This volume is dedicated to the memory of Tiran and countless, nameless people around the world who in their life and death bring difference in the lives of the people they touch… I call these real-life heroes nameless because most of them prefer to be this way… look around yourself, maybe you know some too…
In the early spring of 2000, five young and promising American hikers were on a trip to Kyrgyzstan to scale some of the most difficult rock-faces. The group comprised of 4 men and a woman. The oldest among them was 27 and the youngest 18 (the woman was then a young lady all of 19 years).
As they made their way through the countryside they came across and befriended a Kyrgyz Army Patrol. Among the troopers was a tall and calm person – Tiran. He was a shepherd from the steppes and his love for the mountains brought him closer to the tourists. He told them of the many passes that they could take and follow, the many sights that they could behold…
The hikers made started their ascent little knowing that they were being stalked by terrorists… when the Kyrgyz army were alerted about the threat to the tourists, they sent in a reconnaissance team of 3 men, one among them was Tiran… they walked straight into an ambush with only Tiran surviving the attack but captured…
Sudden and indiscriminate firing brought the hikers to a halt but before they could react they too were captured… now, getting caught is one thing… but being caught, being an infidel (as the Terrorists call everyone else), having a woman in team, and having huge potential to be held as hostages for ransom mean that you are in serious trouble…
At the terrorists camp they meet Tiran again… blood strewn across his face and yet he was incredibly calm and courageous… he cheered the Americans with hopes of freedom and life thereafter… the young lady had given him a chocolate in their previous meeting and seeing that she was scared, he pulled it out and gave it back to her…
By now the Kyrgyz army had sprung into action and helicopter gunships were patrolling the skies while the infantry began their manhunt… this led to the terrorists rapidly shifting their base and force-marched/-hiked the prisoners… eventually the army caught up and thus ensued a long and bloody gun-fight… when it became evident to the terrorists that they were all but lost they decided to execute the hostages…
All through this action Tiran was the big brother to the 5 hikers… he kept them alert and hopeful of a possible flight and safety… he told them where to run in case of a chance… all through he never showed any fear and even when the terrorists pulled him aside, he smiled back at the hikers… even in the end he delayed the executors enough to allow the army to launch a decisive offensive in the cover of which the Americans ran to safety of the wilderness…
After being lost for some days in the mountains the hikers found their way to a Kyrgyz army camp… they flew home once recovered.
The group went back to Kyrgyzstan two years later to Tiran's village… he was awarded (posthumously) by the Kyrgyz government and the US government… upon seeing the very people saving whom her son had died, Tiran's mother broke into tears…
Even today the hikers say that they can see Tiran's calm eyes looking at them and urging them on…
The world around us is surrounded by many such men and women…
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Volume 16 - 24 April 2007
There are some days when all of a sudden you have this tinkling to reconnect to an old friend… no specific reason - just that the person suddenly pops up in your head… on one such impulse on a day not long gone by I spoke to a favorite junior (and, now a friend)…it would suffice to say that I was her super-senior in terms of seniority in engineering…
And, just what was it that she told me that I have to do this retelling? Well, the fact that she had just come back from her farewell party… to me, our farewell party is yet green in my heart… it feels that it was just yesterday that it happened… and here, she was telling me that even she's out of college… why, it was just yesterday when we saw our juniors relish the prospect of doing on to their juniors (including the person in context) what we did onto them… haha.
Time really flies… the irony is that it requires none of the machinations of flight… and yet it manages to outrun even the most fleet-footed.
Most of my friends seem to blessed with the ethereal spirit of exuberant youth (god bless them)… age or responsibility does not bog the spirits down… always eager, always willing - this is something that I find common in all of my friends… and yes, all are first rate self-perpetuating philosophers…God willing we will continue to be so…
When I was young I was devoted big-time to South Indian food… as a matter of fact, I once competed in an 'idli' eating competition and managed 2 nd position… gorged down 32 pieces in 8 minutes… the blighter who came first ate 37… those were the days…when sambar and coconut chutney meant a contented Sunday afternoon.
With my series of adventures with all kinds of vegetarian edibles down south… I am yet to come to a stage when I say – ' I can have no further/ Let it be said I tasted it all'. Seriously, I have tried all the 48 known varieties of Dosa servings… the Apams and the Uttapams along with Sambars (two varieties in prominence – the thick, and the not so thick), Rasam, and of course, the Idlis… I now know (courtesy a friend I made in Chennai) that Rasam - that most of us have first when served, mistaking it's density with that of soup, is actually supposed to be consumed in the end…
Ironically, the best Dosa that I have had till date was in a place maintained by the Army in Arunachal Pradesh, and prepared by a Tibetan refugee… really!… give the place a try if you happen to be driving towards Tawang… if the fellow is still there then the promised quality is assured… by the way, the person-in-charge when I was there was a larger-than-life Jat from Haryana… ;)
Cheers
And, just what was it that she told me that I have to do this retelling? Well, the fact that she had just come back from her farewell party… to me, our farewell party is yet green in my heart… it feels that it was just yesterday that it happened… and here, she was telling me that even she's out of college… why, it was just yesterday when we saw our juniors relish the prospect of doing on to their juniors (including the person in context) what we did onto them… haha.
Time really flies… the irony is that it requires none of the machinations of flight… and yet it manages to outrun even the most fleet-footed.
Most of my friends seem to blessed with the ethereal spirit of exuberant youth (god bless them)… age or responsibility does not bog the spirits down… always eager, always willing - this is something that I find common in all of my friends… and yes, all are first rate self-perpetuating philosophers…God willing we will continue to be so…
When I was young I was devoted big-time to South Indian food… as a matter of fact, I once competed in an 'idli' eating competition and managed 2 nd position… gorged down 32 pieces in 8 minutes… the blighter who came first ate 37… those were the days…when sambar and coconut chutney meant a contented Sunday afternoon.
With my series of adventures with all kinds of vegetarian edibles down south… I am yet to come to a stage when I say – ' I can have no further/ Let it be said I tasted it all'. Seriously, I have tried all the 48 known varieties of Dosa servings… the Apams and the Uttapams along with Sambars (two varieties in prominence – the thick, and the not so thick), Rasam, and of course, the Idlis… I now know (courtesy a friend I made in Chennai) that Rasam - that most of us have first when served, mistaking it's density with that of soup, is actually supposed to be consumed in the end…
Ironically, the best Dosa that I have had till date was in a place maintained by the Army in Arunachal Pradesh, and prepared by a Tibetan refugee… really!… give the place a try if you happen to be driving towards Tawang… if the fellow is still there then the promised quality is assured… by the way, the person-in-charge when I was there was a larger-than-life Jat from Haryana… ;)
Cheers
Volume 15 - 23 Arpil 2007
I presume that all of us are in our spirited best…
In continuation of my project requirements, the Operations team and me have been to many of the tallest buildings in Hyderabad… and when you look around from the terrace, two things hit you… first, the Deccan rocks. Some of these exposed, single-structure rocks have been dated back to the neo- paleontological periods… I guess over the course of development many such rocks have been quarried away… the few that stand – far and few between – present a beautiful contrast to the rampant urban development around them.
The second thing is a very curious habit or manner that I have observed on more occasions than I can reliably count on my fingers… people use their terraces as litter-bins… anything that can't fit inside the home is disposed off in the terrace… but the best has to be definitely this – throwing off your own rubbish on your neighbor's terrace –what this seems to do is that: one it keeps your house and the road clean, and second, it lets the neighbor know as to who is boss around here…
On another occasion, I saw this young kid run towards the outer wall of his house to relieve himself… just as he was about to indulge, his grandfather came strutting along and directed him towards their neighbor's outer wall… while on the surface, it looks funny… it is not!
