Yesterday, there was no electricity and I found myself looking at God's beautiful work of nature. Here is his moving canvas ... The last one is a slideshow of my photos of yesterday ... Let me know what you think ...
Friday, July 16, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Evernote
Ever so often, I find myself sitting down and cursing myself for not having taken a note down about something I had seen. I curse my memory, my habits, my lack of foresight ... and whoever I can curse for forgetting.
Serendipitously, today I found s great tool to help me ease the pain of trying to remember everything ... Evernote.
I am fascinated by what it could do including reading off handwriting, and other text of images. You have clients available for PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android, Blackberry - the list is long. Once synced with the server, the "Notes" get indexed, making it easy to search. You can also tag them for your own reference. The sharing it publicly, or making it private feature is great to separate private from public. A free subscription allows you to upload 40MB on a monthly basis, while a $5 monthly /$45 annual charge allows you to take this upto 500MB. How cool is that ! ! !
Great for those who forget, for those who want to start on projects and are doing research, for the weekend bloggers (like me !!!)
Here is the introductory video
And here is one showing you how it works ...
And if you want to see all its uses, and have patience ... here is the FastCompany interview with the CEO, Phil Libin
Serendipitously, today I found s great tool to help me ease the pain of trying to remember everything ... Evernote.
I am fascinated by what it could do including reading off handwriting, and other text of images. You have clients available for PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android, Blackberry - the list is long. Once synced with the server, the "Notes" get indexed, making it easy to search. You can also tag them for your own reference. The sharing it publicly, or making it private feature is great to separate private from public. A free subscription allows you to upload 40MB on a monthly basis, while a $5 monthly /$45 annual charge allows you to take this upto 500MB. How cool is that ! ! !
Great for those who forget, for those who want to start on projects and are doing research, for the weekend bloggers (like me !!!)
Here is the introductory video
And here is one showing you how it works ...
And if you want to see all its uses, and have patience ... here is the FastCompany interview with the CEO, Phil Libin
Saturday, February 20, 2010
My Name Is Khan ...
... and I am not a terrorist.
I am forced to make a posting today. Last evening as I was watching the movie, memories of the past flashed past me.
Sadly, not too long ago, someone close to me commented "That guy is a Mosi (ref Muslim) and whenever he needs help, he gets more of his Muslim friends to join up". While it saddened me, I wondered whether it was thoughts like this that forced the gentleman in concern to rally like minded people around him in times of need. As a facilitator, who conducts sessions about diversity, one of the first things I was taught was that whether we like it or not, we have tendencies to be biased and these thoughts are reflected in our behaviour - verbal and non-verbal.
When I am sitting in a bus, with a vacant seat next to me, I am expectantly eliminating people I would not like next to me ... bias has kicked in.
When I am at a Hotel, and a shabbily dressed person walks in ... boom bias has kicked in.
When I walk upto a Customer Service Desk of any service I have availed to make a complaint, and I see a pretty face smiling back at me - boom bias again (This situation is something that is acknowledged by a lot of service companies who gun for pretty faces and nice voices to handle customer complaints - who would like to scream at Priyanka Chopra -metaphorically speaking- for his shirt being burnt, bill being inflated, service being disconnected).
While that is one side of it, here is another ... In one of my previous assignments, I was assigned workspace amongst a couple of Bengalis (my countrymen who speak Bengali). And everytime there was something to be shared between them ... the obvious choice of language was ... You guessed it - Bengali. The same experience with Punjabis, Tamils, Malyalees ... the list goes on.
On a yet another assignment, this time in Philippines, I was facilitating a session for a group of very bright Filipinos. and from nowhere a babble started, and I just could not follow them. I asked my co-facilitator, a Filipino herself, what was happening, and was told that the discussion had moved to the language of their comfort - Tagalog. It was during one such conversation that I was reminded of a "Culture class" I had once attended. We had been told "Never use your native language (Hindi) in the presence of foreign delegates".
It brings to mind a statement made by Pooja Bedi ... where in she took on the Shiv Sena, saying ... why are we so bothered about the Indians facing discrimination in Australia, when they (Shiv Sena) are discriminating against Indians here in India (ref Mr T vs SRK) (Ref Pooja Bedi's Blog : I cannot comprehend ... and Pooja Bedi: Peace can't be achieved by violence).
