should be a great one (God, are you listening?) :)
Need a (extra) little help this year!
I think I should be putting in more posts this year as opposed to last year and the year before that!
Hoping that this year should be a great one (God, are you listening?) :)
Need a (extra) little help this year!
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Will I achieve greatness?
The answer to this question is scary. If it's "no", then why am I living? What's my purpose? Is it as mundane as working for an MNC and doign nothing else? If it's a "yes" , then how does it happen? How do I "maintain my greatness"? (It's funny isnt it- if you're not sure if your phrase is correct, you just place it within quotes and you look like an intellectual)
Anyways, I wonder when this question will be answered.....
Anyways, I wonder when this question will be answered.....
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Staging "The Virtuous Burglar"
We're staging "The Virtuous Burglar" at Aalankrita Resorts on Sunday. After 4 months of on and off practice, we're ..... kinda ready!
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
How to make Really Delicious Indian cuisine Chicken!!!
A recipe which is really simple and the dish tastes awesome.
Here's what you need:
1. Chicken 1KG
2. 4 Large Onions
3. 2 Large Bangalore Tomatoes
4. 3 Small Andhra Tomatoes
5. One teaspoon:
> Dhania powder
> Haldi
> Garam Masala
> Red chilli powder (slightly lesser than 1 teaspoon)
6. Salt to taste.
7. Water
8. 3-4 table spoons oil.
9. Adrak (Ginger) (about 2 inches)
10. Lassan - (Garlic) one pod
Here's how to cook it.
Cut the onions into small pieces, add the oil into a pan and heat it up. Once the oil is hot, add the onions to the pan and keep stirring continously.
In a mixer, add the tomatoes, ginger and garlic and grind it into a puree.
(The deal with tomatoes is that the Bangalore tomatoes are sweet to taste and big, whereas the Andhra variety are sour in nature. So for the curry to be spicy, we add the Andhra variety, and for the curry to be nice and thick, we add the Bangalore variety. So in case you prefer your curry to be on the sweeter side, you can increase the ratio of the Bangalore variety.)
In case you don't have a mixer, simply cut the tomatoes, ginger and garlic into really small pieces. Lack of a mixer will only increase your stirring time as this mixture should be cooked really well before you add the chicken.
When the onions are brown in colour, add this tomatoe puree and keep stirring. To this add, salt to taste, haldi, garam masala, dhania powder and red chilli powder. Add little water and stir this continously for about 5 mins.
To this, add the chicken pieces and mix them around well in the masala. Add enough water to cover the chicken pieces and put this into a pressure cooker. Once the pressure is built up, put the gas on simmer for five minutes. After 5 mins, turn the gas off and allow the cooker to cool down. Garnish with lots of fresh Dhania leaves.
Serve with bread, roti or rice and enzoi!!! :)
I just ate this..... and it was (slurp, slurp) gooooooood, if I may say so myself! :)
Here's what you need:
1. Chicken 1KG
2. 4 Large Onions
3. 2 Large Bangalore Tomatoes
4. 3 Small Andhra Tomatoes
5. One teaspoon:
> Dhania powder
> Haldi
> Garam Masala
> Red chilli powder (slightly lesser than 1 teaspoon)
6. Salt to taste.
7. Water
8. 3-4 table spoons oil.
9. Adrak (Ginger) (about 2 inches)
10. Lassan - (Garlic) one pod
Here's how to cook it.
Cut the onions into small pieces, add the oil into a pan and heat it up. Once the oil is hot, add the onions to the pan and keep stirring continously.
In a mixer, add the tomatoes, ginger and garlic and grind it into a puree.
(The deal with tomatoes is that the Bangalore tomatoes are sweet to taste and big, whereas the Andhra variety are sour in nature. So for the curry to be spicy, we add the Andhra variety, and for the curry to be nice and thick, we add the Bangalore variety. So in case you prefer your curry to be on the sweeter side, you can increase the ratio of the Bangalore variety.)
In case you don't have a mixer, simply cut the tomatoes, ginger and garlic into really small pieces. Lack of a mixer will only increase your stirring time as this mixture should be cooked really well before you add the chicken.
When the onions are brown in colour, add this tomatoe puree and keep stirring. To this add, salt to taste, haldi, garam masala, dhania powder and red chilli powder. Add little water and stir this continously for about 5 mins.
To this, add the chicken pieces and mix them around well in the masala. Add enough water to cover the chicken pieces and put this into a pressure cooker. Once the pressure is built up, put the gas on simmer for five minutes. After 5 mins, turn the gas off and allow the cooker to cool down. Garnish with lots of fresh Dhania leaves.
Serve with bread, roti or rice and enzoi!!! :)
I just ate this..... and it was (slurp, slurp) gooooooood, if I may say so myself! :)
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Another SPJ!!
A mango shaped man goes to a Five Star Hotel but the doorman doesn't let him enter the hotel. Why?
A. Kyunki woh aam admi tha! ;)
hehe- I know I gotta visit the mental asylum... it's a disease, you see!!!
A. Kyunki woh aam admi tha! ;)
hehe- I know I gotta visit the mental asylum... it's a disease, you see!!!
Thursday, December 08, 2005
The Street Lawyer (and other short stories) ;)
I also happened to read The Street Lawyer by John 'I used to be a lawyer' Grisham.
I was about a 100 pages into the book when I realized that I had already read it once, but continued to read it anyway.
This is one of those books which makes you stop and think for a while - "What am I doing with my life?"
We work to earn money- money so that our families can live safely and securely, so that we can buy those few things we desire, eat at a fancy restaurant, our children go to the best school we can afford, our parents are happy, etc.
Yet, we spend more time at our workplace than actually doing the things mentioned above.
