tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-374334032024-03-07T13:33:00.278-06:00StRaigHT fRoM mY hEarT!!!A Lot of things happen daily...A lot of thoughts come to our mind daily....What if everyone got a chance to publish their ideas?..This is the closest I will ever get to publish my ideas....varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-87882009218785567482009-12-30T14:32:00.002-06:002009-12-30T14:33:33.305-06:00Winter 2009<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:monospace;font-size:10px;"><iframe frameborder="0" src="http://photosynth.net/embed.aspx?cid=7e063045-a733-4b53-817f-d62e12bd994b&delayLoad=true&slideShowPlaying=false" width="450" height="300"></iframe></span>varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-23396611389630186882009-12-23T15:02:00.002-06:002009-12-23T15:06:30.583-06:00After a long time..........I am posting something in my blog. I just got an email from my brother asking why I haven't updated my blog for quite sometime. My answer: I was just lazy to write anything.<div><br /></div><div>And I have decided that I will write something every week and post it in my blog. </div><div><br /></div><div>Cheers and have a wonderful Christmas.</div>varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-35730763798756799262009-06-22T05:24:00.003-05:002009-06-22T05:49:02.282-05:00Books I read in India till date<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPVCp6F8KRTlPU69SusIdOvYP26lyZQlCE_QSRSiroc2MnLpL-VqL3qyUdk6nQkblRl1fRtmP4PxhG_K12R-QxMXZAYfd9U3Bv5RmayAOZ6l_0M36JoRt_-TeKEX-YbjgFpkvrQ/s1600-h/41UPiLUgsWL._SL500_AA240_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPVCp6F8KRTlPU69SusIdOvYP26lyZQlCE_QSRSiroc2MnLpL-VqL3qyUdk6nQkblRl1fRtmP4PxhG_K12R-QxMXZAYfd9U3Bv5RmayAOZ6l_0M36JoRt_-TeKEX-YbjgFpkvrQ/s320/41UPiLUgsWL._SL500_AA240_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350101711555891778" border="0" /></a><br />This India trip has given me lots of free time and I was able to utilize at least a part of it to read some quality books.<br /><br />I decided that I should read something about contemporary India thinking that it would help me understand India better.<br /><br />Books that I read:<br /><br />1. Imagining India by Nandan Nilekani<br />2. India after Gandhi by Ramachandra Guha<br />3. A better India: A better World by Narayana Murthy<br /><br />Interestingly, two of these books are written by the founders of Infosys, a highly successful and respected company in India and abroad.<br /><br />'India after Gandhi' is a classic. The book deals with post- independence India and the narration was so good that I completed reading the 900 page book in about a week ( This is the third fastest I have ever completed reading a book. Dan Brown's 'The Da Vinci Code' and William Shirer's 'Rise and Fall Of The Third Reich' are the first two in the list).<br /><br />Did I understand India completely by reading these books?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Definitely not</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">But it is a start.</span>varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-50053345240912958572009-06-11T01:45:00.003-05:002009-06-11T02:11:24.218-05:00Hate crimes down under<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmM3c8LZaaJQnmZnJsf0o0tMXfFEtM_EGpaImgwnEYHSeaBuTqJjrnSONd-5511wwZvXZz9kX6ONcF20AzoEkkJdyXCshTieLlrvsuKHFuQfR5jibYMeSzFrlulQdHsjpw01t0-A/s1600-h/indianstudents420-420x0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmM3c8LZaaJQnmZnJsf0o0tMXfFEtM_EGpaImgwnEYHSeaBuTqJjrnSONd-5511wwZvXZz9kX6ONcF20AzoEkkJdyXCshTieLlrvsuKHFuQfR5jibYMeSzFrlulQdHsjpw01t0-A/s320/indianstudents420-420x0.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345963765766140834" border="0" /></a><br /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">For the 90,000 odd Indian students living in <st1:country-region><st1:place>Australia,</st1:place></st1:country-region> the events that had transpired in the last two weeks were the worst they would have ever experienced. A series of attacks aimed particularly at Indian students led to massive protests by the students in <st1:country-region><st1:place>Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region> and even in <st1:country-region><st1:place>India</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <st1:country-region><st1:place>India</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s external affairs minister, S M Krishna said that he was appalled by such attacks and wanted the Australian government to act swiftly. Aussie premier, Kevin Rudd was quick to reply :"I speak on behalf of all Australians when I say that we deplore and condemn these attacks”. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">Hate crimes are bad- wherever it takes place and whatever form or shape it is executed. I sincerely hope that this issue is solved quickly. I am happy to see that the two countries are taking measures to bring this issue to an end.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">The worst part regarding this issue was the way these incidents are portrayed in the Indian press. These incidents are spiced up in the local television channels and newspapers and getting the parents worried.A recent report showed that there is a decline in the number of applications by Indian students to Australian universities. