Season 2

Finally for all you people who cared to wait.

The new version of my blogs are out.

I have learnt that is better to keep blogs relevant to a particular topic. Hence,

The Friday Cook : (or The memoirs of Dr. Frankenstein if he cared to cook). A place where I can put up stuff that made it through my palate on one day of the week I cook. If I blogged about it, it means I'm still alive!

Curd-Rice Chronicles : The place where I write about the world as I see it. An extension of The Life of A KS. In case you're wondering why it's curd rice, you haven't been to South India.

An Ad Blog : Haven't thought of a name for this one yet.

Picture Blog : Inspired by a friend. Nice place, where I can track events by pictures

Let me know what y'all think!

Taking it Up A Notch

Hey people,
It's time to move to Season Two.

The Life Of A KS is getting bigger, better and more user-friendly.




While the attempt is always on to provide great content, it's time we opened up the hood and tweaked the performance a bit.

I'm really excited about this. I have already started testing the prototype and so far it looks great.

I can't let anything out about what I'm doing. Stay tuned!

My Address in Sharjah

My address is:

#7, Vivekananda Street,
Dubai Cross Road,
Dubai Main Road,
Dubai.

Confused? Watch this video. I have written the subtitles. People who don't understand Tamil, thank me. Literal Translation follows. Adjust OK Please!

(Music starts)
Vadivelu (VV) in the 'ouch' blue costume and his Chamcha (CC) carrying the umbrella enter.

Approaches Charpoy-Warmer (CW)

VV: Yelay, small brother! Some new boy has come from Dubai, right? Where did he stay? Bagirein-a?
CC: (Poooosh)Why is he spraying .. that's the twist .. read on!
CW: I don't know
VV: Sarjava?
CC: (Pooooosh)
CW: I don't know
VV: Abidhabi-a?
CC: (Poooosh)
CW :(Getting angry) I'm sitting here. You're asking me? Go ask that tea-shop wallah!
VV: Hold the cigarrete
CW: It's hot!
CC: It's hot? Push and sit (Move aside).
VV: Okaaay .. why are you getting angry. I have stayed there and I'm coming to say I know some ten places, for that you are getting romba .. romba angry? Only answer what I ask have asked you, you butters!
CC: Big brother. That's him

