Life's all about the choices you make. Sometimes, good, sometimes bad and sometimes ugly. And the kind of choices you make, moulds you into the person you are and the life you lead. Sometimes a lot of choices we make are not really ours, we chose it because somebody else wanted us to. While that might not really be what you've wanted, that was probably the best and that's the beauty of naievity.
On the other hand, what if all the decisions you made, was exactly what you wanted? That sounds perfect doesn't it, but usually a decade later, you wonder if you had the choice to do things a little differently. Reverse, retake, Ctrl Z.... and if you didn't think that way, you are probably lying to yourself. That's just human nature, to want and to change.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Outbreak of Chikungunya!
This is what I found from the CDC website. Although they say that the disease is not fatal, it's not entirely true. People who have diabetes and heart diseases are the ones at risk. It is an extremely painful disease, so much so that it becomes difficult for the person to even move his fingers.
Chikungunya Fever in Sri Lanka, India, and Indian Ocean Islands This information is current as of today, June 27, 2007, 09:56:13 AM
Chikungunya fever is a viral disease transmitted to humans by the bite of infected Aedes and Culex mosquitoes, including the daytime-biting Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus species. Symptoms can include sudden onset of fever, chills, headache, nausea, vomiting, joint pain with or without swelling, low back pain, and rash. The symptoms are very similar to those of dengue, but, unlike dengue, there is no hemorrhagic or shock syndrome form. This disease is almost always self-limited and rarely fatal.
A unit of the Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition in Sri Lanka recently reported laboratory-confirmed cases of chikungunya fever in patients from several districts; the most affected districts are Batticaloa, Colombo, Jaffna, Kalmunai, Mannar, Puttalam, and Trincomalee. Surveillance activities for chikungunya fever cases are continuing in sentinel hospitals in Sri Lanka.
In October 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported ongoing chikungunya fever outbreaks in the following states in India: Andhra Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Kerala.
A chikungunya fever outbreak on the Indian Ocean islands of Mayotte , Mauritius, Réunion (territory of France), and the Seychelles that began in March 2005 is waning. However, transmission can still occur, and travelers to all tropical and subtropical areas of the world are reminded to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
Prevention Measures
There are no preventive medications or FDA-approved vaccines for chikungunya fever, but travelers can take steps to reduce their risk of being bitten by infected mosquitoes.
Use insect repellent on exposed skin surfaces when outdoors, particularly during the day.
Repellents containing 30% to 50% DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) are recommended. Lower concentrations of DEET offer shorter-term protection and require more frequent reapplication.
Repellents containing picaridin are available in the U.S. in formulations of up to 15% concentration, which require frequent reapplication. Repellents with higher concentrations of picaridin may be available in some regions outside the U.S.
Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors.
Clothing may also be sprayed with repellent containing permethrin or another EPA-registered repellent for greater protection.
Where possible, stay in hotels or resorts that are well screened or air-conditioned and take measures to reduce the mosquito population.
Reduce Aedes breeding sites by emptying standing water that may have collected in containers (e.g., uncovered barrels, flower vases, or cisterns) and either overturning the vessels or covering the opening.
If illness develops, stay under a mosquito net or indoors to limit mosquito bites and to avoid further spread of infection.
These preventive measures are the same steps that one would take to reduce the risk of other mosquito-transmitted infectious diseases, such as dengue, malaria, and yellow fever.
Treatment
No specific drug treatment against chikungunya fever is available; thus, treatment of chikungunya fever is supportive: bed rest, fluids, and mild pain medications such as ibuprofen, naproxen, acetaminophen, or paracetamol may relieve symptoms of fever and aching, provided that the person has no contraindications to these medications. Because aspirin can increase the risk of bleeding and possibly increase the risk for Reye's syndrome, it should be avoided during the acute stages of the illness. Few cases are severe enough to warrant hospitalization. All persons with chikungunya fever should be protected against additional mosquito bites to reduce the risk of further transmission of the virus.
