Ma Na Se -- Goonda Raj

Do you call this irony?Just minutes after writing the previous post i opened ndtv.com and saw that Mumbai is being burnt by bunch of crooks for no reason. Opposing Raj Thackeray's arrest, there is violence and few people are dead and many injured. People are just burning and damaging buses and taxis. In Bihar a train was set on fire.. Who is the ultimate loser??

History says that Bal Thackeray did similarly against South Indians in 1960's and 70's. Now his protege is repeating again. Only change is 'North Indians' this time. And worst thing is even after 40 years there is no change in India. The word 'Change' automatically makes me think about 'Obama'. I guess 'Change' became a synonym for 'Obama' or vice-versa.

Coming back to this Mumbai violence, what if every person just sits and lives at the same place where he was born?? What if U.S or any other country starts doing like this to all immigrants??
What if i had to face this in Nort India? Will i just cow down and pack my bags and run to Hyderabad?? What if 'Telangana' guys come and ask me to leave 'Hyderabad'? What else then?? Or will i just become stubborn and start fighting ?? I think no North Indian should leave Mumbai because of this. Raj and his followers, if you have guts and if you are not impotent - attack rich North Indians, attack rich film stars, politicians, businessmen from North -- Not innocent taxi drivers and daily wage workers ...

I Just feel so bad for my inability to do anything, inability to change things, inability to stop this non-sense....Just want to scream loud that this is wrong... India needs one strong good dictator.. Well the words 'good' and 'dictator' are not compatible..But something needs to be done..We too need a 'change'......

Will I Miss America ??

Yes, 2 months passed by in a jiffy and its time i go back to Gurgaon. Mixed feelings... I think i started feeling home-sick and wanted to go, but i guess i miss America and Americans also. Luckily i havent had a single bad experience--Touchwood ! Everything is so organized here and its just so easy to live life here. So easy to pursue your interests, so easy to develop as an individual, so easy to explore new things and just so easy to live!.

After my first week or so in U.S, i told my colleague that i cant stop remembering a quote i came across -- 'STOP EXISTING & START LIVING'. I think many people in India (and in many countries) are just existing. It's time they too start living. Its time i too start living and do more and more things and get more experiences in this short life. Isn't it a cool idea to bicycle to office? Can i do in Gurgaon ? The dust will just kill me... Another thing i noticed in this regard in U.S - They really encourage people to do good things and go all out to provide more facilities. Take the case of bicycling - they have special lanes and special bike trails. Take the case of car-pooling- they have special car-pooling lanes and special car-pooling parking spots.

Dont think i am also one more bloke who got swayed away by U.S and started bitching India. The first thought/question that came into my mind when i landed in U.S is - When India will become like this ??? Still that question is haunting me and more importantly the answers different people gave are even haunting...

Signing off from Denver Airport, with lots and lots of dreams for my Mother India....

From 'QWEST' Business Center Of Denver Airport

I am writing this post sitting in the 'QWEST' business centre of 'Denver' airport. Actually i booked a Delhi-Hyderabad ticket from 'yatra.com'. I guess the missing surname in my credit card caused some doubt for them and they want a copy of my Credit card and some photo-id. And they say if i don't mail them within 24 hours, they will cancel my flight. I was searching for scanner and came to this business centre. But QWEST is closing this business centre and there is no scanner. Luckily i thought that i can take pictures from my mobile and send over the 'free wi-fi'. I just did it. Isn't this cool ????

Sachin- 12K In Tests

Another record, Just another day in office for Sachin. ( I used 'Accenture's ad with Tiger :)).
Sachin became the highest run-getter in tests crossing Lara and eventually crossed 12,000 runs and became another 'first to achieve a feat'. Sachin, i wish you can play for 2 more years or may be more. I guess many people just cant hate Sachin.

Below are some comments made by 'British Press':
“Is he human?”"
The archives recall not one single incriminating incident, not one drunken escapade, not one reported affair, not one spat with a team-mate or reporter,” wrote former skipper Michael Atherton in the Times.

They mean a lot, not a single blemish in 20 years and scoring runs always. Knowledgeable cricket fans know the umpteen times he helped India with his bowling also. No wonder as he said in the post-day presentation, he converted 'stones' thrown at him into 'milestones'.

New Camera

It's shopping time and at last i bought my favourite ultra zoom camera - Sony DSC H50B. It costed me $420 with case (bag) and memory cards. I am hopeful that i will use this to the maximum by travelling more around Delhi. I have few trips planned for the weekends :). Will See...!!

