Mythreya Chekka's Blog

Mythreya's Vegetable Biryani

2020-12-24T22:18:00.013-08:00

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice (6 cups)

Gang of Spices

Black Cumin(1 teaspoon)

Bay leaf(3)

Whole Cardamom(7)

Whole Cloves(2 teaspoons)

Dried Mace(8 strands)

Whole Black Pepper(2 table spoons)

Whole Kapok Buds(Marathi Mogga)(6 count)

Whole Cinnamon(1 stick)

Whole Star Anise(7)

Ghee(Clarified Butter)

Fresh Ginger Garlic Paste(1.5 tablespoon)

Vegetables:

Cauliflower(1 whole -cut into florets)

White Potato(6 medium sized)

Green Pepper(2)

Carrots(4)

Turmeric(2 table spoons)

Garam Masala(1 table spoon)

Salt

Red Chilli Powder(1.5 table spoon)

Oil(4 tablespoons)

Freshly chopped Coriander

Freshly chopped Mint

Yogurt - 3 tablespoons(Optional)

Preparation:

Soak washed Basmati Rice for 45 minutes in water.There are 2 parallel processes that one needs to get done.Finish making the rice and partially cooking the vegetables around the same time.

Make the Rice:

Start boiling water in a container that could easily boil the quantity of rice.

Add Garam Masala, Salt(5 teaspoons),1 Bay leaf and Oil to the boiling water.

Slowly add the soaked Basmati rice to the boiling water.

Once the rice starts dangling in the hot water, the rice is half cooked and ready.

Drain off the hot water and keep aside the boiled rice.

Prepare the Veggies

Add 8 tablespoons of Ghee to a heated pan on a medium flame.Add black cumin to heated ghee and let it fry for 10 seconds.Add the gang of spices(minus the black cumin) to the lightly fried black cumin.Let the spices fry for a minute. Next goes the Ginger Garlic paste.Once the paste hits the heated pan,it has a tendency to stick to the pan and burn .Do not let it burn.Lightly fry the paste in the spices for 15 seconds.Ensure to quickly add the vegetables in the order below.First add Potatoes and Carrots.Add Turmeric and 2 table spoons of salt.Mix the spices and the vegetables and let them cook for 3 mins on medium flame.Add the Cauliflower florets and Green Pepper pieces next.The goal is to half-cook the vegetables.Keep cooking the whole mixture for 3 mins.Adding yogurt is optional.Add and mix red chilli powder and cook for 30 seconds.Now this mix of vegetables could be put aside.

Layering:

Take a vessel that has depth to hold multiple layers of Biryani and apply ghee all over the insides.This would prevent the layers of rice sticking to the vessel.The first layer would be the half cooked veggies in the spices.The typical vegetable layer is ~2 inches thick.Use a half of the cooked veggies for this layer.The next layer would be the half boiled rice.Use half of the boiled rice for this layer.Add a teaspoon of ghee and 3 tablespoons of water on the layer of rice.Add a generous layer(~1 inch) of chopped coriander and mint leaves to cover the layer of rice.Repeat the layer of vegetable, rice, coriander/mint.Put the lid on the vessel and seal the edges with Aluminum foil.Place weights on top of the lid so that steam does not leak.Put the flame to low-medium and cook for 25 mins.Typically around this time,the kitchen is filled with an aroma.After 25 mins, dig in a fork into the vessel to see if the carrots and potatoes have cooked.If the veggies need to cook a bit more, put the sealed vessel back for another 5 mins on medium-low flame.Transfer the Biryani into an Aluminum tray and gently mix the layers.Add salt to taste.Vegetable Biryani is ready.Enjoy it with your favorite Yogurt Raita !!

Oats Khichdi / Porridge / Congee

2020-05-30T19:37:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

One Teaspoon of Mustard seeds
One Teaspoon of Cumin seeds
Half a Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
One Teaspoon of Dried Red Chilli Powder
One Dried Red Chilly
Asofoetida/ Hing (Optional)
Three Teaspoons of Olive Oil
Three Teaspoons of Salt
Two cups of Oats
One cup of veggies(includes Carrots, Peas, Beans , Sweet Corn)
Ghee (Optional/Non Vegan)
Four cups of Water
Curry Leaves / Curry Leaf Powder
3 Chopped Garlic Cloves (Optional)

Instructions:

Set Instant Pot to Saute Mode .
Heat the Olive Oil and lightly stir the Mustard seeds ,Cumin seeds,Dried Red Chillies, Curry leaves, Asofoetida,Turmeric powder, chopped Garlic for 30 seconds until a smoky flavor releases.
Add the veggies and stir them for 1 minute.
Rinse the Oats(instant Oats) with water and saute them along with the Veggie Seasoning for 1 minute.
Add Red Chilli powder, Salt and the 4 cups of water into the instant pot and stir all the ingredients well.

