Adieus 2009

2009 was being quite eventful for me. Since then, all years passed me in a series of packs, each of which contained repetition of  similar experiences and memories. Like 12 years of school days, 4 years of college and then first 2 years of my job. 2009 had a lot of events happening in my life,  exactly saying, a series of fortunate events.

2009 began with myself nurturing my marriage dreams. I was already engaged to my sweetheart by then and was on looking a new turn of life.

At the same time, I was establishing myself in my new company in a new role at the break of 2009. It was my first jump after I begun my IT career. I was quite enjoying the change. A sort of freedom from a hefty work life to a balanced work life(It's still the same, don't know till when). In the professional aspect, this was the most cherished year of my career so far. May the years ahead bring in more better experiences.

I married my darling of my life on March. It was the sweetest moments of my life ever and I am thankful to 2009 for blessing me those moments.

I used to blog on blogger.com in  a very inconsistent way for a long time. I switched to wordpress.com and that change was quiet good for me as a blogger. During the period from August to date, I wrote more blog posts than I wrote in last few years. Blogging became a passion for me. I made good acquaintances in the blogging world. Chitz, Narayan, Carol...the list continues.

After marriage, I reinvented my passion towards Guitar. I went regularly to the classes for quite sometime. Again, the work held me and I got to include the same in my new year resolution to continue the lessons in the same flare for at least 3 months from now.

And now at the last hour of 2009, I realize that one more year being added to the life. I am thankful to God for that. A year full of happiness, sorrows, victories, losses, pain and joy. What would be life without all these? Like a blank canvas without colors.

The road keeps on coming back to me and I no longer walk alone....

Adieus 2009.

Highs and Lows of 2009

As usual, another year is ending and few things are to be collected and remembered. A few of them below:

• This year Indian Law announced that gay sex between consenting adults would no longer be unlawful.


• Whole earth talked about the Copenhagen Summit. It's time to go green...Not with envy...But with environment.


• heart-throb of millions...the original pop icon moonwalked into history.


• Irony at its best...With Obama's one foot in war and other in Nobel award ceremony.


• Indian slums and cinema met the dream destination of Oscar Award.


• The saddest phenomenon of H1N1 that took many lives and more than that spread a panic all over the world's veins.


• The loveable cute and simple characters used in Vodafone advertisements took the entertainment world by storm.

Life, Death, Life

It was very calm. I was never used to such calmness. But I didn't feel unusual either. May be the nature is sleeping. How could I know?

I strolled around. It is a lazy early morning and I wasn't in a mood of hurry. My appetite signalled me that I must get a snack soon. My eyes wandered around. It was just me and me alone. I couldn't even see any other living thing anywhere near me. Am I the only one in the world now?

As these thoughts are filling my mind, I saw something edible near me. At first, I felt it as an illusion, but as I was lurking forward, I realised the truth. The truth that I found answer to my appetite. I rushed to gulp down my starter and....

I cannot phrase it. All I could feel is the excruciating pain spreading through all my nerves. I felt as if the pain was pulling me from above. In that extreme sense of pain,my eyes went still. All of a sudden, I felt numb. All my senses stood still in the flood of memories rushing inside me.

It was my birthday yesterday. In my community, I am now a fully grown hunter. But the growth from the innocent childhood to savage hunter brought in me a lot of unwelcome changes. I found pleasure in defying those principles, that were once taught by my mother. I found myself right in questioning rather than believing. If it wasn't my arrogance, I wouldn't have come so long during the morning strolls. I was so proud of my daring self and my strength.

I felt all those doings are haunting me together. All the pain returned to me at once and my mouth felt wide open. But, I couldn't open my mouth as I wished. I felt as if my mouth was clamped together. I knew,amidst the pain, that I am pulled up slowly and steadily. The surroundings around me began to dim in the bright light, that was getting stronger by each second. My mother always used to tell me not to wander towards the bright light. She told me, no one returns from there and it's the light of the death. And I started to believe that I am going to die.

Suddenly I felt as if someone has peeled off my skin. It was very hot.I felt like my skin will  melt, if I was held there any longer. Another frightening thought passed through my mind. Even if I am going to die, it ain't going to happen sooner enough.

