Bombay under water

The big news in India is the torrid downpour that lashed Bombay and submerged whole suburbs. Many people have died. You can catch all the news at rediff. This blog has the latest updates and links to posts from other bloggers who live in Bombay and write about their harrowing experiences in the past couple of days.

Wide angle

I watched a film on the plight of ordinary folks in Zimbabwe on PBS last night. The program is named Wide angle and I'd recommend you watch this film if you get the chance. It was a gut wrenching documentary about folks who cross the border from Zimbabwe to Botswana in search of work and money because opportunities in their own country have dried up, devastated by the despotic rule of Robert Mugabe.

Back in the 80's, Mugabe was heralded as the beacon of African revival. People looked upto him as an example of a leader the African continent badly needed. Then in the 90's he reverted back to the familiar terrain of tryannical and selfish rulers that litter the political landscapes of countries in Africa.

This film is about the oppressive rule of a government that has adversely affected the lives and fates of ordinary folks; folks who just want to work and earn a decent living so that they can put food on the table for their children.

A numbers game

Two men discuss the upcoming football season. It is early morning and I am in the weight room of the gym. They talk to each other in loud booming voices.

"I have a 330 pound 6'3" lineman who bench presses 300 pounds." says one guy. He looks like a former football player himself.

The thing that sticks with me are the numbers. Behind those numbers is perhaps a young boy with a name, but today his numbers are all that matter.

Change

I have always looked at change as a chance for a new beginning, a chance for a fresh start and the start of a new chapter in my life. But in light of a few changes at work, it occurred to me that for those affected by change, it can be disruptive and even depressing. A vital member of our team has decided to leave us and this impending change cast a somber mood on the workplace today. There is of course a silver lining to change. Change is an opportunity for others to step up and take on new responsibilities. Embracing change is hard, but change is constant and we might as well welcome it.

Dubious distinction

A dubious distinction for India's plastic industry.

Watching what you eat

Every now and then, a generous soul stocks the break room with cookies and sweets. I have a fondness for sweets and have a hard time keeping my hands off them. I came up with these ten reasons to watch what I eat. My hope is that when I am tempted the next time, I'll remember these:

1. No sweets = less calories = weight loss
2. You'll look good
3. You'll see a rise in energy level
4. The knees won't hurt when you run
5. You'll have a sense of accomplishment
6. You'll feel better
7. You'll look and feel healthy
8. You'll get an ego boost when friends compliment you on your new look
9. The clothes fit better
10. You'll live longer*

* That last one...In this day and age, I am not sure if that is a boon or a curse

Deceit

Did you hear about a woman who posed as Jessica Simpson's assistant and ordered merchandise worth 12000 dollars? Apparently she got all the information necessary to fool companies by watching Jessica Simpson's reality show on TV. It's a cautionary tale for us bloggers as well. Putting personal information on the blogs may be bad thing to do, because someone out there might be lurking waiting to glean information about a blogger and steal his or her identity.

Workout routines

I am trying to be more disciplined in my workout routines. I workout at least 3 times a week and sometimes add a fourth day. My regular routine is to do weights for about 30 minutes and then cardio for another 30. My focus is on improving my weight routine so that I get more results out of it. I feel like I have hit a plateau at the moment.

Most experts say that the best results from weight training accrue when you concentrate on specific muscle groups every day. I have been googling to find some workout routines that have worked for other. Here are a couple that I found:

• Intense workout
• Body building
  

The Don's son-in-law

It must be scary being married to the daughter of a mafia don. Dawood Ibrahim's daughter is tying the knot with the son of the famous Pakistani cricketer Javed Miandad. It occurs to me that the groom is starting off at an obvious disadvantage in this case. Marriage is never easy at the best of times, but imagine being haunted by the spectre of a father-in-law wielding the long stick (and probably something more lethal) and keeping a watchful eye on his daughter. It would sure scare the bejesus out of me.

A satisfying meal

Yesterday we traveled to the beach to take refuge from the searing heat inland. The heat was nothing to compare with the heat in Phoenix where folks have had to endure much worse. But the cool breeze was still a welcome change. It was remarkable how the temperature dipped some 30 degrees as we neared the sea front.

The highlight of the day was however the dinner at an Italian restaurant named Meza Luna in Half Moon Bay. If you are ever in this area, I would highly recommend it. It was the most delicious meal I have had in some time. Every dish we ordered was fabulous. This restaurant is quite popular, so its best that you reserve ahead of time. We had to wait about an hour for our table. They take their time to serve you as well, but it is well worth the wait.

hot hot hot!

The weather has been particularly toasty the past week or so in our neck of the woods. Spoiled by the wet weather (and cooler temperatures) that continued right through the middle of June, most people have been cranking up their AC's to deal with the heat. My neighbors keep theirs on right through the night.

