Footsteps on Clouds: July 2004

I've uploaded Hyderabad and Pune pics. in my Yahoo photo album.

Petrol to cost more from tomorrow onwards. An increase of about Rs. 1.10 to Rs. 1.20 per litre.

Dear Punit, Congratulations on drawing your first salary!

The net connection speed at 56kbps dial-up is very slow, being used to fast access speed from office. It took me almost two hours to fill Deloitte's Online application form.

Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures.

A Beautiful Quote.

We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere.
~ Tim McGraw

A Thought for Today.

A bit of perfume always clings to the hand that gives the rose.
~ Chinese Saying.

It's raining here, in Pune. I reached home this morning. Started at 09:45 last night from Hyderabad, reached home by 09:20 this morning. Don't know why I cried on the phone while speaking to Achal. I couldn't control my tears. It was nice of him to leave early from office to come to drop me. I didn't feel like leaving Hyderabad. I know there's an opportunity waiting for me in Hyderabad. Hyderabad is full of opportunities. Before that, I want to try in Pune and later on in Bombay.
I'll be in Pune for atleast a week, or even more. I've completed the full & final settlement at the Hyderabad office.

29th July Thursday: Today is Ngn's Birthday! Happy Birthday Senorita!

Went to the main office this afternoon to collect the Relieving letter and the Service certificate. I'd be getting the salary by cheque next week.

Mama left for Vidisha this evening.

A Thought for Today.

A thing long expected takes the form of the unexpected when at last it comes.
~ Mark Twain

The Global Trust Bank, GTB, is going to be
merged with Oriental Bank of Commerce as per information provided by the RBI.
Links: Oriental Bank of Commerce, GTB, RBI.

25th July. Teju, Belated Birthday Wishes.

Lines drawn for GTB Takeover. SBI may takeover GTB.

24th July: Saturday: Went to Abids and then to Charminar, alongwith Mama, Achal and Arpee. I didn't have any cash on me, so I went to the GTB ATM last afternoon, the ATM wasn't working, I thought it would be a technical glitch that would be solved in a couple of hours. Late evening when I went to the ATM, it was still closed and a few policemmen were guarding the Bank. One of them told me that the bank is closed and there are some problems. It was in the news that RBI has stopped all transactions of GTB till 23rd of October 2004. I have five thousand odd rupees in the bank, I won't be able to withdraw it from the ATM's. The GTB ATM's have been sealed. A one time withdrawal of Rs. 10,000 is allowed from the bank. I received a call from our HR executive this morning. They would be crediting our salaries to another bank account. I already have an ICICI bank account, so I suppose, my salary would be credited there. Last evening, had dinner at Chutney's Buffet. It is good for Rs. 130/- per head. I didn't have one rupee with me from last afternoon onwards. Right now, I've fifty odd rupees in my wallet. I'll take some cash from Achal. I was planning to go to Pune this evening, I won't go now, I'll check the bank developments and what information is required by our HR, after that I'll go to Pune, say tomorrow or the day after. I haven't yet received any reply from Bombay, it's the weekend. I'm expecting something positive by the middle of next week.
No plans for today. Wanted to go to Golconda fort, but it's overcast and likely to rain and Mama isn't feeling well after last night's dinner, so won't be going out, I suppose.

To read and learn from AntiProxy.com. Got this link from Yogi. Thanks, Yogi!

Done for the day. I've completed and sent the assignments to Bombay.
I won't be in office tomorrow. Bye for now! Cheers! Chirayu

My pockets are lighter by Rs. 200/-
On my way to office this afternoon, while waiting for the signal to turn green at Punjagutta, a traffic policeman saw the MH-12 number of my bike as opposed to the AP numbers here and he got a good opportunity to make some money. Show your Licence, RC/TC, PUC, NOC and every other document. Obviously, I didn't have anything except the licence, the other documents were at home and I didn't want to go back home get the doc. and again wait for him and would he have returned my bike keys after I'd have showed him all those docs.? Most unlikely. So I took the easy way out, negotiated from Rs. 1000/- to Rs. 100/- then he settled for Rs. 200/-. I'm in office now. My pockets, lighter by Rs. 200/-. I thought, instead of spending Rs. 100/- at the netcafe to do some personal work, let's go to office and complete the work from there and I've already spent Rs. 200/-.

Btw, so far, I've spent Rs. 400/- in these six months, paying fines. Rs. 100/- at the Jubilee Check Post, Rs. 100/- at the Airport and now, Rs. 200/- this afternoon at Punjagutta. Why can't I keep the docs, I have them, in my bike. I will, from now, onwards!

I'm leaving for the day. Bye for now! Cheers! Chirayu

IT Question Papers for Freshers

Freshersworld New
Freshersworld Old
Placement Zone
Krishna's Question Paper Links

The third and fourth links are almost similar to the first and second.
BoredGuru --> Articles --> Employment.
Information about the latest question papers.

Useful links. For ready reference.

I won't be in office tomorrow and the day after. It's already 7:30, I'll start for Pune tomorrow evening.

Why is Yahoo Groups currently unavailable?

To read from OutlookIndia.
The Road to Harsud, Barefoot Inventors
Reference: Infoplease.

A Thought for Today

The average estimate themselves by what they do, the above average by what they are.
~ Schiller, Johann Friedrich Von

Yes, it's official, well, almost! My manager told me to search for new opportunities.

There's a good chance in Pune. I've already applied this afternoon, I need to get a call, that's it and the job is mine!
(Am I not too over-confident sometimes, it helps, it's like Maradona saying Argentina have to enter the football field and the world cup is theirs) :-)
That's the way I look at any opportunity. Go there, take the test, appear for the interview and take it! Simple!
hah maalik simple to hai, ab leke batao!

I need a hair-cut. Even if it means, leaving early from office this evening.

I always knew where our project was heading.
Going fast downhill, in a Ferrari without brakes, with a boulder at the end of the road, in short, waiting to Crash!

