Just thoughts

My 2 Golden Rules of Saving

2011-08-07T01:41:00.002-07:00

There never seems to be a simple way to save. Life seems unfair sometimes because all the good things happen at once or the other way around. Especially with money. You better be able to cash in on your savings whenever you need the money or even otherwise.

Why save?

We always think savings is for a rainy day. According to me, the whole notion of saving for a rainy day isn't the intention that you must have while saving. It's as simple as "paying yourself first"!

RULE 1: Pay yourself first.
I love this rule.

Make sure, each time you earn money and get a cheque. Pay yourself a little amount and then forget about it. Go about your life. But religiously do this and you will get into a habit of saving. I was always tempted to put the money that remains at the end of a month, in my savings account and it was rare that I got to doing that. Then I started paying myself religiously first as soon as I received my paycheck.This worked wonders. Its the only way we will get into the discipline of accumulating some money for yourself.
Also remember to not task yourself to save half your paycheck. Not possible for most people I guess. Start with a small step and increase it gradually. Saving is fun, don't stress yourself a lot!

RULE 2: Spend less than you earn

There are 3 ways to spend your money and this results in 3 cause and effect situations.

1. Spending all that you earn. - Results in 0 savings. Dangers - Any sudden expenses, you will fall into Category 2.

2. Spending more than you earn. - Results in -ve balance. - Any sudden expenses or just normal expenses will make your -ve status more -ve. This is a death hole. Get out as fast as possible. Solution: Spend less or earn more.

3. Spending less than you earn. - Results in +ve balance. Hurray you have savings! Any sudden expenses you will manage. Even if your savings dont cover your sudden expenses, you will get through because you have the discipline of spending less than you earn!

We work. We Earn. We live. We spend.

Living your life and spending always goes hand in hand. But just remember a simple rule - Spend less than you earn and when you earn, pay yourself first. These 2 rules will get your started in creating your wealth!

Virtually You

2011-06-20T23:11:00.002-07:00

The Internet has always amazed me. As most earthlings born in the past few decades and with the literacy to type on a keyboard, the Internet has captivated me in ways I don't even realize.

The book "Virtually You" by Elias Aboujaoude, attracted my attention immediately. Its a well written book and I would also recommend it to parents, to help them know what all can happen on the internet. He clearly describes the effects of an internet associated life with both adults and children. In his career, he meets lots of people who seem to have messed up the real and online worlds. Affairs with people on second-life, Avatars that people create as perfect mates, husbands on their wives infidelity in the online world, kids who seem to enjoy the terrorizing violent games of Warcrafts! It is a screwed up world out there...thats what I felt as I closed the book.

These may seem like abnormal addictions but this is the life for many individuals caught in the web.
I read an article a few days back, where the author describes as to how much we could reduce the use of gadgets daily:
1. Schedule a e-mail viewing time or an Online Time each day. Stick to checking your emails, facebook accounts and all online activities to that 1 or 2 hours.
2. Never keep the iphone or laptop near the place where you sleep.
3. Curb the urge to check emails / facebook news updates every hour. Try to do that once everyday at the Online Time , that you set.

I can't remember the rest. But these 3 points were key. As a step towards this I even got my data subscription off because I just couldn't stop checking the mail and facebooks app every other time my mind was just drifting to the do-nothing idle time. Its working for me, but I still haven't been able to put away my phone in another room as I sleep. Working on that now :-)

Little India

2010-07-20T10:15:00.006-07:00

The sound of an Indian language, the sight of Indians , Chats, Indian food , Indian snacks, Indian temples and yes Indian movies!I get plenty of this in Vancouver and sometimes more than what I could ask for. From Priya pickles to Parle G biscuits. Can you believe it , the Indian stores sell Pan Pasand and our 'cool drinks' Fanta!

As I shop in Indian stores, it startles me how much the world has become a global village. As I ponder about this, I am drawn to the weight of something added to my shopping cart. My husband just added a tin of my all time favorite ;a tin of Haldiram Rasagulla's and smiles at me. I smile and reach out to add the Good Day biscuits.As I head towards the billing counter, my eyes search the racks if there is anything I can add, smelling the cloves and cardamom in the spice section. I spot the 'pori urundai' , balls of puffed rice and jaggery that is generally made in South India while celebrating Karthigai, a celebration of lights. I couldn't resist picking a packet. In addition to getting Indian specific food items , there are Tamil Stores, more specific to where I come from. Thanks to the Punjabi's and Sri Lankan Tamils who have made our cuisine so accessible in these parts of the world. As we finish our shopping, we keep the bags of Indian groceries in our Car and head back to the Indian restaurant across the street. This street , a part of a long Street,Main Street , is called Little India in Vancouver. The boards are in Punjabi and Hindi. We walk past merchandise of an array of Indian salwars and Saree's. As I look and feel the happiness of our bright colors , my eyes catch a phrase 'Gol Gappa' in one of the side streets. Indian aunties in Saree's walk past with a bags of groceries. Few feets away a group of Indian elderly men in kurta's gossip and chit chat. I chance upon another shop window with Indian idols, a big statue of Ganapathi and Lakshmi adorn the shelfs. I smile as I glance the names of the shops . Our Indian shop names are so unique to what I see here.They are so Indian and thats what makes them unique. We enter one of the Indian Restaurants and I order my Delhi Chat with kachori's. My husband decides between hot Samosa's and Kachori's.Our order is served and we relish the chaat listening to Bollywood music as we glance across to a television above where Rani Mukherjee is dancing around Salman Khan!

Do I miss India?! Except for parents and relatives I get pretty much everything. As I finish the chaat and order coffee, I remember the Tamil Nadu famous 'Saravana Bhavan' here on Broadway with their Dosa's , Idli's , Adai's and steamy Chennai coffee.Dosa's and my mind travels to a shop called Dosa Corner where you get so many different kind of dosas! Our recent favourite is 'Dakshin' a restaurant in Surrey. I love their paneer Tikka Masala and Daal Makhni. Their roti's are awesome. My husband loves their Chettinad style delicacies.

