The Wild Wild West

Quote of the week!

2009-07-19T16:38:00.001-07:00

Something that Adobe's CEO mentioned in his sunday interview in the NY times -

If you already know the path to a goal or you can connect all the dots between what you see today and where you want to go, then its probably not ambitious or aspirational enough.

Love it!

Quote of the week!

2009-07-15T16:53:00.000-07:00

MOST PEOPLE WORK HARD AND SPEND THEIR HEALTH TRYING TO ACHIEVE WEALTH. THEN THEY RETIRE AND SPEND THEIR WEALTH TRYING TO GET BACK THEIR HEALTH.Many FAIL'

The best of 811 RV

2009-07-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

My Role Models

http://foodnsport.com/blog/articles/801010-Allstar-Kathleen-Leonard.html

http://foodnsport.com/blog/articles/801010-Allstar-Michael-Arnstein.html

History Sucks

2009-07-14T05:18:00.000-07:00

Thats right. In my school days, my least favorite subject was History. Oh, why did I have to remember when the Princely states got dissolved, or when Tipu Sultan became king of mysore. Neither Indian or Asian or European or World history interested me. History sucked then!

Now, it sucks me in! I love it now. Maybe because I dont have to write key historical dates on an answer sheet in 3 hours. As I sit back and try to lap up all that the world offered for centuries, I hope that the history text in our school textbooks of today is much more interesting. I also hope that history examinations are not set on asking the students to remember the dates of each occurance and instead focus on the event and the significance of it.

Ved's writings

2009-07-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

I have recently taken fancy to Ved Mehta's writings. He has a way of writing 'it'. Did you know that Ved Mehta is blind? Each time I read one of his books, or for that matter any page where he builds his character or narrates the grandiose of a moment, I wonder, how on earth can a blind man met out such penmanship that can only be articulated by people who can not just feel, but see the moment, atleast as per my perception. Ved, in one of his books, (I think its in his first book, Face to Face) goes on to explain how he develops an heightened level of facial vision or human echolocation that helps him 'see'.

My limited research on facial vision makes me understand that it does help a blind person to sometimes identify the location and size of a nearby object and use this information to steer around obstacles and travel from place to place. Definitely a boon and Ved through the portryal of his life through his various writings, seems to have mastered this science or technique. But how on earth does he describe facial demeanours, the mood swings, the decoration of a room, the beauty of a photograph and the subject(s) in it, the narration of physical features of a lady friend when she was alone with him, among other vivid descriptions. Yes, he did employ readers to read his books to him. Mainly study materials and the occasional letters he received. But he definitely didnt have a reader, to his beck and call, to explain every moment of his life, which he captures so well in this books.

I am sure, many who have read his literature, would have similar thoughts. I for one, dont deny the pleasure his writings have given me. I would have read, probably six of his books, and each one of them has been a treat. Its only after reading so much about him, his family, his life, his years at Dadar school for the blind, Arkansas school of the blind, his time at Oxford and Harvard, his complilations and analysis about Mahatma Gandhi and the pre and post emergency era, and his synposis on Rajeev Gandhi and the ram rajya, do I feel that I know him well. And hence, the urge to question. Was he completely blind? Completely blind, all the time? Did he regain some vision, some ray of hope, which he failed to disclose? Remember, Ved, literally completed all his education through one grant or another.At any point of time, did he feel, that acknowledging any partial sight blessings from the almighty, might actually ruin his chances of acquiring the elite erudition that he and his father always seeked? He was not born blind, but at the age of three, to his doctor father's utter dismay, succummed to a severe bout of meningitis, and lost his vision.

Date my Mom and then there is Frasier

2009-05-10T14:33:00.000-07:00

I put on the TV today and came across a show called 'Date my mom' on MTV. American TPT (Trailer park trash) at full display!! Moms as sleazy as their daugthers, and fully exhibiting the whore culture.

And then there is a show called Frasier. Off the charts now, but my sanctuary to watch and appreciate some classy television. Whenever I binge on junk TV due to my sheer curiosity (Once I was so curious about the Jerry Springer show, that I watched three back to back episodes to understand what the show was about), I detox, by turning to the Crane brothers.

Thanks to youtube, I dont have to resurrect my Frasier collection from my network drive. Well, now back to Seattle's trademark show...

P

New Year's Eve

2009-01-02T08:10:00.001-08:00

Was at NYC, Times Square.
Very Very Cold weather.
Amidst a multiethnic crowd, visiting from different parts of the world.

Cheers!

I look forward to 2009 !!!!

The Job

2008-11-29T06:14:00.000-08:00

One desk after another. One kitchen after another. Thats my life for the last four and a half years. The desk, for my laptop, and the kitchen, for refreshments (mostly water) and gossip. I have been doing the rounds of offices, meeting rooms, conference calls, across cities and continents, as a traveling consultant, that I feel, I have simply lost the sense of space and belonging. I meet new clients, make new friends, setup teams, brainstorm, 'solutionize', execute projects, try to remain politically astute without getting political, and among other things get the job done. I then pack my bags, and head on to my next desk. I wonder when will this stop. Or do I even want it to. I dont know.

Am I happy? Am I sad? Am I petrified? Am I jubiliant? Am I beat? Am I lost? Am I sane?

Am I ..........................

Interesting Comments

2008-11-15T06:24:00.001-08:00

Few Interesting Comments from family/friends/colleagues/strangers over the past two years of my stay in the States:

East Coast Folks: California, woh! I havent been there. Its like a different country......I wonder how it would be to go there......I am told they have a lot of earthquakes there....

Another East Coast Guy who has been traveling, once in two weeks to SoCal for a project: Now that I am traveling and seeing the world................Response from someone at the table: Traveling the world! Jeez, You first need to get a passport....!!

Dry Cleaning Lady at Virginia: Zip code? Me: 92626. Wow what are you doing here? Dont they have dry cleaners there? !!