Setting high expectations, with a short incubation period (no VC investment till now, their hands are clean), expecting miracles from 'search' technology (it is a really challenging task to write a great search algorithm, why did they send the programmer to another project, he was trying his level best), no wonder Google is God, and trying to get all online marketplaces in one basket, at any cost (impossible) and then feeling let down!
(I'm entitled to my opinions)

The writing is on the wall. What a 'sad' way of writing! Never use 'cliches' in writing. The only reason, I used, 'writing is on the wall', was for euphemism (to make a harsh word, smooth).

Let's see whether they tell us to find something by the end of this month or the next. It's a blessing in disguise, I always knew this was coming, I was too lazy (no, comfortably numb) to change. I always wanted too, the real reason was, I didn't get holidays!

I'm planning to take a couple of days off, say from Fri. onwards or early next week and go to Pune, so I can meet the HR people on weekdays. In the meantime, I'm awaiting indications from Bombay too. Even, going to Bangalore is good!

Don't know whether I should be posting this! I guess, it doesn't matter! So why not! :-)

Apni marzi se kahaan kidhar ke hai hum
Rukh hawaaon ka jidhar ka hai, udhar ke hai hum

Kehte hai dekhne se nazar lag jaati hai...
Poonam ki raat mai bahar na nikalna...Kahee chaand tumhe na dekh le!

This is hilarious, I felt it that way.

Tanhaa tanhaa hum rolenge mehfil mehfil gaayenge
Jab tak aansuu paas rahenge tab tak geet sunaayenge

Tum jo socho vo tum jaano hum to apnii kehte hain
Der na karna ghar jaane mai varnaa ghar kho jaayenge

Bachchon ke chhote haathon ko chaand sitaare chhuune do
Chaar kitaaben padh kar vo bhii ham jaise ho jaayenge

Kin raahon se duur hai manzil kaun saa rastaa aasaan hai
Hum jab thak kar ruk jaayenge auron ko samajhaayenge

Acchhii soorat vaale saare patthar-dil ho mumkin hai
Hum to us din raae (opinion) denge jis din dhokaa khaayenge
~ Nida Fazli

UrduPoetry.com

An English Translation of the above. This needs to be more poetic.

All alone I will cry and sing at celebrations
Till the time I have tears with me, I will sing

What you think, that you know, I tell about myself
Don't delay in going home or else you won't find your home

Let the small hands of children touch the moon and stars
After reading four books, they too, will become like us

From which paths is the destination far-off, which road is easy
When I'm tired and I'll stop, I'll explain it to others

It is possible that people with lovely faces may be stone-hearted
I'll give my opinion on that, the day I get ditched

I had a telephonic interview from Bombay this afternoon. The interview went off well. They're interested in offering a 'Trainee' position as I haven't done specific projects in the field of e-learning, still, this is a good chance to get in the field of e-learning and I was waiting for it. So, once the salary negotiations are done and I receive their answer, I can think of moving to Bombay.

Write-up on Autos, Bangalore, Calling people by their first names.

I don't like to bargain for five ten rupees, especially with auto-wallahs.

Okay, so you don't have value for money? I don't agree with this statement.
Or you allow people to fool you. I don't agree with this either.

My way of thinking is, what harm does it make to your life if you pay, even daily, say 5 rupees extra, but those five rupees could be of use in different ways to the auto-wallah, say a paan or a newspaper.

That's why, I never haggle with auto-wallahas and I don't like it when others do too.

We can easily spend 'x' amount on 'xyzee' etc. for ourselves and when it comes to spending five rupees more for auto-fares, our cost-cutting and saving mode comes on. No, not atleast for me.

I eat at the Dhaba and daily I leave the change for Shankar and Salman. If it's Rs. 54, I give Rs. 60/- and so on. Daily, for almost the last four months. There are three ways of doing a thing, the right way, the wrong way, and my way!

My way of meeting up, calling people is on a first-name basis, whether it's the waiter at the Dhaba or the boy at the Cafe or
my manager, or the person behind the counter at the restaurant. If I go to a place, more than once, I remember the first-names of people I meet and especially at places where they have their names as a badge. What is the point in calling someone as 'Excuse me' 'Two Frappes and a chocolate sundae', when you know his name is Rafeeq.

The sweetest thing for a person is his/her name and I've seen that this does help a lot, calling people by their first-names, especially in new places.

A nice quote here, There are no strange places, only new ones!
This is from 'The Alchemist' by Paulo Coelho.

This write-up came from last night's talk with Mama about Bangalore auto-wallas. My experience was that they're very polite and nice, while he had another opinion.

I have noted one more point, no offence meant (this is an opinion and I'm entitled to voice it on my blog), people from North India are prone to haggling, because being from that part of India, they have a mindset that people can't be good.
You have to fix up a rate before getting in an auto? Why so? Atleast in Pune, Bombay everyone follows the meter. You don't need to show your foolishness, by asking for the fares before-hand, except for railways stations, airports, where they charge
extra. Or else, what's a meter there for? At some places people do tamper with the meters. Atleast, it's not that way in Hyderabad, don't know about Bangalore, although, whatever experiences I've had in Bangalore were pleasant.

The best way is to call an Auto, sit quickly, flick the meter (I always do that) and tell the auto-wallah let's go!
The way is to make them feel that you know this place. Another way is to speak the regional langauge, works well in Pune.

Always go with an open mind. There's a beautiful Zen story for this. Post that later.

Life is not a 'To Do' list of things that you scratch off as you get older.
Age 28: Get married
Age 30: I've booked a 2 BHK flat
Age 35: I've settled my house loan
Age 38: I'm the Director of a big MNC and so on.

Life is an empty sheet of paper that you fill with a ball-point pen as you enjoy the ups and downs.
This is an original one.

An online tour of the corporate training center (the world's largest) of Infosys at Mysore.

20th July: Today is Sanchit's birthday! Wish you a Very Happy Birthday Sanchit!

Last evening, on my way back home from office, I bought a green & yellow salwar suit (greenish white stripes with yellow flowers at the bottom alongwith a greenish-yellow dupatta), from Chandana Bros. at Ameerpet, for Arpee.
Green is her favourite colour and she liked it!