Everytime it heats up, California's power grid system is strained evoking memories of the blackouts that occurred in 2000-2001. Yesterday power consumption hit a peak sparking fears that more blackouts were impending.

As for me, I have found that sleeping with the windows open is the best source of cool air. At around 10 p.m. each night, a pleasant cool breeze starts blowing in and keeps me company as I drift into sound sleep. Besides, the local utility company has promised 20% off to those who can keep their bills low, which serves as an added incentive to keep the AC turned off.

Personality type

My resume is still up on monster from the last time I was looking for a job. Every now and then I get emails from prospective employers. One I received today said that to be considered I had to first complete this 10 minute exercise.

Defeated

Femme and I spent much of the evening yesterday assembling a bed we bought at IKEA. Femme had grand plans of decorating the guest room. She had bought matching sheets in coordinated colors and I must admit the initial prototype looked real good. When we finished putting the bed together, we put the old mattress on it. It didn't fit! Can you say frustrating? All that hard work for nought.

A new mattress is upwards of twelve hundred dollars. Looks like we'll have to return the bed frame and settle for something less.

Windows vista

Umm...doesn't rhyme, but longhorn is now Windows vista.

More time for a tan

Daylight savings time is extended.

Away in Iraq

At the gym this morning, I overheard a woman say that she had her hands full with her two kids while her husband was away in Iraq.

She seemed in good spirits. But it got me thinking what her life was like. Listening to the dreary news from Iraq that fills the airwaves and blankets the tube must be far from comforting. Every day and night must be hard.

I can only think of one word: Brave!

More madness

The repeat act in London took me by surprise and I am sure Londoners as well. I thought these abhorrent terrorists would lay low for a while. Fortunately the bombs didn't go off. My sentiments remain the same as expressed here.

Dilemma

A couple that we were close to and with whom we celebrated many occasions together separated recently. The wife sent me an email asking me for photographs of happier times. Question? Should I include photographs of the wife and her ex-husband? Since they parted on pretty genial terms, I think it should be ok. Maybe I should sort through the photographs and if both are in a majority of them, then the answer is already made for me.

The battle has begun

The Supreme court nomination is not a day old and they are duking it out already.

Wrapped in plastic

A friend bought a brand new cell phone. I asked to see it. He fished it out from his pocket, wrapped in a plastic bag!

Scene at the grocery store 2

At the Indian grocery store, a young lady at the counter greets me and asks me how I am doing? I am taken aback and surprised. The men and women behind counters at Indian grocery stores in the U.S. are known for their stoic demeanours. They ring up your groceries, announce the total and take your money in relative silence. They seldom indulge in pleasantries, small talk or sweet banter.This is a marked departure from the routine.

When I am done and about to leave, she says, "Have a good weekend!"

"Thank you! you too!" I respond with a smile.

She looks at me and says, "Me too...yes definitely."

Scene at the grocery store

At the grocery store last night, I watched a guy stand contemplatively in front of bags of pre-packaged cherries. He then poked a hole in one, extracted a cherry, popped it into his mouth and sampled it. After more deliberation, he picked one cherry from a pile that was being sold separately and replaced the one that he had eaten, before placing the bag in his grocery cart.

Conversation

I have to recount a conversation I had with femme last night.Femme as I have reported earlier is stressed at work. Last night femme made the startling statement that she is stressed out because I make too little money!

I would love to make more. Who doesn't? I have tried the lottery too! But back to the logic of it all or rather (me thinks) the lack of it. Femme is apparently stressed because she knows she has to work to make ends meet. I told femme that she could quit and we could easily settle for a more spartan lifestyle. Femme says that stresses her out. Hear that! Apparently a spartan lifestyle would stress her out!

I was so amazed when I heard this, that I responded with confounded silence.I don't think she means what she says. She is just too stressed to think straight.

Bush comes to shelf

A guy I work with - who happens to sit in the next cube - came over and with an earnest look on his face asked me what the idiom "Bush comes to shelf" meant. He actually meant "push comes to shove", but had heard it all wrong!

Plentiful

There are so many blogs out there that are worth a read, that I could spend an entire day doing just that and wouldn't get through half of them. The thoughts range from the mundane to the serious, the stories are compelling and the writing is rich and colorful. These blogs are testimony to a world full of people who are talented, caring, generous and thoughtful. The purveyors of terror can disturb the peace for a few fleeting moments. But they can never extinguish the light that is human creativity. May this world prosper!

Fake food

Went to lunch with colleagues to a place that makes fake meat. Well all the meat on their menu is actually made out of tofu. The last time I ventured there was six years ago and I didn't like the food. Today, I was actually surprised with how good their food tasted. Got to take femme there sometime.

