Souk Mubarakiya - Kuwait

Masjid's Galore in Kuwait Mashallah :)

Kuwait Liberation Tower - Burj Al Tahreer :)

Kuwait Pics - Downtown Kuwat

Downtown Kuwait :) thanks to the Construction boom :D




Al Masjid Al Kabir ( The Grand Mosque of Kuwait)

Wow !!! what a day !!!

Contrary to others, this day before thanksgiving, has been terribly
terrible to me. Getting through the day seemed forever. But at last
it's done phew !!!

It was tough to wake up in the morning after being drugged up on pain-
killers last night. Well I did wake up late and eventually was late at work. Today our team decided to eat outside and it was probably the only minuscule good in an otherwise miserable day. The food was good: a pizza and pasta buffet place, decently prized.

After lunch it was time for my first court appearance. All the inhibitions I had about the US judicial system it was a little worrisome. Like every other thing in lift which u don't know till u experience it, this was the same. I was all dressed up unlike the other attendees. I pleaded guilty for my speeding citation and requested for a court supervision. I was granted court supervision thanks to my good driving record. I wonder what a bad driving record would be, considering this was my second speeding ticket in two months.

This clemency would put me in some kind of driving probation where I can't afford an another moving violation. Only advantage : I won't be given bad points to my record which will help lower my insurance premium ( I hope). It also came with a hefty cost :165 Dollars against 75 Dollars the actual ticket.


That done, I reach my car and see a parking violation, for being over 10 minutes. Another ticket :(. I guess it was meant to happen, atleast it was not moving violation. I get back to work and like always to satisfy my curiosity check CNN to track the stock market, an I see a saddening pic of Taj Mahal hotel under seige :( infact the whole Mumbai city was under terror.

First thing struck my mind was the fact that one of my close friend
was staying at the Taj... goodness gracious ... I frantically started making phone calls and was informed that he was at the hotel :(

There was no way I was going to continue work ... left work asap .. came home and followed the news every update..it was depressing to see the great Mumbai city under terror...

Finally after 6-7 tensed hours we heard that he was safe and sound...evacuated out of the taj mahal ..the city has went through this in the past nothing new...and once again. The resolve of the Mumbaikars will prevail over the cowardly acts of these terrorists ..we the worlds largest democracy will stand together and combat this threat...unity in diversity..one of our cornerstone has been shaken but this will strengthen us even more ....

roz hazaron jaan jaye yahaaan
phir bhi mera desh mahaan
jai Hind ...

Sent from my iPhone

Sourav Ganguly - Winning is Everything

A heart rendering tribute to Saurav Ganguly - The Prince of Kolkata :))

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj6kPrk4nj4

Sent from my iPhone

Tribute Saurav Ganguly: DADA!

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCRhUp83nzw

Sent from my iPhone

Dawoodi Bohras to boycott Gujarat polls

Finally our voice is heard. Dawooodi Bohras on NDTV :)

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40UIgUSOXmA

Sent from my iPhone

What is your name ? in Arabic

ما اسمك؟
( ma Ismak )

Sent from my iPhone

I am fine. Thank you in Arabic :)

أنا بخير. شكرا لك.

Sent from my iPhone

iPhone Translator- Arabic 101

اتعهد لكم

this means I promise you :)

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Chandrayaan 2008

Chandrayan-1 India's first moon mission has been successfully
launched. Chandryan means Chandra (moon) Yaan ( vehicle).

This video from ISRO summarizes it's mission. I bow down to our
(India's) humbleness when the video describes that this ginormous
mission is not a status statement. Instead it's a big stride towards
betterment and enrichement of Human civilization.

It is a difficult feat to achieve this goal : putting the lunar craft
in it's orbit but with such an honest and philanthropist intentions
nothing is impossible.

Afterall "niyat ma barkat chey" :D

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00AvB-9RFUI

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Jagjit Singh - Benaam sa ye dard

and how about Jagjit Singh

"sub kuch to hei,
kya dhoondati rehti hein nigahein,
kya bAat hein mein waqt pe
Ghar kyun nahin jata"

:))

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbo2t3ix3-Q

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Chupke chupke raat din - Ghulam Ali

One of my favorites !!!!!

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3VhTwUXNME

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Democrats Covering up the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Economic Crisis

For all those inclined for Change which the democrates would bring LOL
checkbthus video out. Some of the dems are responsible for this sub-
prime mortgage crisis :)))

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p1Wc2NFa3w

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billo rani Kaho to abhi jaan daedo :p

And seriously I can't stop drooling over ever gorgeous Bips : our
Billo Rani ...mmmmhmmmmm

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP7R6WLjX0M

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Idhar Zindagi Ka

The same ghazal sung by the great Atta Ullah Khan :D

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Chj_YUpDnOQ

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Idhar Zindagi Ka Janaza - Female Version

A beautiful ghazal sung by Munni Begum :

"Idhar zindagi ka janaza uthega
udhar zindagi unki dulhan banegi
kayamat sey pehley kayamat hein yah rub
mere saamney meri duniya lootegi"

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJpgf9d2z2E

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Munni Begum - Maar Hi Daal

"na jaaney kaisey nazar lag gayeeee zamaney kiiiiiii
ki shaakh toot gayeee mere aashiyaaney kiiiiii
yehi jo bethey hein mehfilllll mein sir jhookayein huweyy
inhi key haanthon mein taqdeer hein zamaneyyyyyyy kiiiiiii ""

:-D

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1DT8EIwTMk

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Sayings of Ameer-ul-Mumineen AS

Cool, these following two sayings of Moulana Ali AS summarizes the
approach we need to take to tackle these ominous financial crisis:

1. "One who hopes inordinately, impairs his/her deeds"
Very true as this is not the time for keepin hope indefinatley but
execution !!! which is :

2."Be generous but not extravagant, be frugal but not miserly"

I think it self explainatory :))

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The Truth About The Economy: Total Collapse

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cziN3gt-hic

The genius mind of Ron Paul which could predict this economic downturn way before in time. Unfortunately it's too late, if this economic collapse had happen 6 months ago, while Ron Paul was still vying for the Republican presidential race, he would have not only won the nomination but could have won the elections as well. He was considered a lunatic a strict libertarian and ridiculed for his warnings.