The death isn't inevitable. It's for all.Like a cup of last rejoice. Only question is when and how. And here I am, entangles in the chain of prey and predator. As these thoughts drowned me, I felt as if I was picked up.

Ohhh....Another wave of pain and my jaws were once again free. Though pain was filling my senses, I enjoyed the momentary realization of freedom.

Again, I was put on the wet floor. I knew that I can't stay without breathing for long. Every living cell in me demanded for oxygen. I can feel wind on my skin. But, I couldn't get what I needed. I wondered how these big creatures around me,of whom mother has warned me a lot, breathed. With everything around me blinding and life closing in, I had a sudden urge to live. An unconditional will to live in the righteous path.

Urge for one last chance.

I was shaking all over. Life was unwillingly leaving me. My body was hitting hard against the ground again and again. My tail was still waving in the air. i could hear the crushing sound of waves near me. In that last second of life, I pushed myself towards the sound of the waves.

I felt to merge myself with water in that moment of life. I was swirling for a moment and splash. I felt the coldness of water on my skin. The comforting wetness and the cold feeling of life returning to me was unbelievable. My wet gills filled me with oxygen of which I was deprived off for a very long time.

And I live again.But not the life I lived so long. A new life, a new beginning. All say life teaches, but for me

Death was the teacher.

Malabar Diaries - I

Travelling has always been my passion. And with every opportunity, I pack my goodies and set off to a new land and new experiences. This time, it was a bit different. It was a new start for the rest of the tours that I am going to have in my life time. I had this trip with my sweet wife. It was a new experience to me, since I was always a loner when it comes to visiting new places.

[polldaddy poll=2436514]

My trip map included Kannur, the Land of Human Gods and Kozhikode, where trade never ends. It was a wonderful travel and a lot of sweet memories. It is going to a downpour of memories in my blog for the next few days.

For the name, 'Malabar Dairies', I am obliged to Chitz, whose bengal diaries inspired me to conjure Malabar Diaries.So, let's start the trip.

I left Trivandrum for good on a Wednesday night. The night travel in train is really a day saver. Get to your seat, have a good sleep and wola, you are at your dream destination.

I too woke up to the  welcome note of Pazhayangadi Railway station. It is 5 stations after Kannur main station. It was where I set foot on the land of Political gang wars and the land of Living Gods. Though the first point suits more to the outlook of Kannur now, but still it is the Land of living Gods or 'Theyyams'.

I had my lodging at my family friend's home. I had been there before too, but never with such extensive plans to tour Kannur. So, I mark this as the first visit of Kannur. I have acquaintance with this family, right  from my childhood. As I have mentioned before, my father was an army man and I have travelled and stayed with him in the army quarters for a few years of my childhood. It was in there, I met this family. They were our neighbours. And now, that child friendship had grown high to a good bond. So, that was the real cause of the trip. To visit them with my family, alias, my wife.

There were a lot of first observations I got about Kannur. The population density is low. There are a lot of vacant lands, which is quite a strange view for a city dweller like me. The most common material for construction is the rock-cut bricks, which is readily available in the area and also cheap. There are a lot of bake houses. More in number than any other city I have visited. I think the people in here, likes to have a lot of snacks and bites.

The very day afternoon, I went on to visit St.Angelo's fort, popularly known as 'Kannur Fort'. It is the first military fort I have visited. Build by the Portuguese, expanded by Dutch, and reinforced and used to curb Indian mutiny s by the British. I had a calm nostalgic feeling wrapping me, right from the moment I saw the fort. More of the fort and pics on my next post.

Avatar : Movie Review

Disclaimer : Contains no Spoilers.

As I mentioned yesterday, I had the first taste of 'Avatar'. In Indian Mythology, Avatar means 'Incarnation'. And  for me, James Cameroon's Avatar is a new incarnation of movie industry.



As expected it was a house full show at Sree Padmanabha. I sailed through the crowd to buckle my seats. Even before the action flared, I had a good spectacle of the iMax 3D technology on the run. The ads of 'Christmas Carol' were awesome. I have seen 3D movies before. But not something like this. I felt as if I am standing near to the camera and having the reels viewed in real life perspective.

