Sunday, March 12, 2006

'Going' Wireless

Wireless is a method of communication that uses low-powered radio waves to transmit data between devices. The term refers to communication without cables or cords, chiefly using radio frequency and infrared waves. Present buzz in the media is about the future of wireless communication when anyone can communicate with anyone across the globe seamlessly without worrying about wires and connectivities. Nowadays there are softwares that let you access the Internet and send e-mail and instant messages with the omnipresent cell phones (or any device that supports wireless protocols). Jagadish C Bose and Marconi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless), the first successful scientists who transmitted radio waves wirelessly never would have dreamt of such an upsurge. However we are in for more wireless surprizes.
Surprize #1 MIT Media Lab students Jackie Lee and Hyemin Chung have designed wireless-enabled wine glasses (actually, big tumblers) so couples can imbibe "together," even when they're geographically apart. When either person picks up a glass, red LEDs on their partner's glass glow gently. And when either puts the glass to their lips, sensors make white LEDs on the rim of the other glass glow brightly, so you can tell when your other half takes a sip (Read the details).
Surprize #2 The government of the world's most 'internet connected' country (if you dont know it, South Korea) is setting its goal to do the same with WiBro--wireless broadband--what it did with wired broadband in just 2 years. They are going the commercial high-speed wireless route in 2006 and hopefully it will fuel the fire in the belly for the most connected nation.
Surprize #3 And then there are companies who give the word wireless a literal perspective .....and force us to change the way we think about 'going' wireless...

Monday, February 27, 2006

India Vs Bharat

The Asian Tiger, India awakening...are few of the phrases I have read so many times in national and international business magazines and heard on prominent news channels . How many times I have listened to discussions on India's strengths of high-quality, low-cost human capital and her greatest constraints — a serious infrastructure deficiency and lagging foreign direct investment. Since the reforms of the early 1990s, India has progessed like anything on the macro-economic front and while India still suffers by comparison with China, it is in better shape with respect to its banking system, active capital markets, and a new generation of indigenous world-class companies and english speaking entrepreneurs and employees.
However what puzzles me is our complete ignorance of the concept of greater Bharat where everything is still the way it was. Illiteracy, poverty, starvation, malnutrition, lack of edible water are some of the lows that still persists amongst the highs of being a nuclear power nation with vast reserves of foreign currency. Dowry system, wife beating, killing of female foetus are signs of the fact that economic development and progress have failed to tame the feudal mentality of a greater chunk of the population; that IT and IT enabled services, that biogenetics and hi end research, that nukes and stealth submarines have not yet produced the dream country. We are 60 years into our independence, and theres definitely a long way to go to make Bharat happening.

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Life @ Fort Smith Ver 2.0

Yesterday I completed one year of my job assignment at this god-forsaken place called Fort Smith; survived successfully the 'real' american apprehensiveness for brown skin and outsourcing which are characteristic features of most 'red' states of southern USA. However all is not bad; learned a lot on the job about handling people and processes, met a few people over the year who are actually progessive thinkers inspite of owning gass guzzling trucks, swearing by Walmart and their love for country music and boots, came in touch with women from different strata of the society (read very poor to aristrocratic) working at casinoes, malls, offices, insurance agencies, hospitals, car dealerships, bars and no-where (many of them share the same bliss of being 'single' for similar reasons: lack of exposure to outside world or overdose of exposure leading to adultery or the inherent southern spirit of not being able to reason to simple compromises in life). All these people, experiences made me more attuned to the truth behind the veil of so called american way of life (in small cities) and appreciate more the values that matter.
The lives of people here at Fort Smith or for that matter any small city in mid south west is so different from the lives of people at NYC, Chicago, LA, Atlanta, Sanfransisco, Dallas, Seattle. Lack of economic opportunities, absence of quality education, delayed exposure to world economy, excessive adherence to easy life.....all slow down the growth of such cities where most young kids look up only to the US army or the Walmart for the next job. Its a pity that corporate America is not coming up with new ventures to get this young, bright minds into action. This reminds me that we Indians, inspite of being from a third world country with very limited resources have actually come a long way within 60 years of our independence, taking advantage of the globalization of the economy. I think the middle class value-based bringing up, the hunger for doing something more than just surviving the daily rigmarole, and openmindedness enabled us where we are today. And I believe that only a few young educated people from these small US cities, who have the guts to be different and ability to adapt to changing demands of the economy can brighten the name of their hometowns sometime in the future.