For the US economy which is a consumer based economy because of huge differences in production and consumption percentages : approx 75 percent consumption to merely 25 pc production. Things look bleak in the future. I guess the need of the hour, with looking recession is SAVE. Save in every possible way. This exbortiant way of living solely on credit fuelled by readily available loans has caused this doom.

The 750 billion dollar bailout is nothing but printing that much more money by the Federal Reserve. This eventually will inflate the economy akin to situation in Zimbabwe (not to that extent still). This inflation will make the commodities and services more expensive ,and eat into our savings. And if we dont change our extravagant heedless ways then only God can save us lol :)

The plausible solution is to save: which would drive the prices lower make things more affordable and boost the economy. Not to forget, invest in building factories which would create jobs. It's an investment in Value and not in luxury (homes).

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Ishq Subhan Allah Full Song - Mere Baap Pehle Aap

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU_aih8hIiE

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EK baar muskra dou - Munni Begum

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6yigCsVX6U

"firdaus jhoom uthe,
fuzza musukura uthey
tummm muskura utho to
khudaaaa muskuraaaa uthey ;)

Munni Begum's Classic :)

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Peter Schiff - (Former Ron Paul Economic Advisor) Versus Art Laffer (Former Ronald McReagan Economic Advisor) - August 28, 2006

Check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU6PamCQ6zw#


This video is from June'06. and its all happening now....I have a feeling after reading this ..that the dollar soon could be worth a penny :S if the predictions come true :S

Art Laffer as you might have heard in this video, assures that their is nothing wrong with the US economy and will prevail. I feel he has a short term memory: he seems to have forgotten what he said when he co-authored this book:
End of Prosperity

I guess we all know who won the bet now :D

Corruption in Sumo Wrestling

Sometimes back when I read Freakonomics, I read about how corruption has found its way into Sumo Wrestling. Sumo is more like a tradition in Japan and it was astounding to see how certain sumo wrestlers purposely rig and loose their matches to let others non-performing Sumo wrestlers make it to elite 8.

Elite 8 is the elite group of wrestlers who make 90 percent of the money and rest are merely making peanuts.
Winning isn't everything: Corruption in Sumo Wrestling

Just today I heard on radio how after cheating, Sumo wrestling is now maligned with the menace of steroids and murders:
Here

Reminds me of Yokozuna, the wrestler who featured in WWE with his nasty submission move. Well Yokozuna is the name given to someone who is at the top of Sumo Wrestling :).

US Financial Crisis ..

This US Financial Crisis were predicted...well in advance

Jagriti 54 - Hum Layen Hain Toofan Se

A humble tribute to Gandhiji - The Father of our Natio. happy Gandhi
jayanti :)

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGP0RTDbX4Y

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Monday Night BonanzA :)

For most of the people I meet at work or outside on any given Monday,
there seem to be a sense of lethargy. People normally party hard on
weekends which eventually leads to release of this trapped nervous
energy. This sudden ecstacy results in low energy. Didn't really
know how to put this correctly in words, but I guess the messages is
conveyed :)

And I guess that's the reason why you have great shows on Monday
Nights on American Television: to spur the folks "lying low."

This Monday was no different. Most of evening was dominated by news
related to the vote against the proposed bailout by the Federal
Reserve. As for me it was the right thing to do. For once I feel that
morality has prevailed over greed. I could write pages on my thoughts
but then I would be caught guilty of diverging from the central
topic :)

So let's get back to the business :). Coincidently tonight was "Eid ni
Raat" too and I had the honors of hosting our little jamaat for namaz
+iftaari+dinner :). As usual the chai wasnt really the greatest one.
Not even close. Besides that everything was good ( I can say edible)
and calling it 'savoured' would be an overstatement:)

For us Ramadhan starts with praying and culminates with praying. And
offcourse we had a lot of praying to do today as well :). Jazak Allah
Khairan to all the Muslims in the world who prayed for peace
throughout the holy month.

After the prayers, I witnessed yet again a great Monday night football
game between the Ravens and the Steelers :). The steelers franchise is
such that once a steelers fan u remain a steeler for lifetime :) even
though miles away from the confluence in Pittsburgh.

Great comeback by the steelers who looked reckless in the first three
quarters. This will go down the memory lane, similar to last year MNF
game when Brett Favre threw that long reception to Greg Jennings in
overtime.

I guess that should be it. Everything was awesome except missing Heroes.

Eid Mubarak :))

-Hatim

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Never Too Late - (Ichigo and Rukia AMV)

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMGjHEOhJPQ

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definition of world (duniya) from our Nasihat (prayer)

>

> Maani le maani
> Duniya chey faani
> Duniya thi ummeed
> kar na wafaa ni
> mohti mohti waanton
> kar tu amaa ni
> maani le maari
> waat ney maani
> duniya ma koyee rahya
> na rehsey
> survey khiradmand
> ehmaj kehsey......
>
> translation
>
> listen o listen
> world is materialistic
> don't hope for
> trust from this world
> don't brag about
> peace and prosperity
> listen thou listen
> my word of wisdom
> nobody ever survived
> and noone will last
> those are the word
> of the knowledgeable....
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone

Chris Brown - Forever

Blinded By Rainbows -- I lurve this song ....wuhuuuu finally found it...

