tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-358000642024-02-08T09:53:42.892+05:30My Space under the SunHere you will find posts related to the topics that made me think for a while.
Most of them are just random japes at the way things are in general.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12736370152657848436noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35800064.post-61266044243800268862013-06-06T08:08:00.000+05:302013-06-06T08:08:13.236+05:30An open letter to Modi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Dear Mr. Narendra Modi,<br />
First off congratulations for the by-poll victory in Gujrat. I know the media portrays your victory as one of the side-effects of polarization of the state's voters but don't worry, you are not the first to do so. I can't remember the any other politician being any better. Our dear Late Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi was there at its inception with the Shah Bano's case. Now there is Mayawati and his Backward class polarization, oh and before I forget, Mulayam Singh and his Muslim polarization who even withdrew terrorist cases to cement his polarizations.<br />
Oh and the other thing, please stop dreaming and fighting for wanting to become the PM of this country. For aspiring to become a PM you lack the most important quality, being humble. India doesn't need a PM with animal instinct for good business or the will to lead the country. What it needs is a humble man who doesn't fight for this post, but rather gets it on a silver platter if he is genuflects before Shrimati Sonia Gandhi morning and night. This devotion my mate can get you from a non-entity to be seated on the top job of India. And whats more, since you are not serving the people in anyway and your devotion is only towards you know who, there's no need to fight and win an election. Of course, this would mean that you would have to continue this exercise of genuflection but other than that you will have no role. Your bills will be made by a non-constitutional body called the NAC which will consist of some jholawaalas and your Madam and you will be comfortably voted to the Rajya Sabha by local leaders of some state in the corner of India.<br />
So please don't say it out loud. Be humble, say anything is possible and say it so feebly that people can't hear you.<br />
<br /></div>
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</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12736370152657848436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35800064.post-376741515072244822012-05-25T10:27:00.000+05:302012-05-25T10:28:40.968+05:30A trip to Korea<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<h1>
Flight to Seoul via Tokyo</h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Needed to wake up early to catch the 7am train to NYC.
Amtrak always a comfort if not for the gossiping ladies, I would have also
slept well. Once I reached Penn Station, took another LIRR train to JFK.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Had tickets with American Airlines which was giving me a
nightmare for a few days, then came to know that it is operated by Japan
Airlines which gave some relief. The alleviated situation took a down-turn when
the last aisle seat on the flight(right next to the restroom) was the only seat
on offer. Accompanied by two very old Japanese ladies who kept repeating the
phrase “arigato gojaimasda” which I vaguely understood as “Thank You”. Hospitality of
the Asian airhostess was top class. Tried to sleep for most of the time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Landed in Tokyo at the right time(talk about Japanese
precision), changed terminals to board the next flight to Seoul and got used to
the people bending over all the time to say “Thank you”. Tried out the Japanese
toilet with bum spray and perfume. Got some pizza to eat and slept for a while
before boarding the next flight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the flight met this Chinese guy from St.Louis Missouri
who was on vacation to seoul for 4 days. Exchanged facebook accounts and
promised to hang out with him once in Seoul. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By this time stomach was showing signs of giving up since
all I had was some bread, salad, fruits and pizza the whole day. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once in Seoul the first crisis was to get to the hotel
without getting lost or spending a ton of money on taxi. But first I needed Korean money. Lucky to find a foreign exchange right outside arrival. $1 is
like a 1000 bucks in Korean currency. Felt like possessing a lot of
money(around 100,000). Asked the help desk lady on how to get to the hotel and
figured there was a direct bus to the hotel.
The bus turned out to be really comfortable and the roads even more so.