Saturday, January 14, 2006

'Desi' Home Run; lingo explained

Here is a collection of cool 'desi' definitions for the uninitiated American, who have not yet been 'blessed' with the Indian philosophy :-). Let me know if this helps.
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Desi:A colloquial name for South Asians, people who trace their ancestry to South Asia, especially India, Bangaldesh, Pakistan. Pronounced "THEY-see," it is the Hindi word for "from my country" (from the word 'desh' or country). In an article about the South Asian party scene in the Big Apple, New York Times reporter Somini Sengupta described the word as a "Hindi version of homeboy or homegirl" (NYT, 6/30/96: "To Be Young, Indian and Hip"). That's a pretty good definition.
ABCD "American Born Confused Desi" : A slightly derogatory name used to describe desi children who were born and brought up in America and are "confused" about their South Asian background. Read Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri for insights.
Non-resident Indian or NRI: A term coined by bureaucrats in New Delhi to define Indians who live outside India. Indian tax law includes three categories: resident and ordinarily resident; resident and not-ordinarily resident, and non-resident. The first is one who lives in India all the time; the second, one who lives at least 180 days in India, and the third, who lives less than 180 days in India. Also stands for Not-required Indians or Non-reliable Indians.
Asian, Asian American: Be careful of this usage when talking about those of Asian origin (like me). The key is to know is your reference really about all Asians or only about East Asians and/or Southeast Asians!! For example, an American reporter might write about the 'Chinese New Year being important to Asians in the U.S.' South Asians are a part of the Asian American community, and they don't care about Chinese New Year.
Diaspora:The British colonial legacy and large-scale immigration resulted in large number of pockets of people of South Asian origin scattered around the world (besides South Asia, of course). The government of India puts the size of the diaspora at more than 20 million. There are more than 2 million South Asians in the United States, a lot of them married to americans.Is there any statistics of the successes of these marriages?
Bengal, Bengali, Bangali, Bangla: During partition of India, the Indian state of Bengal was divided into two: the mostly hindu state of West Bengal, which went to India, and the mostly muslim country of East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. However, political borders are not necessarily cultural borders. Both Bangladeshis and West Bengalis speak the same language of Bengali, though with slightly different accents, and call themselves "Bengalis" or "Bangalis" (never Bangalees.) I am a Bengali Hindu from West Bengal in India: ooh what a legacy.
Hindu, Hinduism: One of the oldest (older than Christianity and Islam) religion practiced by about 80 percent of the population of India. The values and beliefs of Hinduism are not derived from a single text, institution or pontiff but have evolved over several thousand years in the subcontinent into a set of theological and social values embedded in a range of ritual observances, mystical contemplation and ascetic practices by its followers. Although Hinduism is often portrayed to be polytheistic, many scholars consider Hinduism to be henotheistic or monotheistic, the gods and goddesses worshipped by Hindus representing manifestations of One Supreme Being. Among the many sacred scriptures and texts of Hinduism are the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita (a segment of the epic Mahabharata). Do not confuse Hindu (the religion) with Hindi (a language).
Hindi: The primary language of about 30% of India's people, and one of almost two dozen major languages spoken around the country. It is derived primarily from Sanskrit, using the Devanagari script
Urdu: One of the official languages of Pakistan; also spoken in many parts of India, especially in the North. Also the language used in ballads known as ghazals. Urdu romantic shairis are the life blood of any good desi crowd.
Sanskrit: Indo-Aryan language in which many ancient Indian texts are written (Vedas); also used by Hindu clergy for recitation of most prayers.
qawaali or qawwali: (not capitalized) Devotional songs of the Sufi tradition of Islam. In the style popularized by the late singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, this old tradition has been sped up and blended with Western instruments.
Bhangra: Dance and music style originating in the Indian state of Punjab. Now often refers to a blend of western pop and traditional Punjabi music when performed in the West.Check out LA for regular Bhangra sessions.balle balle.
Mehndi: The traditional Indian and diaspora art of intricate hand and body decoration using dyes from the henna plant. Used mainly by brides during marriage ceremonies, it is now becoming popular as an exotic decoration and a non-permanent "tattoo." In recent years, mehndi has gained attention in the West as a result of its use by Madonna and Gwen Stefani. They have also popularized the 'Bindi', a hindi name for the decoration worn on the forehead by many women of South Asian origin.Contrary to popular perception, the bindi does not necessarily indicate the marital status of a woman. It can be applied as a turmeric-based powder or a quick-drying liquid, but many contemporary women prefer to use "stick-on" bindis that have a weak adhesive on the back.
Chai: Hot/Iced/Frozen tea served with milk, spices and sweeteners. Most of coffee shops in USA think that the trendiest beverage is neither espresso nor cappuccino, but chai. Rooted in the tea-drinking traditions of India, chai is suddenly the hottest sip in America.Note: The "ch" is pronounced as in "check." The vowel rhymes with "eye."
Cashmere: Fine wool from the undercoat of the Kashmir/cashmere goat. While mistakenly applied to all kinds of soft wool, only the wool from this goat is true cashmere. The wool, known as pashmina, is popular for its use in beautiful shawls and other handmade items produced in the Indian state of Kashmir (now China does too).
Diwali, Deepavali: One of the most festive holidays observed by Hindus, its overall theme is celebration of the triumph of good and truth over evil, symbolized by the lighting of fireworks and clay lamps at night. Diwali occurs during late autumn (late October/early November) and is celebrated in different ways in different parts of India to signify different local customs and religious traditions. Although it is celebrated among many north Indians and the diaspora as the start of the new year, Diwali should not be referred to as the 'South Asian new year', 'Indian new year', or the 'Hindu new year'. No such event exists.

