World of gadgets and gizmos

Computers, gadgets, gizmos, toys etc are the keywords which entices geeks and techie freaks. I am not sure how I got attached to such crazy things. Whenever I saw a mobile in someone’s hand,  I would peek it wondering what model is it, if not the number, whether it is high end or low end, or whether mine is better than his or hers etc etc. And then I used to satisfy myself that its expensive and has that n this problems and would appreciate my mobile in the end. But now, with more and more new gadgets and smartphones available at cheaper prices than before, I have started drooling again!

Long back, in childhood, I remember Appa playing with his toolkit containing screwdrivers, variety of spanners, pipe wrench etc. He had his own ways of fixing household appliances which interested me. Being the youngest daughter and spoilt brat that I am, I was like a tomboy for him, helping hands in his maintenance works. I fascinated his calculators and his expertize in mathematics. I am not sure from where he bought them, but I remember using a manual calculator, rather a mechanical abacus kinda device (googled and found its called Addiator). Then there was the digital diary, where in I stored most of my known contact numbers and imagined that I was a serious businesswoman! Those were the times, when mobile phones were too expensive to be bought and when pagers and walkie talkies ruled the world. I used to envy my friend’s father’s pager when she used to talk about it.Continue reading →

Being Religious

GSB stands for Gowda Saraswat Brahmins. They speak Konkani as their mother language. And I am one of them.

The innumerous societies and the caste system along with the religions sometimes makes me wonder at the human intellect. There have been many theories or hypothesis and assumptions on how they were created. There have been conflicts and wars on the different Gods their greatest power. The simple customs and rituals followed by several communities in several parts of the world defines their culture and distinguishes the barriers. Many times, I have seen scornful faces and discriminations between people of community for the other. These were prominent in the earlier ages, when apartheid was severe. But now, times have changed and people have grown up to some extent. But still, these issues arises when festivals, marriages and rituals are to conducted.

Being a Brahmin in itself is considered as a huge top-notch. There were several rituals to be followed as per convention, though nowadays many people are adapting to the modern world, and following only the easy ones. Finding people similar to you and in the same kind of community gives you a feeling like being in your own country. This actually doesn’t mean that we ill treat others. Respect is an important ingredient in our day-today life, and whatever community we are in, we need to respect other communities too. I had already talked about it, that being in one community doesn’t play much importance to me or defines my definition of God or similar identity. But I guess, religion and caste is not only about different Creator. It defines the way we live our daily life. And we shouldn’t mind how others live in their own world or community.
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Some of the Movies that moved our heart

From many years, the most catchy topic among the film writers are the stories involving emotions. There are many international and national or even regional films or movies created which talks of the simple and heart-felt underlying emotions of human being. This clearly clarifies that human beings, though belongs to various regions, speaks different languages, follows different religions and customs, are made up of the same atoms which contains the elements of emotions too. As in the survival of the fittest, its upto our surroundings and environment, that some times turns heart into stone.  Recently I watched some films which spoke of the pure feelings and love deep hidden amongst our hearts, and some of which even has a dark shade to it.

My Girl (Fan Chan in Thai) is a Thai film, which speaks of the innocent and pure love towards your childhood best friend. Jeah and Noi Nah were the best friends and neighbours when they studied in the same school. At the small age, when we loved to grow,  and grow on adventures, Jeah struggles to balance his friendship with Noi Nah, while juggling his priorities with other boys and his adventures.  Just like us, he forgets that time does not wait for him and they move apart. After few years, he hopes to meet her again at her wedding. The Thai small town landscape depicted the typical Indian villages kinda atmostphere and the sissy sassy games, the school classes, and the routine, brings back and flashes your childhood memories where in you can relate to some way or the other. The lyrics of the songs are beautifully poetic, when you understand them, with the help of the sub titles.Continue reading →

Webscape Tidbits – Part 5

Welcome back to the 5th episode of the Webscape Tidbits. This time, I have just few links compared to the ten given in the last post.

1. Ever wondered if you could write a secret letter to someone and blurt out your feelings? Ever imagined how people go about suppressing their emmotions or waving it off in the form of a curse, or forgiveness or play of life? Ever wished that you could convey your wishes to the old friend whose whereabouts is unknown? So there is one such website where your could post/submit your letter to the mailbox and they will publish the letter for you if you are lucky!

2. I had been going through this phase of life many times and even recently. I am sure, any blogger, who writes casually do fall for the disease of writer’s block sometime or the other. There are many ways to get out of this, by either taking up tags, or writing random thoughts or by bouncing back automatically with time. There are websiets which says how to overcome the writer’s block by keeping on writing, no matter what nonsense it is…. Great!