6. Close the Instant Pot lid, Press the Cancel button and set the manual timer to 4 minutes.

7.Wait for a Natural Pressure Release and open the lid.

8. Stir the cooked Oats mixture and add Ghee (optional) before serving into a bowl.

How my 3 friends and I lost a combined 74 pounds/33.5 kg

2011-02-13T15:51:00.000-08:00

I should say I am proud writing this article. 4 normal people with a goal, all that was needed to lose a combined 74 pounds of weight in around 30-35 days.

With the typical sedentary jobs and in the age of junk food it is common place to put some extra pounds ,unless

a) One exercises regularly AND/OR
b) Eats a balanced diet AND/OR
c) Well! its the genes.Lucky them.

The 4 of us did not belong to the above categories. So as part of our Job Dharma and also our Karma ,we did gain a lot of weight over the years. It hit somebody hard ,one day as a wake up call in the form of annual medical tests.The doctor unveiled the high cholesterol levels and high BMI numbers.Any other normal person would have felt bad for a day or 2 and would have gone with the usual routine/medicines.Not this guy. It prompted the rest of the three to take our medical tests. Out were the results and then began the thought process.

We registered ourselves on a daily calorie count website where one can record everything that s/he ate on a particular day. A fancy chart with graphs is available at the end of the day to analyze the high and lows of saturated fat,protein,carbohydrates,fiber ,minerals and vitamins. Any sane person can change their diet after looking at the charts.The goal is to get an A grade everyday.The person that I am ,I used to splurge on junk food in the weekends and try to behave myself in the weekday.

The dietary routine was simple.We chose 3 different breakfast cereals
1 ) One with high protein content as much as 9grams per serving
2) One with 100% vitamins,minerals for the day
3) One with high fiber

The idea was to rotate the 3 cereals,one for obvious nutritious reasons the other to prevent boredom.The next part was to move away from white rice to brown rice ,using whole grain atta,bringing in variety of grains in the diet (ex: Millets,Quinoa,Jowar) .

The next step was to just hit the treadmill for 30-45 minutes a day.We used to burn anywhere from 200 calories to 700 calories a day. We also picked up a group sport that is played over the weekend ,Tennis.

At the end of the day,we did not feel exhausted to achieve better health.It was all pleasurable.As on date though my friends and I are not athletic we are on our way to better health and an active life going forward.Simple people with a strong willpower,that was all that was needed.Again this worked for us.Not sure everyone can achieve the same results.

Comments welcome.

Dynasty Politics and India

2010-09-10T16:57:00.000-07:00

I have been reading articles on differences b/w Manmohan and Sonia Gandhi over comparison b/w Nehru's cabinet and UPA II's . It is very evident that the PM has been given a rough time by the Congress President for a while now. Shortcuts taken to elect a PM often lead to such disasters.Just as two swords do not fit in one sheath.

First of all ,I do believe that Dr.Manmohan is a competent person(Again whom am I to judge him).The crux of the issue is that he still was appointed as the Prime Minister at the behest of Mrs.Sonia Gandhi and not wholly on democratic lines. This leads to a power struggle which in turn delays execution on critical decisions for the country.This is the last thing we want.

What we have with the Congress party is the Nehru family at the top.The family being synonymous to the party though the party's foundation was based on a lot of competent leaders.Looks like none except for the Nehru's family can accede the throne of the party which is a shame to democracy.Now Rahul Gandhi is being pitched as the next PM candidate. How is Rahul Gandhi different from any other person out there. Why would Rahul be pitched as the next PM ?What are his credentials apart from being from the Nehru family. Why would democracy fail so bad ? Again I do not under estimate the abilities of Rahul . The point is that for some reason the Congress party leaders only seem to find the Nehru family to lead the party .Isn't that weird ?I know that every party has their strengths and weaknesses but it is high time India comes out of dynasty politics. Leaders are not necessarily born in one single family and for that matter neither actors,doctors,lawyers,intellectuals are .

Gas should cost $10 a gallon

2010-09-08T11:58:00.000-07:00

Simply put I hate CO2. Never liked it really. Humans somehow didn't learn their lessons to plant more trees, use renewable resources of energy .Humans certainly don't deserve cheap gas.

