-: Dreamer's Den! :-

This day, 10-Dec-2008 but last year 10-Dec-2007, I got a break from my routine Bengaluru home-office-home...The break was to travel to the 'City of the Future' - Dubai, UAE! This was for a new project and I was pretty exited about the whole forthcoming days...But yeah, on the personal front, not so exited as I had to leave my family behind, along with my wife...And it was painful for both of us! :-( {Tip: A separation pain brings in more love and care towards each other :-)} Wow, beautiful! is the first expression that I had on Dubai, right from inside the flight! I was travelling in the evening flight where I was landing in Dubai @ 2100hrs. It was a marvellous sight to see - so much lightings and a dazzling beauty!! Dubai Internation Airport is pretty huge and very systematic and clean...By the time I came out of the Airport, it was around 2300hrs and at that time, there was so much traffic in the city that at one time, we were struck in a traffic jam!! I was not aware of ...

Yesterday my wife and I visited a hospital where my sister-in-law had given birth to a cute little baby girl! It is so amazing to see this very small and highly innocent face that has descended on this earth, just less than 24 hours ago! Its eyes, its so cute face, hands, legs were so so amazing to see that I was emotionally moved by her. :-) It just amazes how we can see god in its purest form, without any worries, without all tensions, without all good-n-bad things going on, without caring a damn for anybody but with welcoming and giving laughter to everybody who come to visit them - such an innocence to the core we see in this cute little baby. Words are less to express the joy and innocence that we enjoy seeing this little 'just landed' god :-)

This sunday has been a wet sunday for namma bengalooru! Coz from noon, it is constantly raining with few minutes breaks in between! Clouds were moving rapidly and it was playing hide-n-seek game with the Sun :-) This remembers me of my flight from Japan, en route to Bangkok/Thailand on 6th Sept 2005. My flight was at 10 AM and since the Tokyo Narita International Airport is around 85kms from the city, I had to leave early, as early as 5.30AM! But rains started previous night and hadn't stopped in the morning also. Visibility was very low but as I had booked the taxi earlier, the cab had come at 5.15AM itself. Finally I reached airport and during take off time also, weather was very bad with all black clouds around and we faced lot of air turbulances during take-off itself. To my surprise, when the flight ascended 11000feet altitude, I could the flight totally covered by the thick black clouds and lot of turbulence. Suddenly from nowhere, we saw a tinge of blue sky emerging an...

One of our HP offices in Bangalore wanted to host the Eye Donation/Pledging Awareness Camp for 2nd session, as many people had shown interest for the 1st session but could not make it due to various reasons. So, yesterday (23-Sept-08) the Doctor from Prabha Eye Bank visited this office and we conducted this camp for nearly 3 hours ...and the response that we got was just awesome...above all expectations! We collected nearly 125 pledges from the interested employees and hitting this 3-digit number is really a milestone by itself! Again, Thanks to everyone who opted for this camp and I wish they will spread the word among their friends and families! Gift Your Sight :: Make It Your Wish! http://www.freewebs.com/giftyoursight

This week (Sep 8th to Sep 12th 2008) I organized an Awareness campaign on Eye Donation/Pledging in my company, HP India. The Week was celebrated across multiple locations in HP Bangalore offices with the co-operation of Prabha Eye Bank c/o Prabha Eye Clinic, one of the oldest eye clinic's of Bangalore. About the event, over the week the response was not so encouraging (better I will not speak about the numbers!) but Myself and the CSR club of HP did our best to get people aware of this noble cause. Thanks to everyone who opted for this camp and I wish they will spread the word among their friends and families! Gift Your Sight :: Make It Your Wish! http://www.freewebs.com/giftyoursight

Yesterday my brother-in-law left to New York, USA for pursuing his MS program. He was traveling international for the first time and our own Air India (AI) was the chosen carrier. In its recent route expansion, AI has added 2 new routes to its kitty - Delhi-New York non-stop and Mumbai-New York non-stop! My bro-in-law went in the Delhi-NY flight. I wanted to know the flight info of this flight and the AI website was hardly coming up to check the status. So I had one more super website accessible and the site is: www.flightstats.com This website gives the departure and arrival info (real time) of all the flights flying in this world! Especially if the flight is from/to USA, then it has a real-time map that shows the flight path and status information, once the flight reaches US/Canada airspace!! This is just awesome! Not only this, it gives the real-time map of the Airport traffic in US/Canada and we can track any flight that is bound to / departing from these 2 countries! For insta...

