Digitally Exploring the world

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

Loved this video on Cyclists

came across this innovate design for a cycle !! it's a bamboo bike. here's the design

Doesn't the song beautifully express what our wandering mind is always trying to chase Listen to it : Kai Baar Yun Hi Dekha Hai This ones from the film " RAJNI GANDHA"

Here's a recent article in newsweek about ' taking time off ' and traveling slow. Reminds me of my recent trip across Cambodia and Thailand were I didn't take a single taxi,flight other and entering and leaving the countries. It was great fun, taking the local bus, train and also walking most parts of the town.

I had read this book " in praise of slow " , couple of years back. we continuously need to keep reminding ourselves of slowing down in this crazy global work world of ours! here is a talk on the same by carl: the url to the video is here

I received a message yesterday from someone whom i had known 28years back to the tune " 28years back i use to give you ride on my little bicycle in a place surrounded by mountains and covered by flowers everywhere. From my memories i can still visualise your little hands filled with mud but i just can't remember your face neither your voice. Its funny how we remember things in life !!" I was a bit surprised to receive this message since my memory doesn't go so far back in time. However it took me back to those lovely child hood days to the small town Jamalpur, in Bihar where I spent my initial growing years. If i look back it seems like a place tucked away in time. We were staying in an old Bungalow with tiled roof, with hills as the backdrop and a wonderful garden all around thanks to my mum. We also had a big playground right in front of our house. Our times were spent in the garden and around the place, playing with friends, cycling, sometimes climbing up the tree...

I bumped into this site, it has some really interesting talks. I just saw the one about "The science of love, and the future of women (video)" . Check out all the talks here

I took the cheap ( less than 50$ and less than an hour) AIRASIA flight from Phonm Pehn and headed to Bangkok . The cheapest way though not the easiest is to take the bus/boat across the border. Since, i heard couple of incidents about the long and tough bone crunching trips across the border and the corruption involved about getting the Visa ,I decided to avoid it !! I reached Bangkok in the morning and got my Visa on Arrival (1000 Bhat) . Indians and some other countries only get a 15day Visa ,for a longer stay, its best to get one before leaving your country else one can always take the pain of renewing it in once inside the country. I had decided before heading out for this trip that i would only be using the local modes of transports-bus/train/tuktuk/rickshaws and no taxis or flights and thats what i did for the rest of 2 weeks. I hopped into the free bus #1 from the Airport to the Bus Station near the Airport. Asked around a bit and hopped into another bus. Once on the bus, I...