Avatar is a new evolution of motion technology. It's uncomparable to the conventional 3D technology. Along with the technology, Cameroon's awesome story, the bright and vivid colors of Pandora are breath-taking. With this movie, he has also addressed the lost bond between the nature and humans.

I would full marks for all aspects of the movie. Storyline, Graphics, action, heart touching moments, and Climax. It is a very fine mix of all.

I don't want to give any hint on the story at this point. The movie is a treat and is a must watch.

So excited for "Avatar"

Having a movie ticket and a 3D glass on your pocket is nothing less exciting. I am all geared for experiencing the new Cameroon flick "Avatar". I had to reserve 3 days ahead to get ticket. The box office collection going good and with legend of Cameroon following Aliens, Terminator 1-2 and the epic Titanic, the movie is another block buster.

So, let me buckle up for the matinée and do return for the movie review.

Few words I love most

When I was quite small, at least 17 years ago, I had a diary in which I used to collect all those that interested me. Today, when I was rearranging my goodies, I had my hand on it. First flip led me to this page. I don't remember how many times  I have read through these words. I always to read this to pull together the broken hope sand courage in me in those small days of failure.

A weed is just a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.

paraphrased from Ralph Walsh Emerson

You have to work to earn enough money so that you won’t have to work.

Ogden Nash

Whoever said, It’s not whether you win or lose that counts, probably lost!

Martina Navratilova

People are far more interesting and successful when they are less concerned about been normal, and more concerned on being natural.

Michael Nolan

A man who works with his hands is a laborer;

a man who works with his hands and brains is a craftsman;

but a man who works with his hands and his brains and his heart is an artist.

Louis Nizer

Shoot for the moon. Even if you lose you will land among the stars.

Les Brown

The ability to think straight, some knowledge of the past, some vision of the future, some skill to do useful service, some urge to fit that service into the well being of the community – these are the most vital things education must try to produce.

Virginia Gilder sleeve.

Going down to the END

The United States Government has often been criticized for refusing to cut down carbon dioxide emission by American factories and automobiles.

Pileup of such carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is held responsible for the average rise in global temperature, which we often mention as Global Warming.

Today, America is responsible for most of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. American cars, along with American factories, put out more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than all the other countries of the world put together.

Now, it appears that the global warming is hitting hardest in America’s own backyard. Average temperature in Alaska have risen by at least a degree every ten years, for the past thirty years, with the highest increases happening in winter. Such increases in temperature are very damaging for Alaska.

This is the melting parts of the permafrost, which covers most of Alaska.

Permafrost is never more than a few degrees below freezing point.

Thus, even a small rise in average temperatures could bring it close to melting. The most common problem due to this is huge holes on the surface called thermo karsts.

These holes form, when the surface collapses after buried chunks of ice melt. It is costing Alaska millions of dollars,as roads and other property gets damaged., when the ground suddenly disappears. And if countries do not cut down carbon dioxide and other green house emissions, other parts of the Arctic and Antarctic icy wastes could be the next in the line.

Micro Blogging

Thoughts are invaluable. Once, people were so filled with thoughts that they searched for methods to scribe it down, so that it could be read later. As time passed by, people thought that their ideas and thoughts must be easily sharable. In a form that all could understand. This resulted in the creation of alphabets, languages and we started talking and writing. Ever since, we wrote stories, dreams, accounts, history, discoveries no matter what. we written down everything and anything. We started enjoying reading it too. Without which, there wouldn't be any libraries , I guess.  Writing was the basic of being a human. Life starts when we starts to speak, and as we learn to write, we start to understand the world. In this busy life, we never thought that the schooling is the first mission that parents entrust the children to know the world and first thing we do in schooling is to learn reading and writing(learning to respect etc. etc. are there, but I meant the basics).

Writing is transformation of thoughts. As we write, our thoughts transforms into words, it then get engraved to the paper as letters. When a third person reads it, the same letters are transformed into the very thoughts, the author had and fills the mind of the reader. Amazing, right? If the words can take you to the same scene that went through the mind of the author, we call them legendary. Those authors stand beyond time. The legends like Shakespeare and Wordsworth still live through their works.