Here are the lyrics::

Did you ever feel the pain
That he felt upon the cross
Did you ever feel the knife
Tearing flesh that’s oh so soft

Did you ever touch the night
Did you ever count the cost
Do you hide away the fear
Put down paradise as lost

Yeah you’re blinded by rainbows
Watching the wind blow
Blinded by rainbows
Do you dream at night
Do you sleep at night
I doubt it

Did you ever feel the blast
As the semtex bomb goes off
Do you ever hear the screams
As the limbs are all torn off
Did you ever kiss the child
Who just saw his father shot
Do you ever shed a tear
As the war drags on and on

Do you ever touch the night
Or is it just another job
Do you feel the final hours
Put down paradise as lost

Yeah you’re blinded by rainbows
And faces in windows
Blinded by rainbows
Do you dream at night
Do you sleep at night
I doubt it

Do you ever fear the night
Could it be the war is lost
Do you fear the final hour
Do you kneel before the cross

You’re blinded by rainbows
And watching the wind blow
Blinded by rainbows
Do you dream at night
Do you scream at night
Do you smell of fear
Is your conscience clear
Are you caked in sweat

Are your clothes all wet
Do you see the light
Is the end in sight
See the face of christ
Enter paradise
I doubt it


From the movie The Replacements ...sung by The Rolling Stones :D

'Height' of Advertisement :)

Coming Back To Life - Pink Floyd

One of the classic...that I adore :)

Mohd. Rafi - Chand Mera Dil - Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin (1977)

One of my favorite song :)))

_ yehi to hein sanam pyaar ka thikanA Mein ho Mein hoo ___

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a6i6J2EfUs

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if I ever was a mullah sahab in madresa, this would be my Waqaa ( Signature) :)

....

"For real, I'll be diligently killin the soliloquies
Of these millipedes that try to pass themselves off as ill MC's
I weave a web of words so intricately
That the English dictionary lacks an adjective to fit me"
-Brother Ali (The Champ)

Water Damaged iPhone : Can be fixed :)

It happened yesterday that I inadvertantly wet my iPhone. It didn't stop working rightaway but it started to behave erratic and ultimately died on me. Panicked striken was me and for a moment I seriously felt like something was missing. Althought , I had already planned to buy the new iPhone 3G.

Called the Apple Support, which unsurprisingly kept me on hold for close to 35 minutes. I had never owned an Apple product but had always heard about their prompt and friendly customer service. The wait was definitely worth it and moreover I had no choice but to wait.

Customer service was excellent. The agent tried to troubleshoot but in vain. He asked me what went wrong and how? and offcourse I made up stories ;). Couldnt tell him it was water damaged, but attention, the gurus at Apple has found a solution to this masquerading. You just cant make up stories, if your iPhone is water-damaged or abused, they will find it out and hence your warranty wont cover it.

So how do they find out: there is a sensor right at the bottom of your ear-phone jack which turns Red from pristine White incase of a water-damaged. And that was the case with mine too.

Keeping my fingers crossed, I started searching on google on how to deal with this crises :) . I want to call it a crisis because it really was, like I said having it not working was like something really missing ;).
Thank Goodness , I reached this site:
http://www.iphoneatlas.com/2008/01/10/what-to-do-if-your-iphone-gets-wet/

Where fellow iPhone user who went through the similar horrendous situations were able to fix their respective phones. Simiple solution place your phone inside a rice bag and let it suck up all the moisture from it. I did as told, lo and behold, after 18 hours of nail-biting wait, it finally worked :) . Smiles all over the place my phone is back to normal. "My Precious" afterall :D

CAT Backhoe Wheeloader in Action :)

A True Friend - 2

And let your best be for your friend.
If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also.
For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?
Seek him always with hours to live.

Continuing this tale of my friend, he would always listen to your problems. Never was a situation or a time when he would deny you. He would always pay heed to your problems no matter what. I remembered times when he would accompany us even when he was suffering with broken bones. There was not an instance when he would give us even an inkling of his suffering. Always he was cheerful and that kind of helped us get over our blues.

I wish I could get back to him or thank him for what he did for me in that brief period of camaraderie we had. I really yearn for those days, which unfortunately didnt last for long. Afterall the good things in life are short-lived.

When you part from your friend, you grieve not;
For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.

Old Court House, St Louis, MO

View of the Old Court House from top of the Gateway Arch :)

Gateway Arch, St. Louis, MO

A True Friend

I have been reading this book called "the Prophet" by Kahlil Jibran. And since I started reading it, I have been reading it since then. I read it when I am really down and it kind of cheers me up.

So yeah coming back to the topic, I read this chapter in this book on friendship:
http://www.katsandogz.com/onfriends.html
and it reminds me of a friend on mine. A very close friend of mine, who has been through a lot of trouble already: thanks to his friends. And due to some reasons , I prefer not to unravel his name. He really doesnt care if his name is released or not, and he doesnt believe in publicity either. And I respect him for his humbleness and commitment to friendship.

So this particular chapter in the book, speaks about an ideal friendship. And I am planning to exemplify Kahlil Jibran's verses to my friend. Because he is a living example of all the qualities of friendship mentioned in Kahlil's Chapter.

Well, I met him in the most unrealistic circumstances: when we were going through our ragging period back in India. For all those who arent aware of 'ragging' well its a seniors way of welcoming their juniors in College, mostly prevalent in Indian Colleges and Universities. It used to be really harsh as in some circumstances, it would scale the greatest heights of bullying sometimes physical too.

Since I started late, I wasnt aware of this practice myself, and it was him who, kind of trained me to deal with this menace.


...to be continued...

Chicago Marina on Lake Michigan :)

BNSF Railroads -- Old Memoirs :(

Chodo Kal Ki Batein

A Song dedicated to my country my pride : India :D

Rapid Angioplasty

Know someone who is prone to heart-attack or has a feeling of approaching heart-attack or may be he/she already had an heart-attack. Now there is new hope, if done promplty within 90 minutes, you could rush the sufferer to the nearest hospital equipped with Rapid Angioplasty and have hope to saving the deceased.

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/heartdisease/3095/rapid-angioplasty-could-save-your-life-after-heart-attack/

Moulana Ali AS on Omniscient :)

One who imagines himself to be all-knowing will surely suffer on account of his ignorance.
~Ameer Ul Mumineen AS :D

No need to read Socrates, afterall Moulana Ali AS is all knowing. Rasulallah SA himself said:

("Ana madinat-ul-ilm wa Ali-yun baaboha")
"I am the city of knowledge and Ali is the gate"

Coldplay - Violet Hill

Another Classic from Coldplay !!! .....how can I not like them :P

Best Sleeping Airport

Recently while flying to New York from Peoria, my flight got delayed, not unusal. The flight was actually delayed to such an extent that I was surely going to miss my connection from O'Hare(Chicago) to LaGuardia (New York City).

