The Magic called Yellowstone

Much of the area around Utah being a desert, driving is not always a pleasure. In summer, with temperatures routinely above 100 degrees, the prospect of driving south towards Las Vegas or Grand Canyon is not exactly pleasant. The stunning beauty of the rock formations of Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce and Zion is better enjoyed in the cooler months.

My parents were visiting us in end of June (2018), and they had already visited the east coast through Veena World. We wanted to go a place that was totally different, and was unique to this part of the country.  Yellowstone was a place we had heard a lot about, and its volcanic features are something not found elsewhere in the US. It’s not a very long drive from Salt Lake City (quickest route 325 miles to West Entrance), and takes you via the scenic landscapes in Idaho and Wyoming.

The I-15 via Idaho falls to West Yellowstone is probably one of the quickest routes to the park, as you travel mostly along the highway. In Idaho Falls (it’s actually a city, no Falls there really) we were surprised to find an Indian restaurant called “Tandoori Oven”. The owner, a Punjabi, told us that he moved from Salt Lake City a few years ago to start this venture. Like most of the Indian restaurants in SLC, the patrons were local Americans. After a sumptuous lunch, we proceeded further into rural territory. Rural Idaho is potato country, producing a significant portion of high quality potatoes in the US. The vast green fields are stretch for miles across the country side.

There are many hotels and other lodging options along the entire periphery of Yellowstone. Summer being peak season for travel, the prices can be very high, so it’s better to book in advance. Economic options like motels are aplenty too, like the Inn we stayed at. Near the West Entrance, it was a clean but basic motel going by a strange name. (http://www.lazygmotel.com/ ) .

From the West entrance you can divide Yellowstone park in two convenient loops, one roughly towards the north and the other covering the south, covering 2 days. If you have additional time on hand, it’s possible to venture into Grand Teton national Park.

A detailed map is available at : https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/placestogo.htm 

Volcanic activity and Geysers

Being the largest volcanic system in North America, Yellowstone has a huge number of geysers and other similar features.

 Old faithful geyser

The most visited is probably the geyser that is most predictable, hence called “Old faithful”. It throws off water and steam roughly every 90 minutes.  You can know the time of the next eruption at the Old faithful visitor center, and also over the internet, and plan to be present accordingly.

The reaction of bacteria and algae with the water and chemicals of the geysers produces strange landscapes like Grand Prismatic Spring. Its yellow and green/ blue colors are a sight to watch.

Grand Prismatic Spring

Walkways around the grand prismatic spring take you very close to the water. Use caution while walking in Yellowstone as some of the springs are extremely hot and acidic and can cause serious injuries if you step in. More people have been harmed by the hot water than by bear or bison attacks in Yellowstone.

Artist Point

The yellow rock of the Yellowstone Canyon and the waterfall on the Yellowstone river create a landscape that looks almost like a canvas painting, hence the name “Artist point”. The point gives stunning views of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the river flowing through it.

Artist Point 

Wildlife

Yellowstone is home to a large number of bison, deer, moose, wolves and elk. While bison and deer and common sightings, it takes a bit of luck to see a wolf or a bear. We were lucky to see two black bears, on the north-east side of the park, on the way from Mammoth Hot springs to the Artist point. On a couple of occasions, we had bison stopping the traffic. Their sheer size made us shiver a little when they passed close to our car!

Along the way

Mesa Falls

On the road from Idaho falls to West Yellowstone are beautiful waterfalls called Upper and lower Mesa falls. It’s not much of a detour from the main road, and therefore a must visit. The upper ones are more accessible and you will find a visitor center and a path that takes you very close to the falls.

Other more scenic routes

Although the route from I-15 via Idaho falls is the easiest and quickest (325 miles, 5-6 hours), there are more scenic routes for the more adventurous. Going via Evanston, one can cover Bear Lake, Afton, Jackson, and the Grand Teton National park (more bears here than Yellowstone) on the way. This route would probably take 8-12 hours, depending on the number of detours made and the place you are staying in Yellowstone. If you go in Autumn, it may even be worthwhile to go via Logan to Bear Lake and take in the sights at the Logan Canyon. You can even stay in Jackson, and enter Yellowstone from the South Entrance.

While returning from Yellowstone, we did not exactly take this route for want of time, we skipped Jackson but covered Afton and Palisades Reservoir on the way.

Afton

Afton is home to the world's largest arch made of elk antlers, spanning 75 feet (23 m) across the four lanes of US Highway 89. There are quite a few restaurants on the main street, including a Chinese one, and can be a good place to take some rest and have food.

In the land of the Utes

Around July or August, when I got information about my US assignment, my first reaction was : Utah, where is that? Of course it was in the US, but sitting in Pune, and having never traveled to that part of the world, the most I knew about the country was the places where most of the Indian community is  : California , New York, Texas, and so on... But Salt Lake City (SLC)??? It was probably on the west coast or the east coast or somewhere in between, I really didn't have the faintest idea.

Some googling showed that Salt Lake had hosted the winter Olympics some time back, and it had many of the facilities of the big cities like public transport (there is a bus as well as a metro called "Trax" that covers most of the metropolitan area ). The cost of living was pretty low for a city of this size, and University of Utah and its hospitals had a reputation across the country.