Now I am frustrated !!

In 1992 ,my teacher thought a speech on "Oil Crisis n Alternate sources" was a waste

2010-06-04T14:14:00.001-07:00

It was a tradition for every class to in the school to organize the morning school assembly once every week.Typical routine of the morning assembly would be a prayer to start with followed by one of the songs from the school diary ,a speech from an individual of the class followed by a "Vote of Thanks" .

The year was 1992 and our class teacher made an announcement that it was our class that was responsible for conducting the morning school assembly the upcoming week.She requested the students of the class to come up with suitable topics for the speech to be addressed to the school.Any student who would come up with the best topic of "her" choice ;) would deliver the speech(which was like winning a $1 million lottery in school..at least I thought so) .I was excited and wanted to deliver a speech before the school.

All I needed to do was to come up with the best topic for the speech.I looked over some essay writing books.It didn't take me longer to decide on a topic of my choice -"The Oil crisis and the need for alternate sources of energy" .The next morning I went to my teacher and submitted this as my topic and also gave snippets of how my speech looked like.Well! my speech never got selected.The teacher who specialized in teaching English and Social Studies chose the topic "English Vocabulary and how funny it was...." .Not too bad for class 8..Science always takes a hit when it comes to an English teacher.

I stand here today reading reams and reams about the British Petroleum oil spill ,heated arguments on whether offshore drilling should ever have been allowed or not ,why is the United States of America dependent heavily on foreign oil,Carbon credit trading, the green Toyota Prius that doesn't stop,Solar cell tax credit and what not .Man, this is a huge topic.

This brings to my argument that there is a need for grass root level awareness on the seriousness of current issues that plague the environment .Although I do understand that teachers all over the world do a great job at this ,but the topic of the significance of renewable sources of energy is very highly under rated at the middle and high school level.It has been almost 18 years that my school teacher undermined the importance of alternate sources of energy and even today ,I bet the awareness among general public is not there.I bet that the speech about "Oil crisis" would have done more good than the one on English Vocab. Who cares about vocab these days anyway :) .It was at least 5 years ago that a car that can run on thin air was invented but not economical/practical for mass scale yet.Is innovation that bad or companies don't have money to invest ?I am still waiting to see a company that would make an extra ordinary battery that our electric/hybrid cars could run on .I am aware of these problems for the past 20 years now.Not sure why the brilliant minds around the world take so long to solve .I wish I could help but again I wish I were smarter.

Humans - The Guinea Pigs of Science ?

2010-05-12T17:10:00.001-07:00

The first time I flew in an airplane from Bangalore to Frankfurt, my curiosity knew no bounds and also my deep appreciation of the human brain and its creations. To me the human mind is one of the most amazing creation and a thing of beauty. I am incessantly in awe about the depth of thought and the sheer vision of the human mind.As always I am short of words.

However, recently I begin to think the human mind although wonderful is not completely without any chinks in its armor .In a way the human mind to me hasn't reached its pinnacle and is only in its formative years.I would like to discuss a few examples in this regard.

Not long ago,the green revolution happened because of good use of pesticides,fertilizers and better irrigation. Little did the human mind envision the impact of introduction of pesticides into the human food chain. The human mind overlooked the impact of the excessive use of fertilizers on the fertility of the land per se and also the need for huge water resources for agriculture using fertilizers.In these days, farming has shifted to the organic model which seemed to be a reversal of the science back in the 70's.

The automobile running on liquid fuels was an extraordinary invention.Little did our great grand fathers think that the CO2 released as residue would be the cause for global warming ,one of the biggest evils mankind faces today.

To the credit of the human brain,it has conquered several life threating diseases like Small Pox,Plague,Tuberculosis,Malaria to name a few. However, the brain doesn't have a clue to a number of medical conditions till date.Again just not good enough:) .

The human brain was able to calculate the age of the Sun,but mysteries of the Universe still remain mysteries to the brain.

This comes to my final topic of Genetically Modified Organism aka GMO foods.A certain business community wants to assure food security to the world with the introduction of GMO foods,citing no side effects .The human brain is amazing,however I am circumspect about fiddling with the DNA of my food.I am worried ,the human brain might fail to envision the long long term side effects and cause irreversible damage to mankind.

Good Luck human brain and I wait to see your wonders.We humans are undoubtedly the Guinea Pigs of science.