After our fill of samosa's and chaat, we pay the bill and walk out with a spoonful of sounf in our mouths.

Food makes you feel so alive and it carries such a personal baggage. Life is good with good food around especially when you are so far away ,across oceans and lands from where it came from! Feels so much in India without the two thousand dollar India ticket.Now, thats a bargain :-)

P.S. Chance upon my food blog which I recently started! http://eatsoulfull.wordpress.com/

The common cold ...achoooo!

2010-07-03T20:54:00.002-07:00

"Ahem!Sorry I am sick with common cold. My head feels heavy.Throat feels sour and I keep sneezing with every breadth I take. I feel like all my body parts are going to tangle apart. My tongue is dry and my throat hurts from coughing in between all words I speak and don't speak! No, Im not whining and I'm not cribbing , I'm just sharing my feelings. "

Don't I sound terrible and ya its true, I must be a tough person to handle when I am ill! From memory I just feel like quoting this that we studied in eighth grade:

From where I caught it found it or came by it

and such a wantwit sadness it makes of me ,

that I have much ado to know myself!

-Shakespeare Merchant of Venice beginning lines

These are the first lines from Merchant of Venice and Bassanio/Antonio , Im not sure ,gives this speech that he doesnt know wher he caught this feeling and he is having trouble to find out what he is feeling. This is exactly I feel about this damn virus. From where did it come and especially spoiling my weekend! Anyways blog is a place not just to write about all the things I feel good about. It's also a place where I cant crib and whine. Happy reading my whining.Feeling light as I write this and wait...Achoooooooo!

Have to go!

Home Away from Home -Canada

2010-07-03T20:32:00.001-07:00

July 1st is Canada Day. Celebration of the birth of Canada. This was my second Canada Day celebration in Vancouver. There was a strange feeling of happiness that I felt for the country. I really dont have anything to complain about living in Canada.It's just a year since I moved here and its been a great journey since. I was as excited about Canada winning any Gold in the olympics as any other Canadian. At Canada Place , Vancouver , There is a parade and firework celebrations that add to the festive spirit of the celebration.I was there with my husband and his friend. We got a maple tattoo on our faces and we danced with hundred other nationalities together on the streets for a Russian folk song! There was an impromptu invocation of the O' Canada anthemn and I found myself singing to it as joyously I would sing my Indian anthem!In many ways Canada has been a home away from home and I am happy about being here.Home is where the heart is. I miss my motherland and just because I embrace the Canadian soil , it doesn't mean I love my motherland less. But my adopted land as my husband calls it , has been amazingly good to us and i dont have any regret to be here. People say the tax is high and etc;but coming from a developing country I count the blessings . Trust me, we have nothing to complain about this land.

Love you Canada and Belated Happy Birthday as I write this on July 3rd.

Decluttering the Clutter!

2010-06-28T12:07:00.001-07:00

Boxes big and small, Covers and bags of so many brands, books and papers , forgotten bottles of jam and food...clearing the mess at home is quite an achievement by itself. Everytime I 'Clean the Clutter' or must I rather say 'get rid of the clutter', because once you clean, hopefully there is no remains of clutter. So every time I get rid of the clutter, I swear to myself that this is not going to happen again. But the key to a clutterless home is constant organization. Woah! sounds like a big task. It is and once you let it grow, its like a devil that's out to get you some day! So tame it and get over with it when its small.

There was nothing too much to clean this weekend. But , we are always buying something; loads of shopping , groceries , bags , bills ..things just add up. The best way to declutter you clutter.

Just start cleaning! The first and foremost step is to start. If you put it away for another day , remember its going to grow big and more worse. You have to do it anyway. So get started.
Keep a couple of garbage bags with you. Just think..Have you used this or would you require it..If any part of your brain says No.Just throw the damn stuff away. I somehow cant get myself to throw things. But Old boxes, bills and shopping bags, I did throw them away.
I love to segregate stuff. It makes the whole place look so tidier, even if you end up keeping so many things. So I always invest in good and cheap boxes with and without lids!
Take a walk to the nearest DollarStore and just get a dozen of those plastic trays and boxes of various widths and heights.
Place them on the countertops of your kitchen/washroom/dressing table/just any place where you throw the mails/bills /keys. Segregate the stuff and keep the boxes. The place looks tidy! Its easier to sort them out later when you are free. Put all your lipsticks in a small tray.Your deoderant and sprays, shampoos and hair setting gels in one etc. Or you can place all your bottles in one or however you like it. The very aspect of placing them in one contained box makes the place look so clean and they wont move .So the counter tops will always look organized.
Fridge :

There are certain tips that I love to make the fridge look organized. You get plastic containers/baskets that have a handle specially made for the fridge.I place all my pickles and paste in those.So its neatly stacked in one basket. Whenever I use them for dinner, I just take the whole basket to the dining table. Use it and place the basket back. It declutters your fridge in an instant and you will not forget what you have!
I also recently bought 3 big baskets to fit in one shelf of the refrigerator to keep tomatoes , potatoes etc. They always occupy so much place in the fridge and they are indispensable to a kitchen. So once I segregated them in baskets , it was so easy to just pick them, wash them or refill when its over. If the basket has holes (which I always prefer) you can just run water over the whole basket to wash it and dry them.
Keep the top row for diary products like milk and yogurt and eggs, so you always can check in a glance of what to buy on a daily or weekly basis.
The stored food and bread , I keep them in 2nd and 3rd rows.

These are some tips I generally use. Happy decluttering and I know , I may be doing the same in a few more weeks.Will post more ideas when I get to it again!

Biking

2010-06-26T00:02:00.001-07:00

A new found hobby in biking!