Do we write today? Ever since the computer has evolved, the world of writing has changed a lot. I would rather say, the world has changed miles in last 100 years than it had in last 1000 years. With the discovery of machinery, the humans were no longer tied to human time and speed. machines worked faster and now smarter. So, we are in a process of running fast and writing is still a pure humanly process that requires time to scribe and think what to scribe.

With the evolution of type writers, writing no longer remained the smooth rotation of fingers on paper, but rather straight key strokes. Hand writing wasn't a limitation, but just choice of fonts and the font size. Arundhathi Roy completed her Booker prize work 'God of small things' in her type writer. I believe J K Rowling might have completed the latter versions of Harry Potter in her laptop. But still there was scribbling the thought process to the machine. Along with these, there was another positive evolution that even I am utilising to the at most: Blogging. Ever since the evolution of blogging, no one has to write to editor of some newspaper or magazine and wait to see whether his work published or not. Anyone can blog and find readers for good blogs. All has the freedom to express views and opinions. I would say, Blogging has reinvented writing in modern times. if I take my case, if there wasn't any blog, I would not have filled in these thoughts out in here. Blog helps me to write when I am free; between my work or during a lazy afternoon. But otherwise, I wouldn't have found time to make a daily dairy entry or an article writing.

Right now, I am concerned about the new concept evolving in WordPress. The concept of microblogging.



WordPress has released an api for twitter which will allow to blog via twitter. I just wonder, what such a blog would read. Even twitter has gone far beyond its mission goals. Initially, it aimed at broadcasting your current status updates to the friend circle. Now, it is filled with all sorts of messages, personal chats , ads whatever imaginable. And this feature is really going to decrease the quality of blogs in WordPress.com. In due course of time,word press blogs will have  increased number of posts like :

"I'm on my way to office"

"Wow, great traffic Jam"

These will be the future popular blogs in WordPress. Latest trends I found in WordPress is that people has started searching wordpress for quality article, information etc. The number of hits on my blog post "410 years of Globe Theatre" is a very good example. I created that post 3 months ago and even today I am getting 30-40 hits everyday for that post through searches. It's not the post count, but information and good writings are the one people seek. Micro Blogging will surely increase the post count, not the quality.With the micro blogging getting more popular and WordPress appreciating it, it would be a misery for quality words to come out. And if the micro blogging picks the line, I believe the days of online blogging or I would say digital writing will soon be doomed.

Knowing

I have always been a fan of Nicholas Cage. And his 2009 release ‘Knowing’, interested me initially only because of his presence. I didn't find much boom for this movie in the IMDB rating, but I decided to watch it.

The movie began with a flashback. Set 50 years ago, a school has its students prepare notes for a time capsule which is supposed to be opened only 50 years later i.e. 2009. This very  idea came from a nerd looking girl. The girl itself generated a sense of interest and Gothic ambience in me. Few things about her remained unanswered till the end of the movie and this kept the interest in the movie going. The strange look in her eyes, the suspense she created by writing a sequence of numbers for the time capsule instead of a picture as told by the teacher : All in all,the movie had substance in the beginning.

Year 2009 : Introduces Nicholas Cage, an expert mathematician and professor ,who was interested in the magic of numbers as well as a caring father,who loved his son more than anything in this world. When the school opened the time capsule, his son gets the letter written by the girl 50 years ago. Then the movie rolls with Cage deciphering the numbers to date, death count, latitude and longitude of the place of major disasters in 50 years of history. To his interest, the girl predicted in her numbers, all the major disasters between 1959 to 2009. And for 2009, she had the date, but the death toll was scribbled as ‘e’, which is apparently infinity.

The appearance of men from outer space created a fantasy feel to the movie. But still, the D day animation with sun flares melting down the earth was a marvelous work. Also, an air plane crash was filmed with absolute geniuses.

The movie captivated me for its theme, the music that blended well with the theme and the excellent graphics used in the movie, which looked so natural.

The only con I felt was the landing of the children(I havent mentioned entire story, since it's a worth watch) in a heaven like planet with the tree of knowledge in the centre. I just realized that the aliens left the earth children there to have a new beginning.