Examples of filetype: searches on Google.

A filetype search is restricted to a particular file format.
Filetypes could be ppt, pps, pdf, xls, doc, asp, htm, html

Search Engine Marketing filetype:ppt

"Resume Writing" filetype:ppt

Online Advertising filetype:ppt

Organic Search Engine Optimization filetype:pdf

Web Usability filetype:pdf

Contextual Advertising filetype:doc

Examples of Google Image filetype: searches.

Mitsubishi Lancer filetype:jpg

Yamaha filetype:bmp

Aishwarya filetype:png
The second pic. from the above link, (the one in an umbrella), is my all time fav. of Ash.

Click on the links, to view the results.

I'm feeling sleepy, tired and hungry.

Some thoughts on last evening's ODI cricket match between India and Sri Lanka.

What was the point in playing seven specialist batsmen in the team and still sending Parthiv Patel as an opener. Send Virender Sehwag at any position, he will always play the way, he does, slam-bang-six-four-play and miss-four,six-out. So, if Saurav Ganguly has to take a risk, Sehwag should be sent as an opener, instead of trying different combinations.

An ideal batting order would be - Sachin, Sehwag, Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly, M. Kaif, Yuvraj, Irfan, Balaji, Parthiv and Kumble. or interchange Parthiv with Nehra or Kumble with Harbhajan. Rahul Dravid is doing a good job of wicket-keeping. Do we need a specialist wicket-keeper and even if we do play him, is he required to open the batting after keeping wickets for fifty overs, more so, when there are so many match-winning players waiting for a chance to bat.

Make Google India your Homepage. Once you click on this link and make Google India your homepage, this link won't show on the Google Homepage.

I like to note the changes on Google's homepage. Also, some New Features, as of 14th July on Gmail. Import addresses from MS Outlook and Outlook Express.

19th July: Monday: Reached Hyd. at 08:45 this morning. Was in office by 10:20.
Bus journeys are very tiring, although, I don't feel it now, as I'm used to it.
I need atleast a three day vacation to do some work in Pune.
I reach Pune on Sat. mornings, the whole day goes in rest, Sunday is spent in talking and then it's time to head back to work. First thing I did on reaching home (Hyd)., was to say sorry to Arpee. She's a very nice girl. When things (sometimes) go wrong, never look for excuses, always find the reasons, and the reason for last Friday's brouhaha (bru-ha, a difficult word to use) was that I answered back. I should have kept quiet. I'm older to her. I've got to take care of her.

So, it's another day at work, here in Hyd.

A thought: I saw more girls (college girls, beautiful girls) in Pune in 15 minutes on M.G. Road than I did in one month in Hyd!!! Beauty is always a glance away in Pune, esp. on M.G. Road, Wadia College, F.C. Road, Symbiosis, Senapati Bapat Rd., Univ. Road, East Street, St. Mira's College and so on, while in Hyderabad, 'A Thing of Beauty is a joy for ever' is a quote best left for the green islands at Banjara Hills (the road encircling KBR Park).

No wonder, whenever, I've met/made new friends on the bus journey from Pune to Hyd./Hyd. to Pune, invariably the talk turns towards Pune gals, no city like Pune for that, even Bombay fades in front of Pune for the multitude of gals on bikes. I guess, the latest rage in town is faded jeans and sleeveless tops!

Pune rocks!! No city like Pune.
And, I've never enjoyed in Pune! After I started earning, haven't spent even one evening out on M.G. Road, checking out the gals, then sandwiches at Marz-o-Rin, Ice-creams from Pasteur, a cake at Kayani Bakery or else a cup of tea at Cafe Naaz and then the long walks from Aurora Towers to Bata and beyond, till the end of East Street. M.G. Road is a fantastic place to spend an evening in Pune. I haven't been to Barista in Pune.
Next time, I'll go home, I'll take a three day leave, find a date, get a bike and enjoy myself!

I always waste my time in Pune. I've done nothing. Slept at home.

Next week, I want to read from India Travelogues.

A part of Pablo Neruda's

I Do Not Love You Except Because I Love You

I do not love you except because I love you;
I go from loving to not loving you,
From waiting to not waiting for you
My heart moves from cold to fire.

I love you only because it's you the one I love;
I hate you deeply, and hating you
Bend to you, and the measure of my changing love for you
Is that I do not see you but love you blindly.

Links to Poetry Sites: Kavitanjali, Sulekha, NetPoets, PoetsIndia, EMule, IndiaNest, PoemHunter.

Saturday, 17th July, Pune: I reached Pune at 09:20 this morning.

Last evening, in Hyderabad, was eventful. I bought the bus ticket to go to Pune from Ameerpet. While leaving for Pune at around 08:30, had a 'minor' tiff with Bhabhi (on hindsight, I should have kept quiet), then had major telecons with Achal till late night. Finally, we ended up saying sorry to each other, early in the morning. For the first time in so many years, Achal & I fought, we have had our share of arguments and discussions, but, we've never ever 'exchanged words', we did that yesterday. And the irony of it all, the movie that was playing in the bus on my way to Pune was 'Yaarana'. Hope we've (Achal & I) sorted things out. Haven't we, Bhai?

Achal, Bhai, you deserve an apology from my side.

Achal, Bhai, I'm sorry for last evening.
I'm sorry Achal.
Arpee, you too deserve an apology from my side.
I'm sorry Arpee.

Achal, here's a song to our friendship.

This ones for you Achal, hope you read this.

