This was an forward ;-)
It was autumn, and the Red Indians (not Indian's okie :-))) ) on the remote reservation asked their new chief if the winter was going to be cold or mild. Since he was a Red Indian chief in a modern society, he couldn't tell what the weather was going to be. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he replied to his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect wood to be prepared. But also being a practical leader, after several days he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked "Is the coming winter going to be cold?" "It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold indeed," the meteorologist at the weather service responded. So the chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more wood. A week later, he called the National Weather Service again. "Is it going to be a very cold winter?" "Yes," the man at National Weather Service again replied, "It's definitely going to be a very cold winter. The Chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collectevery scrap of wood they could find. Two weeks later, he called the National Weather Service again. "Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?" "Absolutely, The man replied. "It's going to be one of the coldest winters ever.""How can you be so sure?" the Chief asked. The weatherman replied, "The Red Indians are collecting wood like crazy."
This is how stock markets work!!!
Monday, January 31, 2005
Friday, January 28, 2005
Rasika we gonna miss u - Bon Voyage
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Grenoble
Grenoble is a wonderful place to live; it's a paradise for people who want to lead an active life filled with academics and sport. Situated in the heart of the Alpine mountain range Grenoble is the capital of the French Alps. In addition to its rich history, Grenoble is a highly advanced city steeped in technology and is often referred to as the "Silicon Valley" of France, which is the reason why I'm here :-) It's also famous for the number of universities that are around. All around the year sports buffs enjoy mountain activities such as hiking, mountain climbing, skiing and snowboarding, rafting, kayaking, and canoeing. It location is pinned in a way it's very close to Switzerland, Italy, and the Mediterranean coast.
The reason why I have written all this is the there is a hindi movie shot, mostly songs, in Grenoble/Lyon/Annecy/Chamonix which is really very sweet one. Vaada is the name of the movie, I don't intend to write the review. In that movie one can have a good look of the Alpine region in summer. The tram I travel, the place we go for trekking(Bastile), This photo is the view of Grenoble from the bastile.
Being winter now, one thing I miss a lot is the snow, I don’t mean to say it doesn’t snow in Grenoble, it does. But the problem is the mountains around get more share. I like the view a lot from my house and from my office. Just 20 minutes drive, u r on to the mountains which are covered with snow. Today I woke up to beautiful snow, so soft and tender! Anyway I’m delighted to see a white view. This season snow fall was the best of all the year's I have seen. It was very mild and it was so romantic. Ok I need to go and pickup my coffee cup to feel warm.
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
A walk in the snow mountains
The Map of the ski treck can be found here
Monday, January 17, 2005
Raincoat(movie review) – Everybody need’s when it rains – U can use an umbrella instead
Next time you cry in the bathroom don't forget to turn on the shower...There are some things that you can learn from women... The dialogues are so sensitive and supportive of the director's dramatic yet naturalistic narration, say more than what words generally convey in our films. I like this movie a lot.
It's a character study of two derelict lives playacting for one another's benefit. The plot and its unfolding are extremely nice. It’s a movie that illustrates one’s lost love.
The verbal sparring between Niroo(Aishwarya Rai) & Manu(Ajay Devgan) is not too expertly inter-cut with flashbacks from the past when we see the couple's small-town affair fizzling out in the face of Manoj's.
Manu came from his small village to the city of Kolkata with hope in his heart. His pockets were empty and he was desperate for employment. He found his way to Niroo’s house on a wet afternoon in a borrowed raincoat. She met him draped in silk, and shrouded by darkness in a strange gloomy house crowded with furniture.
There in the dark, hidden from the world by the rain, the two relived their past. They talked and talked and yet said nothing.
So who's fooling whom? Is it Niroo with her tales of an affluent marriage while legacies of her life's wreckage stare into Manoj's face?Or is it Manoj with his wildly made-up yarn about life as a serial maker - a bit of constant playacting that gives Ghosh a chance to take naughty pot-shots at our primetime serials and soaps.
The story ends with a strong note that it reminded me about O’henry's - The gift of the Magi. The end is so sudden and abrupt, but it has a big impact on me, whatsoever said though the movie has monotonous conversations. Mouli Ganguly leaves a strong impression with her short & sweet cast.