I went to 'Renaissance Faire'. People are having fun wearing those costumes and behaving like that. These guys know how to have fun !! Some of the initial pictures from this new camera. All are shot in basic 'easy' mode, i got to read the manual so that i can use it better....

Random Thoughts In U.S

Some of the random thoughts after i spent 6 weeks in U.S:

1. People are so courteous here. They wave and smile at strangers. I want to be more courteous to everyone from now onwards and also try to 'smile' as much as possible. 'Smile' is the easiest way to get more friends.
2. I am tired of answering 'How are you doing'?. Rarely some people just ask the question and will not even bother to hear the response. :)
3. Football and hockey mean different sports here. Football is American Football and hockey is Ice hockey. Similarly 'Gas' is petrol. :)
4. I understand now why 'Gas' is such an important part of an American's life.
5. Many of the things perceived as 'luxuries' by Indians (or me at least) are 'necessities' here.
6. American advertisements on TV suck. Our advertisements are far far creative and entertaining.
7. American Consumer is really a 'KING'. They get such a wide choice to choose from in everything.
8. Americans are really broad-minded. I am surprised to see many people who like 'Indian' food. Not just Indian, they are very open to trying and experiencing everything from different cultures. Possibly this is because American society is a mix of many nationalities.

Will keep this updated....

9. I read before in some novel about the concept of 'American Citizens being part of the Jury'. I got to know more about this when one of my colleagues was selected for 'Jury Duty' in the last week. My initial feeling is it's good as it gives citizens an idea of the laws and some sense of participating in the system. This can also make Citizens better human beings as they feel some 'empathy'. Don't know if it suits India or not..
10. Presidential Debates - I came to U.S at the heat of election campaign. I got a chance to see all the 4 debates on the T.V. The concept of this 'Independents' is a bit inexplicable for me.
11. Never understood the term 'got bills to pay' until i realized the dependency/use of 'credit cards by Americans.
12. I happened to see the shows 'Deal-No Deal', 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire' & 'American Idol'. Oh, my God, the Indian versions of these are blatant copies including music, sets and everything. Even though they payed 'Endemol', i think they can put their minds also and do some changes.

More to come....

How Long Is Long Term ??

AIG
Bankruptcy, Bailout
Crisis, CDO , Credit Crunch,
Debt
Economy,
Foreclosure, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac,
Greenspan,
Hedge Funds, Home loans
Interest rates
Job cuts ....
K...
Lehman
Mortgages
NINA (No Income, No Assets)

Well this is some of the 'sub-prime' lingo that you must be hearing repeatedly for the last few days. I think kids should start learning alphabets in the above way. I guess this is a good way to make people 'financial literates' so that they can manage their finances better. I heard of the great depression, tech. bubble etc. but i hardly know anything about them- Courtesy no one cares to teach about 'money' in school or college or even at home. I never thought i will experience/see a world-wide financial recession/crisis in my life, but it seems like one is already here. Forget companies, Countries are declaring bankruptcies ..

So what should people do when they lose 30-50% of their portfolios in a week? I don't know, all i heard is 'stay patient' and 'stay long'. What is the meaning of this 'long'? In 2006 as per Indian market observers, 6-9 months is a long-term investment. By 2007 they started telling 2-3 years and now 'long term' is minimum 7 years. So how long is 'long' ? :)

Who are responsible for this mess? People who cannot afford, but still took loans or the dudes who gave loans irresponsibly or the American politicians who pushed the banks to help people in realizing 'The Great American Dream' of owning a house. Who Cares Now? At this time i can only reaffirm what my mother always tell me -- 'Live Within Your Means'.

P.S: As per wiki, 'sub-prime' is an euphemism given by the wall-street for 'junk'. This single sentence can explain the whole story.

Chail - Head Over Hills

After my 2.5 years stint in Mumbai, i returned to my base location Gurgaon in June, 2008. And immediately i started realizing that there are many places to travel and explore near Delhi. Actually i guess there are places near Mumbai also, but its just i was so busy there or i couldnt realize the joy of travelling. After doing some surfing online and with suggestions from friends, i came to know that Chail is a beautiful hill station near Shimla. So i decided to go to Chail. Chail is a great place to pass the time walking through pine and deodar trees. And its a great place for newly married couples (or any couples :) ) who need privacy and therefore its a good honeymoon destination. Don't ask me how a bachelor knows this !! You can find about Chail's history and how it became Summer Capital of Patiala and about its flamboyant Maharaja through 'google'. Let me give details about planning the itinerary and stay etc. Best time to visit Chail is between March and August.