Chikungunya Fever in Sri Lanka, India, and Indian Ocean Islands This information is current as of today, June 27, 2007, 09:56:13 AM
Chikungunya fever is a viral disease transmitted to humans by the bite of infected Aedes and Culex mosquitoes, including the daytime-biting Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus species. Symptoms can include sudden onset of fever, chills, headache, nausea, vomiting, joint pain with or without swelling, low back pain, and rash. The symptoms are very similar to those of dengue, but, unlike dengue, there is no hemorrhagic or shock syndrome form. This disease is almost always self-limited and rarely fatal.
A unit of the Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition in Sri Lanka recently reported laboratory-confirmed cases of chikungunya fever in patients from several districts; the most affected districts are Batticaloa, Colombo, Jaffna, Kalmunai, Mannar, Puttalam, and Trincomalee. Surveillance activities for chikungunya fever cases are continuing in sentinel hospitals in Sri Lanka.
In October 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported ongoing chikungunya fever outbreaks in the following states in India: Andhra Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Kerala.
A chikungunya fever outbreak on the Indian Ocean islands of Mayotte , Mauritius, Réunion (territory of France), and the Seychelles that began in March 2005 is waning. However, transmission can still occur, and travelers to all tropical and subtropical areas of the world are reminded to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
Prevention Measures
There are no preventive medications or FDA-approved vaccines for chikungunya fever, but travelers can take steps to reduce their risk of being bitten by infected mosquitoes.
Use insect repellent on exposed skin surfaces when outdoors, particularly during the day.
Repellents containing 30% to 50% DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) are recommended. Lower concentrations of DEET offer shorter-term protection and require more frequent reapplication.
Repellents containing picaridin are available in the U.S. in formulations of up to 15% concentration, which require frequent reapplication. Repellents with higher concentrations of picaridin may be available in some regions outside the U.S.
Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors.
Clothing may also be sprayed with repellent containing permethrin or another EPA-registered repellent for greater protection.
Where possible, stay in hotels or resorts that are well screened or air-conditioned and take measures to reduce the mosquito population.
Reduce Aedes breeding sites by emptying standing water that may have collected in containers (e.g., uncovered barrels, flower vases, or cisterns) and either overturning the vessels or covering the opening.
If illness develops, stay under a mosquito net or indoors to limit mosquito bites and to avoid further spread of infection.
These preventive measures are the same steps that one would take to reduce the risk of other mosquito-transmitted infectious diseases, such as dengue, malaria, and yellow fever.
Treatment
No specific drug treatment against chikungunya fever is available; thus, treatment of chikungunya fever is supportive: bed rest, fluids, and mild pain medications such as ibuprofen, naproxen, acetaminophen, or paracetamol may relieve symptoms of fever and aching, provided that the person has no contraindications to these medications. Because aspirin can increase the risk of bleeding and possibly increase the risk for Reye's syndrome, it should be avoided during the acute stages of the illness. Few cases are severe enough to warrant hospitalization. All persons with chikungunya fever should be protected against additional mosquito bites to reduce the risk of further transmission of the virus.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Calvin and Hobbes
Here are some funny ones that I bumped into.
Try teaching a toddler the value of money. When I tell Lisa that I cannot buy her everything she asks for she says, "Why, just open your purse, take the money out and give it". Simple isn't it.
I hated English grammar in school. I wish I had read this back then. :)
I met this guy from Taiwan recently, who said he was 30 then, explained to us with great reluctancy (by writing and so on) that he was actually 29. Why? Simply because they consider the number 9 to be unlucky. However, I would've said 28 instead of 30 ;)
Try teaching a toddler the value of money. When I tell Lisa that I cannot buy her everything she asks for she says, "Why, just open your purse, take the money out and give it". Simple isn't it.
I hated English grammar in school. I wish I had read this back then. :)
I met this guy from Taiwan recently, who said he was 30 then, explained to us with great reluctancy (by writing and so on) that he was actually 29. Why? Simply because they consider the number 9 to be unlucky. However, I would've said 28 instead of 30 ;)
Friday, June 15, 2007
Seven Virtues
I've always heard about the Seven Deadly sins and never really imagined that "Seven Virtues" have also been documented.