It's a character study of two derelict lives playacting for one another's benefit. The plot and its unfolding are extremely nice. It’s a movie that illustrates one’s lost love.
The verbal sparring between Niroo(Aishwarya Rai) & Manu(Ajay Devgan) is not too expertly inter-cut with flashbacks from the past when we see the couple's small-town affair fizzling out in the face of Manoj's.
Manu came from his small village to the city of Kolkata with hope in his heart. His pockets were empty and he was desperate for employment. He found his way to Niroo’s house on a wet afternoon in a borrowed raincoat. She met him draped in silk, and shrouded by darkness in a strange gloomy house crowded with furniture.
There in the dark, hidden from the world by the rain, the two relived their past. They talked and talked and yet said nothing.
So who's fooling whom? Is it Niroo with her tales of an affluent marriage while legacies of her life's wreckage stare into Manoj's face?Or is it Manoj with his wildly made-up yarn about life as a serial maker - a bit of constant playacting that gives Ghosh a chance to take naughty pot-shots at our primetime serials and soaps.
The story ends with a strong note that it reminded me about O’henry's - The gift of the Magi. The end is so sudden and abrupt, but it has a big impact on me, whatsoever said though the movie has monotonous conversations. Mouli Ganguly leaves a strong impression with her short & sweet cast.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
NASA Details Earthquake Effects on the Earth
NASA scientists using data from the Indonesian earthquake calculated it affected Earth's rotation, decreased the length of day, slightly changedthe planet's shape, and shifted the North Pole by centimeters.
Barcelona
I was particularly eager to visit Barcelona as it is part of Catalonia. I was fascinated by the fact that they have two separate regions, complete with their own languages, though I haven't been to the other part of Spain all I can say is it's different. It's not just hearing Catalan spoken, there's something a bit more sophisticated about the city. It's rich with history, culture and art all its own.
When most people think of Barcelona, they think of Gaudi, whose architecture is so refreshing and so different from other artwork that you can't help but become an immediate fan. What I love even more about his work is that you needn't go to a museum to see his masterpieces; Gaudi's art, ranging from buildings to churches, is scattered around the city. The most famous and extravagant is one of the city's main landmarks, Sagrada Familia and the park.
Walking around the rest of the city, you're sure to notice more of Gaudi's architecture. Not too far from Sagrada Familia sits Casa Mila, or La Pedrera. The curved building covers 100 square meters and is constructed completely from natural stones. Crowning the unusual house is a series of random, imaginative chimneys. Casa Battlo is similarly rounded but the outer stonework is covered in a spattering of color. Purple, green, yellow and orange enhance the originality of its design, which includes patio railings that resemble a combination of skulls and opera masks.
Of course, no visit to a coastal city is complete without a trip to the beach. We made it there also, read on further to all the places we visited.
When most people think of Barcelona, they think of Gaudi, whose architecture is so refreshing and so different from other artwork that you can't help but become an immediate fan. What I love even more about his work is that you needn't go to a museum to see his masterpieces; Gaudi's art, ranging from buildings to churches, is scattered around the city. The most famous and extravagant is one of the city's main landmarks, Sagrada Familia and the park.
Walking around the rest of the city, you're sure to notice more of Gaudi's architecture. Not too far from Sagrada Familia sits Casa Mila, or La Pedrera. The curved building covers 100 square meters and is constructed completely from natural stones. Crowning the unusual house is a series of random, imaginative chimneys. Casa Battlo is similarly rounded but the outer stonework is covered in a spattering of color. Purple, green, yellow and orange enhance the originality of its design, which includes patio railings that resemble a combination of skulls and opera masks.
Of course, no visit to a coastal city is complete without a trip to the beach. We made it there also, read on further to all the places we visited.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Placa Espanya - Dakar show
We start our trip in Barcelona in "Placa Espanya". Here is where the Barcelona International Fairs takes place.
Placa Espanya is more than just a central transport communication hub in Barcelona. It's also the starting point for visits to The Magic Fountain of Montjuic, Museu National d'Art Catalunya de Montjuic (MNAC) and the Olympic Stadium all of which are attractive and interesting places to visit.