Such incidents made me realise that "Inclusivity" is a "nice" word. Its good to talk about ... but not very easy to follow.
How would you make a difference ... My name is Khan ... and I am not a terrorist.
I am forced to make a posting today. Last evening as I was watching the movie, memories of the past flashed past me.
Sadly, not too long ago, someone close to me commented "That guy is a Mosi (ref Muslim) and whenever he needs help, he gets more of his Muslim friends to join up". While it saddened me, I wondered whether it was thoughts like this that forced the gentleman in concern to rally like minded people around him in times of need. As a facilitator, who conducts sessions about diversity, one of the first things I was taught was that whether we like it or not, we have tendencies to be biased and these thoughts are reflected in our behaviour - verbal and non-verbal.
When I am sitting in a bus, with a vacant seat next to me, I am expectantly eliminating people I would not like next to me ... bias has kicked in.
When I am at a Hotel, and a shabbily dressed person walks in ... boom bias has kicked in.
When I walk upto a Customer Service Desk of any service I have availed to make a complaint, and I see a pretty face smiling back at me - boom bias again (This situation is something that is acknowledged by a lot of service companies who gun for pretty faces and nice voices to handle customer complaints - who would like to scream at Priyanka Chopra -metaphorically speaking- for his shirt being burnt, bill being inflated, service being disconnected).
While that is one side of it, here is another ... In one of my previous assignments, I was assigned workspace amongst a couple of Bengalis (my countrymen who speak Bengali). And everytime there was something to be shared between them ... the obvious choice of language was ... You guessed it - Bengali. The same experience with Punjabis, Tamils, Malyalees ... the list goes on.
On a yet another assignment, this time in Philippines, I was facilitating a session for a group of very bright Filipinos. and from nowhere a babble started, and I just could not follow them. I asked my co-facilitator, a Filipino herself, what was happening, and was told that the discussion had moved to the language of their comfort - Tagalog. It was during one such conversation that I was reminded of a "Culture class" I had once attended. We had been told "Never use your native language (Hindi) in the presence of foreign delegates".
It brings to mind a statement made by Pooja Bedi ... where in she took on the Shiv Sena, saying ... why are we so bothered about the Indians facing discrimination in Australia, when they (Shiv Sena) are discriminating against Indians here in India (ref Mr T vs SRK) (Ref Pooja Bedi's Blog : I cannot comprehend ... and Pooja Bedi: Peace can't be achieved by violence).
Such incidents made me realise that "Inclusivity" is a "nice" word. Its good to talk about ... but not very easy to follow.
How would you make a difference ... My name is Khan ... and I am not a terrorist.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Pune ... A metro in the making
One of the cities I need to visit (thanks to my job) on a regular basis is Pune.
For the unaware, this city is is the the state of Maharashtra, in the Western part of the country. It is a growing town, attracting attention of Big Business Houses. Its proximity to Mumbai, India's so called Financial Capital, is a big plus for its future.
I find it a nice get-away from the Big Town that I live in (Delhi). One of the things not many know about me is that I enjoy eating ... no I am not a Hog (though some of my family members moight disagree) ... and no I am not a Foodie (I don't know what that means). I just like eating ... as simple as that. Another thing that people do not know about me is that I moody ... and if my mood is up to it, I roam around.
Keeping my brief background in mind, I'd like to share with you some of my discoveries of the city. The first being "Durvankur" ... a must for all interested in tasting the flavours of Pune. Its an"eat-all-you-can" outlet. It was introduced to me by a friend, and I have vowed to visit it everytime I go to Pune. I have been there twice of the three times I have been to Pune. If my recommendations are not equal to those from a connossieur or a foodie, then let the lines outside the dining hall stamp the Dining Hall's claim to fame. More details to the location of Durvankur, its contact details and my humble review about the Dining Hall are available on link below
Google Local: http://local.google.co.in/maps?f=l&view=text&q=durvankur&near=pune&ie=UTF8&hl=en&latlng=18507053,73851446,17846739346094815472&ei=GZxJR4zdHZyejQOs5vnfAQ&cd=1#
Sigfood.org: http://sigfood.org/Pune/Tilak_Road/Durvankur
The second place I recommend would have to be "German Bakery". German Bakery offers a different menu and ambience from the conventional "restaurant". Its a cross between a "health conscious eating joint", "a continental restaurant" amd a "dhaba". I have fallen in live with the soups (Potato & Leek and Spinach & Mushroom), the mashed potatoes, the strudels and tira Misu served there. Located in the identified locality for Expats (Koregaon Park), you are bound to run into foreigners there ... If you want a quiet place by yourself, here is one place where you can get it. Nope ... no private cublicles, but you are left alone to whatever you are upto. Its an invitaion to spend time with yourself.