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">My brother lives in <st1:city><st1:place>Melbourne</st1:place></st1:city> and my <span style="font-style: italic;">worried</span> parents are watching the “hourly news” in all the TV channels and call him every day.Talking to my brother, it was clear to me that it was not as serious as it was portrayed in the Indian press. Recently, the number of crimes in general increased a lot in Victorian province and it so happened that some of the Indian students <span style="font-style: italic;">also</span> got affected. (I am talking about robbery. Hitting Indian students, setting ablaze cars owned by Indian students are an altogether different issue and should be condemned). </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">Hope the Australian government takes measures to correct this issue quickly or else it would be difficult for the Australian universities to attract Indian students for the next term. Rs. 7600 crore in foreign exchange for Australia and more importantly, lives of Indian students are in line.</p>varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-61454113806879102612009-06-11T01:13:00.003-05:002009-06-11T01:41:55.322-05:00Tamil Nadu professional courses entrance examinations<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQW_WYtY9T2pSyufloUf0anerSZtg9Be-Rw3b_z8hy2ruS20x0kHE65GTbnRZoMS-leVPnF_z0LJtSV6FIjqeno3L5K1iO4IHJIMIIE-xX88GizZlAHrU4volnAY1yui1Uj-I9RQ/s1600-h/tamilnadu-engineering-admissions-2009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQW_WYtY9T2pSyufloUf0anerSZtg9Be-Rw3b_z8hy2ruS20x0kHE65GTbnRZoMS-leVPnF_z0LJtSV6FIjqeno3L5K1iO4IHJIMIIE-xX88GizZlAHrU4volnAY1yui1Uj-I9RQ/s320/tamilnadu-engineering-admissions-2009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345955608818674034" border="0" /></a><br />Getting admission into Tamil Nadu engineering and medical colleges is fairly simple-attend the 12<sup>th</sup> board examinations and score well in the science<span style=""> </span>and math subjects. It was not the same when I was trying to get into an engineering school. I had to attend an entrance examination (TNPCEE exam, which is far tougher than the board examinations!!) which was weighed 1/3 of the final eligibility score. <p class="MsoNormal">When I first heard that TN government is canceling the entrance examination and giving more (<span style="font-style: italic;">in fact, only</span>) weight to the board examination scores, I was appalled. It was far easier to score a 200 in math in the board exam than to score a 30/50 in the entrance examination. I always thought that the best students are separated from the rest only through this entrance examination (this is similar in all competitive exams in <st1:country-region><st1:place>India</st1:place></st1:country-region>).</p> <p class="MsoNormal">But, TNPCEE did pose a huge problem-students from cities and from rich background could afford to attend special coaching classes for getting a better score in the entrance exams. This gives an untoward advantage for a very small percentage of students. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Nandan Nilekani of Infosys writes in his book “Imagining India”, “Most parents could afford to send their children to state schools which had weak standards and taught only in the regional languages. This alone meant that in <st1:country-region><st1:place>India</st1:place></st1:country-region> if you are born poor it was very likely that you would remain poor for the rest of your life, and it was likely too that your children would not fare much better”.</p><p class="MsoNormal">I agree.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I think what the TN govt had done would help reduce (and might completely remove) the line between students from the poorer background to those from the richer background (who could attend coaching classes to get good score in the entrance examinations). Now the game is fair with no players under the influence of performance enhancing drugs(<span style="font-style: italic;">or coaching classes</span>).</p> <p class="MsoNormal">P.S: the bad part of this whole new system is that a lot of students end up getting the same cut-off score (there are always hundreds of students who score 100% in math, physics and chemistry) and to rank them the Government use students' date of birth, first letter of the name, rural/urban differences as some of the distinguishing factors.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Imagine my situation- with a birthday in September, with V as my name’s first letter and coming from the urban background, I would be placed last in the whole ranking list. Hi Hi!!!</p>varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-4791031737029361052009-06-11T00:43:00.002-05:002009-06-11T01:12:50.373-05:00India Votes-2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvWjbeN0Zy39aDyf0UvcTDMRFeqYHuNdWeSy-GZVWvGrcTcD4EG9rcesBvL5VryN7Sgvc7FdOXajS5K0xm4NPuX9o3V7s0F8OgLikghR8KNLwov8pNmTZI1qgdDNf81JtCntTOPQ/s1600-h/2009IndianElection.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 317px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvWjbeN0Zy39aDyf0UvcTDMRFeqYHuNdWeSy-GZVWvGrcTcD4EG9rcesBvL5VryN7Sgvc7FdOXajS5K0xm4NPuX9o3V7s0F8OgLikghR8KNLwov8pNmTZI1qgdDNf81JtCntTOPQ/s320/2009IndianElection.