The above incidents are similar to the scenery in Delhi when the train enters the state boundaries from Haryana… what is the first thing that you see? Countless people answering nature's call… on one occasion a foreigner traveling with me starting clicking photographs upon seeing this… when I asked him why? He said where else in the world do you get to see such a large-scale open lavatory… and that fellow was from Bosnia – a country that's been fighting a civil war since the time when 'Mahabharat' used to run on Door Darshan and that was like ages ago…
I believe that real progress for our people will come only when we reshape and realign certain basic factors such as these…
Also, yesterday (22nd April 2007) was Earth Day… as they say it's never too late to do anything good… I request all of you to pledge/commit some time or resources or both to make this world a better place… after all, I am sure that we'd all like our own kids to see the clear blue sky, taste fresh spring water, or to climb a tree…
A fellow citizen
In continuation of my project requirements, the Operations team and me have been to many of the tallest buildings in Hyderabad… and when you look around from the terrace, two things hit you… first, the Deccan rocks. Some of these exposed, single-structure rocks have been dated back to the neo- paleontological periods… I guess over the course of development many such rocks have been quarried away… the few that stand – far and few between – present a beautiful contrast to the rampant urban development around them.
The second thing is a very curious habit or manner that I have observed on more occasions than I can reliably count on my fingers… people use their terraces as litter-bins… anything that can't fit inside the home is disposed off in the terrace… but the best has to be definitely this – throwing off your own rubbish on your neighbor's terrace –what this seems to do is that: one it keeps your house and the road clean, and second, it lets the neighbor know as to who is boss around here…
On another occasion, I saw this young kid run towards the outer wall of his house to relieve himself… just as he was about to indulge, his grandfather came strutting along and directed him towards their neighbor's outer wall… while on the surface, it looks funny… it is not!
The above incidents are similar to the scenery in Delhi when the train enters the state boundaries from Haryana… what is the first thing that you see? Countless people answering nature's call… on one occasion a foreigner traveling with me starting clicking photographs upon seeing this… when I asked him why? He said where else in the world do you get to see such a large-scale open lavatory… and that fellow was from Bosnia – a country that's been fighting a civil war since the time when 'Mahabharat' used to run on Door Darshan and that was like ages ago…
I believe that real progress for our people will come only when we reshape and realign certain basic factors such as these…
Also, yesterday (22nd April 2007) was Earth Day… as they say it's never too late to do anything good… I request all of you to pledge/commit some time or resources or both to make this world a better place… after all, I am sure that we'd all like our own kids to see the clear blue sky, taste fresh spring water, or to climb a tree…
A fellow citizen
Volume 14 - 17 April 2007
Hope you all are well, and enjoyed the weekend. I am skipping Volume 13… and come straight to 14.
This weekend saw us, Sateshwar and me exploring the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad… the past glory of Hyderabad was lost during the middle ages before the Quli Qutub Shahi dynasty came along and realized the importance of the city over Aurangabad as the capital of the kingdom… later on, when the British grew in power, the Nizam signed on them as Protectors and thus, Secunderad grew.
Our day started with a visit to the Birla Temple… it is a magnificent structure made entirely out of white marble and was made by the Birla foundation over a period of a decade… it is built over a rock that overlooks the Hussainsagar Lake, and much of Hyderabad. One very interesting thing that I noticed here was the fact that prostrating in honor of the resident deity is considered against the Shastras here.
After the darshan, we drove around the Necklace Road till we could see the Buddha smiling at us… the monolith was placed here in1988 when NTR was the CM… when it was being placed for the first time, the statue slipped and crashed over the tug boat that was carrying it…taking down almost 20 lives with it… there the monolith lay for around 3 years before it was retrieved and given the present pedestal… boat rides are available here… however, the man-made lake (Hussainsagar) is really dirty. Interestingly till about a few decades ago, the entire water supply to the two cities was met by the lake…
Back then the river Musi used to bring her waters to the lake… however, with time and other factors (in the past few decades) Musi has all but dried up… now the lake is used for Ganpati Visarjan during the poojas.
From here we made our way towards Char Minar… it is an exquisite structure carved out of limestone… however, like most sites of heritage in our country even this exists mostly in name… pollution, hawkers and congestion form it's periphery… this kind of apathy towards preservation is a very sorry state of affairs.
Around 10 years ago, a Thai family jumped down from the 2nd level of the Char Minar to their death… one wonders if they were to do such then why so far from home… because of this the access to the stair case was barred for 10 years… even now people can go up only to the 1 st level.
There are 4 access routes to Char Minar – 'Dwars', all of which bear a separate name, and are collectively called the Kaminen…
For security purposes the Nizam had a 19 km long tunnel built from Char Minar to the Golconda fort… an underground tunnel this long is an amazing feat of architecture and civil engineering… now, of course, the tunnel is sealed though I think if that could be renovated it would be an added attraction for the adventure/travel freaks…
In close proximity to the Char Minar is the Mecca Masjid… it is a beautiful mosque which can at one time accommodate around 10,000 people.
Thereon, we made our way to the Chowmohalla Palace – a section of the royal palace.
The nobility of Hyderabad was in this manner – The Nizams, the Paigahs, and the Salar Jungs… the Nizams and Paigah were tied in blood through matrimony… while the Salar Jungs provided the state with some of it's finest ministers.
Mir Osman Ali Khan was an enlightened noble and his priorities were education and health care, and so in his time were established the Osmania University and the Osmania Hospital… both of these institutions stand to this day…
The Chowmohalla Palace (entry Rs. 25/head) must have been a very pleasant place to be in the evenings almost 50 years ago… it has this elaborate fountain system in the middle of the gardens that lends it's coolness to the warm air…when compared to other palaces that I have been to and seen, this was very small in size and grandeur… however, the skill of the craftsmen who designed the Durbar and especially the glass and lacquer work is noteworthy.
A very interesting legend is associated with the Quli Qutub Shahi dynasty… when the first Nizam was coming back from the expedition he came across a hermit… they sat down to chat and the hermit offered the Nizam 'kulchas' to eat… he took only 2, and on being forced another 5… to this the hermit said to him that his dynasty will rule over for 7 generations… and indeed, this came true… the Nizam who signed the instrument of accession to the Republic of India in 1948 was the 7 th Nizam.
The Nizams lived in all the glory and grandeur of kings… however, through their long rule they showed their concern for the welfare of their people and so initiated many education and health related programs… as a matter of fact, the 5 th Nizam was called 'The Giver'… it is said that in one lifetime he gave away more wealth than is possible… his contributions went to the Banaras Hindu University, the Golden Temple and many others…
One of the Nizams was married to the Princess of Cooch Behar, Khanum… she was hailed as one of the most beautiful women of her times… and much like our Maharani Gayatri Devi, her portraits reveal her ethereal, timeless beauty.
As always, the section that held me enthralled was the armoury… the palace has this huge section wherein they display swords, maces, spears no end… it was interesting to see that the Nizam's army used Abyssinian bows… and many of his companies were commanded by European officers.
All the swords were made from Damascus steel and indicated the high caliber of the sword smith…
From here we went to Salar Jung Museum (entry Rs. 10/head)… this is one man's collection from the entire world of exquisite antiques and collectibles… Prime Minister Salar Jung was perhaps the most brilliant and astute statesman of his time and also a lover of art… from Chinese pottery to Western masterpieces – he collected them all…
Among the Indian sculptures, the two that held me captivated were that of Lord Parsavanatha and the Kneeling Garuda. Imagine the skill of the one who with the hammer and chisel gave life to a stone… the details, the expression, the appearance…even after all these centuries!
Then I came across the Veiled Rebecca given life by Italian master Benzoni… a perfect form of female expression – proud and slender, delicate and enchanting – it was so beautiful! Sculpted out of white marble, Rebecca has this veil over her form, and so minute is the work that you see her eyes from under the veil… must see!