Placa Espanya is more than just a central transport communication hub in Barcelona. It's also the starting point for visits to The Magic Fountain of Montjuic, Museu National d'Art Catalunya de Montjuic (MNAC) and the Olympic Stadium all of which are attractive and interesting places to visit.
Caixa Forum
Caixa Forum, the social and cultural centre of the "La Caixa" foundation. It is located in an ancient factory of Montjuic, a work by the modernist Catalan architect Puig, it is a huge cultural centre of the "La Caixa" Foundation, with 3,000 square mts. Caixaforum is divided into three spaces, a mediateca and two polivalent saloons. Here one can find one of the largest contemporary art collections of Spain, with over 800 works by national and foreign artists. The lead area is permanent and occasionally exhibitions of modern and contemporary art as well as the last trends in plastic arts and photography are held. A state of art auditorium for 350 spectators is used for different purposes from cinema to concerts.
When we went there we saw "Li Zhensheng" - a chinese photographers collection, Rodin's collection of sculptures & Giuseppe Penone's production of body of work, which expresses a relationship with nature.
When we went there we saw "Li Zhensheng" - a chinese photographers collection, Rodin's collection of sculptures & Giuseppe Penone's production of body of work, which expresses a relationship with nature.
MNAC - Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
This museum of modern art is a home to a wide range of Roman artwork and artifacts including paintings, carvings, sculptures, metalwork, and enamels. The museum also exhibits the largest collection of Catalan art in Spainis Barcelona and is worth a visit not only for the artwork but also for fabulous view you'll get of Barcelona from there. The photo link shows the view from there.
Anella Olimpica
The Olympic ring on the Montjuic was the nerver centre of the Barcelona Olympic stadium (Estadi Olimpic. Today the Barcelona Olympic stadium is open to visitors to take a look around and see where all the action took place. When we went there Dakar race start was from there. So there was a big show going on there.
Casa Batllo
Antoni Gaudi designed this house at the beginning of the 20th century for a wealthy Barcelona Aristocrat. The lower levels were for the owner and the upper floors for renting. The "house" is now a museum. Currently the owners of the house rent it for business meetings and other celebrations.
Passeig de Gracia - La Pedrera
La Pedrera means "Quarry" because of its stone like appearance the building gives, it was originally called Casa Mila.
La Pedrera was constructed in 1906 to house apartments & offices, however the owner had difficulty renting the apartments because prospective tenants thought they would have problems furnishing the rooms as they were irregularly shaped. No two windows look alike, each of which is different from the other.
La Pedrera was constructed in 1906 to house apartments & offices, however the owner had difficulty renting the apartments because prospective tenants thought they would have problems furnishing the rooms as they were irregularly shaped. No two windows look alike, each of which is different from the other.
La Sagrada Familia
This Cathedral was designed by Antoni Gaudi. It was begun in 1884, it is still being built, and it will not be finished until the 22nd century that's what they say. Although modern techniques are currently being used, some parts of the construction can only be completed using the old traditional ones. Another reason why the construction is taking so long is more materialistic: money. All funds come from donations. Antoni Gaudà was a very religious man. He lived in the "Sagrada FamÃlia". Currently another artist lives in the building: Subirachs. He is the sculptor carving the west facade's sculptures.
I was surprised to learn from the museum there, it was nature that has inspired Antoni Gaudi so much. From the Sunflower to tree branches, an inverted model, leaves and different geometeric forms in nature. I really wonder how one could extract so much from nature
I was surprised to learn from the museum there, it was nature that has inspired Antoni Gaudi so much. From the Sunflower to tree branches, an inverted model, leaves and different geometeric forms in nature. I really wonder how one could extract so much from nature
Hospital Sant Pau
From the Sagrada Familia has the best attraction @ in Barcelona- Hospital Sant Pau (Saint Paul's Hospital).
Its origins are in 1401, when the six original hospitals were united in one. At the end of the 19th century, Montaner with the collaboration of Pau Gargallo, Eusebi Arnau, and other Catalan Modern Style (Art Nouveau) artists created the Hospital's current layout.
Pablo Picasso painted one of his first important pictures here in 1903 ("Dead Woman"), and Antoni Gaudi died in one of its rooms in 1926, after being hit by a tramway.