Security Personnel at the airport: ID please? Me: Heres my Drivers Licence. Him: Texas, eh? Hows the weather there now? Me: I dont know, I dont live there any more. Him: So where do you live now? Me: Umm, Actually, I dont know! Seattle, Chicago, Orange County or DC. Him: Guard, I need a security check on this Asian Brother!! Me: What????

Whole Foods Clerk: Wow, so many bananas? What do you do with them? Do you go to the zoo to feed monkeys or do you have monkeys at home? Me: Well, I am the monkey!

Somebody in the Elevator talking to his friend: Man, the zoo is awesome. San Diego has the best zoo in the world. Me barging in impolitely: Which other zoos have you been to? Him: None.

My friend Jared (East coast guy, world traveler !!): The baseball World Series this year sucked man. Me who has no clue about Baseball: World Series, wow! How many countries participate? Him: Three

There are so many more, that I am not able to recollect now....will keep adding more....

Spanglish

2008-11-09T14:52:00.000-08:00

Some broken/not so broken Spanish sentences/phrases:

Hello, How are you? - Hola, Buenos Dias, Como Esta?

I am fine, Thank you. How about you? - Mwee Bien. Gracias, y usted?

GoodBye, See you tomorrow - Adios, Hasta Manana.

Good Grief! - Que Cosa!

Where do you live? - Donde vive?

I live in USA - Vivo en Los Estados Unidos

Pleased to meet you - Mucho Gusto

Likewise - Igualmente

What is your name? - Como se Yama?

My name is Prakash Holalkere - May Yamo Prakash Holalkere

Your suitcases will arrive tomorrow - Sus maletas Yaagan manana

Old Blog Link

2008-11-08T01:57:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I go back to my first blog link to read my old posts, and boy most of them are so funny and remind me of the good old days....

http://kashworld.blogspot.com

Buenos Dias !

2008-11-08T01:20:00.000-08:00

Wow, the last time I posted on this blog was in March! Amazing......and sad. I should be blogging more often. I am glad to be back.....

What has happened since March? Well, I came back to Southern California on a project, was there for close to 6 months. My parents visited me then from India and we had a wonderful time together. We visited Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, St Louis, Columbia, and of course LA and Orange County. They definitely enjoyed their visit, and I felt so blessed to have them here with me.

Last Month, I packed my bags, and came to Washington DC on a new assignment. This is my second trip to the east coast, and I have a feeling I will be here for a while. I am yet to explore this beautiful city and its surroundings. I found a local Art of Living group as well, and Monday evenings is when I need to make time for the weekly kriya.

Frankly, this year has been a great year for me, personally and professionally. I have learnt so much, made new friends, traveled frequently, reached out to my extended family, got promoted, explored the unexplored.....and soon its almost end of the year.

Well, I have signed up for Spanish classes, and this blog post title represents that attempt....one of my last minute catching up on my 2008 resolutions....

Hasta Manana,

Sri Sri and one of his antics !

2008-03-02T19:26:00.000-08:00

He says, he is a boy who refuses to grow up !

The American President Hopeful

2008-02-26T05:01:00.001-08:00

What a change this would be, if an african (kenyan roots) american takes on the mantle.....

Wowwww

2008-02-24T09:18:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ewc0srSKj78

Seva, Sadhana and Satsang

2008-02-23T17:41:00.000-08:00

I am trying to find my Vashistha's Yoga book. It must be here somewhere

(http://www.amazon.com/Vasisthas-Yoga-Venkatesananda/dp/0791413640/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203817441&sr=8-1)

I believe this is the greatest spiritual work ever written. Of course, I have not traversed the length and breadth of spiritual literature to make this statement, as an authority. Its a strong belief, thats all.

I am yet to complete reading this book though. Every page is a dweller. I read a page and end up spending hours appreciating the obvious stated and fathoming the subtlety. The book is very well translated in simple english.

In the first or the second chapter, the book mentions about the Seva, Sadhana and Satsang. I have diligently been trying to increase the above three S'. Guru Rishi Pragya explains the three S's very well in this link

http://guruvaani.wordpress.com/2008/02/19/talk-on-sadhana-satsang-and-seva-by-rishi-nitya-pragya-ji/

More later...

Variety at the workplace

2008-02-23T03:41:00.000-08:00

My immediate client counterpart grew up in the Soviet Union. Part of her growing up in Belarus, was watching bollywood movies in cinema theatres. Well, american movies were banned and bollywood movies were the nonsensical comical dramas, without any political overtones, which the government thought would be safe for its people. Dubbed in russian, along with the song and dance routines, brought people respite from the rigmaroles of the daily struggle. When she enquired what my weekend plans were, and on learning that possibly I would watch a hindi movie, trigerred her curiosity yet again. So are they still the same dance and music routines, she asked? And that is when, I came to know her tryst with bollywood movies, when she was growing up.

Another client colleague from the same project is a german. A young guy, must be the same age as me, very hardworking,. He was with us two weeks ago, but then went back to work from the Frankfurt office, for two reasons. One, that was part of the project plan, so that he could work with his manager there for a while, before heading back (he is coming back next monday) to the project location. And second, he was due for his final exam of the long distance MBA program that he has been diligently pursuing, for the last 4 years ! Apart from learning about the miserable weather patterns of Frankfurt, I got to hear many anecdotes about europe and its denizens. One of them was about a Jan 31st tradition, when women go bersek and start chopping off men's neckties, if one is wearing one. This bizzare tradition is very well practiced. According to the women, thats the day when they symbolically try to subdue men's power ! Men, on that day, wear ties that are very old and haggard, deserving a complete chop.

The next client associate that we work with is a chinese of vietnamese origin! She is again the same age as me, but a bit more crazier, I feel. She mumbles in her work ! Hardworking again, on the job all the time, but keeps talking to herself on every task. I think its the translation thats going on. She must be translating all work processes coded and discussed in english, into vietnamese, decoding it syllable by syllable and then functioning. She doesnt say much about vietnam or china or about other things. And when she is under stress, trying to deliver something on time, she goes on a binging spree. We have some snacks in the corner for hunger pangs (I stay away from them), and she devours them under stress, chatting along to herself at the same time. She is adorable.