Its almost a month that I blogged about any interesting events in my day-2-day life! I wanted to blog but somehow 'diverted' my thought to some other work. Being a constant blogger, I feel that I miss something if I do not blog! :-) Back to typing my thoughts using this keyboard, the last 1 month just went by with some interesting things in my life. 1. My 1st interesting thing is: My better half (my life and wife!) got an interview call from a very well known Food maker of this country, the MTR Foods . MTR => Mavalli Tiffin Room , a small eatery joint (completely Vegetarian!) started in 1924 by the Maiyya family in Bangalore, is a very well known restaurant in South Bangalore and its foods are very popular all over the country. Even today we need to make reservation for lunch/dinner. The delicious and very famous Rava Idli was invented by MTR . Lot more about MTR can be told that brings proud to we Bangaloreans ! And its also pride that my better half got a Microbi...

Yesterday evening, me and my wife went out for walking. We had to buy milk packet for home and while walking, we entered the Spencer's Retail store near my home. I picked up the Heritage Double Toned Milk packet from the refridgerator and then went to billing. Back home, when my mom opened the packet, she was angry at me that I didn't bring milk that she asked for; instead I have got curd!! I thought she might be joking but when I actually saw and tasted it, it was curd!! Curd in Milk packet!! :-) So immediately I called up Heritage Customer care number where I lodged the complaint, for which they promised me to go to the retail store and pick up a new milk packet. They also said the complaint will be followed up but god knows what has happened! Again, we went to the Spencer's store and told them the problem. They too were bit surprised and thanks to them, promptly they gave another Milk packet, that contained Milk and not curd! :-) But tracing the cause of this, what I...

This is from my personal experience, which I have faced last year and now, I am facing it yet another time! When the word "Bangalore/Bengaluru" is popped up, the instant response that comes is the IT Capital / Silicon Valley of India. True, it has lived to this word and will continue to be the top IT destination in the country. But what about non-IT folks? Was this IT there when the city came on India map? How about job options for non-IT related people? The truth is, non-IT jobs are so less in this city that you have to struggle a lot to get one of them. In my case, the job I am searching is for my wife, who is a PG in Microbiology field, which puts her totally into Science field and no IT is involved! Last year, when she was fresher, finding job was so difficult for her that it took nearly 2 months to get into a Pharma company, that too with lot of struggle and with the help of a so-called 'Consultant'. The way those companies work is pathetic, just like our gover...

Last week, took some days off and went to OOTY , the Queen of Hill stations in South India, also called "Nilgiris" because of huge amount of Nilgiri trees present in this region. I didnt opt for any package, rather arranged the stay and travel on my own. Booked our travel in our state owned KSRTC bus and journey was not so good, in terms of getting sleep in bus, due to bumpier roads and mainly due to switching on the lights very frequently, for one reason or the other. I had the wrong notion of that this bus will be a non-stop Bangalore-Mysore-Ooty route but I was proved wrong! :-( Anyways, we reached the much hyped hill station, OOTY, in early morning 0630hrs. First thing you will see is lots and lots of greenery surrounding this place. Next thing is that u tend to pull up your woolen wear since the weather is very cold out there. Though we had our sweaters on us, we were still literally feeling the cold! I enjoy this cold weather where as my wife is not so ok with this type...

Inflation, the 'deadliest' word these days which is giving shivers to everyone right from the government to the Below Poverty Line people; has hit each and every thing in our day-to-day life! This is very bad for a common man / middle class and lower class people are the most affected and these are the people who will bear the brunt. One instance of how inflation has factored in our day to day life was experienced by me yesterday! In the afternoon, daily we (my team colleagues) will have a tea-break and yesterday we went to our daily shop to have our tea. Each cup of tea would cost Rs 2/- and it tastes good also! Yesterday, I volunteered to pay the money and I gave the tea shop fellow Rs 10/- for 4 cups of tea, and was waiting to get Rs 2/- back from him. As I was looking to get the change back from him, after couple of seconds he said the amount given (Rs 10/-) is correct! Then my friend told that from couple of days back, the tea now costs Rs 2.50/-, 50 paisa increase in eac...