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345949032767915122" border="0" /></a><br />I was happy to be here in <st1:country-region><st1:place>India</st1:place></st1:country-region> during the parliamentary elections, the largest democratic exercise in the world to elect a government. <span style=""> </span>It was (<span style="font-style: italic;">and is always</span>) a unique experience to witness the campaigns, interviews, and debates of the politicians. Election campaigns in <st1:country-region><st1:place>India</st1:place></st1:country-region> usually revolve around development, religion and caste. It is no different this time. <p class="MsoNormal">2009 elections will go down in history as when the power shifted from one generation to the next. In the center, Rahul Gandhi took center stage whereas in Tamil Nadu, it was Stalin’s turn. Rahul and Stalin are similar- Rahul comes from the powerful Nehru dynasty whereas Stalin comes from MK’s <i style="">kudumbam. </i>Both of them took charge of the youth wings of their respective parties and helped them win the elections. But, while Rahul was thrust into politics, Stalin was groomed from a very young age to succeed his father. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Press predicted a victory for BJP in the center and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. But the results came otherwise. It was a massive victory for the congress and the DMK- both because of the efforts of Rahul and Stalin . Rahul addressed 102 meetings in 97 constituencies and Stalin criss- crossed the entire state for campaigning. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">In Tamil Nadu, the 1 rupee/1 Kg rice scheme and the free television scheme did pay huge dividends. And in the center, “<st1:country-region><st1:place>India</st1:place></st1:country-region> shining” campaign and Rahul’s charisma (the Rajiv- Rahul similarity did help. It is said that Rahul watched lot of his father’s tapes and mimicked his mannerisms!!!) helped them win 261, an absolute majority. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">While Rahul declined a position in the ministry, Stalin was offered the Vice- Chief Minister post in the Tamil Nadu ministry. This promotion was long due and people expected it to happen much earlier. Finally, at 86, MK decided that it was time to pass on the baton to his son.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">But it was preceded by a huge drama. (There is no better thriller/suspense movie than the political drama that happens in India during and after elections!!!)<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">While the national headlines read, “Rahul- The Man. The Magic. The politics” (<span style="font-style: italic;">Outlook, </span><st1:date style="font-style: italic;" year="2009" day="1" month="6">June 1, 2009</st1:date>), “The Rahul offensive”(<st1:country-region style="font-style: italic;"><st1:place>India</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-style: italic;"> Today, May 18, 2009</span>), “Rahul Zing!” (<span style="font-style: italic;">The Week, </span><st1:date style="font-style: italic;" year="2009" day="31" month="5">May 31, 2009</st1:date>), the local headlines read, “Celebrations in the street, Struggle inside the house”(Junior Vikatan, <st1:date year="2009" day="10" month="6">June 10, 2009</st1:date>).<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">MK traveling to the capital and begging for ministerial berths for his sons, daughter and his nephew turned out to be a complete farce. Unlike 2004, when congress needed support from DMK for forming a government, this year’s results made congress dictate terms to the DMK. But the persistence of MK finally won ministerial berths for both MK Azhagiri (his son) and Maran (his grand nephew). The only unlucky one happened to be Kanimozhi (MK’s daughter). The gossip is that she would get a post once the cabinet gets expanded in the near future. As soon as MK packed the bags of Stalin’s competitors to <st1:city><st1:place>New Delhi</st1:place></st1:city>, it was time for Stalin to take over Chennai.</p><span style="font-weight: bold;">What I liked about the 2009 elections:</span><br /><p class="MsoNormal">1. Good public turnout for the elections.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">2. Rahul Gandhi.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">3. Experienced cabinet.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">4. First female speaker of the parliament.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">5. Promotion to MK Stalin.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">6. Rahul rejecting a post in the ministry.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">What I did not like in the 2009 elections</span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">1. Missing names in the voter’s list.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">2.<span style=""> </span>Rahul rejecting a post in the ministry.