tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84903402023-10-23T06:31:04.745-07:00How to enjoy your stay in India if you are posted there working for a Silicon Valley company, a BPO company, or a start-up, or just taking a break.kamlashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.comBlogger244125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1141129256341416122006-02-28T04:19:00.000-08:002006-02-28T04:20:56.353-08:00I am winding up this blog...Thanks everyone who stopped by and read, and linked to this blog. <br /><br />Happy blogging y'all!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1138161899528206852006-01-24T20:02:00.000-08:002007-01-05T02:48:12.083-08:00<!--<br />google_ad_client = "pub-7828517945214643";<br />google_ad_width = 468;<br />google_ad_height = 60;<br />google_ad_format = "468x60_as";<br />google_ad_type = "text";<br />google_ad_channel = "";<br />google_color_border = "FFFFFF";<br />google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";<br />google_color_link = "0000FF";<br />google_color_text = "000000";<br />google_color_url = "008000";<br /><br /><script type="text/javascript"<br /> src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"><br /></script><br /><br />If you are going to San Francisco you might want to check out the Vedatanta Society building located on Webster Street. Check out how the building looks in this video clip <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SEj9UZnoMpU"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SEj9UZnoMpU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1136933494509728452006-01-10T14:38:00.000-08:002006-01-10T14:51:34.546-08:00According to a news report in <a href="http://ia.rediff.com/money/2006/jan/10jet.htm?q=tp&file=.htm">Rediff</a> Jet Airways buys out Air Sahara. This is an interesting development in the Indian aviation sector, considering that Vijay Mallaya of Kingfisher Airlines was making a fierce bid for Air Sahara. Apparently, Mallaya withdrew from the bidding war, making way for Jet.<br /><br />This acquistion maybe a harbinger of sorts and we can expect to see more action in the domestic aviation sector as well as the International sector. In the past India has been one of the underserved areas in the International aviation sector. The reasons for this state of affairs are numerous and some I suspect had to with protecting the Indian domestic players. But in the past few years things have slowly been moving in a new direction, and we can expect to see more action with the introduction of new technology, planes and players in India. One downside to this growth will be demand for aircraft crew and pilots, and I suspect the Indian aviation industry might face an acute shortage of trained pilots in the near future. The attrition rate of pilots from Indian Airlines and Air India might also increase significantly.<br /><br />I hope that as end-users we don't end up shelling more money for our tickets. And, my other question is if Jet will improve the quality of service on Air Sahara. Sahara planes have a difficult time sticking to their schedule, and are quite inefficient in communicating the arrival and departure of their flight in a timely manner.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1135961267302293952005-12-30T07:25:00.000-08:002005-12-30T08:47:47.380-08:00SMS or Short Messaging Service is the default mode of communication for many cell users. The other default method of communication is the "missed call" phenomenon. The "missed call" is a very interesting trend, and a fascinating one. Talk about eeeking out every paisa from your service provider :-) <br /><br />It is wonderful to see how the world of mobile communication is morping and changing in India. Millions of users have access to mobile phones, and millions of SMS messages fly to and fro between various cell users all over India. Not email, but SMS is the preferred mode of communication. Interestingly there appears to be a limit on the size of the SMS...it is generally about 160 characters. An upshot of the spread of this technology is the new lingo that is being created on the fly. On a personal note, I am sometimes lost when I have to decipher these cryptic SMS messages.<br /><br />The mobile phone has also turned out to be a new medium for advertisers and advertising revenue. It is an economical way to use your advertising money. You can send one message to many users...that is broadcast the message to a huge user base.<br /><br />Besides advertisers, other savvy organizations and institutions have discovered the power of SMS. One such institution are the temples in India, who have discovered the power of technology and telecom to deliver rich media solutions to their clients. There are two temples that appear to be in the forefront of implementing IT solutions to make the whole process of praying and seeking blessings a relatively pain-free and hassle-free process. No more pushing and shoving, and jostling in a tightly packed room. Sit back, relax, have a cup of tea and seek your blessings from the comfort of your living room. Welcome the world of virtual living.<br /><br />Siddhivinayaka Temple at Prabhadevi in Mumbai has a website with all the works. I have passed by this temple numerous times, but have never stepped in.<br /><br />This is a temple that almost everybody in Bombay appears to visit. It is a "must-do" thing for the folks from the entertainment world. The "60 Minutes" interview of Aishwarya Rai was partially shot at this temple. More recently, Abhishek and Jaya Bachchan were seen praying at this temple. Then there is the famous story of the lady who loves everything that starts with "K"...the head of Balaji Productions...her name slips my mind...who walks from her home in Juhu to the temple. And, that is quite a walk.<br /><br />The temple appears to have embraced technology completely. They have an official <a href="http://www.siddhivinayak.org/">website</a>. You can send donations by downloading a form, and those of you who live outside the country, don't worry all your security and firewall concerns have been addressed: there is a special payment gateway to handle your donations. Not only do you have a choice of banks to route your donation, but you also have the option of using your credit card. Note that there is no bank charge for this transaction.<br /><br />No time to go for a puja at the temple? Or live far away and cannot drive or fly down? That is not an issue. You can sit in the comfort of your house, and depending on your Internet connectivity speed, you can watch a live <a href="http://www.siddhivinayak.org/livewebcasting.htm/">webcasting</a>. So, finally I was able to see a bit of live puja through my broadband connection. I no longer feel guilty for not having stepped into the temple. Whew! What a relief! Look Ma, I had a darshan of Ganeshji.<br /><br />The latest feature that the temple has added is SMS. Yes, you can send SMS prayer requests. The temple has teamed with <a href="http://www.mauj.com/">Mauj</a>, mobile games and content provider for the SMS service. The temple's CEO (yes, there is one) mentioned somewhere that they have not advertised this feature to many people, and yet they have got thousands of SMS. Probably the CEO has not heard about the power of word of mouth advertisment in India.<br /><br />Other temples are not being left behind in this race, and are fast adopting and utilizing the latest and greatest technology. (I wonder if some of the temples have an IT department? On second thoughts, I think not. They might have outsourced it.)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.tirumala.org/">Tirupathi</a> in Andhra Pradesh, the temple which is supposed to have crossed the Vatican in its earnings, is also an IT enabled organization compelete with website, edonations, audio and SMS. (When I checked I got an error from their audio page...somebody needs to check on that and fix it.) They don't seem to have live webcasting. The temple has a call center that handles "queries" from people, and the SMS component is another way of reaching out and getting Lord Venkateshwara's blessings. Tirupathi gets about 14-15 million people a year and that is almost the size of the current population of Bombay! No wonder IT is being harnassed to help sort the log jam.<br /><br />Indian temples are not the only ones embracing technologies, other religious institutions appear to be on the same path. In the US, many churches have their own radio station, and if you missed a sermon, you can download and listen the sermon on your iPod. I am sure that mosques, Buddhist temples, Parsee temples, and synagogues and other religious institutions have adapted and adopted similar technologies.<br /><br />As this year draws to an end I am mulling my options. Should I watch the live webcast from Siddhivinayaka and seek virtual blessings, or send an SMS prayer request to Tirupati? I wonder if there is an URL that I can send asking for a particular prayer to be recited for me? (There is a business idea for somebody looking to start one.) Or, do I brave the cold and trek to the nearest temple? Who knows? I might just sleep in after the New Year's celebration.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1135117047725536302005-12-20T14:12:00.000-08:002005-12-20T14:17:27.740-08:00From my various trips to India it sounds like the school structure has undergone quite a bit of change. In fact, it has become quite Americanized. I don’t hear kids talk about quarterly, half-yearly and annual exams. Instead, I hear them discussing about their unit tests, weekly tests and semester exams. Quite a few of them have computer classes from their primary class! By the way, have you seen those mini-suitcases that these kids haul to their classes? The bags these kids carry rival the roll-on carts that I have spotted in various school corridors in Silicon Valley.<br /><br />I also noticed that there is an absence of fear among many of the young students. There is no fear of that dreaded progress report card, and whether that promotion to the next standard has come through.<br /><br />As kids our lives were structured around these dreaded exams and quizzes. These exams were punctuated by well-deserved holidays. Right after quarterly exams we had the Navaratri and Diwali holidays. New clothes, good food and cash gifts from our parents made us happy campers during this festive season.<br /><br />But, all good things have to come to an end, and it was back to school and getting our act together for the half-yearly exams. Our maths teacher who was always behind her schedule would fret about completing x, y, z chapters before the exams, and we would be asked to do extra homework or “sums homework,” as we called them.<br /><br />On the bright side, some of us were able to bunk classes the legit way. The reason? The annual Christmas play and Christmas carols show. I always managed to land a role in the play and was a member of the choir. This was a perfect excuse for me not to attend those dreaded ‘maths” classes, and in the last minute I could be seen busily cramming the formulae without a clue on how to apply them to the problems and solve them!<br /><br />I would be off to the roof or “terrace” of the house to study. And guess what? Every terrace in the neighborhood had kids like me cramming for exams. We could be seen pacing back and forth on the terrace and busy “mugging” and learning things “by heart.” Our parents kept a scorecard by pointing out so and so was up studying in the terrace at such a such a time. Believe me there was a lot of competition and pressure to do well in the exams.