This is a nice building, but at the other side of the gate an even more impressive one. I've posted the picture in the photo link.
Its origins are in 1401, when the six original hospitals were united in one. At the end of the 19th century, Montaner with the collaboration of Pau Gargallo, Eusebi Arnau, and other Catalan Modern Style (Art Nouveau) artists created the Hospital's current layout.
Pablo Picasso painted one of his first important pictures here in 1903 ("Dead Woman"), and Antoni Gaudi died in one of its rooms in 1926, after being hit by a tramway.
This is a nice building, but at the other side of the gate an even more impressive one. I've posted the picture in the photo link.
Arc del Triomf
Red brick Arc del Triomf lies to the east of the Barri Gotic. This a nice place to sit and enjoy a sunny afternoon
L'aquarium
L'Aquarium de Barcelona is a recreational and educational marine centre regarded as one of the largest in Europe and the most important one in the world in things Mediterranean.
L'Aquarium will take you to a different world. An unknown, surprise-packed world. The beauty of the seabed, myriad colours, forms, organisms and ecosystems on show make a visit to L'Aquarium an organic and marvellous event. When you come to see us, you will be surrounded by over 4.5 million litres of water and will have the chance to observe 8,000 specimens of sea life from 300 different species. Yes..., it's that easy!, you get the chance to have an unique experience, with an 80 meters of underwater walk.
L'Aquarium will take you to a different world. An unknown, surprise-packed world. The beauty of the seabed, myriad colours, forms, organisms and ecosystems on show make a visit to L'Aquarium an organic and marvellous event. When you come to see us, you will be surrounded by over 4.5 million litres of water and will have the chance to observe 8,000 specimens of sea life from 300 different species. Yes..., it's that easy!, you get the chance to have an unique experience, with an 80 meters of underwater walk.
La Rambla
La Ramblas is a long walkway through the very heart of the city centre. Here c see all sorts of stalls, restaurants, bars and street performers along with the many thousands of people that promenade up and down the Ramblas until the early hours of the morning. When we where there there were RedIndians performing. There are close to 3 ZARA shops, 3 McD and 3 Lee show rooms and the count goes on..So u can imagine the size of the street and the activity that buzzes around this place.
Place Catalunya
This huge square is Barcelona's nerve centre. The city's main throughfares radiate from here. This is the place where the count down for the year 2005 begun for us.
Park Guell - Main enterance
This is Dragon sculpture at the Parc Guell's main entrance. The dragon is a typical Catalan symbol. Legend has Saint George killed the dragon, which threatened the community. He finally married the princess. And now Sant Jordi's day is celebrated as the lovers day (April 23rd). Women give books to their lovers, and men a rose to their lady. The columns at the back support a square with a great Snake Bench.
Gaudi's Park Guell
The Parc Guell is another work of Antoni Gaudi. This great park is a luxury villa, where houses for the richest families of the Barcelona bourgeoisie should have been built but a few years later, it became a public park. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century.
This snake shaped bench surrounds a round square from where there is a wonderful landscape view of Barcelona. The bench is made with small pieces of ceramics and it's very comfortable to sit and enjoy the sight on other curious onlookers, which is what is called as a good sitting(siteing place).
This snake shaped bench surrounds a round square from where there is a wonderful landscape view of Barcelona. The bench is made with small pieces of ceramics and it's very comfortable to sit and enjoy the sight on other curious onlookers, which is what is called as a good sitting(siteing place).
Gothic Barcelona Cathedral
The Gothic Barcelona Cathedral is a focal point of interest in the Gothic quarter. Barcelona Cathedral is in the old town and around the Cathedral there are many fine examples of Gothic architecture and Roman walls. Some interesting architecture are there in the photo link. This was closed as we went on the 1st Jan there :D
Magic Fountain of Montjuic
This was our last must see location on our trip to Barcelona. The magic fountain is a spectacular display of colour, light, motion, music and water acrobatics - if you mix all these elements together in just the right combinations, you end up with pure magic.
Gift
So far the New year is going on fine. Got lot of gifts and getting to enjoy with new friends out here. Lil busy with work so could not post the updates on the my Barcelona trip. Will do so soon. This is a cute gift I got from house owner and the chocolate box was from my new manager.