My client manager, I am told has her roots from Ukraine. Another client planning manager has greek origins.

As I spend time working on this project, sitting in a conference room, somewhere in a suburb close to chicago, I learn so many facets of life and lifetimes, of other people. I learn about societies, customs, ideologies, notions. I am fascinated, how every day can be so much more....

The daily train journey

2008-02-21T12:38:00.000-08:00

Although this blog is for me to post experiences that I have in the US of A, this week, I am kinda reminiscing about Bombay. I couldnt help but write something about an unique trait of the city of Mumbai, and what better or worse, than the Mumbai Local Trains.

Growing up in Mumbai and living mostly in the suburbs, makes you rely heavily on public transport to reach your college or workplace or the bank. Even if you had a car, you wouldnt want to take it out. It would take forever.

Mumbai is a long stretch of land, surrounded by the Arabian Sea. South Mumbai is the area with the fancy spots, whereas the north was the dungeon. Every morning, scores would leave their dungeons to go to work. And the fastest way to reach their goal, was to take the overcrowded local train network.

The train service, one of the most efficient services provided by the government is outdated technology, but yet functional and very much the life line. Each day, traveling on those trains, is a crash course in time management, people handling, health management, 'saving your mind' management, optimization, survival skills, and more. It could also lead to depression, stress, anxiety, cravings, and easy access to suicidal opportunities.

One of my favorite sights on the train, was that of a tall man hanging on to his newspaper neatly folded into many layers, so that the end product is a 15 * 15 cm square piece that he holds skillfully with a strong grip of his left fingers, whereas the right arm dangles, holding the overhead support. He is surrounded by other commuters on all sides, not at a safe distance, but clinging on to him or sticking to him. The shorter ones probably have their heads sticking out under the arm pits of the taller neighbour. Most of them end up breathing air, which is polluted with a generous dosage of body odour. Well, amidst all the chaos, when the train has started moving and is probably about ten mins away from the next station, calmness is restored. The tall man, focuses his attention to his reading material and reads every line on it. The interesting facet is that on the other side, another person too is reading the back side of same square literature. The untold agreement always amazed me. If the bearer of the newspaper finishes his section and wishes to unscramble the newspaper and then fold it back to a different section to read further, he asks the stranger on the other side, if its ok to do so. The stranger might ask the tall man to hold on as he still has the last bit on aishwariya rai to complete. Why would the newspaper owner be curteous enough to check on the other person? Probably because, on the next train journey, he might be on the other side, reading tidbits off another stranger's newspaper and hoping that the favor would be returned.

I want to be a monkey !

2008-01-28T13:25:00.000-08:00

Yes, this is what I exactly told my uncle, when I was six. Unlike many other kids, who replied with fancy answers like ' I want to be a pilot ' , I naively and honestly said I wanted to be a monkey when I grow up. The 'grown - ups' found it 'wildly' amusing and since then it has been part of folk-lore, etched in my family's memory. It comes up in most family get togethers. All these years, I used to get embarassed hearing the narration again. I thought of myself, ' couldnt I have gone with the cliche ! ? Couldnt I make a cutie face and say that I wanted to be an engineer (I did graduate in electrical engineering)' .

I also remember the next question from my uncle. He asked ' Why do you want to be a monkey' ?. I had a darn good reason. According to my imaginative mind, built by many wildlife bedtime stories by my dad, a monkey can jump from tree to tree and can eat any fruit it wants. It can eat a banana now and a mango next. Simple pleasures! That was good enough to get the whole house erupt in laughter and comments such as , ' how adorable' ! Although my parents felt it was adorable, they were a bit embarrased then, I think. In a social circle, it doesnt help, if one's kid mentions that it wants to be a primate, when grown up. They would probably want their children to have the same aspirations that a society aspires for their offsprings. An engineer, a doctor, a lawyer....and dad's day at work would have been brighter, the next day.

Today, as I look back, I am glad I have fullfilled my naive ambition. I am like a monkey now. I am a raw vegan. I only eat fruits and vegetables (mostly greens, uncooked). I can proudly say, that I am one of the lucky few who has gone on to fulfill his/her ambition. How many of us, can say this, beamingly? :)

Three bags and no baggage

2008-01-22T14:11:00.000-08:00

Recently used this phrase and kinda liked it. Thats how I can summarize my current state of affairs. Well, if you add my bagpack and the laptop and the guitar, its six bags and no baggage(s). No baggage, cause I feel free. The most, I have felt than ever before.

One should travel. Any person who has stayed at a single spot, needs to move. The movement, triggers upliftment. Or else you rot. Same is with the mind. Explore new ideas, listen to what others have to say, you dont have to agree, but atleast have an open mind. Dont be biased.

I want to live in the moment. No past to haunt, and no future to overplan. Patting myself on the back, actually, I am doing a pretty good job. I am happy, I am contented.

I have aspirations, plans and hopes. I have thought about them, and have written them down.

I have suffered pain in the past. I will suffer pain in the present. I know that. But I have forgotten the pain and will forget it again, whenever I am subjected to it.

And a place called Deerfield

2008-01-12T18:38:00.000-08:00

I spent the weekend, going to the Venice and Santa Monica beaches, back in California. How busy were these spots? Folks, surfing, running, working out, cycling, etc and having a ball! I took a roller coaster ride, which on couple of turns, gives a breathtaking view of the ocean. I also took a free basketball throw challenge at the fun & games area. Three shots for 5 $ ! I got all three, and won three basketballs. I chose a Tar Heels ball and a Cal Ball. Tar Heels, of course the number one college basketball team and a favorite! I didnt take the third one. My hands were full.