A start over….

A winter memory

Misty mornings, cold days, chilly evenings and the frosty night. This is my sweetest dream of a windy day. As of now, it is not possible in Trivandrum, my home city because of the famous maritime climate, I always wish to wake to that beautiful dreamy winter morning. I believe that when wishes remain as dreams for long, it starts getting sweeter and sweeter. And for my snowy winter morning, its is the sweetest dream of mine now.

I have never experienced snow fall in my life time yet. The mesmerising white blanket is too adorable for me. I wish to play in that freaky soft white sand of frozen water. In my childhood days, I have experienced a hail stone night. It was a party day in the army camp, where I used to live with my father. There was no sign of rain in the evening. But all of a sudden, by around 8 in the night, I felt like stones were falling from the sky. Soon, all found out that it was big pieces of ice that was falling. Though that was not so good experience to boost about, it was and is only my frozen experience with nature.

Tips to improve Alexa Rank

Alexa Rank is measured by the level of traffic your web site receives from the number of people who visit with the Alexa toolbar installed. Alexa rank has become a defaulto to measure the net worth of a website.

Alexa is a subsidiary of amazon.com and is been unofficially approved as the worth measurer of a website. I just found a cool article by dosh on Alexa rank improving and thought of sharing it. The main steps that could be taken toimprov ethe Alexa Rank is :

• Install the Alexa toolbar


• Put up an Alexa rank widget on your website.


• Encourage others to use the Alexa toolbar


• Get Dugg or Stumbled


• Optimize your popular posts

Perfection

Certainty is not a constant. We often dream about a perfect day, a perfect solution, a perfect future. But how often we come across something so perfect? Have we ever anticipated a future event to be perfect? It gives more clarity, if I say, you felt it perfect once it happened to be perfect.

Perfection is a soul decision of our minds. When we consider some events so badly, we never feel that to be perfect, once we gain it. But if we wish something and that just happens,it seems to be a lot much perfect. I always believe that attitude is the soul decision maker for a perfect result. The way we outlook the decisions made, the actions caused, and how we believe it surely has an influence on the end event.

Volvo Cruise in Trivandrum City

Kerala State Transport Corporation started the Low Floor Volvo Buses for city service. The people have welcomed it with surprise and wonder. The hi tech buses, with fully air conditioned, automatic doors, LCD displays etc was something new for common people. I was awaiting a chance to have an opportunity to take a test ride. And the fine day came last monday.

As usual, I was getting ready for office. And I found that the tire of my bike was punctured. My bike never gave me up, but this day was dreadful. I managed to reach office along with a friend. I did have an exact plan for journey back home. And suddenly, the volvo came to my mind. I decided to test it out.

I planned to take the volvo from Technopark whose arrival time was 5:15 Pm. When the enquired the security by 5 Pm, he informed me that the volvo @ 5:15 has already gone. Oops, the volvo engine and the comfort drive is really boosting the KSRTC drivers. He told me, however, there is another bus by 5:45 Pm. So, in order to avoid missing that bus too, I went on and started waiting at the bus stop quite early. But it turned out to be a long wait. The orange LCD board appeared before me 15 minutes late. And I was waiting for a total of 45 minutes. Thanks for the inconsistent service again.

vola, the automatic doors opened in front of me. Cool, I stepped inside the bus. I would rather say, just walked. The floor was barely a feet above the road. The interior of the bus was designed at two levels. The back half of the bus was at a higher level. The doors were automatic and was controlled by the driver. Fm music was streaming and the LCD screens within the bus was displaying ads and messages.The ambience was great and I enjoyed the first feel about the ride very much. I took a seat next to the conductor.When the bus started from Technopark, the bus was full to the seating capacity.

The fare was extremely high compared to the normal bus, but that was expected. It costed me Rs 34 for a full ticket to East Fort. As the bus winded through the city, I noticed something interesting. There were only a few people who were boarding the bus. Bus only stopped for those who were exiting. The common folk just watched the bus with wonder, but with no intention to enter and pay a high fare for the AC comfort. They were accustomed to the ordinary City Bus service. I felt that the majority of the income for these Buses come right from the IT people from Technopark. No wonder that all the 4 routes of these Volvo buses passes through the Technopark, the IT hub of Trivandrum.

