Cyber Cooli

I came across this term "Cyber Cooli" recently and was crossing my thought often now. I'm just trying to debate myself of what this could mean to me and my present. Cooli reference in this context.

School education is something that lays the foundation. Platform for ones reasoning, ones intellectual, communicative skills and more. One get to learn various subjects like Maths, Geometry, Atomic Physics, History, Civics & Geography. So its horizontal knowledge. Up to until 10grade one would be reading all irrespective of their choice. Now this is the foundation, I got less complaints here though that some syllabus are not competent with other I guess still they do a good if we get good teachers.

Next one got to choose a specialization in the Bachelors degree. Now whats makes people to make this choice here? They go consult friends and scholars to make this decision. Some parents are smart enough to identify the best of their children and help them realize their dream. (this is happening with the next generation of parents) Here one got to choose various stream of specialization like Electrical and Electronics engineering, Computer Science, Chemistry, Aeronautical and many more...

Now what happens! After this you are supposed excel in the stream that you choose. What happens in instead, every graduate has an vacant seat in a software firm to write code. Yes healthy in one way and sick in many ways. Whats healthy, we made global players to shift their focus to India by producing so many software engineers in numbers. When compared to US or UK it was a really big astonishing number for them. So this shifted their focus here. Also the economy was low which made any tom, dick and harry to invest in Indian market for cheap labor. Sick part is, "whats the conversation ratio of the students perusing their own area of specialization". It could be true that one or two in a batch of non-computer science students have extraordinary skills to switch their branch to computer science. But not 60% of the total strength landing up on a software job. We increase in quantity and decrease in quality which is a very bad sign. I call them "Cyber Cooli".

To me a community of good software engineers is directly proportional to the number of commits they have made to OSS. You can judge it for yourself of where India stands.

What brings these "Cyber Cooli's"? First thing that drives an normal Indian is the money that you get in these jobs. Say a Chemistry graduate who wants to do his MPhil and start as a lecturer in college. How much would he earn on a basic scale, it should be around 6k-9k per month. When compared without any prior computing skills today's software industry is in a way ready to pay you around 12k-15k per month with an additional skill. Tell me what would you prefer now? The second set are those bright chaps from non-computer science background and take up a software job. They sailed all the hardship in school and college for this computer science job. No! They got their own plans. Some software firms put in freshers out of college into this bonding where they cannot get out of the company until X months. That's a good time for them to earn some money, write minimal code and aside prepare for their higher studies (MS or MBA). Once their things are done, chuck the company and go in search of their dream. Crap, whats about the employer who has made so much intangible investment on one? I don have to answer it.

Cyber Cooli's risk is the current recession. If not coding whats next? One needs to really thing of it now.

Is the education system to be blamed or the individual to be? It should be a collective responsibility of all. All cannot be Hendry William gates. So let your child pursue his dream, tell him that its not less when compared to any. Let the educational system be non-partial enough to make all courses as important as the other. Let there be so many different jobs that flourish with in the country. Let there be no Cyber Cooli...

Disclaimer: When it says this post is written by kvijesh, Its me and only my opinion. Not in a way directly or indireclty refering to my Employeer.
Update: I know this post is badly written, I myself hated to read it again.

Rava laddu and mom's love

Rava Laddu or put it in a simple way its spherical mixture of rava and powered sugar with cashew jelled together with Ghee! Duhh!!! :) My mom is famous for her rava laddu, she won many hearts at my office on 2006 Diwali. Also I'm an adhered fan for them. I would make sure that she makes them at lest once in a year either for a Diwali or Christmas.

This time, I spy'd around the kitchen to get the recipe.

Ingredients: White Rava (Sooji), Sugar, Cashew, Dry grapes (optional), Badham (optional) and Ghee.

• Fry the rava in a dry hot pan for some time, so that it becomes crispy. But make sure the color does not change. To be exact it should be at the verge of changing its color.
• Now, powder the rava and powder the sugar! Yes, powder them in a mixer grinder and mix them well. Keep the mixture as much dry as possible. (my mom made sure this by not allowing me near it)
• Break the cashew into smaller pieces by hand and mix it with the mixture.
  
• Put the ghee in a pan and heat it until its liquid.
  
• Now comes the crucial and trickiest part of the recipe. You need to have immense practice to master it. Slowly pour a scoop of ghee in the mixture and roll your fingers over it make a small balls (like a Table tennis ball) Tighten your fist and make it stay in shape. Caution: Its hot molten, ghee don't hurt yourself leave the kitcken experts handle it. That's why I just help in tighten the rounds.
  
• Place it on a paper to let it dry! so that the extra ghee is absorbed as well it doesn't stick.