"Quit Smoking" articles about Obama

2010-03-01T15:51:00.000-08:00

I see a lot of press about a doctor suggesting Obama to quit smoking after a health test.Obama has my sympathies.According to the articles ,he is exercising well and his body mass index is well under control .Obama ,being the President is very much under scrutiny all the time .The articles also publish his cholesterol levels. Personally,I feel this is invasion of Mr.President's privacy, though I can understand that common public would be curious about the President's health.

Again,Mr.Obama, we believe you can quit(the sooner the better but again you are in a better position to judge) .You have our support. Stay fit and Stay Healthy. I don't want to me one more person putting pressure on you :). Take Care !!

When was the last time you did something for the first time ?

2010-02-25T10:50:00.000-08:00

It is my opinion that doing something new(no evil) every now and then would bring bliss to every human.

Here I start the campaign of "When was the last time you did something for the first time ?"

Ask yourself this question and try and do something about it. Don't just fall into a routine. Bring more meaning to your life .I would recommend this dose of medicine every month.I would like to maintain a log of mine to remind me.Will update it whenever I did something for the first time .

Now for the log:

Nov 2010: Prepared Rajma Masala Curry

Oct 2010: Poker at Las Vegas

Oct 2010: Lompac,Solvang CA,101 Hwy,1Hwy

Aug/Sept 2010:Yosemite Nat'l park

August 2010: Visit Angelus Oaks,San Bernardino National Forest

July 2010 : Torrey Pines Trail hike
Southwest San Diego to Houston and back.

June 2010 : Dude,that Molten Chocolate at Vittoria Trattoria. Awesome.

May 2010 : First meal at Rajadhani restaurant in Artesia.

First time ate Jalebi in San Diego :).

First Espresso in Los Angeles,Downtown .

Apr 2010 -First time rented with Budget car rental.

Mar 2010 Gnocci at Luxe Bistro.Damn Good !!

Feb 28 2010 - Took my kid for a 1 hour long stroller ride.

Feb 14th 2010 - First hiking experience. Cedar Creek Falls ,Julian,CA.

Feb13th 2010 - Organized the first surprise baby shower.My sister in law were super thrilled ,surprised ;).

Democracy and Leaders with Iron Fists

2009-12-17T22:02:00.000-08:00

India is a Democratic,Sovereign,Socialist, Republic country.
The dictionary meaning @ dictionary.com for republic is "a state in which the head of government is not a monarch or other hereditary head of state".Democracy is a Government by the people.

Recently Mr.Chidambaram the Home Minister of India announced that the process for creating a separate Telangana state be started.This has been the cause of a lot friction and ruckus in certain regions of Andhra Pradesh.

It is notable that in 2001 Mr.KCR leading the TRS party revived the movement for a separate Telangana state.The Congress party and TRS fought the elections as an alliance in 2004 and formed the government in Andhra Pradesh.YSR who is the leader of the Congress party was heavily against splitting the state.YSR was a strong leader with an iron fist.KCR was denied appointments from the Congress High Command in New Delhi, Mrs Sonia Gandhi.YSR promised development for the backward areas in Telangana and the people of Telangana probably connected with his/Congress party's agenda.
Come 2008,Congress and TRS fought the elections against each other. TRS lost the elections heavily.People probably have voted for development against the creation of a separate Telangana state .After the death of YSR, KCR's fast unto death created a huge tide in New Delhi,leading to the announcement from Mr.Chidambaram.

It is very ironic that in a democracy like India ,the once Iron Fist YSR was able to successfully keep the Telangana issue to the back burner, Mrs Sonia Gandhi ,who is the President of AICC could change the tide on Telangana with the snap of a finger.As on date ,common people in Andhra Pradesh are stirring up against the formation of a separate Telangana state. Clearly an Iron fist leader's perception on a subject matter has a huge impact on the society.It appalls me that perceptions of a highly influential leader are rubbed onto the society.The need is for more transparency and I sincerely hope democracy means more than this.

Jai Hind !!

Mr Lopez ,This is not funny

2009-11-28T09:57:00.000-08:00

The other day I was watching Lopez Tonight . It coincided with the state dinner of US President Obama and Indian Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh.

George Lopez found ManMohan's name funny .. He would say something like "What was his name ? Mammogram Singh and laughs" ..

Dear Mr Lopez,
This is not funny.You have ridiculed someone whom who you know very little about. Dr ManMohan is a renowned economist ,professor and also the PRIME MINISTER of INDIA.
He is not worth your derogation.

AND YOUR SHOW IS NOT FUNNY. TRY SOMETHING ELSE.

"Honey,My test is positive"

2009-10-08T15:53:00.000-07:00

Words that mean a world,words that mean sleepless nights,words that change a world,given that some couples might be taken by surprise,some in shock and awe (what with all the unexpected things that happen ;) ).