Monday, January 03, 2005
What’s in a Shoelace - almost 2 TRILLION possibilities to do that
What’s in a Shoelace - It’s lot more than we think.
I had this problem with my Adidas shoe only, Slipping Shoelace Knots problem. Since I travel on foot for long distances I thought I have this problem. Now I think it’s the wrong way of tying lace. I was shocked to discover that there are 2 Trillion Possibilities. Ian Fieggen’s site suggests some good combination of lace tying.
Do you know that a shoe lace can be tied - That's almost 2 TRILLION possibilities. I was amazed to read this on.
It hardly seems possible that there could be quite that many ways to feed a lace through 12 eyelets! So let's look at the mathematics:
* Feed through one of 12 eyelets from either inside or outside. That's 24 ways to start.
* Continue through one of 11 remaining eyelets from either inside or outside (x 22 more ways).
Then 10 remaining eyelets (x 20 more ways). We've only gone through three eyelets and we're already up to 24 x 22 x 20 = 10,560 ways!
* By the time we reach the last eyelet (x 2 more ways), the possible ways have multiplied to 24 x 22 x 20 x 18 x 16 x 14 x 12 x 10 x 8 x 6 x 4 x 2 ways, a staggering total of almost 2 TRILLION possibilities!
The best 22 Different Ways To Lace Shoes is described here.
The humble shoelace knot is one area where practical knowledge can benefit our everyday lives. Most people only know the one shoelace knot that they learned as a child, having been taught by either a parent, a sibling, a relative, a teacher or even another child. Many would be surprised to know that there's more than one method, let alone ten! This sheer variety is testament to the ingenuity of people throughout the ages in their quest to prevent shoelaces from coming undone.Here's your chance to see how your knot stacks up against other traditional shoelace knots plus some newly invented methods. Grab some shoelaces or a piece of rope, get comfortable and give them a try. Most of them really aren't that hard to learn. Who knows, you may find that this site will change your shoelace tying habits forever!
I had this problem with my Adidas shoe only, Slipping Shoelace Knots problem. Since I travel on foot for long distances I thought I have this problem. Now I think it’s the wrong way of tying lace. I was shocked to discover that there are 2 Trillion Possibilities. Ian Fieggen’s site suggests some good combination of lace tying.
Do you know that a shoe lace can be tied - That's almost 2 TRILLION possibilities. I was amazed to read this on.
It hardly seems possible that there could be quite that many ways to feed a lace through 12 eyelets! So let's look at the mathematics:
* Feed through one of 12 eyelets from either inside or outside. That's 24 ways to start.
* Continue through one of 11 remaining eyelets from either inside or outside (x 22 more ways).
Then 10 remaining eyelets (x 20 more ways). We've only gone through three eyelets and we're already up to 24 x 22 x 20 = 10,560 ways!
* By the time we reach the last eyelet (x 2 more ways), the possible ways have multiplied to 24 x 22 x 20 x 18 x 16 x 14 x 12 x 10 x 8 x 6 x 4 x 2 ways, a staggering total of almost 2 TRILLION possibilities!
The best 22 Different Ways To Lace Shoes is described here.
The humble shoelace knot is one area where practical knowledge can benefit our everyday lives. Most people only know the one shoelace knot that they learned as a child, having been taught by either a parent, a sibling, a relative, a teacher or even another child. Many would be surprised to know that there's more than one method, let alone ten! This sheer variety is testament to the ingenuity of people throughout the ages in their quest to prevent shoelaces from coming undone.Here's your chance to see how your knot stacks up against other traditional shoelace knots plus some newly invented methods. Grab some shoelaces or a piece of rope, get comfortable and give them a try. Most of them really aren't that hard to learn. Who knows, you may find that this site will change your shoelace tying habits forever!
Famous Five
Had been to Barcelona for the christmas vacation and had a wonderful time. Thanks to Natasha, Mugudha, Indu & Gauri the people who accompanied me to Barcelona. The beach there reminded me about tsunami.
Three best things about the trip
*The virtual dirty cross country trip in a car, As the Dakar race was on in Barcelona
*Magic Fountain of Montjuic
*The friends with whom I went to the trip
More on the Barcelona trip later.