Well, not exactly my new found hobby but something my husband wanted to do from a long time. After his hours long of analytical searching on what would be good and where, we settled on buying 2 bicycles from Sportscheck.We were't sure how we would like it , so we bought a little more than the basic models available. The deal was good and we ended up feeling happy and in proud possession of 2 new bikes.Now , we had to fine tune the bikes and get them in order.It was all taken care at the store. Safety first! So we decided on buying a pair of helmets. Colourful head gears with so many distictions unaware to the human eye. I just wanted a simple ladies. Helmet I remember saying to myself. It off course is the age of the consumer! What next, safety of us was taken care and what about our two new prized possession.We had to save them from being stolen.Yes, we needed locks. Shiny metallic locks hung on an array of cycle accessories. Some were wound like a coil, some were like a U metal Loop. We settled on the U metal loop that looked promisingly stronger. Now , we were ready!

We were excited and traveled a long way across our home , to a lake. We were very excited that we had covered such a distance on our first ride. It was time to go back and as we did, we dawned upon the realization about the science of uphill and downhill drives. All the time we never noticed was that , we had ridden downhill. As we progressed , I started panting and heaving. Successfully I managed to reach home alternating between pedaling and walking with our bikes. Who said biking was easy. It is good that , a hobby such as this could increase your body's endurance. But , cycling reminded us of our childhoods. As I held my handlebar and moved smoothly , soaring through the wind, flashes of my childhood and my small red bike flashed on my eyes. These inanimate objects are so full of life I thought to myself. Feeling happy, tired , exhausted and satisfied , we carried our bikes to our apartments and laid them to rest for the night!

Anything that brings us joy is a thing to treasure is it not?!

Another Food Blog ??!!

2010-06-24T13:32:00.000-07:00

Well, I know there are countless food blogs. I restrained myself from the idea of a food blog for almost a year. The very thought of hosting another food blog to an already existing list of blogs was holding me back. Then it struck to me, so what?! Cooking is a passion for many and good food can impress just anyone! To share the joy , is joy by itself. I already had 3 blogs to my blog roll on Blogspot, so thought of using WordPress for a change. This is the story of the birth of ‘Not just another food-blog’ but ‘eat-soul-full’ blog seasoned with recipes from places close to my heart , places I’ve traveled and from people near, far, known and unknown who share the joy of cooking!
I must add, Cook your way through a man’s heart , was why I started cooking and yes! Krish, is an ardent fan, connoisseur and critic (v.v.rarely:-))who keeps my cullinary skills challenged every day!This blog is dedicated just to you sweetheart. Its because of your patience, love for food and a heart to sacrifice your taste buds anytime , have I the heart to try anything and everything feeling so happy that no matter what , you are there to taste it and say ‘Its great!!’.

To see my foodblog Click on the following link. I just started and will load it with many of my recipes stacked in a recipe book , stained with sauces and vegetable colours!! Wait for more..try and eat a heart filled meal :-)

http://eatsoulfull.wordpress.com/

The Nocturnal Me

2010-06-15T02:06:00.002-07:00

Its 1:30 am and I still havent got a glimse of sleep in me. I am wide awake as I sit and reflect so many things on the desktop of my cerebellum. I try to Ctrl+Alt+Del my thoughts and all thats being processed by my neurological processors. I fail miserably as I continue to write my thoughts onto the wordpad of the blogger. Well lets see whats flashing in my thoughts right now. How fast is the fleet of mind...Wait,as I write this line, I think of one of the poem's that I had studied..i think its Ozymandias..no it was about a king all alone in an island..Yes the Solitude of Alexander Selkirk..I remember the lines where he says...How fast is the fleet of mind , much faster than the speed of light. How true is that! There is a mayhem of thoughts in my mind and its travelling like a kite unbound and free of strings, just flowing with the air. Now my thoughts move from the fleet of mind , then about the poem (where I slightly remember my Prose lecturer Mrs.Gordon, in late sixties, elegant with her string of pearls and a crisp cotton saree, her spectacles and the collection of poems in her hand) and then travel to how my mind is flying as a kite. Now , I just stretch my legs to comfortably place my limbs to assist my forelimbs in the task of multiple repetitive movement of my fingers. I google to find a nice scientific word to replace 'fingers' and I end up with the metacarpels and phalages. After which I settle down to just write fingers. My eyes glance the book Im reading about Africa. Flashes of African history appear in the projector screen of my inward sight. When I read every page of the book on African history, I have visualized and potrayed a civilization so rich in culture, prosperous with trade and yet doomed by centuries of tortures by countless invaders and religious upheavals. Im still reading and am yet to finish the book. My mind immediately maps war and suppression. I think about Afghanistan. I read an article today on the Golden Hour in Afghanistan. Golden Hour is that crucial one hour where a victim of any kind of physical injury is treated to save his life , limb or just help him have a less painful death. The author speaks to the American soldiers who serve day in and day night picking up body parts and wounded friends and enemies alike from sites of mishap that pose more danger for them to even stop the helicoptor and help the wounded. What an emotional roller coaster must it be for them every hour of the day or maybe minutes. My mind slowly travels to the movie 'Hurt Locker', the movie that won the Oscar this year.Now, that was a really wonderfully told tale of the virtual deaths the soldiers and bomb squad teams have every second of their jobs. When the movie bet Avatar to win the Oscar, I hadn't watched the movie yet and I was taken aback. But, when I saw the movie, the movie gave a realistic no frill peek into the lives of the soldiers struggling in Afghanistan.

Now my mind travels to the trillion dollar worth reserves found in Afghanistan thats being hit in headlines in all newspapers. So yes, the gulf may actually rebound with a fresh pound of new resources. But , who will benefit from this whole thing. The people of Afghanistan and the natives who ever they may be , have lost so much and whatever is left , reminds them of a Dark Age that might take a long time for them to even rebound and lead a natural life. Well maybe , these news headlines are (God forbid) going to cause another rush for power and money and create yet another curse on the land.

