rants n more...

Maharaja Style

2011-05-05T20:03:00.001-07:00

I've been meaning to write about this amazing chain of sea-food restaurants cum bars which not many Non-Mumbaikars know about. It wouldn't be fair to classify it as a sea food place only, since it does offer the regular Tandoori & Chinese fares as well but this Maharaja's real shaan is the authentic, lip smacking Manglorean sea food food.

The first visit to the Bandra branch was a result of a midnight hunger pang post a 3 hour Wii Marathon! We ordered the Fish Rawa Fry and the Mangalorean style 'Mix Sea Food' platter; perfect accompaniments to chilled beer or even chilled diet coke.
The Rawa Fry was crispy and the tangy sea food platter tops my list of 'value for money food' at Rs. 155. Though the Gajalis and Trishnas in Mumbai are known to rule the sea-food roost, and are extremely popular with expats and tourists; they're definitely not easy on the pocket and can be reserved for those special occasions or salary day! Maharaja on the other hand is super affordable, offers 'cheap booze,' also the reason why its a big hit with the journos according to my friends ;)

Another star in the Maharaja's menu is the Puli Munchi , essentially a tangy, spicy tamarind gravy which I learn is staple to Mangalorean cuisine. The 'Prawns Puli Munchi' is to die for and the tamarind-red chillies-coconut blend to create a very unique flavor, sooo unlike the Chettinad and Goan flavors I'm also a fan of. You can pair this with the silky Neer Dosa or the steamyGatti , which is mix of rice paste & coconut steamed in banana leaf. The Mango Kulfi was average and clearly desserts are not their stronghold.

But with flavors and prices like that, its hard not to visit Maharaja again...and again.

P.S.: Would've liked to click and post more pictures but couldn't wait to dig into the prawns :)

Chalo Jumva Avoji...Come Let's Eat!

2011-01-25T01:52:00.000-08:00

While I've always been awestruck by Mumbai's super eclectic & diverse culture, I have been yearning since long to dive into the wide spectrum of Mumbai foods.

Top on my list has been Parsi/Irani cuisine and on Saturday I headed to the much famed 'Britannia & Co. Restaurant' in the enchanting, old world by lanes of Ballad Estate. For the uninitiated, Ballard Estate is an old European style business district situated in South Mumbai; a quite quaint setting, ideal for a mid day weekend meal. Be prepared to be greeted with a queue; Britannia opens only from 12-4 pm everyday. Armed with empty stomachs & eager smiles, me & my friend quickly approached the reception desk where Boman Kohinoor, the 88 yr old owner who still runs Britannia greeted us with a friendly 'hello' and asked us to wait outside. During the 20 min wait, I couldn't help but peer into the restaurant. The peeling paint, the dusty interiors, ancient light fixtures, all added to the old school charm of Brittania.

The peering also helped us decide what we wanted to order by looking at the chalkboards with specials on them (yes! we were that hungry). We started with their rasberry and ginger sodas to beat the Mumbai heat - colorful, chilled with just the right amount of sweetness. We then tucked into our Mutton Sali Boti. The crunchiness of the potato crisps (the Sali) complemented the tender soft mutton. The gravy had a rich smooth taste, still being very light unlike most mutton curries. The bread which was a cross between rumali roti and a paranthi and was a perfect accompaniment to the Sali Boti.

Next came a dish which my palate will never forget - the Patra Ni Macchi. It looked pretty unassuming wrapped in a foil. Unraveling the foil, both of us were smiling, silly in anticipation of what this surprise would taste like. The minty smooth paste around the pomfret melts as soon as it hits your mouth. The pomfret was untouched, juicy and tender, retaining all its briny goodness. We did not speak until we had devoured the machhi to the last bit.

The waiter quickly cleared our table to bring another delight to finish our awesome meal - the Lagan Nu Custard. In the interest of our swelling insides, we decided to share one. It was unlike the other custard deserts I have had like the lumpy or sometimes smooth fruit custard. This one was firm, holding its ground in a small china bowl, smothered with dark brown caramel. The custard itself was of neutral flavor mainly adding to the silky smooth texture of the desert. The caramel sauce infused the strong, almost smoky bitter sweetness to the custard. Sans a sweet tooth, for me this was the perfect ending to this gratifying, soulful meal and I would any day choose it over a Death by Chocolate or a Gulab Jamun.

While exiting the restaurant Boman uncle stopped my friend with a stern look. Just when we were wondering what we could've done wrong, he asked my friend to step aside and let the lady (me) walk ahead. So, besides a scrumptious parsi meal in your tummy, you could walk out with some free lessons on chivalry :)

Airplanes in the Night Sky

2010-11-16T22:58:00.000-08:00

I moved into my current house 3 years ago. It's close proximity to the airport was a plus point in my list of plusses and minusses while narrowing down on this location amongst many. Given the bane of traffic snarls in Delhi, it would be helpful (if not more) to be living close to the airport and somewhat close to the office. What I did not foresee was how these steely monsters would become an integral part of my days. or rather my nights.

From the deep heavy drone, I know it is an Emirates or BA A 380 above...From a slight buzz by the roof, I know it's probably a Spicejet or a Mumbai bound Kingfisher. I'm quite used to the the airplanes above my night sky now. It's just that after many many flights down, Airplanes still never stop to amaze me. And, on one of those insomniac nights, I don't mind playing this plane guessing game and the drones actually help to put me to sleep.

Invictus!