And how about life in Deerfield? Although I have been there only for a week, I am wondering what outdoor activities, I could take up. Skiing? Hockey? Of course, only if I find time after soon to increase office hours! How can people live in these temperatures? A concept so alien to me! But again, I consider myself as an explorer, and I am sure, the field of deers, would ignite some local passion in me.

I hope I can write more on the local life in this town. Soon.

Omniprescence

2008-01-11T10:40:00.000-08:00

The Art of Living group, is omnipresent. And thats what I like the most about it. I flew into Deerfield, and one of the first things I did, was to reach out over the internet to local AOL groups, and immediately found one at Northbrook. I look forward to meeting them and participating in the Satsangs and the kriyas. Monday, is the slotted time for the satsang, and I might end up missing the first one. No prizes for guessing why ! Work, work and work !!!

Coming back to the group, the AOL idealogy is spread across the globe. Groups exist in every town. And the entry is always wide open. Each group welcomes you with open arms and showers love.

IF not Monday, I am looking forward to Thursday!

Where am I headed next?

2008-01-05T09:56:00.000-08:00

Hello world, happy new year. I am glad to be back and posting again. Well, one of my new year resolutions is to blog more. Lets see, how long this one lasts! :)

Well, its the first week of a new year. My next assignment is based out of deerfield, IL. I hope to see a lot of deer there!! I have to be at the client site, 8:30 am sharp on Monday, January 07th! Well, till last week, I was only going to be in Chicago during the last month of January, as a trainer for a new bunch of BI aspirants. With my next project in Illinois, I guess I will be spending more time in and around Chicago.

People would call me crazy for accepting a role/project in windy Chicago, at this time of the year. Well, I am addressing two of my (many) new year resolutions with this choice. One, I want to travel more this year. Traveling from west coast to the east or the midwest and back, and beyond probably. Second, I want to do more things that I fear. Cold, windy weather is what most of us dont fancy. I have been in California for a year now, and have got used to the sun. But, I want to step out of the comfort zone and face the snow!

Plus most of my buddies stay in the midwest and the east coast. I have some extended family too around there, and its high time I paid them a visit.

January 7th also marks a year for me at my new workplace. I remember December in Seattle last year. We had a rude snow and rain storm disrupting life. Power was out for two weeks, at a stretch, trees resting on roofs, houses swept away, and lives lost! Meanwhile, I was huddled with many at the Microsoft Sammamish Campus, as I used to consult there. The little time that I spent in the apartment, clothed in three trousers and four shirts, I played chess, ate fruits and listened to Bollywood music in my head. The phone battery and lines eventually died down, making communication difficult. We seeked warmer homes, places where power had returned. Folks, spent more time in their cars, with the heat on. Darkness everywhere. I was supposed to be in the most developed country, but the speed at which everything got disrupted, was similar to a similar incident in Mumbai. And the speed at which life came back to normalcy, Mumbai scored higher. The spirit of Mumbai, wins, everytime!

Some Interesting Quotes

2007-10-20T21:41:00.000-07:00

We, the unwilling, lead by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful.

We have done so much for so long, with so little knowledge that we will one day qualify to do anything, knowing nothing.

Everybody starts out with a full bag of luck and an empty bag of experience.
The trick is to fill the bag of experience before the luck runs out.

The Laguna Beach

2007-04-07T23:38:00.000-07:00

Sleep Fighter !

2007-02-19T12:55:00.000-08:00

As a kid, I remember being enthralled by the dishum dishum of cinema. I used to fall asleep in the theatre during non dishum scenes. My parents were probably glad that I took a nap, lest bother them and the neighbours with my tantrums. During fight scenes, they used to wake me up knowing that I wouldnt want to miss them for anything in the world. With eyes wide open, I was in awe, at Amitabh and Dharmendra's fighting skills. At home, I used to practice those fight sequences in my sleep, resulting in punches and kicks in the air, but mostly injuring my parents. When I used to visit my cousins during summer vacations, we had the tradition of sleeping all in one line on the terrace floor, under the skies. My sleep devouring fight sequences were still etched in memory and thus my cousins were hardly spared. I also had the habit of turning round and round in my sleep and on a few occasions would wake up on the other side of the room. Whether this was due to my own sleep disorder or did someone pick up me and set me aside from the rest, caring about their safety was a question that is unanswered.

Soon I got a reputation of being the sleep fighter. Uncles and Aunts, cousins alike used to dread sleeping next to me. All this didnt bother me though. I had my wish granted. No inhibitions, just dreams about me as Amitabh or Rambo and go rat a tat tat at the mean Gabbar or the druglord. Jackie Chan was slowly stomping his authority too. Soon Amitabh and Rambo were passe for my nocturnal instincts. Jackie Chan's kung fu was awe inspiring. With my fists clenched in the kung fu style and feet in the air, it must have been the funniest sight.

Well, as we grow up, these simple dreams are replaced with real life aspirations. How I wish, I could just dream about the dishum dishum for ever ...........

After a long long time

2007-02-18T12:47:00.000-08:00

After a much needed bloggers break, here I am...

Homesick

2006-12-24T14:31:00.000-08:00

It had to come! I was expecting it, sooner of later ! I am homesick! Yes, the viral fever, that spreads during the festive season, when one is far far away from family !

Although Christmas is not such a huge thing at home for my family, it definitely is that time of the year, when everyone seems to be in a cheerful mood. New year cometh....new and exciting events to look forward to ! Yes, most adults do remind themselves of their receding hairline, or the extra flab. But hey, come on, lets smile and show the kids that we are all gonna have more fun, in 2007 ! :)

Theres one particular new year's eve that I remember well. It was probably when I was in the 8th or 9th grade. We had exams in January first week, and on Dec 31st, I was forced to sit at home and study !!!! My vociferous appeals went unheard. Any fast bowler worth his salt would have been proud of me, for such tantrums could have hardly gone unrewarded on the cricket field. But alas, my mom, with nerves of steel, simply and disdainfully ignored me! I wanted to go out on New year's eve and goof around! My friends were waiting!