I sigh and slowly look at the time in my computer, and it reminds me I have to force my bursts of insomnia and get back to sleep. Now I need to think about something nice to forget the anger that develops inside me when I read/write about the war strick zones. Well, I am yawning, now thats a lucky sign!

So off to bed and I hope that will end my noctornal shift. Good Night!

How much weather influences our life!

2010-06-09T11:30:00.001-07:00

When it rains, it pours. As I get up each day, from the past week, I religiously glance at the weather for the day. Never had the weather have such an influence in my life before. Untill my previous 2 birthdays , I actually have never witnessed the beauty of these 4 seasons in my life. In southern India, there were hot Summer breaks and a mild hot humid Monsoon time of the year and then a not so warm months of November and December which was our winter! January till March were the prosperous months for harvest and

Vancouver is one of the beautiful cities in the world to actually experiance the beauty of nature. Beautiful British Columbia, thats how the province is called , is filled with a bountiful blessing of nature. Where best to see the seasons change, better than the color of nature and clothing of women! I know it might be strange that I celebrate the weather so much. But, for almost 2.5 decades i haven't seen such colors in my life. Now, that does make an impact!

How much weather can impact your life on a day to day basis,lets see..

1. Your mornings..looking at the window, that influences my first feeling for the day!

2. How you feel..Sunny and nice, rainy and sloppy or cold and sleepy :-)thats how I feel most of the time!

3. What you wear..now thats a major one. You have to be careful, dress in layers, need a think jacket or a light one?Oh my, thats so so confusing but its nice.

4. More pairs of shoes!

5. What you do? Summer is time for hiking, biking, nature and more outdoors. Winter comes and we snuggle into our warm homes and bowling or other indoor activities. Spring and Autumn, just see the flowers bloom or fall from the window. Somehow , seasons give you more reasons to enjoy life

6. Memories. yes, how much the weather influences what you remember or how you mind map those special and not so special events in your mind. Somehow, Fall is the season i become philosophical, with the trees shedding their leaves. I feel rejuvenated at Spring and summer I feel young and alive. Somehow memories of anything that happens get linked with the season.

7. Colors - Thats one of my favourites about season. What you dress, what you see, how the nature looks..every color that you see reflects the season.

No wonder this is a cycle in itself. The seasons, the colors and the joy of birth and the troughs in life , all goes hand in hand. Men may come and men may go, but life goes on forever!!

Ooops, i think i wrote the above sentence glancing at the rain outside.Now, thats how the weather influences what you blog!
As of now I eagerly wait for the warm sunny days to brighten up our lives!

How to be Google Free

2010-06-07T14:58:00.001-07:00

Google has been on my thoughts for quite some time now.Some of my previous posts express my fear on our dependability on google and how much Google follows us. I read this article and it was exactly something I was thinking about.

http://zenhabits.net/google-free/

To become Google free is quite a challenge, especially now that we are almost using it for our every application. As I say this, I realize that all my blogs are on the Blogger too! No escaping the clutches of Google. A Google free life , not that tough to achieve, according to the author of the article. Slowly she has been migrating from Google to other options. The article also gives good suggestions for alternatives to the Google applications which are most commonly used.

The scroogle for example is a wonderful search engine tool that we could possibly use to bypass Google cookies. The Scroogle.org serves as a middle-man between the User and the Google search engine. The results are the same as Google but are exempt without the Google cookies. It will surely take time and effort to actually get out of the Google routine, but its worth the try. Better late than never!!

Please, stop the oil.

2010-06-02T11:40:00.006-07:00

Everyday as I follow the news on the Oil Spill, it breaks me down. I feel awful. It shudders me to think that , thousands of gallons of crude oil are gushing into the ocean every hour and a part of the earth is never going to be the same again.

At first the estimate given was 42000 gallons of oil spitted out of the chasm every day. But 5 days later , after analysis it was declared to be 210,000 gallons a day.It has also been declared as a 'National Security Issue' by the Obama government. But, it has also appeared in many Press Reports that the damage and extent of irreversible damage to the Gulf of Mexico has not been released completely. In one of the releases it has also been said that if the gushing oil not be stopper in 90 days it would cause a significant irreversible damage to the ecosystem at the Gulf of Mexico.

Isn't a Risk Analysis done in the inception of these projects. How come such a grave risk of this extent be overlooked.There has been speculations from many sources and satellite imagery of the spill taken by NASA and National Geography that has been treated with great secrecy and has not been made public. Gosh, I cant imagine the extent of damage that is being caused. As the clock ticking on my desktop moves a second, there is so much oil gushing out. The matter is actually suffocating me , even as I imagine the life forms killed every second.

This is the latest update by BP on the Oil Spill Click here

I just wish they get this thing done. The whole incident is thousands of miles away from me, but I cant stop thinking about the thousands and millions of life forms whose home is being devastated every second. I cant stop thinking that while I read about Jaguar , the fastest supercomputer on earth and its amazing feat achieved by man, I still am scared that the fiends leashed out in the form of technology,can wipe us out in seconds.
He has not the tool to protect himself from the damage that he is causing. How scary that is for a thought?!

Left Brain Vs Right Brain

2010-06-01T13:36:00.002-07:00

The human brain is divided into 2 hemispheres; the right and the left brain. The left brain is responsible of characteristics that involve sequencing , order, love for mathematics and science etc.The right brain is responsible for creativity, being absent minded, love for literature and art etc.Somehow every individual tends to have an influence of one of the either part of the brain. If the left influences an individual more than the right, then he/she is called a left brained person and vice versa. It also does not imply that a left brain person is not creative or that the right brain person is not very logical. Its just that the characteristics of your most dominant part of the brain influences most of your actions, activities , preferences and professional choices.

There are many quiz's on the internet that help you find whether you are a left or a right brain person.

I took a quiz and i got 16 and 16 for both. That means I am a mix of both and use both sides.