<br /><br />The half-yearly exams were typically held in the second-third week of December, and by 20th of December or thereabouts we would have the Christmas Play. Generally the last day of school would be half-a-day, which meant that we could go home by 2 pm or so. For two weeks we had our winter hols, and this was the time for us to goof off. But forces outside our control conspired against us and invariably we would be stuck inside the house.<br /><br />What were these forces? The first was the fact that December was the tail end of the retreating monsoon and the potential for heavy showers and thunderstorms. I am not a rain-person and don’t enjoy sloshing around in the rain- clogged streets. And traveling to our favorite destination Bangalore was out of the question since it was typically very cold during that time of the year. So, we generally did not travel during the month of December at all.<br /><br />The second factor was that December was some kind of “masam” or religious season –the month before Pongal-- when religiosity was its peak. (I don’t remember the exact name for this “masam.”) We would be woken up every morning at 5 am sharp with the muezzin’s call for prayers. I did not need any alarm or wake-up call, the muezzin’s call for prayers was sufficient to wake me up. This was just the beginning of the day. There was more in store for us. Starting at 5.45 am we were subjected to loud Tamil religious songs from various loud-speakers. You could listen to MS, and others sing holy bhajans and other religious songs. And the few times that I stepped out of the house, I vividly recollect our neighbors busy sweeping their front-yards and drawing kolam on the cleaned surface. And mind you it was still dark outside at this time of the year.<br /><br />By 6.15 am the milkman would come with his cows and buffalos and shout, “Ma, pal, ma!” This was a signal for my mother to step out and watch him milk the cow. The goal was there would be no “kalapaddam” or adulteration of the milk. My parents resisted buying the “packet milk” from Aavin for the longest time. We were probably one of the last ones in our block who finally caved and started buying Aavin milk.<br /><br />Unlike in the US, we did not exchange gifts for Christmas. Our biggest treat was New Year’s Eve when we would be allowed to watch TV until midnight. This was the time when Doordarshan had finally started showing programs from other TV channels. What this meant was we could see Surendernath (I think that is his name) the famous Hindi/Rajasthani “hasia kavi,” and other Hindi programs. This is when we got to see a good portion of Hindi programs in Madras.<br /><br />And the day after New Year’s was our last day of hols before school opened on 3rd January.<br /><br />If you cut to the present situation -- many schools have shortened their December hols to just a week. I found out from the kids in my extended family that their schools will stay open until December 24th.<br /><br />And for me hols has become “vacation.” Christmas time means flying home for “hols” for many desis in the USA. I am going off on a vacation to catch some rays and bask in the sun, and not wear all these layers of clothes to ward off the bitter winter of New York.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1135056231969029052005-12-19T21:18:00.000-08:002005-12-19T21:23:51.980-08:00It is past mid-night and the talks between the negotiating parties has broken down, and from all indications it appears that NYC transit strike will be on. And boy that is not good news for folks in NYC and surrounding areas. Millions of people travel to Manhattan from the outer boroughs (Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx ...) and states like New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Some of these folks who use non-MTA transport system maybe lucky, but if they need to use local trains they are screwed.<br /><br />You can read more about the strike, and the latest news in <a href="http://nyc.metblogs.com/"><br />Metroblogging NYC</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1135031649744723512005-12-19T14:15:00.000-08:002005-12-19T14:34:09.816-08:00Like millions of people around the NYC area I am starting to fret if the NY MTA will call a city-wide transit strike. There appears to be no solution in sight between the negotiating parties. The talks continue, and this protracted negotiations are causing a lot of uncertainity and anxiety for commuters. Unless an eleventh hour agreement is arrived and signed, it seems like that this strike may take palce.<br /><br />I am not alone in thinking that this strike will cause a huge traffic jam problem, and generally make peoples life miserable during this holiday season. Everybody needs a little bit of cheering during this cold, gloomy and cheerless winter season in New York! (People, sunshine is a rare commodity during winter months.) <br /><br />I believe that after Thanksgiving, Christmas time travelling is one of the busiest times of the year. Can you imagine the thousands of passengers who have to make alternative arrangements to get to the airports, bus stations, and train stations? I shudder to think how badly packed the roads will be to LaGuardia and JFK, and to the various train stations starting from Penn to Grand Central! And now imagine all those tourists and people coming to NYC to celebrate their Christmas and New Year. They might end up being stranded for long at the airports waiting for a ride to go their homes, hotels, hostels or friend's house. There are only so many taxis and limos and vans in the city that can ferry people over. This is going to be a nightmare!<br /><br />I am keeping my fingers crossed, and hoping that this matter with the NYC transit system is sorted out, and not left unresolved like this. This uncertainity about whether the NYC transit strike will happen today, tomorrow, or next week causes anxiety, stress and uncertainity for a millions of commuters who don't need this at this time of the year.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1134973738143504242005-12-18T21:54:00.000-08:002005-12-19T07:10:56.130-08:00It was with shock and horror I read about the awful tragedy of Prathiba, a BPO employee who was raped and murdered in Bangalore. <a href="http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=84118&amp;headline=Bangalore~BPO~staffer~raped,~murdered/">Read here for the story from Indian Express</a>.<br /><br />And I got thinking to see if there was a technology that is instantly available for companies to track the drivers that provide transportation and logistics services to these firms that work round the clock. Typically third party vendors provide these transporation services to the IT and BPO companies. This unfortunate incident could have been avoided if some kind of tracking techology had been installed to track the movement of the vehicles and their drivers.<br /><br />I researched on the Internet and found out that there are companies in India that have an instant and off-the shelf solution available to track the drivers of these cars. Among others, there are two companies: <a href="http://www.mobiapps.com/">Mobiapps</a> and <a href="http://www.mobiance.com/">Mobiance</a> that provide a tracking service appear to be a good fit.<br /><br />Mobiapps offers a traditional GPS solution that requires a tracking device be installed in the vehicle to track the movement of the vehicle and its driver. From what I can gather Mobiapps requires a chip in a device that can help in the tracking of vehicles. This might be an expensive proposition since a special device needs to be installed in every vehicle to track its movements.<br /><br />Mobiance, on the other hand, uses something called location-based services. It appears that they use the location of the mobile phones to track the movements of the mobile phone user. So, this appears like a feature -based service that a telco or wireless provider offers to their end-users. This technology does not need a chip or a special GPS device to be installed in the vehicle. Therefore this might be an economical solution that can be instantly deployed by the transporation and logistics provider to the IT and BPO companies.<br /><br />Since there are technologies available to track the movement of the vehicles and their drivers, it only seems logical that BPO and IT companies make it compulsory to install such a service in all their cars. There are thousands of female workers that work round the clock in various IT and BPO companies, and every step must be taken to protect their lives.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1134971657238781462005-12-18T20:42:00.000-08:002005-12-18T21:54:17.283-08:00Whenever I am in Bangalore my nieces and nephews know that there is a trip to the bookstore in store for them. This has become a ritual and the kids shamelessly question how much I intend to give each one of them to buy their books and CDs in the bookstore. They have the option of going to Gangaram’s or Landmark at Forum Mall.<br /><br />How times have changed since I was a kid growing up in Madras. We had limited options and lending libraries were our main source for reading new books and comics.<br /><br />As kids buying books was a treat, and we got a monthly allowance to buy whatever favorite comics or storybooks, or novels we wanted. I remember our monthly trips to Higginbotham’s on Mount Road, or the bookstore in Pondy Bazar. And when I was a little older I learnt how to buy books at the famous Moore Market (which is long gone), or the pavement book vendors on Mount Road. The one exception to this routine is when we traveled out of station when we would get a special treat and could buy books at the railway station or on our way to the airport.<br /><br />I remember how my siblings and I would pool our money and buy Amar Chitra Katha, Classic Comics, Phantom, Tarzan, Secret Seven and Famous Five. These comics would then be bound with a nice shiny red leather (rexine would be a better description) with gold embossed letters, and these were then lent to our neighbors and friends, and in return we got to read new books and comics that they owned.<br /><br />But, none of us had access to Archies, Little Lotta, Sad Sack, Richie Rich, Commondos, Star and other American comics. These were very expensive to buy and therefore this was not a high priority "buy" item for us. But there were a few lucky friends who had access to these comics via their aunt or uncle in "foreign" who got them these glossy comics. But for the rest of us who could not get these comics we had a different source. This is when the famous lending libraries of Madras played a crucial role in our lives, and I am guessing it played a similar role in many thousands of other people's life in Madras. To get our regular fix of these comics we would go to the local lending libraries where for a couple of rupees we would rent these comics to read. The goal was to read them as fast as possible, pass them on to our friends. In return we got the books and comics that they had borrowed. This pooling of resources meant that we got to read quite a whole range of comics and books.