The armoury section was amazing here as the swords on display were from around the world – Abbassi (a curved sword preferred by Cavalries), Dhop (a straighter sword rounded at the end), Tegas (broad curved swords) and the Patas (a straight and flexible sword)… my favorite – Shamshirs were also here… also on display were the early firearms.
Next stop in our list was the Sudha Car Museum (entry Rs 30/head)… we went there because we were told that it holds a Guiness Record to it's name… though you can give it a miss but one has to commend the spirit of Mr. Sudhakar Rao, it's founder… he has made cars of almost all designs – football, cricket bat, railway engine… what not?
Thence we headed to Golconda Fort… the once mighty fortress which legend says never fell… mostly known to the civilian populace as the place with amazing Acoustic Engineering… it is said that a clap made in the entrance dome resounds all the way to the King's observation post… the fort has multiple entrances (4 of which have been closed)… the entrances have been designed in the classical technique of double doors wherein if the outer gate is breached the defenders can surround the intruders in the inner moat…
Golconda has 645 steps or used to… now the steps and the rocks merge and disappear all along the way… the periphery is huge but we made our way straight to the King's Chamber… it took us about 5-6 minutes as we raced along to the top… it was worthy of our efforts – the view was magnificent… from there the commander could have looked all around and respond to the battle situation…
Right next to the observation post there is this small Maha Kali mandir… for a Goddess worshipper, a temple such as this, all this way from home was a welcome surprise…
We saw the Sun set down… like the many who would have once stood where we did… and once fought where we walked… in honor of them, the two of us patrolled all along the front-side guard wall of the fort…
As we made our way back - two very weary but happy travelers, the mind kept on racing back to all that we had seen, all that once was, and all that once will be…
This weekend saw us, Sateshwar and me exploring the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad… the past glory of Hyderabad was lost during the middle ages before the Quli Qutub Shahi dynasty came along and realized the importance of the city over Aurangabad as the capital of the kingdom… later on, when the British grew in power, the Nizam signed on them as Protectors and thus, Secunderad grew.
Our day started with a visit to the Birla Temple… it is a magnificent structure made entirely out of white marble and was made by the Birla foundation over a period of a decade… it is built over a rock that overlooks the Hussainsagar Lake, and much of Hyderabad. One very interesting thing that I noticed here was the fact that prostrating in honor of the resident deity is considered against the Shastras here.
After the darshan, we drove around the Necklace Road till we could see the Buddha smiling at us… the monolith was placed here in1988 when NTR was the CM… when it was being placed for the first time, the statue slipped and crashed over the tug boat that was carrying it…taking down almost 20 lives with it… there the monolith lay for around 3 years before it was retrieved and given the present pedestal… boat rides are available here… however, the man-made lake (Hussainsagar) is really dirty. Interestingly till about a few decades ago, the entire water supply to the two cities was met by the lake…
Back then the river Musi used to bring her waters to the lake… however, with time and other factors (in the past few decades) Musi has all but dried up… now the lake is used for Ganpati Visarjan during the poojas.
From here we made our way towards Char Minar… it is an exquisite structure carved out of limestone… however, like most sites of heritage in our country even this exists mostly in name… pollution, hawkers and congestion form it's periphery… this kind of apathy towards preservation is a very sorry state of affairs.
Around 10 years ago, a Thai family jumped down from the 2nd level of the Char Minar to their death… one wonders if they were to do such then why so far from home… because of this the access to the stair case was barred for 10 years… even now people can go up only to the 1 st level.
There are 4 access routes to Char Minar – 'Dwars', all of which bear a separate name, and are collectively called the Kaminen…
For security purposes the Nizam had a 19 km long tunnel built from Char Minar to the Golconda fort… an underground tunnel this long is an amazing feat of architecture and civil engineering… now, of course, the tunnel is sealed though I think if that could be renovated it would be an added attraction for the adventure/travel freaks…
In close proximity to the Char Minar is the Mecca Masjid… it is a beautiful mosque which can at one time accommodate around 10,000 people.
Thereon, we made our way to the Chowmohalla Palace – a section of the royal palace.
The nobility of Hyderabad was in this manner – The Nizams, the Paigahs, and the Salar Jungs… the Nizams and Paigah were tied in blood through matrimony… while the Salar Jungs provided the state with some of it's finest ministers.
Mir Osman Ali Khan was an enlightened noble and his priorities were education and health care, and so in his time were established the Osmania University and the Osmania Hospital… both of these institutions stand to this day…
The Chowmohalla Palace (entry Rs. 25/head) must have been a very pleasant place to be in the evenings almost 50 years ago… it has this elaborate fountain system in the middle of the gardens that lends it's coolness to the warm air…when compared to other palaces that I have been to and seen, this was very small in size and grandeur… however, the skill of the craftsmen who designed the Durbar and especially the glass and lacquer work is noteworthy.
A very interesting legend is associated with the Quli Qutub Shahi dynasty… when the first Nizam was coming back from the expedition he came across a hermit… they sat down to chat and the hermit offered the Nizam 'kulchas' to eat… he took only 2, and on being forced another 5… to this the hermit said to him that his dynasty will rule over for 7 generations… and indeed, this came true… the Nizam who signed the instrument of accession to the Republic of India in 1948 was the 7 th Nizam.
The Nizams lived in all the glory and grandeur of kings… however, through their long rule they showed their concern for the welfare of their people and so initiated many education and health related programs… as a matter of fact, the 5 th Nizam was called 'The Giver'… it is said that in one lifetime he gave away more wealth than is possible… his contributions went to the Banaras Hindu University, the Golden Temple and many others…
One of the Nizams was married to the Princess of Cooch Behar, Khanum… she was hailed as one of the most beautiful women of her times… and much like our Maharani Gayatri Devi, her portraits reveal her ethereal, timeless beauty.
As always, the section that held me enthralled was the armoury… the palace has this huge section wherein they display swords, maces, spears no end… it was interesting to see that the Nizam's army used Abyssinian bows… and many of his companies were commanded by European officers.
All the swords were made from Damascus steel and indicated the high caliber of the sword smith…
From here we went to Salar Jung Museum (entry Rs. 10/head)… this is one man's collection from the entire world of exquisite antiques and collectibles… Prime Minister Salar Jung was perhaps the most brilliant and astute statesman of his time and also a lover of art… from Chinese pottery to Western masterpieces – he collected them all…
Among the Indian sculptures, the two that held me captivated were that of Lord Parsavanatha and the Kneeling Garuda. Imagine the skill of the one who with the hammer and chisel gave life to a stone… the details, the expression, the appearance…even after all these centuries!
Then I came across the Veiled Rebecca given life by Italian master Benzoni… a perfect form of female expression – proud and slender, delicate and enchanting – it was so beautiful! Sculpted out of white marble, Rebecca has this veil over her form, and so minute is the work that you see her eyes from under the veil… must see!
The armoury section was amazing here as the swords on display were from around the world – Abbassi (a curved sword preferred by Cavalries), Dhop (a straighter sword rounded at the end), Tegas (broad curved swords) and the Patas (a straight and flexible sword)… my favorite – Shamshirs were also here… also on display were the early firearms.
Next stop in our list was the Sudha Car Museum (entry Rs 30/head)… we went there because we were told that it holds a Guiness Record to it's name… though you can give it a miss but one has to commend the spirit of Mr. Sudhakar Rao, it's founder… he has made cars of almost all designs – football, cricket bat, railway engine… what not?