The results and the link for the quiz is published below which you could post on your blog too.

Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz
The higher of these two numbers below indicates which side of your brain has dominance in your life. Realising your right brain/left brain tendancy will help you interact with and to understand others.
Left Brain Dominance:	(16)
Right Brain Dominance:	(16)
Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz

I was not very satisfied and went to try another quiz. This was good too but it declared me as a complete 'left brained person'.
So i arrived at a conclusion that my personality is more towards a left brain personality , and i juggle back between both brains occasionally.
You could try this quiz here
http://www.web-us.com/brain/braindominance.htm

Left Brain Characteristics - Click here
Right Brain Characteristics - Click here

Good luck trying to find whether you are right or left!
Either ways we are what we are!!

Halo Effect of iPad- Will it cannabalise other prodcts?

2010-05-31T14:06:00.001-07:00

2 million iPads sold in less than 2 months. Wow!

1 in 5 US Consumers will end up with an iPad.

The iPad is driving the burgeoning popularity of tablets, shipments of which could grow six-fold by 2014, IDC said in a research released on May 20. Tablet shipments could total seven million by the end of this year, and top 46 million within four years.

The iPod was the trend setter.The iPod lifted Apple to new heights and a whooping market share. Next the iPhone catapulted the smart phone market share for Apple. Now , the iPad has sold 2m pieces in less than 2 months.

The time chart from wiki shows the advent of the iPhone, iPod and iPad below,

Now, Google has also stepped into the TV business with Google TV.It already has a contract with Sony and a couple of other TV manufacturing companies to sell the product with their Google TV software.

Apple announced about Apple TV in 2006. Apple is working on this to capitalise on the TV market share as well.

Halo Effect of iPad- Will it cannabalise other prodcts?

Now whenever Apple releases a product, it manages to get the consumer step into the Apple store. The iPad they say might cannibalise the sales of the MAC Book Air and MAC Book Pro etc. People might prefer to have an iPad instead. In a couple of articles i read that the people who have rushed to buy the iPad are predominantly belonged to the Apple club. Hence, the sales of the Apple products in a few more months may determine whether :

a) the sales of the iPad helped in getting people to buy another Apple product (or)

b) the sales of the iPad actually cannibalized the sales of other Apple products like the MacBrook Pro.

The Halo effect of Apple could be either ways according to me. But, whatever may be the sales figure, I believe more and more people are becoming a prospective consumer for these smart devices. Mac Book Pro and other Apple products are not easy to transition the non consumer to consumers. But, the iPhone , iPad and the iPod gains higher rank in this aspect. New Consumers who dont belong to the Apple group can easily accept the iPad. Convertibility of new consumers will according to me, impact the sales of the iPad and hence other Apple products slowly by the coming year. I beleive the halo effect of the iPad is going to be positive!

Google - How much Google knows about you

2010-05-26T17:15:00.000-07:00

It is really scary to know how much google knows about you. Why is this a matter of concern, you may ask. The reply is "How could this not be a concern?'

Google is an amazing company with the best set of applications to offer. I just can't feel comfortable without seeing a Google home page on my browser. The chrome was a fascination from the first time I laid hands on it. I love the feature that the address bar is used a search input itself. It's fast and the layout is so good with just what you need. It is years since I migrated from IE. Firefox was a great alternative to IE and now the Chrome surpasses it. Recently , I was doing a lot of searches on LA and what I could do there as a tourist. It amazed me when I noticed, that no matter which website I chanced upon and no matter how far fetched they were from the topic of 'travel and LA' , the ads that popped up were related to California City Passes and tourist related ads. I felt as if I was being stalked.

Google's idea of integrating the 'cloud' in our lives is really impacting the way we use the internet and dependency on the desktop. Thin Clients are the solution for the future , which is what Google is aiming at.

On an average I use the computer to check my mails, maybe house budget /documents in word and excel, upload and see pictures, write my blog, Google search for recipes and what not, news websites etc. Google has a solution for all this. I am drawn towards using the Google docs where I can just use the office suite equivalent and I don't need to worry about taking them where I want to.Its omnipresent wherever I go.I just need an Internet connection. My photos in Picasa , is so easy to access, maintain and share. Google Maps help me find my way anywhere. Our searches, friends, emails, choices, shopping preferences, addresses, places we visit, travel details, health records, pictures...thats our life in a nutshell.

Well Google has access to everything. The optimization algorithms at Google , has a profile for every user and every search that comes out of an IP address. The database is refreshed every 18 months. Those 18 months are surely a good glimse into the people we are and our lives.

Imagine if Google was acquired by another company in future, or there is a data theft at google or there could be an investigation that you are involved in and Google has to give away your details etc. Now thats so much of information to be trusted on in one nest. No matter how much this is an issue, we just cant escape using Google in our lives in so many different ways. But, it is good to know that such a risk exists and we can take care to avoid too much information about us to get leaked outside.

Evernote - How to use Evernote

2010-05-06T16:44:00.000-07:00

I came across this I Phone app and I seem to like it. My interest span is quite short lived and is a wavering one.

This is an app to sync the notes that you take on you i phone or in any computer using Evernote. All you have to do is have an account created with evernote.

To download : http://www.evernote.com/about/download/windows.php?file=Win&btn=_blue

How to use it?

1. Install one in your home desktop, at office and in your I Phone.

2. Also download a Web Clipper

http://www.evernote.com/about/download/web_clipper.php

This page even gives a Google chrome add in which makes it so easy.

Install it.

3. Make new notebooks in the evernote account -like Work..Tasks...blog Ideas...Shopping list ...Interesting articles etc.

4. How to go about using it?

Simple. Whenever you need to jot down anything. Just add a note in your evernote account in the right category either using your I Phone or Office computer or your home desktop.

You find an interesting article , just click the web clipper appearing in your browser. The whole page gets saved to your Evernote account.The best part is , it saves images, notes, web clips and can retrieve them based on any word that is in them!