Due to high mountains and snow, SLC attracts a large number of tourists during the winter months. ( Visiting the nearby ski slopes is high on our agenda this winter. )

When I landed on 2nd September in the SLC Airport, ours was probably the only flight scheduled at that time. There was hardly a crowd at the international terminal (although the domestic, I learned later, is quiet crowded..). SLC is located in the middle of the desert surrounded by the Waasatch Mountains, which are rocky and mostly devoid of vegetation. As the plane comes from the North East towards SLC, you see huge mountain ranges with almost no trees, and expansive areas of vacant land. The valley itself is relatively green, from trees planted by the local inhabitants, when they started arriving here for the first time in the middle of the 19th century.

Something that you notice immediately is the friendly attitude of the people. People greet strangers on the road, and I haven't had a single Uber or Lyft trip, without the driver striking up an interesting conversation. It could be about the ever changing weather (they say it changes every 5 mins!), or about how the city is getting crowded. I jokingly told a Uber travel who was saying SLC is getting crowded that he needed to visit Mumbai and travel in a train there to understand the meaning of "crowded". He appreciated that well.

To put it in perspective, the entire state of Utah has a population of just 3 million (30 lacs ), most of it in Salt Lake and around the Waasatch front.  Utah's land area is around 200,000 sq kms. which is almost 2 times that of Maharashtra. Maharashtra has a population of almost 100 million. (10 cr.).

Indian food seems to be catching on in a big way..On one occasion,  we had an elderly lady at a shop, telling us how she enjoyed pav bhaji she had at a party of her Indian colleague. There are many Indian restaurants which are full with the local American population. Indian curries have really caught on..and that's probably the story across the country.I met a few Uber drivers who asked us for recommendations on good Indian restaurants (BTW unlike India, Uber / Lyft is a part time job for many people here in addition to their regular job, on one occasion  I was driven around by a person who was a qualified accountant working in a biggish accounting firm..)


Driving on the other side of the road (in USA right is the "right" side of the road to drive) can be difficult and I took my time driving the car. In the meantime, the bus and metro (trax) came in useful. Office is a few miles away, near the U of U (University of Utah) and 30 mins by bus/ trax (including waiting) isn't really a big commute. In India the new normal now is 1.5 or 2 hours especially if you are in Pune or Bangalore or Gurgaon, or any of the big urban areas now. Traveling by public transport is convenient in SLC, especially for short distances. Its also healthy as you have to walk to the bust stop and then in between, and that could burn up calories faster than you think! I remember having walked up to 2 miles initially after missing a bus, and trying to avoid the cost of Uber (typical Indian mentality of converting to rupees , especially in the first few months..now getting over it ) But walking is really a pleasure here in the pleasant weather, and the nice scenery everywhere ( you can see the mountains from practically everywhere) . Salt Lake city has absolutely straight roads arranged in a grid).

Just beware , the train here runs right in the middle of the road, and you could be standing quiet close to one, at the traffic signal. Not a very pleasant thought, getting run over by a train!

Mind your language !

Long ago, in college, reading the famous marathi book "Swami" , the opening scene struck a different cord. A marathi hindu monarch, Madhavrao peshwa's entry in his darbaar is announced with "Ba-adab, Ba-mulahija, hoshiyaar...." !!! and a list or urdu - persian(farsi) sounding titles.. strange isn't it? Not so much ..if you consider that the persians and arabs had ruled india for such a long time, that a lot of the local vocabulary got interspersed with persian and arabic words. Much time has passed, but the marathi we speak today is  still so chock- a-block with such imported words, it will be difficult to imagine a day without them..

Well then, how about the word .. roj (every day) itself .. does it gel with urdu roja.. eg.. mai das rojon se intejaar kar raha hoon..

For that matter, urdu is a melange of prakrit (khadiboli), sanskrit , persian (farsi) and arabic ..  Zuban-i Urdū-yi Muʿallá("The language of the exalted camp)

The official correspondence of Shivaji and other maratha rulers of the time probably used these words liberally.. words like bahaduri, sarnaubat, inam, watan..khas.. marji..firmaan

Some words have changed their pronunciation a bit, a the "ज " pronunciation especially is different in marathi.. like jid जिद becomes जिद्द  . likewise हद becomes हद्द 

We also find words with "बे " denoting without.. बेफिकीर ( उर्दू बेफिक्र ) and बेइज्जत , बेधुंदी  

And if you had the bad fortune to go to a police station, you might have also heard.. ते आमच्या अखत्यारीत नाहीये ( उर्दू इख्तीयार - control) . Remember katrina dancing to the racy "race" number.. खुद पे ना मेरा इख्तियार है। 

Then we have those which we have heard quite often.. शहर.. हुशार (उर्दू होशियार), फक्त (उर्दू फकत), फरक (फर्क), जहाज , चेहरा 

There are some words which sound similar but which are used differently, so not sure if they have the same root.. for eg in hindi/ urdu we say .. आपने दुरुस्त (correct) फ़रमाया. In marathi दुरुस्त is used in the sense of repair (to set right..to correct?)then there is जबाबदारी.. although this word is used in hindi (जवाबदारी), the more common word is जिम्मेदारी. 