2010-04-15T03:04:00.000-07:00

Since this is coming after a long hiatus, this should've ideally been an original post, but I was really compelled to post this and have these words up on my blog. I really enjoyed watching Invictus recently, but what I enjoyed more was the poem (which is why I put up the poet's potrait instead of the movie poster) that according to Mandela helped him "stand when all he wanted to do was lie down."

What's makes this poem even more special is the inspiring story behind it:

At the age of 12, William Hernest Henley became a victim of bone TB. A few years later, the disease spread to his foot and the doctors declared that the only way to save his life was to amputate his leg. It was amputated at the age of 25; Henley went on to study at Oxford and successfully passed as a senior student. In 1875, he wrote Invictus from a hospital bed. Despite this disability, he survived with one one foot and died at the age of 53.

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Quartered Out!

2009-10-27T04:32:00.000-07:00

I do feel almost super guilty for having ignored this space for soo long. There could be a ton of reasons for that but one that encompasses all is that I have been 'Quartered Out'
I joined this Sales role more than a year ago and since then my life (personal & professional) has been ruled by Quarters.

While beginning of every Quarter involves a ton of planning, mid quarter makes me feel nervous that I am losing out on time; end of quarter I am left scrambling for every single penny I can grab. And just when I think I can breathe, its time to step into ...yes..another Quarter.

I have let these quarters define my life so much that once when somebody asked me how long I had been married; I answered:

'Its been more than 3 quarters now!'

Just like a Woman!!!!!!!

2007-09-28T04:24:00.000-07:00

don't wanna be a part of ur rat-race
don't wanna earn a buck
get the fuck out of my face
u couldn't make the choice-tough luck

don't wanna earn no fame
don't wanna compete with Trump
u go play ur dirty game
just let me be a lazy bum

am happy doing nothing
let me get away from ur trash
no love, fling's my thing
let me get emotionally bashed

i'm gonna die early anyway
why should i bother bout makin ppl proud
lemme just live everyday
lemme shout my words out loud

i walked on glass
i jumped over barbed wire
i made a pass
i still feel my soul's on fire

u tried to break me
hell knows u tried too hard
tonight i decide my destiny
tonight i end the charade

u called me a woman
and said i wasn't giving
go philosophize bout life and love
i'm too busy living!!!

Tid Bits

2007-04-25T04:39:00.000-07:00

Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
The world's youngest parents were 8 and 9 and lived in China in 1910.
Our eyes remain the same size from birth onward, but our nose and ears never stop growing.
You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching TV.
A person will die from total lack of sleep sooner than from starvation. Death will occur about 10 days without sleep, while starvation takes a few weeks.
Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.
The Mona Lisa had no eyebrows.
When the moon is directly overhead, you weigh slightly less.
Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, never telephoned his wife or mother because they were both deaf.
"I Am." is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.
Colgate faced big obstacle marketing toothpaste in Spanish speaking countries because Colgate translates into the command "go hang yourself."

I'm on the outside..

2007-04-18T02:03:00.000-07:00

And you, bring me to my knees again
All the times that I could beg you please, in vain
All the times that I've felt insecure for you
And I leave my burdens at the door

But I'm on the outside and I'm looking in
I can see through you, see your true colors
'Cause inside you're ugly, you're ugly like me
I can see through you, see to the real you

All the times, that I felt like this won't end
It's for you
And I taste what I could never have
It was from you
All the times that I've cried
My intentions were full of pride
But I waste more time than anyone

All the times that I've cried
All this wasted, it's all inside
And I feel all this pain
I stuffed it down, it's back again

And I lie here in bed
All alone, I can't mend
But I feel, tomorrow will be okay

10 Things In Ur Room

2007-03-15T04:14:00.000-07:00

So, ya I am running outta ideas for a post and came across this random tag on a blog. So I'm going to do the honours and tag myself! N also figure what makes my room:

1. The book I'm currently reading - White Oleander by Janet Fitch
2. The speakers next to my bed, wired to my ipod
3. My victorian style bed with the new FabIndia chaddar :)
4. The apple shaped cushion!
5. Ollie- That's Olive Oyl. Ya, Popeye's galfrnd perched on my windowsill
6. The blue and pink striped chappals.
7. My hero's poster on the wall across my bed.
8. The all new mirror work jhola hanging by the door.
9. A glass full of cold yummy Tang!
10. Moi! In my worn out shorts and Googley tee, at my lazy best.

N all of you reading this post are tagged. So, go on. Indulge and start looking around your room!!

Sigh...Its true

2007-03-06T02:08:00.000-08:00

BBC, here I come

2007-02-07T00:43:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm not really joining BBC. Wish I was though, but I'm going to be a part of their live talk show in Hyderabad tonight. Am excited and a little nervous too. Should be fun though. It is a part of their 'India Rising' series and is going to be on air tonight 11:30-12:30!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/worldhaveyoursay/

1st timer

2007-01-04T01:31:00.000-08:00

Can't belive I wrote this: My first post!!

ya ya ...
i finally have a blog.. actually i did have one earlier but am ashamed to state that i ignored it for a few months!! and soon it becme obsolete!! actually recently i have felt the dire need for an output (can't think of a better word to describe the need!)
also, whenever you visit my blog..you'l see a lot of exclamation marks..well a lot!!
see what i mean. Don't know how i developed this fascination with exclamations : )
n for starts the blog will be, well - rants , as the name suggests..so don't expect any insightful or intellectual stuff as of yet...unless and until it comes naturally to my rants...
as for me.. have to admit am a workaholic...when im not working, i spend my time worrying about work...when not worrying i'm napping..but that in no way means that i'm boring ..for all my life i have been 'cute' for everybody i have ever known. i am quite sick of the adjective which has almost become synonymous with me.
' free floating anxiety' is a pyschological disorder i suffer from... discovered that in graduation while admnistering psychological tests on myself..(had pyschology as a subject in graduation)
hmm..n im a total foodie...besides that i am a wannabe rastafarian...am totally in awe of Mr.Bob Marley..wish he was alive though..i had even tried to grow dreadlocks at a time!!
rasta chants move me, horror movies excite me, hopitals sadden me, arrogance annoys me, carnations brighten me, maths - beats me!, sea waves calm me, dance ignites me!,
i could go on n on with those ..actually they r kinda fun to do n u learn a lot about urself that way...
guess that'l be all the ranting i have to offer for my 1st blog!