Anyway this was a first time for me.Dude,this was a surprise to me... a real pleasant one.The next moment one feels special and different.It is only now that the actual fun starts.Calling parents,sharing the news with closed ones,a doctor visit followed by donation of wife's blood to the laboratory,anxiously waiting for the lab results etc...Reams and reams of advice from all over pours in ..Things to eat,things not to eat/do..Apprehensions,anxiety are at their peak..Someone as lucky as my wife would puke their way till the 24th week.As a bonus she was repellent to any smell emanating from cooked food/food under preparation.
Thanks to science and technology ,ultrasound is super cool.It was an experience in its own to see the baby in the womb for the first time.As time progresses ,its time to shop for the new born.I got a list of things to shop for the new born from my friend who just had a baby.
The first thing one will notice is that the list is HUGE :) .I am pretty impressed with the attention to details in preparing this list(Thanks to the original compiler of the list).
Here is the list just for your reference .My generation in India probably grew up without many of the below items :)

Stroller+ Car Seat – Travel System
Changing table
Glider + Ottoman
Waterproof changing pad
Crib
Crib Mattress
Crib Sheet
Crib Mobile
crib Bumper
Blankets
Swaddling Cloths
Bibs
towels/ wash cloths
Diapers
Diaper Rash Cream
Diaper Disposal
Baby Wipes
Hooded towel
Bath tub
Burp Clothes
Nail Cutter
Thermometer
Comb/Brush
Baby Moisturizer
Body Wash
Baby Powder
Extra Mild Olive oil for massage
4-5 Caps
6-7 Sleepers
Socks
Pajamas
Hooded Jacket
bouncing chair
few colorful toys
hot flask
Formula milk for emergency
Dr Browns bottles
Brush for cleaning bottles
Breast Pump
Bottles/ Bags
Bottle sterilizer
Postpartum belt
Nursing Bra
Breast pads
Nursing Gowns
Washing Powder
Diaper Bag
hand sanitizer for car and home
Prefer 100% cotton clothes to avoid allergies and heat
Gripe Water for baby or Mylicon drops (Talk to Doc for advice)

We have our lamas classes scheduled in the next week .I just cant wait to see my baby :)..

Happy Parenting to everyone !!!

Weekend Movie Slumdog Millionaire

2008-12-20T11:14:00.000-08:00

My friend and I were planning to watch a movie with our families for the past 2 weekends but couldnt because of mundane chores.
It was Friday evening and my friend called me up to say that we are going watch a movie in the theatre the following night.
I didnt even bother to ask which movie we were going to watch.
Well ! we reached the theatre and my friend mentioned that Anil Kapoor acted in this movie..For a moment I was confused if I came to watch a hindi movie.He then mentioned that this is an English movie made in Mumbai and the name of the movie is "Slumdog Millionaire".Hmmmm..,anyone with a peanut of a brain would imagine that this is a rags to riches story.Certainly this was one but way the movie goes along is INCREDIBLE. Not even for a moment one would feel bored and un interested.

The movie touches some of the harsh realities like child abuse etc.One with a heart would be moved by the atrocities children face .It would be hard for any child to handle such difficult circumstances and most of us should feel that we are blessed not to be in the same boat as these kids are in.It makes me feel that there is a lot of room for philantropy in India and probably all over the world.Some day we all should start giving back to the society.

Coming back to the movie,the scene where the boy comes out of a pile of shit(literally) to take an autograph from Amitabh Bacchan is very memorable.It might seem funny and gross but the director used that scene to show that kid would do whatever it takes to pursue his dreams.Its like when all the 'doors' of oppurtunity are closed take the 'window'..Dont quit.The director doesnt stop there..He develops the character of "Jamal Mallik" so beautifully ..Jamal shows the same fire in pursuing his love fighting all odds .

Story telling was at its best all throughout the movie.It is a master piece on its own.There have been a few take aways from this movie for me personally

1.Give back to the society.It does help.Most often we turn a blind eye to all the atrocities going around us.

2.Pursue your dreams and work hard towards achieving them.Dont give up.

3.Keep watching good movies like this :) .

Have a great weekend !!

Coming to the US :The bumpy ride story !!

2008-11-08T10:03:00.000-08:00

For someone who would see atleast one article on my blog every month it must have been a surprise that I havent written anything for the past 4 months in my blog.