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">3. Ministerial berths to first time MP’s</p>varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-29119391046518244362009-06-09T04:34:00.004-05:002009-06-09T05:17:46.474-05:00Welcome to India<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG7OuEzUaseIpMYyxYNs4rHfuApTEk01og8wAVzctyForg939rUbj7gt8vzpvgq51PlS249gygqjr-vBe-anlQjWN-DcMHq8yjArwjFV0tUgtEEIalLIJt4DqGyDS8cdMbKsxy2Q/s1600-h/manjesh1-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 221px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG7OuEzUaseIpMYyxYNs4rHfuApTEk01og8wAVzctyForg939rUbj7gt8vzpvgq51PlS249gygqjr-vBe-anlQjWN-DcMHq8yjArwjFV0tUgtEEIalLIJt4DqGyDS8cdMbKsxy2Q/s320/manjesh1-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345269005463849490" border="0" /></a><br />After traveling to Argentina and Canada, I landed in India- much excited and much more tired.<br /><br />In addition to the usual customs inspection, I went through the mandatory H1N1 screening this time around. (I was a potential threat since I traveled to both South and North America before landing in Chennai. In fact, I submitted the details of my travel in the inquiry form. The doctor who was working at the screening center granted me permission to enter the India without conducting any further investigation!!! Just a week later, 2 persons got themselves admitted to a hospital in Coimbatore fearing H1N1 infection. Both of them just returned from the United States. If proper screening was done in the airport, I don't think such incidents would occur again. But the problem is that people complain that they are being harassed at the airport. I don't understand how the same people could agree to the screenings when they travel to US, Europe and more importantly Australia and New Zealand. It is always a vicious cycle. People complaining against the officials and officials in turn complaining again the people!!!)<br /><br />India did change a lot in the last 5 years. I have heard this statement from everyone visiting India after spending some time abroad. India is a truly developing country indeed and one can witness changes every day.<br /><br />The first thing that caught my attention was the well- developed highways. 5 years ago, it would take 7-8 hours for me to travel from Chennai to Dharmapuri, my native place. It took less than 5 hours this time around. Exits, emergency vehicles, patrol cars, toll-booths- reminded me of I-70!!!.<br /><br />A good network of roads is vital for the country's development and with these newly developed roadways, India could aim for a much higher growth (8-9% according to Dr. Manmohan Singh) than the current 7%.<br /><br />(Picture taken at Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru)varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-3843561169911226572009-04-23T12:35:00.001-05:002009-04-23T12:35:51.391-05:00Day 3- Buenos AiresHurray!!! My luggage finally arrived!!!varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-74861398401787874242009-04-23T11:23:00.002-05:002009-04-23T12:35:04.376-05:00Day 2- Buenos Aires contd..After a short nap, we decided to go out for some good Argentinian dinner. There is nothing better in Argentina than beef. And we found a perfect "beef" place near Puerto Madero. A good T-bone steak with wine was the perfect way to end our day.<br /><br />Then, we decided to just dance off the excess fat and went to Asia de Cuba. But we found out that they would let us in at around 1 AM. So we decided to go back to the hotel and have some drinks. Nitin and co. took a cab while Nicole, Mark, Chris, Graham, Pedro (a dog!!!) and I decided to walk the entire way. It took us a little less than an hour to reach our hotel. As soon as we reached the hotel, it was time for some photographs and some scotch. (Check out the photographs in my facebook page). I have to admit, the three girls are really photogenic.<br /><br />I went back to sleep at around 3 AM and slept till Raj came and knocked our door at around 9AM.<br /><br />Cheers...varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-35575618077149550052009-04-22T16:00:00.002-05:002009-04-22T16:23:07.793-05:00Day 2- Buenos Aires<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjkCotU-_suaaMXnYjV8be6TVQbPctR45M-oJn74q0cmTI7bRP7bqpmFEe9ACpRCD542-SoZLF0uFI7ZagDm99axkv_L5lPYjvoFjm9BwEYF9UNIskGktVIB2puFoWbjLeer7Rw/s1600-h/IMG_4546_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 203px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjkCotU-_suaaMXnYjV8be6TVQbPctR45M-oJn74q0cmTI7bRP7bqpmFEe9ACpRCD542-SoZLF0uFI7ZagDm99axkv_L5lPYjvoFjm9BwEYF9UNIskGktVIB2puFoWbjLeer7Rw/s320/IMG_4546_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327629362912383922" border="0" /></a><br />After a long flight to Argentina, I reached BAs at 8 AM. Unfortunately, I didn't receive any of my checked luggage. On further inquiry, I was told that I would receive my bags tomorrow. I took a cab from the airport (80 pesos) and it took us 40 minutes to reach the airport. As soon as we reached the city limits, I realized that BAs looks/feels exactly like an Indian metro. The roads are crowded and most people drive in wrong lanes. In fact I saw 2 cars being driven in one lane.<br /><br />Wow!!! I am in India. Nah. India is different. This is an Indian clone.<br /><br />After spending some time in my room I went out for a stroll around the neighborhood. I found 4 McDonalds, 1 Burger King just next to my hotel. Way to go 'fast food chains'!!. After spoiling US, it's time to spoil the rest of the world.<br /><br />I met some of my friends who had come a day earlier and we spent the rest of the day near the pool.