Nothing helped offcourse with United nothing ever does. Neither being a frequent flyer nor Mileage plus membership did any good. They did give me an option : fly to Chicago and wait for 12 hours to catch the next morning flight to LaGuardia.

The attendant after my continuos naggigng did advice me that the flight I was flying in was cancelled or delayed 96% of time. She had no answer when I asked her why this particular service was even offered.

Frustration abound, this has been an eternal bane at Peoria Airport and till now I havent found a flight which departed or arrived on time.

Coming back to my trip, when I was told blatantly that the flight is delayed almost every day, they still didnt humble me with a complimentary overnight stay at a motel out in Chicago. So I kind of thought about it and my curiosity intrigued me to search for the best sleeping airport.

Thanks to the ever growing survey world, which sometimes I feel is a vocation of those unfit to do anything constructive, I landed at a site which actually had done such a survey :).

p.s: While browsing through slashdot yesterday I actually read a news in which AC Nielsen signed a 1.3 Billion Dollar service agreement with TCS. AC Nielsen is a survey and tv-rating giant. I wonder where TCS would come into picture: contracted TCS employees might have to sit and watch American TV shows to analyze and rate them lol ;).

Here is the link to the top sleeping airports site:
http://www.sleepinginairports.com/

And offcourse there isnt a single US Airport in the top ten. Dissapointing that O'Hare didnt make it in the best list, instead it was third in the list of Worst Airport to sleep in.

Guess which one topped the list of worst airport to sleep in:
Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai, India :D It still sends jitters down my spine when I recall my experiences at Mumbai Airport, from the corrupt custom officials to leaking ceilings. Could write a whole post on it someday :)

dump truck running over a four wheel drive suv

Thats the CAT 793......Ginormous :P

Gender Bias - China

If I can remember, in one of my class back in college where we studied about Pacific Rim Nations. The most impressive were the four Asian Tigers Nations : Singaport, Taiwan, South Korea, and Hong Kong (which now belogs to China though).

Well another important aspect was China, which is the most populated country in the world. What was surprising was the laws implemented by the Chinese in which they strictly enforced "one child per family" policy.

I thought then it was a good idea to curb population explosion and wished similar laws in India. Recently this news kind of got me thinking.
http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=06d65840-0997-482e-a84d-b09b61a7b0e5

There is a huge gender bias in China with 37 million more Men than Women. This is stratling because inspite of curbing population this has resulted in growth of violence because of unemployment. And also one child (male) who was thought to be the bread-winner is now responsible for 6 parents: parents, maternal grand-parents and paternal grand-parents.

Ironical isnt it, China which is proclaimed by media as the next super-power is actually suffering from such critical problems.

Makes me feel releaved that such a law was not implemented in India, where 70 percent of population resides in villages. And among the 70 percent I am sure there are 90 percent who still consider female as a burden. Eventually such a law would exacerbate this issue.

And also the face of Indian Woman is changing too, thanks to Television:

http://jargoneer.blogspot.com/2008/06/empowerment-through-television.html

2008 BMW GINA Light Visionary Model Premiere promo video

Someday I dream of owning this.......Someday !!!!!!!

Omniscient - No No

True Wisdom is in knowing you know nothing !!!!
~Socrates~

Kahlil Gibran on Friends :)

And let your best be for your friend.
If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also.
For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?
Seek him always with hours to live.
For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.

~The Prophet~
By Kahlil Gibran

Macy's Fireworks ...NYC

Capitol Hill, Washington DC

Niagara Falls & American Falls :)

Caterpillar : Making Progress possible in India

Check out this recent news:

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080626/caterpillar_india_investment.html?.v=1

Whats more exciting the focus is on production and manufacturing of Off-Highway Trucks :D. This will definitely boost India's infrastructure growth :)

to give you
an idea of how a Cat 793 looks like:

Ratatouille, Le Festin

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBe2jvEbGr8

Sent from my iPhone

Amateur Photography :)

Lake Outside my House :)

Danity Kane - Damaged (w/ lyrics) ***NEW***

My heart is missing some pieeeeeeces
i need to put this puzzle together again :)

Coldplay - Viva la Vida With Lyrics

"I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman catholic choirs are singing"

for some reason i cant explain
i know st peters will call my name
never an honest word
thats when i ruled the world :)



Sent from my iPhone

Staind - Right Here (lyrics)

I hope u r not intending
to be so condescending
its as much as I can take
I know u r independent
u just refuse to bend
so I keep bending till I break :)


Sent from my iPhone

Secondhand Serenade - Fall for you (Full, with lyrics)

hold ur breath !!!
coze tonight will be the night
that I'll fall for you
over again
don't make me change my mind
coze a girl like u is impossible to find
impossible to find :)))


Sent from my iPhone

The Beginning - Part 2

Well to continue the ishtory (thats how the Bollywood movies script are referred as). For sure there have been times and events that might resemble a bollywood script :) . Reminds me of this long speech by Shahrukh Khan in Om Shanti Om:

Aaj mujhe yakin hogaya dosto, ki hamari zindagi bhi hamare hindi filmon ke jaisa hi hai.. jaha pe end mein sab kuch theek ho jaata hai.. "Happies Endings".. Lekin agar End mein sab kuch theek na ho to woh the end nahi hain dosto.. Picture abhi baaki hai.. Applause..

Translation:

I am convinced my friend that our life is like our movies, where everything is bliss full at the end. All ends that ends well. And if it doesn't become 'happy' at the ending then its not the 'ending'. The movie (your life) is still uncompleted.

Gosh, I suck at translating but this was an amateur effort. Well coming back to the point. Lol, following my traits, I always tend to digress from the topic, rant about something completely out of context and then realize that I am off the track. And this might continue during this narration as well :).