Parthiban entry with not so subtle exposure of an unshaved leg
VV: It's him?
CC: Yes big brother
VV: Halo! How are you? Salm Alaykum
PB: (delicately adjusting his moustache) Has he really come from Dubai? I have heard that there are Sheiks in Dubai, could there be cracks like him also?
PB: Salam a lekum
VV: . Small brother! One minute. Come here.
VV: Okaaaay.. these boys are talking like you were in Dubai or something. Where did you stay in Dubai? Bagirein-a?
PB: Um..er.. no
VV: Sarja?
PB: no
VV: Abidhabi-a?
PB: (Parthiban starts) In Dubai
VV: Aa pa pa cha. I know you stayed in Dubai. Where did you stay in Dubai?
PB: (Great brain at work, people!!!) In Dubai, near the main road, next to the bus stand.
VV: In Dubai, bus stand? You're saying it like some Usilampatti bus stand? I am asking you where is the bus stand in Dubai?
PB: (One more) Er.. do you know where all the Dubai buses come and stop? There.
VV: Aa va va
PB: (standing up) This is all too much nakal . Tell me the address of the place you stayed in Dubai.
PB: Errr..
VV: I'm telling you to tell me
PB: (Here it is) #6, Vivekananda Street, Dubai Cross Road, Dubai Main Road, Dubai!
VV: Hey! Hey! Turn it and tell me (actually Vadivelu says repeat it, but it can be interpreted in Tamil as reverse and say)
PB: Dubai, Dubai Main Road, Dubai Cross Road, Vivekananda Street, #6
VV: Why did you tell me the whole thing in reverse?
PB: You told me to say it and I did (escape)
VV: Oho! That 'reverse'? A-ha. This guy seems to be a smart guy.
VV: Ay ay. Stop man. What did you say - Vivekananda street? When did Vivekananda come there?
PB: Vivekananda finished studies and suffered because he couldn't find a job. So he came to Dubai and saw work (worked) for 5 years. So they kept his name.
VV: Vivekananda saw work there? Which company did he see work in? Wait man! Let him lie, which company did you see work for?
PB: Mannar and Company?
VV: huh?
PR: Get lost you Guava! Am I marriage-prize Thangavel to do fraud like that? Right. Which company did you see work for?
VV: I worked for K..k..k..Kekraan Mekaran company
PR: Oh! Kekraan Mekraan company. (aside) If you look at his face, it looks like a western toilet, would he have done a collector's job there?
VV: Who are you talking to over there?
PB: You were cleaning toilets over there right?
VV: ba ba ba what man? You are talking bad things in front of a small kid
PB: Don't come near me. Bad smell is hitting me.
CC: Pooooosh
PB: Oh that's why you are hitting scent?
CC: Yes big brother
PB: What? Yes? Get lost you guava!
CC: (pushing Parthiban to a wall covered in cow shit) Lord! Rasa! Lord! My sweet! My gold! How did you know that I was looking at a job in a toilet cleaning company?
PB: So really you saw work in a toilet cleaning company?
VV: Oh so you asked punch-pointedly? (You were guessing?) I myself babbled?
PB: This called Putting and Getting
VV: What does that mean?
PB: Give and take policy
VV: What yelavu policy? I have told these town-people and my wife a different version
PB: What?
VV: I have told them Building Contractor. Don't spoil that respect and make me stink in the street
PB: Ay-chi! Take your hand away. Did you clean camels there? It's smelling so much?
PB: Move back. I'm telling you to move back
VV: How can I move back more than this?
PB: Right. What is this Jingi-chan, jingi-chan, blue color lungi? Seeing this, two cows have died and four men have lost their eyesight.
VV: Really? When did this ...
PB: First answer what I asked
VV: Ya ya ya, this is Dubai dress
PB: Dubai dress has to be put in Dubai, why are you wearing it in Tamil Nadu?
VV: A yo yo yo from now on I will not wear it. I will not wear it
PB: So you'll remove it and be seen with your loin cloth, in a town where there are ladies? Slipper will tear!
VV: Aiyeye! I didn't say anything like that!
PB: Then what are you going to do?
VV: I said I'll wear another dress. Dhothi-shirt.
PB: You'll wear a Dhothi-shirt and ask me where I worked in Dubai, right?
VV: Aiyeye! I will never ask it! I will never speak of it! You see.
PB: From now on, doing this style, getting one guy to spray stink-medicine on you
VV: Awwwuuuuu (classic Vadivel 'I'm-screwed' sound)
PB: If you do all this, I'll construct a toilet and make you clean it, careful!
VV: Aiyayo Aiyayo. No need. Don't keep me in that job.
PB: Will you ask where is Dubai?
VV: I won't ask. I won't ask.
PB: Where is Dubai?
VV: Dubai coming near Erode, near Tutukudi
PB: That's how you should say it. Go.
VV: Then, do you have some change-job (small job) in your house? Tell me, I'll look after it
PB: The toilet needs cleaning
VV: Aw


Did I mention Parthiban lives next door?

Sharjah Under Water

What would be the last things that you would purchase in Sharjah, a place that's bang in the middle of the desert?

a. An umbrella
b. A Raincoat
c. A Heater

Well, the correct answer is Secret Option d - All of the above.

It's been raining like crazy where in Dubai and Sharjah for 2 days now. The weather agency predicts no let-up in the rainfall for the next 2 days. I think this will turn out to be worse that Mumbai 26th July 2005. Sample these articles:

Dubai: More than 500 accidents were reported in Dubai by 10am on Tuesday, according to Dubai Police’ s Control and Command Room.

Dubai: The met office warns of heavy rainfall on Wednesday morning and has advised motorists to drive carefully as more roads will be partially submerged by the continuing deluge. The rain in Dubai will surpass the highest recorded over the years of 81.9mm in January. Since Monday evening the skies have dumped 52mm of rain on Dubai and 34.6mm more was recorded since 4am and 1pm on Tuesday. The reason for the heavy rain is due to the low pressure system, which is parked over the emirates, and adding to that is a trough, a depression, which has accentuated the unstable weather.