How to reach Chail ?

1. It depends if you are clubbing this with Shimla or not in your trip. If you are clubbing with Shimla and if you want to visit this place after Shimla, then you should take a bus or a cab from Shimla. The road is full of beautiful scenery and panoramic views of the hills. Cab may cost around Rs. 800-1000/- . I guess these are union rates.
2. If you are coming from Delhi, via Kalka-Shimla road, you need to take a detour at 'Kandaghat'.
3. If you are coming in a Kalka-Shimla toy train, get down at 'Kandaghat' station and take a cab. From Kandaghat, chail is 23 kms only. A cab from Kandaghat to Chail may cost around Rs.500/-

Where to Stay ?

1. Chail is a very small place and not commercialized (luckily) like Shimla. So its better to book the hotel before you leave. I stayed in the 'Chail Palace Hotel' managed by the HPTDC. I saw few other hotels in the town also, but i seriously suggest 'Chail Palace hotel'. Chail palace hotel is around 2 KMs from the town market. So if you are coming by bus, you need to either walk or take a cab after alighting the bus. This may cost you some 75 bucks. Actually this was a palace before and now turned into hotel. There are different types of rooms for different budgets. Go to the below link to find more details. I am glad that HP tourism site is good and it works very well. I dont know if other state tourism sites are this good. You can book the hotel online using your credit card also.

http://hptdc.gov.in/

Some of the options like 'log huts' and 'himneel cottages' are away from the palace and you may need to walk to the palace for dinner. Its a good 0.5 km walk and remember this if you are not fond of walking. I guess you may not enjoy Chail at all if you hate walking.
Below are the pictures of the Chail palace and loghut. I stayed inside the palace and in loghut also. I suggest loghut if you want to have an experience like 'staying in the forest'.




Places Of Interest:

1. Chail is nothing but 3 hills. One is the hill on which the palace hotel is constructed. Another one is the hill having the so-called 'world's highest cricket ground' and Sidh baba ki Mandir and the third one is the 'Kali Ka Tibba'.
2. Sidh baba ki mandir and cricket ground walk can be done together as they are near-by. This may take 2-3 hours. The cricket ground is locked most of the time. It's a small playground for the school students. There is nothing inside but if you want and can, just jump the gate. My first jump was awkward and Krishna taught me the correct way for the second jump to come back. The cricket ground is around 4 Kms walk from the town market. So add 2 more Kms from the palace. And if you pass the test/task of this hill , then only adventure for 'Kali Ka Tibba'.
3. Kali Ka Tibba is around 7Kms from the town market. Ask anyone in the market to know the way. There's a beautiful Kali temple at the peak and you can get beautiful views from here. Unfortunately when i went it was raining and hazy and i couldn't see. But the Pundit in the temple says that you can see Kasauli, Barog also from here. See the temple in the below pictures.
4. I heard there is a sanctuary near this temple or on this way only. Check if you have time and wish to see that.





Miscellaneous:
1. Carry an umbrella and a torch for sure. You can buy these in the market also. Carry the torch always while going for these walks in the evening.
2. If you are taking the cab from Kandaghat, you can stop for a while at a place called 'Sadhupul' midway. There is a small bridge built here on a stream. You can have break-fast or lunch here. And i found some pictures online where chairs and tables were kept in the water and you can have food soaking your feet in the water. Sounds filmy !!. Good marketing idea by the hotel. I couldn't do that as water was with full force in the noon. I think this is possible only in the mornings.
3. Overall you can do 'Chail' in 2 - 2.5 days easily. You can do it in just 1.5 days also if you are not going for 'Kali Ka Tibba'.
4. The place is very peaceful and lonely. Sometimes you may not see a person for 5-10 minutes in these walks. I found the place to be very very safe.

First Post In Blogger

First things first. Why i am starting a new blog now? Thanks to Rediff, i no longer can update my old blog. It (www.fixit.rediffblogs.com) was blocked and no one responds from Rediff. So i have no choice but to open a new one. I think ideal first post is to tell about the 'name' of the blog. I want to blog my wishes, whims, passions, refelctions etc.. and thus zero-ed on the name 'phan-tasies'. As you can see i used 'phan' which are first 4 characters in my name :)

That's all for now.