Thence we headed to Golconda Fort… the once mighty fortress which legend says never fell… mostly known to the civilian populace as the place with amazing Acoustic Engineering… it is said that a clap made in the entrance dome resounds all the way to the King's observation post… the fort has multiple entrances (4 of which have been closed)… the entrances have been designed in the classical technique of double doors wherein if the outer gate is breached the defenders can surround the intruders in the inner moat…
Golconda has 645 steps or used to… now the steps and the rocks merge and disappear all along the way… the periphery is huge but we made our way straight to the King's Chamber… it took us about 5-6 minutes as we raced along to the top… it was worthy of our efforts – the view was magnificent… from there the commander could have looked all around and respond to the battle situation…
Right next to the observation post there is this small Maha Kali mandir… for a Goddess worshipper, a temple such as this, all this way from home was a welcome surprise…
We saw the Sun set down… like the many who would have once stood where we did… and once fought where we walked… in honor of them, the two of us patrolled all along the front-side guard wall of the fort…
As we made our way back - two very weary but happy travelers, the mind kept on racing back to all that we had seen, all that once was, and all that once will be…
Volume 12 - 16 April 2007
The world is divided into 2 kinds of people: the Engineers and the Others. The Others, of course, take into their fold a lot of good people – some do this and some that… but, the Engineers… ah, what would the world do without them? Their belief in simplicity of words, the promise of technology and the words of the Service agreement…
Till around the end of second semester, a lot of my friends and I always identified ourselves as engineers. So, we'd talk, think, convey - almost 'live' – in a certain manner. However, now it begins to sink that it (our sense of ourselves) has changed…
I am involved in doing something for something that Sify is coming up with… now this thing is really cool… and has a lot of things in pursuance of which there are different aspects that I look after… in one such pursuit I asked the Operations Manager to attach me with an Installation Team for a day so that I may see as to how they operate… I was asked to report to one of Data Centers of Sify wherein a Network Engineer received me as one of the 'MBA fellows'… it was only when they started briefing me, and got my responses that they asked me as to what I was before I came in for this course… the scenario and the pulse of conversation changed after this…
All day long we went around the various installation sites that were already operational, tweaking this and that… the afternoon saw us land in our newest site with all the gear on… the equipment, the wires and bottles of water (there's no way you can survive the heat otherwise)… got a chance to do some things first hand like climbing up a mobile tower, climbing down through the A/C duct, walking on the edge of the buildings… mazaa aa gaya!
In continuation of my corporate experience, people who have ever been to a tall building with me know of my dislike of the elevator/lift (except on occasions when I am dead tired)… now a lot of buildings in Hyderabad have basements extending to 2 or 3 levels below ground level… I went into this building to meet a friend of mine (office on the 4th level) and the lift took inordinate time to respond to my press of the button… consequently, I ran up the stairs… and I did the same while getting down… only that I forgot when the ground floor came and went… I ran right down to the second level of the basement… (and then I was tired enough to take the lift).
Then the other night I was walking across the street to meet a friend of mine for dinner that somebody asked me for directions to some eatery… I took him along and as we conversed we decided to have our dinner together… turned out the fellow had 11 years of experience, 8 out of which were with Dell!
However, thisS recounting is about something else… we (the 3 of us) were traveling in an auto… a long road led onto a flyover… midway the engine died… so out we were - pushing the auto, redirecting the traffic… and winking at the passing crowds… all under the watchful eyes of the many billboard beauties put up at that strategic place… the billboard companies do such a fabulous job in putting up the hoardings… it actually seems as if the product-gracing beauties look at you straight in the eye…
All day long we went around the various installation sites that were already operational, tweaking this and that… the afternoon saw us land in our newest site with all the gear on… the equipment, the wires and bottles of water (there's no way you can survive the heat otherwise)… got a chance to do some things first hand like climbing up a mobile tower, climbing down through the A/C duct, walking on the edge of the buildings… mazaa aa gaya!
In continuation of my corporate experience, people who have ever been to a tall building with me know of my dislike of the elevator/lift (except on occasions when I am dead tired)… now a lot of buildings in Hyderabad have basements extending to 2 or 3 levels below ground level… I went into this building to meet a friend of mine (office on the 4 th level) and the lift took inordinate time to respond to my press of the button… consequently, I ran up the stairs… and I did the same while getting down… only that I forgot when the ground floor came and went… I ran right down to the second level of the basement… (and then I was tired enough to take the lift).
Then the other night I was walking across the street to meet a friend of mine for dinner that somebody asked me for directions to some eatery… I took him along and as we conversed we decided to have our dinner together… turned out the fellow had 11 years of experience, 8 out of which were with Dell!
However, thisS recounting is about something else… we (the 3 of us) were traveling in an auto… a long road led onto a flyover… midway the engine died… so out we were - pushing the auto, redirecting the traffic… and winking at the passing crowds… all under the watchful eyes of the many billboard beauties put up at that strategic place… the billboard companies do such a fabulous job in putting up the hoardings… it actually seems as if the product-gracing beauties look at you straight in the eye…
Then, there was the issue of this movie – '300'… I have seen it so many times in the theatre with my friends… and followed it with repeat shows on my system… I remember every battlement, every move, every word!... well, one of the fellows here (in the company) asked if I'd like to join his friends for a show of 300… how could I refuse (otherwise it would not have looked nice… ;) )
I never realized it till the first dialogue was delivered… never picked on the posters for the place… never understood any word that was said… why? Because the movie had been dubbed in Telugu… yes…Telugu… haha… just couldn't stop my laughter for the next 10 minutes or so… anyhow I did understand the language of the spear and the sword…
Then, there was the issue of this movie – '300'… I have seen it so many times in the theatre with my friends… and followed it with repeat shows on my system… I remember every battlement, every move, every word!... well, one of the fellows here (in the company) asked if I'd like to join his friends for a show of 300… how could I refuse (otherwise it would not have looked nice… ;) )
I never realized it till the first dialogue was delivered… never picked on the posters for the place… never understood any word that was said… why? Because the movie had been dubbed in Telugu… yes…Telugu… haha… just couldn't stop my laughter for the next 10 minutes or so… anyhow I did understand the language of the spear and the sword…
Till around the end of second semester, a lot of my friends and I always identified ourselves as engineers. So, we'd talk, think, convey - almost 'live' – in a certain manner. However, now it begins to sink that it (our sense of ourselves) has changed…
I am involved in doing something for something that Sify is coming up with… now this thing is really cool… and has a lot of things in pursuance of which there are different aspects that I look after… in one such pursuit I asked the Operations Manager to attach me with an Installation Team for a day so that I may see as to how they operate… I was asked to report to one of Data Centers of Sify wherein a Network Engineer received me as one of the 'MBA fellows'… it was only when they started briefing me, and got my responses that they asked me as to what I was before I came in for this course… the scenario and the pulse of conversation changed after this…
All day long we went around the various installation sites that were already operational, tweaking this and that… the afternoon saw us land in our newest site with all the gear on… the equipment, the wires and bottles of water (there's no way you can survive the heat otherwise)… got a chance to do some things first hand like climbing up a mobile tower, climbing down through the A/C duct, walking on the edge of the buildings… mazaa aa gaya!
In continuation of my corporate experience, people who have ever been to a tall building with me know of my dislike of the elevator/lift (except on occasions when I am dead tired)… now a lot of buildings in Hyderabad have basements extending to 2 or 3 levels below ground level… I went into this building to meet a friend of mine (office on the 4th level) and the lift took inordinate time to respond to my press of the button… consequently, I ran up the stairs… and I did the same while getting down… only that I forgot when the ground floor came and went… I ran right down to the second level of the basement… (and then I was tired enough to take the lift).
Then the other night I was walking across the street to meet a friend of mine for dinner that somebody asked me for directions to some eatery… I took him along and as we conversed we decided to have our dinner together… turned out the fellow had 11 years of experience, 8 out of which were with Dell!
However, thisS recounting is about something else… we (the 3 of us) were traveling in an auto… a long road led onto a flyover… midway the engine died… so out we were - pushing the auto, redirecting the traffic… and winking at the passing crowds… all under the watchful eyes of the many billboard beauties put up at that strategic place… the billboard companies do such a fabulous job in putting up the hoardings… it actually seems as if the product-gracing beauties look at you straight in the eye…
All day long we went around the various installation sites that were already operational, tweaking this and that… the afternoon saw us land in our newest site with all the gear on… the equipment, the wires and bottles of water (there's no way you can survive the heat otherwise)… got a chance to do some things first hand like climbing up a mobile tower, climbing down through the A/C duct, walking on the edge of the buildings… mazaa aa gaya!