There used to be a column in sakal saptrang by U.M.Pathan , retired principal, Fergusson college on this topic. It analysed in detail the root of the words, and the original persian/ arabic word. There are some sites as well..

The words can also be heard in religious festivals. The kumbhmela has a शाही (like a बादशाह) snan.
आणि सालाबाद प्रमाणे पेणच्या सर्वांगसुंदर गणपती मूर्ती आल्या आहेत। 

I think there will be many many more.. will keep adding as i come across. If you like this, maybe you can add to it, or "like" the post. that will be a good बक्षीस (उर्दू बक्शिष ?)


References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urdu
http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/marathi-language
http://www.milligazette.com/news/4048-shivaji-spoke-better-persian-than-marathi

Used vehicles mania

Postscript

Its been 4 years since my first car : http://amitnsathe.blogspot.in/2011/04/dreams-come-true.html. Its also a really long time since posting on this blog..

When I bought a 10 old Maruti Alto at that time, I never expected to take it anywhere beyond my office, which is 6 km away. The long drives were just a dream, and possibly taking it to the expressway , a mirage.

Its not often that I exceed expectations! In office, well , never, as a rule :-) . One of my former bosses jokingly referred to me as "Slow moving item" . Working in accounting at that time, in a company struggling with  inventory management, that observation was indeed apt.

Well in 4 years, I am to my third car already. This is a Maruti SWIFT ZXi model 2012, purchased last year (second hand) from olx. Or probably quikr or carwale. Its been so often that i am changing vehicles in the last 4 years (well 3rd car and 3rd two wheeler ) that i no longer keep track o anymore. If you consider transactions on both buy and sell side, thats nearly 10 transactions on these "used goods" sites. Probably olx should give me some medal for propping up their business ...

Not only that, we also managed a few trips to mahabaleshwar and kolahpur. If people take 4 hours to kolhapur, I may take 5 or 6, but who cares ! Well looks like some people do. Having built my "reputation" as a slow and careful (really a redundant word here, added just for effect ) driver, people are cautious not to allow me to take the wheel when we go in groups.

A few days back, changed my bike and "upgraded" to a 2 year old Yamaha FZS. This is the time of the year where many from the huge student fraternity in Pune complete their academic courses and go back to their hometowns. Transferring a vehicle from one state to another isnt really a piece of cake, so the best way is to sell locally. That means really good deals for the buyer.

Why do you need to change the bike again, my wife asked. After 8 years of marriage I have learned  its better to pretend not to hear..

I took the papers for transfer to my regular RTO agent (regular because thats probably the 5th or 6th transaction with him in last few years.) . He looked at me with suspiscion. Finally no longer able to contain his curiosity, he asked if i was some sort of old vehicles agent, like himself. I assured him that i was not competing with him, and all the transactions were on my personal account.

Well looks like changing vehcles has become an obsession. Next on target is a 200 CC bike, but waiting for a good one to come on scene. Pulsar 200 ns comes close, but after you get used to yamaha's super refined engine, anything less becomes boring, probably upcoming apache 200 will meet the specs..

Planning to take the bike to Mumbai one day .. 

The "Aamir" of Bollywood

Watch any old hindi movie, especially from the time when India was still a socialist society, and you would not be alien to the popular theme of "amir" heroines falling in love with "garib" heroes. The hero would carry his "garibi" almost like sainthood and the amir "baap" would then relent to marry off his daughter to the hero. They would finally live happily ever after. I googled the word amir or aamir, and noticed that its meaning is not confined to "rich" or "prosperous". It also means civilised, or a person with the charisma of a "leader". In the 2008 film "Aamir" starring Rajeev Khandelwal, the protagonist, by his actions demonstares this maturity and courage of a leader, thus earning himself the name "Aamir".


If there is any actor today in the Hindi film inductry worthy of such title, it is Aamir himself, probably the greatest of the Khans . Personally I do not think any other Khan comes close to being great, but well, opinions differ, and the box office collections, if they are any indicator, prove otherwise.

Aamir's dedication to his profession, the high standards he sets for himself and his team, and the fantastic performances he has churned out stand testimony to his greatness. In his recent appearance in Aap ki Adalat, he told Rajat kappor about how he was training from 3 o'clock in the morning in the gym to appear right for a forthcoming role. Or that he sometimes spends upto 2 years after being convinced about the script to actually sign a film, especially with new directors, to be sure that a the project is actually feasible. Aamir not only has a natural talent for acting, but also invests long amounts of time researching a script and preparing himself physically and mentally for it. This has given him success in diverse roles, ranging from the college lad in Dil Chahta hain, to the dedicated police officer in Sarfarosh, a dyslexic teacher in Tare jameen par and again an emotionally disturbed police officer in Talash, to name a few.

In a recent article in a diwali issue of a marathi magazine, I read the story of the making of Satyameva jayate. Satyameva jayate is more of a philanthrophic venture(although it may have earned decent profits). The aim was not to find instant solutions, but make people sit up and start thinking of the numerous maladies facing our society today. According to the author of the article ( who was Director in the production team of the unit that made the series), they spent almost two years reseraching diverse topics before the show was actually shot. Sepcial effort was made to remove glamour from it so that people could focus on the issues instead. Expectedly it was a good success and evoked many reactions from the common people.