For those who don't know here it is:
Chastity (Latin, castitas)—Courage and boldness. Embracing of moral wholesomeness and achieving purity of thought through education and betterment. Abstinence (Latin, frenum) -Constant mindfulness of others and one's surroundings; practicing self-control, abstention, and moderation.
Liberality (Latin, liberalitas) —Generosity. Willingness to give. A nobility of thought or actions.
Diligence (Latin, industria) —A zealous and careful nature in one's actions and work. Decisive work ethic. Budgeting one's time; monitoring one's own activities to guard against laziness.
Patience (Latin, patientia) —Forbearance and endurance through moderation. Resolving conflicts peacefully, as opposed to resorting to violence. The ability to forgive; to show mercy to sinners.
Kindness (Latin, humanitas) —Charity, compassion, friendship, and sympathy without prejudice and for its own sake.
Humility (Latin, humilitas) —Modest behavior, selflessness, and the giving of respect. Giving credit where credit is due; not unfairly glorifying one's own self.
The list of Seven deadly sins is probably easy to stay away from, but this list is tough!
For those who don't know here it is:
Chastity (Latin, castitas)—Courage and boldness. Embracing of moral wholesomeness and achieving purity of thought through education and betterment. Abstinence (Latin, frenum) -Constant mindfulness of others and one's surroundings; practicing self-control, abstention, and moderation.
Liberality (Latin, liberalitas) —Generosity. Willingness to give. A nobility of thought or actions.
Diligence (Latin, industria) —A zealous and careful nature in one's actions and work. Decisive work ethic. Budgeting one's time; monitoring one's own activities to guard against laziness.
Patience (Latin, patientia) —Forbearance and endurance through moderation. Resolving conflicts peacefully, as opposed to resorting to violence. The ability to forgive; to show mercy to sinners.
Kindness (Latin, humanitas) —Charity, compassion, friendship, and sympathy without prejudice and for its own sake.
Humility (Latin, humilitas) —Modest behavior, selflessness, and the giving of respect. Giving credit where credit is due; not unfairly glorifying one's own self.
The list of Seven deadly sins is probably easy to stay away from, but this list is tough!
Monday, June 11, 2007
Training!
I'm in this Advanced Unix training right now and I guess trainings are the only time you can do whatever you want except work. I have no access to my emails or LAN so I get to blogging! I've been using Solaris for 6 or 7 years and never attended a training so I am enjoying this one, simply because I'm learning the finer details.
There are a couple of guys here who are least interested in what's going on in class, doing everything else but training. Orkut for example! What kind of an obsession is that?
There are a couple of guys here who are least interested in what's going on in class, doing everything else but training. Orkut for example! What kind of an obsession is that?
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Goa! The place to Go!
The trip to Goa was the first for me as well as Lisa and we loved it! Except ofcourse for the bus journey from Londa to Vasco da Gama. It wasn't a trip that we had planned in advance and as a result we took the train from Bangalore to this place called Londa, which was actually in the middle of nowhere. A forest really.At Londa we were told that the nearest bus station was 1.5 km away and that we had to walk all the way with our luggage and Lisa. We had breakfast at the Londa bus station and then began our 3 hour ordeal. The bus was so over crowded that it did not have place for even a little bee to get in, but we did. Hurray! Needless to say, everybody was so exhausted that all we wanted to do was get some food and sleep. It was a trip that none of us want to make again. But all this was compensated with the wonderful time we had in Goa. When Lisa saw the beach for the first time, her reaction was "So much water!". See "Our Trip to Goa" for pictures. Here is one of Lisa.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
Lisa's First Concert
Lisa's first concert was on the 30th of March, 2007. I've posted a link under "My Pictures", you can view them all. It was so much fun and she made us proud. Such a performer!
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Lisa's Sports Day
Lisa's first ever Sport's day was held on the 3oth of March.
That's her all ready for the very important day, in her white shorts (Mama had to go running all over town to find it) and yellow tee, representing the yellow tabebuia spring flower.
And guess what she won a medal and she was so proud, and so are we.