I have a song

2006-12-27T21:34:00.000-08:00

Now that she’s back in the atmosphere
With drops of jupiter in her hair, hey, hey
She acts like summer and walks like rain
Reminds me that there’s time to change, hey, hey
Since the return from her stay on the moon
She listens like spring and she talks like june, hey, hey

Tell me did you sail across the sun
Did you make it to the milky way to see the lights all faded
And that heaven is overrated

Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star
One without a permanent scar
And did you miss me while you were looking at yourself out there

Now that she’s back from that soul vacation
Tracing her way through the constellation, hey, hey
She checks out mozart while she does tae-bo
Reminds me that there’s time to grow, hey, hey

Now that she’s back in the atmosphere
I’m afraid that she might think of me as plain ol’ jane
Told a story about a man who is too afraid to fly so he never did land

Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day
And head back to the milky way
And tell me, did venus blow your mind
Was it everything you wanted to find
And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there

Can you imagine no love, pride, deep-fried chicken
Your best friend always sticking up for you even when I know you’re wrong
Can you imagine no first dance, freeze dried romance five-hour phone
Conversation
The best soy latte that you ever had . . . and me

Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day
And head back toward the milky way

- Train

An essay I had to write in 8 mins!

2006-12-27T20:23:00.000-08:00

500 Television channels…

1:00 am on the clock, bleary-eyed, fingers glued to the remote, the sounds from the TV now close to a drone — there are many of us today who can identify ourselves with this picture. While for most of us the idiot box has become a quintessential ingredient of our everyday lives; for some it has become an addiction. Do we really want to churn out a generation of couch potatoes?

From the Doordarshan era to the set top box, we have graduated to a state where there are a plethora of options to choose from. But what do you do when there is just too much to choose from? A few years ago, it would have been difficult to imagine a television set with more than a dozen channels. But, with the advent of satellite television, it has now become possible to feast your eyes on programs from across the globe. From global business news to exotic oriental recipes — you have it all at your fingertips. However, there are two sides to this coin. In an age of minimalism where ‘less is more,’ 500 television channels will just end up inundating the tube.

Moreover, research shows that more than 25% of television-viewing time is actually spent on surfing channels. In such a case, the main purpose of the television i.e. information and entertainment is lost. Boon or a bane — it is for us to decide now, what we want from our ‘idiot box.’

Bonded!!

2006-12-20T20:28:00.000-08:00

The chiseled bod, the sexy gait, the hunky looks, the ocean blue eyes -- I will probably be contradicting many critics across the globe when I proclaim 'Daniel Craig' as the ultimate, quintessential 'James Bond.'
Unlike Pierce Brosnan, this Bond is not just a gadget-toting spy but 'all-man'! N violence never looked so good.

Trivia on the hotty-
Name: Daniel Craig
Birth Name: Daniel Wroughton Craig
Height: 5' 11''
Sex: M
Nationality: British
Birth Date: March 2, 1968
Birth Place: Chester, Cheshire, England, UK
Profession: Actor

Over a cuppah!

2006-12-20T01:01:00.000-08:00

Those are a bunch of journos/my friends at one of our many hang outs in Chennai - Amethyst! Mr AGD tries his hand at the camera!

Just a thought!!!

2006-12-19T01:08:00.000-08:00

I don't want to have thoughts in my head! That's it! No more thoughts! Want to suffer from permanent memory-loss! No past, whether good or bad, to carry forward. Everyday would be a new day. Everyday a new adventure. So cool!

Of Nostalgia n Déjà Vu

2006-12-17T20:55:00.000-08:00

While this weekend in Chennai was meant to be our 1st college reunion, it was more like our drunken house parties back in college. It started with a sordid and a much-prolonged seminar on female foeticide which was also a kind of deja vu from our lectures in college. Just the fact that a lot of us were together after a looong time was exciting n i was pretty heady by evening..esp after the 3-hour seminar. What with Ms M trying her best to act sober, Mr G! at his goofy best n Mr S & Mr A trying in vain to look for a safe place in the vicinity to relieve themselves!! Many such antics made the reunion not just a party, but a deja vu from what were regular days/nights in college!

Aah Pain..

2006-09-05T08:09:00.000-07:00

Ooh Aah ouch! That was my initial reaction when I exposed my body to any kind of real physical activity in a looong time..n when I say real I mean REAL! But how many people can boast of a whole one n half hr of gymming on the first day. I didn't even stop for water..It's not that tough as I thought it would be, but painful..hell ya..And fat is definitely not proportionatly related to stamina..As I saw the petite cookies around me crumbling after 20 mins of pedalling or treadmills, it gave me more drive to keep going.God, Iv even started abusing the equipment towards the very end when every move, every stride comes with great difficulty. Now, hope it works for teh best. All fingers crossed!

Hyderabad Aah..