Fake laughter

Just went to the break room at work. It is a rather small break room, so I couldn't help overhear the conversation two folks were having. What struck me though was one guy who said something in the most serious tone and then giggled after every sentence. He did that three or four times in a row. What he said wasn't funny at all. I guess its just a habit he can't shake.

A different tune

I spent a frustrating couple of days exchanging emails with a sales engineer at work. Each response resulted in ten additional questions that only managed to aggravate me.

Then I did what has always worked well for me in the past. I scheduled a call and talked to him over the phone. He was the sweetest guy you could talk to (plus he had that British accent that always gets me). All issues resolved! Yipeee!

Jaded

The moment O'Connor announced her intention to resign her seat on the Supreme Court, both the right wing and left wing machines seem to have swung into full fledged action. NYT had an article on the huge sums of money organizations on either side of the political divide have raised to influence the choice of the next member of the Supreme court.

Every Supreme court justice choice is an important one and this is perhaps more so than others. The country rests on a sharp political edge and if the results of the last two presidential elections are any indication it is tilted slightly to the right. With a conservative majority, decisions that have stood for the better part of a quarter century like abortion and affirmative action may be overturned. So passions are understandably high and the debate hot.

Yet I find myself avoiding the political gabfests that I once tuned into quite frequently. The endless barrage of spokesmen parroting their party's line becomes tiring. Pundits stare into the future and offer predictions that are comic. It is all very nauseating.

Political parties have come to function like sport teams. It is all about winning. Coming in second is not an option. I think it is sad when sport metaphors aptly describe political discourse. For the moment, I am one jaded spectator of this political season.

Walls in between

Friend: My wife dragged me to a Hindi film this weekend.


Me: How was it?


Friend: The father spends 2 hours building a wall between two houses. The son breaks it down during the rest of the film.


Me: What was the name of the movie?


Friend: Parineeta

Coincidences

Do you keep running into folks that you don't know, and have never met?

I first saw this couple at the gym ten years ago. He was white and she was...well I couldn't quite place her. There was a hint of Oriental in her, but just a pinch. They were both supremely fit and athletic. Later I saw them walking near my apartment, doing all the things that couples madly in love would do. Over time, I switched gyms and apartments that were in adjoining cities. Fascinatingly I ran into them there as well.

A year ago I moved quite some distance away. Recently I was shopping at the local Costco and there they were again. This time they had a baby in hand.

This weekend, I ran into them at the mall. This time they had a second baby in hand.

Mixed feelings

I am beginning to hear familiar refrains in the aftermath of the London bomb attacks. On BBC, a Muslim reporter (or was he an essayist) defended British Muslims. He said they had nothing to apologize for and instead British foreign policy in Afghanistan and Iraq was to blame for the bomb attacks. I am sure a vast majority of Muslims all over the world do not condone these shameless acts of violence. But everytime something like this happens, some of us are back making excuses for these thugs. That just doesn't sit well with me.

I supported the war in Iraq. When Colin Powell went before the U.N. and laid out the evidence back in Feb 2003, I believed him. Alas our intelligence was beyond bad. Did we do these spineless worms a favor by invading Iraq? Did it give birth to a whole new generation of terrorists? We have to fight them and win. But was invading Iraq the wrong way of going about this business? I have mixed feelings now.

Stranger

I am at the mall and walking toward my car. Out of the corner of my eye, I see an Oriental woman (Chinese, I think) dressed in decent sweats walking aimlessly in the parking lot. There is something decidedly strange about her appearance. Her hair starts somewhere toward the back of her head giving the impression that she has a huge forehead.

I notice she is trying to catch my attention. I have my shades on and I pretend I haven't noticed her. I know this can only mean trouble. I jump into the car and she comes over and knocks on my window. I roll my window down and wait for her to say something.

She says her car broke down and points into the distance to the other side of the mall. The other side of the mall is separated by a street in between and I have no way of verifying if she is telling the truth. She says she called someone and I hear her mumble about the cab and then she says that the bus fare costs 5 dollars and could I lend her a couple of dollars. I don't quite get the sequence, but I know she is lying. No bus fare here costs more than $1.50.

I am out of dollars. I want to make this quick. I have 40 cents in my pocket. Then I remember the quarters in the bag that I stowed in the trunk. I hand her $1.50. She mumbles thank you, but there is no genuine appreciation. I can tell she's been doing this over and over again. And I was just another sucker she managed to get some money from today. She walks away and as I drive off, I can see her searching for her next prey.

Terror

Most days, I wake up to the alarm that is tuned to a public radio station. On that fateful day, I woke up to news about airplanes flying into buildings. It was 9/11. I live here on the west coast, three hours behind east coast time, and already much devastation had been done while I slept in the wee hours of the morning.