What is next? Only Aamir knows.. but it will be good for sure..

Whither India?

Many of my friends have settled abroad, especially in the USA.  . For them USA provided them with what India could not, a great working environment and rewards befitting their capabilities. Returning to India was not an option for them. Few tried, but some of them went back after a couple of years. I was myself in Singapore for two years and without a doubt I liked the disciplined living thoroughly. A nation where people respect each other, take pride in work and enjoyment and have achieved a significantly higher standard of living  

Why are these people not convinced about coming back? Why does the lure of Indian cultural values, of respect for the elders, frugal living, and the belief in the institutions of marriage and family, not strong enough ?  Why is this nation, steeped in rich moral values, not able to retain the best talent within India?

Well, it does not take much thought to figure out. 

I am travelling for a change, in the local transport buses. There are seats reserved for women. But they are already occupied by men. Some women protest, but the men refuse to budge. Is it what Indian culture teaches us? 

There is a 100 ft road proposed near our house. The only issue it it was proposed more than 5 years ago. Perhaps the local administration is waiting for divine intervention, they have heard the proverb: Man proposes, god disposes.

The mantralaya (government building for state ministers and bureaucrats) caught fire last week, but no one attempted to put out the fire. That reminds of the incident in history some 200 years ago, here in Pune, where the palace Shaniwar wada of Peshwa Bajirao II was burning and no one attempted to put it out. Perhaps they had lost faith in the sanctity of the office of the peshwa.   It made no difference in a state of utter lawlessness.

Khap panchayats are killing people in the name of caste and the law is looking the other way.People are killing the girl child in fear of dowry. What kind of institutions are these, that do not change in the 21st century?


Today, a significant percentage of our population lives below the bare minimum standard of living. What is a bigger crime for a society than not being able to provide the minimum food and clothing to its citizens? More than 60 years after independence, the government machinery is such a shamble that babus and netas are not ready to think beyond their own pockets. And that too when a significant portion of the food produce gets wasted because of inadequate storage facilities. Inefficiency, lethargy, despondency...

Today's episode of Aamir Khan's Satyameva Jayate was absolutely heart wrenching. The plight of dalits, especially those that pick up "night soil", has not changed since the last 100 years. The caste system which stiffles equal opportunity for all. 

Its time we came out of the hypocrisy of substituting everything the strong grip of traditional forces. Times have changed drastically. We need to adopt to the new world. The Industrial revolution put us back for 300 years, if we do not wake up now, the coming centuries may also go by in the same way!

Har Har Mahadev!

The great Shivaji maharaj needs no introduction , especially for a marathi person. We have heard and read a lot about Shivaji in history books, in Babasheb Purandare's lectures, in several blogs on the internet. I read the book Shriman yogi recently , and  was spellbound. Sriman Yogi, although relatively new to me, is really an old novel by Ranjeet Desai. Desai's strength is his dramatic language (rather than his knowledge of history) which touches your heart and transports you back in time to the very scenes the battles. Very less information is available about those times, and the author has painstakingly rebuilt the characters from "bakhars" (political accounts written by special writers of those times) of Marathas, Englishmen, Moghals,  and other research already done on the topic. Often the bakhars are heavily influenced by the writers, their limited knowledge of the political situation, and the natural human tendency to exaggerate. Desai has made an attempt to weave the complete story, right from his birth to the his "mahanirwana". What makes the novel "unputdownable" is the dialogues and the fast place (despite its 1000 pages) making it more exciting that a Frederick Forsyth thriller. Desai uses his skill and experience as an accomplished novelist fully, and that makes it stand out from other drab commentaries that perhaps only history students will be able to digest. The scenes of killing of Afzalkhan, the attack on Shaistekhan, battle of ghodkhind, escape from agra are still flashing in front of my eyes.

Shivaji stands out from other kings (especially the rapacious Mughals who looted their subjects and built lofty monuments, tretaed enemy captives in the most inhuman way and sold enemy women as slaves) in his vision to build a Swaraj (on the model of 'Ramrajya') where the subjects could live a life of dignity. He not only freed the territory from the clutches of the Mughlas, but also established an efficient governance and tax system. He abolished watandars, so that the revenue came directly to the crown and there were no middlemen to pockets commissions. He built a strong navy and forts like Sindhudurg to protect the kingdom from foreigners like Portuguese and English. He himself lived a frugal lifestyle. Crimes were punishable with heavy penalties, often severing hands and limbs and the dignity of women was never compromised. He employed the best people for the job and nepotism was totally discouraged. Everyone was free to practice his own religion. He pardoned his enemies and often built successful partnerships with them. He knew of his limitations (his kingdom and army were a fraction of the mughals) and therefore awas cautious in his ventures. In the style of "phantom rough on roughnecks", he dealt with treacherous people in their own language , but never compromising on principles. He had many muslims in his employment, sardars like siddhi hilal. Shivaji had probably never read Chanakya, but he practiced the principles thoroughly. Shivaji's ahered to dharma (dharma means principles, not religion) . Saints like Samartha Ramdas Swami has written words of great praise for Shivaji, describing him as a "Shrimant yogi"

In some ways it reminds of the jargon we use today in the corporate world today. Vision, Mission, values..institution building .. Swot analysis.. Professional attitudes, employee empowerment? Probably Shivaji would have been a very successful CEO in today's world.