2006-07-26T05:34:00.000-07:00

Or more so cyberabad aah..i had no clue hyderabd could be so cool and so much fun ..
its awsome and so is work :)

Backpacking

2006-07-04T03:05:00.000-07:00

There is a marked difference between travelling and commuting. While I'm a sucker for one, i'm a victim of the other. Even as it's becoming painful to commute 2 hrs everyday in the sweltering capital, which I have been for the past one year, I will finally be takine a break and travelling after a year. In the next 15 days, will be tavelling to three corners of the country...well almost. From a city almost crying now for the rains to one deluged in rains. N then head back up north to Chandigarh n Kasauli :)n finally down south to Hyderabad via Delhi. What I'm excited most about, besides going to different places is that, be it the charm of snuggling upto a book in a train journey or the sheer adrenaline rush while taking off in an aeroplane or scenes zipping past ur window in a bus -- Il be doing it all. I could've been worried at this point of time, considering I have to pack all that I own n move to an alien city and that I'l be homeless for a while..but what the heck.Should be fun. No?

Googled!!!

2006-06-29T02:25:00.000-07:00

Yes...now I can proclaim to the world considering I've informed my employers about it..I am officially a Googler now. And more so am done with a herculean task of resigning. Seriously, it's not easy as I thought it would be.And now for a refreshing break before I head to the Googleplex in Hyderabad..Aaah!

Look who's blogging too

2006-06-15T01:39:00.000-07:00

WILL blogs change development thinking? BLOGS and de-velopment? But what does an obscure format started by computer geeks have to do with development? A lot, say Tim Harford and Pablo Halkyard, who write the Private Sector Development Blog — the World Bank’s first venture into in-ternet blogging.
Blogging has for sure become a global phenomenon and has gradually acquired the status of becoming an accepted for-mat. But, more than that, it levels the playing field, engaging people from all countries and ethnicities, thus improving the quality of debate globally. The advent of blogging has also made it much easier for voices from the developing world to be heard. “I think that one of the greatest impacts would be if blogs could link young entrepreneurs together — hopefully across countries. Thus allowing them to share experiences, form networks and grow and develop their business. Some-thing like this between academic institutions in the develop-ing and developed world is bound to have a significant im-pact,” says Pablo Halkyard from Private Sector Development, World Bank & International Finance Corporation.
On sites like this (WB’s private sector development blog), blogging could have a more consequential impact — making institutions such as the world bank more transparent. “This move is a step towards making development and investing more transparent and open. That will push a greater dialogue in the area,” argues Rajesh Jain, author of Emergic (a blog on emerging technologies, enterprises and markets) and CEO, Netcore software solutions.
Moreover, this move would obviously be more effective in underdeveloped urban areas where there is greater access to the internet. It’s already happening — during the Live8 cam-paign, some African bloggers started to complain that the concerts were irrelevant and patronising. Even just a couple of years ago, such iconoclastic voices from Africa would never have been heard at all. Another interesting effort in the growing development blog space is Global Voices run out of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at the Har-vard Law School, founded by Ethan Zuckerman and Rebecca MacKinnon. Global Voices aggregates the postings of “bridge bloggers” — a term they coined to describe the growing number of people who are talking about their country or re-gion to a global audience. They bring an urgently needed de-veloping country perspective to online discussions about de-velopment. Other significant ventures in this arena are the UN Foundation Blog and The World Economic Forum We-blog are — the ODI blog (Overseas Development Institute) and the Center for Global Development blog.
However, having voices out there even if those voices are heard and understood doesn’t necessarily translate into ac-tion. The WB and other development organisations such as the UNDP (United Nations. Development Programme) and DFID (Department for International Development), will have to work with and utilise this emerging technology, much like large corporations are trying to. Evidently, there’s a lot yet to be done to democratise the blogosphere — but blogs’ ability to make information available will only enhance develop-ment thinking.

Second coming!

2006-06-13T23:47:00.000-07:00

I'm jumping into 'second life'..with both my feet!!!

take a break!

2006-06-12T03:34:00.000-07:00

That's exactly what's brimming in my head and I sure intend to that soo.There's something about not knowing what's next n as soom that element is lost in my life...when things just start to get predictable, i end up taking a drastic change . Am trying to be as rational about it and hope it works for the best..And with me turning 23 soon, maybe it is the right time to have a 'change of scenario'! The kick that ur whole life is going to change in a few days is super big for me.And there's nothing like relishing and delving over a secret in your head ;)

Chataka chappal!

2006-05-12T01:56:00.000-07:00

I know auto wallahs don't really deserve a second post on my blog, but when they drive u to such insanity that u actually are on the brink of hurling a chappal, it deserves to be told. Standing there, on a dusty sizzling hot morning, at 10 in the morning, all I could actually hope for was a vacant auto who wud be ready to take me to office for Rs 45/-, which is what it costs. But luck as it is, atleast 5 auto guyz refused to go, like I was asking them to drive me to hell. N then, atleast two of them asked for Rs 60-Rs 70, so I refused to go. N all of them refuse to go by meter, by the way and they sure are a determined lot. By the time the tenth auto guy refused to go, I was soaked in sweat and the sweat beads on my face were going to turn to tears. Change in location, was the last resort and I decided to take a ten minute walk to the next road. And the next auto guy refused to go by meter too. So,from across the road, where I was standing I asked him how much he would take. He promptly raised a single finger at me(not a middle finger). It didn't really register what figure he was trying to quote and I trudged across to him to ask. N to my surprise he said 'Ek Sau'. One hundered for a journey worth 40 bucks! I was livid. The heat added to it. N then started the verbal duel, and he ended up calling me 'khadoos'. While I struggled to note his no., threatning to report it to the poilce (know might sound like a lame threat, he hurled out another indecent remark. By then I was yelling at the top of my voice, quivering a little bit actually, as a curious audience started to surround us. N what came over me, I don't know exactly. I took out my chappal n held it in my hand n would've hurled it at him, whilst he drove off still murmuring some abuses. Then came the tough part. I tried to look as respectful as possible. Putting my chappal back, I walked down, ignoring glares from surprised chai wallahs. I did find an auto eventually, but it took me a while to get over it. A chappal fiasco that I won't forget!