I was sitting in my room, reading how sulphuric acid can be caustic ! My parents were watching the new year eve programs that the channels used to dish out...Some family friends were also in and the world was having a jolly good time. My brother, well past his school days, was a big college boy, with freedom written all over his forehead. I just couldnt take it anymore. I got up, put on some fancy clothes, ran my fingers through my scalp to settle the strands , and went past the living room, to wear my slippers. As I was doing this, my mom, with a tone that could send jitters, enquired about my act ! Before she could get up from her chair, I was out of the door, onto the stairs, and out on the road, in a flash. Free at last !!! Sulphuric acid and its caustic properties, were not going to ruin my night out. I was 14. I was growing up. I wanted to be with my friends and the group included some pretty girls. And pretty girls in their fancy clothes, dont come out late in the night too often. Thats the beauty of the new years eve! Everyone gets to break the rules.

Well, this time, I wish I could simply get up and leave this place and join my family...breaking rules the same way I did that new years eve !

The Boeing Everett Factory Tour

2006-11-25T10:17:00.000-08:00

* The photos are reproduced from the tour brochure.

To see the largest passenger planes being assembled !

PART 1

Wow!.... On a lazy saturday, Nikhil, Shiv and myself decided to take the tour.

http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/aboutus/tours/

Umm, the new age kids...you ask them, 'Where do we get milk from?' .. their answer most probably, would be ' The refrigerator!' (No offence meant to anyone, any generation!) . Well, my answer to a question 'Where do the planes come from' would be similar to some degree. Yes, I know they are built in huge spaces, by robots and robotic men and women, but did I ever imagine of visiting the worlds largest factory (by volume the largest building in the world!) to see this.....a big NO!
Thanks to the opportunity of being in Seattle, we were off. Not too far from our place (30 miles, I guess).

We didnt bother to book online. It was easy, as ticket booking at any counter is, in the US. We were among the 10 folks who took the 10:30 Am tour. The group had representation from India (thats us and another Indian family), folks from Korea, China, and some locals ( Americans from different states) .

As we sat in the auditorium, with bated breath, a lady emerged from the shadows and introduced her self as the tour guide. She seemed to be a veteran in this. Carefully chosen words, to explain the rules and regulations of the tour, and doing her best to be as succinctly informative as possible! 'No cameras or any gadgets in the tour', she warned! Looking at our curious faces, she went on to explain the rationale. Apparently, few tours ago, an excited teenager, frantically taking snaps of the assembly process below (the tour walk is at quite a height so that we can observe the interesting stuff below), accidentally dropped the camera. It hit one of the air - plane parts being assembled and one thing led to another and there were damages worth over a couple of million ! Hearing this, i guess, each one of us immediately calculated the number of years we would have to be on this planet to repay the debt from our meagre earnings, and some of us, even didnt bother taking the effort....A couple quickly got up to hand over all items at the reception.

After this initial and most important clarification, we were told to sit back and relax, and watch two short video clips - first about the BOEING history and then on the assembly process of a giant 747 !

Both were remarkable. Power packed! Watching the planes, I couldnt help but marvel the ingenuity of the Wright brothers and William Boeing and their respective dreams. Looking at the assembly video gave me goosebumps. How efficiently and laboriously (lot of automation, and a much larger manual labour) are these flying machines built! We were getting impatient. We wanted to quickly get to the place where all the action is....

Sensing this, the tour operator (TO) asked us to board a tour bus waiting outside. Ironically in this hi-tech complex, the bus microphone was not working ! Our tour guide, banged the box, cursed the microphone and after many such futile attempts, gave up and cleared her throat. She had a pleasant voice and all of us could hear her clearly. As the bus got on its way, she pointed to our right, and we could see the test fields! Here, all the assembled planes, were ready to be taken for a test flight (untill now my world was restricted to test drives. I was in the process of buying a used car and was busy taking test drives at user car dealers, prospective private sellers!) by the customers. We saw planes ordered by Singapore Airlines, Angola Airlines (they fly!!!??), and others waiting for their turn. That field itself, was bigger than the Mumbai Airport!

The TO added: ' The planes are test flown by the customers' pilots and if all is well, they fly it to their own hangars. BOEING does not ship the planes'.

Slowly the bus was on a road bridge, and this one was on top of a free way! A private brigde on a free way! This was meant for the planes to be taken out of the hangar and then park them in the fields for the test drive, oops, flight. Untill a few years ago, this was done in the day and it used to cause mayhem below on the freeway. Startled and pleasantly surprised folks got out of their cars abruptly to take a quick snap before the gigantic 747 dissappeard. Confusion and a few accidents later, the BOEING management decided to do this only in the night !

After crossing the bridge, we were confronted with the largest building in the world. Not tallest, but the largest in terms of volume. I strained my neck to make a quick grasp of the expanse and almost pulled a muscle!

PART 2

We slowly entered the building and were made to walk in a single line, behind our leading lady. Staff, taking a break, walked by us. They were dressed in casuals, one just too casual, in a sweat sogging half shirt and a almost fully torn, faded pair of cut jeans. Wanted the extra ventilation, I guess.

The TG was sharing some interesting trivia. Some of the introductory ones were,

a. It can take more than a year (nowadays its getting shorter) from a time a customer places an order until the airplane is ready to be delivered. About half the time is needed to get the parts, a 747 has just 6 million for example. These are sent to this factory to be assembled from hundreds of suppliers spread across the globe.

b. Talking about suppliers and supplies, the costliest ones, guess.....the engines, are procured from GE, Pratt and Whitney, and Rolls Royce.

c. We all know US exports comprise mainly of arms (to maintain peace around the world, if I may put it) and wings! In 2004, Washington state accounted for 17 billion US dollars of them, just by exports of Aircraft, Spacecraft and Parts. Chunk of that comes from factories such as these!