<br /><br />There were quite a few famous libraries that we would travel every week to get our stash of books. There was Pick and Choose, Ramona’s, Raviraj, Perfect Lending (I think that is what it was called) and a bunch of neighborhood libraries that were essentially dives whose walls were lined with bookshelves.<br /><br />Pick and Choose on Thirumalai Pillai Road was the place to go for all the American comics, and later on novels by James Hadley Chase, Mario Puzo, Sidney Sheldon, and not to forgot those staple novels Mills and Boon, Barbara Cartland and Georgette Heyer. And if you knew the owner of the library then you got first divs on the new comics and books. These new editions would be kept in the drawer and given to you as a special favor. <br /><br />Ramona Lending Library on Nugambakkam High Road near Sterling Road was another hot favorite. The stern looking Punjabi gentleman (or was he Sindhi?) maintained strict record-keeping of his inventory, and nothing escaped his eagle eyes. I remember as an unsmiling and strict looking guy who never played favorites. Every book that was borrowed from the library was entered in neat-bird-like scratch into these huge ledgers. Each member had a couple of pages devoted to their activity in this ledger. The only time Dame Luck smiled on you was when the stern-looking gentleman’s wife took over the running of the library for the day. And, believe you me this was a rare thing. <br /><br />The third one in the library pantheon was Raviraj Lending Library on Usman Road, next to Panagal Park and opposite Thangamaligai. Every time anybody from our house went to buy sabzi at Panagal Park, we would get a life to the library. This was a 2-storeyed library and had wonderful books, and the best part was that the library's lending charges were the most economical. What that meant was that a rupee would go a long way.<br /><br />Besides these three libraries there were other sources for getting books. This was the circle of friends in our schools who would get books from their respective neighborhood libraries, and naturally we had access to more titles. <br /><br />As we grew older the pressure to read and return the books increased enormously. I believe that is the reason that many of us developed the habit of speed reading and instant and on the fly book reviews. From middle school onwards when Mills and Boons, James Hadley Chase, Agatha Christy and others entered our lives, we would get peer-reviews. Essentially this heuristic device helped us navigate the wonderful world of books. Remember that we had no Internet access, and no Amazon reviews to look up before buying a book.<br /><br />As we grew older the kinds of libraries we visited also changed. Slowly we ventured to the British Council or BC, and the USCIS on Mount Road. This is where we got to read Punch, The Economist, The Sunday Times, and a host of wonderful new authors like the Durrell Brothers, Catherine Cookson, Evelyn Waugh, Victoria Holt, and watch films and videos. It was at the USCIS that I first saw videos of Alistair Cooke, and ABC News hosted by Peter Jennings.<br /><br />Somewhere along the way we got introduced to the concept of mobile library, where magazines were delivered to your doorstop for a small feel. This was a wonderful concept that allowed us greater access to a whole range of magazines that were otherwise expensive to buy. Basically you got to keep the magazines for a day or two, and then got a new set of magazines.<br /><br />Later on in my travels I discovered that this concept of lending library was a quaintly Madras thing. Yes, there were other cities that had lending libraries and their share of BC and USCIS, but I do not think many of them had the range of lending libraries that Madras had.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1134750204859435112005-12-16T08:22:00.000-08:002005-12-16T08:23:24.873-08:00Growing up in Madras, (I have a hard time calling it Chennai...I grew up in "Madras, Nalla Madras" as MGR or vadiyar would sing in his movies) we used the trusty Pallavan Transport (the Madras equivalent of BEST) to ferry us across town. It was not until high school or Plus Two that I got to use this well-run bus system. But not using the bus system did not preclude me from listening to my classmates interesting bus journeys when they took the bus back and forth from the school.<br /><br />In a vicarious way I got to know the various routes, the bus driver and the conductors, and had already created little mental maps of each character. Years later these mental constructs helped me identify the various characters when I started using the bus system. That is when these characters morphed into real people. With his brown leather bag tucked under their arm-pit, the conductor would jauntily stand on the top step of the bus, and check to see if the commuters had their passes, and would go down the aisle to help people buy their tickets. (New Delhi is the exact opposite. The conductor sits at his appointed seat and refuses to budge. Since the aisles were very narrow in New Delhi buses, often people were unable to buy their tickets, and get a free ride! You could spot the newbie on the bus by their bewildered expressions when they got pushed around by people.)<br /><br />I digressed. Back to the Pallavan transportation. Bus number 10 had a driver who spoke "Sen Thamizh," or pure Tamil and would quote couplets from Tiruvalluvar. I believe ths was the bus where the conductor would not let you board unless you wore footwear. “Kal anni yenggai?” (Where is your footwear he would question). Bus number 9's conductor was a kind and gentle person, who always stopped the bus for his passengers. You always got a seat on this bus. Bus Number 42 had a grumpy conductor, who always screamed at people. But it was bus number 25c that fascinated me the most. This was the bus route that held the most interesting stories for me. There were a bunch of girls who used the bus, and would always talk about their bus conductor, and the rest of us would listen with rapt attention. These stories were recounted during our hour-long lunch breaks.<br /><br />Bus number 25c ran on Kodambakkam and Nugumbakkam High Road (actually this used to be a narrow 2-lane road, and not a highway by any stretch of imagination). And the conductor of this particular bus was a carbon copy (or attai copy as they say in Tamil) of Superstar Rajnikanth, fondly referred to as "Rajni," by his fans. This guy sported the same haircut and moustache, and delivered dialogues just like him. Now, this was the height of the Rajnikanth phase in Madras (the height of Rajni's fame continued to grow, and still persists today). There were two camps in school: The Rajni camp and the Kamalahassan (or is it Kamal Hassan, he changed the spelling of his name when he started acting in Hindi films) camp, and in my school the Rajni camp won hands down.<br /><br />Rajni was the Superstar, the hero for many of my classmates. "Ayyo Rajni padam," squealed this particular girl every time she passed by one of those gigantic hoardings on the road. She would even scream at posters that were stuck on walls with "Stick No Bills," labeled right on top of these kaleidoscopic posters. (I guess the huge billboard still stands outside Woody's bang opposite the US Consulate. And there are similar hoarding opposite Safire cinema must still be there. I am sure there are a lot of changes now). <br /><br />Now, this particular gang that traveled on 25c consisted of Rajni fans, nay worshippers, who saw every movie of his. Weekends were spent watching his movie in a theatre. They would even bunk school to go and buy the ticked in advance for the opening day show. So it was like a dream come true for many of them to take this bus 25C to school with the faux Rajni. Because of the timings of the bus these girls were routinely late for school and assembly. (We started our day with Assembly. It was compulsory to attend Assembly. Students would take turns to play "Chopsticks" until the regular piano teacher came and we sang our hymns). <br /><br />The Rajni gang got away with coming late for school for quite some time. They would delay their departure home to take that particular bus with that particular conductor. Many would stay behind after class and participate in extra curricular activities just so they could take the 5.30 pm bus, whose conductor was the Rajni look-alike. <br /><br />But in life all good things come to an end sometime or the other and my classmates luck ran out. They were forced to abandon their late bus just so they could reach school on time. Apparently, their late arrival was noticed by the "Princy," who recommended that stern warnings be issued to the group about their late arrival. Instead of taking their favorite bus with their favorite conductor they were reduced to taking an earlier bus. And, this bus could not have been anything close to their previous bus. This was a “Ladies Special,” bus which had a very kind and low-keyed conductor, and not anything like the next bus that had the dashing faux Ranji. I don't know if they have still run these Ladies Special buses in Madras, but this was a great concept and many of us felt safe taking this bus.<br /><br />Finally, when I started using the Pallavan Transport I chose the safe and non-threatening ladies bus. But in my later years I did manage to catch a glimpse of the Rajni look-alike conductor in bus number 25c. And, yes he was an "attai copy," of the Superstar. I also got to travel on bus number 9 and heard the conductor speak chaste Tamil.<br /><br />A few years ago, on a visit to Madras I took a bus for old time's sake. I chose to ride a late afternoon bus to take me to the British Council in Mount Road. It was a harrowing experience and did not leave pleasant memories. I have since learnt that sometimes it is best not to re-create past memories. Everything changes, and the only thing that has not changed is your memory/is of the place or event, and that can never be re-created. That is why memories acquire a romantic and rosy tinge as years go by.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1134746365330338282005-12-16T07:15:00.000-08:002005-12-16T07:19:25.343-08:00The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has called for a partial strike involving private bus lines. What this means is that we get to use the subways and buses for today and the weekend. The MTA has set a new deadline for next Tuesday. We will have to wait and see.<br /><br />I think many people, including me, will probably end up using "Gyarah Number Bus" ...use our legs to transport us across town.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1134696782754598492005-12-15T16:50:00.000-08:002005-12-15T17:54:09.960-08:00New Yorkers depend on their trusty network of subways and buses to get around this huge and well-organized city of grids. Using the efficient and dependable network of subways and trains they get to different parts of New York within minutes. But, it looks like this trusty transportation system is going to come to a grinding halt.<br /><br />New Yorkers are gearing up for a major public transportation disruption on Friday, December 16, 2005. Starting at 12.01 am on Friday, trains and buses in the city may come to a grinding halt. And going by news reports the chances of a settlement being reached between the transporation workers and the government appear slim.