Future of search...

2006-04-29T02:16:00.000-07:00

Sometime in 2030: The sky is green, the sun is a nanosecond away from setting. A forlorn business journalist, is about to teleport herself to another city in another country a decade after now. And he also has teleminutes left to file a report on the day after tomorrow’s surging stocks. And guess what? He has no time. “Give me this day my daily dread”, he cries. For anxiety is the antidote to anxiety. So, no worries! He just mutters BSE into his personalised who-ogle chip-enabled, GPS phone and Voila! He has the dope ready for the report.
CAN you remember what life was like before the World Wide Web? The New Scientist in an article last year described it succintly:” Trying to get a computer to work out what words mean — distinguish between “rider’ and ‘horse’ say, and work out how they relate to each other - is a long-standing problem in artificial intelligence research. One of the difficulties has been working out how to represent knowledge in ways that allow computers to use it. But suddenly that is not a problem any more, thanks to the massive body of text that is available, ready indexed, on search engines like Google (which has more than 8 billion pages indexed).” You could even say the term “Googling” has permeated popular culture. The online search industry is not only consolidating, but is also looking forward to bloating the volumes. Already, more than a billion people trawl the Web, and by the end of this decade that number is going to double.
By all accounts search engines are just getting warmed up. Apparently - in the not so distant future, you might just be able search for your favourite music on the Net by humming a tune, or suggest an outline to fetch pictures. Search engines are racing to increase the searchable information on the Internet by 500 times the current amount. This drive is giving way to the evolution of new visual interfaces, that will make the whole shebang faster and easier. Text-based search will soon be history - giving way to multimedia search.
And even though Wired magazine co-founder and author John Batelle points out that:“Search is one of the hardest computer science problems in the world,” it seems destined to become an even more basic service. Says Javed Moustafa, associate professor of Informatics at Indiana University:”It will become a basic service for finding images, audio, and video content. Eventually applications will evolve to become more Web-centric. This change will lead to a larger or more important role for search. We will interact with search not just via a dedicated interface but through applications. Efforts are under way to make it as easy to search the ‘hidden Web’ as the visible one.”
Not only are search engines destined to become more precise and smarter, they are also forecasts that they enlarge the boundaries of the types of information.Mobile search incorporating GPS (Global Positioning System) will help you to customise you feed, based on your location. Digital electronic assistants will surf the Internet on your behalf, and enable you to amass an entire library a topic by just giving a few key search guidelines. As mobile phone use surges, search engines will start offering voice services, too.
“Search is becoming a navigational interface. The way we use to navigate this vast knowledge, space that exists out there is much larger than anything we could jump up on the computer. This is the computer connected to the rest of the world. We need to find a way to understand how to make a sense of all that, and searches become our way,” argues Battelle in a recent interview with CNN.
And search giants are not ignoring this fact either. Direction has already been activated. Ask Jeeves and Google have recently announced initiatives that would allow users to personalise their searches. “Search has become the hottest space on the Internet — everyone from Microsoft to Yahoo to Amazon along with tons of entrepreneurial start-ups are all working to stake out the future. Search has become synonymous with the Internet’s future and perhaps, even computing’s future.” says Rajesh Jain, CEO, Netcore Solutions and author of a popular blog on emerging technologies and the internet.
The next big thing doing the rounds these days is the ‘Semantic Web.’ Under this project, computer scientists (including World Wide Web founder Tim Berners Lee) around the world are working on ways to be able to find and access web resources not by keywords, but by descriptions of their contents.
As new services offering slick voice-based and even animated search mushroom on the Web, search results that appear in text form just won’t cut it for much longer. Browster — “One of the year’s coolest innovations” by Time Magazine, claims to offer the fastest way to search the Web by using relevant icons for search. Text summaries on search engines usually tend to send users on a wild goose chase.
Some search companies are even planning to offer video programmes directly to consumers via their computer screens and eventually on TV, thus competing with TV networks.
What’s more, experts say that they will even be able to name that half-remembered tune if you hum a few bars!

siesta fiesta!

2006-03-16T04:09:00.000-08:00

Four days, two novels, one cozy razai, dozens of masala chai cuppahs and a cool crisp breeze--what else can you ask for on a holiday back home (Chandigarh). Well that's exactly how I 'd planned my 4-day break and, with the incessant rain fuelling my laziness, or shall we say indulgence, it was just what I needed from hours n days of being trapped inside that awful white building, with no interface at all with the outside. From untimely naps (naps r meant to be untimely though) to samosas in bed, they were the best 4 days I've spent on my own. Am back though, with very little to rejoice about, but just the thought of another such break is enough to get me going. And for once apni dilli has awsome weather too...Till my next siesta fiesta..CIAO!

The Rape

2006-03-04T08:27:00.000-08:00

There is no difference between being raped
and being pushed down a flight of cement steps
except the wounds also bleed inside.

There is no difference between being raped
and being run over by a truck
except that afterward men ask if you enjoyed it.

There is no difference between being raped
and being bit on the ankle by a rattlesnake
except that people ask if your skirt was short
and why you were out alone anyhow.