Your bills, important receipts ,pictures,reports..just keep them with you always.No hassles of saving it in different computers!

5. Now what?

Read what you want wherever you go , no matter you're at office or home or shopping..you have the notes and all that you have stacked with you.Just access your account.It gets synced automatically.

6. Whats the hitch?

The free version has 40MB space. To gets more you need to get a premium account.

Well to access your notes and shopping ..to do lists etc you can use it without hassles. It might be worth regulating your free space.

Another disadvantage, is that everytime you open the app in the I Phone, it gettings connected to the server and uses a lot of data bandwidth to retrieve your stuff because it retrieves all that you have stored.Its a trade off. Not that much though. Depends on your plan and how you use the tool. Worth trying!

Why the I Phone is a lover in disguise?

2010-05-06T16:13:00.000-07:00

Did you know that your IPhone is a lover in disguise?!

Well , you were infactuated by it.
You could'nt wait to own this piece of beauty? It has just hooked you on!
Now that you have a taste of this wonderful creation's influence, Can you imagine living without it?How empty life seems to be without it?
Try to walk away from your I Phone for a few hours or a day..How long did you you survive without giving a thought about it?
Whether its love or hate, you're hooked!
It is easy to start a relationship but quite an effort to stop it !Applies to the I Phone as well..
Its a pain, you cant find yourself alone again?!
It just makes your complicated life look easy with gadgets that probably you would never used if it wasn't but for the I Phone in your life. Just like how lucky you feel when you're partner stands by you in moments of tough times and distress but hey..I would be here if it wasnt for the very same partner?!
You end up thinking..Gosh..thank god i got one when I could?!
You also think, Gosh..did I buy it too soon?
Having an I Phone makes you feel like you're social circle has now increased with twitter toots and Facebook apps but in reality you end up spending more time with the I Phone than your friends

Did you know that I Phone's have actually changed the way we look at communication?I Phone has drastically changed the minds of the Homo sapiens and their perception about the communication device.

Thats why its called a revolutionary tool. Because it has caused a serious impact on humans on their evolution in thinking , communicating and perceiving future tools. Its a rollback -not-possible zone. Its future in your hands when you hold the toy in you hand :-).

Mother of mine

2010-05-01T01:13:00.000-07:00

Mothers are so special.I treasure my mother cos to me she's special. She doesnt have a career that she could trade money with, she is not somebody whose name appears on the societies most talked about, she doesnt boast of any special skill to sing or any art. She gave her life to two little angels that she prized more than anything in the world. She was there waiting for me with steamy hot lunches every afternoon at school.She was waiting me and my sister at the school gates with such a warm smile to greet us and ask us about our day. She pampered and put our needs ahead of hers. She wanted us to have all that she couldnt have and all that she had. She was happy to see the light in my eyes and love in my heart.I married and I flew away from her like birds with new wings flying out. Its your life she says and as always you'll do great. I dont know where she gets the confidence in me when I myself start doubting about me.Every step I ve been through this far, she was the first to beleive in me. Well, I guess she believed in me from the time I cried when she delivered me. I know mothers for everybody are like this .But, its just that Im reminded of my mother and Im happy I have her.

Caring, loving and selfless

Im always her little princess.

Daily she waits to start and end her day with my voice

Her thoughts are pinned to me no matter what she tries

Never has there been a day without her thoughts

Loaded us with happiness lots

I remember her early morning kisses on my forehead

Though she was loaded with problems to dread

Celebrated my every walk,talk,fight and my hundred little wins

Which she stood next to me, proud, decorated with her wide grin

'Thats my star' I could hear her say

No matter what we did, night and day

Got us together through times tough and bad

There was her smile and strength ,warding anything sad

When I have a life in me one day

"Thats my star" to my baby I will say

When she would be old

Her hand I would hold

"Mom, you're my star " I will say

Happy mothers day!

5 Reasons why you should know where to go?

2010-04-13T13:42:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite quote has been the one from Lewis Carrols's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'

'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.

'I don't much care where --' said Alice.

'Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.

'--so long as I get somewhere,' Alice added as an explanation.

How much these lines speak our minds.Confused.

Sometimes life gets a lot easier if we only knew what we need,how to get it and when would it be the best to get it.
What makes it more easier is just know where we are headed towards. 5 Reasons why you should know this are:

1. It just makes you a lot wiser about yourself.
2. Its like not being lost anymore.You know you're onto something.
3. All of a sudden, you now have a purpose to your life.
4. You're chances of getting what you want are higher than if you actually dint know what you wanted.
5. One day if you're lucky, you could end up writing about yourself happy and successful or even if you're exausted and have failed.Either ways you still end up with a story!

What I learnt from a year of marriage?!

2010-04-12T15:23:00.000-07:00

I intend to write no serious posts.But, it has always fascinated me what happens behind the doors of the houses when I walk across any. Lives and stories interest me! I wonder when I see a couple smile..are they always like this?

After a year of marriage , i chuckle to myself 'I turned out to be so lucky ?!!'Now, thats great news and a positive way to begin my post.

After a year of marriage I've learnt..Lemme see..Lemme try listing them!

Silent waters run deep.Strong and deep understanding of each other , makes a quiet ,happy relationship.
Relationship i felt, is like a growing child.Needs attention,grooming , sacrifices, unconditional love and pampering!
Give out all the love you can and it never fails to make you rich with the same!
Rome was not built in a day.Same with relationships, they grow and strengthen with time.No point in rushing things up.

I think i need to stop.