3. As mentioned earlier about the bookshelf, there were time, when I was crazy with books, and thought I would be a great reader and follow the paths of great writers by reading a lot..During those times, I searched for top reads or best sellers etc, and came across this site, which mentions about the 100 must read books. Now, apart from few classics, I haven’t even heard of those books ever. Nevertheless, its a great site, which contains reviews of so much books, including the plot too!! Saves time in selecting a book!!!!

4. These days, I have been smitten by blogomania, which means to stumble upon blogs, and read blog posts, and if the disease is on the high, you even subscribe to it, through Google reader or any other bookmarks! So although the below blogs may have been already popular, I came across them only recently, and few of them made me laugh so much that, if I had an award and trophies for humourous blogs, I would have given them right away….

a. Domain Mazimus – Strange blog title I know, but it gives the explanation too…
b. Mirror Cracked – Another cupid victim!
c. This music gives you, rather gave me, a refreshing wave of Chennai thoughts and memories, along with this good personal blogger from Chennai…

Soft music and rather addicting right??? Though I would now prefer to fast numbers so as to prevent my blackmailing trap of random thoughts pulls me in. So listening to Pyaar ki yeh kahaani suno from the film Honeymoon travels Pvt. Ltd. Absolutely mesmerizing dance performance there!!! So while I enjoy the music and stumble across various websites, go along and take a break or if you don’t want to, keep following me on twitter or read on other episodes of Webscape!!!

Hope you all enjoyed this episode of webscape. Keep pouring in your suggestions at so n so. Till I come back with another Webscape escapade, this is Archana aka crazy bluediamond signing off..

The Hour Glass…

Waqt hai yahaan, lekin kabhi rehtha nahi…
sirk ek pal, aur pal pal mein hi sahi,
de jaata hai, ek ehsaas
ki ye safar rukhengi nahi kahi…

Din ba din badtha hai umar,
dil aur jaan abhi bhi kachha lagtha hai magar,
suntha thodi na hai koi unki,
rehta hai mann  upar, kehtha hai jigar…

Raastha hai hamesha ek, do nahi milenge,
manzil hai anek, chun na hamein padenge,
dil ki aawaaz sun sakthe hai sirf hum,
par aasmaane ke liye waqt nahi rukhenge…

Mélange – Random Tidbits – III

..::.. Strange are those relations which are really apart though you remain virtually closer….And more strange are those relations which remain virtually closer to heart though really distant… My old friend came visiting yesterday at home. I was meeting her after more than a year. There were talks of getting married, and the emotional stress you go through. I was amazed at myself for surpassing those and wonderstruck at how I survived it and glad that its finally over… Maybe its the Rock On movie effect of re-living your dream, but the thoughts of relationships and their nature have got triggered in me again. But this time I am tired of thinking about them….

..::.. Nowadays I am online too much. As they say, I guess I got discomgooglation. I am disappointed at my inability to twitter or to write out my thoughts in the midst of something. Airtel GPRS is too costly sometimes to subscrbe when you have net at home as other alternative. I have wondered why I am twittering or blogging so much. I don’t think that I write out good content or shout out enough important links or site urls than anyone. Then why are we so glued to blogging or twittering(mini-blogging). There are people who are shy or introvert in real world, but can talk or write for long online. I guess I am one of those to shout to the world in the hope that some unknown is listening to my vents…

..::.. Lots of books to read are pending at the desk shelf. i don’t remember when I started to read, but now when I look back, I have been reading from childhood. Be it the children’s books of small picture stories to thrillers like Nancy drew and hardy boys to the current novels, I don’t know how I got wired to the world of words. Maybe its the effect of being at home alone, but until I moved out of my hometown and reached Chennai, I had never bought books. It had always been from the library. I remember the first book I bought. It was the Chetan Bhagat’s Five point someone. There started my tryst with IIT, which actually calls for a separate post. There were times of boredom when I couldn’t do anything but read, read and read. I didn’t mind spending huge amounts of money at those times to buy books from any bookstore nearby. Seeing my strange taste of books, rather than the thriller fiction, I have seen the strange look on my roomie’s face too. But then it was like that.. Recently to spent the gift voucher I received as marriage gift I was again forced to few books from Landmark. Not sure when I am gonna finish off all that…

..::.. Today was in really inspired mood to study new things. But alas, i couldn’t manage time. The ubiquity article and the Enso application inspired me again on various interfaces and brought me flashes of my college study topics reminding me of parsers, languages, interfacing and many other such things. The long browsing time has made me think of php, javascript, ajax, perl and other scripts, css, html, xml etc etc. What to do? Which way to go?