Year 2004 was
Your ‘high’ moment of the year.
Having made a trip to Switzerland after so many travels to Europe.
Your ‘low’ moment of the year.
Selling the house in Madras, and bidding a bye to Chennai where I lived for 29 yrs and added to it no one to ‘c me off in airport when I left to onsite on long term.
Faux pas/greatest regret.
Having traveled to Chamonix, Mount Blank and not able to Parasail
Not proposing to the girl I liked and finally missing her in my life as life partner.
Something that got you 'almost famous' and nearly catapulted you into the Hall of Fame.
My Blog and bragging about my intrepid travels
The 3 things you wanted to do the most this year, and did!
Visit to Switzerland & Italy
Redesign the Blog
Help other’s in small ways I could do.
The 3 things you wanted to do the most this year, and couldn’t/didn’t!
Finish PMP certification
Getting married
Travel to Pune/Shirdi
Number of resolutions you made for 2004. And how many you actually stuck to.
Living a happy life everyday, Make everyday resolution and end of the day not making it so that I could do it the next day.
The list of cities/ places/ countries you visited in 2004.
A lot of cities in France, Barcelona, a few cities in Switzerland & a lot of main cities in Italy.
Your movie of the year award goes to...
Munna Bhai MBBS
A friend lost? A friend found? A friend made?
No friend lost, a lot of new friends made my list is really big. Found a couple of old friends.
You will remember 2004 as the year of …
Friends, Travel, Blog, Cheese, Foundue, Alps, Ski, Learning to prepare parata’s from Nitin, Joining HP, Leaving Satyam, Missing my childhood friend’s marriage - Kaleem, tsunami
The 3 things you really want to do in 2005.
Get married, Finish PMP and travel to Nice to try Scuba
A set of 13 words that will be your keywords for 2005!
Travel, Marriage, PMP, Puma, Alps in summer with Parasailing, Scuba, Cannes, Learn French & Spanish, Improve on German, India, and think of the next 3 things to fill in here..
Having made a trip to Switzerland after so many travels to Europe.
Your ‘low’ moment of the year.
Selling the house in Madras, and bidding a bye to Chennai where I lived for 29 yrs and added to it no one to ‘c me off in airport when I left to onsite on long term.
Faux pas/greatest regret.
Having traveled to Chamonix, Mount Blank and not able to Parasail
Not proposing to the girl I liked and finally missing her in my life as life partner.
Something that got you 'almost famous' and nearly catapulted you into the Hall of Fame.
My Blog and bragging about my intrepid travels
The 3 things you wanted to do the most this year, and did!
Visit to Switzerland & Italy
Redesign the Blog
Help other’s in small ways I could do.
The 3 things you wanted to do the most this year, and couldn’t/didn’t!
Finish PMP certification
Getting married
Travel to Pune/Shirdi
Number of resolutions you made for 2004. And how many you actually stuck to.
Living a happy life everyday, Make everyday resolution and end of the day not making it so that I could do it the next day.
The list of cities/ places/ countries you visited in 2004.
A lot of cities in France, Barcelona, a few cities in Switzerland & a lot of main cities in Italy.
Your movie of the year award goes to...
Munna Bhai MBBS
A friend lost? A friend found? A friend made?
No friend lost, a lot of new friends made my list is really big. Found a couple of old friends.
You will remember 2004 as the year of …
Friends, Travel, Blog, Cheese, Foundue, Alps, Ski, Learning to prepare parata’s from Nitin, Joining HP, Leaving Satyam, Missing my childhood friend’s marriage - Kaleem, tsunami
The 3 things you really want to do in 2005.
Get married, Finish PMP and travel to Nice to try Scuba
A set of 13 words that will be your keywords for 2005!
Travel, Marriage, PMP, Puma, Alps in summer with Parasailing, Scuba, Cannes, Learn French & Spanish, Improve on German, India, and think of the next 3 things to fill in here..
Saturday, January 01, 2005
Happy New year
Just in Barcelona for the new year, having a great time out here, struggling with the Spanish key board..
Will come back to Grenoble and will continue with my post
Will come back to Grenoble and will continue with my post
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