To Ashes

Heart broken. That’s how my plight was when Hussey fell to Schwann. Defeat was imminent after Ponting ran recklessly, possibly to give a farewell gift to Freddie, who accepted it with pleasure. Actually, defeat was on the horizon after their first innings fiasco. The Aussies looked impetuous right from the word go. Their usually rock solid bats lookied wavering. The once mighty & invincible Aussies fell, like everything that rises does. Gone are the days when the Aussies would rout the English mercilessly in their own backyard. Earlier, the English aimed to loose the series by the smallest possible margin. They would gratefully accept a 2-1 defeat; ask Nasser Hussain, Alec Steward or Caddick.

But now, things have changed after the fateful departure of the greats of Aussie cricket: McGrath, Warne, Gilli, Hayden, Langer, Martyn and others. Aussies now struggle for victory, unlike in past when triumph came naturally to them.

People hate the Aussies, mainly because of their hogwash, on and off the field. But they had an attitude, that of a victorious soldier towards the prisoners of war. Their mind games worked. They stalked their prey like a leapord. Their sonorous appeals often invited refree’s wrath. All said, they knew how to win.

Things have changed now though, the era of their domination seems to be over. There are resurgent teams vying to take the top spot. The Proteas are the frontrunners. But I am sure no other team can dominate world cricket as the Aussies once did.

I wish and hope the Aussies come out the despondent state to prevail again…….

Redefining the Operating System, the Google way

The traditional view of an operating system is something that loads when we switch on our computer, and shows us a desktop with icons, and which has a start button at the bottom left corner, so on and so forth. So basically, a plebeian idea of an OS conjures up images of either Mac , Windows, or at the most Linux. Can someone revoltingly usurp the traditional view, and more importantly, ideate something new? Well talk of revolutions and it rings(or Bings :) ) 'Google'. The frizzy braniacs at Mountain View have embarked on a journey just to do that. By winter next year, we will witness, either a farce or an exemplary new OS. I am vouching for the latter possibility. The news that Google is going to launch a Chrome based open-source(duh!) OS, based on Linux kernel, has received extreme reactions. Most people are thrilled, few say they anticipated it, and others have started flunking it.

They(the techies, who else!) say that they saw it coming when Google announced Chrome, the open source web browser, because of the way Chrome works. Chrome, unlike other browsers, does a host of tasks that other browsers delegate to the underlying OS. For instance, Chrome treats each of its tabs as an independent process, with separate process stack, which can be verified from the task manager of your Windows(Donno what's it like in Mac).

What will be the OS like? They(this time they refers to the guys working on Chrome OS) say that the traditional OSs were built when there was no or very little idea of the internet. Chrome OS will shift the onus of managing your data to the online world. It will be as simple as a browser, but would be very powerful. You would not need the heavy weight Windows or Mac. I have some reservations with this statement, but going by who has made them, I will accept like a true follower.

So what's next? Google has invited the open source community to participate in this venture. They(this time it is Google, as a corporate) have also declared openings exclusively for projects on the Chrome OS. I believe that Google saw Bing coming, and they wanted to give Microsoft a taste of what they felt when Bing was announced. May be that's why Google has hastily declared its intentions so early, an year ahead of the official launch of the OS.

Personally, I am not expecting something mind boggling like GMail, but yes, it will surely give Balmer some sleepless nights.....

We the Consumer

Marketing managers place the almighty consumer at the center of their efforts. And nothing wrong in it, after all the consumer is the king of the market. But does this make him arrogant? With increasing choices, a consumer does not think once before disposing a mean demeanor. To quote an example, some time back I went to crossword to indulge myself in reading. It was Saturday and something around 10.20 in the morning. What a morning it was, clear sky and light breeze. A perfect day for vacation.

Fresh and clad smartly, I entered the kingdom of books. Although I find almost the same books at the same place every time, the place thrills me. While I was looking around, picking and dropping books, I observed strange glances. The staff was looking at me rather uncomfortably. I ignored and continued my quest for the book I would partially read that day. I was the only 'outsider' in the shop then.