Yeepee! its ready now. Stack them in a vessel and eat one when ever you enter the kitchen.

How *not* to organise a picnic

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. - Thomas A. Edison

Here is my confession...

What's this new assignment all about? Well, it was time for me to fill some pages on my personal development plans. Right on time came this new assignment to organize the picnic for a bunch of nerds and geeks with their family. Initial plan was to create a hype among the audience and so we circulated a mail on what they could expect in a month. Then the a small team was formed for each category. I was the first one hired into this team. Other smaller teams were formed for Transportation, Accommodation, Food and Entertainment.

Play the cards in the hands, than the cards in the deck is something that I hymn many a times to myself. This was no good exception. We had a very big crowd to manage. In a worst case there would be around 100-130 people who will be participating in the picnic was the result of the survey. So at the best we should be ready to handle the worst. After ringing up so many resorts there was only one resort (mudumalai) that gave us a head up for accepting an offer. All other resorts din give us multiple reasons to reject us, answer was straight. We cannot handle such a big crowd. So when ever I got an opportunity I spoke good about the resort that we had chosen, Though it was repeated place for few I tried convincing that it would be more exiting this time. Thanks.

You cannot satisfy all. There are bachelors, Married men, Spinsters, married women and kids. (This order is written based on the head count that we got). Each one had their own requirements. But I would say plan an event such that it targets one small group of people. Like the campfire game could be of interest for kids and families. The next day forest walk was well appreciated by young crowd, who dared to enter into the freezing water.

Don plan just execute. I burned the late night oil for preparing the whole set of games for two days. All print outs taken, folded and planned. But nothing worked out since each one had their own plans on both days. Do not try to hold the crowd together for a game, it would rather not impress them. Still I guess people had fun. But the plan was not a waste, I just acted wise when I was in the bus of using those games during the return journey. Did you know? It was a grand success. The crowd just simple enjoyed them. I wish I was on the crowd, still making someone enjoy is a pleasure. The photos speaks it all.

Do not accept, just question. Be it a planning meeting a week before the picnic or high tea towards the end of the journey! Being the youngest member in the organizing committee I had objections and questions. Good that I got out them, we were able to refine those thought and present them well. Breakfast was decided after so many debates and discussions. It came out well. (At least I cherished it. :))

Remembering Diwali

Its festival time again. Diwali is around the corner. This year its beautifully placed at the beginning of the week so that the vacation can be clubbed along with the weekend. Thankful to my class Raji and Susila who booked tickets for me for the travel. I again the missed the dates 3 months before. I almost dozed on watching the list of programs that's are lined up in the local channels. Humm, I wish I have electricity in Tamilnadu to enjoy these programs.

What else, I need to say "hi" to all my relatives, else I would get a phone call the week after that why you din visit our place. I remember those childhood days where I had to get up very early and burst crackers. Then distribute sweets to all the neighbouring homes. I din have the liberty of delegating these boring and embarrassing job to my younger siblings. Then I can eat lot of sweets (life is short, live it) and should not remember to take the bitter guard juice on the last day to bring back glucose content normal in my blood (Like I had been always).

Also I will not be wasting time with bursting crackers. Even by school days I used to complete all crackers in one shot (I love tying all the atom bombs and lakshmi crackers to a 5000 wala). Also should be alert when driving in road not be surprised with a sudden burst under my tyre, they are very common when too many kids are around. Kids play safe with crackers. Parents/Brother/Sisters/Uncles/Aunts keep an eye on them when they are on field. Esp those crazy rockets in the lighting the night sky. One funny thing, don wait to wish all your friends at the stroke of midnight for Diwali, All mobile networks will go haywire (Already BSNL is experiencing occasional down because of the recent heavy rains)

Long time pending photo shoot for a Diwali. Will try to capture some, absolutely not sure of how it would come. I don have a tripod or expert in shooting fireworks. :)

Btw, a school time friend (arun) flew down from UK for this Diwali. Should try to meet him. Also should be meeting Mr. Unstable (scorcee) and who bunch of friends. Also without fail should for to "sasi panipoori stall" for some mushroom fry, I missed them so much. They were my best dose before sitting down for a long night of studying. Should meet Karthi/Bharath parents that place is the next best place for me to go after my home. What else, planning to clean up all the pending draft blogs and make some update to ScribblinG. Its been long since I did something I like.

A box of dry fruits have arrived as Diwali gifts from my Employer. I say "Thank You". Enough of this blabber! God bless all. Amen...

You got to live in US to use KSRTC

Look at the time zone these idiots want me to book tickets. :) Damm! Am I promoting these fellows by this.