In continuation of my corporate experience, people who have ever been to a tall building with me know of my dislike of the elevator/lift (except on occasions when I am dead tired)… now a lot of buildings in Hyderabad have basements extending to 2 or 3 levels below ground level… I went into this building to meet a friend of mine (office on the 4 th level) and the lift took inordinate time to respond to my press of the button… consequently, I ran up the stairs… and I did the same while getting down… only that I forgot when the ground floor came and went… I ran right down to the second level of the basement… (and then I was tired enough to take the lift).
Then the other night I was walking across the street to meet a friend of mine for dinner that somebody asked me for directions to some eatery… I took him along and as we conversed we decided to have our dinner together… turned out the fellow had 11 years of experience, 8 out of which were with Dell!
However, thisS recounting is about something else… we (the 3 of us) were traveling in an auto… a long road led onto a flyover… midway the engine died… so out we were - pushing the auto, redirecting the traffic… and winking at the passing crowds… all under the watchful eyes of the many billboard beauties put up at that strategic place… the billboard companies do such a fabulous job in putting up the hoardings… it actually seems as if the product-gracing beauties look at you straight in the eye…
Then, there was the issue of this movie – '300'… I have seen it so many times in the theatre with my friends… and followed it with repeat shows on my system… I remember every battlement, every move, every word!... well, one of the fellows here (in the company) asked if I'd like to join his friends for a show of 300… how could I refuse (otherwise it would not have looked nice… ;) )
I never realized it till the first dialogue was delivered… never picked on the posters for the place… never understood any word that was said… why? Because the movie had been dubbed in Telugu… yes…Telugu… haha… just couldn't stop my laughter for the next 10 minutes or so… anyhow I did understand the language of the spear and the sword…
Then, there was the issue of this movie – '300'… I have seen it so many times in the theatre with my friends… and followed it with repeat shows on my system… I remember every battlement, every move, every word!... well, one of the fellows here (in the company) asked if I'd like to join his friends for a show of 300… how could I refuse (otherwise it would not have looked nice… ;) )
I never realized it till the first dialogue was delivered… never picked on the posters for the place… never understood any word that was said… why? Because the movie had been dubbed in Telugu… yes…Telugu… haha… just couldn't stop my laughter for the next 10 minutes or so… anyhow I did understand the language of the spear and the sword…
Volume 11 - 13 April 2007
Hope you are all well.
This is volume 11… and with each volume I get more interesting responses… however, the number 11 holds special significance for me… for 4 years of Engineering, it was my roll number – a call of which prompted me to action almost always…
In the last 4 days there have been 2 mails from Mumbai with the same content… 'mobiles lost… update your numbers…' What are you up to guys? Why resort to this if you want somebody's number? … why not shoot a mail straight to that person…? …haha ;)
Nature here in Hyderabad plays a strange game… everyday at 6 (or around) the clouds gather, and then shower for a while… and then gone. I wonder if everyday at 6 the precipitation level in the atmosphere crosses that delicate threshold – to rain or not to rain…?
The senior-most manager here in Sify, Hyderabad is my namesake and a most genial person. Yesterday he reveled me with stories of the Nizams of Hyderabad… on one occasion when he was young (many moons ago) he was called in by the descendant of the erstwhile Nizam for lunch… the spread was magnificent and so was the grandeur… now when the host had finished his lunch, his manservant brought forth a huge pitcher, he put his mouth in it, and the poor fellow (the manservant) rinsed his master's mouth… and then along came another with a pair of towels to wipe his water-drenched moustaches… imagine that! And, he assures me that such people are still to be found…
I think I have already spoken about the traffic situation here however yesterday something that caught my eye deserves a retelling… when you are driving from Secunderabad station to Begumpet… you cross two flyovers and in between them a multiple-junction point which is almost always overcrowded with buses, cars, bikes and autos – of all kinds cramped in all possible angles and manners…
Oblivious to all this commotion, traffic, noise et al. was this set of young lovebirds sitting on the perimeter wall of the roundabout… there was this slight drizzle and the orange sky (the sun was setting you see)… and there gazes were locked into each others… the fellow held her hand gently and was saying something that was obviously music to the young lady's ears… amazing at a place where I was not able to hear what my auto-driver was suggesting to me… the two could actually not just hear each other but were lost in their own world…
I think I have already spoken about the traffic situation here however yesterday something that caught my eye deserves a retelling… when you are driving from Secunderabad station to Begumpet… you cross two flyovers and in between them a multiple-junction point which is almost always overcrowded with buses, cars, bikes and autos – of all kinds cramped in all possible angles and manners…
Oblivious to all this commotion, traffic, noise et al. was this set of young lovebirds sitting on the perimeter wall of the roundabout… there was this slight drizzle and the orange sky (the sun was setting you see)… and there gazes were locked into each others… the fellow held her hand gently and was saying something that was obviously music to the young lady's ears… amazing at a place where I was not able to hear what my auto-driver was suggesting to me… the two could actually not just hear each other but were lost in their own world…
This is volume 11… and with each volume I get more interesting responses… however, the number 11 holds special significance for me… for 4 years of Engineering, it was my roll number – a call of which prompted me to action almost always…
In the last 4 days there have been 2 mails from Mumbai with the same content… 'mobiles lost… update your numbers…' What are you up to guys? Why resort to this if you want somebody's number? … why not shoot a mail straight to that person…? …haha ;)
Nature here in Hyderabad plays a strange game… everyday at 6 (or around) the clouds gather, and then shower for a while… and then gone. I wonder if everyday at 6 the precipitation level in the atmosphere crosses that delicate threshold – to rain or not to rain…?
The senior-most manager here in Sify, Hyderabad is my namesake and a most genial person. Yesterday he reveled me with stories of the Nizams of Hyderabad… on one occasion when he was young (many moons ago) he was called in by the descendant of the erstwhile Nizam for lunch… the spread was magnificent and so was the grandeur… now when the host had finished his lunch, his manservant brought forth a huge pitcher, he put his mouth in it, and the poor fellow (the manservant) rinsed his master's mouth… and then along came another with a pair of towels to wipe his water-drenched moustaches… imagine that! And, he assures me that such people are still to be found…
I think I have already spoken about the traffic situation here however yesterday something that caught my eye deserves a retelling… when you are driving from Secunderabad station to Begumpet… you cross two flyovers and in between them a multiple-junction point which is almost always overcrowded with buses, cars, bikes and autos – of all kinds cramped in all possible angles and manners…
Oblivious to all this commotion, traffic, noise et al. was this set of young lovebirds sitting on the perimeter wall of the roundabout… there was this slight drizzle and the orange sky (the sun was setting you see)… and there gazes were locked into each others… the fellow held her hand gently and was saying something that was obviously music to the young lady's ears… amazing at a place where I was not able to hear what my auto-driver was suggesting to me… the two could actually not just hear each other but were lost in their own world…
I think I have already spoken about the traffic situation here however yesterday something that caught my eye deserves a retelling… when you are driving from Secunderabad station to Begumpet… you cross two flyovers and in between them a multiple-junction point which is almost always overcrowded with buses, cars, bikes and autos – of all kinds cramped in all possible angles and manners…
Oblivious to all this commotion, traffic, noise et al. was this set of young lovebirds sitting on the perimeter wall of the roundabout… there was this slight drizzle and the orange sky (the sun was setting you see)… and there gazes were locked into each others… the fellow held her hand gently and was saying something that was obviously music to the young lady's ears… amazing at a place where I was not able to hear what my auto-driver was suggesting to me… the two could actually not just hear each other but were lost in their own world…
Volume 10 - 12 April 2007
So, how is life? Busy or not… one thing you realize is that either ways there is so much that can potentially be done and not…
Those of us who have at our disposal certain Internet resources have become accustomed to multitasking (or, perhaps become better at that)… however, this is not about Researching and Chatting together… it is about latter – Chatting… an aspect of which bemuses me…
People display in their status 'Busy' (that orange clock that seems to have stuck at 9'o clock)… and keep the messages flowing… every time I respond to any such person I double think (subconsciously, of course) as to whether I should disturb them… imagine you are 'Busy' and you get into a chat, and the moment you are thick in the game… your Mentor comes and stands behind you… and, while you frantically attempt to show that you are busy or at least constructive in your time… your friend bombards you with the most colorful of questions… ;)
And, on the other hand are people who display their status on chat as 'Available'… and when you message them, there is a delay of almost an eternity… before they suddenly go offline!