So how do we achieve the real motive that we're working for? We're spending long hours in the office making sure we're up for a promotion or that we clinch that business deal, but our families don't get to see as much of as they'd like to.
We don't get enough time to do what we'd like to. I might want to write a book, learn to play the guitar, work with NGOs, go trekking, but how can I?
Anyway, it's a circle and we just go round and round!
That's all folks!!
p.s- why the "and other short stories " in the title of this post? aise hi! Sue karte kya? Sue sue yehaan nako karo, side me karo! :)
I was about a 100 pages into the book when I realized that I had already read it once, but continued to read it anyway.
This is one of those books which makes you stop and think for a while - "What am I doing with my life?"
We work to earn money- money so that our families can live safely and securely, so that we can buy those few things we desire, eat at a fancy restaurant, our children go to the best school we can afford, our parents are happy, etc.
Yet, we spend more time at our workplace than actually doing the things mentioned above.
So how do we achieve the real motive that we're working for? We're spending long hours in the office making sure we're up for a promotion or that we clinch that business deal, but our families don't get to see as much of as they'd like to.
We don't get enough time to do what we'd like to. I might want to write a book, learn to play the guitar, work with NGOs, go trekking, but how can I?
Anyway, it's a circle and we just go round and round!
That's all folks!!
p.s- why the "and other short stories " in the title of this post? aise hi! Sue karte kya? Sue sue yehaan nako karo, side me karo! :)
Angels and Demons & The Da Vinci code
I read 'The Da Vinci Code' about a year ago and found it mind blowing. I read 'Angels and Demons' about a month back and my only thoughts while I was reading the novel was " Haven't I read this somewhere before?"
The books were too similar. Why write two books which have almost the same story lines? Change 'Illuminati' to 'Opus Dei' and you can assume that you've read both the books.
True, Dan Brown has done a wonderful job in BOTH the books, but the only reason Da Vinci Code got more publicity was because it went against the Church's belief's and against Opus Dei which is not extinct like the Illuminati.
Apparently, Digital Fortress, aslo written by Dan Brown isn't as predictable as these two books probably because the protagonist isn't Robert Langdon anymore!
Im still waiting for the movie to come out where Tom Hanks is playing Robert Langdon in the Hollywood adaptation of The Da Vinci Code. Shooting's already started!
The books were too similar. Why write two books which have almost the same story lines? Change 'Illuminati' to 'Opus Dei' and you can assume that you've read both the books.
True, Dan Brown has done a wonderful job in BOTH the books, but the only reason Da Vinci Code got more publicity was because it went against the Church's belief's and against Opus Dei which is not extinct like the Illuminati.
Apparently, Digital Fortress, aslo written by Dan Brown isn't as predictable as these two books probably because the protagonist isn't Robert Langdon anymore!
Im still waiting for the movie to come out where Tom Hanks is playing Robert Langdon in the Hollywood adaptation of The Da Vinci Code. Shooting's already started!
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Book Review- The five people you meet in Heaven-Mitch Albom!
Well, I just finished reading this book and it was one of those books which you cannot NOT like.
Its about this old guy, Eddie, who dies and (guess what) goes to heaven. But its not heaven as we know it, the author creates this wonderfully real (and little surreal) image of heaven.
What this book tries to show is that nothing in our lives is a coincidence or by chance- there is a reason for everything that happens to us (and doesnt happen to us as well).
For eg, out of the 5 people that Eddie meets in heaven, he doesnt recall meeting/ knowing 3 of them, but as they explain to him that their paths had indeed crossed on earth, Eddie starts to understand his time spent on earth and makes sense of his life which appeared very ordinary to him ( and me, initially).
One of the interesting things to point in this book is that it starts with letting the reader know that Eddie is gonna die and then goes about describing his last actions on earth. (There are lines like "28 mintues to his death") This actually makes you a little uncomfortable, as if you know he's going to die, but can't do anything to stop it.
Its got some very emotional parts, like when he meets his wife in heaven- you feel so glad to have the people you love close to you and makes you feel differently about them, because so often we see relationships withering away because the people involved didn't put in any effort to revive it or took things for granted which caused a lot of hurt. :)
Its about this old guy, Eddie, who dies and (guess what) goes to heaven. But its not heaven as we know it, the author creates this wonderfully real (and little surreal) image of heaven.
What this book tries to show is that nothing in our lives is a coincidence or by chance- there is a reason for everything that happens to us (and doesnt happen to us as well).
For eg, out of the 5 people that Eddie meets in heaven, he doesnt recall meeting/ knowing 3 of them, but as they explain to him that their paths had indeed crossed on earth, Eddie starts to understand his time spent on earth and makes sense of his life which appeared very ordinary to him ( and me, initially).
One of the interesting things to point in this book is that it starts with letting the reader know that Eddie is gonna die and then goes about describing his last actions on earth. (There are lines like "28 mintues to his death") This actually makes you a little uncomfortable, as if you know he's going to die, but can't do anything to stop it.
Its got some very emotional parts, like when he meets his wife in heaven- you feel so glad to have the people you love close to you and makes you feel differently about them, because so often we see relationships withering away because the people involved didn't put in any effort to revive it or took things for granted which caused a lot of hurt. :)
Original one-SPJ !!
There was once a poll held to find out which was the best music band of all. U2 came out as winners. The fans who had voted for U2 suddenly started helping the poor, doctors not charging the poor patients, lawyers giving free legal advice, etc.. Why did this happen?
A. Because the fans were "Pro-Bono". :))
Hehe, Original one from yours truly-Sameer! :)
coypright-sameer mehta@2005. ;)
A. Because the fans were "Pro-Bono". :))
Hehe, Original one from yours truly-Sameer! :)
coypright-sameer mehta@2005. ;)
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