A funny thing happened the other day. An acquaintance of a distant relative of mine called me from Dubai. The girl it seems has made it NUJS and also a college in the US. She wanted to know which she should join if she wanted to become a lawyer in the States. After getting over the initial shock of speaking to someone who was making her career plans 5-7 years in advance I spoke pretty freely with her telling her that you learn "fuck-all" in NUJS and its a "load of bullshit anyway". I also used a bunch of other expletives. The girl stayed pretty quiet and then, to my surprise, her mom was on the phone. Turned out she was on speakerphone all the time! She wanted to know what was the best thing to do in order to get into Harvard Law School.
I think I scared them off Indian law schools eventually, telling them about the drug abuse and suicides that take place in them.
Something about oil pices in India which I can't understand. Someone with a better understanding of government or finance please explain.
Facts:
1. Crude oil is piced at $132 a barell. (Pretty irrelevant actually).
2. The price of petrol is about 50 Rs. per liter in India for the consumer.
3. If the government charged no duties, i.e.customs and excise, (but subsidized oil companies) the price of petrol would be about Rs. 20 per liter.
4. If the government didn't subsidize oil companies (but charged duties) the price of petrol would be about 65 Rs. per liter.
Can someone please explain why the government first charges duties (increasing the price of oil) and then provides a subsidy (decreasing the price of oil.) Seems like a lot of extra work to me.
I am currently down with a pretty bad fever. My binocular adapter should be here on Sunday though. Lets hope for clear skies.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Speaking the Engineers' English
A friend today informed me that the Vellore Institute of Technology (one of India's premier engineering colleges) has a course called "Polite English for Engineers." This I pretty much refused to believe but an "English for engineers" search on Google throws up 13,200 hits. I mean every discipline has its own language and grammar but this is clearly taking it a bit too far.
By the way, this is the Telectroscope. It allows people from London and New York to view each other in real time. It was opened to the public on May 19 2008. According to its official website the telectroscope is a mirrored transatlantic tunnel which reflects images from across the Atlantic. The site also says that the tunnel was built according to plans left behind by the constructor's grandfather a century ago. This I was not buying.
And sure enough, a little research revealed that it was only an artistic installation and the images were actually camera recordings transported through high speed optic fibre and displayed on the "lens" of the telectroscope which is actually a high definition visual display unit. Sweet though.
By the way, this is the Telectroscope. It allows people from London and New York to view each other in real time. It was opened to the public on May 19 2008. According to its official website the telectroscope is a mirrored transatlantic tunnel which reflects images from across the Atlantic. The site also says that the tunnel was built according to plans left behind by the constructor's grandfather a century ago. This I was not buying.And sure enough, a little research revealed that it was only an artistic installation and the images were actually camera recordings transported through high speed optic fibre and displayed on the "lens" of the telectroscope which is actually a high definition visual display unit. Sweet though.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
TREK Madone 4.5
This is the Trek Madone 4.5. A full carbon frame, Botranger components and Shimano 105 gears makes it one of the best in the Trek range. Oh, it weighs about 6.8 Kgs. Orgasm. Orgasm.Orgasm.
Click image for a larger view.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Of Eternity
I haven't had much to do over the last few days and this schedule is set to continue for another 3 months or so. The monotony is really getting to me. I don't like stability and routine too much anyway. In fact, if I were a believer I'm pretty sure I'd be scared as shit of hell- eternal damnation.You see, its eternal bit which freaks me out, not the damnation. My masochistic side wouldn't really mind the occasional whipping or slow roast over a fire but to have nothing else to look forward to would be the real torture.
The Times of India informs me that in Baghdad bodybuilding is a real fad (with Arnie as the idol) since getting "outside exercise is dangerous." Amen.
Dark skies over Calcutta have made stargazing difficult but I did spot Praespe the other day- a magnitude 3 star cluster. It was near Mars, and hence easy to spot. Faint and not very spectacular but there nonetheless.
Oil remains above $130 a barell and petrol prices may rise by up to 16 rupees a litre in India. Bye-bye taxi rides.
The Times of India informs me that in Baghdad bodybuilding is a real fad (with Arnie as the idol) since getting "outside exercise is dangerous." Amen.