Been almost 10 days now in namma bengaluru and enjoying the pleasant weather (compared to our good old Dubai's bisi bisi weather!) and mother's food..:-) Only one change that I observed in my place is that there is no flying machines now, in the skies, passing above my house! :-( This is bit sad for me as I love watching (still I love!!) these big man-made birds flying above my house! Jet, Sahara, SpiceJet, Kingfisher, British Airways, Lufthansa Jumbo B747, Thai Airways, Emirates, Srilankan Air, Singapore Airways Cargo Jumbo B747...the list continues and I miss them a lot!! Ever since the much awaited BIA has opened around a month back, all the 'sky traffic' has been diverted to north Bengaluru sector and hence we don't see any commercial/cargo machines now! (My house is situated in south of Bengaluru and most of the times, most of the aircrafts were passing above this sky zone). I still remember that sometimes in the evening, when I used to be up in the terrac...

I am currently taking a break from work and having a week-off from the work! Hurray!! :-) Already 3 days went by but still 5 more days remaining, to start again a fresh way of life with a new project! Will be leaving to Ooty , the most famous hill station in South India, for couple of days! After 15 years, I will be visiting this hill station and I hope the weather stays cool (without rains!) so that we can roam around in this beautiful hill! :-)

Yeah, am back in namma bengaluru...lot of things to be shared, that happened in last couple of days! Firstly, had to leave Dubai with a BIG heart and lot of memories! My HP colleague took me to lunch at Ibn Battuta Mall, on my last working day and we had a good time having pasta and talking about general things. I will miss him a lot and think he too misses me! :) Back to office, I was waiting for my dear friend, to say bye to him. When the moment came, he was literally in tears (yes, I could see his eyes filled with tears!) and he hugged me and was very emotional. He misses his Big Brother (BB) a lot and I too miss him! After saying bye to my friends out there, I came to room to pack some remaining things and was feeling very nostalgic when I saw the room almost empty, without any things! This is the place where I stayed for around 6 months and now, all history and memories!! On 13th morning, one more emotional farewell was waiting and this time it was my daily taxi driver (Hay...

Mobile phone (or Cell phone), the word and the object which is with everyone now-a-days, in all parts of the world, touched me in December 2001. It was my first buy from 'my own' money (Yeah, I started working from Nov 2001 and soon after getting first salary, I decided to buy a cell!) and the obvious choice at that time was the low-end but superb Nokia 3310 . I had paid around INR 3000/- for this cell! Then, after few months this started to malfunction and then my dad gifted me the ultra less weight phone I have ever seen (even, the market has ever seen) - Panasonic GD93 ! This was a very beautiful phone with color screen and good 'phone' features! After using this for 2 months, I went to China on a project and my dad continued to use the cell. He too liked it so so much. In China, I decided to go for a trendy and a small phone, which I think I paid a very hefty price of USD 400 (~ INR 19000!) (Oct 2002). This expensive set was the Nokia 8850 , with its metallic cove...

This time, by next week, I will be very anxiously waiting for my last working day here to get over (not that I am not anxious now, but next week it will be more!); as me and my wife are scheduled to fly out of Dubai on Friday noon flight! :-) So, still I have 8 more days to go and 1 weekend left in between...:O)

One of my close dudes, whom I admire him for his 'super cool' nature, is a freelance travel writer and photographer. He has launched a concept called ' Walks in India ' on his website ' India Travel Blog '. Given below is the 'Press Release' related to his concept...Please do check it out and try to be part of it... During the month of June, India Travel Blog will be featuring a series of articles on Walks in India. Unlike in many countries, walks and walking tours are not common or popular in India. This series intends to promote the idea of walks that can enable travellers to see and experience the places better by getting closer. The series explores short and easy walking trails across India, with which a traveller can witness history, culture, life, landscapes and heritage of the country. The series will have fifteen walking trails, published through the month of June, containing detailed description of the walk along with maps, difficulty l...