Yes,there was a reason..
I have been busy,super busy , ultra busy ..Reason I decided to relocate to the United States of America.It has been real hectic on me.Things started with getting a passport for me...Dont be surprised ,I do have a passport but wanted my new address and wife's name included in the passport.

It started with going to the Passport services department and he asked for some more docs and I returned to the passport office for the second time.
This time the other lady thought that my passport was damaged and suggested me to get a new passport .Hmmm..Different people different stories n versions..
Fine...Now I go and apply for Tatkal service.This guy wanted 2 copies of the ID card of the IAS officer who signed a residence proof document for me, a new notary as well..He gave me an hour's time... WOW !! Rushed to the collector's office and their department was very helpful and provided me the same in 15 mins ..Came back in the auto and gave him all the necessary docs ..Finally I got my passport but again they didnt stamp ECNR in the passport ...Didnt they know that I have already completed my bachelors ??Now this was height of testing my patience ..Finally gave up and was satisfied that I have a passport.

Now the next step was getting the petition and going to the US consulate which went well except for a few hiccups.My office project was getting critical since we have phone to release by November .My wife took care of all the things in the background so that I could take care of my work at office..We finalized deal with Mover and Packers to shift our stuff to my dad's and in laws place.Not sure how much money and effort spent ..Forget the stress involved in all this.

In all the chaos couldnt inform my close buddies about my date of travel to US..Well ! they have a reason to be upset and I feel very bad about it ..So this blog comes as an apology for all my dear ones whom I couldnt inform upfront and for not being in touch all these months...

Take Care.

Ciao

Indian Traffic Facts

2008-07-09T22:32:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer:
This article is probably the most pessimistic viewpoint on the Indian Vehicular Traffic.There is no intention to malign or disgrace any particular individual/community.The article is intended for sheer time pass,satire.

First the BT(Black Top) road is laid and then the drainage approval happens....so that the road can be dug

Auto

Very scalable vehicle on road...meant for 3+1 ,scales upto a dozen easily

Potholes on roads

These hold testimony that Earth was once filled with craters just like the moon..lets preserve the legacy....

Vehicle Indicators

Well ! these are decorative pieces for the vehicles..Forgot which button on the vehicle would glow them

Blind Spot

Now what is that ??????

Traffic Lights

There isn't enough electricity for domestic use...haven't seen them turned ON for some time now..

Traffic Constable

Poor guy!! Is paid peanuts for inhaling smoke all day...

7 Seater Autos

The crown of Hyderabad.The most talented ones drive them.

Zebra Crossing

Hey,I read about it in my school...Don't recollect what it is used for ???

Road Widening

I am familiar with it.First the land is acquired and then the road is widened so that our street hawkers could re settle on it :) !!

Recent developments in Andhra Pradesh

2008-06-04T02:11:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows the recent debacle TRS faced in the by elections conducted.It was one too many elections for the people of the Telangana region.It was a mixed result for all the parties.But TRS was the one which faced a lot of music and bad name for itself.So it this the end of the great Telangana movement ?I don't think so .Here is why.

Including me everyone reading this would understand that the Telangana movement has been taken up multiple times by multiple politicians for their own political gains and personal interests.I am sure with the amount of corruption prevalent these days ,a new Telangana Chief Minister could garner at least around 20,000 crores in 3 years of his/her term.So the stakes are very high.Again it is a typical mindset where a certain party with roots in the region/the "karta/kriya" behind the formation of a state would take advantage for many years to come in the veil of granting self respect to the people belonging to the region.This advantage would yield the party lots of votes in the coming years which would mean lot of revenue for many years to come.So I wouldn't be surprised if all the parties would line up to take credit for the formation of the Telangana state.
Now the question arises if formation of a new Telangana state make people in there rich ?The answer would be NO.I am not sure if states like Jharkhand,Uttaranchal etc zoomed to prosperity after their partition.Naxalites have ruled the roost in the case of Jharkhand.So the point is if Telangana people are deprived of things that they should have been privileged of .The answer Yes but it is a Yes for all the people of Andhra Pradesh and rest of India as well.Would there be a place on earth which would be heaven ?Any place where people wouldn't have concerns,problems,where people get what they deserve ...The answer would certainly be NO.I don't want to be a pessimist though.I wouldn't totally discount the sentiments of people of Telangana but arousing regional sentiments for political mileage is totally unacceptable.I hope everyone realizes the same.One has to understand that we already have different languages ,multiple cultures,castes.Though we claim "Unity in Diversity" I fail to experience the same when people from different regions meet.I certainly dont want my grand children to fight on silly things like regionalism/caste/religion.We all had enough of it in India and the rest of the world.

