Digitally Exploring the world

Came across this quote today : "Life is like Sea. As vast as you can imagine; As deep as you can think. Don't waste time measuring your life. You won't succeed. Instead, explore life. Reach for new harbours as you pass through different phases of life. Make friends on each destination. Enjoy your journey. " I am heading out for a short vacation to Spiti tomorrow .. ps: the pic is from my trip to phi phi island earlier this year.

Heard this tune after aeon's. A simple tune that one can whistle and lingers on!! I never really looked into the creator and history behind this famous song until today. I always thought it was from an old classic film 'Bridge on the River Kwai' . 'The "Colonel Bogey March" is a popular march that was written in 1914 by Lieutenant F. J. Ricketts (1881-1945), a British military bandmaster who was director of music for the Royal Marines at Plymouth. Since at that time service personnel were not encouraged to have professional lives outside the armed forces, Ricketts published "Colonel Bogey" and his other compositions under the pseudonym Kenneth Alford. Supposedly, the tune was inspired by a military man and golfer who whistled a characteristic two-note phrase (a descending minor third interval) instead of shouting "Fore!". It is this phrase that begins each line of the melody. Bogey is golfing term meaning one over par.' Details here The...

Remember those days, growing up watching these two champions battle it out in their respective sections. Graf, I was an ardent fan of hers and was one of the reason me taking up the game of tennis. I liked her reticent, no nonsense self , playing a graceful game of tennis and loved the way she let her game do all the talking. While Agassi, was the bashful young champ with flashy neon clothes and streaked hair. I initially didn't like his attitude (not his game :) ) and ofcourse always cheered the other players-Becker, Lendl,Edberg. But slowly my opinion changed and I liked his spirit when he came back from being ranked 190+ to fight and get back all the way to the top and also comeover his troubled personal life.. Watch these videos where they talk about each other... Agassi/Graf Interview: one more :

Finally got the set of stamps I had been waiting for since May.They are really nice, with all the tintin comic book covers with the titles in different languages. Marc, a colleague of mine picked up a set of these commemorative stamps(100yrs of Herge) on the day of its release in May 2007, and sent it to my office address here but it never arrived , thanks to the Indian Postal Dept. Fortunately another friend of mine was visiting Belgium and Marc sent her the 2nd set he had picked up when he heard the 1st set was lost . As the long wait was over and I was appreciating the stamps on its arrival today, it took me back to my school days, days of pen pals and letter writing. There was a medium even those days to find new friends across the globe even without high speed internet, email/chat and no social networking sites. I had a bunch of penpals while growing from places like Greece, Germany,Mauritius,Sweden . We would correspond regularly via post and write about our growing up years,...

Have a laugh watching this video here I will be cheering Djokovic at the US open Finals tomorrow.

Took off early saturday morning from IIMB and headed towards the Bannerghatta National Park. Near the Park entrance, asked a few people around and headed towards TK Falls. As you take a diversion towards TK Falls you are suddenly transported into a different world away from the chaos of the main road. It's all serene and quiet, hardly anybody to be seen for distances . It totally green all around with farms and farmers working on them with their bullock carts , you cross a lake, few hillocks and a few huts. One needn't run to far away from the city to get a breath of fresh air ! However, don't expect a fall once you reach the destination, its just a small muddy stream :) Route - IIMB on bannerghatta road -> stop at the entrance to the bannerghatta national park -> take a diversion towards tk falls-> on the way back took another diversion on the way (turned out to be much longer and lots of tough up hills ) ->bannerghatta road Approx :40kms. Route Condition ...

Yesterday after a longtime I headed to RangaShankara to watch a Dance/Theatre performance called 'Return to Sender-Letters from Tentland' . I love Ranga Shankara's , since it creates an intimate theatre atmosphere and everyone in the 300 odd seats in the audi feel part of the performances. They have a nice little cafe with varied food as well. This play is one of the most important and well known political plays of contemporary dance/theatre. Its about migrants , who are about 3% of the world population and their struggle . Its about the experiences and struggle of these migrant women in the unwelcome world of settled folks and their alienation being away from their own country. The play has six Iranian women (all of them Iranian exiles currently staying in Germany) performing surreal modern dances while wearing colourful tents . It's about freedom , its about fear ,its about veiling their desires inside the tents, it's about being different but finally it's...

Watched this beautiful and thought provoking Spanish film. Its based on a true story of Ramon Sampedro, a Spanish mechanic who became quadriplegic after a diving accident and fought a court battle for 28years to legalize euthanasia and to have the right to end his own life. What a performance by Javier Bardem !! The sea inside makes you wonder about life and the freedom most of us experience and take for granted. It also reminds you of the one truth we all know but try to avoid and think of i.e DEATH. Its also about the sea within us , the questions the unknowns , the search for something! It also opens up a topic that one can debate about forever-euthanasia . I also believe that people should have the freedom to choose death by euthanasia if the situation/circumstances arise and the concerned person has ample time to figure out that he doesn't believe that life is worth living. Most of the laws passed are by able bodied folks who have never experienced what it is to have their f...

Here are some links to the documentary on Tagore by Satyajit Ray : Part 1:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqqcPe1xekw&e Part 2:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5wqnSsIrLk Part 3:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oJ17bes_cc Part 4:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0OHcWrOAxo Part 5:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36t5rSaJBWE I incidentally share the Birthday ( going by the Indian calendar i.e Paachishe Baishak) with Tagore.