In less than 15 days, we will be back in namma bengaluru, landing at the new Bengaluru International Airport...:-) Looking at the reports of constant rains in bengaluru, seems once we land there, we will definitely feel cold..why? We are staying in Dubai where the day temperature now is 45degrees and night temperature around 25-30degrees! So, compared to this place, namma bengaluru will be a cold heaven! Counting the days...:O )

Today morning when my mom called me, I was wondering about some news that she is gonna tell; because she normally doesn't call like that early morning. And my 6th sense proved me true... She had called me to tell that Dr. K R Murthy had expired, suddenly! He is the Medical Director of Prabha Eye Clinic, Bangalore and founder of Vittala International Institute of Opthalmology (VIIO). More than that, I am a patient of this great doctor from past 28 years (right from when I was 8 months old baby!) and all of us look upon him with utmost respect, for being a godfather-kind-of person in our life. The last time I met him was when me and my mom went to invite him for my wedding and he was so happy to see me, as a groom now, but a small baby in his hands, 28 years back! I still remember his 'bArayya' (in English: friendly way of calling 'do come') phrase whenever I used to visit him! Now, everything is memory and history...But this is life and we need to move on... He...

Finally, the much waited and much hyped Bengaluru International Airport opened its doors to the world!! Seems this airport has charmed the people with its looks and infrastructure...Good to know! :-) Now, we Bangaloreans, have a voice now to say that we too have an International Airport of world-class standards! Earlier this used to put us in some shade while telling somebody about Bangalore Airport (Read: HAL airport) but now, hope it lives to its expectations! I am flying in another 20 days to this brand new airport and I am looking forward to see this grand facility in namma Bengaluru!! On the other hand, I will truly miss our good old HAL Airport which served so many years for the people all over the world. Miss the (comparatively!) easy access to my home from this old HAL airport and miss the Airport Road...But as they say: "Change is the only constant in life", we need to accept this CHANGE and move ahead for a brighter future...and just hope that this particular CH...

Happy Birthday my dear dad and my dear wife!! Yes, today is the birthday of two important persons in my life...My dad (fondly called 'Anna') and My dear wife (fondly called 'Ro')!! :-) Both share the same birthday and both share a good amount of love! Have a great day Anna...miss you a lot and wish we were there to celebrate this day! Anyways, We will celebrate all the missing important days when we come back..sure! :) I hope and wish I can make a great day for Ro here...I wanted to work from room today but had to come to office as I had some things to be done here...Felt bad to leave her alone on her birthday but I just wish I can make her evening bright! :-) Once again, Many Many Many more Happy Returns of the day! Have a wonderful year ahead...

Next month, by this time, I will be sitting at my home in Bengaluru, having food from my great mother's hands! :-) Yes, its been 5 months now in Dubai and next month, on completion of my 6 months, will be traveling back to my home and continuing my work from there!! For me, its kind of a good relief, in the sense, my parents will be happy to have us back home and my wife will be very happy to be back and start a new phase in her professional life! So, looking forward for this 1 dear month to finish soon here, in this Gold city! :-)

Yesterday was the much-hyped, Mother's Day, the day which is exploited more for commercial reasons than for love and affection! I didn't wish my dearest dear mother on this Mother's day! I just don't believe in these days, rather every day is a mother's day for me! Every day is the Father's day or Brother's day or Sister's day or in fact every day is a Valentine Day! :-) Why should there be one specific day, out of all the other 364 days, to wish your divine parents or to wish your lovely better-half?? Why this custom, which apparently is imported from our Big brother, the US of A? We understand that this country needs to celebrate these kind of days' because children can at least once in a year love their mom or dad or their spouse or their children. But why should this be 'celebrated' in our country where we value our parents as 'living god' or we value our spouse as 'better-half' for our entire life! So, when my mom to...