At the viewing section on the top, specially built for the tour. We could see the giants below, slowly being built with precision, looking so bare without the fancy paint and the finishing. Believe me, building a plane is laborious. Yes, theres the technology to make life easier, friendly robots and all, but for example each of those window moulds have to be installed manually. Each row of seats need to be fixed firmly, and tested multiple times. On so on...takes almost 6 months to assemble a 747. For a moment all this didnt seem too interesting or challenging. Planes are passe ! And building them seems no longer a hearty challenge. I dont want to be in the shoes of one of those technicians, diligently playing god, with the responsibilty of assembling the pieces together with six sigma perfection.

The next moment, it seems fascinating..designing new flying machines to take the skies, always striving to make aviation cheaper, faster, less risky and of course to make it more profitable (isnt that the goal of any business!).....the skys no limit, literally. The 787 dreamliner by Boeing is one small step. This jet is expected to rule the skies in 2008. About half of it, is constructed of composite materials, making it about 40,000 pounds lighter than other similar airplanes. They claim of it being 20 % more fuel efficient and shorter by 20 % in fuel emissions. And yes, it is also meant to be more comfortable to passengers.

We were enamoured to say the least. As the TG took us down again, we thought something else is in store. Unfortunately, an hour for the tour makes it feel like an abrupt end to a fantasy. We were just getting into the mood, to probably go down and pat on the back of those technicians, encouraging them to keep up the good work!, but sadly none of this was on the cards. We were made to board the waiting tour bus, the lady driver, definitely sensing our discomfort on being grounded so soon, greeting us warmly with a beautiful smile!

As we returned to the base, to a new entrance, no prizes for guessing what was on the other side of it. The gift and souvenir shop! Caps, miniature models, key chains, cards, all with neatly marked price tags. Each one, enticing on its own right! I bought a key chain! I felt that was good enough to remind of me of the short, but enriching tour of something that I had least expected to see, ever!

On our way out, I played the flying captain in one of the dummy cockpits out there.

As I switched a few buttons on and off, I couldnt help looking for the rear view mirror !!

Fights and Patchups

2006-11-21T19:14:00.000-08:00

1. Communication gaps - Altercations - Fights - Stress - Loathing - Life

2. Communication gaps - Altercations - Fights - Calm - Communication - Peace - Patchups - Life

Yesterday I had a minor tiff with my flat mate. I think we ended up as mentioned in point 1.

I hope we can quickly shift gears to point 2 and get on with life ! :)

The library !

2006-11-20T18:49:00.000-08:00

I am a sucker for books! Deep down, I know I am. But I had never been able to easily expose myself to the world of wodehouse, kafka, tintin, asmiov, sheldon, seth, lapierre, agatha christie and others (not in any specific order) at the same time and at the same place. The Asiatic Library in erstwhile Bombay ( ya ya its Mumbai now), was in deep downtown and almost out of reach to the suburbian (dont know if this word exists in the dictionary) folk. The British Library, as the name suggests, was for books authored by Britis authors, and similar to the Asiatic, was out of reach.

Although, I could blame myself for not taking the 'pain' of taking the local train all the way for picking and dropping off a few books. But, I cant be solely blamed for this. The government assumed that suburbian folk (again) were somehow less intrigued by literature and were probably more focussed on livelihood, survival, politics and academics (in that order!). Hence, I would assume, they did not build any public libraries, where bulk of the population lived.

Libraries in colleges/universities/schools were good. They were full of books. Mostly academic. I already had enough of them, thanks to my professors. The thought of going to the library for more studies, made me sick.

My idea of a library is something like this. Atleast 10 storeys tall, with multiple seating and reading rooms, tons and tons of neatly stacked books and segregated as per field, author, academic/non academic, age groups, and so on and so forth. Add in an auditorium for book reading, discussion groups, and community building activities. And of course, free!
I would love to be lost in this world.

I did visit a library like I have mentioned above. Last weekend, in downtown Seattle, I went to the Seattle Public Library. It took me 5 minutes to avail a membership card and I was free to browse and read whatever caught my eye in those hundreds of shelves. I was like a child, running around, looking at the different sections and books, and simply overjoyed. I also found a lot of homeless citizens, using the library for shelter, simply seated there and waiting for the day to pass in solitude. And of course, the ubiquitous STARBUCKS.

As I browsed through the sections, I realized that in the US, these are basic facilities, in every main city. I did not want to tread further into yet another deep US - India comparison that we as Indians in foreign land generally do. I borrowed a few books of interest and headed out, with a resolution to make the most of this opportunity.

PS:
Starbucks, this coffeee chain is literally round the corner, everywhere in Seattle.

2006-11-20T14:28:00.000-08:00

Seattle Downtown Pictures

Its always a treat to go here...it feels like mumbai's marine drive

It was 17:45 when we decide to catch a movie at the AMC theatres! And the movie was Casino Royale!

The streets are lit, thanks to the festive season.

Pandora

2006-11-19T13:19:00.000-08:00

Your own seamless jukebox...

Read more about the Music Genome Project at

http://www.pandora.com/mgp.shtml

And log onto

www.pandora.com to set up your free account and to rock and roll !

Prakash

PS: Thanks lipi for introducing me to the Pandora ! Definitely a box to keep ! :)

How are you doing today?

2006-11-18T23:00:00.000-08:00

Thats what the lady at the counter enquires, in a high pitch, and in the most elated of tones. ' How are you doing today ? '. 'GOOD' comes the response. I then add, ' What about you ? '. The lady replies, with beaming eyes, ' I am doing good too'.

This is a ritual, a daily one. Rather something that is replicated at every counter, of every store that I go to in the US. I find it so mundane, an opening act for any business to be conducted, for any discussion to begin. Can you ever imagine speaking the truth in this act? Can I say, ' Well, my girlfriend left me yesterday, and sob, I am not feeling good today !'. And if the lady at the counter goes mushy with me, the folks at the queue behind,wont be too impressed with my sob story. 'Hey dude, say that to your therapist. In US, we have such folks specifically for the unhappy people. The lady at the counter is not meant for your sobs.'