<br /><br />P.S: When I was walking near my hotel, a beautiful girl approached me looking for an address. It was then I realized that I should have learnt spanish.<br /><br />Only if I had known spanish:)varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-76689955339738067882009-04-21T04:14:00.002-05:002009-04-21T04:35:05.692-05:00Day 1- Orlando International Airport<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfk20G5P53MeaYDg18LVRtSsuOJd-loFzGyavqnLNpgokkDmqJ_g-RbQ3q0uW5ZnVAmnzadJLWBt9hJ2mOJV5ov5OynHy3NjW90xKxFcLXXxHRaNgZpJKhSDSYQ2joJsraYrPJDw/s1600-h/IMG_4542.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 241px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfk20G5P53MeaYDg18LVRtSsuOJd-loFzGyavqnLNpgokkDmqJ_g-RbQ3q0uW5ZnVAmnzadJLWBt9hJ2mOJV5ov5OynHy3NjW90xKxFcLXXxHRaNgZpJKhSDSYQ2joJsraYrPJDw/s320/IMG_4542.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327075763895346082" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5 AM, Orlando, FL</span><br /><br />I have already checked in my baggage and I am waiting at the gate to board my plane to Toronto.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5:25 AM</span><br /><br />Tired..tired...very tired because of sleep deprivation.<br /><br />Yes!!!...I found a Starbucks. Got to get a tall latte to keep myself awake. I think a quick blood test will reveal that I am suffering my hyper<span style="font-style: italic;">-latte </span>syndrome. ( I am wondering if there is a Starbucks in Chennai. If it is, then it would be a tough decision for me to choose between SBux latte and Saravana Bhavan coffee).varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-83991473311958355892009-04-20T21:41:00.004-05:002009-04-21T04:14:48.250-05:00Going to ArgentinaToday, I <span style="font-weight: bold;">got my Argentinian visa. </span><br /><br />Nitin, Raj, Richa and I left Winter Park at around 3 AM to go to the Argentinian consulate in Miami. After a four hour drive and a 30 minute wait in the lobby, we met the visa officer and submitted our forms. Once the initial check was complete, he told us that we would receive our visas at around 12.<br /><br />12? Nitin had to board his flight to Buenos Aires at 5 PM and so it was very important for us to leave Miami at around 11.30 AM.<br /><br />We ended up waiting till 12.45 PM to collect our visas. But Nitin and I believed that we could reach Orlando in time provided the driving conditions are excellent.<br /><br />We drove at 80-90 MPH/non-stop/4 Hours to reach the airport well on time.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">P.S:</span> It's 11.00 PM and I am still packing. The problem is that I don't know what to carry with me when I am travelling. Hmm, that's the problem with everyone.<br /><br />Next message will be from Toronto, Canada. Cheers.varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-70802700292334731172009-04-18T23:44:00.003-05:002009-04-18T23:52:46.846-05:00Saturday- April 18Bought new clothes for my trip. Shame if I can't go to Argentina.<br /><br />I should go to Argentina just to taste their wine and experience a little bit of tango!!!!varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-57497743444779668882009-04-17T16:35:00.005-05:002009-04-20T01:25:32.638-05:00Pre- departure<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNTDaP9CYqj-ZgXFEjbV4v8MIf5325OxYLWhY_kJNpdbwz2wothhY-CIb9pCjoHm3ryW3P1CUf-CFEAZdrf4oJ8D_C9ZIBc_xmQnzoZx3BVDvWQe4lfNg_PAcG9QcvOYhsuA6ew/s1600-h/canada+flag.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 131px; height: 87px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNTDaP9CYqj-ZgXFEjbV4v8MIf5325OxYLWhY_kJNpdbwz2wothhY-CIb9pCjoHm3ryW3P1CUf-CFEAZdrf4oJ8D_C9ZIBc_xmQnzoZx3BVDvWQe4lfNg_PAcG9QcvOYhsuA6ew/s320/canada+flag.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325777733921878690" border="0" /></a><br />Finally, I got my Canada visa...<br /><br />At least, now I know that I am definitely going to India on the 8th.varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-62134041728313716312009-04-13T04:34:00.005-05:002009-04-13T04:39:03.744-05:00Best marketing tool in the world<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjw0ZsT49ZJbp0IC4T8RKiPa3i9BQ8kf7uFktu8w19Z85usYnMhLuvFpRg2yR6pSoXH3BfPsD5rVQDxvp_rQUn1Nz72m4aQ9XrVrBUKj8D-vr4iqQ3qZf9aIMeqml7XCbw93C1UA/s1600-h/Word_of_mouth.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 205px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjw0ZsT49ZJbp0IC4T8RKiPa3i9BQ8kf7uFktu8w19Z85usYnMhLuvFpRg2yR6pSoXH3BfPsD5rVQDxvp_rQUn1Nz72m4aQ9XrVrBUKj8D-vr4iqQ3qZf9aIMeqml7XCbw93C1UA/s320/Word_of_mouth.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324108003932106130" border="0" /></a><br />Oh...I know...<br /><br />Word of mouth publicity.varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-69946388881282675802009-04-13T04:29:00.002-05:002009-04-13T04:30:32.502-05:00Top 30 words in my blog<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVavypEKByfiIPQmyPgiJL7sGARJWlIzqPgBZiLHsIBV3Z1gQDJaWMnnJ51jrcKwMZbWB2oClvFkFVmkEjUIUhmgxq6_YsYoujeXezTXhR1eneHqnElzK7f0538uvGEQ9ZhBndWQ/s1600-h/ScreenHunter_49+Apr.+13+05.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 106px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVavypEKByfiIPQmyPgiJL7sGARJWlIzqPgBZiLHsIBV3Z1gQDJaWMnnJ51jrcKwMZbWB2oClvFkFVmkEjUIUhmgxq6_YsYoujeXezTXhR1eneHqnElzK7f0538uvGEQ9ZhBndWQ/s320/ScreenHunter_49+Apr.+13+05.