Sunday, December 25, 2005

Fancy Flights

Visited India once more. There's no point ranting experiences for fellow readers..you just have to DO IT to know it. However I can enlighten you on the diversity of the airlines/aircrafts that could be afforded on my economy budget.
It all started with boarding a CR7 American Eagle at XNA to reach Chicago.This is one of the smallest, no frills plane one may fly; its too narrow with two seats on one side and one on the other.I fitted in my butt into the single seater and fell asleep to avoid the torture of being shaken like a cocktail drink during take-off.
The next flight was a gigantic leap from CR7. It was a Boeing 777-200; direct flight from Chicago to New Delhi. Mine was the first such non stop flight operated by AA.
They had special parties and guests to launch this event and the airport lounge was crowded lot. We were given special souvenirs and I hoped the in flight food would be special too (you cannot trust AA with good food).
However, the plane is super magnanimous. Just check out this blue print to gauge the enormosity of this beast.

The flight crew was happy to go to 'mystical' India for the first time. To my utter discomfort, I learned that AA doesn't serve free drinks (read alcohol) even on international flights;I don't know how they expect people to survive for 15 hours, in a closed airplane, in coach class, in the company of grey haired 40+ air hostesses without some liquor. I was fortnuate enough, when I could talk an air hostess to get me a free bottle of scotch. I could manage some sleep after that. The food was not alarmingly bad but also not superb. The limited variety of the food, keeping in mind it is an international flight also surprised me. You get better food on Indian domestic air routes. Read further.
Once in Delhi, I had to wait overnight to catch my next flight from New Delhi to Calcutta (Jet Airways). Believe me or not they use a Boeing 737, which is way bigger and spacious than the American Eagle stuff. The food is also sumptuous and plenty. http://www.airlinemeals.net/meals/JetAirways.html This is way much better than what I ate on the 15 hour flight. This feels like home. Good food. Indian hospitality. Prospering service industry of international standards.Mera Bharat Mahan.
The way back to USA from India it was Boeing 737 (Kolkata-Delhi), followed by Boeing 777-200(New Delhi-Chicago). After Chicago,I was to get NorthWest to fly back to Fort Smith via Dallas. Chicago to Dallas was good in a big Airbus. But the one from Dallas to Fort Smith took my wits away. It was one of those SR (short range) aircrafts with propellers driven by GE jet engines. The last seat looked actually like a couch where 5 people were jostling for space.I was seating on a single seat, luckily.That take-off scared me so much that I fell asleep once the plane was in air.The aged air hostess didn't even bother to ask for any beverage. It feels good to be back in USA where you have best of all facilities but the quality of air travel in USA is really not worth mentioning compared to SE Asia.
Let me know your feedback.

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Bad Feminism

Myth :Women are like apples on trees. The best ones are at the top of the tree. Most men don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they just take the rotten apples from the ground that aren't as good, but easy... The apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality, they're amazing. They just have to wait for the right man to come along, the one who's brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree.
Now Men...Men are like a fine wine. They begin as grapes, and it's up to women to stomp the crap out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.