Its been 28 years on this planet now today and I am so so grateful to god for having given me such a wonderful parents, brother and now, such a wonderful wife! Thanks all for having given such a wonderful life to live!! Its my birthday today and Many Many More Happy Returns of the Day!! :-) Done 28 years on this planet and walking towards 29th year and by god's grace lots and lots more to come! On the other side, sadly, its my 3rd consecutive year that I am not with my parents to celebrate this wonderful day! 2006 @ Mumbai, related to a project work. 2007 @ Manali, celebrating my honeymoon :-) and now, 2008 @ Dubai, related to project work Hope and Wish in 2009, I can be with my folks to celebrate this day with a dinner to sign-off :O)

Sharaf DG , a leading electronics store in Dubai, is celebrating its 3rd year anniversary celebrations. As part of their celebrations, they had given an Ad in newspaper where people need to bring that Ad and take part in spinning the 'fortune wheel', which has lot of gifts to be given. So, yesterday we went to the nearby Sharaf DG store and tried our luck by spinning this 'fortune wheel'. I asked my wife to do the honours (Ladies first! :-)) and she turned out to be very lucky!! :-) She is always lucky since she has got me as her husband!! :O) As our luck turned out, we got the iPod Shuffle Docking Station as the gift, which might be worth AED 200 (approx INR 2200/-)! This is a cute mini docking station which has 2 speakers built-in so as to dock the iPod Shuffle in between the speakers and then listen to the songs! :-) But, the catch is, we do not have an iPod shuffle and the worst part is, that iPod Shuffle that fits into this docking station is of the 1st gener...

Yesterday was one of the worst days in my office commutation! When it takes daily around 45 minutes to reach my hotel from the office, yesterday it took nearly 2 hours to cover this commute! :-(( The reason being our good old, E11 highway alias Sheikh Zayed road! There was an accident near the Mall of Emirates where a car had turned upside down and Ambulance had rushed to that spot. Though this accident was on the 4th lane of the road, the traffic movement on the first 3 lanes were very slow where people wanted to view the accident! Hmmm...natural tendency of a human being! :-) Once pass this, traffic gradually came to a standstill after some more distance. We were moving at a snail pace! There was no accidents (since there was no visual information on the display board) but still we were moving very slowly! This happened for nearly 1 hour where we covered barely 15 kms!! Its so frustrating to sit in that traffic which is moving so slowly. Wish we could got down and walked, but the...

Every day if you do not hear one Ambulance siren, the ambulance zooming ahead in 100kmph, then thank god! either the 'terrific' traffic is less OR there is no accidents! (touchwood! :-)) It has become almost a daily scene where you notice a speeding ambulance zipping past all cars in the busy roads of Dubai, at amazing speed and loud sirens. The accidents has become so much part and parcel of Dubai traffic that at least one accident happens in the busiest road of Dubai - E11 or popularly known as Sheikh Zayed Road ! I don't understand why accidents should happen even when there is so much regulation of traffic and a superior traffic management in place. One of the reasons that can be attributed to is the usage of Mobile phones while driving. Here, it is so common and I believe there is some law of not using phone while driving, inspite of which people use mobile phone while driving at a speed of 100~120kmph on E11! This leads to so much distraction and chain-effect that ...

Wow! the day which I had been waiting, came, passed thru and went away! It was a very good outing yesterday and a very memorable day to mark my 1st year Wedding Anniversary. Apart from we celebrating here, my parents also celebrated our wedding anniversary day, in a different way! My parents had given for an 'Abhishekham' of our home-god, in a temple near our home. They said it was very nice and things went fine. Later, as I had requested them to find out a children's ashram so that I can sponsor that whole day's food, they had given some amount to the ashram authorities and yesterday's food was a treat for those poor little kids in the ashram. I thank god for giving us enough food so as to share the food with other not-so-well people. Back here, our day began with my parents wishing us early in the morning (from the temple). We then got ready to visit the only temple in the town, to seek the Almighty's blessings. Then we had a light breakfast back at the ho...

