Atlast the most awaited/wanted person is now in Chennai, the Varuna Bhavaan! It is raining in Chennai from yesterday night. Not bad. CNN and Weather.com forecast a good amount of rain in Chennai for the next three days. It is good that it will solve atleast a minor portion of the water scarcity in Chennai. This year was the worst in my experience in Water scarcity at Chennai.
Today I recieved a mail from Mailmeindia.com stating that he would sell me 1,000,000 NRI email ids for INR 1500. They have mentioned even the name and the mobile number of the person. Too shocked to see that e-mail ids are sold that openly. Also their site seems to be more horrifing talking about mass mailing softwares, etc. This company is a sister concern of Tamilnadu Infotech and they had given their clear mailing address. They are located at Ritchie street, the place for hardware in Chennai. Someone should do something against this somewhere. Otherwise, a lot of people will start following this ill example with better ways.
Atlast, I have decided to (forced to for some personal reasons) go for an Internet connection at my Home. I planned to go for Sify broadband. Recently, I heard a lot of ill about Sify. Things like they are forcing you to use McAfee virus scanner, bad in customer service, have trap in their unlimited plan, etc. But I had no other way because I needed a connection that wouldn’t count the bytes transfered and also I needed it urgently. Sify was the only option in my area. Since I have an ethernet card in my PC, I paid INR. 3000 for the cable setup today. They said they will complete the installation in two days. I am confused if I wasted 3000 bucks going for Sify. Not sure! Have to personaly use Sify and see. Anyway, I am planning to use it in my Debian. I happy that Sify supports Linux. I have chosen 9pm to 9am 128kbps unlimited bandwidth plan for INR. 360 per month. Let me wait and see what I really get!
“Bharthi” is one of the leading communication service providers in India. Two of their popular products in Tamil Nadu are Touchtel and Airtel. I have Airtel (GSM) mobile connection. On wednesday eveing, I lost connectivity all of a sudden. There was no signal reaching the mobile. It seems that there was a major fire accident in Bharthi’s office at Santhome, Chennai. As the reason, all the lines and connections are out of service. It was a great inconvenience that I can’t use my mobile. The connection was not up till next day noon. The other service providers connections were up.
A good thing flashed in my mind then. Normally a user of one service provider is not allowed to use other’s tower while he is not roaming. But this should be relaxed atleast during such disasters. Would the concerned authorities have got some hint in thier mind on this after the accident?
Yet another forward. Really touching!
My feet were getting numb. My arms were getting tired. But I sat there, looking at the monitor, pretending to work. What if I slept off on the keyboard? What would people around me think? Am I not competitive enough. Would another night out hurt. “No it won’t.” I consoled myself. “Work a little more.” I told myself. Images of links between tables and pages from what we call, ETRMs crossed my mind. “Why?” I asked myself. “Why doesn’t my mind wander away to the more beautiful things in life?” “Why does it always have to be WORK!!!?”
That was it. I couldn’t take it anymore. I pressed the shutdown button on the PC as if to say, “I hate you”. As if in reply, it took me twice to shut it down. I kicked my locker and walked out of my cubicle. The security at the reception looked into my eyes sympathetically. I pretended like I am solving problems in my head. As if the world depended on my silly program. As if to justify the fact that the Security needs to respect me. I hated myself. I walked down the corridor towards the lift.
There I was, on the fifth floor. It was 3.30 in the morning. The terrace looked deserted. I loved the feeling. I was all alone. Just me, and the sky and the stars and the early morning breeze. I looked all around. The world looked much beautiful. Somewhere, far away, I could see lights. I presume that must have been another workplace where people like me are working away at their PCs.
I stood at the edge of the terrace. As I looked at the road that ran in front of our office, I slowly kept my palm on the wall. A chill ran down my spine. Tiny droplets of water had formed on the wall, which I touched. I wanted to feel it again. I touched it again. It was the most wonderful feeling. I wondered why I don’t do these things often.
I decided to stay there till sunrise. I closed my eyes and waited. Finally, I could see a faint light in the east. Even though we hardly notice, these things do happen. Like sunrise and stuff. I saw the sun rise. As he rose I could see more and more buildings like ours. The breeze had got much stronger. It was like sitting near the window seat of a bus that was moving through some lonely road near a lush paddy field. I got that taste in the air. I got the feel. It was like heaven had met earth.