If maruti has taken over delhi roads, the same goes for hyundai and seoul. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9NleaiayTt9OMorowrzfP0bjolfdKunXcadGtO0ubZ5rJ3I8vE_ATwvVhwVb7GEiF7bU48ezoEnsKG2RNOLIRmHmbzR_DK-hFJbipYEeGUSgCFohVlHuHfwR1OdMrn5j2UiR/s1600/Korea+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9NleaiayTt9OMorowrzfP0bjolfdKunXcadGtO0ubZ5rJ3I8vE_ATwvVhwVb7GEiF7bU48ezoEnsKG2RNOLIRmHmbzR_DK-hFJbipYEeGUSgCFohVlHuHfwR1OdMrn5j2UiR/s320/Korea+019.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hotel Room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Downtown looked beautiful in the night. Got to the hotel crashed on
the bed, watched some Asian news and slept.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h1>
</h1>
<h1>
</h1>
<h1>
</h1>
<h1>
Sunday, May 20<sup>th</sup></h1>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp2diNT5JU8qH5DhcXRWqErnz97v11yM9fmQ0uMQ7Mg6ZHKlmN1pkjl5akMTkq6ciX5AmlaZ8iz932_bnOP3b1gbr7Fq1aYdAnF8OYRIiPcT3Wn4OgN_mnIdFhiq92zHJtK8Gi/s1600/Korea+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp2diNT5JU8qH5DhcXRWqErnz97v11yM9fmQ0uMQ7Mg6ZHKlmN1pkjl5akMTkq6ciX5AmlaZ8iz932_bnOP3b1gbr7Fq1aYdAnF8OYRIiPcT3Wn4OgN_mnIdFhiq92zHJtK8Gi/s320/Korea+021.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Owing to the jetlag and the direct sunlight in the room I
wake up at 6am. Get a better sense of
the town from the room’s balcony. Grab free breakfast in the hotel and try to
figure out the next thing I could do. After being really impatient till 9 am I
call my ISM friends who happen to be working in Samsung in Seoul just to get
scolded for waking them up so early at 9am on a Sunday.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Getting registered
for the conference and first impressions about the city<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My friend reluctantly agrees to get up at 11am and give me a
call afterwards. In the meantime I decide to get a first impression of the town
around me and get registered for the conference. The weather outside is
pleasant and sunny.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhsGN_kE08vm28Cb4GChDmhEfblmPKDHcISluk1-LxazvPesU37laM_fQImtxgKWdD9NDRFbAuoOAaiRGB39Alq9xTlDr-4kNWJXH8uRmKeY3IsrPrGG3y6NrhGeFzwysVzjv6/s1600/Korea+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhsGN_kE08vm28Cb4GChDmhEfblmPKDHcISluk1-LxazvPesU37laM_fQImtxgKWdD9NDRFbAuoOAaiRGB39Alq9xTlDr-4kNWJXH8uRmKeY3IsrPrGG3y6NrhGeFzwysVzjv6/s320/Korea+022.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown street leading to COEX</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The convention center which is 20 mins away is a huge
structure of steel and glass covered with granite floors on the inside. It is
located right across a Buddha temple which also looks beautifully decorated
with lanterns. After looking around the huge convention center I realize that
ISCAS is not the only conference going on and that I would need directions.
Once I reach the place where the action is I quickly register and get a name
tag with “Mona Hella” written in bold letters. I guess I would have to get used
to people calling me “Mona” for the next few days as it would be too much
effort to explain who I really am. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaLXjCqK0J7_zT2VAR8BIfrNt2IcEPxiMUnZFhzifuAxtGps3OVBsGL2PvWEiYZ2TiDLsaxBjTqSGyLB1Gkb1JLjhv18XE_bEGLHaGHeenji4VPdNOhQHQflhKsSUJE_YK6mo/s1600/Korea+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaLXjCqK0J7_zT2VAR8BIfrNt2IcEPxiMUnZFhzifuAxtGps3OVBsGL2PvWEiYZ2TiDLsaxBjTqSGyLB1Gkb1JLjhv18XE_bEGLHaGHeenji4VPdNOhQHQflhKsSUJE_YK6mo/s200/Korea+023.JPG" width="200" /></a>I quickly get the registration material and get out of the
convention center to have a clearer look at the city. Seoul from the first look
seems to be a developed city which is clean, has tall buildings and helpful
people in general. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>My online gaming
craze<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUdTSNOvcn2OHzoBZk9qgKDO1irmElgXJNQYQalhVpj5B8a0n4XufYz8-LQGvvlWHwCh4yTFb9JRh2cLF_dEgnSGru2lYxHrBErBOxVgZyjqKWu4OY2UFXRc_r0GTmohORyo0q/s1600/Korea+047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUdTSNOvcn2OHzoBZk9qgKDO1irmElgXJNQYQalhVpj5B8a0n4XufYz8-LQGvvlWHwCh4yTFb9JRh2cLF_dEgnSGru2lYxHrBErBOxVgZyjqKWu4OY2UFXRc_r0GTmohORyo0q/s320/Korea+047.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PC BONG</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While walking back to the hotel I stumble upon this store
called “PC BONG” meaning internet café. I had heard from a lot of my AOE
friends about these being the reason for Koreans being so good at video games.