After a long wait, this d-day has come!! So fast that this 1-year journey has been...if I look back, its all a mixture of thodha gum but bhahut khushi!! All thanks to my dear darling wife, who came to my house with 2 briefcases of clothes and lot of love and affection and she won the hearts of my family! Wish you a Very Happy and Many More Wedding Anniversary wishes dear!! :O) I have made some plans for spending the day today and I hope and wish that all goes fine! More later :-)

Though I might be very very late breaking this news, but yesterday I found out how to blog in regional Indian languages like Kannada, Tamil, Telugu...Awesome google, they are customizing to local Indian population! Well, good strategy to capture the local market :-) I have blogged my below post in Kannada language, the language spoken by the people of Karnataka, India and my birth place! Amazing to see the posts in namma regional language..:)

ಒನ್ ಮೊರೆ ಡೇ ಈಸ್ ರೆಮೈನಿಂಗ್ ಫಾರ್ ದಿ ದ-ಡೇ ಅಂಡ್ ದಿ ಕೌಂತ್ದೊವ್ನ್ ನೌ ಸಯ್ಸ್ ೧ ಡೇ ಟು ಗೋ ...

Things were & are getting really hot...:-) This day, that year...there was 'Pandal' function at home and almost all of our relatives had come to our home to attend the function...It was almost the same with my wife's side also... Everybody carried the happiness in their face, including me :-) Now, today, this year, 2 days to go...

Yesteday was an interesting day as we had a team dinner @ an Indian resturant here! Well, now its 3 days to go...:-)

One more day gone its now 4 days to go...

Today, April 29th, marks one of the most important days in my life. It is the Wedding Anniversary day of my parents... Wish you both, appa and amma, Happy and Fun filled Wedding Day!! Love you both and god is so kind to me to gift such a nice, caring and wonderful parents for me and my family! Since I am far away to be physically present on this day, I gifted them the idea of going for a early morning Lord Venkateshwara darshan in Tirumala. They are now in that holy place and I wish both of them enjoy their small gift and trip, on this wonderful day! Hope and Wish the divine almighty blesses them and us with peace, prosperity and happiness for our journey, called LIFE! :-)

One more day has passed and its now 5 days to go ...

This day, last year... All preparations for the once-in-lifetime function was on, with some rituals about to be kicked off...some tension, lot of happiness in my parents face was clearly visible! :-) So, the mega countdown begins today and now, its 6 days to go ...

We had heard of Al-Shindagha tunnel in Dubai, close to where we stay, Bur-Dubai but we had never been to that tunnel. This is the tunnel which has been constructed under-water so as to cross from one side of the Dubai to other side, which is separated by the Creek. Yesterday we took a taxi to go to Gold Souk and to reach this place, we have to pass thru the tunnel. Just amazing to see that this tunnel was built in 1975 just to ease traffic movement from one side of the creek to another. Wish we had some infrastructure and vision like this, back in our country!

Yesterday, at last, we visited the world famous ' Gold Souk ' (read: Gold Market), for which Dubai is named 'The City of Gold'! Gold prices have dropped a bit around the world and in Dubai it has come below the 100-mark, for first time after 1-2 months! Current gold rate is AED 99.50 (approx 1095 INR) There are so many stores lined up and so many 5 floors buildings within which there are so many gold shops - all sporting different varieties and designs of gold ornaments, right from pendants, bangles, chains to huge necklaces!! Some of them are so tempting to go for but the M-factor always reminds of to stay limited :-) We wanted to buy couple of bangles and we roamed around for sometime and then we zeroed on some stores like Joyalukkas, Damas, Pure Gold, Al Haseena, Atlas, Sky Jewellery. Some of the designs in every store was impressive but at the end of the day, making charges differs from each store to another. Big brands = High making charges, pattern follows... S...

Yesterday evening, my wife and myself went out for a walk and while coming back we had to cross a very busy road (Sheikh Zayed Road, off Karama area). To cross this road, there was a not-so-major signal installed to help pedestrians cross. So when we went to cross the road, the traffic signal was green and hence vehicles were zooming in, as usual, in their 80-100 kmph speed. After few seconds, the signal became red and pedestrian signal showed green to cross. Cars in the first 2 lanes stopped and the 3rd lane was pretty open with no cars coming near. So when we were about to cross the road, out of nowhere a car zoomed-in the 3rd lane and went past...Probably s/he would be in 60-80kmph speed! Some of us at the signal were bit shocked for a second since if we would have started crossing the road, then we would be hit by that stupid car and definitely some bones would have cracked! God knows why these kind of people still exist in a place where traffic violations are strict and 99% of ...