On a final note,the problems of Andhra Pradesh need to be addressed and dealt with properly.There shouldnt be any compromises.Let this generation not be carried away by the extreme emotional air created by politicians etc.I hope my generation is wise and smart and can decide to solve the current set of issues.

Jai Hind !!

IPL 20-20

2008-05-28T03:30:00.000-07:00

Early on I was very much into IPL watching all the 20-20 matches of IPL.Blame it on my age/work pressure/my wife's nagging about my cricket watching ,I couldn't watch the complete live coverage/would sleep by 9:30 pm.
My initial instincts told me that Delhi Daredevils and Hyderabad Deccan Chargers would dominate the scene along with Chennai Super Kings.Each team had it own set of performers.My least favourites were Bangalore,Rajasthan.Mallya's friends were probably right in mentioning that the team looked like good for playing Test cricket.
I didnt know early on that Australian Players would be heading for the WI series.
Anyway I was disproved to a large extent with Deccan Chargers being a complete flop and Rajasthan being at the top of the table.Just wonder how things turned in IPL.

It is good to see the 4 semi finalists now.My sympathies are with Mumbai Indians who fought well till the end.Unfortunately they lost some very close games.I would like to make a few comments on the semi finalists.

Punjab:
Apart from Marsh,I would like to see some more members consistently performing.I am not sure what the batting score card for Punjab would look like if not for Marsh.
Irfan has been good with the ball but I would like to see more of his batting as well.Piyush looks like a young guy who doesn't fear from experimenting.Again given the quality of batsmen we have in the semi finals ,I expect him to go for more runs.

Delhi:
Delhi's strength has been Gautam,Sehwag,McGrath.There were some vital contributions from Shikar Dhavan as well.I strongly feel that all of them need to work as one team and display a coordinated team effort to make into the finals and win the cup.

Chennai:
I am waiting for Suresh Raina to fire in the next part of IPL.He is an awesome talent.Dhoni has provided good support in the middle.He never seemed to be in great form but his strike rate hasn't been that bad.I just hope Murali and Balaji weave some magic for the semis.

Rajasthan:

Hmmm..What can I say about this team ?Good performance from Yusuf Pathan,Smith,Warne,Tanvir.These were supposedly the minnows before the tournament started..Great to see this team come to the top with a display of some good performances..

MAY THE BEST TEAM WIN !!In the mean time I will enjoy watching all the games.

ఒక తెలుగువాడు

2008-02-06T23:26:00.000-08:00

నా పేరు చెక్క మైత్రేయ .నాకు మా స్నేహితుడు తెలుగు లో రచించిన వ్యాసాలు పంపిస్తూ వుండేవాఢు.దీనితో నాకు కూడ తెలుగు లో ఏదైనా రాయాలి అనిపించింది.
చిన్నప్పటినుంచి ఆంగ్లం లో చదవడం వల్ల నా తెలుగు బాగ బ్రష్థు పట్టి పొయింది.ఇలాగనయిన నేను కాస్త తెలుగు నెర్చుకుంటాను అని నా ఆశ.నా ఈ బ్లోగ్ లో ఇక నుంచి మంచి మంచి వ్యాసాలు తెలుగు లో రాద్దాము అనుకుంటున్నను.

Weekend,Austrialian Open FinalsAussie Cricket,

2008-01-26T09:09:00.000-08:00

It was weekend.I woke up early .I was surprised that my body didnt allow me to sleep late in the morning inspite of me sleeping late the other night.I realized that I could watch some good cricket in the morning.
I saw the Aussies tearing apart the Indian bowling.I was switching channels only to see that Maria and Ana were about to play the final of Women's Australian Open 2008.Couldnt ask for a better morning breakfast.
Maria on one hand didn't lose a set all through the tournament.Ana on the other hand was a bit new to Grand slam finals.Personally speaking I find Ana charming.

The match started with Ana trying to upset Maria's rhythm by playing a couple of drop shots and making Maria think differently.But she lost the plot by the end of Set 1 trying too many and finally relinquishing the set to Maria 7-5.The second set seemed more like a formality.Ana was very predictable and probably lost the steam to Maria's super power ground shots and placement.Anyway Maria was a better player and she deserved to win.

On the other hand our bowlers didnt earn many wickets in the match with the Aussies.This match is probably destined to a draw.

Why we like breaking rules

2007-11-20T22:21:00.000-08:00

Have you read in your primary school that one should follow traffic rules,one should use foot over bridges in railway stations rather than cross railway tracks directly to prevent accidents..??