So, I had to visit a PC BONG while I was in Korea. The experience was
breathtaking. The café from inside was pretty dark and it took my eyes a while
to get used to the low light. I could see cubicles and cubicles of computers
arranged in rows with more comfortable seating than you can ever imagine. I had
to try and see what it felt like playing a game in one of these machines. Two
kids wearing fat rimmed glasses below the age of 10 were shouting at one another while playing starcraft2.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctXE6CJOXnx_uJfowr3wyYTDPUgkXta3oKmTmg8b5GY_u5yP9PjPgi5IjEM8APm7NhHYrWuBAsW0x1jZ607WA3Vh276_nyChb7qKlYxdI1dw-qyQBWkv6uxoXx5fNxS2KveFH/s1600/Korea+050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctXE6CJOXnx_uJfowr3wyYTDPUgkXta3oKmTmg8b5GY_u5yP9PjPgi5IjEM8APm7NhHYrWuBAsW0x1jZ607WA3Vh276_nyChb7qKlYxdI1dw-qyQBWkv6uxoXx5fNxS2KveFH/s320/Korea+050.JPG" width="239" /></a> I decided to grab a seat next to them and
login to whatever they were playing only to realize that everything on my
computer was in Korean. After the store manager couldn’t fix the language on my
computer, I decided just to look around and talk to the kids once they were
done with a game. “We play every day after school for 5-6 hours before going
home, when our parents pick us up” ,the kid said, a good alternative to day care I say.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I get back to the hotel at 10:30am and wait for my friend’s
call. The call finally arrives at
11:15am and he tells me that they are going to a racecourse in Seoul and told
me to meet them at the subway station near the racecourse. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Getting into trouble
at the subway<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unlike NYC where I could use my iPhone to get directions to
wherever I want in real-time, I had to plan this trip out meticulously by
looking at the directions on the subway map that I had printed out before
making this trip. I was starting to regret not renting out a smartphone at the
Seoul airport.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dMCwvIYk_U67Q4c_hRjraCgkr976lQuSkottr4SxlFDjBoxMCVD2FIkZTNFfpYa236cydv4x_cVCjZiZC_alUjNjq0XDTJkaG_-pdj88Ir4wi7KSK9bW_DBrS7Yp7QQS4jWY/s1600/Korea+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dMCwvIYk_U67Q4c_hRjraCgkr976lQuSkottr4SxlFDjBoxMCVD2FIkZTNFfpYa236cydv4x_cVCjZiZC_alUjNjq0XDTJkaG_-pdj88Ir4wi7KSK9bW_DBrS7Yp7QQS4jWY/s320/Korea+024.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seoul Metro</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Getting to the nearest subway was a breeze thanks to the
directions on Google maps. Once I got there, however, it was a herculean task
to get a ticket and figure out which train to get into. So I stand there
staring at the subway map and the ticket counter and then back again till a
lovely Korean lady comes up to me and asks me if I she can help. It turns out
that I need a T-money card to travel on subways which can also be used in
buses/departmental stores. I get one and thank her by saying “Kamsamhida”, one
of the few words I picked up before making this trip. Got through the ticket
checking counter which looked quite similar to the Delhi metro’s just to
realize that I had gotten into a wrong route. Had to come out but couldn’t and
pressed the emergency button that made a random guy come and open a backdoor