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324105846317891282" border="0" /></a><br />Oh..I should start writing about something else....varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-20599852756723771862009-03-28T19:35:00.001-05:002009-03-28T19:35:28.508-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzd18z_IptGfrjz1A6_ySQF8gSWlmFemG24XPuUEK2ofLy6ixkYjDWfNZ0AYzdLSoErRlmoQJhhjejltCvP5PAgcIfnwQBC6UwxgNL4azFb09j69wzyIkb1MWwDSHuUyK7czms7g/s1600-h/for+blog-1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzd18z_IptGfrjz1A6_ySQF8gSWlmFemG24XPuUEK2ofLy6ixkYjDWfNZ0AYzdLSoErRlmoQJhhjejltCvP5PAgcIfnwQBC6UwxgNL4azFb09j69wzyIkb1MWwDSHuUyK7czms7g/s320/for+blog-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318401831399568690" border="0" /></a>varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-15100645239099510302009-02-21T18:34:00.001-06:002009-02-21T18:36:12.152-06:00A nicer Quote!!!"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it"varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-11645726063410625092009-02-14T23:59:00.001-06:002009-02-15T00:01:03.450-06:00A nice quote!!!I don't try to imagine a personal God; it suffices to stand in awe at the structure of the world, insofar as it allows our inadequate senses to appreciate it.<br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;"> -ALBERT EINSTEIN</span>varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-11808065679904296882009-01-02T20:30:00.004-06:002009-01-02T20:56:06.831-06:002008- Review- Part 2<span style="font-weight: bold;">Best thing I read: </span><br /><br />From the book "Outliers"<br /><ul><li>Where you're born and when you're born have an enormous amount to do with whether or not you're successful.</li><li>Becoming a superstar takes about 10,000 hours of hard work.</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best blog post by Seth Godin:</span> <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/10/maybe-you-cant.html">http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/10/maybe-you-cant.html</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best food I had in 2008:</span> Butter Chicken cooked by Alan Rasquinha.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best food not cooked by Alan: </span>Shrimp Pasta cooked by Varun and Pepper Chicken cooked by Gunjan.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best perfume that I had bought in 2008:</span> Boss Soul <span style="font-style: italic;">by</span> Hugo Boss.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best car that I drove this year:</span> Mercedes C class.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Biggest fear in 2008:</span> Large Hadron Collider predicted to destroy the earth.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Comedy in 2008:</span> There is a two-way tie between:<br /><br />1. Large Hadron Collider might destroy the earth<br /><br />and<br /><br />2. Sarah Palin's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxAO7cH-xrE">interview</a> with Katie Couric.<br /><br />to be continued.....varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-67650306384737149822009-01-02T17:27:00.003-06:002009-01-02T17:45:51.804-06:00Getting drunk on New Year's eve....1 beer over a period of 2 hrs---- Blood alcohol level: 0.00<br /><br />and after 7 hours...<br /><br />3 oz of scotch---- Blood alcohol level: 0.04<br /><br />(still feeling good. I knew my name and knew everyone's names!!!)<br /><br />and then....<br /><br />1 shot of SoCo---- Blood alcohol level: .068<br /><br />(feeling little dizzy.....fighting with friends for no apparent reason!!!)<br /><br />and then...<br /><br />1 shot of tequila----Blood alcohol level: 0.096<br /><br />(talking crap... no control!!!)<br /><br />Lesson to be learnt: Try to avoid taking shots of liquor....if forced to have it, then space out a little bit (the average dissipation rate is .05% per hour).<br /><br />If I had taken the second shot after an hour, I would have felt normal.<br /><br />Hmm..only if I had realized all this earlier!!!varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-42870413747047926252009-01-02T14:24:00.007-06:002009-01-02T17:11:21.936-06:002008- Review2008 was a wonderful year for me. I am sitting here at Starbucks trying to recollect some interesting moments that occurred during the entire year.<br /><br />And here is my list.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best moment of 2008: </span>Moving to Winter Park, Florida<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Worst moment of 2008:</span> Getting sick after having two shots of tequila and struggling for the next 2 days.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best lesson that I learnt during 2008:</span> Not to have Tequila shots......ever!!!