And guess what she won a medal and she was so proud, and so are we.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Summer
Summer is here with a vengeance! It's hovering around the late thirties here and stepping out at 2 or 3 pm is inviting loads of trouble, even with sunscreen.
The spring flowers are slowly giving way to fresh new leaves, if only it were spring time all year long! I'm waiting for the monsoons to set in but it won't be here till some time in June :( So till then, most people here in India have to deal with frequent power cuts and lack of uninterrupted water supply. The ones who can afford it are well equipped offcourse. There is the UPS that comes to the rescue when there is no power, underground and overhead water tanks, borewells and so on. But what do the poor do? Sometimes I don't want to think in that direction for obvious reasons. A lot of them stay in small one room huts with tin roofs and that would mean like living in a furnace. I noticed a large group of women queued up in front of a borewell pump, waiting with their plastic pots. How much will they carry? One, two, three pots?? On the other side, you'll see gardeners striving to keep the lawns green. Such double standards is something people here will never learn to do away with. The government offcourse does nothing, only occasionally bickering about the fact that all the rivers in India have to be interlinked.
The spring flowers are slowly giving way to fresh new leaves, if only it were spring time all year long! I'm waiting for the monsoons to set in but it won't be here till some time in June :( So till then, most people here in India have to deal with frequent power cuts and lack of uninterrupted water supply. The ones who can afford it are well equipped offcourse. There is the UPS that comes to the rescue when there is no power, underground and overhead water tanks, borewells and so on. But what do the poor do? Sometimes I don't want to think in that direction for obvious reasons. A lot of them stay in small one room huts with tin roofs and that would mean like living in a furnace. I noticed a large group of women queued up in front of a borewell pump, waiting with their plastic pots. How much will they carry? One, two, three pots?? On the other side, you'll see gardeners striving to keep the lawns green. Such double standards is something people here will never learn to do away with. The government offcourse does nothing, only occasionally bickering about the fact that all the rivers in India have to be interlinked.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Spring!
It's 10:45pm on a Sunday night and I'm as fresh as a flower! Owe this to a good 2.5 hour afternoon siesta, and what's more Lisa was asleep too. Most of us have an extended weekend here because of Ugadi, the Hindu New Year and hopefully I will be nice and rested before I get back to slogging on Tuesday morning. Next week is going to be packed as well, mainly because of Lisa's sports day and Annual concert. I'm looking forward to it but I'm not looking forward being away from work, not that I'm a workaholic, but because I'll have to deal with the pile up when I return. I have nasty cough and I'm not sure how I picked it up but I'm convinced that my tonsils have to go. A dear friend gave me some gyaan about saving my tonsils, saying that if I didn't have all my parts intact when I die, I won't be let into heaven :) Right now, I think dealing with hell will be better than dealing with my tonsils! Since both Lisa and I weren't feeling too good on Saturday we decided not to go for that birthday party we were invited to but instead decided to visit my cousin and his wife. We ended up staying over (which is not surprising) and returned only a few hours back. Watched a bit of the miserable cricket match between India and Bangaladesh, where India was uncermoniously ripped apart and this morning the men concentrated on the Australian Grand Prix. That is probably the only thing that can get them out of bed on a Sunday morning. Lunch was my treat at the Asean in an extremely crammed restaurant, but all was compensated for with the heavenly food. So on the whole, just lazed through Saturday and Sunday, which is good.
So it's spring/summer in Bangalore, there has never been a clear demarcation of seasons out here. "Winter" usually lasts for a month and during this time the weather is cooler than the rest of the year, around 18 deg C- 22 deg C. But now, the trees are in full bloom. Purple Jacaranda,, yellow tabebuia and offcourse the beautiful pink Cherry Blossom. I'm not sure if I didn't really notice these trees all these years of if this year they look exceptionally lovely. Whatever it is, it just makes us all happier. Reminds me of how back in school we waited all year for the frangipani to flower, the little bench below the gulmohur tree, all so loverrrly. Apparently 2 people called William New and John Cameron introduced the tabebuia trees to Bangalore, since it could be planted under the electric and telephone cables without interfering with them. Very thoughtful.