for me and also pointed me towards the right direction. I finally get into the
right platform and get a look around while I wait for the next train. The
platform is quite splendid better than I have ever seen. There are big 50”
touch screens which have all sorts of tourist information about the whole city
and how to get there by subway, the station and the train is connected by wifi(
yes underground subway has wifi, ever heard of such a thing?) . The train
arrives and I get in. Samsung TVs inside show important information and of
course the train has wifi. No wonder everyone around me was glued to their
smartphones. I get down at the right stop and stare at the map while waiting
for my friends. During this time 4 people come up to me asking me if I needed
help. I guess my backpack foreigner staring at the map look gave them an
impression that I was lost. So I decided to put the map away and sit in a
corner to wait for my friends. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> Gambling at the racecourse<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-94OVUIsrU9jl-3aoTObDIPq5kdXmCRg2UpWe4_lPJm39hKv3zV2NLWe545NActxeIx96KJkH31PkuWQ4cgZK2rwNNyEd89A0UVwR30XZ73gkFC4eJ3xoHNS0vj062qQEPQT/s1600/korea_race_course.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-94OVUIsrU9jl-3aoTObDIPq5kdXmCRg2UpWe4_lPJm39hKv3zV2NLWe545NActxeIx96KJkH31PkuWQ4cgZK2rwNNyEd89A0UVwR30XZ73gkFC4eJ3xoHNS0vj062qQEPQT/s320/korea_race_course.jpg" width="320" /></a>Finally my friends arrive and we reach the racecourse. The
view from outside resembles any market in India with roadside vendors shouting
and selling some notebook that shows the races of today and wagers. Having
never gambled at a racecourse before we looked around for information on the
notebook which was in Korean and not at all helpful. One of my friends decides
to find out more about the race while we try to get something to drink. He
comes back with the advice from the ticket counter that you shouldn’t gamble
much if you don’t know Korean. Nevertheless, he buys wagers for $1 for each one
of us. We try to figure out which horses we need to root for and get inside the
arena. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The arena is huge and crowded and it seems that people are
quite serious about the whole gambling thing. Meanwhile I lose my wager ticket
and realize that my horse won. My friends curse me for having donkey’s luck and
we get out of the arena dejected losing not a lot of money. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Chenggyoenchen stream<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjardXxbpjkO1X6_IIUJ2k-VdHqfBZD2TtSOlwEe41dMq0tH6Ylgj-g76QXmJIVNVHBYYi2LjNlAOQXyJf9eENi9eoX6Lz90wgOhiUcQlo4fKEqkj3whrFtJq4K2xSuw1qiCI9g/s1600/Korea+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjardXxbpjkO1X6_IIUJ2k-VdHqfBZD2TtSOlwEe41dMq0tH6Ylgj-g76QXmJIVNVHBYYi2LjNlAOQXyJf9eENi9eoX6Lz90wgOhiUcQlo4fKEqkj3whrFtJq4K2xSuw1qiCI9g/s320/Korea+026.JPG" width="238" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxqewl8U3HhCdzoBdVjU541C3uKwkhJma01vzaCqCTUxTLzHQCzaGMaAo-TSRHaD4O0o-IP2jHwYOU9Y3MRcf2oAB111JMzBXdCQ4bukPPx0TA1lmcSAytD7jsYHb_Ad4SVRV/s1600/Korea+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxqewl8U3HhCdzoBdVjU541C3uKwkhJma01vzaCqCTUxTLzHQCzaGMaAo-TSRHaD4O0o-IP2jHwYOU9Y3MRcf2oAB111JMzBXdCQ4bukPPx0TA1lmcSAytD7jsYHb_Ad4SVRV/s320/Korea+028.JPG" width="238" /></a>We figure out the next thing to do and I bring up the idea