A post by my readers :)

As a follow up for my post of getting my contact details. I had also put a box for any shouting my readers wanted to do. It was so nice reading them. Here they go.

• dumbo... enna da achu un mobile.. epadi tholacha?
• Still you have not changed the habit of losing mobile phones ? - (one of my Professors)
• My deepest condolences for the loss of your mobile!!! ;)
• nice way to rebuild your database.
• pls do call me. i think its been quite a while that we met.
• get lost :P
• Rombaa too much ethu ellam! Nyways stud boy proud of u
• nice idea.. hope this DB wud be there as your backup for ever!!!
• I understand how difficult it is to loose the mobile.take care .... :)
• Yeah actually something !!
• First for that lost mobile, I thought you sit next to Abhirami (may be no more in new building) and in IMHO she is the best security expert in Novell !!
• brother , no vaangana matum pathathu.. callum pananum.. sariya?
• pl join my lost mobiles community in orkut (this was best one, I laughed loud..)
  
• Overa sight adichukitu mathatha kotta vida koodathu
• honesty is the best policy(best lame line i cud think of)

Thank You All.

Busy...

cartoon courtesy

Thank You For Not Smoking

I don have time for twenty questions. From October 2nd Indian Government laid a rule to avoid smoking in public places. The "Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules" states that using tobacco in public places and building is a punishable offense. Huff, now many of us can breathe properly. How many times you have felt, I just want to yell at the fellow sitting at the next table and spoiling your dinner with smoke?

The change is welcome, many (almost all) corporate have changed few sign boards from "smoking zone" to "No smoking". But what is public, can you define public? Yes this one describes better. Also note the list of person who can collect fine. It was interesting to me. But the new trend I'm noticing in Bangalore is smoking when you are driving. Is it really public to sit inside your car and smoke? Does it matter when someone drifts across innering road and smokes? To me, I really don matter. Just that it has reduced almost 70% of smoking in the city. Thank You for Not Smoking.

How is it in your city?

She Hates Me

Met a girl, thought she was grand

fell in love, found out first hand

went well for a week or two

then it all came unglued

In a trap, trip I can't grip

never thought I'd be the one who'd slip

then I started to realize

I was living one big lie

She fucking hates me

trust

she fucking hates me

la la la love

I tried too hard

and she tore my feelings like I had none

and ripped them away

She was queen for about an hour

after that shit got sour

she took all I ever had

no sign of guilt

no feeling of bad, no

In a trap, trip I can't grip

never thought I'd be the one who'd slip

then I started to realize

I was living one big lie

that's my story, as you see

learned my lesson and so did she

now it's over and I'm glad

'cause I'm a fool for all I've said

la la la la la la la la la love

Trust

la la la la la la la la la love

Trust

and she tore my feelings like I had none

she fucking hates me...

Listen it here.

Congratulations 16.01.26.07

If you are wondering what this IP address has to do! I would explain its not an Internet protocol, and its Arthi born 16th January followed by Sethu born 26th July.

The beautiful pair is getting engaged today Oct 6th 2008. I wish them a very best for the days to come. In fact he is one of the first guys wicket in my class. But I'll not able to make to the occasion for making that shutter sound. But promise that I would be there on the wedding. :) (Yehaa, one more wedding shoot on the line). You can follow Sethu here and his preparations for his wedding. First on his TODO list is to apply leave in office. I would be keenly looking at his space and learning from them. There are also quite a few of other wickets to fall on the line, more sooner.

Time to hit bed... Congratulations Again...

Ctrl + Alt + Del

I'm restarting. Restarting from the scratch. Well, if you had known. I lost my mobile while walking somewhere in my office. I was not able to trace it back and hence I declared it as lost. (My old number still holds good, have got a duplicate SIM to it). So now, as I'm trying to rebuild my contacts. Do contribute by filling the following if you think I can call you and disturb. :)

Thank a Ton in Advance. :-)

Unplugged (Karwar Goa Trip)

How does it feel to not think about whats next on the pipeline in the project, How does it feel to not check email, How does it feel to get totally unplugged, that you don even have a backup power. Yes! It was an awesome vacation after a long time. We six of us plugged out from the routine for a most needed vacation. I don know if I would meet the other travelogue :P But I will try to do justice.


How we started:
It all started in 6th floor pantry at Bagmane laurel building. We were sipping our coffee sitting in those long legged chair. I don remember how the converstation started, or it happened to all of us that we needed a vacation (its magic after that thought). Soon, we ran to the desk and looked for free dates for all seven. Being in the picnic committee I made sure that those dates did not clash with our department picnic. Karwar & Goa were the shortlisted route. Soon after the dates where decided, the same evening we blocked tickets for the journey (I learned how important its to remember one's PAN card number). Now the tickets are booked we were all set to go.