If only somebody with come up with some concrete ideas for decongesting Bangalore! Sometimes we forget to smell the flowers because all we can smell is the pollution, it's awful and I worry for the next gen. We are leaving behind for them absolutely nothing. Recently I read about how the Ozone layer above Bangalore is thinning at an alarming rate. It now stands at 1.8 MED against the borderline of 2 MED. Let's not go there!
Friday, February 23, 2007
More!
So I promised to write more. Here goes:
If you want magnificent and well documented roads, visit South Africa! They have one of the best roads in the world and it was such a pleasure. Good weather, which is typical around Feb-March, made it even better. The air is pure, and the skies filled with millions of stars. I had actually forgotten what the skies are actually supposed to look like. I remember when I was around 10 years old, I would sleep on the terrace just looking at the stars and there were just so many. Now, the skies of Bangalore are grey, and your lucky if you manage to see any.
The wilderness amazed me! Vast open lands, you could see the horizon. Nothing to stop the view, no buildings, no cables, no planes, absolutely nothing. And the serenity can tend to be a little creepy. I remember looking at a herd of springbok, a few zebras and sable, all of them almost still, just lazing and this will probably be the image of Africa that will be in my mind for a very long time.
The Sterkfontein caves, was probably what I loved best. The cradle of humankind, is the place where paliantologists found the oldest known human skull, Mrs. Ples. It was found by Dr.Robert Broom, somebody who spent decades studying about it and the origin of man. It is believed that it was here in Africa that humankind first orginated! So although I missed the trip to Pilanesburg, I thought a visit to the Cradle of Humankind was something I wouldn't have ever wanted to miss.
Apart from that, we fed the giraffes, ostriches and even got to petting some of the lion cubs. Very cool!
A country can't be so perfect can it? So what is it about South Africa, that a lot of people don't know about.Crime! SA has a very high rate of crime since and this is mostly because the rate of unemployment stands at 50%. So almost all buildings have high walls with electric fencing but that doesn't really help much. The people there fear for their lives which I wasn't used to here in Bangalore. I had wonderful colleagues who made me feel safe, and if it wasn't for them, I'm not sure if things would've been the same. One of them told me about how women wouldn't stop at traffic signals at night, if they could help it because in that short period of a few minutes, there are chances that they would be robbed. I met an Indian on my flight back, who had been robbed at gunpoint thrice and whose Uncle was attacked a few days ago, and was in the hospital being treated for broken ribs. Another Afrikaner woman with a 3 month old collicky baby- her brother had been shot and she was transporting his body to India. Very distressing and very sad. But having said all this, I would like to someday, go back to Africa simply because one week was too short. I miss it, the air, the skies, everything!
If you want magnificent and well documented roads, visit South Africa! They have one of the best roads in the world and it was such a pleasure. Good weather, which is typical around Feb-March, made it even better. The air is pure, and the skies filled with millions of stars. I had actually forgotten what the skies are actually supposed to look like. I remember when I was around 10 years old, I would sleep on the terrace just looking at the stars and there were just so many. Now, the skies of Bangalore are grey, and your lucky if you manage to see any.
The wilderness amazed me! Vast open lands, you could see the horizon. Nothing to stop the view, no buildings, no cables, no planes, absolutely nothing. And the serenity can tend to be a little creepy. I remember looking at a herd of springbok, a few zebras and sable, all of them almost still, just lazing and this will probably be the image of Africa that will be in my mind for a very long time.
The Sterkfontein caves, was probably what I loved best. The cradle of humankind, is the place where paliantologists found the oldest known human skull, Mrs. Ples. It was found by Dr.Robert Broom, somebody who spent decades studying about it and the origin of man. It is believed that it was here in Africa that humankind first orginated! So although I missed the trip to Pilanesburg, I thought a visit to the Cradle of Humankind was something I wouldn't have ever wanted to miss.
Apart from that, we fed the giraffes, ostriches and even got to petting some of the lion cubs. Very cool!