Truth: No apples & No grapes & No Generalization. There are both types in either sexes. There are women who are good at throwing guys of the tall trees inspite of all their valiant attempts and there are men who like being stomped before rejecting her for being muddy.

If you read my last post's comments you will know who have been made into liquor (aka stong bitter beer)....and how the imbecile thinks of Karma (without knowing what it means) as the biggest excuse in life to stomp upon good people..how women need to push good prospects down to make themselves taller and feel high and take 'revenge' for past bad experiences.

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Indian Guy and American Gal

According to Monica Bellucci from Chicago, most american (born in usa not immigrants) gals would be very pleased with smart people of my type on a first meeting. And she is right. However I will successfully freak the chick out by giving too much attention and care. I will scare her if I call up the next day. I will make her apprehensive if I speak of relationships even if she is spending the time with me. I will make her feel vulnerable by asking her out even if she is telling me that she likes me. She will think that I'm all excited about nothin and not goal oriented and not for real. And she is right again. This has been my experience with most of the american gals I have hung out with in near past.
However what I have doubts I my mind is that why these gals are shying of care and attention? The obvious melodramatic answers you can expect from chicks will be "I don't know you that much...""..you might be a psycho"..."you must not be for real..I never handled so good guys.." "Iam not used to this, I need my space.." "I'm all by myself..wouldn't a relationship ruin my independance" "you are coming in too strong..".
Well babes, how many psychos or serial killers reported so far in USA were from India and how many of them were IT professionals??? And is life all about having test tube babies (single moms) or is it about having families?? Is love and care and attention wrong?? Is being a little demanding going to brush your ego on the wrong side??Or you read somewhere that cute successful guys can never take care of you and make you feel inferior? Or you have a brain crisis?
And what about appreciating the fact that the guy is a transplant to your country and living an isolated, lonely existence and require true honest someone to spend some good time. That his life may not be as filled up with friends as yours is (you have been born here not me) because there is not much outside work life to look forward to.

Thursday, October 06, 2005

Damn the bureaucracy

The wait for the magic Green Card just got longer.
Just check out the details at http://us.rediff.com/money/2005/oct/07visa.htm?q=tp&file=.htm
H1b holding professionals of the highest quality, and tax payers contributing to the US are forced to live in a state of constant flux due to poor adhoc decision making techniques adopted by US law makers.
Please do raise your concern.

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

You and me babe, how about it?

Wish I could write something like this...this expresses the eternal story of romeo so well
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A lovestruck Romeo sings the streets a serenade
Laying everybody low with a love song that he made
Finds a streetlight steps out of the shade
Says something like "You and me babe, how about it?"
Juliet says "hey, it's Romeo, you nearly gave me a heart attack"

He's underneath the window
She's singing "hey la my boyfriend's back
You shouldn't come around here singing up at people like that"

Anyway what you gonna do about it?

Juliet, the dice was loaded from the start
And I bet that you exploded into my heart
And I forget I forget the movie song
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong?
Juliet
Come up on different streets, they both were streets of shame

Both dirty, both mean, yes and the dream was just the same
And I dreamed your dream for you and now your dream is real
How can you look at me as if I was just another one of your deals?

When you can fall for chains of silver
You can fall for chains of gold
You can fall for pretty strangers
And the promises they hold
You promised me everything, you promised me thick and thin, yeah
Now you just say "oh Romeo, yeah, you know I used to have a scene with him"

Juliet,
When we made love you used to cry
You said "I love you like the stars above, I'll love you till I die"
There's a place for us you know the movie song
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong?
Juliet
I can't do the talk so like the talk on the TV

And I can't do a love song like the way it's meant to be
I can't do everything, but I'll do anything for you
I can't do anything except be in love with you
And all I do is miss you and the way we used to be

All I do is keep the beat and the bad company
Now all I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme

Juliet,I'd do the stars with you any time
Juliet


A lovestruk Romeo sings the streets a serenade

Laying everybody low with a lovesong that he made
Finds a convenience streetlight, steps out of the shade
Says something like "You and me babe, how about it?"
"You and me babe, how about it?"

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Sunday, September 18, 2005

Life @ Fort Smith


Day 1 @ Fort Smith: Pensive mood


After 6 months: W/ my colleagues