In the cubicle, I congratulate someone when his SELECT statement works. There I was, all alone, on the terrace, when more important things were happening and I had no one to congratulate. I wanted to cry “Thank you God”. “Thank you for giving me this beautiful world to live in.” But… the words wouldn’t come out. I felt guilty. I knew very well that I would go back in the cubicle once my emotions wore off.
“No” I said. “I am NOT going back there again.” I ran down the stairs. I wanted the glass that covers our reception to break and let some of this air in. I rushed into my cubicle and got my bag and stuff. Running out, I did not bother to sign the register. Strangely, my vehicle started with just one kick. I rode my bike quite fast, just to feel the air on my face.
When I reached the road, I realized that I was late. Considering the fact that I was in office since yesterday, I was really really late. The world had moved on. People had spent another night with their families. Kids had spent another day studying for exams. Old folks had spent another night wondering when to dye their hair. Teenagers had spent another night dreaming about their loved ones.
There I was, like a machine coming out of my office building. I saw people taking their morning walks. Some of them jogging. Some of them standing and talking. Some old aunties jogging and talking and laughing, all at the same time. There were newspaper-boys, milk- vendors and what not.
I started feeling out of place. “Was I from another planet or something?” I thought. I was dreaming I guess, a milk-vendor chap on his bicycle nearly hit my bike. “Idiot” I said. Didn’t he know I am going home after a tough day? Didn’t he know that I am tired, and do not have the energy for such crap? “Wait a minute,” I told myself. “Are you doing somebody a favor by staying in the office so long?” “Will this world be a better place if you do that?” “Do you have it in you to buy one meal for that milk-vendor’s family?”
YOU CAN’T!!! And that’s the truth. You can’t do anything except writing pieces of code, which you regard as full of life for reasons known best to you.
I broke into tears thinking about my own plight. I hated the fact that I existed. Why was I going through this entire trauma? What was holding me here? The money?. The passion to program?. The feeling that I would be isolated if I didn’t work?. I don’t know. I am still searching for the answers.
Then, suddenly out of nowhere, images of my family came into my mind. My dad, who had taken care of the family since I remember him. In fact, since I remember anything. My mom who would not have slept even a little bit, since I have not reached home. And my brother, who doesn’t actually show it, but misses me when he doesn’t see me. “I am
not alone” I shouted. “I have this beautiful world to live in, with beautiful people in it”Friends, do go out sometimes. Share your life with the people you love the most. Share your life with the nature. Share it with the wind. Share it with the sun. Share it with the rain. Things much much more important than programming is happening out there. But it won’t come for you, you have to go out and find it.
An interesting forward I received today! I wonder how people can think like this!
The number 11——— weird
11 has become to be a very interesting number. It could be a forced coincidence, but in any case this is interesting. You decide for yourself
1) New York City has 11 letters.
2) Afghanistan has 11 letters.
3) Ramsin Yuseb (The terrorist who threatened the Twin Towers in 1993) has 11 letters.
4) George W. Bush has 11 letters. This could be a mere coincidence… (Could it be?)
Now here is what is interesting…
1) New York is the State # 11
2) The first plane crushing against the Twin Towers was flight #11.
3) Flight # 11 was carrying 92 passengers Adding this number gives us: 9+2=11.
4) Flight # 77 who also hit the towers, was carrying 65 passengers Adding this: 6+5=11.
5) The tragedy was on September 11, or 9/11. Adding this: 9+1+1=11
6) The date is equal to the emergency number 911. Adding this: 9+1+1=11
Now we have a very upsetting piece..
1) The total number of victims inside the planes are 254: 2+5+4=11
2) The day September 11 is day number 254 of the calendar year: 2+5+4=11
3) After September 11, there are 111 days more to the end of the year.
4) The tragedy of 3/11/2004 in Madrid also adds to: 3+1+1+2+4=11.
5) The tragedy in Madrid happened 911 days after the tragedy of the Twin
A lot of statistics show Mozilla Firefox is ramping up while Microsoft IE is ramping down in the past one year. Here is a blog entry about this. Nice to hear…
One of the forward I recieved today!