Dark skies over Calcutta have made stargazing difficult but I did spot Praespe the other day- a magnitude 3 star cluster. It was near Mars, and hence easy to spot. Faint and not very spectacular but there nonetheless.
Oil remains above $130 a barell and petrol prices may rise by up to 16 rupees a litre in India. Bye-bye taxi rides.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Recent Media Consumed
William Dalrymlple's "City of Djinns" is one of the worst books I have read in sometime. I wouldn't recommend it to you unless you have an extraordinary interest in Mughal architecture or want to revise your ICSE history. The book, labeled a travelogue, records little travel on Dalrymple's part and is essentially a series of interviews with various guides and scholars in Delhi regarding its architecture and history. Some intersting facts about contemporary Delhi, such as the chapter which speak of Delhi's Hijra population does make the book tolerable but they are few and far between.
Speaking of authors, a few days back I learnt of Rudyard Kipling's contempt for Bengalis in the Raj era. Interestingly, he makes this contempt apparent in the Jungle Book. In the book Baloo the bear and Baghera the panther are the British and the bandar log (monkeys) are the Bengalis. Thus Mowgli's meeting with the bandar log makes Baloo and Baghera very angry and they scold Mowgli, "The Monkey People are forbidden, forbidden to the Jungle People...They are always just going to have a leader, and laws and customs of thier own but they never did, becuase their memories will not hold over from day to day, and so they compromised things by making up a saying: "What the Bandar Log think now the Jungle will think later". Kipling was of course aware that this is what was said of the Bengalis in the late nineteenth century in recognition of their pioneering ways at that time.
Cobbie Callilat is marketing her new album, Coco, and according to the ad one of the draws for the average music fan is that she has "over 250,000 Facebook friends."I rest my case.
Speaking of authors, a few days back I learnt of Rudyard Kipling's contempt for Bengalis in the Raj era. Interestingly, he makes this contempt apparent in the Jungle Book. In the book Baloo the bear and Baghera the panther are the British and the bandar log (monkeys) are the Bengalis. Thus Mowgli's meeting with the bandar log makes Baloo and Baghera very angry and they scold Mowgli, "The Monkey People are forbidden, forbidden to the Jungle People...They are always just going to have a leader, and laws and customs of thier own but they never did, becuase their memories will not hold over from day to day, and so they compromised things by making up a saying: "What the Bandar Log think now the Jungle will think later". Kipling was of course aware that this is what was said of the Bengalis in the late nineteenth century in recognition of their pioneering ways at that time.
Cobbie Callilat is marketing her new album, Coco, and according to the ad one of the draws for the average music fan is that she has "over 250,000 Facebook friends."I rest my case.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Of Culture and Change
The "cultural genocide" which is being practiced by China in Tibet dominated headlines recently. Most pro-Tibet activists seem to be of the opinion that democracy in China would solve this problem and protect Tibetan culture. While I agree that democracy is infinitely preferable to the farce of a government that now rules China I think it is important to understand that democracy too comes with its own set of limitations and problems when it comes to protecting a way of life.
Take the city of Calcutta for example. The city has traditionally been known for its intellectual atmosphere and colonial charm; for ideas hatched in tea shacks, seedy bars and coffee shops, for bearded poets with slung jholas and for lazy Sunday afternoons spent drinking on the lawn. Today though, this way of life is fast disappearing. The nightclubs have replaced the bars, malls have taken over from the shacks and ipods are easier to spot than jholas. The reason for this change is not difficult to identify: Calcutta's native Bengali community forms only thirty-three percent of the city's population having been replaced, along with their culture, by migrants from different parts of India who have used the freedom of movement and trade guaranteed in a democracy to settle down in Calcutta and change the city.
This does not mean that I advocate a Raj Thackery style xenophobic "sons of the soil" ideology. Nor do I pass judgement on one way of life or another. It is however, important to note that democracy comes with its own set of issues and it is hardly a magic wand which can protect a community's culture: Even in a democratic China, large numbers of the Chinese Haan population would move to the resource rich Tibetan region and eventually economics would ensure that their way of life would dominate that of the Tibetans.