A country can't be so perfect can it? So what is it about South Africa, that a lot of people don't know about.Crime! SA has a very high rate of crime since and this is mostly because the rate of unemployment stands at 50%. So almost all buildings have high walls with electric fencing but that doesn't really help much. The people there fear for their lives which I wasn't used to here in Bangalore. I had wonderful colleagues who made me feel safe, and if it wasn't for them, I'm not sure if things would've been the same. One of them told me about how women wouldn't stop at traffic signals at night, if they could help it because in that short period of a few minutes, there are chances that they would be robbed. I met an Indian on my flight back, who had been robbed at gunpoint thrice and whose Uncle was attacked a few days ago, and was in the hospital being treated for broken ribs. Another Afrikaner woman with a 3 month old collicky baby- her brother had been shot and she was transporting his body to India. Very distressing and very sad. But having said all this, I would like to someday, go back to Africa simply because one week was too short. I miss it, the air, the skies, everything!
Thursday, February 15, 2007
South Africa!
It's pretty obvious isn't it that I have been upto a lot lately. Well, the year started out great. The big news, I got promoted to a Technical Leader, something that came to me quite unexpectedly. I'm not complaining.
Then on the 3rd of February, 2007 was my little sisters wedding. Well I guess she isnt little anymore. The wedding was in Hyderabad, a fairly small one in comparison to the typical Indian ones. So there I was taking the extra responsibility of a new role and trying to help out with the wedding (mainly the incessant shopping that I'm not too fond of). Just when I thought everything was under control, I was requested to visit South Africa to train a few engineers. Gosh, that was the most exciting day for me! Just a few months ago, I wrote down a list of places I wanted to visit and Africa was the last one. Not because that was my last choice, but because I never really thought that an opportunity would come my way. So it did!
SA is a beautiful country except for the high crime rate but thanks to my colleagues from work, I felt absolutely safe. Now, I have tons to write about this heaven on Earth and it will probably take me several long posts and I will take the time to do that. But for now, I will try and keep it short. I'll post some pictures soon.
I am back!
Then on the 3rd of February, 2007 was my little sisters wedding. Well I guess she isnt little anymore. The wedding was in Hyderabad, a fairly small one in comparison to the typical Indian ones. So there I was taking the extra responsibility of a new role and trying to help out with the wedding (mainly the incessant shopping that I'm not too fond of). Just when I thought everything was under control, I was requested to visit South Africa to train a few engineers. Gosh, that was the most exciting day for me! Just a few months ago, I wrote down a list of places I wanted to visit and Africa was the last one. Not because that was my last choice, but because I never really thought that an opportunity would come my way. So it did!
SA is a beautiful country except for the high crime rate but thanks to my colleagues from work, I felt absolutely safe. Now, I have tons to write about this heaven on Earth and it will probably take me several long posts and I will take the time to do that. But for now, I will try and keep it short. I'll post some pictures soon.
I am back!
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Our Christmas day!
This is what happened on our loverrrly Christmas day!
On Monday morning we worshipped at St.Marks Cathedral, loved the music, the message, everything.
Only, I was all excited about dressing up in my favorite green sari but you know with a toddler at hand things never go as planned. Ended up wearing a non-descript black shirt and a pair of striped cream trousers, which kinda gave me a very inappropriate feeling, especially after seeing the women dressed in shoulder less embroidered blouses and saris. But my hubby swore that I looked nice! Well all this is besides the point...
My mom and sister joined us for a nice simple lunch which was grilled chicken, biryani, fried fish, cabbage/capsicum salad, cucumber salad and fresh fruit and cream for dessert. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing all the food vanish from the table in a jiffy.
I'm not sure when I fell asleep on the couch but Lisa was extremely sweet and let me sleep, I'm not sure when was the last time I did that.
Lazed around, spent some time with my mom and sister, she wanted her face to be "done up" and gosh, was she a changed lady! We (MIL and I- it didnt take much to convince her that she's not going to get drunk) then had the perfect Margarita that my husband made, had dinner and crashed for the night. Lovely!