On half way past, a guy along with a child entered the bus. To my laugh, he was enquiring the conductor when the bus will return to the spot from where he boarded. It was sure that his intention was to try out the bus rather than a journey. At last I reached my destination. My review on the bus is simple. Good comfortable travel at a reasonable price. But I wonder in a city of commons, how long this bus can run profitably, just with the collection of IT guys.

Tests and T20: Big difference Boys

After the charismatic win in the Test series, The Indian Cricket Team approached the T20 match against Srilanka with much enthusiasm. But they should have been aware that their recent records in T20 was much bitter. After T20 world cup win in 2007, the records were not so good for the team. The team hasnt won a series in that form of cricket since then.

The lose against the Srilankans wasn't much of a surprise for me. Even after gruelling test series, Lankans kept the spirits high and went on to do their job. I believe that they have gone through the past history of Indians in T20 and have capitalized on it. On the other hand, Indians failed to understand that being No 1 in test playing Teams wont help them to win T20. Though all are forms of cricket, T20, one dayers and test has its own style, when the ball meets the willow. I wish Indian team understands this fact and put on a better show in oncoming matches.

US Army in Pakistan?

We were on a lot of speculations for the last couple of months. The annihilation of Taliban and Al- Qaeda in Afghanistan led to the migration of terror centre to Pakistan. Together with the local militant groups, they became a national terror to Pakistan itself.

Pakistan and Terrorism is not a new chapter. Ever since the independence of Bangladesh, Pakistan has been creating and nourishing militant groups, funding them with money and weapons and infiltrating them to Kashmir. Their aim was to breed religious riots and breakup the secularity in the minds of common man.And finally a separation of the state, as that happened in 1947. This dream of Pakistan was never fulfilled. And as it is said, now Pakistan is terrorized by their own snakes.

In this climate, the address of Obama has much significance to the future of Pakistan. He has made clear statement that it is the responsibility of the Pakistan to eliminate the internal militant groups. Upon failing, there could a direct interaction of US in this regard. The intervention is none other than the landing of US troops in Pak soil.

There is another alarming situation warned by US Intelligence. The weak internal security of Pakistan may allow the militants to get on the nuclear weaponry. And if any such scenario occurs, their first and foremost sweet target will be India.

And when it comes to Pakistan, the experiences were always being bitter for India. The final count down of terrorism in Pakistan must be watched carefully. There is likely and undeniable possibility of insurgence across Pak borders to India. We should not open borders to these religious murders and disturb the peace in our lands.

The fate of Pakistan is decided by its past. Let them realize at this point that destruction is to them who dreams the destruction of neighbors.

2012 : An Awakening

I saw the movie “2012” last week. The visuals were amazing. The hard work of all the graphics and animation engineers have paid off. But beyond that spectacular visualization of the D-day, there are few messages that the movie is trying to convey.

The end : How it would be? We have been living and planning future for generations to generations. In that run, we have always considered earth as a constant factor. Something that was there, is present and will be there. What if the earth gets sick? How will we get affected. Humans have researched pathology and discovered many viruses and cures for them. Its all based on the concept that human body is a living entity and all that hinders its life or growth is a bacteria or virus. Now if earth is a living body, what are humans? It’s plain that we are the most devastating virus for earth. I would like to comment the words from the movie Matrix.

I'd like to share a revelation I've had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species. I realized that you're not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with their surrounding environment, but you humans do not. You move to another area, and you multiply, and you multiply, until every natural resource is consumed. The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You are a plague, and we … are the cure.

This could be considered from a earth’s perspective. If earth finds a way to completely remove its destructing pathogens, I believe it’s the end of human race. From school days, I have heard a story of birds sitting on buffaloes. My mother told me that the birds eat away the worms on the buffalo’s skin and from the surroundings. It’s the reason that buffalo doesn't get mad at the bird sitting on its top. I think its already late to have the humans behave to earth as the bird so that both can co-exist in this centuries old equilibrium. But as the saying goes,

Better late than never….