<br /><br />The reason for the disruption is that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) contract with the city government comes to an end and they want a new contract with new terms. The 34,000 members of MTA will go on strike even though technically public employees cannot go on a strike. The last time MTA went on a strike was in 1980 and that went for 10 or 11 days and cost over $1 billion to the state.<br /><br />If the MTA goes on strike over 7 million people will be hit by this strike. Imagine that is almost half the population of Bombay, and imagine if the trains and BEST went on strike in Bombay. You can picture the kind of impact of such a strike would have on the people of Bombay. Now, factor in the cold weather in New York city, and it is going to be tough and miserable to walk those long blocks to get to work. The wind chill factor alone is enough to deter me from stepping out and walk the streets of New York. The Bombay equivalent of this weather factor would be the relentless monsoon rains.<br /><br />Having had ample notice about the impending strike New Yorkers have turned to the web to arrange for their transportation. The ride share page of Craigslist is filled with over 100 + postings with people asking for <a href="http://newyork.craigslist.org/rid/">ride shares</a> here.<br /><br />Others like the <a href="http://www.zipcar.com/">Zipcar</a> sent out an email offering free shuttle service for their commuters. Here is what they had to say:<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">On Friday, December 16th, from 7:30am to 7pm, we will be offering freerides to and from downtown. Designated pickup spots are located on theEast and West sides of Manhattan. Just look for the Zipcar employees and banners.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">The shuttles will be picking up and dropping off at the followinglocations: -</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">Upper West Side: H&H Bagels (80th &amp; Broadway) to WTC -Upper East Side: H&H Bagels (80th &amp; 2nd Ave) to City Hall-Grand Central Station: 42nd &amp; Lexington to City Hall-Penn Station: 31st and 7th Avenue to WTC(We would have loved to offer the shuttle service to the folks inBrooklyn and Queens, but due to traffic restrictions on the bridges weare unable to do so. Sorry!)</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">Of course, you can also be dropped off between the pickup and drop offlocations if your destination is on the way.And, hey, if there is no strike, we'll still be offering free ridesduring the morning commute from these locations so come by and takeadvantage! </span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">Happy Zipping!</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"></span></em><br />The city has recommended that High Occupancy Vehicles (sounds like high networth individuals) have at least four occupants travelling in the vehicle if they use a highway or a bridge. The city has also devoted some space on its website for contingency planning. You can check that out <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/transitinfo/html/home.shtml/">here</a>.<br /><br />Others like About.com have also pitched with suggestions for commuters on how to plan for alternate travel plans. You can read about it <a href ="http://manhattan.about.com/">here</a>.<br /><br />The timing of the MTA strike could have another economic impact on the city and the state and that is the holiday retail earnings will be badly hit. The last few days before Christmas is one of the busiest shopping days, and that is when major retailers rake in a good percentage of their profits.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1134351844371467612005-12-11T16:42:00.000-08:002005-12-11T17:44:04.436-08:00A couple of recent news articles on India caught my eyes. The first one mentioned that the Fast Moving Consumer Goods, or FMCG as they are fondly called, is back on an upward trend and the figures for the month of October underscores this recovery. The second piece of news from Associated Press said that the number of Internet users in India is currently about 38.5 million users. This number is expected to double in the next couple of years, and one indication of that is in the explosive growth of cyber cafes or cybers or Internet cafes. In 2001 there were 18,000 such cyber cafes reports the AP, and it is expected that by this year end there will be more than 100,000 of these cafes. The report also pointed out that online shopping is on the rise in India.<br /><br />There are various other statistics available about the retail sector, the real estate sector, automotive sector and other sectors. In each one of these sectors the arrow is pointing upwards, and each of these sectors is poised to grow in the next couple of years. These stastics are tidy numbers that neatly packages to help us understand the macro picture. If you disaggregate the strands and look at the reality on ground, what you see is a vibrant consumer culture. Consumers in India are going through a phase of discovery of new products, goods, services and slowly as the market matures this will be followed by consumer delight.<br /><br />I was lucky enough to see the real picture in various parts of India because of my year long stay in various parts of the country. It was fascinating and absorbing to see how people's behaviour was being moulded and changed on the fly with each passing week. Viral marketing is at its best in India, and word of mouth acts as the best form of advertisement for new products and goods. This is true whether it is young school going kids, young adults, or home-makers.<br /><br />Take cell phones for instance. India has one of the fastest growing markets in the world in this sector, and each month thousands of new cell phone users are added. Cell phones have become so common that many have more than one. While living in Bombay, we had to get our airconditioner serviced and got the recomendation of one from our general contractor Mr. Mistry. Mr. Mistry was the handyman for the building and could get you a carpenter, a plumber, a driver, or anybody else you needed to fix a problem in your apartment. Ram Saran, the airconditioner technician, who was an independent contractor, called on my cell phone and fixed a time-slot to come to our place. He took a look at the airconditioner, quoted a price, and got working. Within minutes of his arrival his cell phone went off, and after a couple of minutes, another cell phone went off, and I saw him pull a third one out to check an SMS. I was taken back, and wondered what logic dictated his posession of three cell phones?<br /><br />When there was a lull in his cell phone conversation, I asked Ram Saran to explain why he had three cell phones? And his answer was simple. "Two phones are for business purpose. I only receive incoming calls in them. All incoming calls are free. I cannot afford to loose business, and if my first cell phone is busy then customers can call me on my second phone. And my third phone is for personal calls. I buy pre-paid card for Rs. 200 and use it to keep in touch with my family."<br /><br />DVDs, CDs, VCS etc are a must-buy item for any family in India. Did not get to see the latest film? No problem, wait a few weeks and you get the film on a VCD for Rs. 150-200, and you can sit in the leisure of your home and watch it on a big-screen TV. I do not have the figures for the sales of these goods, but I would guess that the growth rates must be pretty high judging by the amount of money people spend on them. It is not uncommon to come across people who have huge libraries of their favorite DVD/VCD collection. Young school going children swap VCDs and DVDs of the latest games. When I go to India my young nephews let me know that they are not intrested in anything from the USA. Instead, they want me to give them their gift money so that they can buy a game of their choice in India. And between them they have a respectable collection of games and are always on the prowl to buy the latest title. Mind you, they do not have access to the Internet to gather the latest information. But what they have instead is access to instant information through their friends network.<br /><br />Homes. Perhaps one of the biggest discoveries that I discovered is in the home furnshing and decor segment. Many people set aside a sizeble budget to buy furniture and other accessories for their homes. Quite a bit of money is also spent in upgrading the kitchen. People no longer want just a counter top with the stove. There is growing demand for modular kitchen cabinets, marble top counters, bigger capacity fridge, microwaves etc. When I spoke to a couple of kitchen cabinet outfits in Bombay and Bangalore they mentioned that they are unable to keep pace with the demand, but consumers are willing to wait to get their kitchen outfitted. The budget for kitchens start from the low thousands and goes up to a few lakhs. "A good, well-fitted modular kitchen adds to the re-sale value of my apartment," pointed out a home-maker in Bangalore, who was busy doing comparison shopping of various vendors.<br /><br />Cars and scooters. The four-wheeler and two-wheeler sector is going through a boom, and this is evident in the crowded streets of various cities and towns of India. This is also evident in the huge automotive shows rooms that have become a fixture of many cities and towns of India. This is also evident in the attractive loan and interest rates offered by many banks. Recently, when Maruti introduced an upgraded version of their small passenger car called "Swift," demand outstripped supply. People who booked their orders in June/July could pick up their cars only in Oct/Nov time-frame in some cities. Recently a friend bought a Swift in Bangalore but pulling considerable strings with the dealer. SUVs or vehicles that look like SUVs is proliferating. You have the Tata Sumos, Toyota Qualis and Innova, Mahindra's Scorpio etc that cost anywhere from Rs. 6 lakhs (roughly about S12,000) and upwards.<br /><br />Perhaps the biggest delight is in the new shopping malls that are popping all over the Indian landscape from Dehradun to Hubli, from Nagpur to Bhubaneshwar. It is impossible to get your foot in the door in any of these malls during the weekend, when people are packed like sardines in a can, but are happy to go about in their discovery of new perfumes, books, clothes, footwear etc. <br /><br />The story is the same across the board in India. One of the most interesting changes was in the cinema halls. Gone are the old multiplexes. Instead, there are new ones with the latest technology. Take the PVR chain of theatres for instance. They have segregated their movie theatres into different classes like Gold, Europa etc. For instance for Rs. 500 a pop you can get to sit in a plush lazy-boy kind of chair in an exclusive theature in the Gold Class category. Before the movie starts you are presented a menu, and can order for food worth about Rs. 1450 from your seat. You can either order the ordinary popcorn, or choose to have a nice hearty soup or a slice of pizza. The steep price has not proved to be a barrier. People are willing to fork out the money for once in a life time experience.<br /><br />This phenomenon is not confined just to the large cities, but can be found in other bigger cities and towns. An interesting development has been the market for second-hand goods. When our neighbour in Bangalore recently bought a new fridge and a cooking range, their domestic help offered to buy their old fridge and cooking range from them. "It is easier for me to cook and store the food in the fridge for a couple of days during the weekday," explained Parvathi, who bought the second-hand fridge and the stove.