There is no difference between being raped
and going head first through a windshield
except that afterward you are afraid
not of cars
but half the human race.

The rapist is your boyfriend's brother.
He sits beside you in the movies eating popcorn.
Rape fattens on the fantasies of the normal male
like a maggot in garbage.

Fear of rape is a cold wind blowing
all of the time on a woman's hunched back.
Never to stroll alone on a sand road through pinewoods,
never to climb a trail across a bald
without that aluminum in the mouth
when I see a man climbing towards me.

Never to open the door to a knock
without that razor just grazing the throat.
The fear of the dark side of hedges,
the back seat of the car, the empty house
rattling keys like a snake's warning.

The fear of the smiling man
in whose pocket is a knife.
The fear of the serious man
in whose fist is locked hatred.

All it takes to cast a rapist is seeing your body
as jackhammer, as blowtorch, as
adding-machine-gun.
All it takes is hating that body
your own, your self, your muscle that softens to flab.

All it takes is to push what you hate,
what you fear onto the soft alien flesh.
To bucket out invincible as a tank
amored with treads without senses
to possess and punish in one act,
to rip up pleasure, to murder those who dare
live in the leafy flesh open to love.

--Marge Piercy

If this poem disturbed you, I am glad. For it should.
*Posted in support of the Blank Noise Project

How much?

2006-02-10T04:50:00.000-08:00

I am so sick of repeating this phrase over n over again, everyday atleast for the past 365 days. Ya, that's right. I start my day with this question and end it with the same. From 'Evalon Anna' in Chennai to 'kitna hua' in Delhi, it has been a thoroughly, truly insane journey. From begging auto waalas to cajoling them, I confess I've done it all. This morning as I stood down the corner in yet another futile verbal(thank god for that) duel with another 'bhaiya' , I realised how they've become an essential part of my routine everyday, in effect my life. Even so, sometimes I surprisingly find myself in a friendly chat with some of them on my way back home, either condemning MDC for the potholes or a rash driver in a spanking new Ikon. Even so I become so used to the bumpy ride, that I can easily manage a nap on my way to work. Sometimes, it becomes quite racy (literally & metaphorically). Its almost like being in the middle of a video game, these zooming green n yellow mean machines whizz past each other, often scraping against each other, never even slowing down till the next red signal or sometimes not! In Chennai, there are even official rallies for our dear 'annas'!!!But atleast that's a more apt platform to show off ur motoracing skills. Well, only if they would understand. Fingers crossed for my next ride (in 5 mins)!!

Salaam Aslam

2006-02-08T22:55:00.000-08:00

No, that's not a sequel to 'Salaam Namaste', but an ode to the stupendously good looking Kunal Kapoor or Aslam in 'Rang De Basanti', which by the way is a must-watch.
I know having a crush sounds super juvenile, but I think I do, after ages..Ok so maybe I did go overboard, but can you blame me. Those uber dreamy eyes, loose tresses,and those chiselled features, n the rubber chappals !! He fit perfectly into Aslam's role, who looked super placid, but had a volcanoe brewing inside, and carried off the bohemian attitude wid total elan. N to top it all, i think he's much hotter than John Abraham, who I anywayz never thought was hot and looks much more plasticy (is that a word)..Anywaz kudos to Kunal n hope to see much more of that dishy dude on screen!!!!

Oooh soooo purple

2006-02-07T02:14:00.000-08:00

OK so purple is my favourite colour!!
But, why is it so underplayed,when other colours get to become adjectives, verbs and even get personified.."I am purple with envy".."Raging purple in anger"
Not making any sense right. From lilac to violet --- it's such a versatile yet classic colour..not raging as red or boring as green or shitty as yellow..
royal yet simple! That's purple for you.Well, the summers are just about creeping in..N my beloved kurtas are already out..n my spanking new, bright purple kurta, which I'm wearing today, which marks the shedding of those dreadful woollen layers..inspired this tribute to my favourite colour---PURPLE!!

half full, half empty?

2006-01-25T04:49:00.000-08:00

Well, that's what I'm trying to make outta my head..
Coz I have lotsa ideas brimming in my head for my blog n for my stories, but they just don't seem to reach even the initial stages of materialisation. Maybe I'm in one of those phases today---when I'm sucked into this mysterious vacuum and my sole interface with the world is my screen n well the auto guy whome il go looking for in a while.
Nevertheless, it's Republic day tommorrow...hmmm
well i will be working. So much for republic day!!!
ciao!!!!!

Find me my 'I'

2006-01-13T01:00:00.000-08:00

The hardest thing to find on this planet, according to me is I.N.S.P.I.R.A.T.I.O.N. No, this is not a heavy philosophical dose from my last session of introspection. But, something that I face every single day, to do every single thing. As in, every act through the day, no matter how insignificant it may sound needs inspiration and I'm in dire need of the same!!!God, that sounds like I need to tank up on fuel or something and I'm running outta it and slowing down..Well, the funny part is, it's just like that. Where do I get it from? Why is it so important? I have no idea. Well, this one may sound like a totally non sensical, irrelevant rant. But, then that's what makes a 'rant' a 'rant'.Hope, I find my 'I'. Hmm..."I need my 'I'!!

Eye candy....

2006-01-06T04:48:00.000-08:00

Eye candy....
Originally uploaded by priyasaini83.

That's my nephew Aarav, the most adorable kid on the planet!!

Wishlist Aah!....