The Beginning - Part 1

As per the blog description, this blog is intended to serve as a platform where I can speak my heart out. Share my views on topics that I find interesting and those that infuriate me :).

Well another thing that I want to achieve through this blog is: for it to become a journal in which I can look back and relive these cherished moments. And hence I decided to tread on this difficult yet enjoyable journey (hopefully) of writing all that I have been through since it Began :).

For all of us life begins when we are born. Well I definitely cannot remember all that happened since then. It would be monotonous to relate all those experiences. Eventually I have decided to write about all that happened since I left Kuwait in June of 2000.

Well people don't have the misconception that this is going to be interesting but I will try to make it a bit intriguing and hilarious. I hope to not take liberty in hurting any one's sentiments. With 'anyone' I am referring to all those people who came in contact with me and might feature in this saga.

I hope to stay motivated and not get discouraged so help me God :)

Indian Railways :) world's biggest employer :)

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnd6BQ9Rxf0

Sent from my iPhone

Sears Tower, Chicago, IL

Empowerment through Television

Came across this blog site which describes a survey conducted for women in rural India. Glad to know the results and more important a decently optimistic outcome of television viewing after a long time. Especially after the abashing that tv-viewing has taken.

This survey clearly reveals that television watching is changing the face of women in rural India. Women who since the beginning of time in India, has been doomed to an inferior status and discriminated in every aspect of life, are finally coming to life :).

TV viewing has resulted in them becoming more proactive and well informed. They are raising their voice against beating and being looked upon by their male counterpart. Female education is on a rise which is an important step in empowering them through skills.

This is the face of modern India :D

The survey: http://blog.ted.com/2007/08/oster_cable_tel.php

Google Maps Image of Sayedi Fakhruddin Shaheed RA's Dargah

Follow this link to view Taherabad, and on the top left corner you can see the mazaar of Sayedi Fakhruddin Shahid (RA)

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=23.530084,74.017231&spn=0.006099,0.009356&z=17

Last Goodbye

Ever wondered what a last desperate goodbye may sound like:

But when you say goodbye, say it as if you are reaching through the phone and holding their hand. Let them know that if they let go of that hand, you will die. We must shame them into sending help.

~Hotel Rwanda :D

Viva la Vida- Coldplay (with lyrics)

ppl this is the latest coldplay hit ... wait and watch it will climb
the charts all over the world :)))

"and this was when I used to rule the world :))))"

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsBlKp4eN_E

Sent from my iPhone

my first mobile blog :)

well !!! I am just impressed at how technology has made our lives so
convenient :))

well now I have the liberty and ease to blabber more bullshit :) ...this is web 2.0 ...nothing but a virtual spittoon

Sent from my iPhone

I Retrospect

my grief
He is hearing
above the dark sky
its raining

my pain
no one can feel
across the seas in their abode
they heal

my wisdom
fights my heart's desire
for nothing I asked I got
an ire

my faith
so strong in my peers
shattered by deceit: sharp as
a spear

I retrospect
I find courage with hope abound
to live in these times so simple
yet confound

Superstitions surrounding Numbers

While searching for cars, I happened to negotiate a deal with a person from China. Well for someone like me who was a first time buyer it was hard to negotiate without proper knowledge and consequently I just randomly quoted some price. Readers, these were the early days, not that I am a pro now, but have some idea and know few tools that could ease your buying process.

So coming back to the Chinese seller, I always knew it was going to be hard to bargain. Well I based my assumption on what Russell Peters said:
"An Indian cannot live without a bargain, and a Chinese will never give you a bargain." (for sure this cannot be taken as a general norm :), it was just for humor)
If you haven't seen the video check it out at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhGzXOWxfFs

The price of the car he quoted was $5800.00 and without my asking explained that 8 is a lucky number for Chinese and so is the reason for the price. I thought for a while and said why not I give you $4888.00 , which has three 8's.Well the person kinda got a little anxious hearing that price and said that wouldn't be possible.

I haggled that it was a reasonable price but it was in vain. So finally it was decided that he wouldn't sell the car and I continued my tryst of finding one that would fit my budget. Well if your budget is limited and expectations are high, its always hard :) lol !!!

Well, I never realized what was with the number 8 for Chinese and why it was lucky. I narrated this incident to a friend, who was well aware of the Chinese culture. This friend explained that number '4' in China means 'death' while number '8' means 'wealthy.' So with the price of $4888, though i was making him super-wealthy, I was also bringing him super-bad luck.

Then I read this Wikipedia entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numbers_in_Chinese_culture
which further explained the whole deal with numbers in Chinese culture.

No surprises here, because we (Bohri) people too are obsessed with certain numbers:
786, 110, 51, 52, 7, 21 etc.

Weather Forecast in Banswara :)

Well, today I came across this page which tells you today's weather in:

Banswara : http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/42655.html

Partapur : http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=partapur

Unfortunately there were no informations for Sagwara and Galiyakot.

Well you might be wondering where these places are. Hmm they are located in the Wagad region ( unfortunately there is no wikipedia page describing wagad) but yeah its the south-eastern belt of Rajasthan on the eastern side of the Aravalli Ghats. ( there is no wikipedia page for aravali hills as well :( )

Well there is fortunately a page for Banswara:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banswara

How to Ripe Mangoes

Sounds Yummy !!! no doubt !!!

So yeah few days back may be two weeks back, I was shopping at an Indian grocery store. Well I saw few mangoes lying there and I decided to buy some. They were raw and in no way in this Holy Mother Earth was I going to satisfy my urge for mangoes right then.

As usual the salesman cajoled me into buying two of them. He in his conceding tone assured me that they would ripe in two days and I would be able to eat them.

So as usual I bought two and kept them in the refrigerator. And as usual I forgot that I had them inside. Just yesterday my taste buds drew me towards them and guess what they were still not ripe. They were as raw as how I bought them 14 days ago. Weird I thought.