The book succeeds in one more way in that it kindles your curiosity to look for more information and that led me to the book Sambhaji by vishwas Patil.Sambhaji is often projected as a villain engrossed in wine and women. But do we know that after Shivaji's death, Sambhaji defended the Maratha empire for nine long years, at a time when Aurangazeb himself came to deccan with an army of around half a million, which was more than three times the Maratha Army? While Sambhaji's rebellion against his father is well known, what is not is that he was probably driven to this situation by his step mother Soyarabi(mother of Shivaji's second son Rajaram, who was very young at the time of Shivaji's death) and some of Shivaji's ashtapradhan (council of ministers). AfterS hivaji's death in 1680 (speculated to be due to poisoning by Soyrabai) Sambhaji successfully overcame the rebellion against him with the help of Maratha army commander Hambirrao Mohite. Incidently Soyrabai was Hambirrao's sister
but he did not let the relation cloud his judgement. Sambhaji later sentenced the rebels Annaji Datto and Hiroji Farjad (his uncle, Shahaji's illegitimate child) to death. Sambhaji was a poet and an emotional person which sometimes against him, because being emotional is not useful in poltics.

Aurangazeb had come to the south (i.e south of Narmada) with an intention to defeat Sambhaji within a year. But he eventually had to stay there for 27 long years (See : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maratha_War_of_Independence ) . Shivaji's great contribution was in reinstating the Maratha pride in the minds of the people and creating the institutional framework that lasted long after his death. Sambhaji fought for nine years. After his capture, people continued to fight, in whatever way they could. In the end aurangazeb died a sad man, having spent all his money and effort fighting a small kingdom, which refused to quit. The Mughal empire practically vanished after his death and the sun of the Maratha empire rose.

The recent marathi movie 'Mi Shivaji Raje bhosale boltoy" seeks to rekindle the lost marathi bana of the present days Marathas. It is the story of a Bhosale kulwant - Dinkarrao Bhosale (played by Sachin Khedekar) who is frustrated by his own and the situation of maharashtrians in general. He laments that maharashtrians have fallen behind others in all spheres of life and lead a life of misery and disrespect. they are nowhere in the business and political circles. Shivaji maharaj (played by Director Mahesh Manjrekar himself) comes back to earth and exhorts Dinkarrao to remember the golden days when the marathas had the throne of delhi under their belt (or sword if u may say ).
An interesting movie.

Har Har Mahadev!

At the click of the mouse...

People in my house complain about the time i spend on the internet.. browsing online newspapers, facebook and online forums. To justify my time I often tell them about the rupees I save them by shopping at the online stores. My wife promptly points out that this online binge brings home many things we do not really need, so its more of  rupees wasted instead of saved.. well that argument will never end..  

Recently Swaminathan S Aiyer, in his column in the Times of India, opined that the traditional retailers should be more afraid of the competetion from online shopping portals rather than international chains like Wall Mart. These online retailers not only offer a wide variety to choose from, they also offer substantially lower prices. With substantially low overheads (mainly showroom rentals and interors),and with good logistics network in place, they are able to ship the items in a short time and in good condition to your doorstep. As broadband internet connectivity is growing every day especially among urban users, and secured payment gateways being offered by most banks, online shopping is becoming an increasingly 
pleasant experience.

Touted as the Amazon of the Orient, Flipkart(www.flipkart.com) has made rapid strides in the online shopping space. What started off as a small venture by young entrepreneurs who initailly managed everything from procurement to packing and delivery, Flipkart has grown today into a mature organization offering a slew of products from mobiles and laptops to books and movies, and a lot more. It usually offers substantial discounts to the MRP. Packing is usually excellent and delivery on time through its own  logistics arm Flipkart logistics. Its a while since I went to the local bookstore after discovering flipkart. The site has book and movie reviews by users, that helps you choose from the options available. Flipkart was also quiet generous with return policy, on the only occasion I had to return a DVD received with Region 2 encoding (Indian players usually have 5). Flipkart organised the return logistics themselves with full refund.

Started by a Pune entrepreneur, Sameer Bhagwat from the travel and tourism industry, is the site http://traveloworldonline.com/. I was pleasantly surprised by the range of services offered. It offers online Hotel, Flight and taxi booking, something that only mature portals like makemytrip and yatra can offer. In addition it offers Indian and international holidays at competetive rates. According to Sameer, the site offers rates which are LOWER than the other portals, and lower even what the offcial web sites offer. In addition you can contact them for customised Railway, bus and cruise bookings. The site looks quiet professional and the interface is friendly too, although the hotel booking retrieval is a little slow. Online payment through secured gateway is available. They also offer passport and visa assistance and assistance with medical insurance. A one stop shop for those planning a trip.