Dubai: Dubai police control room received emergency calls from more than 10,000 people on Tuesday morning.The police has asked people not to call unless it’s an emergency.

Here are some pictures that I took during the day with my trustee phone.

Al-Wahda 8:30 am

A street near my house. I'm just going to work. Check out the waves. You could hang five on them! Surf's Up!!







The view outside my office 9:30 a.m.

No we do not have a swimming pool attached to our office. That's a road; at least, it used to be a road. I love the trees reflecting in the water.





The evening before the storm

They say before the worst things happen, you get to see the most beautiful things. That's what happened here.






Bad thing happened 3 p.m.

Water quietly tiptoes into our office. That's our Welcome mat. It just learnt that it could float in water.







I've seen enough! 4:00 p.m.

That's it. Pack up! Scoot! We locked down our office and headed home





Al Wahda 4:30 p.m.

Back home! That's Liberty Signal. Pretty Ironic Road sign, isn't it?

It looks like its saying, go this or that way, you're gonna get s.o.a.k.e.d. buddy!




So I was stuck in rain in the morning, had to wade through ankle-deep water to reach my bus, reached my office to find that water entered our office and godown, walked back in knee-deep water.

And they say tomorrow will be worse.

Simon .. er .. Bush go back!

And you thought the Arabs were quiet and soft-spoken people.

Gulf News is as good as the national paper of UAE. This article appeared in thick, large font on the front page. It came just on the day that Bush was going to set foot in the U.A.E. Imagine Bush reading this on his flight just before he landed here.

Letter to George W. Bush

Gulf News Published: January 10, 2008, 23:32

undefined Dear Mr. President; Lest you forget. Invasion of Iraq. Thousands of dead. Looting the National Museum. Disbanding the Iraqi army. Donald Rumsfeld. Shock and Awe. Jay Garner. Paul Bremer. Inciting sectarianism. Abu Ghraib. Thousands of detainees without charges. Torture. Oil. Ghost WMDs. The Niger connection. Halliburton. Blackwater. Deadly security contractors. Mercenaries. Fallujah. Haditha massacre. Blind support of Israel. Instigating the suffering of Gaza. Ignoring the expansion of illegal colonies. Defying United Nations resolutions. Securing "a Jewish State". Allowing Israelis to extend the destruction of Lebanon in the 2oo6 war. Providing Israel with new Bunker Buster bombs to attack Lebanese towns. The War on Terror. "The Crusade". Clash of civilisations. Where is Osama Bin Laden? Afghanistan. Bagram massacre. Bombing media offices. Guantanamo Bay. Kangaroo courts. Indefinite detention. Presidential orders to ignore Geneva Conventions. "Unlawful enemy combatants". Illegal National Security Agency wiretapping. Fingerprinting visitors. Black prisons. Kidnapping foreign citizens on foreign lands. Khalid Al Masri. Abu Omar. Maher Arar. Central Intelligence Agency. "Aggressive interrogation techniques". Destroying the torture tapes. Iran tension. Isolating Syria. Embracing Syrian opposition Iraq style. The Chavez coup. Denial of global warming. Rejecting Kyoto Protocol. Marginalisation of the United Nations. John Bolton. Paul Wolfowitz and the World Bank. Carl Rove. Alberto Gonzales. Firing attorneys. Nepotism. False democracy promises. Dick Cheney, Dick Cheney and Dick Cheney. Mr President; The list goes on. You might not be able to recall some of it. But the people around you, Cheney and Condoleezza Rice especially, would. And they realise that on the subject of human rights, your administration has had the worst record of all, surpassing most Third World countries. The tension and the misery in parts of this region can very well testify to this. Mr President; In a famous speech in 2003 you announced an "historic" shift in US foreign policy. You pledged to support democracy and liberty while declaring "victory" in Iraq. More than four years later, Iraq is in chaos. It has virtually disintegrated and "the surge" did little to stop the killing or ease the sectarian tension. At the same time, you gave up on your freedom-for-all prophecy. We are all back to the old ways of doing business - arms and oil. The agenda of your current tour is evident. Mr President; This is your first official trip to a land you long claimed has a very special place in your heart. The land of the Prophets. However, you started out wrong. By maintaining your support of an Israeli "Jewish State", you are flouting your own ideals upon which your great country was founded more than two centuries ago. So much for the promise of democracy. What you advocate in fact is the creation of states on religious and racial lines, thereby justifying the atrocious actions of terrorists who hate and seek to eliminate the followers of other religions: The same terrorists you like to blame for every ill on earth and every failure of yours. Mr President; It has been reported that you are here to "lecture" us on democracy and human rights. But with a record like yours, you will not be very convincing. The people you are addressing have greater respect for human rights and dignity. You also said that your current tour aims to realise the long neglected peace in the Middle East. Regional peace, Mr President, will not be achieved by escalating tension and threatening to change regimes. And most importantly, it will not be achieved by supporting Israel, which continues to defy international law, occupy Arab lands, oppress the Palestinians and rebuff peace initiatives. Mr President; We hope you have enjoyed the trip so far. The scenery is great. The food is exotic. As for the more "serious" things, it is unlikely you will make any difference.