Woah! Dont I sound as if i've been married ages or like a grand old lady.Well..nothing wrong in sharing what we learn through this wonderful journey called life. Atleast one thing for sure that I have learnt is the age old classical belief..Yes!I completely agree that men are from Mars and women from Venus.Yes we wives are different from the husbands.A lot different I must say.I like to talk.He likes to watch TV.I like to talk.He likes to surf the net.I like to hear the same things over and over again and he's realised that it makes me so happy to hear that Im all he loves and lives for.So he says that over and over again. I look beneath ,under , above and in between words and he see's just the words.I must give credit to my husband for bearing with the likes of me.I am a women and ya..I get cranky,i whine,im needy , I get shots of emotional imbalances, I have tears ready to come out anytime and anywhere, I cant help it,other beautiful women make me sick, I cant stop hearing that im the best for you and yes Im posessive no matter what; your friends, your computer, your work , your favourite game or anything...I need to know what you're doing and that Im in your thoughts!! On the other hand , the Martian has his flavour to life too!!

But no matter where we come from Mars or Venus, its wonderful to be together and get your perfect match. The more and more I realise how different we are, the more and more i realize how common we are in the fact that we can do anything for each other!

Cheers to one year of marriage and loads of fun and a little wisdom(I enjoy saying that,Don't I?!)!! :-)

My first week at work in Canada!

2010-03-28T00:16:00.000-07:00

The post is as on March 12th 2010.

The first's in anyones life is always so exciting and memorable.

Its exactly a week since I started working as a Quality Assurance Analyst in Canada and its been a memorable week so far.I was excited.I was nervous.But, i guess the excitement overpowered all the other feelings inside me.

I was determined to be there on time.Krish was a darling, all through my job hunt, my interviews and this one week of work,he shone again as a the best partner one could ever get.

Almost a year of being a homemaker and with Krish having a great project in his first year of married life, we rarely woke up anytime before 7:30.It probably would be the most relaxed year of our lives.So getting up at 6 was quite a challenge.Sprung out of bed and ya I did get the feeling.. this is how it was going to be every other day from now.I was working!My first day and Krish was excited too. We took turns to take a shower.I made lunch.Krish helped me pack.I was running around like a maniac with a straightening rod in my hand and a blow drier loud in the background. The powder room was littered with lipsticks and blushes.Cleaned them up.Prided myself on my appearance at the end.I looked professional.Whether i was going to maintain this always , i dont know, but my first day, yes!I looked neat, crisp ,with formals ,a pair of high heeled shoes and straightened long hair that settled well on my frame.I was ready. My handbag with a load of cosmetics , a neatly packed small lunch bag and an iphone plugged to my ears.I was ready to start my day. Krish dropped me half the way.He was so proud of me.Happy at last that his wife would not bother him that much any more. He was'nt sure of that anyway! I enjoyed my train ride.How i always wondered and envied the women so dressed up and hustling for work. Today I was one among them.Hurrying across the subway, i reached my office.Its fun that my first job here is in downtown. The crowd. The trains were full. All men and women dressed for the day ready to make money and make some decisions for people whom they dont even know!Its strange. If you really write down what people do to make a living (not their titles!they all seem so complicated)you'll be amazed at the list. Ok now, back to my first day. I reached all in time. There were calls from mom,dad, sister, parents in law...all wishes for a great start.I guess that's why you need family too because they can make your days mean more than they actually are.I entered the big 16 floor building.It is right near the sea.So you can see the snow peaked mountains and the sea from the entrance and a clear blue sky with loads of big buildings silhouetted against it.A great start i thought to myself.After a brief ride with the elevator , with strangers connected to each other that we 're set for a 8hr journey of work today.

Rang the bell and i was received.The Director, who hired me, gave a tour to all the people who worked there. Felt great and the environment was very friendly. The lady with whom I was supposed to work made life easy. I found myself settling into this new world easily and smoothly.So far everything was great.I even went out on a team lunch. The first thing you would notice working in the west is the relaxed atmosphere completely void of hierarchies and rules. The work culture was very informal and people just did their stuff anyway. It was great to watch and learn how it works here.

It was a great day, spiced with a team lunch and bit of work.At half past five in the evening, as I travelled down the building , i just said to myself..'not bad,i had a great day'.

The next week just rushed past.Learnt a lot. Struggled with juggling between work and home. Krish was awesome all throughout. Time just flew.Now i understand what weekends are really for :-). After a year at home , it did finally feel great to be out with the world making money and just keeping busy!!

Vancouver 2010-the winter olympics..its contribution to me!

2010-03-02T12:56:00.000-08:00

The olympics was at my city of Vancouver.The 2010 winter olympics was an awesome experience for me.

Its the first time I've followed sports intently.The reason could be because Canada was doing so good and it was just irresistible to watch it.Another reason ,is that it is my first year with my husband and his company gave me an insight and interest into the world of sports.Me and my sister probably dint even have sports on our dictionary!I learnt so much.I feel totally inspired by the attitude of the whole olympic games.The togetherness we felt in the city and the country was indescribable.I was drawn to the stories of athletes and how they found their passion.How they came into being who they are.Majority of the athletes were inspired when they saw a previous olympic in their country or city.The Calgary olympics was a turning point for many.The olympics has certainly influenced lives in different ways.Luger,snow-boarding, curling,the hockey fever, adrenaline rushing fast track races, alpine skiing, cross country, figure skating and so many more.These were the first time I saw these winter sports ever and im hooked on to them now.