2005-12-29T03:29:00.000-08:00

My wishlist for 2006...
Well I know it's kinda lame putting it out here, but it somehow makes me more confident of the possibilities of aquiring the same. Not that they're too expensive(I could've asked for a car!!):-
1. I-pod (any kind)
2. Nikon Coolpix 7900
3. A divine Lhasa Apso
4. A ten day holiday to Chennai n east coast!!
5. A slick Lenovo Thinkpad Z60m
6. A gazillion awesome page 1 story ideas that would last me my entire career!!
7. Death to all the molestors n rapists in Delhi, who are making me so paranoid n making me hate the city I live in (I know that's harsh, but can you blame me?)]
8. Obviously a slimmer me (know that's cliched)
9. Tons of scrumptious, spicy, mouth-watering, red, chilli masala prawns (yum!! muy fav)
10. More friends....(hmm..where did that come from?)

Do you Squidoo??

2005-12-12T04:42:00.000-08:00

Cross About.com, Wikipedia, blogs and social networks. What you get is — Squidoo, the new service launched by author and online marketing guru Seth Godin which allows you to create, manage and maintain web pages or mini guides on various topics. These pages, which he calls ‘lenses’, puts a magnifying glass under a topic and hopefully filter the information into the perfect starting point for researching a given topic. Squidoo is millions of handmade ‘lenses,’ each a focused, useful guide to some area of expertise, some glimpse of the net. Squidoo automatically puts a Google ad on each lens, and you can rake in moolah for putting up these lenses

true hues..

2005-11-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

nilgiris
Originally uploaded by priyasaini83.

That's a typical dusk in the nilgiris.
Believe it or not, at around six in the evening, armed with an Olympus 3.2 megapixel i was hanging on the edge of a hill to get all the hues in.
That, when I could clearly hear elephants in the vicinity!!

Polo bolo...

2005-11-15T05:07:00.000-08:00

Polo. Now that's just a few people riding on horses behind a ball!!
Well literally so, but it is an exciting sport! Never thought it would be.
In fact it looks much easier on tv...god! after all, it must be hard to concentrate on that single bobbing dot along the field in that chaos..well! all this first hand blabber comes from my 1st polo match...
no! i wasnt playing! but did see it closely from the front row, to be precise today at the jaipur polo grounds.
And more than that the pony's looked awesome, with stylishly done up tails on manicured lawns, with the crisp Delhi air just setting in. Not bad.haan?

: (

2005-11-09T03:54:00.000-08:00

I hurt myself today to see if I still feel I focus on the pain
The only thing that's real
The needle tears a hold
The old familiar sting
Try to kill it all away
But I remember everything....

Delhi dilemma

2005-11-07T04:20:00.000-08:00

I always believed that Delhi was not really one of those cities which had the spirit to fight something as grave as terror and bounce back. But now that I have witnessed that first hand, it is truly commendable. And it's not easy for me to say that coz it hasn't really been on my list of favourite cities on the planet. In fact I totally despise Delhi for it's hypocrisy, double standards and insenstivity. That night, after the successive blasts, when I was on the way back from office, a terrible silent blanket covered the city on an otherwise 'party- hopping' november Saturday. That night, a few hours after the blasts, I could not imagine in my wildest dreams that the city would be back on the next morning itself, that delhites would be back shopping in the same very streets where a carnage took place a few hours earlier. That shop keepers had the guts to start business the next morning even though they lost fellow neighbours to the blasts, even though they were witness to that ghory evening. For that, maybe Delhi is not really that bad a city and Delhites might just be genuine people.

sunrise

2005-11-03T05:17:00.000-08:00

sunrise.7
Originally uploaded by priyasaini83.

never thought sunbreak could be sooo beautiful and enticing...
nestled at the nilgiris foothills, on the Tamil Nadu- Kerala border, Annaikatti, where I clicked this photo at day break...
After all, it's not everyday that I wake up at 5 in the nilgiris!

futball shutball

2005-11-03T03:53:00.000-08:00

Crazy about football? Get hooked to NFC (Nokia Football Crazy) NFC lets you connect to the exciting world of football wherever you are 24-7 and interact with Nokia Football Crazy show thats telecast weekly on ESPN. Hosted by Andy Penders and Colette Wong, the show looks at the wackier side of the game and even gives you a chance to voice your opinion.With Nokia Football Crazy, you can:
>Watch streaming video from the best moments on the show
>Vote for your pick of the man-of -the-match - 2 English Premier League games every weekend
>Spot the Ball for a chance to win great prizes
>Download football wallpapers, ringtones and themes
>Get the latest info on your favourite teams with the score ticker at the end of the match
>Share your view for everything that is football and get heard on the show

How kewl is that?

now vidcasting...

2005-11-03T03:50:00.000-08:00

Apple has set off a new video revolution with the launch of the iPod portable video player, that can screen music videos and hit television shows for fans on the move. Users of Apple Computer Inc’s new video iPod can expect a deluge of outspoken commentary, religious sermons and even pornography.
Creating a video Podcast is pretty easy. Videos can be recorded using free or low cost software. Web cams or digital cameras can be used to capture video imaging. This raw video can then be edited using open source or free software. Free software can also be used to create the RSS files. Video Podcasting does not require special server distribution software such as Internet broadcasting does. Moreover, there are no technical restrictions on the types of video encoding formats available for video Podcasting.