<br /><br />While many researchers and analysts harp on India's IT and BPO industry, I belive the real story and growth is in the nascent retail and consumer market in India. This is where the real growth and money is.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1134252965580628552005-12-10T14:07:00.000-08:002005-12-10T14:16:05.590-08:00Many of you may have read Amy Waldman's four-part series in last week's New York Times about the roads in India and its socio-economic impact on the society. If you have not had a chance to read it, please do so. It makes for some fascinating reading, and those who criticize forget that it took an American to travel the length and breadth of India to write this fascinating account.<br /><br />Waldman has answered readers questions online and you can read about it <a href="//http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/09/international/asia/09indiaq.html?8dpc/">here</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1134140342282554372005-12-09T06:45:00.000-08:002005-12-09T06:59:02.316-08:00I do not want to crow in delight, but I did gaze into my crystal ball in Septemeber 2004 and predicted that the day is not too far way when Bangalore will be re-christened as Bengaluru. Going by the current political debate it appears that the city will undergo a name change in the near future. It will be interesting to watch the developments unfold, and see if there is any kind of debate on this, or if will be a unilateral decision from the powers that be.<br /><br />While we are on this name changing trend, I have a suggestion. Let us all change our names and go back to the original spelling. So, for instance if I lived in South India my name would be prounced as "Kamlah" the middle syllable will be stressed. But, if I lived in the North, my name would be spelt differenly and the first syllable would be stressed. How do we resolve these regional differences?<br /><br />I wonder which city is going to change its name next? Kanpur maybe? Remember how the British spelt it? Cawnpore? I wonder if the original name of the city is Kaunpur? Similarly, Lucknow may undergo a change and you might see it spelt as Lakhnav, or something approximating it.<br /><br />Maybe we should change the name of India itself. Why India, which is derived from the word "Sindh" or "Hind" (depending which theory you subscribe). I know, I know many refer to it as Bharat, but maybe we should find a neutral name for the country? Instrestingly, the Chinese still refer to Indians as "Indhus" or "Hindhus" in their language...be it Mandarin, Cantonese, Hakka or any other Chinese dialect. That is how people from India were historically referred to by the Chinese and the word has passed from one century to the next.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1134139379073979652005-12-09T06:42:00.000-08:002005-12-09T06:42:59.090-08:00'Fess up. Anytime you plan a trip to India the first thought that you get is all that home-cooked food you can get to eat. And invariably the first comment you will get from other desis is, "Aacha khana milega. You lucky guy..."<br /><br />Never mind if you are a student, a home-maker, a programmer or an executive...food dominates your thoughts when you are visiting India. And have you noticed how many of us start nit-picking the minute we board the aircraft and comment on our plate of Indian food? To be fair, the quality of Indian food has improved vastly and is palatable, but no that is not sufficient for us...we still crave for the best.<br /><br />So, the minute you hit your hometown your mom would have prepared all your favorite breakfast, lunch and dinner food items. This is in stark contrast to your hurried breakfast, lunch and dinner of cereal, sandwiches, soups and TV dinners. Yes, you might cook every other day, but it is not the same as food cooked in India. The food does not same the same when you pull it out of the freezer, nuke it and then eat it. There is something missing there, but over time you get used to it, and live a compromised existence.<br /><br />Besides home-cooked food, you probably are eager to hit your circuit of "food addas" for your favorite dishes. <br /><br />Now, that long preamble sets the stage to describe my tryst with food when I was in India for two weeks. So, while in Bombay I finally made it to the famous Trishna Seafood restaurant tucked away right behind Rythm House in Kala Ghoda. The food is very good and one of the reasons for this is that the dishes are totally smothered in butter, a forbidden food item for many of us. Of course, kulfi was a must. There were no questions asked when we were prompted for desserts. We made sure we had room for that delectable and sinfully rich kulfi.<br /><br />I was also lucky this time to be able to visit the Ripon Club, a Parsi club, where I got to taste a typical Parsi chicken dish (the names escapes my mind at the moment), and a scrambled egg dish that consisted of haldi and tons of kothmir. This club is also located in Kala Ghoda and is about 135 years old. Of course kulfi reared its head again as the dessert of choice. Need I say more? We were all yea sayers, and guiltily spooned the rich concoction into our mouths. We were each stealing furtive glances to see if the other person was demolishing the dessert with the same speed. What do you think?<br /><br />While in South Bombay I made a foray into Parsi Diary Farm, a 100-year old institution that still makes sweet-meats (remember that word?). But, the difference is that most of the mithai makers are from Rajasthan. Besides mithai, they also sell Kulfi (I decided to pass on it) yogurt, flavored milk and regular milk. I picked up some mithai like lagan nu laddoo and some gooey looking jalebis and nibbled on them throughout the day. The trusty bottle of that hand sanitizer proved to be useful to clean my hands and greedily reach out for another small bite of jalebi.<br /><br />While in Bombay, I make it a point to have a Gujarati thali. Nothing comes close to a Gujarati thali with its endless katorees (cups) of sabzi, dhal and other preparations. If you can wrangle a home-cooked meal from a friend that is the best thing, or else there is the Thakker Club. No, it is not a club, but an old, established eating joint located behind Marine Lines in South Bombay. The food in this place is heavenly, and people swarm to your table eager to fill your constantly depleting plate of food. Rivers of ghee flow from the chapattis, and the mithai is out of the world. The shrikhand and other sweetmeat simply melt in your mouth.<br /><br />I was lucky to also have some Guajarati khana at a friend’s place while I was in Bombay. I love the whole ritual of eating out of a Guajarati thali, and of course the ghee is constantly dripping off their famously thin rotis. (In the US one of the best places that serves a good Guajarati thali is “Jai Bharat” in Artesia, Los Angeles. They make the best rotla sag, and thepla, and other Gujarati dishes. They also maintain a pretty clean kitchen.)<br /><br />I have an incredibly sweet tooth and have been known to travel long distances for the right mithai. Bombay, I discovered, does not have any good mithai shops. Yes, I know I got mithai from Parsi Diary, but that was out of nostalgia than for the quality of the mithai. It gave me an opportunity to talk to the interesting folks at the shop. Yes, there is also the Tiwari mithaiwallah in Juhu and somewhere in South Bombay too, but the sweets were disappointing. So, I was really looking forward to my one-day trip to New Delhi where I had carved out a couple of hours to go to Bengali Sweets and Nathu Sweets near Barakhamba Road. Both these places held fond memories for me of having spent many summer and winter evenings eating a plate of gajjar halwa or ras malai, and then packing a bunch of gulab jamuns for my friends who were unable to make this long trek from South Delhi. <br /><br />As we were driving down Barakhamba Road and made our way towards the two sweet shops I had visions of being torn between which mithai I need to choose and take with me. I made a quick sortie into Bengali sweets, and then changed my mind and darted across to Nathus. Sure, I was torn between all the different mithai and had a hard time choosing. The one thing that I find common in most mithai shops is the changing nature of the mithai itself. Now, many of these sweets resemble French pastry complete with that cherry on top. And some resemble a white version of Godiva chocolates since they are shaped and molded like those bite-sized chocolates. All this is very confusing for me, when all I want is some good old mithai that is full of flavor. , I am never sure how these new-fangled sweets will taste. I stuck to buying kalakandh, raj bog, something called a nut halwa, and ghujiya. My eyes popped out when I noticed the ghujiya, which is a sweet associated with Holi, and I quickly ordered some gujiyas. <br /><br />So, armed with my bundle of sweets, or should I say my bundle of joy, I happily stepped out of the shop into the car. Well, folks the sweets were a bit disappointing. The ghujiya did not measure up to my taste buds...it was missing something, and that was the burst of flavors of khoya when you bit into the ghujiya. Instead, the filling was some indescribable thing…that is no words exists in my vocabulary to describe the taste. The kalakndh was also a disappointment. Nobody seems to be using the real things when making mithai. There is maida and other items included in the preparation that robs the sweet of its essence.<br /><br />So, my quest for good mithai provided to be not that successful in either Bombay or New Delhi. And, my last hope was Bangalore, which is a foodies paradise. People of this city have always been food lovers and I remember as a child going to various restaurants in Bangalore. You see going out to eat in Madras was not the done thing when I was growing up. Most of the cafes and coffee-houses catered to male clients, and I am still not sure why. But, we were allowed to pack our food and bring it home. And, god forbid if I stepped into a military hotel in Madras for a bite of their food, all hell would break loose. The only exception was the Nair chai kadai, where a gang of us would descend to have that famous meter coffee or tea. The other exception to eating out was the old Woody's and the new Woody’s. The old Woody’s was a drive-in place where the waiter came and fixed a steel-tray to the car window, and your ordered your idlis and dosas and had piping hot filter coffee.<br /><br />I digressed. Back to Bangalore, which has eating joints everywhere you look. There is the traditional South Indian fare, and there is the more exotic Chinese, Japanese, Korean and now Italian food. In-between these categories is that all encompassing category of multi-cuisine food. Of course while I am in Bangalore my sorties to restaurants diminishes quite dramatically since I get to eat home-cooked food of idlis, dosas, rotis, dal and sabzi, and kheer, my all-time favorite dessert. However that does not preclude me from doing some window-shopping, and buying some mithai.