For those starting off learning drums, a good place to start could be this link I just started learning it on my own, lets see how i progress with it !!

This one sounded very familiar when I heard it recently. Ah and then I figured there was a Simon and Garfunkel cover version I had been listening to all these years. The song called "El Condor Pasa (If I Could)" in full in their album 'Bridge Over Troubled Water" But the original song was composed by a Peruvian composer, Danierl Alomia Robles in 1913 and based on a tradional Andean Folk tune. And here's the one I had been listening to all these years:

La Bamba one of my favourite songs from my school days. I loved the song then and still do. Even more now when I listen to the great guitar being played in the song. Didn't understand the Lyrics in Spanish then nor do I understand it now , but love the song !! Wondering how I remembered this song after all these years, well I finally watched the film today :) Music they say has no time boundaries and this song is one those. Its been around for over a century , being played in the Mexican Gulf but became a world wide hit after the movie by the same name .. Enjoy !

A link to a article that came out in today's Hindu about the History of Nilgiris. I had a great weekend there about two weeks back.

Last weekend we headed to the Mudumali forests. The solo traveler had 14 people for company this time ! A very different experience. We left Bangalore around midnight on Friday, stopped over at the Cafe Coffee Day on the way about 80kms out of town. It was chock a block with people at 2 A.M. and most of us couldn't even find a resting place. I managed to grab a cup of hot chocolate and croissant ! The bus ride was one hell of a musical trip with loads of loud hindi music beaming out of the speakers and folks having a great time. I liked the music and fun initially but then the music got to me after awhile ! Without a wink of sleep whole night :) we reached Mudumalai forest early next morning having crossed Bandipur on the way. We caught a few glimpses of wildlife- deers,elephants, bisons around Bandipur. We checked into the Guest Home and had a good hot piping breakfast. I just crashed out for sometime to catch my sleep while some others who managed to sleep during the bus ride ...

I have admired very few people from the corporate world, steve jobs is one of them!! Guess he is not the usual corporate junkie ! Bumped into this Stanford Commencement Speech. Quite Inspiring - Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish! I guess all of us know him now only coz he is so famous . He never followed the conventional path but there could be so many more like him out there trying the unconventional route but struggling it out there. Speech

Was throughly impressed by these bunch of 5 scientist musicians from the British Antarctic Survey who kick started the liveearth concert recently. The group " Nanatak" takes its name from a Greenlandic word for mountain peaks that protrude through overlaying ice sheets. They are scientists during the day and turn into a house band at the Rothera Research Station during night. The concert was kicked off on a stage on the airstrip of the Rothera Research Station at about -10 degress with an audience of 17 people, the entire population of the base. Check out the band's profile. Watch some of their performances. Here's an Interview with the band members

Last one month has been a bit hectic at work ever since I got back from my long vacation. Was thinking of heading out of town the last two weekends and it finally happened this week. A friend called around noon on Saturday and we quickly packed our backpacks and headed to the lovely coffee plantations of Coorg(Kodagu). Coorg ( Kodagu in kannada) was an independent state before independence and was made a part of Karnataka after independence. Getting there : Driving time: Approx 6hours. Distance: 270kms Driving Directions to Honey Valley: Bangalore->Mysore Highway->Take the bypass from Srirangapatna to Hunsur->Virajpet->Take a deviation to Madekeri(5kms)->20kms to Kabbinakadu Junction->Park your vehicle/bus stop->3kms by jeep /1hour walk to HoneyValley Honey Valley is situated in the Western Ghats in the lush evergreen rain forest and surrounded by misty hills all around. You can walk around the green estate,go for treks around or just relax!Honey valley was one o...

Watched a thoroughly enjoyable animated film after a very longtime. Its the best I have seen in the recent years, guess the best one since "The incredibles" . I am looking forward towards the next one from Brad Bird & Pixar !! The story is nice , nothing exceptional but I guess it passes on the message that if one wants to do something and is good at it , one should give it a try even if the journey is turbulent sometimes. So go do what your heart yearns for !

Just turned on the TV today and caught Supertramp play their great oldies in the concert "Diana & me " . I simply love the lyrics of most of their songs and this one in particular: Logical Song "When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful, A miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical. And all the birds in the trees, well theyd be singing so happily, Joyfully, playfully watching me. But then they send me away to teach me how to be sensible, Logical, responsible, practical. And they showed me a world where I could be so dependable, Clinical, intellectual, cynical. There are times when all the worlds asleep, The questions run too deep For such a simple man. Wont you please, please tell me what weve learned I know it sounds absurd But please tell me who I am. Now watch what you say or theyll be calling you a radical, Liberal, fanatical, criminal. Wont you sign up your name, wed like to feel youre Acceptable, respecable, presentable, a vegtable! At night, when all t...

Would love to watch this film "Tintin and I" ,a posthumous autobiography of Hergé. Here's the link of the movie trailer on google video: Tintin and I . It's going to be a hard one to find , here in India!! I looked at the PBS site and looks like its not yet been released on DVD. Some more about the making of "Tintin and I " : PBS Page "Tintin and I" Interview of Anders, Creator of this documentary