Tere jaisa Yaar kahan, kahan aisa Yaarana

Tere jaisaa yaar kahan, kahan aisa Yaarana
Yaad karegi duniya, tera mera afsaana

Meri zindagi sawaari, mujh ko gale lagaa ke
Baithaa diya falak pe, mujhe khaakh se utha ke
Yaara teri yaari ko, maine to khuda maana
Tere jaisa yaar kahan, kahan aisa Yaarana
Yaad karegi duniya, tera mera afsaana

Mere dil ki ye duwa hai, kabhi duur tu naa jaaye
Tere binaa ho jeena, woh din kabhi naa aaye

Tere sang jeena yahan, tere sang mar jaana

Tere jaisa yaar kahan, kahaa aisa Yaarana
Yaad karegi duniya, tera mera afsaana

Cheers!
Chirayu

Suddenly, after a dull, boring, useless day at work, I'm feeling energetic. We don't have a conference call this evening, so I've a good chance to go to Pune. I'd be leaving for the day in a short while from now. Have a nice weekend.
Cheers!
Chirayu

A Thought for Today

I like you for who I am when I am with you.

A long literary list. Found this link from feedster search. The list is in a book, author form without hyperlinks. Good for ready reference.

Hyderabad in the rains

Hyderabad in the rains.

1. I can be poetic, romantic, and descriptive.
2. I can be pessimistic, verbose, and trite.

I'll write both ways.

1. Hyderabad in the rains is about

A walk along the lush-green surroundings of KBR Park. Those flowers in their various shades; an urban yellow, a shy pink, a sweet purple, a radiant red and a jubilant violet. Each drop of water that falls from those shining leaves and settles on my palm, reminds me of a smooth, soft, sweet kiss from someone far away yet so near in my heart. The glow of light in those puddles of water near a street-light, forming a hundred myriad designs, each one showing the face of my beloved smiling at me. Standing in the 'verandah' after a spell of rain, taking a short walk, a cool breeze blowing, the sound of leaves rustling under an overcast sky, birds flying back home with their chattering, a strange blue bird, is it a Mynah sitting near the window-porch, a perfect opportunity for a beautiful picture, let me take it right away. Rains are great. A cup of hot tea and stuffed parathas with a novel tucked by the bedside and Pink Floyd playing. I love it, when it rains. A perfect setting to spend a lazy evening on a weekend.

2. Hyderabad in the rains is about

Traffic-jams, water-logging, power shut-downs, more traffic-jams, and street-lights not working. Why does it rain only in the morning and late in the evening? Does rain go to office in Hyderabad. Daily it drizzles at 9 in the morning and each evening it is drizzling from 6:30 onwards. Can't it rain in the afternoons? Hyderabad is a city of traffic-jams and in the rains it is worse. Why can't the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad authorities do something about it. The best way is to buy a car, keep a driver and relax in the rains. When will I buy a car? I hate these rains. Can't even sleep at night, without the fan and so many mosquitoes around. And it isn't even raining! It has to rain, only in the mornings! I know it's going to rain over the week-end. I'll have to sit at home.

Who are you? First or second. I wish I could be a type '1' person, I'm not. Neither am I a type '2' person.

It rains, let it.

I like the outdoors in the rains, especially, trekking; visiting forts, going for a long bike ride, travelling to the country-side.

Read books online, for free. Free e-books from Pagebypagebooks.com. This is the complete list of books available with them.

I have downloaded Picasa.
Uploaded this picture on Picasa. Sent to Hello and uploaded on my blog.

Ripples create perfection.
Perfection is no ripple.

Posted by Chirayu

Feel like writing a Haiku. A four-liner would be the right word.

Orangish-green leaf on water wonder where it will go
Water creates ripples takes it nowhere
Better to be swept by a flowing stream that gives movement
Than last a life-time at the same place.

Google is promoting Picasa on its homepage.

Free from Google. Organize and find pictures on your PC. Download Picasa. Picasa is now a part of Google. Picasa is a free, digital photo organizer.

I upload photos on my blog through Hello, which is also a part of the Picasa product range. I haven't downloaded Picasa, as yet.

Blogger has come up with a new GUI for posting. I'm checking that now. Lots of word formatting features, which I won't be using, plus, an upload image/file button, which is a user-friendly feature.

I'm leaving for the day. I don't feel like coming to office tomorrow. Let tomorrow come, then I'll decide. Bye for now.

Kabhi kabhi yu bhi hamne apne dil ko behlaaya hai
Jin baaton ko khud na samjhe auron ko samjhaya hai
~ Nida Fazli

Sometimes I've sympathized with my heart in such a way,
I've made others to understand, the things I never understood.

This is so true for me.

A Lovely Poem with its Hindi translation.

A lovely paragraph from 'He gives His Beloved Certain Rhymes' by
W.B. Yeats.

You need but lift a pearl-pale hand,
And bind up your long hair and sigh;
And all men’s hearts must burn and beat;
And candle-like foam on the dim sand,
And stars climbing the dew-dropping sky,
Live but to light your passing feet.

The last three lines are amazing!

A Hindi translation of the above.

Tum sirf apne moti bhare haaton ko uthaao
Aur apne gesuon ko baandh kar ek aah bhar lo
Usise Deewaano ke dil jalenge aur dhadkenge;
Aur mooam jaise jhaag is andheri ret par
Aur taare jo chad rahe hai shabnam jaise aasmaan par,
Jeete hai bas tumhaare pairo tale ujaala bikharne

I've done a good job of the translation, wow! :-)
Sounds poetic, doesn't it!

This is what I'm doing in office. Translating an 1899 poem from English to Hindi! :-)

Words, Tests, Quizzes, Poems. These sites make for interesting reading.
Colorgenics, Wordwizard, WordSpy, Bibliomania, related:www.wordwizard.com, related:www.bibliomania.com.
Hima, thanks for the Bibliomania and Colorgenics links.

Free, anonymous web browsing and surfing.

Interesting Links. If you aren't allowed mail access in office and you want to check your mails urgently use Anonymous Web Browsing sites.

Proxify, Anonymizer, Silentsurf, PurePrivacy,Guardster, URLEncoded.

Cheers!
Chirayu

Note: You'd be able to check your mail, read the content; you won't be able to send mails.

All the above links will open in a new window. All the links on my blog always open in a new window. Two reasons for that -
1. You've come to read my blog so don't lose your place from here.
2. Always do multi-tasking.

I sent five Gmail invites today. Now, I don't have any Gmail invites left with me.