of visiting the above stream which runs through the middle of the city. We take
the subway and reach the place called “City Hall” and get a first look at the
stream. It’s a beautiful sight, a clear stream not more than 5 meters wide is
flowing through the center of the street with walkways around it and fountains
and lights along its path. We decide to walk along it and see how far it goes. It’s
a hangout spot for all ages; people relaxing after a hard days work, couples,
tourists and kids. It is also the time of the year when a Lantern festival is
organized and the whole stream is lighted with lantern strips across it. I want to just sit there and massage my feet
with the flow of the stream. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZxdhfrYZKdOCKtyDchxWDfEQArNphZPahyphenhyphenahz45kkIh1NQN7aKo6ZYkCCf9uaeGaqzXNYR-1Xjajs2T3mjsFgV0RdHylC_GmVqkT84PNR3gtyztx1e53j-u7GL6lEXJYM1bzN/s1600/Korea+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZxdhfrYZKdOCKtyDchxWDfEQArNphZPahyphenhyphenahz45kkIh1NQN7aKo6ZYkCCf9uaeGaqzXNYR-1Xjajs2T3mjsFgV0RdHylC_GmVqkT84PNR3gtyztx1e53j-u7GL6lEXJYM1bzN/s320/Korea+038.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>A random observation
about couples around us<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhet6OaI07kIkZOgUlF2FgYtWJ6Wztq_oqZfN4l8x14nJw3eP6L9enp7yIWZRxQqFcjqH1hysRMSton0R6K7kSHy2ocJ9XGD0mP9fZ5ZPMAhwRJoBWpBALzo2F0_2g7yZ9-zHDg/s1600/Korea+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhet6OaI07kIkZOgUlF2FgYtWJ6Wztq_oqZfN4l8x14nJw3eP6L9enp7yIWZRxQqFcjqH1hysRMSton0R6K7kSHy2ocJ9XGD0mP9fZ5ZPMAhwRJoBWpBALzo2F0_2g7yZ9-zHDg/s320/Korea+036.JPG" width="320" /></a>While sitting there along the stream my friend shares a
random observation that he has made of couples around. According to his theory,
the similarity in the couples clothes are directly proportional to the intimacy
level in their relationships. He showed us some examples where couples were
wearing almost the same clothes and holding hands and smiling at each other
while there were others whose clothes were completely different and they were
walking as if they were complete strangers. There were also examples where only
part of their attire like shoes were similar.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After our feet are really cold and our bellies hungry we
decide to get out of this stupid game of judging couples and get something to
eat. Seoul is a pretty cosmopolitan city in terms of cuisines it offers. We
decided on pizza as a safe bet for vegetarians and grabbed a bite.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After we are done eating, we decide to get a look at the
stream at night which now looks splendid with all the lanterns shining
brightly. We also give our final comments on couples in Korea and put the
matter for rest forever. It’s time to leave and I obtain travel instructions so
that I don’t look like a lost tourist on my way back. Luckily I get back to the
hotel without any further events and crash on the bed.<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<h1>
Monday, May 21<sup>st<o:p></o:p></sup></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Have to attend the conference today and thanks to the jetlag
I get up at 6am again. Take the customary shower, get dressed and go down to
the lobby to get some free breakfast.
Walk to the convention center and wait for the keynote speech to begin.