Boo Hoo

Cab Lessons

2006-11-11T11:22:00.000-08:00

Hello Parkaashhh, How are you doing today? Shall we go?

The previous day, I had booked a cab to take me to the airport. I had a business meeting at LA. Abdul Qadir, my seattle cab driver, comes 15 minutes prior to my start time from home. I am one of his regular cab customers and he is good company during the 30 minute drive to the airport. He still finds it hard to pronounce my name, but I do find it amusing to be called Parkaashh.

He drives the cab 5 days a week for 10 hrs a day, then he works in the weekend as a pharmacist trainee at Walgreens and also attends the Bellevue Community College to take Pharmacy classes. He sometimes assists his teacher as a lab assistant. 3 jobs and classes to attend...too much too do for a living? Nope. Abdul is simply driven because of his dream, a dream to become a pharmacist, to have a good job to support his family, here and back home in Somalia, and more importantly to earn respect from folks around him who treat him as nothing more than a cab driver !

He is happy the way I talk to him with respect. He says I am his favorite customer. Yeah, he must be saying that to all his regular patrons. But according to him he has a reason - He relates himself to the indian community. The work ethics, the desire to lead a better life, the ability to communicate in the same language, the capacity to do any kind of job...these are the qualities that inspire him to live his dream.
He knows me well now. I have hired his cab services three times till date and each time he tells me how good it is that I had the opportunity to complete my education before I started working full time. I agree to that. He is envious, but he is also happy for me.

Abdul is 28, two years older to me, works his ass off and so do I. Every time, I take a ride, I learn something from the brief time I spend with him. Much more than what I learnt in the classroom!

Some Seattle Snaps !!

2006-11-03T21:37:00.000-08:00

Seattle Dowtown & the Pike Place Market

HELLO again !

2006-10-31T13:19:00.000-08:00

Yes, i am guilty for my long absence. Its pardonable, of course. My writings on this blog affects only me . So I can not prosecute myself, for promising to write and failing to do so! I was in hibernation for no specific reason. I think I was depressed, or was I happy ! Cant explain, so i will let it pass. So where was I, during my last blog post.

Yes, I was in Plano, TX. Trying to keep myself cheerful in that morose town. Nothing to do, nowhere to visit! My imagination of US of A was taking a beating. I had thought of tall skyscrapers, jazzy clubs, punks and tramps, snowfalls........and Plano was devoid of all this. It was a place for retired folk, for people to hide in obscurity after all their wordly sins....it was not a place for me. Cause lord, let me sin first and then come to plano for divine ablution !Saying so, I headed to the west coast. A bit north as well.

Now, I am in Seattle. The city that I am falling in love with. New people, new project, new client, new challenges, new chaos, .....Sunny today, wet tomorrow,....

I arrived here on 4th October and since then have not spent a weekend at home. Its a crime, if you stay back. Have been to Mount Rainier, The snoqualmie falls, the BOEING factory, the PIKE PLACE MARKET. Love the downtown! Seattle is home to some major corporations - Microsoft (my current workplace, it looks like little india out here), BOEING, Nordstorm, STARBUCKS...and maybe more!

For someone like me, who has stayed almost all his life in Bombay, the weather here is a blessing. Its like Bangalore, a bit more chillier! But unlike the east coast, like NY, where my friends say, the weather is biting cold!

Today is halloween. At the Microsoft campus, I am told that children would scamper around, and say, trick or treat....I had got a few candy pieces, I ate them all ! The children would hate me, for sure !

Make hay while the sun shines

2006-08-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

I am not sure how many folks are aware of the ERP boom. Well for many non IT folks, the IT boom is the time when dot com companies went bersek, and so did the bourses. It was the time when everything went up. Stock, Real estate, salaries, bonuses, girlfriends, marriage count, remittances, ego, personal worth, rent, and a host of other things! This was during the late nineties and till the big bad crash in 2001.

I work in the ERP space. ERP boom was part of the IT boom too at the same time. Organizations were desperate to find people who could implement ERP products like SAP and Oracle for them. They were ready to pay as high as 400 $ / hr, for a year !!

The senior folks that I work with now have been part of this boom. And the bust after that. But when the time was ripe, these folks have made millions. Forget 400 $, just take 150$ an hour, for 5 days a week, 52 weeks! Close to 300 grand!

I realize that I have been a late comer in this gold rush. When I graduated from engineering, it was 2001. Then as per the laws, everything that had gone up, was coming down, at breakneck speed. People were laid off, many gold miners were forced to return home, many survived (guess the genuine good ones).

But today, it seems the market has matured. Although its way better than the days of the bust, its nowhere close to the days of the boom. But the desperation for good folks to work on these multi million projects still exists. The fake CVs still float in the market and headhunters are still making merry.The only difference is that market has matured a bit. Organizations have become street smart after burning their fingers before.

End of the day, as organizations grow, as more entrepreneurs enter the market, as more engineers and business professionals get into the ERP space, it seems theres room for all. Genuine good resources will make merry, whether its the good or the bad times.

I am happy that I am in this space. Better late than never. Best part is that currently I am enjoying what I am into! Not for the money, but for the kind of work. And being employed to an Indian company means I only make pittance. Soon a day will come......................

Random musings

2006-08-05T15:49:00.000-07:00

Phew! A weekend finally....Time to just relax and unwind....not for some of us!! Got up at 6 am to play cricket....yes amidst our huge Indian IT population here, there are few blokes who still want to play this game. So every weekend, Saturday morning, they play or rather make an attempt. I joined them, my first cricket game and boy it hurt! With an almost broken wrist, I set out to bat, bowl and field. Blame the craze or simply the carelessness. by 9 we had to wind up cause of the heat! Its really hot here and going out in the day is simply not recommended.