Ghost Messages in Outlook

Background:
I run Outlook 2007 on Windows Vista. I have two accounts in Outlook.

Problem:
From sometime, I noticed that Outlook was trying to send a message through one of the accounts. The only problem was there were no messages in the Outbox. It kept trying to send these messages. It would try, not succeed, return an error messages saying "Check the address of recipients".

Solution:
I did some search and found this useful link.

Explanation:
The problem is usually because of a read receipt stuck in gallows of your Outlook mail folder. It will not display in the Outlook interface. But as soon as you install the program from Windows that is available on the site, you can fix it in a matter of seconds. It will delete the rebel file and all other files can pass through the account easily.

Bye Bye Horny Bulls!

That's right! These bulls are horny. They've got da moolah. They can paint the town, or at at least the streets red in a couple of seconds. And like all the other good things in life - they're banned.

The Supreme Court of India today passed a to ban the Jallikattu bull festival that is held in and around the temple town of Madurai. The one at the town of Alanganallur is particularly famous.

The sport (don't roll your eyes) precedes the Pongal festival, called Mattu-Pongal. The bull's horns are painted, decorated with garlands and mango leaves are hung around their neck. Then bundles of cash are hung around their horns. That's the bait!

Now all this done, the bulls are released into a crowd of men who (surprise, surprise) don't run away from the bull, they run towards it. Aaaaand, the bulls couldn't care less that that there was money on their horns, or that there was an ocean of human bodies trying to tame then. They just run from Point A to Point B without so much as a care in the world. Anyone who comes in their way, gets tossed straight from the bull-fighting ground to the hospital ward.

The belief is that the men get to show their brave, valiant and macho (to the nurses). Also, this festival is a must for a good harvest. Pongal is the season of harvest and this sport ensures that all's well. The Supreme Court must have decided that this was too much to take. Since they couldn't do anything about the mass-murders, assassinations, bombings and violence happening all over the country, so they decided to stop a tradition that people cherished and they didn't understand.

Do I think it will stop? Has smoking in public places stopped?

Check out this video. It's more like a Psycho meets Matador video. It's pretty graphic, so ... grab some popcorn.

Marriage Marathon 07

I call it the Holocaust of the Last Quarter of 07 (LQo07)

2007 to me will be the year when almost all my closest friends suddenly realized that they had done everything that they had resolved to do at the beginning of the year, except one item.

To get married! And from October to December did they get on with it? As I watched, one by one of the people who knew me fell (rose?) down like domino bricks. Marriage bells were ringing like one of the scenes from an Old Hindi movie where the hero suddenly stumbles into a theatre. Invitations cards kept pouring almost every other day. I'm not saying that I got invited to all of them, but there were still many, many that came in.

To all those below - I have put two words -
"Semper Fidelis"
It's the motto of the United States Marine Corps. It's Latin for "Always Faithful" ;)
and as a subtle aside (you guys are my friends after all!)
"Si fecisti nega"
If you did it, deny it!

The first one to go - Rummy. She found Ravi.
And yes, that's the madisari of a true-blue Madarasi. The deed happened at 16th September 07. Kiru and me managed to get invited for a nice saddhi lunch.