Some time later, a middle aged lady entered the shop. She looked in a hurry. She knew exactly what she wanted and headed straight away to a particular section, picked up a couple of books and went to the counter. I continued my search. Suddenly I heard the lady shouting and abusing the staff. She said she would complain to the manager. That the staff was impolite and rude. That they were unfriendly towards the customers. That they would be responsible for the loss of business which crossword would face due to their arrogance. That the staff were dumb and should shut up. She used more English words when she knew that the staff didn't understand much. They kept on requesting her politely to calm down and wait for 10 minutes till their manager arrives. That they cannot transact till then. It struck me suddenly the reason they were staring at me.....The shop was not open yet!! The lady asked for their manager's contact number threatening to complain. The scared staff didn't know what to do. Frustrated, she left, shouting all the way outside.

All those inside were dumbfounded by this act of impudence. I politely asked them whether I could stay and look around for books, as the shop had not opened for business. Smiling, they explained that they had no problem with it. Just that they cannot sell anything without their manager coming and switching the computer on! The tone was almost hapless.

I thought that sometimes we, the consumers and customers, are so conceited that we fail to understand the situation at hand and unfairly take advantage of our vantage. The junior staff working anywhere, malls, shops, are humans. They should be dealt with and treated with the same respect that you expect from others. (Remember the day when your client screams at you and you feel victimised).....

The US shopping experience

It was a perfect day for outing. Sun shone brightly over the horizon and a cool breeze was making the Sunday more pleasant. So here I was, getting up early and planning my trip to one of the biggest malls in New Jersey, the Jersey gardens mall. It was also interesting because this would be the first time I went out alone, without friends, to an unknown place. So it was also a sort of adventure for me. I was excited about the possibilities.

I left home at quarter to 9 with my bag and some 20 odd dollars in change, because bus transit operators only accept the exact change, you don’t get the balance back! So I checked my possessions and left for an exciting shopping experience.
I had to change two buses to reach my destination. I had to wait for long for my second bus at the 30th street, which was annoying, but the thought of what was coming ahead kept me happy…Finally the bus arrived.

I sat beside an old lady who smiled a lot, like a devil does welcoming you to hell. And then she started talking…and talking…and talking. The worse thing was, she spoke Spanish! I told her I could not understand a word, and to add to the trauma, she didn’t understand English. I decided to show some respect and try to grasp what she said. Surprisingly I could understand some part from her expressions. She seemed pleased.

I disembarked the bus in a hurry and pronounced the magic words ”Open Sesami” to a huge automatic door. I decided to satiate my hunger first. I headed towards the food court to savor some vegetarian delicacies. I decided to have a veg burger with extra cheese, my tongue already feeling the taste. I looked around for an ATM to get some cash. Finding one, I took my wallet out in style. And then the disaster struck. 10 minutes later, I was sitting at a nearby table, still searching for my card and sporadically scratching my head. I concluded that I had lost my card. So I thought of blocking it, but my horse sense suggested me that I had forgotten it home. I decided to go with my intuition.

So the only possible action was to find the latest bus and head home. But my digestive juices were making noise. I looked at ppl having hot pizzas and bugers…I checked my wallet and found 10 dollars, 2 in quarters and 8 in 1s. Hmm, my journey home would need around 7.50. Well, I experienced what a penury feels every day of his life. I shaked off the thought.

I roamed around and found fried onion rings for 2 bucks. Well, something is better than nothing….Then I went to the bus stop, and to my disappointment, I had missed a bus, and the next bus was 3 hours later. I thought of going around the mall, do some bird watching and return in time. Suddenly I remembered that I had a cheque worth $1400. If I could find a place to encash it, I might be able to shop!! But some unknown force just didn’t want me to shop that day.