But, my desperation for a car is increasing day by day! Here, cant do basic things without it. But when I think of it, this is how the Car and the Oil Companies want it. They dont want the state to provide any basic public transportation. They want more and more people to buy their cars and burn out the fuel. They dont want to see any hybrid or electric cars on the road! If man can send man on the moon, definitely man can produce super efficient hybrid cars. Tell me, building efficient hybrid cars is not as difficult as building rockets. Not that they dont do it already, but we dont see people buying hybrid cars, do we? Only reason I can think of is that Vehicle Manufacturers and Fuel Companies have this big cartel and an even bigger scam. Right in front of our eyes, but nobody wants to see it!

If everyone starts using hybrid and/or electric cars...Imagine what would happen to the fuel cartel thats spread across the world and more so all folks who benefit from it. Imagine of gas prices fall, and fall so low,...............Newayz, untill anything changes, I will have to join the bandwagon. My search for used cars is on and hopefully I will be able to strike gold !!!

At work, it was a hectic week and next week is only going to be worse. We are supposed to 'GO LIVE' (which means the user community of our client organization would start using stuff that we have developed/implemented for them). And as any football game, there is high drama, last minute changes and heated debates. No, not always, but sometimes it can go to any extent!

But the main difference here compared to home (mumbai in my case), is that people can actually concentrate in excelling at work! They dont have to worry about the basic stuff in life, cause all that is taken care of. Dont have to wait for the maid, dont have to stand in the bus queue to office, dont have to wait in long traffic jams on crater filled roads, dont have to yell or honk wildly at the vehicle ahead of you, dont have to plan your way back home in the evening, dont have to worry about electricity going off, dont have to worry about water entering your home in every mumbai monsoon, ....................

I forgot to take my camera out this entire week. Next week, camera everywhere! :)

2006-08-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

Well, its mid week of week 2 and I have hardly had the time to spend on my new blog!

Today too, it has been another long day at work!

Let me just post two photos. One of me waiting at Paris Airport and the other of my apartment here at Plano.

Untill this weekend, over and out!

~Prakash

A week already

2006-07-29T18:14:00.000-07:00

Well, have already spent a week here. Mixed bag actually.

Reached here on Sunday (23rd July) evening 7 PM and it wasnt dark at all. Sanjeev was at the Dallas FW airport to pick us up. Sanjeev's wife was also traveling, in the same flight and boy was he glad to see her ! :)

The first few things that hit me about US, is... customer service, the Texas heat, broad open spaces, and the sheer independence.

Yes, on many occasions, I will keep comparing things here with the way its done back home. Thats natural, isnt it.

Here, the folks behind the counter make you feel like a king! Lacks a lot in India, except in high end restaurants or shopping malls. Next, there are no people stamping on each others shoes. Theres so much open space, that sometimes its hard to find people. For a Mumbaite, this is a wierd, uncomfortable phenomenon. We are so used to forcibly sniffing others armpits in our local trains....not finding a single soul for miles is too unnatural! :) Yesterday, I went to a WAL MART store(we had read so much about retailing in our MBA classes, and WM was a favorite example, that i was very excited to visit the store). IT WAS HUGE! Probably our VT station in Mumbai was as huge! And i could see, folks loading their pickup trucks with probably a months supplies.....

Heat was ok.. For me, the west was always a cold place. I was well aware that it is summer season here, but never thought that summer here was as bad or as good as Mumbai.

And yes, no bus, no train, only cars. No folks manning the petrol station (yes yes, its gas here)...all do it yourself culture.

Anuj, my project mate and an Infoscion, visited and invited me to his place for dinner. His wife and mother had joined him recently. His house did give an impression that he is quite settled here! After 23 hrs of being airborne (Mbai to Paris, Paris to Atlanta, Atlanta to Dallas and Dallas to Plano by road), edible home made indian food was a welcome respite.

Last time when I was in Hong Kong, for nearly three monhts, I learnt one important lesson. Whenever you travel abroad, and intend to stay there for long, do remember to take the HAWKINS pressure cooker along ! A lifesaver...:) I had erred in HK, not this time. I was ready with my arsenal...All essentials like the Indian Masala, Spices, Pressure Cooker, Medicines, were well packed.

Monday, and my first day at work. Our client's workplace is not far from our apartment block. Anuj picked me up from my house (i had a minor bike accident in India a weeek before I left...Was limping and still have a sore hand) and reached office in 15 mins. The client knew me well as I was working in Pune for the same project for six months. My job was much easy here...Didnt have to make a good first impression !! :) Within 30 mins, My desk wass setup, my laptop allocated and security badge ready, and I was raring to go. Only for a small hiccup...Jet Lag !

It was noon, when i started to feel the effects of a mundane 23 hr journey. I was so sleepy ( i hadnt slept well the night before), that I had to throw water on my face on more than one occasion. I guess everyone at the workplace knew (most of my colleagues would have faced this too). The client didnt discuss many project related activities either!:)

By wednesday, the Jet Lag was almost gone. I also got busy taking care of some personal stuff, like getting a bank account opened. It was so easy. At WELLS FARGO, the service was so quick, that within 15 mins my account was ready. They made it so simple, even for an alien (any NON US Citizen, is an alien!!). No snide remarks, no suspicious glances (they are so used to Indian IT folks now).....Go to an SBI branch in India and you will spend the first 15 mins in queue!

One interesting point...Rutwik (one of my project mates) was kind enough to take me to Wells Fargo (in his car). The first thing the gentleman at the counter asked was 'Do you want to open a joint account?'. And thats when I was 100 % sure that I had arrived in the US!! :) The GAY WORLD does exist here...and probably a lot of gay men do walk into banks to open a joint account! A small chuckle from me (i was offended though) and a reply 'NO' was good enough to start the process...

Next week, I need to get my SSN and initiate the process for a DL. Moree later....

Will post photos...soon

Luv
~Prakash

Howdy

2006-07-29T08:56:00.000-07:00

Well, its my first trip to the west! And I guess, I will be here for a while!

Already miss my India and my home! But, these days, India and Indians are everywhere. And a lot right, here in downtown Dallas!!

~kash