Yesterday night standing in the balcony of my room, I was watching the empty Taxis go by the streets and checking their luck to find customers! (Needless to say, in the morning its the other way - Customers roam around to find Taxis!!) Then my mind started thinking of the CHOICE they make when they reach a intersection of roads - they can continue to go straight or they can either go left or take right or worse, they can take a U-turn and go back...As I watched, some taxis took left, some right and some continued straight to meet yet another intersection! (Good that no taxi took U-turn to go back! :-)) I was then thinking of how each taxi driver's choice would be either fruitful (to get a customer at the end of the road) or fruitless (by making them roam for customers!) This is where LUCK also comes into picture where it can either be with the driver (to make him/her find a customer) or be totally opposite to him/her (make him/her roam all the night!) I think this is one small y...

Last week, I just came out to the balcony of my room and suddenly found that something was floating in the air! And a second later, found that an Helicopter is doing rounds holding this huge banner!! I had spotted this earlier also and written about that and this was the second time I saw this - 'Helicopter Marketing'!! A unique, new and costly approach for the marketing world! :-)

Wish you a very Happy and Prosperous Ugadi and New Year! It is time to have the Bevu-Bella (mixture of sour - Neem leaves and sweet - Jaggery in life) and welcome the prosperous new year!! We got bevu here, from trees lined-up on the roads and then we had jaggery at home...So, today had this prasadam and celebrate the festival day! Missing my folks back at home, holiday today and time to enjoy!

Finally, the much awaited election dates has been announced! All the related people who were sleeping/enjoying/doing whatever for the past 5 months have to get up now and start their business! Kind of bad news..:-(( Anyways, this election day for Bangalore city is on May 10th and wow! what a way to celebrate my birthday when I am away from the country!! :O) Sadly or not, myself and my wife will not be able to vote this time...hope nobody else does a proxy voting for us! :-) But now the million dollar question (is it so??) is the grand gala opening of our new and much waited Bengalooru International Airport (BIA) which is scheduled on May 11th - will it get a opening or will the dates be further postponed by a month, till the so called *new government* comes into picture?? I just think the latter one will gonna happen as lot of people have to take credit for this Airport making and opening and without those people, how can flights fly in/out of Bengalooru!! :-) Just a matter of wait...

My Times, My Voice - by Times of India / Indiatimes group has asked one good question about Bangalore and the question is: How can we facilitate a smooth passage for ambulances in Bangalore? One of the worst ever death a person can face is dying in a ambulance just because of traffic jam!! Multiple people, multiple answers and some very frustrated people also keying-in their frustrations! I have posted one simple solution for this question and here it is: ============================ ======= The simple solution lies in the hands of our fellow traffic policemen, who should be made aware of the incoming ambulance to that junction and then they should be able to send wireless message to the next signal(s) traffic police. I have seen many instances when inspite of those sirens put on and the ambulance waiting to zoom over, these traffic police doesnt seem to bother. Instead they just stand and wait for green signal to be shown, which is so pathetic! So, make use of the technology ...

29-march-2003, Saturday, the fateful day which has made a mark in my memory forever! The day when two things happened in my life - first and foremost, I lost my dear beloved friend, in front of my eyes and second, god gifted me life again! Now, 5 years back, the same Saturday has come back and still I cannot believe that I have lost my dear friend, 'babu' Vinod Jetty. All happened within a period of just 1 hour, 1925hrs he was very well there, with me, talking to me, making jokes and sharing his future dreams and 2025hrs, just 1 hour later, he was declared dead! Again it proves that anything and everything can happen in no-time, even death and this is the best example. On the other hand, god took my friend's life in front of my eyes, on my laps but gifted me the second chance of life to live, to live by cherishing the memories of my dear friend. Miss you my dear Jetty babu, let you soul remain in peace and let your family members get courage to overcome your absence. [...