Was looking forward to this presentation by Samsung President about present and
future mobile solutions which is pretty impressive. Rest of the presentations
during the day are monotonous and not the least bit exciting but I slug through
them nevertheless to get a feel of what kind of questions I might expect when I
present tomorrow.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Samsung’s cool
products<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxPd02Ea6zfzIii7K5oE2qOfGTBTg0iSQlcw8q-Tjms01HDXEoidjlrFrz5MLz0J2FwWwCEOwwf7g75JMqQzqwHEm_OzXOzhHI5fTFhkKCzQ2ubzp4Hl5Io_1SFn2_1W6VAzn/s1600/Korea+043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxPd02Ea6zfzIii7K5oE2qOfGTBTg0iSQlcw8q-Tjms01HDXEoidjlrFrz5MLz0J2FwWwCEOwwf7g75JMqQzqwHEm_OzXOzhHI5fTFhkKCzQ2ubzp4Hl5Io_1SFn2_1W6VAzn/s200/Korea+043.JPG" width="149" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWb3fYjcMDOvHstMwlDOD0CNQSLTKb6hBtzuYe0NupMHPSfsko9SDgdinj1OrvwH497EGPAFlRGwDBZO47D_L9YmrgJfkiyysA4wB3jSu0DVO5_pH4ZHhyphenhyphen1VxK9O_TbZ8Sovn/s1600/Korea+040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWb3fYjcMDOvHstMwlDOD0CNQSLTKb6hBtzuYe0NupMHPSfsko9SDgdinj1OrvwH497EGPAFlRGwDBZO47D_L9YmrgJfkiyysA4wB3jSu0DVO5_pH4ZHhyphenhyphen1VxK9O_TbZ8Sovn/s320/Korea+040.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Samsung had a organized a booth to showcase its upcoming
products during the conference which was pretty impressive. Saw some
Utradefinition TVs, transparent and flexible OLED displays and its processors
with 22nm technology, all in all top class. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After spending most of the day attending lectures in the
conference my new made Argentinean friend who looks nowhere close to Messi
decide to get back to the hotel and get some dinner in the business district of
Itaewon.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Evening in Itaewon<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This place is near the US army base and has a variety of
dining places to offer from Indian to Mexican to Italian etc. The streets are
also full of shops catering to the American population, I can see
Footlocker,Burger King, Outback steakhouse etc. We settled for asian food and
my choice was chilli tofu rice and some lemonade to go with it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the dinner I realize I have no money left and none of
my debit cards are working and washing dishes or begging on the streets of
Seoul briefly passes my mind. It’s a mini crisis of sorts because it turns out
that I also cannot pay for my hotel if my card is not working. I do have some
money stashed up in the hotel which might pay to satisfy my hunger. I write an
email to my sister about this crisis and sleep hoping that it won’t come to
begging.</div>
<h1>
Tuesday, May 22<sup>nd<o:p></o:p></sup></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>My own talk and the
preparation behind it<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After I sort out my brief financial crisis, I start
preparing for my talk. Since I have only a few slides I seriously had to
practice talking really slowly saying each word clearly, be discrete and use
hard to understand words like eco-system so that people cannot come up with
random questions which made me feel like an MBA. The presentation went fairly well and could
answer the few questions that did arise.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Conference Banquet
and the performances<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-TrRseCi8wPfHkR9TJB0McaQjXFihGgkJAb0Xjr4YjyLW8cHdxk-l_gNLp8VxEwTSY930FJUZKruxKaz1u7cEk2rg95f45VOGsJcC30WPqo44m0fS-CMlSiRVXotInhE7uYP/s1600/Korea+061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-TrRseCi8wPfHkR9TJB0McaQjXFihGgkJAb0Xjr4YjyLW8cHdxk-l_gNLp8VxEwTSY930FJUZKruxKaz1u7cEk2rg95f45VOGsJcC30WPqo44m0fS-CMlSiRVXotInhE7uYP/s320/Korea+061.JPG" width="320" /></a><b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The conference had organized a banquet at night along with
some traditional dance performances. There was a Korean orchestra type thing
played with all traditional instruments which I had never seen before but the
performance was excellent. Post dinner I went to the hotel and put myself to
sleep on some Asian TV.</div>