In other news, oil prices have now hit $135 a barrel and according to today's newspapers India will soon start oil rationing. This is also the reason why food prices have skyrocketed 60 percent in two years in spite of increased production. As someone who once made the much ridiculed prediction that oil will no longer be a viable purchase for the common man by 2015 I can only sit back and smile, and wait. For those of you more interested in the effect of the oil crisis here is a nice article.
Take the city of Calcutta for example. The city has traditionally been known for its intellectual atmosphere and colonial charm; for ideas hatched in tea shacks, seedy bars and coffee shops, for bearded poets with slung jholas and for lazy Sunday afternoons spent drinking on the lawn. Today though, this way of life is fast disappearing. The nightclubs have replaced the bars, malls have taken over from the shacks and ipods are easier to spot than jholas. The reason for this change is not difficult to identify: Calcutta's native Bengali community forms only thirty-three percent of the city's population having been replaced, along with their culture, by migrants from different parts of India who have used the freedom of movement and trade guaranteed in a democracy to settle down in Calcutta and change the city.
This does not mean that I advocate a Raj Thackery style xenophobic "sons of the soil" ideology. Nor do I pass judgement on one way of life or another. It is however, important to note that democracy comes with its own set of issues and it is hardly a magic wand which can protect a community's culture: Even in a democratic China, large numbers of the Chinese Haan population would move to the resource rich Tibetan region and eventually economics would ensure that their way of life would dominate that of the Tibetans.
In other news, oil prices have now hit $135 a barrel and according to today's newspapers India will soon start oil rationing. This is also the reason why food prices have skyrocketed 60 percent in two years in spite of increased production. As someone who once made the much ridiculed prediction that oil will no longer be a viable purchase for the common man by 2015 I can only sit back and smile, and wait. For those of you more interested in the effect of the oil crisis here is a nice article.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Yet More Images of India
Recently I came across the following post on a Blog I read:
"Hyper-consumerism[:] Life is now officially about the stuff one owns. Not about who one is, what one does or can do, one's ethics, philosophy, knowledge, wisdom. It's about the lawnmower and the sweater."
I saw an advertisement recently which typified this trend of tying up one's identity with one's possessions pretty blatantly. It features your typical "young professional" in a shiny suit with a mobile phone and the print says, "I am Samsung Mobile". Maybe I don't understand this because I don't own a cellphone but even if I did I'm pretty sure I wouldn't get why anyone would want to be identified as the phone they own.
But you can't blame corporations for trying. You really can sell anything nowadays. For example, on 13th April the Times of India informed me that one can make a lucrative living as a "smile designer".
Consumerism does however make for a few humorous moments. For example the other day I saw an ad for a fitness center, "Soumen's Workout", which did a take on the Knight Riders' slogan Korbo, Lorbo Jeetbo (will do, will fight, will win) with its own slogan, "Korbo, Lorbo, Kombo". (Kombo in Bengali means. "will lessen").
"Hyper-consumerism[:] Life is now officially about the stuff one owns. Not about who one is, what one does or can do, one's ethics, philosophy, knowledge, wisdom. It's about the lawnmower and the sweater."
I saw an advertisement recently which typified this trend of tying up one's identity with one's possessions pretty blatantly. It features your typical "young professional" in a shiny suit with a mobile phone and the print says, "I am Samsung Mobile". Maybe I don't understand this because I don't own a cellphone but even if I did I'm pretty sure I wouldn't get why anyone would want to be identified as the phone they own.
But you can't blame corporations for trying. You really can sell anything nowadays. For example, on 13th April the Times of India informed me that one can make a lucrative living as a "smile designer".
Consumerism does however make for a few humorous moments. For example the other day I saw an ad for a fitness center, "Soumen's Workout", which did a take on the Knight Riders' slogan Korbo, Lorbo Jeetbo (will do, will fight, will win) with its own slogan, "Korbo, Lorbo, Kombo". (Kombo in Bengali means. "will lessen").
Friday, May 9, 2008
Images of India
I came accross a magazine called "Images of India" in my house yesterday. The three cover stories were called (in order of absurdity) "20 Ways To Make Your Child Smarter", "6 Ways to Increase Your Life Span" and "Let Your Favourite Actor Help You Choose Your Wardrobe."
You really can sell anything nowadays.