How did a US cyclone delay our trip:
But the plans din work out of for few reasons. One of the flight was a delayed from Provo, Utah to Bangalore, India due to a cyclone that crossed. Since it got delayed a transition plan few of them had got extended and we postponed the trips for a week. We had to shift all tickets and resorts for a week. Indian Railways were sure winners with those cancelled tickets. :) After a week and few mails floating we got all things packed and ready. But, I was not ready. With a stiff neck and mild fever, pulling out at the end was even lingering in my mind even till the last minute. But the Friday afternoon rest at home gave me some strength atleast to carry my luggage.


Hubli, Boat ride and Karwar:
Soon we boarded the train and after a few games of Uno we decided to hit bed soon after some early sleepers in the boogie. Shit! only now I remembered that I din bring any pull overs. :) Good. It was a shivering morning with chill air flowing in all directions, I had to pull extra pants and tee's from my bag and made me look fat (lucky others, they had a sound sleep). We reached Hubli and spotted "Welcome Vijesh". Soon after breakfast we hit the road to Karwar town. It was a long 2+ hour journey by car from Hubli to Karwar. We had only time to sleep after the giant story from our grandma. Soon after reaching the Great Outdoors resort and got the papers ready we had some refreshing coconut. Then its a boat ride from the Kali river bridge to the island.


Warm and magical Karwar:
Great Outdoors is a very small resort situated in the island of a tortoise shape. Soon after we reached we refreshed and sat down for the first meal in karwar. The food was awesome. Seafood at its best. We got to taste Chicken, Fish and oysters. It was so delicious. If you had missed it due to a holy month of Hindus (I better advice plan another trip to karwar soon). Then we hit to the small shore at the other end of island for some games. It was good from the resort that they had a send a personal care taker with us to the water. Evening onion pakkoda and tea was great. Soon followed by memory game and barbecue. (dance, fun, fire, cat, dog...) Dolphins, Silence, Swing, Tent, Sunset, water ride and little tortoise that we meet were great. Finally some silent poetry.

How does it feel to get married and have kids:
On a sunny Sunday afternoon after a great meal and a small sleep. I got married, all others who were with me got married and had children too. Kids include Nishanth, Chintu, Pintu, etc. I graduated as a physio and invented a large quantity of radio active material and climbed the mount Everest. After some heavy gambling I ended up second richest. But as John Nash said, this game is flawed, I wanted to re-write the rules. But catching a lion at such young age is heroics from Rokumar. We never stopped laughing after, "Aree, everyone is getting a degree and I'm busy catching the Lion."

Palolem De Ja Vu:
This was my second trip to Palolem after January with my friends. This time too the expectations were meet than expected in the retreating Goan beaches. A 45 mins drive from Karwar got us to Palolem through the interstate border check post. But soon Mr. Charlie (an asshole Manager from Chatai resort) promised to help us. Finally its us who ended up walking up and down the streets for accommodations. (Sorry: If you are reading this, I should have planned better!) We then got hold of Flavia home stay for a night and played Truth or Dare (s/Dare/Truth). Next day soon we shifted to Palolem Beach resort and had a wonderful time playing cards, dumb-C (god! she is a movie name directory) and the gorgeous beach. It was fun and old fellows in the group were the ones who played like they wanted to vent out all the stress. Also I learned how does it make to shop with women. :) Better start liking it, or you be in hot soup.

Photo Shoot & Next Gen Kids:
Oh! Yeah where are the photos, I'm lazy to upload all and share all. :) But I have some interesting shots if you are following my flickr. Soon we bid farewell to Goa and drove to Margo. Those girls proved they are better than filling bugs, fixing them and writing blogs. They sang some of the beautiful number with sweet voice. Then we boarded the train back to Bangalore. Uno again with some tough opponents aged 8 years, 6 years and 4 years. Then some paper magic from one of the talented house wife. :) She made wonderful paper folding for us like Parrot, basket, strawberry and a camera. Oct 2nd, 30 passed 7 we landed in Bangalore.

It left me...

I sat there with a thud in the bamboo chair to rock back,
but its legs said they can't
I wanted some silence,
but the drunken group at the dinner table said they wanted to sing
I wanted some darkness to hide,
but the generater powered lights said I can't
I wanted to listen to some music,
but where are you?

You knew what I should listen,
to swing my mood
You knew what I should read,
to bring smile at the corner of my face
You knew when to beep,
to carry that one message
You knew whom I should call,
to make me feel better
You knew how to keep me engaged,
even at the worst bore meetings
You knew me better, then why did you leave me?