Another interesting site is the troika of Lenskart, Watchkart and Bagskart (not sure if related to Flipkart, probably not although name sounds similar).. again the same story of low prices, prompt delivery and good return / refund policies.I tried lenskart.. It has succeeded in making the shopping of a complicated product quiet easy. Detailed helppages on how to choose the frame size to user friendly data entry for the lens power. Not to forget HUGE savings in cost. Offers a wide variety of lens types, branded frames, and contact lenses.

In the US, amazon has already put the brick and mortar retailers out of business. Is India heading the same way? 

Movie Inside Job

As the world totters on the brink on economic uncertainty, we wonder if the financial crisis of 2008 which nearly brought the world on the brink of collapse, will come back to haunt us again.Although the situation looks better than then, it still leaves a lot of room for doubt. With the increasing delinking of the Indian economy, the threat to us is even less. But nevertheless, the economic might the west exercises, and the world economies getting inextricably interlinked, when the west sneezes the rest of the world quickly catches the cold.

What really caused a crises of such magnanimous proportions ? What measures have been taken to prevent a recurrence ? Three years down the line the layman is pretty hazy about what really precipitated this huge crisis. We have all heard about sub prime and derivatives and the greed of the wall street and the eventual collapse of Meryil Lynch and AIG, but the terms seem too technical and its difficult to make much out of the jargon.

"Inside Job" tries the demystify the world of Wall street to the common man. Its more a documentary than a movie. The reel stars are the big bosses of the real Financial world themselves. Based on detailed interviews with bankers, heads of regulatory authorities and academicians, it tries to put the story in a way you and me can understand. So what was it that brought down the whole world in late 2008 - GREED, callousness, bad judgement, bad luck or a deadly concoction of all?

The world over, the Financial sector comprising banks, institutions, mortgage (housing and other loan) companies, stock and bond markets is a subject of strict regulation. It is also one most susceptible to fraud. Who hasnt heard of ponzi schemes which promise to double your money in no time? Unlike manufacturing the sector has little tangible assets like building, Machinery, which the investor can see. The value creation process is very slow and is based on integrity and sound judgement, rather than innovation and enterprise. So what happens when the companies forget these time tested principles of honesty and integrity?

The sub prime mortgage crisis which lies at the crux of the financial debacle did not happen overnight. So why were powerful regulators and politicans watching when banks went about "manufacturing" derivatives out of this air? Why did the rating agencies handing out AAA rating to bonds which were backed by sub prime loans? How were Freddie Mac and Fannie May (the biggest housing lenders in US) able to retain their AAA ratings upto the day of their collapse? And most importantly, a full three years after the crisis, why are the key perpetuators not just not prosecuted, but appointed to key positions in the Obama team?

So who benefited from these crises? The executives of Goldman Sachs who reaped millions in bonuses? Or the banks who profited by speculating AGAINST their own derivates? The politicians who depend on Wall street for their election campaigns? The crux lies in the increasing control exrcised by Wall Street on US politics. The fundamental culture of greed of Wall Street that has many willing supporters in powerful positions.. So what does the US need for a redemption ? An "imported" Anna Hazare ???

Overall a must watch ..

Available at -
http://www.indiaplaza.com/inside-job-movies-mov1005201101cyg02-10.htm

Mesmerizing

When Balgandharva preformed to packed drama houses during his heydays, the state of the audience could be described in one word: Mesmerized. So captivating was his charm (he performed more female roles as women were not allowed by society to perform in those days) and his voice, the audiences felt as if he was a performance from god. Legendary freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak once heard him sing and gave him the name of Gandharva - a heavenly being.

Almost a century later, Nitin Chandrakant Desai has attempted to recreate the magic through his movie Balgandharva. Desai is known for his grand sets and costumes, which contributed a big way towards the success of Jodha Akbar. Thats suits the movie's script as Balgandharva himself was known for his high living.

The duration of two hours is probably too short to showcase the life of a "happening" personality of those times.. as they say in Marathi..akashala chimpit pakdu pahanya sarkha aahe..but the writer has made a good attempt nevertheless. Subodh Bhave fits the role perfectly. His performances of Sangeet natak (musical drama), for which Balgandharva was really known, makes you feel you are actually in those old days. Balgandharva worked with many personalities of those times, like Govindaro Tembe, and always believed in giving the best to his audiences. His unwavering commitment to art is shown when he performs even on coming to know about his daughter's death.

The movie does not devote much time to his family life. Vibhavari Deshpande (of Harishchandrachi factory fame) again plays a similar role, this time it gets more poignant towards the end.
Balgandharva's talent brought him enormous wealth, but his opulent lifestyle and his reluctance to appreciate commercial realties also resulted in huge debts, which took years to repay. With his increasing age and with the audience for drama decreasing rapidly with the advent of movies, the sun starts setting in his life.
As he accepts the new reality, his words remind you of of Shakepeare's quotes :

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts...

This movie is a must watch for many reasons, even for those (like me) who do not understand or appreciate classical music. Firstly it tells the story of an artist who was probably the greatest ever Maharashtra has produced . Secondly Subodh Bhave's performance makes you feel as if you actually watching the great man himself. And thirdly the excellent sets and jewelery make the whole thing grand on a scale never seen in Marathi movies.