It was later that I realized that they need to be kept outside, they need moisture and they need to be placed outside. After doing some research I found at this site:

"We have found that the best way to ripen a mango is at room temperature, on the kitchen counter and if you wish to accelerate the process place in a paper bag overnight (some folks place an apple with the mango in the bag to create more natural ethylene gas and further decrease the ripening time). Once ripened the mango can be refrigerated for a few days, but should be used shortly thereafter."
This was mentioned at:
http://freshmangos.com/aboutmangos/


So hmm, now I realized why they were still raw. Also found this amazing article on how to shop for mangoes at:
http://thaifood.about.com/od/thairecipesstepbystep/ss/howtocutamango.htm


I hope this helps you shop for mangoes and enjoy the luscious taste of the King of Fruits :).

Chicago Downtown as seen from Adler Planetarium

View of Chicago Downtown from Adler Planetarium. good to be back :)

IPL Players Paychecks

This is the latest IPL pay-out list.

Jaipur (IPL Jaipur)
Shane Warne (US$ 450,000), Graeme Smith (US$ 475,000), Younis Khan (US$ 225,000), Kamran Akmal (US$ 150,000), Yusuf Pathan (US$ 475,000), Mohammad Kaif (US$ 675,000), Munaf Patel (US$ 275,000), Justin Langer (US$ 200,000)

Chennai (IPL Chennai)
MS Dhoni (US$ 1.5 million), Muttiah Muralitharan (US$ 600,00), Matthew Hayden (US$ 375,000), Jacob Oram (US$ 675,000), Stephen Fleming (US$ 350,000), Parthiv Patel (US$ 325,000), Joginder Sharma (US$ 225,000), Albie Morkel (US$ 675,000), Suresh Raina (US$ 650,000), Makhaya Ntini (US$ 200,000), Michael Hussey (US$ 350,000)

Mumbai (IPL Mumbai)
Sachin Tendulkar (icon), Sanath Jayasuriya (US$ 975,000), Harbhajan Singh (US$ 850,000), Shaun Pollock (US$ 550,000), Robin Uthappa (US$ 800,000), Lasith Malinga (US$ 350,000), Dilhara Fernando (US$ 150,000), Loots Bosman (US$ 175,000)

Bangalore (IPL Banglore)
Rahul Dravid (icon), Anil Kumble (US$ 500,000), Jacques Kallis (US$ 900,000), Zaheer Khan (US$ 450,000), Mark Boucher (US$ 450,000), Cameron White (US$ 500,000), Wasim Jaffer (US$ 150,000), Dale Steyn (US$ 325,000), Nathan Bracken (US$ 325,000), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (US$ 200,000)

Hyderabad (IPL Hyderabad)
Adam Gilchrist (US$ 700,000), Andrew Symonds (US$ 1.35 million), Herschelle Gibbs (US$ 575,000), Shahid Afridi (US$ 675,000), Scott Styris (US$ 175,000), VVS Laxman (US$ 375,000), Rohit Sharma (US$ 750,000), Chamara Silva (US$ 100,000), RP Singh (US$ 875,000), Chaminda Vaas (US$ 200,000), Nuwan Zoysa (US4 110,000)

Mohali (IPL Mohali)
Yuvraj Singh (icon), Mahela Jayawardene (US$ 475,000), Kumar Sangakkara (US$ 700,000), Brett Lee (US$ 900,000), Sreesanth (US$ 625,000), Irfan Pathan (US$ 925,000), Ramesh Powar (US$ 170,000), Piyush Chawla (US$ 400,000), Simon Katich (US$ 200,000), Ramnaresh Sarwan (US$ 225,000)

Kolkata (IPL Kolkata)
Sourav Ganguly (icon), Shoaib Akhtar (US$ 425,000), Ricky Ponting (US$ 400,000), Brendon McCullum (US$ 700,000), Chris Gayle (US$ 800,000), Ajit Agarkar (US$ 330,000), David Hussey (US$ 675,000), Ishant Sharma (US$ 950,000), Murali Kartik (US$ 425,000), Umar Gul (US$ 150,000), Tatenda Taibu (US$ 125,000)

Delhi (IPL Delhi)
Virender Sehwag (icon), Daniel Vettori (US$ 625,000), Shoaib Malik (US$ 500,000), Mohammad Asif (US$ 650,000), AB de Villiers (US$ 300,000), Dinesh Karthik (US$ 525,000), Farveez Maharoof (US$ 225,000), Tillakaratne Dilshan (US$ 250,000), Manoj Tiwary (US$ 675,000), Gautam Gambhir (US$ 725,000), Glenn McGrath (US$ 350,000)

Jatropha in Banswara :)

Yeah this news caught my attention:

HPCL (Hindustan Petro-Chemicals Limited) has acquired 20,000 hectares of land in our district for Jatropha Cultivation. As mentioned here:
http://indianngos.com/news/banswara.htm and http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/11/stories/2007111156270700.htm

Jatropha is an indigenously developed bio-fuel alternative in India. Most surprising is the fact that Jatropha plant grows in waste-lands in arid lands. After the afforestation of Aravalli Ghats this plantation could prove to be a boon for us. Not only it would create employment but also our people could stride in this mission of pollution-free Green World. Yay !!!!!

Some history of Jatropha can be found here. Its the seeds that grow in these plants that can be used as an alternative to diesel.

One thing that I am thinking about is; the bio-fuel derived from Jatropha; is already utilized in Indian Railways and if we really start producing enough quantity there is no doubt that the wide-spread Indian Railways could spread out in our region as well :).

Linkin Park - What I've Done

Let mercy come !!!!
and wash awayyyyyyy
What I've Done !!!

An attempt by Linkin Park to help us introspect and realize how selfish we all have been.

Fatimid Dynasty- Time of Imam Moiz AS - 2

Well sometime ago I blogged about the scientific and cultural advancements made during the times of Imam Moiz AS.
http://jargoneer.blogspot.com/2007/05/fatimid-dynasty-time-of-imam-moiz-as.html

Fatimid Imam refers to the hierarchy of Imams that started from Moulatena Fatema tus Zahra (the only daughter of Prophet Mohammed SA).