Did you know that there are 307 sites that use the ODP (Open Directory Project) http://www.dmoz.org/ data in various forms.

One among them is the Google Web Directory. Also, check the list of 307 sites that use ODP (DMOZ) data in some form or the other.

What is the difference between a Web Directory and a Search Engine?

A simple explanation.

A web directory is a category-wise, hierarchical listing of web sites, compiled by humans.
A search engine relies on an algorithm/s to display results.

What do I prefer? I prefer Google, nothing else. Google search.

Whatever I've learnt, am learning on the net is through Google!

A post on that later. Google & I. :-)

What is the difference between Popular and Famous.

Popular is known to all and also 'liked' by all/ almost all.
Famous is known to all/almost all.

I have this habit of getting into the Instructional mode, too often. Giving examples, meanings, explanations.
I suppose I should write, that's it. Then, this is the way, I like to write, in an instructional way.

An office incident.

Chirayu, You don't have to describe the 'Continue' button. Laypersons won't be using our product.

I had written,
"Please click here (on the Continue button in gray) to go to the next page. Clicking on the forward button in your browser or the back button of your browser won't take you to the place where you'd be required to be!"

It's a joke. I'd written the first sentence.

:-)

Have a Nice Evening!

Bye!
Chirayu

The Times of India is not a national newspaper, it is a tabloid, in the true sense.

A sample of newslinks on it's homepage.
Britney Spears, Julie, The S-Curve and what not.

Good they don't give these in their offline, paper edition.

There are two ways of looking at it.

Point.

1. You say you don't like it, still what are you reading, mentioning, talking about, the ToI right and not The Hindu, isn't it. Sex sells. Glamour sells and what's wrong in inducing people to read the content on your site. In an online medium, with a short timespan per page, some incentives are required and the very fact that so many people access the ToI and there are lots of banner advts. on the ToI web site, proves that this is the way marketing is done on the net and if you have sex, sleaze, glamour and entertainment, it sells!

A counter-point.

2. A newspaper is a newspaper. Whether it is online or offline. If there is good content people will read. You don't need to put the sex-life of Britney Spears on your frontpage to attract people. Those who want to read and are interested in reading will definitely come to the ToI, irrespective of whether a bodacious babe graces the top right hand corner (like Janet Jackson did yesterday) or doesn't!

Now these are two points. what's my take. I go with the first version and I read the TOI as a tabloid. :-)
I read TheHindu as a newspaper.

A real nugget. A kissing quote. Remembered this quote.

The original is of only two lines. I've added a couple of more sentences. The first three, to make it poetic!

A peach is a peach. A pear is a pear.
But a kiss isn't a kiss when the tongue's amiss!
So open your mouth, close your eyes and give your tongue some exercise!

I have three gmail invitations left with me and I want to give two of them. If anyone of you is interested, please let me know.

I'm surfing the web site of Penguin Books, India. Got the link from Hima's blog.

A Blog Directory.

Globeofblogs.com - I registered my blog on this site today. Registration is free.

Vardan writes a lot about insects on his blog. He has written about cockroaches. His latest post is about red ants. Before that he had written about animals and also about lizards. So a post on flying cockroaches on this blog.

Each evening there are a couple of flying cockroaches in the bathroom. I have various way of kiiling them.
1. Flush them.
2. Kill them with a broom, make sure to do that with one stroke, or else they're a menace!
3. If you feel pity on those 'cataclysm' defying creatures (this is a wrong way of writing, I shouldn't be using such difficult words, writing has to be simple brother!), btw, cataclysm is end-of-the-world; then take them in a paper and throw them outside and hope they may not come back again!

Btw, have you ever tried holding a lizard, I have, a garden lizard, a long and dead one! :-)
Although, that was a long time back! Not here, in Hyderabad.

Lizards are omnipresent (again, use a simple word, instead of a diffcult one), ever-present, in the bathroom. They do their work and I do mine. So no problems with them.

This is the rainy season so there are bound to be insects. It's a hilly area, on the ground floor, almost basement like.
I let the creatures be at peace as long as they let me.

Btw, for the last three days, I haven't taken a bath. Nothing to do with insects. I'm down with a cold and I'm getting drenched in the rains for the last four days. Why can't I buy a jacket? I like the wind on my face! :-) So get a cold then!
I'm wearing the same shirt too, for the last two or is it three days. Btw, I have a denim jacket on top!

Yesterday I had posted that I want to work in Bombay. I have received a call for an interview from Bombay, God reads my Blog :-) and now, I'm thinking about whether to take the test/appear for an interview or not. Yeh Kya baat hui?

And the reasons.

1.) Last evening, I had a chat with our technical architect. He mentioned that there is going to be a lot of work for me. There is, in a way, but it's very boring, more of data cleaning, rearranging, formatting etc; nothing to do with writing a lot! So, I
suppose, I should or I 'want' to do it.

2.) I'm so comfortable here. Go to office in the morning, come back home, do some work, if at all, get the salary at the end of the month, feel unhappy, still continue!

3.) Now, after a longtime, I've a chance of good company on weekends.

4.) Hyderabad is a nice place. I have my bike. I like the city.

All these are big bahanas (excuses) :-)

The first thing I should do is give a call or mail the HR executive in Bombay and tell her that I'm interested and I can come down to Bombay for a day or so for the interview. This is an opportunity and I should grab it!

I'm good at finding the pros and cons and I'm very bad at taking a rational decision, because I always go with my heart and that's a spur of the moment decision.

So ultimately, it's, Mann kiya to jaaunga! Interview dene mai kya harz hai, or is the fear of rejection, since when and too Chirayu!, aur yeh koi ladki dekhne thodi naa jaana hai! :-)

Sometimes, I think, I've become too conservative in my thinking. Almost a year in one city and I'm thinking of stability! One shouldn't! :-) Atleast, I shouldn't!

Enough of this 'magajmaari'. It is a Gujarati word, literally means, Brain-whacking!

I'll post about this 'interview' thing later. After I'm done with it.

For now, I'm planning to take the test/appear for an interview.
No, not yet, decided! :-) :-( Kabhi haa, kabhi naa!