Ever since then, each morning I dread turning on the news, afraid I'd get to hear about the next act of mindless terror. On July 7th my worst fears came true. Yet another barbaric act in London.

I have so many questions for whoever was evil enough to plan something so heinous. How depraved can you be? What god would tolerate killing innocent bystanders? What religion condones that? Why kill? What pleasure does it give you to perform the most morally corrupt and bankrupt act that mankind knows of?

I wish they were brave enough to show their faces. Not these cowards. They hide behind their veil of secrecy plotting the next act of destruction, while the whole world waits anxiously.

One penny less

I read this on NYT recently and it made me chuckle. On a recent day, a curious busybody tried finding a roundtrip airline ticket from New York to San Franciso. On Delta it was 553.04. On its low budget no frills sister operation - Song Airlines - it was 553.03. A penny cheaper. So much for low budget airlines.

Waking up

The morning is still young. The town is still waking up and the sun is still struggling to break through. I tread down gingerly from the bedroom upstairs, my feet a little heavy, my body tight and inflexible.

I savor the morning cup of lemon and honey mixed with hot water that I have come to enjoy. I scour the headlines in the newspaper; the same ones that I heard on the TV news last night. Outside, the sun seems to have won its battle and has broken through. I can hear the kid next door getting ready for school. I put on my tracks and head out to the gym.

I pull into the parking lot and head for the door. Just then I notice an attractive woman stepping out. Her figure is arresting, her dress breathtaking. She is a picture of beauty and a breath of fresh air to the otherwise sleepy facade. I bound to the door of the gym. The last remnants of sleep are long gone. I am ready for the day ahead.

Rains at last!

I grew up in North Karnataka in a section of the state where our town was blessed with good weather all year round. During the monsoons, rains were plenty turning our sizeable garden into a lush verdant patch. Quite mercifully, summers were mild.

I remember the times when I was growing up when the skies opened up and a torrential downpour ensued. One end of our garden was at a slight incline compared to the other, and I remember watching water mixed in mud gush from one end to the other. I remember watching that muddy water and thinking what an uncanny resemblance it had to the tea we drank every day. Same color; vastly different taste. Somehow that fascinated me.

Over the years the weather has been less kind, the rains less plentiful, the heat more scorching than ever. When I pay a visit these days, the garden is just a pale shadow of its former self. Like a family who enjoyed better days, but has fallen on hard times lately. Water is rationed and folks in town feel blessed when it comes at the appointed time. A favorite activity is to scour the local newspaper for news about the next supply of water. It happens to be a favorite topic of conversation when neighbors meet as well.

So when I called my mom last night, almost the first words out of her mouth was news about the rains that had brightened everyones lives. She gushed about how the garden looks better than it has in years. And how much it had rained the past few weeks. I could tell she was happy and so was I.

Boy or girl?

I am waiting in front of Jamba Juice while femme is inside. Two guys pull up into a parking space in front of the store driving a brand new Merc. They signal at someone working behind the counter. Then the guy driving the car steps out.

A guy, I think, but now I am not so sure. There is something effeminate about him. He sways his hips while he walks and his voice has a feminine ring to it. He steps into the store and immediately all eyes are on him.

I ask femme as she steps out: Boy or girl? Femme says she thinks he is a boy who has gone through a sex change operation.

Just another vignette from a recent Friday night.

First question at the press conference

I was at the gym and happened to look up at the telly and watch the Bush and MS press conference at the White House this morning. First question from an American reporter was about the CIA leak case. This happens everytime you have a foreign leader at a press conference with the President. The Washington hacks don't give a wink about the visiting dignitary and instead pummel the President with domestic questions.

Annoying!

Wise words

Every system finds a way of beating itself, said my dad as I spoke to him last night on the phone. Wise words and very true!

Cleanup

The town I grew up in India was known for wide lanes. Wider than what most other cities in India are used to. This was about twenty years ago. Then civic standards took a nosedive. People cared less for the law and cared even less for order. Once wide streets were encroached by the rich and the poor. People who dared to protest in an absurd reversal of logic were condemned as villains. Unfortunately, the men entrusted with enforcing the law looked the other way. Flouting the law became the accepted way of life.

This past week, an enterprising administrator has stepped in amidst the chaos. He has sent crews to demolish scores of illegal structures throughout the city. Comically, folks who knew they were in breach of the laws have demolished their forbidden structures before the cranes got to them. My mom tells me that a large group of curious onlookers follow the cranes everywhere.

Unfortunately, with the good comes the bad. Just near our home stood a wooden shack that was the shop where a barber conducted his trade for the past twenty years. Today his shack is no more; his source of livelihood gone. As I said, with the good comes the bad!