As with balgandharva's performances, this movie deserves a "once more".

Sizzling Yana!

Yana's superb! You may think I am referring to the fantastic performances of Yana Gupta on the sets of Jhalak Dikhla Ja, which this year feathured none other than the indefatigable Madhuri Dikshit as judge. Of course they were sizzling too.. as well those of Chang and Sushant, and many others.

Yana is the restaurant in Pune that offers Sizzlers and Wok. For a long time Touche in camp was probably the only place that served sizzlers in Pune. Now we have Kobe on Law College Rd which is another autentic Sizzler resturant. For those who haven't been there, Yana is at the end of the Fergusson College Rd opposite to Hotel Lalit mahal. Yana has a big menu for sizzlers with Cheese, Mushrooms, Noodles , Rice , Corn, and Veggies and other interesting stuff mixed in various proportions to get many variants. The salads are pretty good too and so are the soups. We tried the Onion Cheese soups which was quiet different and well made. The ambience is a bit casual, prabably keeping in the mind the tastes of the young crowd that frequents the place. Spend - approx 250-400 per person.

Since coming back from Singapore we have sort of emabraked on a culinary expedition. On dasara we went to Thaat Baat, which is the new Rajasthani restaurant in Kothrud. The ambience is typically Rajasthani, and waiters wear traditional village attire to match. The silver vessels add to the rustic feel. The food is more customised to local tastes, many punjabi style vegetables along with daal baati and malpua. Good value at Rs.180 with unlimited sweets.

Janseva on Deccan was more of a "khanaval" , where people could have there everyday lunch at affordable prices. After upgradation it has totally changed its look. The food remains excellent, with a home-like taste. Thali includes sweet dish (again excellent homely taste) and spicy items like dahi Wada or small samosa/kachoris or kothimbir wadi types. At Rs.120 on weekdays and 180(multiple sweets) on Sunday, its a steal.

Many more restaurants to explore..

Dreams come true..

For some reason I have a grave fear of driving the four wheeler. I have been trying to learn to drive for a long time now. So when I enrolled in the driving school refresher course none of my family members were impressed. “You drive so slowly even the cyclists will overtake you”, my wife pitched in ‘enthusiatically’. So it was like.. now or never...!

“Have you ever driven a rickshaw (3 wheeler / auto) ?”, asked my driving teacher half mockingly. “Of course not, but I have sat in it many times”, I retorted. “Then you should know how they negotiate the traffic”, was his reponse , “if you are so cautious, you can never drive in Pune”. Well there i was , coming back from Singapore where the traffic is as methodical as every aspect of its life and my driving instructor was telling me that method was madness on Pune roads. “You have to learn to squeeze you car in, and use the horn often and scare the other guys a bit. You have to assert yourself on the road”. Phew!

So the next logical step was to buy a car myself so that while I do not forget how to drive again, we can also go out for a trip once in a while. I told my thought to my wife. “Get as old a car as possible, and don’t spend too much money on something you may hardly use”, was her polite advice. I evaluated various options - small, not so small, then there are petrol ones and diesel ones. Diesel ones don’t have a good pickup. That should not matter, considering that I will use the brakes more than the accelarator.

Finally I gave settled for an old Alto. I am yet to take it to office. Its too crowded in the evening at the time of returning, and I don't want to take a chance with anybody's life. Besides in Pune the two wheeler rules the road and no one dare mess up with them.

When I mention the long drives to my wife, she gives a strange look..but never mind.. dreams do come true..even if they may take a little longer ..