<br /><br />Interestingly some of the better mithai is available in Bangalore. Even a regular food store like Sunday to Monday (I am not sure of the exact name) has a mithai counter and they sell some really nice mithai. And, of course there is Krishna Sweets with its piping hot Mysore pak and Sri Mithai with its kalakandh and sandesh, and KC Das with its chenna preparations. You can get some really nice kheer kadom and mishti dhoi at KC Das that has outlets in almost all the major areas in Bangalore. <br /><br />I also lucked out while on a hurried trip to Malleswaram to stumble upon an old sweet and savory store run by a bright-eyed, alert and clean-shaven Tamilian, who was so happy to hear me prattling away in Tamil. Malleswaram is what is described by many as old Bangalore complete with narrow roads, small and crowded shops and no parking spots. This old, sparsely-stocked store had a wonderful name "Love Luck," and is located on Sampangi Street. The store had a single 60 watt bulb illuminating the room, and neatly stacked on the counter were plastic bags filled with murukku, cheddai, adarsams, appalams, and nylon mixture. And it was here that I got my cache of adarsams, chikkis, and other South Indian sweet meats. Along with that I also got some murukkus, adai, and mixture. <br /><br />Now that I am away from India, I am rationing my cache of mithais, mixture and murukkus, but unfortunately it is a loosing proposition. Better sense does not seem to prevail, and often we find ourselves gorging on these "bakshanams" or tiffin items, and the rate at which the food is diminshing I suspect we will be out of our cache by this weekend. Blame it on the snow and the cold that make us prisoners in our own home and we are reduced to consuming cups, and cups of adrak chai (not that weak concoction that Starbucks sells as chai) and of course you need something to chew when you sip your Brooke Bond tea. As I notice the diminishing food supply, my mind is buys plotting on when I can make another trip to India to stock up on food, and eat some good home-cooked meals.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1134068984921345112005-12-08T10:30:00.000-08:002005-12-08T11:09:45.003-08:00This axiom hold true for every observer, whether you are an NRI, or somebody returning to their native village, or a city where you grew up....when you are away from a familiar place for an extended period of time, your eyes tend to look at the changes that have taken place. Your mind does a "diff" of what was before and what exists now, and the resulting delta tends to be interesting. And, it is this delta that you tend to look at, marvel about, and talk about. Talking about change does not mean that you are looking down on somebody or a society. Talking about change helps you understand and marvel how change occurs, and in what direction it occurs etc. etc. <br /><br />Looking at the changing face of airports in India makes me nostalgic and reminds me of a different time and period growing up in India. <br /><br />When I was a kid we used to refer to airports as aerodomes and planes as aeroplanes, and our dad would always point out the hangar where the planes would be parked...Fokker Friendships, DC10 etc. There was only one airline: Indian Airlines with its white and orange colors. Aiports in those days used to be sparsely populated, and you barely had any intense security checkings like the kind you have now. Today, you have to go through about 3-4 security checks before you are allowed to board the plane. In those days you boarded the plane by walking upto the plane and climbing the stairs where you would be greeted by a smiling air hostess with a namaste. When you deplaned, the air hostess would bid you farewell with a smile and a namaste, and you walked down the steps and walked across to the aerodome. <br /><br />All that has changed with the changing economy with India firmly established in the emerging or developing economy category. People please note that the old world collapsed with the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. It is no longer kosher to refer to countries as first, second and third world. Those terms are meaningless since they referred to the cold war world order with the capitalist and communist camp with the iron curtain firmly in place in Eastern Europe. So do yourselves a favor and refer to India as an emerging economy. Yes, for those nay sayers Communism is still alive and kicking, but the cold war world order with two super-powers does not exisit any more. Those who refer to India as a third world country are doing the country a big disservice.<br /><br />Getting back to airports. Today, the airports are crowded with loads of passengers waiting in the terminal with a fleet of aircrafts crowding the tarmac. It is somewhat of a high pressure situation to travel by plane in India. Sometimes, it takes longer to reach the airport, complete the formality and board the plane. Compounding the situation is the fact that proper announcements are never made for boarding aircrafts. You are reduced to asking your neighbour if the announcement for fligth so and so has been made. <br /><br />Is it only me, or have others noticed how the buses that ferry you to the aircraft merrily honk away? The first time I heard a driver honk I jumped out of my skin since it was such an unexpected sound, but now I have gotten used to it. But, there are always other surprises in stores. Like the last time I was in Bangalore airport, we nearly got run over by a jet taxing to its spot. The bus driver was happily driving us to the plane, when he suddenly spotted an aircraft heading his way. He tried to reverse the bus, but there was barely any room for him to back up. So, we all watched open-mouthed (luckily no mosquities or flie got into our open mouths) as the plane turned and made its way to its spot. The wing span was barely a few meters from the plane!<br /><br />Here is a tip for those who are planning to visit India. One of the best airlines to fly is Jet,and you can get good rates when you book online, especially if you use Indian Rupees. For some strange reason everybody in India thinks that people who live outside the country are rolling in money and can afford to pay a whole lot more. I hear that KingFisher is also a pretty good airlines. Deccan and Sahara I am told do not serve food on their flights, and they are perpetually late. Deccan probably takes the cake and I have had personal experience of having to wait for hours for a flight to land. And, their ground staff and flight information is sub-par. Indian Airlines has spruced up its act, and you can get some really good fares when you fly off-peak hours. Off-peak is generally from 10 am to 3-4 pm.<br /><br />One of the reasons that air travel has taken off in such a big way is that the price difference between travelling by train and plane has become insignificant. This is especially the case if you are travelling a/c 2nd class or a/c chair car on some routes. It is perhaps far more economical to fly than take the train.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1133970834918672182005-12-07T07:17:00.000-08:002005-12-07T07:53:54.930-08:00The last time I used Bombay's domestic airport was in late June, just before the big Bombay deluge. Boy, was I in for a surprise when I used their domestic airport a couple of weeks ago. They have a new domestic airport under construction (Mr. Hafeez Contractor of the Hiranandani Gardens fame is in charge of it) and it looks good, and everything is streamlined. <br /><br />The minute you enter the airport there are booths for various airlines, and then you step into the main hall...and it looks like a regular airport that you see in the USA. They have nice long counters with clear signage, and none of the pushing and shoving that you encountered in the old airport where people jumped lines at will. Remember those horrible stodgy looking pillars right behind the counters? No more of that in the new airport.<br /><br />Once you check in you walk over to the same old shops from the old airport...only these are now pushed to one corner, which I thought was odd at first. I thought a bit more and figured that the reason they have pushed to one side is to contain the unruly foot traffic in any public space in India.<br /><br />The one thing that I missed this time was the interesting jabber that I could tune in at will while waiting to board the aircraft. I did not encounter any of that. This could be because I was either taking the early morning flights or late night flights, and none of them were during the off-peak hours which is when the more interesting people travel. <br /><br />On a morning flight to New Delhi all my co-passengers were grim looking business men toting their computer laptop bags. Many had a copy of either "Financial Express" or "Economic Times" in their hands. Of course, you could not miss the cellphones....some of them were still stuck in the old mindset of showing off their cell phones...they were clipped to their belts much like people used to clip their pagers in the last century. There were about 3 women in the morning flight, and the rest were all men, who by strange coincidence happened to know each other. So, I got to evesdrop on business type chit-chat of who was leaving which company etc.<br /><br />New Delhi domestic airport has not changed as dramatically as the Bombay one. It was relatively easy for me to get one of those pre-paid taxis. I paid a flat fee of Rs. 100 and got a ride to my hotel in South Delhi. I hopped into a comfortable looking Amby driven by an earnest looking Bihari from Bhagalpur. We had a starting problem....remember the starting problem that used to plague Amby cars? I think there was a problem with the alternator, but that is a different story. Anyway, he jumped out of the car and joined 2 wires and co-opted another driver to hold those wires steady while he started the car and viola! suddenly the car jumped, and then sputtered and jumped into life. He slammed the bonnet shut and we chugged down Dhula Kuan (sp?) and RK Puram to the hotel. The first thing that struck me was how wide the roads were in Delhi, and how fast we were able to travel. The traffic was orderly and not like the bumper-to-bumper traffic you encounter in Bombay or Bangalore.<br /><br />Bangalore airport...well, if things go as planned there should be a new one at Devanahalli which is miles away from the center of the city. The existing airport belongs to HAL...it is a nice, clean and kind of cosy airport. And it is always a pleasure to see those young ladies from Kemps Corner beam and offer you a stem of red rose as you exit the airport. It is a whole different story when you drive out of the airport and hit Marthahalli...you witness the famous Bangalore traffic jam right away. Kya witness? You are right in the "beech" middle of the jam!<br /><br />Need I say anything about the chaos that ensues everytime we board our international flights from Bombay? I do not why they cannot get their act together. Everybody is herded into that tiny hall, and then all hell breaks loose when the flight is announced. There is no orderly procession...instead everyone is jostling one another like they are boarding a public bus that is going to leave us behind if we don't get our foot into the door. While we were jostling to get into the plane, I spotted the grey-haired MF Hussain being wheeled away in a chair with a serene smile pasted on his face. I have a plot brewing in my mind...the next time I am going to declare that I am handicapped and my arthritis is acting up and I need a wheelchair. This way both my husband and I can escape this jostling and board our flight in utter peace and quite. Watch me sail past you with a serene smile pasted on my face!