In an entirely different scenario, a friend of mine describes her present situation as 'terribly great'. Terrible because she's working so hard that at 11 in the night she is preparing to leave office! And, she does this almost every working day. Great because she is liking every moment of it…
Work took me to one of the most beautiful places in Hyderabad – the Necklace Road (a name and thing I guess they have picked up from the Queen's Necklace along the \nMarine Drive, Mumbai) and it's whereabouts. If you come here then this place is a must see. The road wraps around the Husain Sagar lake (a man-made water body) in the middle of which stands the Buddha, and if you turn your gaze around then you see the majestic Birla Mandir.
Business took close to 3 hours and finally when free at 7:47 pm I decided to walk along the Necklace Road. Problem was that I was given wrong directions and I walked closed to 2 and half kilometers in the opposite before being set right. Just as I turned around to reclaim the lost road, a man called out from behind for some assistance. It turned out that he had just lost his cell phone and wanted to use mine to get his number blocked. He wanted to pay in return for the call he had made to which I refused and so he said that he'd drop me at Necklace road.
A walk around the waterside was awesome… till the weather changed. Drastically!
There I was sheltering under a tree that rather than give shade was handing me down all it's accumulated dirt… in this happy state I was joined by a biker… he didn't speak Hindi/English and me – Telugu… so, there we were – partners – in getting drenched to the bone and communicating through sign language mostly… in about 15 minutes all hope was lost and we decided to make our way… thankfully we understood one word in common – Begumpet, my destination and on his way…
Work took me to one of the most beautiful places in Hyderabad – the Necklace Road (a name and thing I guess they have picked up from the Queen's Necklace along the Marine Drive, Mumbai) and it's whereabouts. If you come here then this place is a must see. The road wraps around the Husain Sagar lake (a man-made water body) in the middle of which stands the Buddha, and if you turn your gaze around then you see the majestic Birla Mandir.
Business took close to 3 hours and finally when free at 7:47 pm I decided to walk along the Necklace Road. Problem was that I was given wrong directions and I walked closed to 2 and half kilometers in the opposite before being set right. Just as I turned around to reclaim the lost road, a man called out from behind for some assistance. It turned out that he had just lost his cell phone and wanted to use mine to get his number blocked. He wanted to pay in return for the call he had made to which I refused and so he said that he'd drop me at Necklace road.
A walk around the waterside was awesome… till the weather changed. Drastically!
There I was sheltering under a tree that rather than give shade was handing me down all it's accumulated dirt… in this happy state I was joined by a biker… he didn't speak Hindi/English and me – Telugu… so, there we were – partners – in getting drenched to the bone and communicating through sign language mostly… in about 15 minutes all hope was lost and we decided to make our way… thankfully we understood one word in common – Begumpet, my destination and on his way…
Imagine a Yamaha RX-135 dashing through water-filled roadways, empty roads, and two crazy riders riding the storm - we were that…
Arrivederci
Those of us who have at our disposal certain Internet resources have become accustomed to multitasking (or, perhaps become better at that)… however, this is not about Researching and Chatting together… it is about latter – Chatting… an aspect of which bemuses me…
People display in their status 'Busy' (that orange clock that seems to have stuck at 9'o clock)… and keep the messages flowing… every time I respond to any such person I double think (subconsciously, of course) as to whether I should disturb them… imagine you are 'Busy' and you get into a chat, and the moment you are thick in the game… your Mentor comes and stands behind you… and, while you frantically attempt to show that you are busy or at least constructive in your time… your friend bombards you with the most colorful of questions… ;)
And, on the other hand are people who display their status on chat as 'Available'… and when you message them, there is a delay of almost an eternity… before they suddenly go offline!
In an entirely different scenario, a friend of mine describes her present situation as 'terribly great'. Terrible because she's working so hard that at 11 in the night she is preparing to leave office! And, she does this almost every working day. Great because she is liking every moment of it…
Work took me to one of the most beautiful places in Hyderabad – the Necklace Road (a name and thing I guess they have picked up from the Queen's Necklace along the \nMarine Drive, Mumbai) and it's whereabouts. If you come here then this place is a must see. The road wraps around the Husain Sagar lake (a man-made water body) in the middle of which stands the Buddha, and if you turn your gaze around then you see the majestic Birla Mandir.
Business took close to 3 hours and finally when free at 7:47 pm I decided to walk along the Necklace Road. Problem was that I was given wrong directions and I walked closed to 2 and half kilometers in the opposite before being set right. Just as I turned around to reclaim the lost road, a man called out from behind for some assistance. It turned out that he had just lost his cell phone and wanted to use mine to get his number blocked. He wanted to pay in return for the call he had made to which I refused and so he said that he'd drop me at Necklace road.
A walk around the waterside was awesome… till the weather changed. Drastically!
There I was sheltering under a tree that rather than give shade was handing me down all it's accumulated dirt… in this happy state I was joined by a biker… he didn't speak Hindi/English and me – Telugu… so, there we were – partners – in getting drenched to the bone and communicating through sign language mostly… in about 15 minutes all hope was lost and we decided to make our way… thankfully we understood one word in common – Begumpet, my destination and on his way…
Work took me to one of the most beautiful places in Hyderabad – the Necklace Road (a name and thing I guess they have picked up from the Queen's Necklace along the Marine Drive, Mumbai) and it's whereabouts. If you come here then this place is a must see. The road wraps around the Husain Sagar lake (a man-made water body) in the middle of which stands the Buddha, and if you turn your gaze around then you see the majestic Birla Mandir.
Business took close to 3 hours and finally when free at 7:47 pm I decided to walk along the Necklace Road. Problem was that I was given wrong directions and I walked closed to 2 and half kilometers in the opposite before being set right. Just as I turned around to reclaim the lost road, a man called out from behind for some assistance. It turned out that he had just lost his cell phone and wanted to use mine to get his number blocked. He wanted to pay in return for the call he had made to which I refused and so he said that he'd drop me at Necklace road.
A walk around the waterside was awesome… till the weather changed. Drastically!
There I was sheltering under a tree that rather than give shade was handing me down all it's accumulated dirt… in this happy state I was joined by a biker… he didn't speak Hindi/English and me – Telugu… so, there we were – partners – in getting drenched to the bone and communicating through sign language mostly… in about 15 minutes all hope was lost and we decided to make our way… thankfully we understood one word in common – Begumpet, my destination and on his way…
Imagine a Yamaha RX-135 dashing through water-filled roadways, empty roads, and two crazy riders riding the storm - we were that…
Arrivederci
Volume 10 - 11 April 2007
Hope you are all doing well.