citizen speak

2005-11-03T03:42:00.000-08:00

Collaborative citizen journalism is where ordinary citizens band together on the Web to write original stories and critique mainstream media stories, using the Internet to connect with each other and to make sure their thoughts reach the public. Though, this new form of journalism does differ from the more popular blogging in that, unlike blogging, which eschews the more rigorous elements of journalism, collaborative media efforts try to tap into a particular community to make sure a story is as complete as possible.
WikiNews and OhmyNews, both citizen journalism sites, are exploring ways to share resources and content in what could be an important salvo against traditional, mainstream journalism. While both are promoting citizen or ‘participatory’ reporting, where news is a two-way channel between writer and reader, there are some key differences between OhmyNews and WikiNews. The latter is built on the non-profit, ‘open source’ ethic, where contributors work voluntarily and all content belongs to the public domain. Wikinews also publishes an audio version and is experimenting with other distribution formats. The phenomenal growth of blogs and citizen journalism is flourishing on a fertile environment of low barrier costs and a healthy growth rate for online advertisers. This is a great boost to citizen start-ups as the projected growth rate of online advertising; now stands at 20-30% per year.

strange things

2005-08-29T06:16:00.000-07:00

so have finally moved to the hostel..ywca..
couldnt sleep at all..not just that it was a new place but it was more like being pushed into a completely strange environs..with aliens ard..nobody smiled..the customary hi what's ur name? wr do you work?
i usually like the feeling of the 'unknown' but this was particularly terrifying..reminded me of my 1st day ever to pre- school when my parents left me there alone in a totally unknown 'scary' arena to fight it out on my own..n today here i was, my sis sayibg bye to me from the other side of the gate..n well i did break down into tears...but gathered myself n tried to find my way to my new room (dnt know but can never call it home), armed with a bucket and a shoulder bag...
n starddled to the 2nd floor dormitory..n there they were..the intimidating starngers ...3 girls, whome im supposed to live with, whome iv never known...its strange..am at loss of any other apt adjective...
in the mess couldnt get myself to swallow the food, not that it was inedible...n would get directions every now n then from strangers as to where the bath is, what the dinner timings are, that egg n milk are optional in breakfast- u cant have both...
well the good part is that my work is my first home, n that darned bedmy second!!!
but the sad part is that il have to go back to my 2nd world in a while...am totally dreading it.."it'l be fine"
i keep telling myself?"
but will it???

here we go....

2005-07-26T06:09:00.000-07:00

hmm hmm..that's all i've been doing today..
dont like it..im not my proactive go-getter self today..cant even think what to write even though have 2 articles in cue but am hard pressed for words..ya n thought that would never haapen to me in a million years...
citizen journalism..hmphf!!u cant blame me, it is a heavy topic especially coz its senstively relatd to my career..not making any sense, am i???
dnt know..am being sucked into this vacuum of nothingness..god!now tha's not even a word..one of those days whn i can't soak in whatver stimulus is around..it all just swooshes by.--words, faces, images.........
not hungry, not sleepy, not tired , not active, not rstless (coz i usually am 1 of these things)...but just a state of nothingness!!! im starting to like that word ..this is tooo non sensical to go on with
ciao for now (see what i mean)!!!

of travails n more..

2005-06-13T02:24:00.000-07:00

hmmm
here we go again..am off again to a new detination...welll nt so new shall we say...will get a 3 day break frm this moronic monotonous wrk..cnt evencall it wrk..though will have 2 get bak 2 it again sooon..god!am dreading dat already...bt have sumthing 2 luk fwd to...its both fun n a lil annoying 2 be living outta bags..thr's this constant feeling of instability n nt knwing wr exactly ul land up or if ul settle or nt...its both exasperating yet gives a kinda kick of nt knwing wt's next...
lets see wr me n my bags land up nw...till then ciao

musings..

2005-06-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

If i'm good enough and quiet ennough, perhaps after all, they will let me go, but it's not easy being quiet and good; it's like hanging on to the edge of a bridge when you've already fallen over; you don't seem to be moving, just dangling there , yet it is taking all your strength..

on an investigative spree...

2005-03-28T03:49:00.000-08:00

right now am in the middle of an investigative project ...-on bpo's in chennai..
well to be honest its not really investigative..this course has just sucked out all life from me..am not enthu about anything at the moment..not that im not hard working ...i toiled a hell lot for my dissertation but that was a topic that i was passionate about - autism in india..wont start with that coz' i could go on n on n don't have time right now..have to go take a telephonic interview of a call center employee..well so much for 'investigation'...
over n out!!!

finally...

2005-03-25T21:43:00.000-08:00

ya ya ...
i finally have a blog.. actually i did have one earlier but am ashamed to state that i ignored it for a few months!! and soon it becme obsolete!! actually recently i have felt the dire need for an output (can't think of a better word to describe the need!)
also, whenever you visit my blog..you'l see a lot of exclamation marks..well a lot!!
see what i mean. Don't know how i developed this fascination with exclamations : )
n for starts the blog will be, well - rants , as the name suggests..so don't expect any insightful or intellectual stuff as of yet...unless and until it comes naturally to my rants...
as for me.. have to admit am a workaholic...when im not working, i spend my time worrying about work...when not worrying i'm napping..but that in no way means that i'm boring ..for all my life i have been 'cute' for everybody i have ever known. i am quite sick of the adjective which has almost become synonymous with me.
' free floating anxiety' is a pyschological disorder i suffer from... discovered that in graduation while admnistering psychological tests on myself..(had pyschology as a subject in graduation)
hmm..n im a total foodie...besides that i am a wannabe rastafarian...am totally in awe of Mr.Bob Marley..wish he was alive though..i had even tried to grow dreadlocks at a time!!
rasta chants move me, horror movies excite me, hopitals sadden me, arrogance annoys me, carnations brighten me, maths - beats me!, sea waves calm me, dance ignites me!,
i could go on n on with those ..actually they r kinda fun to do n u learn a lot about urself that way...
guess that'l be all the ranting i have to offer for my 1st blog!