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1133884605425789562005-12-06T07:18:00.000-08:002005-12-06T07:56:45.490-08:00India Shining? Remember the slogan coined as a tagline for BJP's re-election? Well, it did not do wonders for that party, but the tagline stuck on and every once in a while it pops up in my head. The Indian economy is booming when compared to the tired and mature US economy. The upbeat attitude and the number of businesses locating to India continues to grow.<br /><br />I was away from India for 2 months and recently went back for a two week whirlwind trip touring through Bombay, New Delhi and Bangalore. I must confess that the changes taking place in India are mind-boggling at times. If you live there, you probably do not notice the changes, but if you step away and come back the changes are noticeable. <br /><br />The first thing that I noticed was that the stock market is still going strong. It pierced the 9,000 mark, and everybody seems to be playing the market and are eager to get a demat account (I believe that is the name of the account to trade shares).<br /><br />The second thing that I noticed was the real estate market is still hot. For instance, in Bangalore apartments are sold the day they are advertised in the newspapers. The demand seems to be outstripping the supply of apartments. Never mind that the infrastructure in the city is still a bit of a problem. The same is true for Delhi and Gurgaon, where the appreciation of property is going through the roof.<br /><br />The third thing that I noticed was that air travel has become a common phenomenon, and getting tickets is becoming increasingly difficult. The number of airlines has also increased. Kingfisher is now trying to bid for Sahara Airlines, and Spice Jet has taken off, and there are other airlines that provide air services between second-tier cities. Bombay's new domestic airport is fantastic...it is still under construction, but the airport has a look and feel of an international airport. On the other hand, Madras International Airport is very practical looking, complete with green pedestal fans mounted on pillars at regular intervals. Sad to report that the jabber in the airport is no longer interesting and entertaining. <br /><br />The fourth thing that I noticed was that the quality of Hindi films has probably dropped. They all appear to have the same story line and the same item girl performing in all the films. It looks like Mr. Hashimi (sp?) films have more or less the same story line, and he plays more or less the same character, and there is lot of body contact with the opposite sex. And, most of his films are shot outside India. His latest film was shot in South Korea.<br /><br />The fifth thing that I noticed is that the Laloo Prasad phenomenon has finally waned. The aloo in the samosa has become stale, and Mr. Prasad is no longer in charge of Bihar. But, don't write off this seasoned politician as yet. I am betting my bottom dollar that he will be back in a couple of years in a better form.<br /><br />The sixth thing that I noticed is that the number of restaurants opening in India is increasing by the day. Every other day there is a new restaurant opening in Delhi, Bangalore, Bombay or Madras. The latest flavor of the season is Italian food. There is Monza at Phoneix Mills, there is Olive Cafe in Bangalore, there is the Vetro at the Oberoi, Bombay and many more. Eating out is now the done thing for many families in India. Along with the growth of Italian restaurants is the growth of multi-cuisine restaurants. I am always at a loss about multi-cuisine restaurants since I do not know what kind of food to expect in these places. I yearn for restaurants that served only Andhra Food, or Punjabi Food, or Gujarati food...these multi-cuisine restaurants that serve a mish-mash of everyhting from Gobi Manhcurian to Pad Thai with aloo gobi and paratha thrown in for good measure leaves me confused. And, many times the kitchen does not do justice to the Indian food that is served in these restaurants.<br /><br />These broad observations clearly underscore the fact that the Indian economy is vibrant and growing. Of course, you can arrive at the same conclusion by looking at the traditional metrics like GDP. GNP, etc etc. Word of caution ... there is a flipside to it and that is that the fuel situation can have an adverese and immediate impact on the economy, along with any number of other varibales that are constantly lurking in the background.<br /><br />There are many other things that I noticed, but more about it later...stay tuned.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1129138820452821562005-10-12T09:06:00.000-07:002005-10-12T10:40:20.513-07:00Remember GK? No, not GK Vale, but the motherlode of all conversation starters in India ...General Knowledge.<br /><br />I have yet to discover how this particular word made it into the of everyman and everywoman's lexicon in India. But, this is a word that says it all. For instance, "His GK is really awesome," translated means that this guy knows his trivia and all the nitty gritty details that in reality don't take us anywhere, but make us feel good, and for a second you bask in some kind of reflected glory.<br /><br />I was reminded of this word by my better half who commented on how when they were growing up and went to visit somebody's house the kid in the other house would invariably ask, "Do you read any general knowledge books?" This was a standard and predictable question that would be greeted with some form of amusement by him. And, of course they did not since they were brough up on a steady diet of wild, wild west stuff that consisted of Louis L'Amour (a fav author in many a Tamil home I am told), Oliver Strange, aircrafts and other sundry stories. Not for him the Competition Master, Readers Digest et al.<br /><br />But, in contrast to his upbringing there are are legions of kids who are being brought up on a steady diet of GK...well, this was a few years ago. Today, the kids are brought up on a diet of computer programming languages like I discovered a while ago, along with Takashi Castle, Pokeman, Digiman, Xbox, Ybox, Zbox, MTV, Oprah, Apprentice etc. And if the kid is sligtly inclined towards GK he/she will promptly ask you, "Do you know what Pokeman stands for?" with a certain knowing glint in the eyes that your answer will be negative. And if you happen to answer in the positive and tentatively suggest, "Does it mean Pocket Monster?" the kids face will crumple and he/she will at once demand to know how you knew the answer to that question. GK, my buddy, GK...you are always trying to increase your knowledge of trivia. It is almost like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebesgue_integral/">Lebesesque function</a>, and for all you math buff outs there, this is just to show that I know of this term, but my face will crumple if you ask me too many searching questions on what this is about, or how it works. I thought it kind of sounded cool and quite GKish to throw in the term in the conversation.<br /><br />Going back to the kids of today and their knowledge of computer languages, these kids talk about making logos, learning the commands to create a logo, and how to run programs. A fifth grader recently told me that computer programming is very boring and he finds Qbasic (or whatever program he was learning) really very simple and boring to learn at school! This kid could solve Sudoku in 15 minutes flat, while I ran to the bookstore and bought a book on how to solve Sudoku. I am still working on it....<br /><br />In contrast, we were brought up on a steady diet of GK books like Competition Master, Competition Success, Bournvita Book of Knowledge (is that the correct title), Book of Facts, 1001 Answers to questions you always wanted to know since you were born, but did not know where to find them or some such title. And of course, you had to read your classics right from Charles Dickens, to the Bronte Sisters, and good old Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain. Shame on you if you did not know that. And the works of the Bard had to be read. If not all, at least you needed to possess sufficient knowledge to throw in names like Hamlet, Portia, Hamlet, Romeo etc...and if you could throw in Puck and Titania then you had read "Midsummer's Night Dream."<br /><br />The purpose of all this extra reading was supposed to make you smart, and get you into that glorified career path of becoming an IAS or an IFS officer. The thinking was that if a kid was good in general knowledege then he/she would be a great candidate for the Indian Adminsitrative Services, the best career path for any kid. Or alternatively, you could get into the IITs and make your career as a great engineer. A degree in Liberal Arts was for those who had not made it in life, these were the people who could not cut it, or make it in the real world.<br /><br />But, not all lovers of GK become IAS officers or IIT graduate or engineers, they instead become ordinary citizens and go about their work and reconnect with the real world when they see Kaun Banega Crorepati, or some othe quiz show, or watch the king of trivia--Seinfeld on TV. I have a sneaking suspicion that the reason that Seinfeld is so hugely popular with the desi crowd is because he celebrates the trivial things in life and can have long, meaninful conversations on ordinary subject,as well as hi-brow subjects like GK. I can quite image a Seinfeld show on Einstein, and how they would have gone about disovering that famous theory of his...Kramer would have done all the hard research work, and Seinfeld would have given his final verdict.<br /><br />And for those of you who are still die-hard GK fans, here is a <a href="http://www.coolquiz.com/trivia/"><br />link </a> that you might want to check out. It is all about Uselessology.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1128920131780999522005-10-09T20:56:00.000-07:002005-10-09T21:55:31.816-07:00The devastating after efffects of the earthquake continues to takes its toll in India and Pakistan, with estimates of over 40,000 people dead in Pakistan according to media reports.<br /><br />Here are some organizations that need help and donation. This is a preliminary list.<br /><br />According to <a href="http://www.reliefweb.int">www.reliefweb.int</a> "The International Rescue Committee is dispatching three emergency teams to provide urgent assistance to earthquake survivors in the hardest hit districts of Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province. The IRC is accepting donations to support our emergency relief efforts. Please call 1-877-REFUGEE to expedite resources to IRC’s Pakistan relief effort. Donations can also be made on the IRC’s web site, www.theIRC.org "<br /><br />Americares <a href="http://www.americares.org">www.americares.org</a> is also organizing relief efforts for the earthquake victims. Log on to their website to find out how you can help.<br /><br /><a href="http://lahore.metblogs.com/archives/2005/10/donate_online_w.phtml/"><br />Metroblogging from Lahore</a> says that Mercycorps is looking for donation and you cann visit them at <a href="http://www.mercycorps.org/">http://www.mercycorps.org/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.jarkolicious.com/probes/2005/10/10/donate-for-earthquake-relief/"><br />Scott Jarkoff</a> has a link about donating to Unicef.