A Thought for Today

May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night, and the road downhill all the way to your door.
~ An Irish blessing

Time for some beauty on my blog! :-)
Diya Mirza. Doesn't she look lovely!

Posted by Chirayu

Husn deta hai khuda to nazaakat aa hi jaati hai
Garoor mai ladkhadakar jab rakhte hai kadam, kamr balkha hi jaati hai

An English translation.

When God gives beauty, it is accompanied by grace
In haughtiness, when you take those steps moving sideways, your waist does curve on its own.

I know this is not an exact transliteration! If you can improve upon it, most welcome! :-)

Shane Warne equals Muttiah Muralitharan's World record for the most number of Test Match wickets. They are level at 527 each.

I have written a lot of posts today.

A nice one!

I was checking my email folders and read some interesting forwarded mails.

Check this one!

How to identify the city you are in by observing a street brawl.

Scene 1
Two guys are fighting and a third guy comes
along, then a fourth and they start arguing
about who's right. Ultimately a crowd gathers and they discuss the state of politics and call a strike over the increase of bus fares!
You are in Kolkata. Ki Khobor Dada! Bhalo Aache!

Scene 2
Two guys are fighting and a third guy comes
along, sees them and walks on, he's got a train to catch!
That's Mumbai. Kya Bolta Hai Bhidu! Dhanda-paani First-class naa!

Scene 3
Two guys are fighting and a third guy comes
along & tries to make peace. The first two get together & beat him up.
That's Delhi. Oye &^%$$%^&

Scene 4
Two guys are fighting. A crowd gathers to watch.
A guy comes along and quietly opens a tea chai stall.
That's Ahmedabad. Kem chhe Bhai! Kai Vandho nathi

A Word. A Day. Archives. From 1994 till date. Alongwith a daily quotations. Makes for very interesting reading. A nice way to hopefully spend a Sunday afternoon, randomly surfing from the archives page.

I have a cold and a headache. I had dal-chawal for lunch. I'm not feeling hungry for the last one week or so. I don't feel like eating in the afternoon. Maybe, it has to do with the heavy breakfast that I have or else I'm bored of the Dhaba food that I've been eating for the last three and a half months. I don't feel like eating roti and sabji. For the last three days, I've been having dal-chawal for lunch.

Spain (Pamplona's) Bull-running festival.

A related link. Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises.

Outsource Search Engine Optimization work to Chirayu from Hyderabad, India.

This is my diary, it's an online diary, so I'm using it to my advantage for some 'Marketing' too.

I'm interested in doing Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization work.
I have very good knowledge of search engines, I'm very good at online research.
I want to do freelance (independent consulting) work related to getting sites higher in the search results (SEO work). I can help with online research, marketing, search engine marketing, web design and usability and even web development. Rates will be minimal to start with.

If you're interested, please mail me.

Google relies on Page Rank for showing their search results.

What is Page Rank?

Page Rank is a technology used by Google to assign ranks to a page. It depends on the number of links to your site. The more the number of related, relevant links to your site, the higher up will it be in the search rankings.

For example, How to find out the most intelligent girl in class?
Depends on how many classmates know her. The more the number of intelligent boys who know her, the higher will be her popularity. A similar analogy for Google Page Rank. If you are an Industrial Manufacturer and if there are 25 pages related to manufacturing that link to your site and comparatively there's another industrial manufacturer, but for that site there are 30 pages of greetings and other sites that link back, then even though you have 25 backlinks (links to your site) for a particular keyword (say, industrial manufactuers) your site, even though with 25 links will be on top, as compared to the one with 30 links.

So in short, the more the number of content relevant links to your web site, the higher up will be your position on Google search. This is only a part of the Google ranking algorithm. It again depends on the links to those sites that link to you and their content and how frequently they are updated.

An interesting article to read is The Anatomy of a Large Scale Hypertextual Search Engine. The orginal paper presented by Larry Page and Sergey Brin when they started Google.

How to find out the number of sites linking to your page?
Here is an example, link:www.khojhyderabad.com On clicking on this link you will find that there are 23 links to the homepage of khojhyderabad.com and this includes the internal links too. An internal link is from a page in the web site to the homepage. An external link is from a page or the homepage of another web site.

I think I've posted a useful write-up.

I'd like to know your suggestions and yes, enquiries for SEO work, marketing, online research etc. are most welcome.

Cheers!
Chirayu

Lyrics of Born to Fly

I've been telling my dreams to the scare crow
About the places that I'd like to see.
I say, "Friend, do you think I'll ever get there?"
But he just stands there smiling back at me.

So I confess my sins to the preacher.
About the love I've been praying to find.
"Is there a hazel-eyed girl in my future?"
And he says, "Boy, you've got nothing but time."

But how do you wait for heaven?
And who has that much time?
And how do you keep your feet on the ground?
When you know that you were born,
You were born to fly!

My daddy, he's grounded like the oak tree.
My momma, she's steady as the sun.
Oh, you know I love my folks, but I keep straining down the road.

Just looking for my one chance to run.
Yeah, cuz I will soar away like the blackbird.
I will blow in the wind like a sea
I will plant my heart in the garden of my dreams.

And I will grow up where I'll wander wild and free.
But how do you wait for heaven?
And who has that much time?
And how do you keep your feet on the ground?
When you know you were born,
You were born to fly!

This song matches the thoughts in my mind at present.

Meri zindagi mai gati, tezi, ravaani, raftaar, speed, thrill, challenge, adventure chahiye.

I'm spending largely useless hours in office, doing nothing! What am I doing with my life? Why do I ask that question to myself daily? Why am I not satisfied? Why am I not happy? What will make me happy? Money can't buy me love. When have I felt happy. Let me analyze this, I'm happiest when I'm constructively occupied! When I'm doing something which, shows definite results or makes others happy, gives them guidance and encouragement. I'm happy when I'm teaching, explaining, interacting with people. I am the kind of a person who has a lot to share and I need to be doing something where I get to interact with people, develop and implement new ideas.