Speaking of selling stuff I saw a guy at the Eden Gardens yesterday who had been sold a Knight Riders Jersey. It was one of those cheap 'your name on the back' jerseys one gets in Maidan Market. What caught my eye was that this supporter had decided to print "SPAWN" on the back of his jersey for some reason. After wondering for a while as to why this guy was advertising a death metal band at a cricket match it struck me that I had it all wrong. The person's name was Swapan (Pronounced "shaw-pone" in Bengali) and someone had marginally messed up the spelling.
You really can sell anything nowadays.
Speaking of selling stuff I saw a guy at the Eden Gardens yesterday who had been sold a Knight Riders Jersey. It was one of those cheap 'your name on the back' jerseys one gets in Maidan Market. What caught my eye was that this supporter had decided to print "SPAWN" on the back of his jersey for some reason. After wondering for a while as to why this guy was advertising a death metal band at a cricket match it struck me that I had it all wrong. The person's name was Swapan (Pronounced "shaw-pone" in Bengali) and someone had marginally messed up the spelling.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Of Gerontophobia
Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "Love in the time of Cholera" is a book I have started reading many times but, for some reason or the other, have been unable to complete. A passage on page seventeen though has caught my eye:
"A long time ago, in a deserted beach in Haiti where the two of them lay naked after love, Jeremaih de Saint-Amour had sighed: 'I will never be old.'"
Increasingly, I find myself in agreement with these Gerontophobic fears. This does not mean I want to be a Shah Rukh Khan or an Amitabh Bachan. Being eighteen is not just about having a six-pack, sporting long hair or wearing obtuse sunglasses. Being eighteen is about (or at least was) wanting to change the world, not giving a damn about money and believing you can climb Mount Everest.
But I digress. What I wanted to say was that I have really been eighteen the past few months: I have had little to worry about, travelled as much as possible and had the opportunity to be with those I respect and love. A random conversation with Archie (who is interning in a law firm in Calcutta) yesterday reminded me that this shall soon change. Ergo, the gerontophobia.
In other news, I played my first semi-serious game of football for eight months a few days back. After the initial shock of realizing how unfit I was (and twisting my ankle) I settled into the game and ended it with two assists and a goal. Not a bad return. I then came back and broke a vase on my mom's mantelpiece when I was kicking around a crazy ball in the house.
I also came across the Golbach Conjecture yesterday. It is one of the elegantly simple but unproven statements in mathematics: It states that every even number greater than two can be expressed as the sum of two primes. As in, 12 is the sum of 7 and 5, 14 is the sum of 11 and 3 and so on. It would be cool if someone read this off my blog and set about proving it.
"A long time ago, in a deserted beach in Haiti where the two of them lay naked after love, Jeremaih de Saint-Amour had sighed: 'I will never be old.'"
Increasingly, I find myself in agreement with these Gerontophobic fears. This does not mean I want to be a Shah Rukh Khan or an Amitabh Bachan. Being eighteen is not just about having a six-pack, sporting long hair or wearing obtuse sunglasses. Being eighteen is about (or at least was) wanting to change the world, not giving a damn about money and believing you can climb Mount Everest.
But I digress. What I wanted to say was that I have really been eighteen the past few months: I have had little to worry about, travelled as much as possible and had the opportunity to be with those I respect and love. A random conversation with Archie (who is interning in a law firm in Calcutta) yesterday reminded me that this shall soon change. Ergo, the gerontophobia.
In other news, I played my first semi-serious game of football for eight months a few days back. After the initial shock of realizing how unfit I was (and twisting my ankle) I settled into the game and ended it with two assists and a goal. Not a bad return. I then came back and broke a vase on my mom's mantelpiece when I was kicking around a crazy ball in the house.
I also came across the Golbach Conjecture yesterday. It is one of the elegantly simple but unproven statements in mathematics: It states that every even number greater than two can be expressed as the sum of two primes. As in, 12 is the sum of 7 and 5, 14 is the sum of 11 and 3 and so on. It would be cool if someone read this off my blog and set about proving it.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Bhutan Photos
Giving into much demand I have finally uploaded a selection from the photos I took in Bhutan. If you have Picasa you can download the entire album and view it on from your hard disk. They are availabe for viewing here.
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