Pairing: Parents / Cupid


And then - Anand. He got engaged to Sangeetha on 21st October 07. He got engaged in Coimbatore the day I left to Mumbai.

Pairing: Cupid

Next Jo. My cousin sis from Mumbai.
She married ... him (3ps .. some help please!). That happened at 1st November 07 when I had left to Sharjah. And yes, in case you're wondering - we are a tall family. The guy guy seems to "fit" right in!

Pairing: Parents



Munch married her college-hood sweetheart Ajay in Chennai.
They got married in a mandap next to my depot, but I was away. I really felt I should have made this one. They tied the knot on 11th November 07. They're off to the US. This pics from their engagement album.

Pairing: Cupid




Empy married Anish in Jodhpur on 19th November 07.
I had no idea that it was going on all through college. Happened in a hurry. But I'm happy that she got who she wanted in the end.

Pairing : Cupid


The Banku man waited and waited and waited and finally married his college love, Vasu in Shrikakulam on 22nd November 2007. This was one of the those that I really missed going to. Another one of the Chennai gang. Good friend. After my recent visit to Chennai, it looks like I didn't lose a friend, I gained one.

Pairing: Cupid

Nope that's not Britney or Asin or whoever you think that is.
That's Lollypop getting married to my namesake in Coimbatore on the same day as Banku did it above.

Paring : Cupid (Duh!)





And, the last of the Chennai gang. Not one, but two of my closest friends decided that they had it with looking for someone, so they decided on the next best option. That's right! Ruby and Chandu married each other. They did it in Cochin on 2nd December 07. This is the first one I heard about. I'm sure Roobs won't forget my reaction in a long time.

Pairing : Cupid

Bringing up the tail-end of this slog-it-out marriage line up was the Garg. She married her school sweetheart Mrinal one day after Roobs and Chandu on 3rd December 07 in Delhi.

Pairing : Cupid






Well, there's only one thing that I can say. May this serve as a grim reminder and forewarning to those who still have survived the LQ007 Holocaust.

Cupid | Parents
______________

7.5 | 1.5

Read that scoreline again! C'est La Vie!

The One with the Plan - 2008

I got inspired by reading Still Searching's blog. I've never tried recording what I'd like to do in a year. I had put my Gtalk status message as 'This will be the year that I finally...'. People kept buzzing in to ask me what it was. I asked them to guess what it could be.

Hima thought this would be the year that I would start answering straight. Sagmon decided I would get married this year. Kiru .. well forget what Kiru said. Gary thought I'm "gonna get higher". I wished he meant in my career, but I think he was into his second round of "neat beer", so I dropped the wishing

What do I wish to do (not necessarily achieve) this year

- I want to get my dad's 60th birthday done well. This is a place where I want to try some creativity. Lately, I've felt that I've not been able to use it in many places

(Measurable: Ask all mom's sisters)

- I shall adopt a pet. A dog, cat, parrot, goldfish are high on my list

(Measurable: Take a look around)

- I shall finish atleast one PC game

(Measurable: Screenshot)

- I shall try to understand my sister better. In a year's time she will get married and things will change.

(Measurable: Talk to her)

- I shall learn Arabic. If not the language, the swears would do

(Measurable: All critical gaalis please)

- I shall visit one country outside the GCC

(Measurable: Immigration stamps)

- I don't want to get married this year. But this year, I'd like to meet the girl who's going to be an important participant in the process a year later.

(Measurable: Did you meet her in 2008? Did you marry her 2009?)

- I shall read and read and read

(Measurable: Book list)

- I shall continue my salsa classes. If I can't do that, then I should enroll for any dance classes

(Measurable: Didja?)

- If I can't do above, then my guitaring must improve

(Measurable: Ditto)

- I shall hope that my inventory of friends improves in quality and not quantity

(Measurable: Are they all still there? When was the last time you heard something about them from someone else that you already didn't know?

- I shall try to do random acts of kindness

(Measurable: How many smiles)

- I shall try to invest my money better and with lesser help from my dad

(Measurable: Self RoI)

- I shall stop using measurables in my resolution

(Measur ... well that's one thing taken care off!)