I can't sit in office doing nothing. This project is going on a directionless path and, it will be this way for a few months or so. I need to go to Bombay. I want to work in Bombay. I should apply for positions in Bombay.

I have to spend a largely useless day in office. I can do a lot of things which will have no end result. Like for example, prepare this list and prepare that list and this and that. I don't want to do unnecesary documentation for the sake of keeping records which won't even be used.

I have spent almost six months here and I have learnt zilch! What a criminal waste of time.

Welcome to another day in office!

Born to Fly! :-)

Started early for office at 08:20 reached at 09:35. It normally would have taken 20 minutes. A minor traffic jam at Begumpet HPS and then a major traffic jam at Diamond Point junction. Cars, trucks, two-wheelers, cycles, autos, vans, buses all trying to go in all directions! Stopped by for breakfast at the Diamond Point Cafe. Had six chai, five chhota samosas and one plate idli. Was down with a cold yesterday. I have taken tablets. Thought of wearing a jacket today, then didn't. Enjoyed the cool breeze. I like the wind on my face! It was cool and overcast with a hint of slight rain. A perfect setting for a trip to Khandala or a bike ride to Sinhagad fort in Pune.

Nothing beats Pune in the rains. The greenery, the girls on their Kinetics, garam chai and vada-pav by the roadside tapri and ofcourse the pot-holed roads, the different types of jackets on view and the traffic-jams. Hyderabad is definitely better in infrastructure as compared to Pune. However, this Diamond Point road is one big mess; narrow, pot-holed, without street-lights, no traffic policeman, people jaywalking (what will they do, there's no place) and vehicles parked haphazardly.

Read Poems from PoeticNest. I had dal-chawal for lunch.

It's 9:45 on a Monday morning in office. Why is Gmail temporarily unavailable. I'm getting a server error. Not able to access my Gmail.

It was drizzling all the way from home to office. I had a good breakfast at Diamond Point this morning. Five cups of tea, four small samosas and one masala dosa.

Last evening, got drenched while coming back home from Madhapur.
Before that, on Friday night too, I got drenched while coming back from the office party at Taj Banjara. Attended the office party at Taj Banjara on Friday night. On Saturday, gave a lift to a person from Madhapur to Banjara Hills Road No. 10 at 12:30 a.m.
Saturday and Sunday, didn't go out anywhere, except for a ride around KBR Park then a ride to Lingampally on Sunday afternoon. Had Bhel for lunch on Saturday afternoon. Had ice-cream for dinner on Sat. night, ate at the Madhapur dhaba on Sun. afternoon and, Arpee had made Pav Bhaji for dinner on Sunday evening.

The weather is good. It's drizzling, a cool breeze is blowing. The approach road from Imperial Garden (25 metres from there) onwards to Diamond Point is in very bad shape.

I saw the CII - Green Business Center last evening. It is located a kilometre beyond Cyber Towers, near Hitex Gate (50 metres from there). I didn't go inside. Saw it from the outside. Some exhibition was also going on at Shilparaman. Will check it out later.

I spent a couple of hours on the net yesterday and didn't even update my CV. Was busy listening to songs and chatting.

I don't know what to do on weekends. I feel lonely.

My time is being spent aimlessly. I need to do something constructive on weekends.

A Thought for Today
Leave excess baggage behind!

Bole to, Tension nahin leneka, Mamu!

Bye for now!
Cheers!
Chirayu

Find out your New Income tax.

Full text of the Union Budget 2004-05.

A useful link. Powerreporting.com for Journalists and Media people.

The Elements of Style.

Budget 2004. The Income Tax Exemption Limit has been raised from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1 lakh. No tax on income upto Rs. 100,000. Powerpoint. Service tax raised from 8% to 10%. So phone bills and eating out would be dearer. Zero excise duty on computers, so they will be cheaper to buy now.

Instructional Design Links

Lots of Links from the Usernomics site.

EServer TC Library

Stylusinc.com

Yahoo Directory: Instructional Technology Links.

Google Directory: Writers' Resources

An interesting article. A Green House building (CII - Green Business Centre) in Hyderabad. Where is this building in Hi-Tech city?

It is another day in office. What am I doing in office? Nothing. I am bored, tired, fed-up. I am not doing anything. Still, I am in office. What to do? My back ispaining a lot. I don't want to work. I am planning to take an off tomorrow. Without any work, I've to sit in office for ten to eleven hours daily. This is too much. I don't want the pay! I want some work!
To be fair to myself. What have I learnt after joining this place? I have learnt nothing! Nothing new! I need a change. I'm looking for one. I need to take a few days off and find a job, or else the only time would be weekends for me. These are questions I have been asking myself, but, I've become comfortable here and so I'm not desperate for a job, or, in a way, I am, however, I'm not trying that way. Some thoughts. Posted them online.

Reliance acquires NIS Sparta.

A Word. A Day. Learn a new word daily from Wordsmith.org

eidetic (eye-DET-ik) adjective

Marked by extraordinarily accurate and vivid recall.

An Eidetic Memory.

No Hike in Passenger Fares for any Class in the Railway Budget 2004.

Mumbai to Delhi by Air for Rs. 500/- only. Is it possible? Read this article.

Another day in office! How to spend these ten hours till 7 in the evening?

A thought: I don't like comparisons. You have potential. If you'd have stuck to the jobs you'd be in a better position than 'x' or earning more money than 'y', this kind of talk does not interest me.

I am not in competition with anyone. I am in competition with my own self. Life is not about making 'x' amount at the end of this year and earning more than 'y' at the end of that year. If at all, I have to set targets, I will set them for myself and not in comparison with someone.

I want to change my job. I want to be in another job by the first week of August 2004.

A thought related to the above post.

"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." ~ Aristotle

All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire.
~ Aristotle

Interesting Sites. Googlism, GoogleDance, GoogleFight.

It is a quiet afternoon. Very few people in office. I don't know where our project is heading?

Link: Instructional Design Models.

Lots of Links to Instructional Design Models web sites.