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best financial decision:</span> When I purchased Euros and when Euro was appreciating against USD<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Worst financial decision:</span> A week later when Euro started depreciating against USD<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best movie of 2008:</span> The Dark Knight<img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/VMUTHU%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJr-oU7aA5ZLBSAZLjrf4ZoOdE7gxV6PwevZZFlyRN4ZqJQq2Ne9Q_W2OMhKHj4DjRhrO4JvzEP93oxxP2QpjYuQN17b90Mg3xNDNf6OuvwYg0ftup1vinnxkDGG8yczE_y6J_VQ/s1600-h/dark_knight_logo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 153px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJr-oU7aA5ZLBSAZLjrf4ZoOdE7gxV6PwevZZFlyRN4ZqJQq2Ne9Q_W2OMhKHj4DjRhrO4JvzEP93oxxP2QpjYuQN17b90Mg3xNDNf6OuvwYg0ftup1vinnxkDGG8yczE_y6J_VQ/s320/dark_knight_logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286826747102843618" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Top 5 movies of 2008:</span><br /><br />5. The Curious case of Benjamin Button<br />4. Slumdog Millionaire<br />3. Wall- E<br />2. Iron Man<br />1. The Dark Knight<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Performance in a Hollywood movie: </span>Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight" and Robert Downey Jr. in "Iron Man".<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdlPmp0R_TZveGxNn17t3FfnahZazOumsbsNg0tSQb4EJ2izZbcSpt-a8UM7bEoIc_aaDz9nfm8VGO279VNEOLc9YZVVcvetu_i4KUWk_-WqeQ1do7rcm-tfqaL1P364epI2ISVw/s1600-h/HeathJoker.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdlPmp0R_TZveGxNn17t3FfnahZazOumsbsNg0tSQb4EJ2izZbcSpt-a8UM7bEoIc_aaDz9nfm8VGO279VNEOLc9YZVVcvetu_i4KUWk_-WqeQ1do7rcm-tfqaL1P364epI2ISVw/s320/HeathJoker.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286827794518019378" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSOHSi6mig05xKZAY5pm8X6CjBZ-mzuzBTh5_m2Jlp8FMdIMarwXtpHikClAlNhVouyfsbXcUUGCRHcdivlIq-cYJCSnq5Ju2_CWDD0d7JhhQQJqfPcq4Kzk8Z3VOb9_LCrBNNA/s1600-h/iron-man-downey-jr.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 208px; height: 139px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSOHSi6mig05xKZAY5pm8X6CjBZ-mzuzBTh5_m2Jlp8FMdIMarwXtpHikClAlNhVouyfsbXcUUGCRHcdivlIq-cYJCSnq5Ju2_CWDD0d7JhhQQJqfPcq4Kzk8Z3VOb9_LCrBNNA/s320/iron-man-downey-jr.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286828268166816146" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Best Movie(s) of 2008 (Tamil):</span> Anjathey and Subramaniapuram.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29AqlqMZsXrDb8N7_mxAggxV1Pa0iAMECvGDvBr_wbUL5H5fAB9WRp6Kbs7dZVKnw_YyzJuHaWXxS99XJp2UQFp7VUmpIexQEcqOipmCTdfG6ryrFmpx2X73vIPbL33_cvBmekQ/s1600-h/anjathey.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29AqlqMZsXrDb8N7_mxAggxV1Pa0iAMECvGDvBr_wbUL5H5fAB9WRp6Kbs7dZVKnw_YyzJuHaWXxS99XJp2UQFp7VUmpIexQEcqOipmCTdfG6ryrFmpx2X73vIPbL33_cvBmekQ/s320/anjathey.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286828978282286306" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br />Best performance in a Tamil Movie: </span>Surya in Vaaranam Ayiram.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Sports moment of 2008: </span>India <a href="http://content-www.cricinfo.com/australia/engine/match/291353.html">winning</a> against Australia at Perth.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Worst Sports moment of 2008:</span> Patriots missing the NFL playoffs.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Sports story of the year:</span> India's <a href="http://sify.com/sports/fullstory.php?id=14828506">meteoric rise</a> in cricket.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best performance of the year (Cricket):</span> Sachin's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOpRvLpdzNw&ytsession=2FzgR_GBPvpHzJaJ7ozkWUL-R6tCTtP7NhDB1IbkCHL03-_FfwKNMHavPHN8YXvWt3ieH2tnT83hPE6VscElHA0YMr_iQikEQXm7qojSFvdPR8IBRs9VmuG27ElHY1Jk0NbeBKSaCFzudiuMuCm_rzspEbF6Iu8mjcQIcnjtA09GiuDr7sWjOmKyx5KsukfEO3brqpuaD5X7jIWLc0WkC36JH7xMbn-OgPYzuLUBWqOZkIk5rRoiD9SEqj6mvlPQA7jif4q3nBSOd2J18gwM8A">fourth innings hundred</a> against England at Chennai and Ishant Sharma's<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAEXuMnw3tI"> wonderful bowling spell</a> against Ricky Ponting, 3rd Test, Border Gavaskar Trophy, Perth.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Performance of the year (non- Cricket): </span>Micheal Phelps' <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7W45Fr6NRA">eight gold medal winning performance</a> in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Performance of the year (that doesn't involve Micheal Phelps):</span> Usain Bolt's <a href="http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=271/video/index.html">100m- 200m double gold </a>at the Beijing Olympics.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Songs (in no specific order): </span><br /><br />1. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVZX-W3vo9I">Love lockdown</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">by</span> Kanye West.<br />2. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvgZkm1xWPE&feature=related">Viva la Vida</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">by</span> Cold Play.<br />3. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bNDr1A6dTU">So What</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">by</span> Pink.<br />4. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqqY07OZWps">Love in this club</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">by</span> Usher.<br />5. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6zdhHLvT7k">Disturbia</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">by</span> Rihanna.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Songs (Tamil):</span><br /><br />1. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4atHnWKOyA">Nenjikkul Peidhidum</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">from</span> Vaaranam Ayiram <span style="font-style: italic;">by</span> Harris Jeyaraj.<br />2. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1lwmT3Vev0">Anbe en Anbe</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">from</span> Dhaam Dhoom<span style="font-style: italic;"> by</span> Harris Jeyaraj.<br />3. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNZHjGWjKis&feature=related">Kangal Irandal</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">from</span> Subramaniapuram <span style="font-style: italic;">by</span> James Vasanthan.<br />4. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhXb-GN8MXM">Kathala Kannala</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> from</span> Anjathey <span style="font-style: italic;">by</span> Srikanth Deva.<br />5. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w8uhtiwDuk&feature=related">Dosth bada Dosth</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">from</span> Saroja <span style="font-style: italic;">by</span> Yuvan Shankar Raja.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Songs by A R Rahman:</span><br /><br />1. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0smj7l-nlaA">Khwaja mere Khwaja</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">from</span> Jodha Akbar.<br />2. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvW4HOKcnPs">Kabhi Kabhi Aditi </a><span style="font-style: italic;">from</span> Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Naa.<br />3. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnbbsPrKb70">Guzharish</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> from</span> Ghajini.<br /><br />Best ARR song ( Special Award): <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHUQht1HRmY">O saya</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">from</span> Slumdog Millionaire.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Song (Special Award):</span> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvrEEj8VGzQ&feature=related">Sinbad the Sailor</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">from </span>Rock On <span style="font-style: italic;">by</span> Shankar- Ehsaan- Loy<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Books I read in 2008: </span><br /><br />1. The Dip <span style="font-style: italic;">by </span>Seth Godin.<br />2. Truman by David McCullough<br />3. Freakonomics by Steven Levitt<br />4. Blink by Malcolm Gladwell<br />5. The Drunkard's Walk by Leonard Mlodinow.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best book that I couldn't complete: </span>The Road to Reality <span style="font-style: italic;">by</span> Roger Penrose.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">First book that I started reading in 2009:</span> Galileo's finger <span style="font-style: italic;">by</span> Peter Atkins.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best TV series that I watched in 2008 (DVD):</span> Arrested Development<br /><br />To be continued.......varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-77297385677094112872008-11-15T16:39:00.002-06:002008-11-15T16:46:12.891-06:00Holiday Season....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGTNarvR4TVwh1tNddCr2dN-6s-BtLIFW0xUJe8QkyD19-3s4s0C1K-B98W_yoWPyJS6rWsSKE_DB5TAcY_SINUSJlHFKgqTl4Nod9K3gz4aq2KFRGqkGErUQxBgHu7Rm5eyD6Yw/s1600-h/1223_christmasLights.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGTNarvR4TVwh1tNddCr2dN-6s-BtLIFW0xUJe8QkyD19-3s4s0C1K-B98W_yoWPyJS6rWsSKE_DB5TAcY_SINUSJlHFKgqTl4Nod9K3gz4aq2KFRGqkGErUQxBgHu7Rm5eyD6Yw/s320/1223_christmasLights.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269019317451495138" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />The Christmas lights are on. People tend to be more happier when they are walking down the streets that are illuminated with these lights.<br /><br />A small change in environment could make people change the way they think.<br /><br />I learnt an important lesson in Marketing.varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-9129667828865009122008-11-03T19:19:00.002-06:002008-11-03T19:34:02.153-06:00After a long time.....It's been a long time since I posted a message....<br /><br />Today, we had a discussion with Allen Kupetz, author of "Future of Less". He mentioned about how cell phones might be the "computers of future" and about how cellphones can perform the same tasks as a computer and I was sitting there thinking, "Nah...computers are far advanced than cellphones. I didn't start using a cellphone until I was 24 and I don't think I would miss cellphones very much".<br /><br />After the discussion, I called my friend using my "cellphone" to convey my thoughts on this issue and used internet on my cellphone to send an email.<br /><br />Maybe, Allen Kupetz is right.<br /><br />Maybe, we will be okay without computers but not without our cellphones.<br /><br />Maybe, cellphones are the future.varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433403.post-26284415592536825392008-08-29T11:12:00.003-05:002008-08-29T11:20:04.870-05:00<embed autostart="true" bgcolor="white" loop="true" src="http://m.varunkumar.googlepages.com/blogflash-1.swf" type="macromedia flash/swf" width="400" height="600"></embed>varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385036892522720904noreply@blogger.com0