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1128828286949946082005-10-08T20:22:00.000-07:002005-10-08T20:25:14.750-07:00The Associated Press's Christopher Torchia reports that 18,000 people have been killed so far in the earthquake.<br /><br />"Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, Pakistan's chief army spokesman, told Pakistan's Geo TV network early Sunday that more than 18,000 had been killed — 17,000 of them in Pakistani Kashmir, where the quake was centered. Some 41,000 people were injured, he said."Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1128798426565554822005-10-08T12:01:00.000-07:002005-10-08T12:39:14.510-07:00The USGC has some excellent information about the earthquakes, and the level of intensity, the areas that felt the tremors etc.<br /><br />For information of the earthquake 59 miles NNE of Rawalpindi and for the one 65 mile ENE of Mardan, Paksitan<a href="http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov/shake/ous/index.html"><br />click here </a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1128797736054124002005-10-08T11:37:00.000-07:002005-10-08T11:55:36.063-07:00The Oct 8, 2005 earthquake that killed hundreds of people and left a vast trail of destruction in India and Pakistan measured 7.6 on the Richter scale. The epicenter of the earthquake was in Pakistan, but the tremors were felt all the way from Afghanistan to Bangaldesh.<br /><br />Here is a <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4323008.stm#map/">map</a>of the earthquake area from the BBC.<br /><br />The earthquake has come as a shock to many, and one of the reasons is lack of information. Having lived in the earthquake country, the San Francisco Bay Area, I can imagine the devastation and dispalcement that must have taken place in India and Pakistan. Many people in the SF bay area are aware of the various faults and where and how earthquakes may occur, and what precautions need to be taken For instance, all our vehicles were loaded with an earthquake kit and sufficient food, water and cash to last us a few days.<br /><br />I was curious to know what was the source of the earthquake and looked up the US Geological Survey website, which by the way is a good website to know and visit every now and then if you happen to live in an earthquake prone zone.<br /><br />The USGC has this explanation of why the earthquake may have occured, and makes for an informative read. I believe this earthquake is a jolting reminder that the Indian subcontinent continues to move northwards, even though many of us many not be aware of this subterranean move or drift.<br /><br />This what UGCS has to say:<br /><br />"Earthquakes and active faults in northern Pakistan and adjacent parts of India and Afghanistan are the direct result of the Indian subcontinent moving northward at a rate of about 40 mm/yr (1.6 inches/yr) and colliding with the Eurasian continent. This collision is causing uplift that produces the highest mountain peaks in the world including the Himalayan, the Karakoram, the Pamir and the Hindu Kush ranges. As the Indian plate moves northward, it is being subducted or pushed beneath the Eurasian plate. Much of the compressional motion between these two colliding plates has been and continues to be accommodated by slip on a suite of major thrust faults that are at the Earth’s surface in the foothills of the mountains and dip northward beneath the ranges. These include the Main Frontal thrust, the Main Central thrust, the Main boundary thrust, and the Main Mantle thrust. These thrust faults have a sinuous trace as they arc across the foothills in northern India and into northern Pakistan. In detail, the modern active faults are actually a system of faults comprised of a number of individual fault traces. In the rugged mountainous terrain, it is difficult to identify and map all of the individual thrust faults, but the overall tectonic style of the modern deformation is clear in the area of the earthquake; north- and northeast-directed compression is producing thrust faulting. Near the town of Muzaffarabad, about 10 km southwest of the earthquake epicenter, active thrust faults that strike northwest-southeast have deformed and warped Pleistocene alluvial-fan surfaces into anticlinal ridges. The strike and dip direction of these thrust faults is compatible with the style of faulting indicated by the focal mechanism from the nearby M 7.6 earthquake. "Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8490340.post-1128720717755210072005-10-07T13:00:00.000-07:002005-10-07T18:24:48.846-07:00The Tamil DNA and food is a topic that has consumed me for many years now in a low simmering kind of a way, and it has been bubbling away in the cauldron that is positioned firmly in the back of my mind, and every now and then like a trusty <a href="http://www.unixgeeks.org/security/newbie/unix/cron-1.html/">cron</a> job will pop up to remind me that today is the day I need to make rasam and kootu etc. This is a topic where people can talk for hours, and describe with great love and reverence about the different types of rasam, and how if it is paired with sambhar, then the dhal can be omitted (note: the word omit is used anytime they talk about food, not the words exclude, or any other synony) , but if it just rasam then you thicken it with dhal, and how you need to pair the lemon rasam with this kootu, and the pepper rasam with that kootu etc. And, god forbid if you substituted toor dhal with moong dhal or the lowly masoor (orange) dhal, then there will be ever so slight disapproval that will emit from the gourmand.<br /><br />I have thought about this topic, participated and listened to extensive discourse on this topic, and have seen people perform somersaults and sing for their supper (not! but almost) just to have that good old, familiar sounding, and mouth-watering food like sambhar, rasam, dosa, idli, kootu served to them and help them reach that ultimate place of salvation called nirvana.<br /><br />I don't know about other folks in India, but I do know about the Tamil people's fondness for food from their land, and have heard my better half describe it is "food from the gods." (As if all the other foods were not from god, and were from some nether world. ) I take it back, the Gujaratis and Rajasthanis are also very partial to their food, and will go to any lengths to get their khakra, undhiyo, kadhi, batti, dal and churma.<br /><br />What I have noticed though is that folks from Tamil Nadu tend to be particular about being able to eat their cuisine for every meal of the day. At the most, they might make concession and be brave and eat chappati (it is rever referred to as roti or phulka, but chappati) and kootu (note: not sabzi) or have pasta or noodles that have been tempered with mustard, green chillies and red chilies. Not from them those one-pot meals that others like to resort to when they are jammed for time.<br /><br />Over the years after having lived and interacted with people from Tamil Nadu I have come to the firm belief that the Tamil DNA is definitely different. Their DNA comes encoded with rasam, sambhar, idli, dosa, kootu, thayir sadam, poriyal, narthanga urugai, paruppu podi, idli podi, sutta appalam , etc. They instinctively know that mooru or thayir sadam must be paired with vadu manga or citron pickle, and you are instantly caught if you eat your thayir sadam with sabzi like I often do, or eat it with papad, the north indian variety. You know you probably made some food-related faux pas, and sometime the only indication that you will get is the gentle, questioning raise of the eyebrow from the host or the hostess. Or, if they happen to be a good friend then a dismissive, "Ayayyo, try it with vadu manga, not the sabzi." I still have not developed a taste for vadu mangai, which is lovingly described by many as tender mango pickle. The way I see it ---it is a bunch of small, unripe mangoes that are soaked in brine for a few days, and then stored in a mixture of redchillies and salt. I may be way off the mark in the description, but that is what my non-Tamilian mind has come up with...<br /><br />I often picture their DNAs as having neat little compartments for each of these dishes. I think the food pyramid comes embedded in their DNA and the oxytocin helps them bond with their food. Before I proceed any further here are a bunch of definitions about what is DNA, and you can elect to subscribe to whichever definition appeals to you.<br /><br />"The substance of heredity; a linear molecule that carries the genetic information that cells need to replicate and to produce proteins and DNA."<br /><br />"The double-stranded, helical molecular chain found within the nucleus of each cell. DNA carries the genetic information that encodes proteins and enables cell to reproduce and perform their functions."<br /><br />"Deoxyribonucleic acid. The molecules inside cells that carry genetic information and pass it from one generation to the next."<br /><br />"A molecule that carries genetic information."<br /><br />I personally prefer the last definition since it sums it all up. There is definitely some kind of genetic coding going on here for years, and like evolution of human beings and other living creatures, their genes have also evolved and adopted and co-opted foods from foreign land or from the forbidden category like <a href="http://lamar.colostate.edu/~samcox/Tomato.html">tomato</a>, garlic, onion etc. What is native to their genetic make-up is <a href="http://www.plantcultures.org.uk/plants/tamarind_history.html">tamarind</a>, which the Arabs called as the dates from Hind (Hindustan).<br /><br />I have numerous stories in my repertoire of how people have traveled 80-90 miles on the weekends to eat idli, poodi and thenga chutney or dosai with sambhar, or good old meals consisting of sambar, rasam, poriyal, thayir and apalam. I have partaken dinner quite a few times with a particular Tamilian couple, who started off their dinner with a glass of red wine, and then sip their red wine with sambar rice, rasam rice, but then make sure their glasses are completely drained before they eat their last course, thayir sadam. My better half can go without eating the food of the gods for maybe 24 hours, after which he starts developing major withdrawal symptoms and pokes around the fridge to see if there is a smidgen of sambar left in one of the dabbas by mistake, or if there is any leftover rasam stashed away at the back of the fridge.<br /><br />This discourse only talked about the DNA part of the food, and there was no discussion about how to make these dishes and the various schools of thoughts that exist on how a particular dish has to be made, and precisely for how many minutes the sambar has to be boiled before it is considered done. This will be discussed sometime in the next few days.. Before I bid adieu here is something to think about...I wonder how the folks from Tamil Nadu will react if they knew that their favorite dish "rasam" was appropriated by the British into that very fancy starter soup called Mullingatawny Soup (spellings vary), and that in their version apples, chicken and bacon are added...<br /><br />(Note: various spellings have been used throught out the posting like sambar/sambar etc.)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149920615889040203noreply@blogger.com12