The above link will be online for my ready reference as and when I want to check some of the sites.

The Hindu Literary Review Published on Sundays.
The Hindu Magazine Published on Sundays.
The Hindu - A newspaper worth reading, especially on Sundays!

Went for a walk alongwith Mama and Achal last evening.

Went to Begumpet station last afternoon to receive Mama. The train had come before time and when I reached station they were already on their way back home. Still, managed to reach home before them. They were at Panjagutta when I started from Begumpet station. That was the fastest I've gone on my bike. Wow!

I reached office before nine this morning.
It's the start of another day at work!

Where the Sidewalk Ends is a beautiful poem.

I use the Google 'string' search, a lot. That is, give the search query in double quotes. The search query will be taken as a string of words, a phrase and matching results would be shown.
For example, "Poems of Swami Vivekananda"

Wherever you go, carry your own sunshine! A nice quote!

Another good one, I'd rather have a mind opened in wonder rather than one closed by belief.

If you don't like something, change it! If you can't change it, change your attitude!

When the candles are out; all women are fair! (This is a nice n' naughty one!) Isn't it!

What care I how fair she be, if she be not fair to me?

Some random shayari, I've read it on the net or someone has told me or I've read it offline.

Sau Chaand Bhi Chamkenge to Kya Baat Banegi
Aap Aaye to Is Raat Ki Aukaat (Aukaad!?) Badhegi (Banegi?)

Woh Aaina Dekhte Hai...
Woh Aaina Dekhte Hai
Aur Yeh Bhi Dekhte Hai Ki Koi Unhe Na Dekhe
Unhe Ara-e-Gesu (Hair) se Matlab
Koi Deewaana Ban Jaaye Unki Bala Se!

I like the song Anjaane from Strings? Have you heard that song?

The lyrics of Lakshya are good. Preity Zinta looks lovely. I liked her in that skyblue flowing skirt and yellow top with open tresses (hair flowing), she looked cute n' beautiful. I also liked her character. A girl who knows whats she wants from life! Lakshya is a nice movie.

I am going to watch another movie on my CD player tonight.

I have to update my CV on naukri.com
I also have to search for a job.
I have received a reply from the company where I'd appeared for an interview in June. They haven't replied in the positive. I'd done well in the interview and the test before that. A probable reason would be, they thought I wouldn't stick with the company for a long time, another reason, I tend to lose interest if the work is slow, and the company looked slow (took such a long time to take a decision). I'm thinking these would be the probable reasons.

This is good, as I have a chance to go to Bangalore or even to Pune. I'll start searching for jobs. Besides that, I'd be getting a raise here, effective from this month's salary, so the going is good, still, I need to make it even better.

One of my favourite quotes. I've made this one.

Do it fast. Do it accurately. Do it right the first time!

I've used this as my email signatures.

My Email signatures.

Love me or hate me, you won't be able to ignore me.
Do it fast. Do it accurately. Do it right the first time!
Rukne ka nahin... Thakne ka nahin... Life main chalte rehne ka...
There's a saying among prospectors, go out looking for one thing and that's all you will find.
Give your best to the world and the best will come back to you.
Leadership is action, not position.
In dreams and in love there are no impossibilities.

Some SMS'es stored in the my cellphone's Messages Outbox.

Time files when you're having fun.
You are never as good as everyone tells you when you win. You are never as bad as everyone tells you when you lose. You have to believe in yourself.
We are the pilgrims master, we should always go, a little further. It may be beyond the last blue mountain barred with snow, across the angry or that glimmering sea.
When the going gets tough, the tough gets going!
Pahtela jeb sil jaayega... Jo chahega mil jaayega...Tere bhi din aayenge chhote... Acchha khasa hil jaayenga.... Rukne ka nahin, thakne ka nahin, life main chalte rehne ka...
Excellence: The Principle is competing with yourself. It's about self-improvement. Being better than you were the day before.

Bye for now!
Chirayu

It's going to be cricket once again, from the 16th of this month. The Asia Cup 2004 is going to take place in Sri Lanka.

I need to set some targets for myself! Make it a point to go for running atleast twice on weekdays and once on the weekend, to start with. Read a few good books, instead of aimlessely switching channels on TV, or coming to the netcafe.

It's 6:45 p.m. on a greyish, rainy evening Hyderabad. It's not raining now. It was raining in the afternoon. What did I do since morning? Household work. Achal, Arpee & Mama would reach home by tomorrow afternoon. Went to the netcafe for an hour, had lunch, saw a movie on my CD player.

Online Advertising Glossary.
Glossary of Interactive Advertising Terms.
Glossary of Search Engine Terms. Searchengine Dictionary.

A good Thought to follow.
When things go wrong; don't look for excuses, find the reasons!

Geetmanjusha, Bartleby.

Link to Sandip's Fotolog.

Indian Railways Online Passenger Reservation.
Enquiry web site (check fares, PNR number, tickets availability and list of trains between stations).

Indian Railways Online Ticket Booking. Registration required.

The Hussainsagar Express reaches Begumpet station at 12:30 p.m.

Google News Alerts.
Receive an email whenever there are new articles about your News Search query. You can receive news alerts through mail, once a day, or as it happens, that is, as and when the latest news articles appear on the Google News site.

This Blog is No. 6 on Google, No. 3 on Yahoo and No. 21 on MSN for the search query Chirayu.

My salary will most probably increase by 'x' percent. I'll get to know that by the next weekend. I don't want to work here. I need to change my job. It is good, but, I want to do more.

A Thought. Step up and step ahead or else step out! Don't wait at a place. No point in standing still.

It's going to be Portugal v/s. Greece in the Euro 2004 Final. Portugal should win the Final.

Google, Yahoo and MSN Search Links.

2nd July. Today is the Wedding Anniversary of Mama & Mami.

We had our Project review last evening. I had my performance appraisal today. I've got a 'Good' rating. I feel, I'm doing minor work in a major project. Unless the coding is done properly, my writing work won't start. I'm wasting my time here. I can do so many things and I'm comfortable in a job where I'm doing nothing!