Here in this new video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z50y0yFL_W8

The claims made are justified.Historian Basil Davidson looks at the splendour of Old Cairo under the Shia Fatimid dynasty. He details how the return of Europe to prominance following its long period of backwardness and slumber (aka the Dark Ages) was founded upon the economic stability of Afria - as seen in the fact that European gold coins were mindted in African gold. We also see how Euroepan Renaissance art depicted Africans as dignified equals, much as the ancient Greeks had.

This is during the Time of Imam Moiz AS who was the pioneer of science and technology. He is also the founder of the Al -Azhar University in Cairo. One of the oldest institution in the world.

Moreover the Astrolabe discovered during the times of Imam Moiz AS was more like a modern GPS. As mentioned here.

Cairo is known as Al Moizzatul Kahera in Arabic no guesses after its founder Imam Moiz AS. This was the booming time of the Fatimid Dynasty when it spread far and wide to Eastern Africa and southern Europe.

Linkin Park - Breaking The Habit

Cheer up !!!!

Alicia Keys - no one with lyrics

I lurveeeee this song ...damn coool ....

all right all rightt
everything gonna be all right :)

Dream of Death

Well yeah I am not going to re-write the Sigmund Freud's version of "Interpretations of Dreams".

Dream of Death on a Birthday. Driving in a icy-cold weather and unable to see anything. Dark night glowing by falling snow and dunes of ice collected on sides of the streets. For some reason, didn’t feel like stopping the car and kept driving fast, with the car coming to a halt only after colliding with a mini mountain of snow. Seconds later; car floating in water with the seat belt fasten making the driver almost stationary. Everything in a stand-still state.

All that could be seen was the entire life and those very precious moments. No panic, no fear of death, intrepid. "When we die, death smiles at us, all we can do is smile back !!!" echoing in the ears. Prepared for the final journey with only her face all around, everywhere. Gasping for breath; Suddenly an urge to see this God's creation for the final time. Opened the eyes and wide awake.

Read somewhere that Death is nothing but a new beginning. Indeed! "every new beginning comes from some of the beginning's end " famous Semisonic's Lyrics (closing time). Well this could be a new beginning a new career a new job and time to bury the past. This was one positive explanation of such a dream given here.

Also it could mean fear of loosing someone very important in your life. That very important person whom you would actually be seen when the "Malik Ul Maut in Quran (yamdoot in Hinduism)" takes away your soul.

Ponting bamboozled by Ishant Sharma

Perth Test - Chak De India :)

Yes, the justice was served, when Symonds was given out LBW to an inside edge to Kumble. I knew then and there that their was this divine intervention and we would win.

He is the same Symonds who didnt have the ethics to walk off when he had nicked the ball off Ishant Sharma at Sydney. A great Test nonetheless, but everyone is well aware of the grotesque sledging scene. The arguments that followed and the blame-game which furthur bloated the classic adage of Cricket being "A Gentlemen's Game".

India is back and with a spark; a blend of zestful youthfullness mixed with maturity of the oldies.
This test created history with Kumble taking his 600th wicket. A humble servant of Indian Cricket who is passionately serving his country. He has delivered on numerous occasion. An unsung hero whose hardwork and determination cannot be forgotten. I still remember his partnership with Srinath against Australia at Banglore and his 10-wickets hold at Delhi against Pakistan.

We cannot take the credit away from Laxman, who shephard the tail and was able to guide India to a respectable 413. This is not the first time Laxman has shown his heroics; you cant imagine an Indian Test team void of Laxman. He is inseparable.

Not to forget the resurgence of Irfan Pathan who played beyond his experience. His classic swing bowling reminded of that 1st over Hatrick against Pakistan. His batting which keeps improving also proved valuable and without doubt he deserved the man-of the match award.

Last but not the least, find above the youtube video of the duel between Ponting and Ishant. Bhajji gone now Ponting is the new bunny of our Ishant.

Mazar of Sayedi Abdul Rasool Shaheed QS

Find here the photos of new mazaar complex that is under consruction in my native place Banswara :). Inshallah the project should be over soon, and we invite zaerins (pilgrims) from all over the world to our little world :).

Photo courtesy: http://www.mazarat.com/

Proposed Masjid Masjid Under-construction

Mawaid (Place to eat) under construction musafir-khana( place to sleep)

Meaning of Titles

1. Sayedis Sajjad

This is the name given to Imam ZAin-ul-Abedeen. "Sayed" in arabic means leader and Sajjad refers to those who prostrate (do sujud) before Allah. Imam AS was called so because he used to pray a lot (around 1000 rakaats) per day and rightly called Sayedis Sajjad for the same reason.

2. Jaffar ut-tayyar
Jafar at tayyar was the commander of Rasulallah's Army during the battle of Mautah. He was a very loyal and humble servant of Rasulallah SA. He fought bravely and sacrificed himself for Rasulallah SA in the same way as Abbas Alamdaar did during Ashura.
It is said that when the news of Jaffer-at Tayyar reached Rasulallah SA, he announced to Jaffer's tribe that Allah has granted Jaffer Jannat and also given him two wings with which he could fly like a bird (tayyar). And hence he is known as Jaffer at-tayyar.

3. Ahle-Bait
Ahl-e-Bait in the Holy Quran is referred to the Bayt(household) of Rasulallah SA. "Ahl" means the righteous. The members of the household comprised of : RAsulallah SA, Ali Ibn Abi Talib, Fatema tus Zahra, Imam Hasan Ibn Ali, and Imam Hussain Ibn Ali (AS).

Moulana Ali AS's Humbleness :)

One day our 1st Imam, Moulana Ali (AS) went to the market with his servant, Qambar. There he bought 2 shirts, one which was really nice and expensive and the other which was not as nice.

When Moulana Ali (A) returned home he gave the better shirt to Qambar and kept the other one for himself.

Qambar toll Moulana Ali (A) that it would look better if he wore the nicer shirt as he was the leader of the Muslims while Qambar himself was only a servant.