On Monday morning we worshipped at St.Marks Cathedral, loved the music, the message, everything.
Only, I was all excited about dressing up in my favorite green sari but you know with a toddler at hand things never go as planned. Ended up wearing a non-descript black shirt and a pair of striped cream trousers, which kinda gave me a very inappropriate feeling, especially after seeing the women dressed in shoulder less embroidered blouses and saris. But my hubby swore that I looked nice! Well all this is besides the point...
My mom and sister joined us for a nice simple lunch which was grilled chicken, biryani, fried fish, cabbage/capsicum salad, cucumber salad and fresh fruit and cream for dessert. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing all the food vanish from the table in a jiffy.
I'm not sure when I fell asleep on the couch but Lisa was extremely sweet and let me sleep, I'm not sure when was the last time I did that.
Lazed around, spent some time with my mom and sister, she wanted her face to be "done up" and gosh, was she a changed lady! We (MIL and I- it didnt take much to convince her that she's not going to get drunk) then had the perfect Margarita that my husband made, had dinner and crashed for the night. Lovely!
Thursday, December 21, 2006
I'm back!
Slowly but surely I'm rebuilding my blog and I must say that beta blogger is not all that bad!Apparently it's not a beta version any more! So maybe in a way, it was a good thing that I lost all the links....now it's more organised.
Well, so what else is happening? Lisa is enjoying her Christmas holidays, I'm swamped with last minute cramming at work (which is always the case isn't it?), my sister busy with wedding shopping, and last but not the least Christmas is round the corner.
Something unrelated, I've been wanting to write down a list of funny words that Lisa uses and didn't want to miss out on noting it down, though I must admit this is not the best place to jot it down! Here goes:
Gollala- gorilla
tasas- cycle (its getting better these days)
fofa- sofa
mosico- mosquito
tose- close
tamala- tamara
Not, fair- I can't seem to remember all of it. Well I'm coming back to this list when I do remember.
Ok so here are some more:
nana- another
bitit- biscuit
pickle- eutychus (don't even ask me what the corelation is)
Well, so what else is happening? Lisa is enjoying her Christmas holidays, I'm swamped with last minute cramming at work (which is always the case isn't it?), my sister busy with wedding shopping, and last but not the least Christmas is round the corner.
Something unrelated, I've been wanting to write down a list of funny words that Lisa uses and didn't want to miss out on noting it down, though I must admit this is not the best place to jot it down! Here goes:
Gollala- gorilla
tasas- cycle (its getting better these days)
fofa- sofa
mosico- mosquito
tose- close
tamala- tamara
Not, fair- I can't seem to remember all of it. Well I'm coming back to this list when I do remember.
Ok so here are some more:
nana- another
bitit- biscuit
pickle- eutychus (don't even ask me what the corelation is)
Monday, December 18, 2006
The Christmas Season
Commercial street is all dressed up, ready for Christmas and it's quite amazing how things have changed over the years. A couple of years ago, it was really difficult to get decorations, wreaths, mangers and so on, but now, it's available everywhere. Lovely....
We were on our feet for close to 4 hours on Saturday, shopping for our family. At the end of it all, I just wanted to something to drink and rest my aching feet.
Although I got a feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day, I've got some more shopping to do!!! It's going to be a very busy week!
I got a lovely Christmassy runner for our dining table and a few more embellishments for the wreath. We decided against the Christmas tree because we are still wondering where we're going to keep it, if we do buy a bigger one. For now, our miniature one will suffice. Meanwhile, Lisa is all pleased with the lights, wants it on all the time.
We also went for the Carol service in St.Marks Cathedral on Sunday evening. So, although Saturday was really hectic, Sunday was nice.
Talking about Christmas trees, here are some details of how a Canadian judge has ordered the removal of a Christmas tree from a Toronto courthouse lobby, saying it might offend non-Christians!!!! Methinks he lost sleep, pressured by the religious fanatics!
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/canada_justice_christmas
I'm not going to talk about my fonts and lost settings, because I'll go crazy if I start. Geez, I can't even create hyperlinks!