So here I was roaming around and looking at T-shirts, jeans, wallets etc. all mocking me. Big deal, I thought. Just when I was imagining myself in one of the T-shirts, I heard a non American accent calling me. I turned back to find a middle aged but charming Argentine lady throwing a 70mm a smile. She was a sales girl for a men’s facewash. She enquired my age, and as usual, said I looked much younger than my age suggested. I smiled, good, isn’t it? I divulged my funny secret expecting her to loose interest in me, but, well, instead she explained her business in more detail and gave her contact to me saying that next time I visit the mall, I should visit her. Hmm….We exchanged wishes and bid farewell.

One of the longest 3 hours of my life were about to end when I reached the bus stop at 1.45, the bus was scheduled at 2.10. I sat down on a bench. I was tired, hungry and sleepy. I closed my eyes and went into deep sleep for some time. When I regained consciousness there was a huge crowd around, all waiting for the bus and queued up!! I was one of the first ones to reach, and now was at the end of the queue!! ‘O boy, if I miss this bus, I will have to steal food and would end up in prison!! Well, I could have waited for the next bus which was 2 hours later, but I had no intention to do that. But no option, had to wait.

Miracles do happen! I saw that Spanish lady standing first in the queue and waving her hand to get my attention. I thought she is saying hi! But no, she was calling me. I happily accepted her invitation and prouldy occupied the first position in the queue. Boy, do I like Spaniards!!…I happily listened to the lady for my entire commute without understanding a word, but no issues…..

And finally I reached home. It was indeed an interesting day…

In the land of Freedom

They named it the greatest country on earth. The land where the idea of freedom and democracy sprouted. I don't hesitate in saying that they were not incorrect. It is a great country, where freedom runs in Her streets like blood in Her veins.

In spite of my earlier reservations of travelling outside my country, I am happy to be here.

Life is weird, just three days before I set my foot on this land, I was oblivious of the fact. I did not know I would be roaming in the streets of New York, like any other Yankee, move about in their trains and interact with them.

First few days here were a culture shock for me. Had to be, many things people take for granted here are not tolerated in India. I am not against any culture. It's my culture, and that's theirs, it's not about right or wrong. It's just the difference of outlook. Let us broaden our view to accommodate others' views, at least when you are on their land. So the issue was settled. :)

The next thing that surprised me was the demographics in NY and NJ. You don't find yourself secluded in a foreign country amidst foreigners. You will find Indians everywhere. There's an Indian street here. You will find all kinds of Gujju foods. So food wasn't an issue, just that it's a bit costly. Jet lag was a nuisance for a week, when you find the code lines dancing in front of you. I call it jetlexia.

I am lucky to have so many friends here in NY. NY was probably the best place in the entire US where I could have been deputed, and that too in summer!!!! Bonus.

The weather in summers is more or less like Pune. Just that it rains unexpectedly anytime. That's why people regularly check for weather updates here, and believe me when I say that most of the forecasts are accurate. Another thing that stumped me was how much these guys depend on GPS and Google maps. You will find the smallest and the most insignificant shops or apartments right there on the map. Just type in the address and you will get the directions. Hail Google.

The NY public transport facilities are excellent, operating 24 hours a day. Like Mumbai, local trains are the life line. However, the rail network across the US is nothing as compared to its Indian counterpart. The flight network compensates for it.

Talking about Americans now. They surely are interesting, and sometimes amusing. Gals have an excellent fashion sense. They know what fits. And they are awesome.
But I find their over enthusiastic dialect sometimes irritating. They would be talking about their usual rut transit by the subway train, and talk like they have been to Hawaii....!!!!! I wonder how they manage to be so cheerful and energetic all the time.

Baseball is another thing they are crazy about. I happened to be in Boston once, on an eve when NY Yankees were battling the Bostons Boxes. It was like an Indo-Pak cricket encounter, electrifying!! Jam packed stadiums, hot dogs and burger stalls outside and ardent fans cheering the home team. (It was quiet after the match as the Boxes lost)

Well that's all I have for now!! More on uncle Sam later, stay tuned!!!!!

Sid

TATA NANO, rather Welcome NANO!!!