Moulana Ali (AS) answered that Qambar should wear the nicer shirt because he was younger and so it would suit him better; but more importantly Ameer ul Mumineer (AS) told him that he was a guide for the Muslims and so had to set a good example for them by leading a simple life.

Moral:

1. You should always give away the nicer thing.
2. You should be happy with a few simple things and not want so many things.

"mohsin meri lahad mein woh manzar ajub tha
jub meine khud ali sey kaha Ya Ali Madad :)"

New Ravana of Cricket

Remember that omniscient saint Ravan who kidnapped Lordess Sita; from saint he became an evil. But still remained all-knowing and also justified his wrongdoings to such an extent that he had to pay it with his life.

Yes after all that happened in the Second Test at Sydney, here is a pic of a new form of evil in Cricket. This evil has kidnapped Bhajji :). The only difference is Lordess Sita was fully innocent while Bhajji along with the Rawana in this case has his share of wrongdoings too. But still in the end Ravana lost and Bucknor too got sacked. Lets see what fate awaits Bhajji :)

Jennings and Favre

Hell yeah !!!!

Packers move on to the AFC Championship game. Another feather in Brett Favre's celebrated cap.

And yeah you wouldnt believe it...but I did...i knew Greg Jennings would make it to NFL ....he did and after all the hope I expressed in the last post ...he delivered ...that too in style .....definately cheered me up after the dissappointing Steelers loss last Saturday .....


Greg Jennings's Stats:
6 Receptions for 71 yards with 2 touchdowns. Yes 2 touchdown which came at very crucial times. One was scored when the Packers were down 14 points; this got them on the scoreboard with 7-14. The second touchdown helped them take the lead 21-14.

Favre with his team of young guns: Jennings, Grant, Driver literally buried the Seahawks in Lambeau Winter Wonderland. The 15-year dream of Favre of playing in snow finally came alive.

Now lets hope again that the Giants beat the Cowboys tomorrow which will give the Packers home-field advantage.

Proud Alumni

-He has developed into a reliable playmaker for the NFC North division-winning Green Bay Packers
-He has caught 50 passes for 878 yards
-Scored 12 touchdowns in his second pro season
-And he caught the record-breaking catch (421 touchdown throws) of Gunslinger Brett Favre against the Minnesota Vikings
-He played for the Western Michigan Broncos :)
-An alumni of WMU

Yes ...he is Greg Jennings the Wide Receiver and an unsung hero of the Greenbay Packers.....we have nothing in common except the last line....

Yeah, I have seen him play at the Waldo Stadium. Every single Bronco Fan would direly wish that the ball is thrown to him. It would gurrantee a touchdown. I always had a feeling that he would make it to NFL and he actually did. Afterall he broke numerous records at Western.

I am waiting to see how he performs in his first appearance at a playoff game this Saturday against the Seattle Seahawks.

Christmas Day Miracles

Hew are few miracles that might take you by surprise and pacify your anxiety after the tragedy mentioned in the post below.

1. Toddler escaped unharmed

A two year old toddler named Teagan shoved a screw-driver through her eye while her parents were praying at the church. She was at the church too. She grew fidgety and decided to hop into this room where children’s play. What bothers me is: what was a screw driver doing there? And even more astounding is the fact that this room is monitored by adults.

This image on the right describes how deeply she had inserted it. And to everybody's surprise she escaped unharmed; with a little gash in her eye. The X-Ray indicated that she poked it 5 cm into her her brain and the doctors removed it without any bleeding.

2. Alcides Moreno

Alcides Moreno fell from a 47-storry building and survived. He was a cleaner and fell along with his brother. His brother passed away but he luckily survived. Since the fall he has been in comma, on Christmas he spoke his first words:

When wife Rosario would visit him, she would take his hand to stroke her face. On Christmas Day, Moreno himself reached up and stroked the face of a nurse. Rosario Morales said to him (in a gentle manner), "'You're not supposed to do that. You touch your wife, you're not supposed to touch the nurse," to which Moreno spoke for the first time and said, "What did I do?"
http://gothamist.com/2008/01/04/mans_47floor_fa.php

Really emotional isn’t it?

A fact to note: only 50 percent of people survive from a 3-storey fall, this was 47 -storey.

Believe it or Not !!

What is more scary:
1. A Siberian tiger weighing 250+ pounds on a man-hunt?
or
2. A hooligan running after you with a knife or a gun?

Recently on Christmas day a Siberian Tiger Tatiana ran berserk; jumped the enclosure fence, killed a patron and injured two other visitors.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22981866-2703,00.html

Sounds freaky!!! ...well what is more interesting is this statement made by a Surgeon treating the injured visitors:

San Francisco General Hospital surgery chief William Schechter noted the men's wounds were not as serious than injuries from gunshots or knife attacks.
Everyone is focused that this is a tiger because we have a primordial fear of animals. The most dangerous predator in the city of San Francisco is man, not tiger," Dr Schechter said.

Point to be noted: humans are more dangerous than these wild predators. So does it that mean we are safer in wilderness than our civilizations??

Effort, Worth it

Better late then never!!!

Until today I dread the time when my mom used to bound me between two huge cousins of mine and make me learn multiplication tables. The cousins too had made it their goal to turn me into some whiz, which offcourse didnt happen;). I wondered ever since why pressurize someone to learn things that early. Was it that necessary?

Also, while studying here in the US, came across certain curriculum which we had already learned in our high school. Surprising it seemed then;

The pressure of 10th and 12th grade too was hurculean; to an extent that not only yours but your familiy's enitre esteem was banking on your performance in those All-India based examinations. Also your career too is dependent on how you perform.

So much for the education level and competetiveness. Never understood the importance. Always felt slogged and exhausted; with everything seemed so futile.

Until today when I came across this article on NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/02/business/worldbusiness/02japan.html

To summarize the article:
The Japanese are rueing that their standard of education is way below the Indians. And eventually they fear that they will be lagging behind us. The solution: they have decided to adopt the Indian Standard of teaching and learning into their system.

Thats one more reason to feel proud :)