Yesterday went to watch the new movie RACE. Its all about race for money and once again, nothing comes first other than money and that is what the movie is all about! Saif performance and his style in the entire movie is good and pretty fresh. Bips, as usual, is a bomb that explodes everytime she is on screen! Apart from these two, Akshay performance was good. Anil Kapoor, even in his late 40s or early 50s rocks!! Katrina and Sameera are ok. Abbas-Mustan has done OK job by revolving the story from start to end to start again! Dont have high expectations from this movie, not at all comparable to what GUPT delivered! Overall, ok time pass movie that can be watched once! Then itself you feel its a 'butter' biscuit movie :-)

Had a good 15-days break in my motherland India and now back to business here, in the City of the Future - Dubai! Its good to be back here but feel bad to leave the family and friends over there, in India. I miss them a lot and given my personal family condition, sometimes I think enuf of this 'foreign'/'onsite' and better settle down in our cool hometown! As the proverb in Kannada goes - 'Nammooru namage channa' (means our place is always fine) - I want to live by this :-) Back here, with my wife, who has come only because of me and just me! I should thank god for giving such a lovely and understandable wife for my life!! I feel so so bad for her since she has to sit all alone in that small studio room and spend most of the day in that room. I really appreciate her patience and the sacrifice she is doing for me. Its not an easy way for a working woman to sit idle at home (one small room!) without much work..hard to pass time and especially in a foreign land,...

Yesterday we went to the Creek so as to witness the last fireworks of the DSF 2008. DSF is closing today, Feb 24th 2008 and need to wait 1 more year for this much hyped festival! Fireworks @ Creek happen every Thursday, Friday and Saturday during the DSF time. The walk to creek and the wait over there was very worthy as we watched the fireworks opened with a zoom at sharp 2030hrs! It went on for around 8 minutes and each of the shot was just amazing to watch. The fireworks is fired from a floating barge and the firing is totally automated. The amount of money spent on this will be huge but every money is worth the colors and wows and smiles it gives on every person face watching the fireworks! :-) I had captured the fireworks in my camera lens and here is the link to watch them! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2rNX3pimbM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =ffpO3q2g5YU Hope you will enjoy watching them, as much as we did! :-)

Today morning, when I was commuting to office, I saw a helicopter holding a huge gigantic flag, making circles in the sky, on Sheikh Zayed road and something was written on it. I thought this might be the curtain- raiser-kind-of for the 2008 Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) that starts tomorrow Jan 24th and ends on Feb 24th. When the copter came in a visible distance to me, I was wrong at my guess! Instead it was an advertising trick of the newly opened NOOR Islamic Bank!!! I was just surprised to see this new way of marketing. A very unique but costly way to reach people! :-) But they are sure to get most of the people's attention as everyone wants to see what is in that flag! Wish there marketing way gives them positive growth but really these people can do anything with the tons of money they have! :-)

Amazed?? Really?? ha ha ... Yeah, today January 14th marks the celebration of Pongal festival in South India and for me as well :) So, I approached HH here to declare a holiday and he kindly obliged! Even our favourite US president Mr. Bush is also here for this festival!! He too is taking part along with HH and other delegates, all and all in Dubai, UAE. Still confused??? hmmm..:-) Today Dubai government has declared holiday for all schools, government offices and even private offices. The real reason (if you have thought that the real reason is the above, hmmm..sorry!)..The real reason is due to the Mr. Bush visit to this amazing city, city of the future, Dubai! Due to his visit, all roads and tunnels are closed for public and nobody should travel out! Wat do you say for this?? Even Bangalore has lot of VIP visits including many PMs and Presidents but wish we could also get holiday like this! :-) Consider this as heights as stupidity, ridiculous stuff or something else, anyw...

"Kul 'am wa antum bikhair" - Wish You All a Very Happy, Exiting and Prosperous New Year 2008!! I am celebrating the new year, first time out of my house, my place, my family and my country!! So am all alone here, in the much celebrated ' City of the Future ' DUBAI, away from my family and friends to celebrate this new year 2008! So, wishing you all again..Have a nice day and a Wonderful Year ahead!