We were on our feet for close to 4 hours on Saturday, shopping for our family. At the end of it all, I just wanted to something to drink and rest my aching feet.
Although I got a feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day, I've got some more shopping to do!!! It's going to be a very busy week!
I got a lovely Christmassy runner for our dining table and a few more embellishments for the wreath. We decided against the Christmas tree because we are still wondering where we're going to keep it, if we do buy a bigger one. For now, our miniature one will suffice. Meanwhile, Lisa is all pleased with the lights, wants it on all the time.
We also went for the Carol service in St.Marks Cathedral on Sunday evening. So, although Saturday was really hectic, Sunday was nice.
Talking about Christmas trees, here are some details of how a Canadian judge has ordered the removal of a Christmas tree from a Toronto courthouse lobby, saying it might offend non-Christians!!!! Methinks he lost sleep, pressured by the religious fanatics!
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/canada_justice_christmas
I'm not going to talk about my fonts and lost settings, because I'll go crazy if I start. Geez, I can't even create hyperlinks!
Friday, December 15, 2006
Whats happening ???
This is really strange, I just wrote half a page of stuff, published it and there's absolutely nothing! Whats wrong with this beta version? I'm quite irked that I cannot even change the fonts!
Update!!!
So now, I did something to my blog and guess what??? I lost all my links on the side bar, the guest maps, the cluster maps, every single thing!!!!! Beta blog are you hearing me?????
Oh this is not a good day!
Update!!!
So now, I did something to my blog and guess what??? I lost all my links on the side bar, the guest maps, the cluster maps, every single thing!!!!! Beta blog are you hearing me?????
Oh this is not a good day!
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Quagmire!
Well, once again I have managed to stick my head into loads of work! What kind of work? You might assume that its possibly work at the office, considering that this is where I am right now. Nope- I'm at the office, it's 4pm and the whole day I've just about managed to make ONE presentation on the IET conference that I went to last week. What was I doing- realised that my credit card payments are overdue by 2 days, my insurance payment is almost due, paper work, seals, attestations, mails etc etc and etc. I have no idea what I have been doing since morning!!Maybe I'll feel better if I write down what I have achieved!!!!
Coming back to the IET conference that I went to(http://conferences.theiet.org/itic/india06/programme.htm) I must say I was honored to be amidst the creme de la creme of the IT world. There were maybe around 100 delegates with speakers coming from all over the world and it was a real pleasure listening to them speak. COO of Microsoft, Founder of Infosys, Chairman of HP, Head of BT- this was an oportunity of a lifetime!!!
What else have I been doing- I'm not sure actually.......the only thing I know is that I don't really have a minute to myself, maybe blogging lets me be...
Yikes, whats happened to the fonts????
Coming back to the IET conference that I went to(http://conferences.theiet.org/itic/india06/programme.htm) I must say I was honored to be amidst the creme de la creme of the IT world. There were maybe around 100 delegates with speakers coming from all over the world and it was a real pleasure listening to them speak. COO of Microsoft, Founder of Infosys, Chairman of HP, Head of BT- this was an oportunity of a lifetime!!!
What else have I been doing- I'm not sure actually.......the only thing I know is that I don't really have a minute to myself, maybe blogging lets me be...
Yikes, whats happened to the fonts????
Friday, November 24, 2006
Catch my Fancy!
Today was a very special day for Lisa and also for us. Her school organised a "Fancy Dress" parade for all the children, for Lisa, it was her first!. That's her dressed as a yellow butterfly, and yes, she's on the ramp! I actually thought she wouldn't really like those wings tied to her shoulders but on the contrary, she loved it... Very very cute. Tamara was the Hawaiian girl, Sarah the angel, Sugandh the temple priest, Mrinal the king, Diya the newspaper, Nivedha the swan... I can't seem to remember all of them but it was fun and I'm glad we went. Let me climb on the soap box and say that I created those neat wings :). Vinod and his mom were there too. I'll post better pictures next week, this was the one sent by a friend.
Well, finally uploaded those pictures onto Photobucket. Here is one I love!