Tamils are always proud to be Tamizhs; Pretty courteous (that is what they think, at least!). They speak yenglish but sorry, no indi (Hindi) saar…what da??.The more common Madarasi (chennaisi…, now?) is an ardent fan of kireeket
matches.Their counterparts in Bombay think they live in America but speak Hinglish like …are you sure ki Sujata aa rahi hai ya Ill go akela!” And they take great pride in making stupid mistakes in Hindi Grammar.
Thamizhs, are verrry lecky to have “simble” neighbours in the “keralites” who are a komblex race of peoblle (they migrated around 2000 B.C. from the middle east, I guess; and now even the Sheikhs feel wary of them) but they
eat a lot of chooclyte and own 99.998765% of chai shops in the world and form 99.89% of nursing community.Not far begind the kerals is the telugu desam, who are totally againesht flaunting their wealthu to the woruldu, though they occasionally come out withu brick red shirtsu and parrot green pantsu with pleetsu (pleat). Worustu,no?! But they (think) are greatu in CICSu, Microsu and COBOLu! Generally sane peoplesu (and so you can always findu them judgingu, probhingu, queschioningu othersu ….)
The Canadians, excuse me, the Kannadigas aor (are) the coolest dobun south but if there is political unrest in Hersogovnia oare (or) an ebola virus outbreak in Zaire, they bash up the Tamils in Karnataka. Cauvery very bad! When it comes to Rajkumar (actor), if a fly sits on his nose, they’ll burn the entire city of Bengaloroo to kill the fly! To hell with
Silicon valley! I-ron, firshtu, girlu, Lasht Bussu, roadu, crickeatu, filamu are some of their favourites.Maharashtrians are a conservative, confused, complex lot-kar. -Kar, that is because gavasakar, tendulkar, bahulkar,.. confused that is because sitting in southern part of India they would ask the other person “are you from Maharashtra or from south India..?” and genuinely wonder why the other person takes some time to answer the question. They like the principles of pheejix and their favourite character in the alphabet is Zay (god knows where that came from). Although soft, peace loving people but they elect the shivsena to rule them.
And right there next to the Maharashtrians are the Gujjubhais. They like to keep kes in the benk and their favourite past time is eating snakes (snacks) like paav bhaji, masala papad and pijja at the local snake bar. They gobble down palak sev like their life depends on it and believe in the brotherhood and sisterhood of man and woman (everybody is a bhai or a
ben).If you go further eesht, the land uf Udissa - the land of irron (”r” unsilent) where sombalpuroa and Bhubaneshbara are big towns. The people are bery cordial and if you are Vikram they bill soorly ask your name starts from B or Bhe. They do not sout, sam or soot but occasnally bawsh their phace at the wasbashin. James Bond Mohanty in our colleze had a roll nomber jero, jero, sebhen.
Bengalees are bery bery similor, but or bery proud oph Subas Chondro Boash and Shoatyojit Roy (I used to know a director by name Satyajit Ray who was also pretty good) and eberybody is X da. I used to habe a friend by name. Dada. Bonder…neber mind. Bot I most conphess, Roshgollas are bery goooood, tho!
Bihari kids are supposed to be the smartest kids in India (if not in the universe!). How we wish they grow up the same way,…but… And Biharees are bery phond of Laloo and Ranchi, isse bhadiya tumre pass koochi hai kaa?! spit spit…
UPites and MPites are busy going to ischool and istudying metals to make lots of ishteel.
Punjabis are very sweet and aggressive and offer Rotti Shotti Khayega! to which I once replied No. He said Tage itu, yaar! By Godu! Surjeetu, what happenedu, oi?!. Then of course, everybodys a paappe or a kaakke. Thats Pnjab for you.
And Kashmir (called Cashmir by many, may be because of the amount of cash spent to keep it in India)?!? I know Roja (or Roza?)was shot (I mean filmed) somewhere nearby…
But at the end of the day, wherever you are in the world, whether it is in Sunnyvale, CA; Birmingham, UK; UmmAl Quwain, UAE or Serangoon Road, Singapore, ask them who they are and you’ll get just one answer —
“INDIANS”
AFTER ALL HUM SAAB EK HAIN!!!
Sun Microsystems will create an open-source project around its Solaris 10 operating system by the end of the year, company executives said Monday. Also, Jonathan Schwartz showed 32-Way UltraSPARC chip that runs Solaris 10.
Courtesy: OSNews
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