Some of the best moments that remain in my memory of the Olympics;

Me and my husband watched as the flamed passed by during the flame relay.It was the first experience that linked us to the spirit of olympics.
It was great to see how people embraced the flame everywhere it went and was even more great to see the people who carried them and to read about them.
The visuals at the opening ceremony was a treat of technology at its best , to the eyes of millions.
Victory walk of Jon Montgomery, skeleton Gold medalist .He enjoyed the victory the best according to me.It was a jolt of enthusiasm and happiness for the games that he inspired in all of us , when he won.
Clara Hughe's race and her pace at the 5000m.She just glided the tracks .Her swan song at olympics with another medal,Bronze. Winners like this rarely walk the earth.I was impressed!
Jeanine , the figure skater with a bronze.Her mother passed during the games.Her capacity ,maturity and the strength for a great performance was admired by millions.Her mother would have been so proud of her.
Figure skating gold medallist, Kim Yu-Na from South Korea->Now, that was a dance that may never be seen again.I dont know anything about skating.But when she moved and did her triple jumps with so much grace and beauty , she looked like an angel moving effortlessly in air.I have no words to describe it justly! It will remain in my memory for a very long time.
The ice-hockey women finals between USA and Canada.I never saw a team sulk its face so much while receiving Silver!!
And ya, the ice-hockey men's final.Woah!what a victory!
Felt great hearing the anthem of different nations especially Canada at the victory ceremony.
Usher's concert and Victory ceremony at whistler was a wonderful experience.
My husband and me were so impressed with the lighting of the fourth arm of the olympic flame in a humorous way laughing at the malfunctioning of the same during the opening ceremony.
I liked the speech by the vancouver committee CEO John Furlong at the closing ceremony.
And there is one thing i forgot, I've fallen in love with the I believe song by Nikki!

4 years seems a long time to wait for the next Olympics!

"London bridge is falling down" Remembering our rhymes!

2009-11-05T13:24:00.000-08:00

Click here to see the site on rhymes and origins

My husband and me for a change were listening to some old nursery rhymes and it kindled a unique sensation inside.Childhood is a special part of everyone's life and its always nostalgic to walk back to those times.Laughter, giggles, adamant fights ..sure are crazy happy times.

I was browsing on some rhymes and came through this site.It gives the reason behind each rhyme..found it interesting.For example, 'twinkle twinkle little star'..this rhyme was basically introduced to quieten the child before bedtime and make the child eagerly wait for the stars to be seen in the sky.So once they quietly look out of the window and wait for the stars they get a little subdues and automatically associate the time to sleep when it gets dark.

It was a different site and wanted to write about it in the blog.

Click here for another site on rhymes..this contains some modern limerick kind of rhymes.

Click here to see a software for rhymes. Havent seen how good it is.But you could try if interested :-)

Enjoy your rhymes!

Ten Things I Find Fascinating about Vancouver

2009-11-04T13:01:00.000-08:00

Mountains...everywhere you see.
Seasons.Its the best you can find in Canada.The warm summers,the bearable winters,the lovely spring and the amazing fall breeze
The English Bay.Ahead you see the calm ocean and look behind you see the busy streets of Vancouver
Lion's Gate Bridge.It was love at first sight.Never is the scenery on both sides of the bridge the same.The hue of the sky,the sunset,the moonlit ocean,the city,the boats,ships everything looks magical when seen from the bridge.
Walking Trails..loads of placid lakes and serene trails
Downtown on a saturday night
The Skytrain...Its like a train ride through wallpapers of mountains,suburbs,water,ships and the horizon silhouetted with tall buildings and bridges
Melting pot of diversity.
Cuisine.Name the type of food you want and behold its there.
Indian food

Being desi abroad...not bad after all!

2009-11-04T12:14:00.000-08:00

** This post is dedicated to all the immigrants who have chosen to enjoy their new life!

Desi is a common term to denote people of south east asian origin (Indians).Being an NRI is actually fun.Im enjoying the process , much to the surprise of my other counterparts scattered around the globe.I always read about dejections and depressions of living away from 'home'.The problem is they dont realise the positives of their new home in another country.

I too thought I would miss certain things so prominent in India.I was wrong.I realised the advantages of being an NRI.

People People and more people.This is no exaggeration.Relatives , neighbours, friends, marriages, functions, festivals..is all about feeding people and meeting people.Life in India revolves around 3 things food,religion and people near,dear and far!We love it. But, not a festival every month.Thats why the American or NRI dream looks more fascinating to the younger generation.We miss the social gatherings and fun but guess what, we survive very happily without them too.We taste it on our occasional trips to India and that seems to be good until the next visit.We seem to have the best of both worlds.

No complications.Our calenders are not filled with the weddings and engagements of 'mere nani ke chote bhai ki saheli' (my granny's brothers friend) stuffs. Dont get me wrong that I hate meeting people.Its in my blood that has the Indian DNA that I love the gossips and long introductions.But lets face the fact, its a busy busy world and suddenly the science age is moving so fast.We have such less time. Its a age where the walls of private spaces are growing high and more isolation is developed out of every technology.Being a married woman, I would love to have the attention and time with my husband and family than anyone else.That is my priority.Our careers, our life, our home, our parents, peppered and spiced with relatives would be the ultimate dream rather than a life for others.Rather than debating on which is good, I just want to say that this dream is lived as the 'NRI'.

Loads of time, trips, travels, sporting and what not and an occasional trip India is lovely.

In addition ,there is the diva status you have,when you go to India.As the rule in economics goes, rarity of the resource will catapult its marginal price.We the NRI's are a rarity to see and be with , so the 3-4 weeks we are there,life revolves around us and we enjoy the kesar laddoos and paalgova's without the diwali!

Even if im married in India, I wouldnt have had the time of a one month vacation with my family.This is possible only as an NRI.You get to spend quality time when you visit family.

Since you are an immigrant, you realise the magnitude of your blessing.The blessing of living in a developed part of the world.I find living in India more expensive than living here.We pay our taxes and enjoy the benefits in Canada.But, what about in India.The cost of living has catapulted.The services we receive for our taxes is not sufficient or rather missing.I feel secure with Health card than having loads of money and walking into a hospital in India.I miss India but the fact is India is missing a lot of things for a quality life.

Its always good counting your blessings rather than counting what we are missing.

Its not so bad after all.Living the NRI dream. I am also amazed at the exposure we get staying in a multicultural place like Canada.Meeting so many people from so many countries, ability to see a different life style etc.I feel blessed.Its in the perception that your happiness is defined.Find it,you may have it already but may not have noticed.