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

It’s back to India after two years and I am glad to be in amche Pune. Things have changed a lot. Swanky malls and multiplexes have sprung up. New high rises in place of rustic bungalows. We have KFC, Subway and all the multinational brands. It takes me a while to locate my bank’s ATM, which has shifted during the time. So has our Cyber Cafe. Many old shops have shut down, and new ones have come up.. Pune is changing fast..
The superstores are full of all the goods which we thought as novelties in Singapore. LCD Tvs, computers, Mobile phones. The models are a bit behind the developed world, but they are good nevertheless.. for those who can afford them. I am getting really excited about being back in India.
I need a new cell phone connection. Calling rates are among the cheapest here and now you can get the 3G services as well, of course for a price, and the same goes for Broadband. Just two years ago, reliable Broadband was just beyond the reach of the common man. But there are options available today. India is changing fast. I select my mobile plan and the shopkeeper tells me it will be activated “tomorrow”. I believe him. I am back from Singapore, staying there for two years. Well two years is not that long considering that I have stayed in India for almost 34 years before that. But one gets spoilt easily. In Singapore tomorrow means tomorrow and if it’s a week they tell you upfront. What he actually meant was that the phone will be activated in a couple of days. I should have known.
There is some construction work going on, and the main road is dug up. They are laying out new sewage lines. Our suburb is growing so fast that it is no wonder they require to upgrade the infrastructure. That’s good news. The bad news is that there is dust everywhere, the traffic is in chaos and more importantly we do not know when it will be finished. Add to that the existing potholes and I feel I am racing my bike on a dirt track. Getting used to Travelling in Air Conditioned Buses and Metro trains and reaching in time was a different story altogether. Everything moved on so smoothly even during crowded hours. Disciplined, efficient, dependable. When can we have that? India is changing, albeit gradually, and we are all optimistic.
There are new buses on Pune’s road. Plus the BRT. Its another thing that I don’t know where it goes. We rarely take public transport in Pune. People use two wheelers and now increasingly, cars. All the latest vehicles models are there. So what if the roads cannot keep up and are choked in the evening. Or that, on a working day, it will be eight before a person reaches home negotiating the traffic. But it’s a passing phase. There are roads, highways and elevated railways in the pipeline. It’s just a matter of time before all falls in place.
We are slowly settling down. The new “basic necessities” of life are back – Mobile, cable TV and internet! Reconnecting with friends and relatives. It’s cold in Pune. The temperature has fallen to less than 10 degrees Celsius. Back in Singapore, the weather was as predictable as its MRT, always warm. Enjoying again sleeping till 8 o’clock in warm sweaters and blankets..wow! But forget the cold weather. India is the hottest place for investors today, with growth rates reaching 10% p.a. We are growing at an amazing pace. India will be the next superpower along with China towards the end of the century. China is already far ahead, and it has the advantage of a centralised vision and the will and the machinery to implement it. They have already hosted the Olympics. We scraped through with the CWG games. But we can surely host the Olympics one day! That day is not close.. but I am optimistic still it will come.
Well known economist Keynes once said that, in the long run, we are all dead! Where will India be in the long run? Well we can’t be sure yet. No doubt we are growing at a fast rate now. But even at this rate of growth of around 10%, it will still take almost 8-10 years for our incomes to double. And as the growth can never be equally spread out, it will be almost 25 years before the common man in India reaches any acceptable standard of living. Many of us will be retiring by that time .. so is there anything in store for you and me in India’s growth story.. definitely .. but only in the long run.. by that time we will be on the way to heaven..!
On second thoughts, how about back toSingapore again? 

Ganpati celebrations in Singapore

Being away from India for more than a year and a half and I am beginning to miss the cultural ethos of amche Pune (jithe kay une). Ganpati is a great time in all of Maharashtra and the cultural capital Pune is the best place to enjoy it. With every nook and corner in the city having their own local ganpati mandal, and all competing with one another for putting up the best decorations the whole city is transformed into one vibrant celebration. Add to that the Pune festival with cultural programmes at Ganesh kala krida manch, the time of the year is not one to be missed.

Singapore Maharashtra Mandal has done its best this time to have a week long celebrations with daily puja aarti and prasad and a cultural programme over the weekend. The growing Maharashtrian Community in Singapore ensured a packed house for the cultural event yesterday in the Global Indian International School Auditorium. The theme was unity in diversity of India, showcasing dances from all over India, performed by School children. Noteworthy was the fusion of traditional dance with western which won the "once more" from the regaling audience.

Overall a very interesting programme.

Long Walk to Freedom

The last century the world over has been one of liberation from colonial rule. It is amazing that the small European nations ruled the entire world for more than 200 years, probably on the basis of their technological strength, which the industrial revolution brought in terms of superior arms and ammunition. One such story is of Nelson Mandela, described in his book, "Long walk to freedom". It reminds you of the story of hundreds of freedom fighters in India, who took on the route of armed fighting to achieve their goals. Majhi Janmatheph or "My imprisonment" by Savarkar is his account of solitary confinement in Andamans. In times when laws could be easily twisted to suit the colonial rules, Savarkar was caught on neutral territory in France while escaping from his captors and sentenced to life. He spent 15 years in Andaman, a place from where few returned. The hindi film on Savarkar shows the hardships he faced there.

While the world over countries became free post World War II, the Africaner white rulers of South Africa continued their policy of Apartheid, denying basic rights to the blacks in their own land. This led to a long struggle of the African National Congress (ANC) led by Mandela and others like Oliver Thombo and Walter Sisulu.

Like its title, the book is a particularly long read. Starting with his childhood in a traditional Xhosa community, his links to the Xhosa aristocracy, his relatively easy education, and his coming to Johannesburg, running away from his arranged marriage. In Johannesburg is where his political career is shaped gradually. Mandela is not too much taken in by the "moral high path" of non violence, to him the goal was to free the black man from years of injustice, and pave the way for a multiracial South Africa with equal rights for all. Convicted of treason and plotting sabotage, Mandela was sent to Robben Island prison along with other ANC top brass.

Mandela describes the pathetic conditions on Robben Island, where he spent more than twenty years. In spite of every effort by the rulers to break their morale, Mandela and team continued their struggle from within. For over twenty years they tried to keep the flame alive in their hearts. At the same they tried to keep in touch with the outside world to gauge where the struggle was going.

Mandela also highlights the pain and sacrifice suffered by his wife Winnie, in raising their children alone, at the same time being harnessed by the rulers.

In the whole book, Mandela comes out as a pragmatist and a moderate who took all the steps to achieve his dream and vision of a free South Africa. His policy of reconciliation probably also helped in the final negotiations to convince the white man that post freedom they would be safe in South Africa not be "thrown in the sea" as some people wished.