The other day I was talking to a couple of my juniors from Engineering Days and they were all bemused over the fact that as to how I was traveling, instead of 'Studying', across the breadth of Southern India. Those were the days (of Engineering) of simplicity – you read all about Binary digits and their infinite permutations, and in a matter your conversational skills also became similar in certain (or most) manners…
MBA on the contrary is all about elaboration… and I am sure that all of us across the country are realizing this and using it to our advantage (hopefully)…
On these lines, yesterday I was expected to meet some people for my project and take some feedback from them… they were supposed to be touch-and-go affairs… but it went on and on… at one time when I had been with a Hyderabadi beauty for more than an hour I had to say to myself, 'Bisht ji, what are you upto…?' ;-)
Yesterday I also got a chance to meet the fellows of a company which had employed Kangan and me for a Live Project… imagine my surprise when I ran into the biggest gathering of SIMSites outside of our campus…yes! It became even better when they took me for lunch to a place that calls itself, 'Punjab kee Rasoi' and guess what did I have for lunch?
Paneer… again. But this time the dish was made in such a tasteful manner that it tasted almost like chicken!!!
Adieu
The other day I was talking to a couple of my juniors from Engineering Days and they were all bemused over the fact that as to how I was traveling, instead of 'Studying', across the breadth of Southern India. Those were the days (of Engineering) of simplicity – you read all about Binary digits and their infinite permutations, and in a matter your conversational skills also became similar in certain (or most) manners…
MBA on the contrary is all about elaboration… and I am sure that all of us across the country are realizing this and using it to our advantage (hopefully)…
On these lines, yesterday I was expected to meet some people for my project and take some feedback from them… they were supposed to be touch-and-go affairs… but it went on and on… at one time when I had been with a Hyderabadi beauty for more than an hour I had to say to myself, 'Bisht ji, what are you upto…?' ;-)
Yesterday I also got a chance to meet the fellows of a company which had employed Kangan and me for a Live Project… imagine my surprise when I ran into the biggest gathering of SIMSites outside of our campus…yes! It became even better when they took me for lunch to a place that calls itself, 'Punjab kee Rasoi' and guess what did I have for lunch?
Paneer… again. But this time the dish was made in such a tasteful manner that it tasted almost like chicken!!!
Adieu
Volume 8 - 9 April 2007
A long weekend... one that saw us celebrate Easter, and therefore wishes to you all (belatedly though).
Today some of our colleagues start their Internship... got a chance to speak to a couple of them... and they all are so excited. All of us who are veterans of the past 1-week or so can vouch that Summers are actually a nice and pleasant experience even if the workload is huge...
They say that Hyderabad is a Food Connoisseur's heaven. Since the 29th of March, my fellow travellers and I have tasted and tried all possibilities that exist for idlis/dosas/apams/sambars/rasams and what have you. But the real differentiator that I have noticed for every place that I have been to is inarguably the vegetarians' pet delight (and often enforced) - 'Paneer'. That's right...paneer! It has this amazing quality of being prepared, presented and peppered in ways unimaginable.
The City of the Nizams houses a restaurant chain by the name of Kamat(/h)'s... they serve a nice platter. The South Indian thali that I had (in company of Punjabi Lassi) was wholesome and at a price of Rs. 30 goes well with the economy conscious eater.
The place is hot like Chennai but not humid. Evenings can be called pleasant though the atmosphere gets pervaded with strange aromas and smells every now and then.
Traffic is amazing... there are little or no signals and the credo that every driver follows is - 'Make your own Road'... this has changed little since the last time I was here. Pedestrians are very daring - they jump into the middle of the road, look the driver in the eye, remind them of the Congress, and walk through. Yestereve, I was not being able to decipher the pattern of the traffic and so I was guided across the crossing by a man who must have first crossed this road when the British were still here.
There are many treasures around here and I intend to explore them all... as I am sure that others around the country must be doing alongwith their summers. Mail in your experiences.
Au Revoir
Today some of our colleagues start their Internship... got a chance to speak to a couple of them... and they all are so excited. All of us who are veterans of the past 1-week or so can vouch that Summers are actually a nice and pleasant experience even if the workload is huge...
They say that Hyderabad is a Food Connoisseur's heaven. Since the 29th of March, my fellow travellers and I have tasted and tried all possibilities that exist for idlis/dosas/apams/sambars/rasams and what have you. But the real differentiator that I have noticed for every place that I have been to is inarguably the vegetarians' pet delight (and often enforced) - 'Paneer'. That's right...paneer! It has this amazing quality of being prepared, presented and peppered in ways unimaginable.
The City of the Nizams houses a restaurant chain by the name of Kamat(/h)'s... they serve a nice platter. The South Indian thali that I had (in company of Punjabi Lassi) was wholesome and at a price of Rs. 30 goes well with the economy conscious eater.
The place is hot like Chennai but not humid. Evenings can be called pleasant though the atmosphere gets pervaded with strange aromas and smells every now and then.
Traffic is amazing... there are little or no signals and the credo that every driver follows is - 'Make your own Road'... this has changed little since the last time I was here. Pedestrians are very daring - they jump into the middle of the road, look the driver in the eye, remind them of the Congress, and walk through. Yestereve, I was not being able to decipher the pattern of the traffic and so I was guided across the crossing by a man who must have first crossed this road when the British were still here.
There are many treasures around here and I intend to explore them all... as I am sure that others around the country must be doing alongwith their summers. Mail in your experiences.
Au Revoir
Volume 7 - 8 April 2007
As of this writing I am in the City of the Nizams - Hyderabad. This place brings back old memories of the years many summers ago when I was here...
The journey was fairly interesting...
Hyderabad has many things in store which I am sure I will explore in the days to come.
The journey was fairly interesting...
Hyderabad has many things in store which I am sure I will explore in the days to come.
Volume 6 - 7 April 2007
This is my second volume on the same day. And, this comes as an adieu to the city I have once described as the 'Southern Jewel of the Indian realm'... haha
A lot of my earlier mails have been satirical about this place and the inhabitants and they were all based on first hand experiences as we were facing them... however, the city has been good to us. We have been comfortably put up, have had adventures with food (an issue on which all 3 of us have substantial things to say), have conversed with people knowing no more of English/Hindi than we know Tamil..., and the mighty sea.
Believe me, the sea here on the Eastern coast looks much better and inviting than on the Western coast (read Mumbai). If someone comes here then head straight for East Bay. The others, Marina and Basin Area beaches are very populated and dirty... East Bay (close to RTO) is mostly desserted, cleaner and a beautiful view of the sea.
Arpan has left for Mumbai. Jaswal is trying to become a naturalized 'Tambi', and I am headed to Hyderabad tomorrow which I am sure is gonna be full with newer experiences....
We have met a lot of wonderful people in the company, and Trainees' like us. Today 9 of us had meal together and it was a sight to behold in itself - such a varied platter... among the things that we came to know were that in GIM, girls are allowed in Boys Hostel...! And the best thing is that every student at GIM gets a dedicated email ID which they pass along to people... since I know that among the recievers of this mail is gonna be the ITC of our college maybe he'll notice it... ;-)
Adieus till the next time I have Internet access,
A lot of my earlier mails have been satirical about this place and the inhabitants and they were all based on first hand experiences as we were facing them... however, the city has been good to us. We have been comfortably put up, have had adventures with food (an issue on which all 3 of us have substantial things to say), have conversed with people knowing no more of English/Hindi than we know Tamil..., and the mighty sea.
Believe me, the sea here on the Eastern coast looks much better and inviting than on the Western coast (read Mumbai). If someone comes here then head straight for East Bay. The others, Marina and Basin Area beaches are very populated and dirty... East Bay (close to RTO) is mostly desserted, cleaner and a beautiful view of the sea.
Arpan has left for Mumbai. Jaswal is trying to become a naturalized 'Tambi', and I am headed to Hyderabad tomorrow which I am sure is gonna be full with newer experiences....
We have met a lot of wonderful people in the company, and Trainees' like us. Today 9 of us had meal together and it was a sight to behold in itself - such a varied platter... among the things that we came to know were that in GIM, girls are allowed in Boys Hostel...! And the best thing is that every student at GIM gets a dedicated email ID which they pass along to people... since I know that among the recievers of this mail is gonna be the ITC of our college maybe he'll notice it... ;-)
Adieus till the next time I have Internet access,
Volume 5 - 7 April 2007
It's wonderful to recieve mails from people across the country. Diggy is very enthused about his summers, and I am sure that he and others will do well to earn the colours.