I am sure all of our teachers would have tried in their best of ability to imbibe them in our daily life..I am sure it is tough to inculcate good habits in one's life...

The irony of all this is that most people dont really follow these small rules in their daily routine..So why do we like breaking rules ??I did introspect about this..

I was in the Hitech City Railway Station in Hyderabad.To my surprise I could see most of the passengers taking the pavement to cross the railway tracks rather than the foot over bridge..What the heck ..

I hardly was able to digest the fact that all this happens even in "my generation" where we all were taught about acting safe and the importance of being alive at a very young age in our school and at home.The very fact that most of the passengers were engineers(highly qualified/Educated) working in the hitech city,I got to believe that there was seriously something wrong with the system.

A little bit of common sense suggested me that the foot over bridge was constructed hardly with any logic.Say a passenger needs to go from platform 2 to platform 1,the blue line in the picture would guide one through the foot over brigde safely to Platform 1.
But passengers tend to take the "red carpet" :) ...The civil engineer who ever planned missed on the design of the foot over bridge..The horse shoe shape of the bridge should have been a "Z" shaped one for convenience of passengers because of the way the exits in the platforms are designed.
Now how come something as simple as this can be missed by engineers..???
Understandably our techies have managed to calculate the shortest path from platform 2 to platform1 but they have missed out on one of the basic rules of safety and hygience..Why hygience ?Again isnt the Indian Railway Track System the world's largest drainage existing ?Well everyone knows the reason why it is..
Now these are no reasons for flouting rules...
You guys have fun and be safe..

Araku to Hyderabad !!

2007-11-19T02:48:00.000-08:00

After the stupendous adventures with trekking and bird watching(There were no birds to watch) in Tyda,we had a nice breakfast and headed downhill.
Fortunately we got into a private 25 seater tourist vehicle which dropped us on the foot hills of Simhachalam.

Our fears came true when Swapna forgot her purse in the vehicle.We got down the other bus we took to reach Simhachalam only to find the tourist bus conductor waiting there to return the purse..It was very nice of him.We started our way back to Simhachalam..Had a pleasant Darsanam .We had to wait for an hour before the same because the temple is closed between 11:30 am to 12:30 noon.
We were damn hungry by the time we came out of the temple.We took an RTC bus to the railway station..We ended up eating at a bad restaurant ......We took the train to find an old woman selling handicrafts..I wouldnt speak and act as if I were dumb by birth and Swapna would really piss the old woman off with her bargaining.In frustration the old lady said to Swapna "Neeku baaga aakali ekkuva"(You are too hungry/greedy)..this made all of us laugh..Finally I took a couple of little dolls made of wood for our new home.We spent the remaining time playing cards..

Swathi was supposedly the best player among us and me the worst..The irony was that I was the top scorer and stood first by the time we ended the game..
Destinies games !!hehhehehe

We reached late and Sasi and I bunked office that day ;) !!
The trip was worth it because I had time to spend with my friends and family let alone the fun created by a bunch of Bengalis who were eating all day and doing funny things ......

Araku Trip

2007-11-14T23:46:00.000-08:00

My family and my friend Sasi's family went on a trip to Araku,a hill station near Vizag.
We booked the whole package from AP tourism which was cheap.
My friend's family left a couple of days early and we managed to reach Vizag early in the morning.
The trip started off with us taking the train uphill to Araku at around 7am.The tunnels,the lush green valley,the flora was worth watching..
AP tourism's breakfast wasnt that bad either.My friend's wife and Swathi were busy playing cards while Sasi and I were watching the beautiful valley.
We reached Araku finally by 11 am.We paid a visit to a garden..Well the garden at Swapna's(Sasi's wife) place was a lot better than this one :) .Never mind !!!

We had lunch..Majjiga Charu was really good but the remaining stuff was pretty average.
Then we went ahead to see a museum which had a display of the tools,culture of different tribes living around Araku.
Now this was awesome.

Then we went to watch the tribal dance..Was it Dhimsa ???Not too sure..Nice to see our family ladies join the tribal females in the dance ...

We had some snacks and went about playing see-saw and the swing ..For a moment we recollected our kindergarten days...

We reached Borra Caves which was good and tiring..Took the blessings of God and came back tired to the bus...

Then we dropped in a resort called Jungle Bells in a place called Tyda which falls in the way to Vizag from Araku..
The place was good but the management stinks..
Hell with this place and the bird watching,treakking adventures..

Finally we were back to Vizag.....Will continue in my next post..