Many blogs must have been written on this topic, and most would be full of trivialities. Ok, without enshrining my blog, I want to comment on what I think of Nano, as if it were a living creature. Well, why not, it took Ratan Tata, code name and called affectionately RNT by his colleagues, five painful and arduous years to conceive the baby. (Elephants have the longest gestation period of 18 months). It was a dream, envisaged(and sometimes even as a spectre) in 2002, which RNT claims, came upon him when he saw a family of four on a scooter, soaked in a deluge. I hold reservations on this view. I feel it just might be a stunt to reach masses, a story conceived to make the Nano a 'peoples' car'. Whatever the inspiration, it was thought impossible at that time. It was mocked by Suzuki MD, saying that it was unimaginable to build a Rs 1 lack car, it could be possible, however, if it has only three wheels, one seat and a stepny. But RNT, with his dedicated team of Engineers had some idea when they took over the challenge to rewrite history of transportation.
They spent many sleepless nights, apart from the one just before the launch of Nano, applying their innovative vision aka innovision. The tension of thought, complexity of engineering was taking its toll on them. They were being tested on all fronts, technical, managerial, financial etc. And RNT was leading them on all fronts, taking blows and replying accordingly. Few would be knowing that RNT is an aggressive and shot tempered businessman in his own way. He openly condemned Trinamool's stance on Singur, and he challenged them to stop him. It is said that the agitation in Singur is a planned effort by Tata's business rivals. I don't think they will reach far, RNT will see to it before he hangs his boots that they get a befitting treatment, as RNT says, everything happens at its suitable time. Returning back to Nano, I think it is a wonder car. I won't be surprised if Nano repeats history like Bajaj scooters, which were priced possessions, and had a waiting list of an year. Nano has some drawbacks though. It doesn't have a power steering, so ladies will find it difficult to manoeuvre. Leg space is less. It would be rather cruel to expect everything in 100k, but human wants are unlimited. Nano will surely aflutter the car industry. All major automobes have begun research on small, inexpensive cars. They will be the future, quoted Renault chief.
It remains to be seen, what this car does to market, once launched. Kudos RNT!!!

MyFirstBlog

This being my first blog, I don't want to want to write anything in particular, comment or condemn anything. I have been thinking of writing a blog of my own since a long time, but every time I made such an attempt, something slipped in and took away that opportunity from me. It was either work, tiredness, or, if nothing else, blank mind. Sometimes, one's mind denies to work, like you would do, if told to spend extra hours in office. Though, better late than never.

In my first blog, I would discuss the most important thing to me, well, myself. Alright, I agree, I have an exaggerated sense of self-importance. But that doesn't mean I am conceited, though, literally it may seem so, that's not true. I don't like as such to discuss myself too personally, so let's drop it. I prefer to discuss something more general, about likes and dislikes, hobbies etc. About my dislikes, I am not sure I dislike anything in particular. Though there are many things I like and admire. They might be qualities in certain people, some activity(no, u dirty mind :)) or some literally work, or some piece of music or art.

India being a cricketing nation, cricket has been a hobby since long. Though my paradigm of interest has shifted to soccer and tennis, after the Indian world cup debacle. (It would take a separate blog to discuss that.) I also like listening to music, perhaps so much that I prefer not to, because it mesmerises me and I fail to confine my concentration to the work at hand. So, I prefer to listen music as an independent activity, unlike most people, who enjoy music while doing almost anything.

My political views are pro-democratic. Communism to me is a felony, an attack on freedom of citizens. Its long term effects are what we witnessed in USSR(now Russia). Only a free society with free thought can progress and succeed, like the US, and developing India.
Communism, though, has its own applications. It would take a communist leadership to bring a country up from destitution, as the Government would be able to exercise greater control over masses, and its necessary, because in an underdeveloped economy, democracy might do to worsen things than improve. However, the final aim of any economy should be democracy - freedom, people's power. These are, very crudely, my political views.

And most importantly, I am very restless and impatient, so I can't scribble for long, and get bored. So I end my first blog here.
For the rest, well, I will continue blogging. About the most relevant topics to me.
So long, happy blogging.