The Cook's Cottage: http://thecookscottage.typepad.com/curry/2005/07/german_bakery.html
More to come: Agha Khan Palace, Vohuman, Mahesh Lunch Home and Zamus
For the unaware, this city is is the the state of Maharashtra, in the Western part of the country. It is a growing town, attracting attention of Big Business Houses. Its proximity to Mumbai, India's so called Financial Capital, is a big plus for its future.
I find it a nice get-away from the Big Town that I live in (Delhi). One of the things not many know about me is that I enjoy eating ... no I am not a Hog (though some of my family members moight disagree) ... and no I am not a Foodie (I don't know what that means). I just like eating ... as simple as that. Another thing that people do not know about me is that I moody ... and if my mood is up to it, I roam around.
Keeping my brief background in mind, I'd like to share with you some of my discoveries of the city. The first being "Durvankur" ... a must for all interested in tasting the flavours of Pune. Its an"eat-all-you-can" outlet. It was introduced to me by a friend, and I have vowed to visit it everytime I go to Pune. I have been there twice of the three times I have been to Pune. If my recommendations are not equal to those from a connossieur or a foodie, then let the lines outside the dining hall stamp the Dining Hall's claim to fame. More details to the location of Durvankur, its contact details and my humble review about the Dining Hall are available on link below
Google Local: http://local.google.co.in/maps?f=l&view=text&q=durvankur&near=pune&ie=UTF8&hl=en&latlng=18507053,73851446,17846739346094815472&ei=GZxJR4zdHZyejQOs5vnfAQ&cd=1#
Sigfood.org: http://sigfood.org/Pune/Tilak_Road/Durvankur
The second place I recommend would have to be "German Bakery". German Bakery offers a different menu and ambience from the conventional "restaurant". Its a cross between a "health conscious eating joint", "a continental restaurant" amd a "dhaba". I have fallen in live with the soups (Potato & Leek and Spinach & Mushroom), the mashed potatoes, the strudels and tira Misu served there. Located in the identified locality for Expats (Koregaon Park), you are bound to run into foreigners there ... If you want a quiet place by yourself, here is one place where you can get it. Nope ... no private cublicles, but you are left alone to whatever you are upto. Its an invitaion to spend time with yourself.
The Cook's Cottage: http://thecookscottage.typepad.com/curry/2005/07/german_bakery.html
More to come: Agha Khan Palace, Vohuman, Mahesh Lunch Home and Zamus
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Credit Card services - Love it or hate it
I was sucked into the plastic money world some time ago. Through the years I have had various experiences with the usage of these cards, but none like the one today. I hold a card where I wanted to make a payment, to avoid bad credit rating for delayed payment. I was surprised to know that I cannot pay the card dues in cash. I do not know how many card services exist, however, here is one of the world's large financial institutions offering services, refusing to accept payment in good old cash ... I was left wondering where this was leading us ... are we going to live in a virtual world from now on, where the real thing is not acceptable, but a virtual offering holds the sway. A bank saying no to cold hard cash ... Now tell me where have you heard that one before. All I was left screaming at them was ... I want to give you money ... tell me how I can get it across to you fast.
By the way ... online transactions are not "Instantaneous". So I got to know when I finally "electronically" transferred the cash. It takes anything between 2 - 4 days for the transfer to take effect. Would the check be faster???
Like I say to some of my friends ... there are these "Hmmm" moments where one is enlightened to the novel ways of the world.
By the way ... online transactions are not "Instantaneous". So I got to know when I finally "electronically" transferred the cash. It takes anything between 2 - 4 days for the transfer to take effect. Would the check be faster???
Like I say to some of my friends ... there are these "Hmmm" moments where one is enlightened to the novel ways of the world.
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