Today's mail is not about the happenings of the day. Rather they are about what happened yestereve.
Since Arpan is leaving Chennai today we had made a pact that the three of us will head to the sea again before parting. So, at 8 in the evening we were there by the beach feasting on corn, and enjoying the cool sea breeze. It is difficult to describe the Sea - it is so huge and magnanimous in it's being, so beautiful and so dangerous...
The moon reflected off it's waves... and the waves broke upon the beach in a rythmic symphony... so enamoured were we by the moments that all of us called up our families and some dear friends... I actually turned my mobile phone to the sound of the Seas while speaking and shared the peace of the seas' music...
Then we did something that we all revel in... got into the sea... only to a certain extent (truth be told) though. There standing in the waves, looking beyond the horizon (attempting to) was a splendid feeling.
As the waves began to rise we started to walk along the beach watching little crabs and other what-do-you-call's scamper around every wave...
We reached a place where where the sand embankment was slightly higher than the beach and stood there looking before the moment caught me once again and I did something that prompted Arpan and Jaswal to say that 'Captain has gone mad'. I coiled backwards from the embankment, and then charged... yes... jumped as high as I could with my arms outstretched in to incoming waves...
Such was the thrill and the excitement that I repeated it - again and again - till Jaswal wanted to do it too, and there we were jumping, climbing, and then jumping - till the time Arpan joined in too...
It was like being kids again... such a wonderful feeling! The Chennai Fellowship parts way today and tomorrow to what comes next...
Today's mail is not about the happenings of the day. Rather they are about what happened yestereve.
Since Arpan is leaving Chennai today we had made a pact that the three of us will head to the sea again before parting. So, at 8 in the evening we were there by the beach feasting on corn, and enjoying the cool sea breeze. It is difficult to describe the Sea - it is so huge and magnanimous in it's being, so beautiful and so dangerous...
The moon reflected off it's waves... and the waves broke upon the beach in a rythmic symphony... so enamoured were we by the moments that all of us called up our families and some dear friends... I actually turned my mobile phone to the sound of the Seas while speaking and shared the peace of the seas' music...
Then we did something that we all revel in... got into the sea... only to a certain extent (truth be told) though. There standing in the waves, looking beyond the horizon (attempting to) was a splendid feeling.
As the waves began to rise we started to walk along the beach watching little crabs and other what-do-you-call's scamper around every wave...
We reached a place where where the sand embankment was slightly higher than the beach and stood there looking before the moment caught me once again and I did something that prompted Arpan and Jaswal to say that 'Captain has gone mad'. I coiled backwards from the embankment, and then charged... yes... jumped as high as I could with my arms outstretched in to incoming waves...
Such was the thrill and the excitement that I repeated it - again and again - till Jaswal wanted to do it too, and there we were jumping, climbing, and then jumping - till the time Arpan joined in too...
It was like being kids again... such a wonderful feeling! The Chennai Fellowship parts way today and tomorrow to what comes next...
Volume 4 - 6 April 2007
They say that there is nothing worse than praising a bad chef lavishly... well, Naman, thank you! Your praise strengthens my attempt... so, at least you will recieve my mails daily... ;-)
It is always a pleasure to open up your mail box and see it filled with the activities of your fellows across the length and breadth of the country.
Today's been a good day for all of us - Arpan is leaving tomo and has been just reimbursed for the travelling fare, I am leaving day-after and will be reimbursed tomo, and as for Jaswal, well... he's got the prettiest lady as his mentor here.
Hyderabad, my destination and work-place for the rest of the summers, and my research area (at the moment) to familiarize myself with the ground realities is an interesting place... for e.g. I came to know that the native language is actually a mixture of Urdu and Telugu... now that's a cocktail!!!
Anybody out there who has the time, resource (provided by his/her company, ofcourse) then please check-out - mumbailive.in, delhilive.in, or bangalorelive.in - and please feel free to inundate my ID with your responses and feedbacks to the sites (any one). The best suggestor will be assured of a sumptuous meal upon our return to the barracks!
I'd love to know what's happening in my neigboring state of Kerala - what are you fellows doing?
It is always a pleasure to open up your mail box and see it filled with the activities of your fellows across the length and breadth of the country.
Today's been a good day for all of us - Arpan is leaving tomo and has been just reimbursed for the travelling fare, I am leaving day-after and will be reimbursed tomo, and as for Jaswal, well... he's got the prettiest lady as his mentor here.
Hyderabad, my destination and work-place for the rest of the summers, and my research area (at the moment) to familiarize myself with the ground realities is an interesting place... for e.g. I came to know that the native language is actually a mixture of Urdu and Telugu... now that's a cocktail!!!
Anybody out there who has the time, resource (provided by his/her company, ofcourse) then please check-out - mumbailive.in, delhilive.in, or bangalorelive.in - and please feel free to inundate my ID with your responses and feedbacks to the sites (any one). The best suggestor will be assured of a sumptuous meal upon our return to the barracks!
I'd love to know what's happening in my neigboring state of Kerala - what are you fellows doing?
Volume 3 - 5 April 2007
If you order Rajma (cooked in the northern-style) here then be sure that it will be half-cooked... otherwise the taste will be authentic!
Today has been a good day for all of us... lots of work and marching orders to our respective locations... that means by Thursday (God willing) I will be on my way to Hyderabad...
Work always comes in two waves... when you think there is nothing to do, and then when all of sudden the nothing becomes everything... to an extent the latter happened today...
As part of our work, we have been provided limited access to the Internet which means that this shouldn't be coming your way but then we've broken through the system... and here we are...
Today has been a good day for all of us... lots of work and marching orders to our respective locations... that means by Thursday (God willing) I will be on my way to Hyderabad...
Work always comes in two waves... when you think there is nothing to do, and then when all of sudden the nothing becomes everything... to an extent the latter happened today...
As part of our work, we have been provided limited access to the Internet which means that this shouldn't be coming your way but then we've broken through the system... and here we are...
Volume 2 - 2 April 2007
Today was the first day in office and what a start it was... like a test match where your openers go out to bat and poor number 3 has to wait for his chance in the sun... :-)
Life till afternoon was at a snail's pace... tried out the cafe here and would you believe these fellows eat pepper (in natural condition) even in this summer...?
Post-lunch finally got into some work... the bosses and the mentors... and people like that... interesting project in Hyd... boring, too.
Loved reading the interesting responses that my Summer Volume 1 generated... looking forward to more interesting times in other parts of the country...
Life till afternoon was at a snail's pace... tried out the cafe here and would you believe these fellows eat pepper (in natural condition) even in this summer...?
Post-lunch finally got into some work... the bosses and the mentors... and people like that... interesting project in Hyd... boring, too.
Loved reading the interesting responses that my Summer Volume 1 generated... looking forward to more interesting times in other parts of the country...
Volume 1 - 1 April 2007
Chennai is a fine place if you know Tamil... if you do not then be prepared to pay a fortune, at least, everytime you undertake a new journey...
The beaches are good: Marina, Basin Area and East Bay... I guess East Bay is least populated and therefore, most suitable to enjoy the Sea breeze and the smell of the sea ... (for the Old Salts')
Food is an issue some times but otherwise we manage a decent spread almost every meal. Surprisingly they make better dosas in Delhi... or perhaps more to our taste...
The beaches are good: Marina, Basin Area and East Bay... I guess East Bay is least populated and therefore, most suitable to enjoy the Sea breeze and the smell of the sea ... (for the Old Salts')
Food is an issue some times but otherwise we manage a decent spread almost every meal. Surprisingly they make better dosas in Delhi... or perhaps more to our taste...
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