<h1>
Wednesday, May 23<sup>rd</sup></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For this day I had decided not to attend any more lectures
and do some sightseeing as this was my last day in Korea. I decided to visit
the King’s palace and get some souvenirs for my friends.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-tU1DthkI5Afwaf3nx1q8ghyphenhyphenoC3boy2j6iaKIlJ4sL9yclnF4-Lc0XVnA3EmdizVcX6j4XzC0sIFFpruP9u95tVvw6Y66a7IKfnYPpH-7xPXJvnW5I_KsJ7MyWCnP0kOZ-fV/s1600/Korea+082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-tU1DthkI5Afwaf3nx1q8ghyphenhyphenoC3boy2j6iaKIlJ4sL9yclnF4-Lc0XVnA3EmdizVcX6j4XzC0sIFFpruP9u95tVvw6Y66a7IKfnYPpH-7xPXJvnW5I_KsJ7MyWCnP0kOZ-fV/s400/Korea+082.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Gyuongbokgung Palace<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOeveoDqSAiy2k1ThbbKvavowGqkfCTStuuLmE-WRmwvNuA6YS150W1_W2OJqsxbDlk6Et-05KNI6J-PVEYo0MHamZSgguQAWUh0hz290uZQXdjJUikrfwfUrpT8kdXbdnRMm/s1600/Korea+103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOeveoDqSAiy2k1ThbbKvavowGqkfCTStuuLmE-WRmwvNuA6YS150W1_W2OJqsxbDlk6Et-05KNI6J-PVEYo0MHamZSgguQAWUh0hz290uZQXdjJUikrfwfUrpT8kdXbdnRMm/s320/Korea+103.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This palace was huge in terms of area it covered. All the
architecture was typical Asian style with structures fully made of wood. One
weird thing I noticed about the palace was that there was a path reserved for
the king between any two structures and you are forbidden to walk on it to this
day. The Koreans believe that the King’s soul still walks these paths and no
man should come in his way. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another thing about Koreans is their peaceful way of life.
These palaces did not have any defensive structures like walls or drawbridges
with crocodiles or places from where you could drop hot oil etc. No wonder
there walls were penetrated and their kingdoms eradicated not once but twice by
the Japanese. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Palace had several structures for King’s court, his rest
areas, prince’s palaces etc ; all in all a good historical place to see. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Insadong shopping<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh6BrB56WE5Zd-8dnEFhPk2YvwwMKXE3ZLRwBxLvQo5YfYn5K3HGLBVq6sD1804Zx2OCxy0LnFANBdzggvFDim6MLg6Mtb_6SQrgyxKtdCeMszMNhWbsS6PFJ-RaLassHk3m68/s1600/Korea+104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh6BrB56WE5Zd-8dnEFhPk2YvwwMKXE3ZLRwBxLvQo5YfYn5K3HGLBVq6sD1804Zx2OCxy0LnFANBdzggvFDim6MLg6Mtb_6SQrgyxKtdCeMszMNhWbsS6PFJ-RaLassHk3m68/s320/Korea+104.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This place is the Korean equivalent of Delhi Haat. As soon
as you enter the market area you see expensive shops where nothing is available
below $100. But then you walk a bit and see the typical chaotic Chandni Chowk
type market where shopkeepers are shouting to sell you their stuff and you can
haggle to get the best price. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Museum and farewell
party<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After finishing my shopping I went back to the hotel to rest
my bones a bit before I could go to the conference farewell party and the
museum visit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We visited the Korean museum which had old age Korean
artifacts which bored me to death. Exhibit after exhibit showcased old pottery
and chinaware and budhha. So I comfortably settled at a nearby coffee shop and
surfed the internet while I waited for the farewell party to begin.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg686ZeH6rzUgjOXnsrRD9s1z7YBqr4_ukTn_UULnGIIbh9ozfE7pfBhjBDH2ouD4l8xas6-Q9X4sV-OBrXwHSjZ4CSS6GV5PPx_miHltIMruyAmQKwejevMU4bk5H6sj4f2-sV/s1600/Korea+123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg686ZeH6rzUgjOXnsrRD9s1z7YBqr4_ukTn_UULnGIIbh9ozfE7pfBhjBDH2ouD4l8xas6-Q9X4sV-OBrXwHSjZ4CSS6GV5PPx_miHltIMruyAmQKwejevMU4bk5H6sj4f2-sV/s320/Korea+123.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The farewell party consisted of some performances by Korean
fusion bands accompanied with good food and camaraderie. Returned to the hotel,
packed all the luggage to leave the next morning and crashed on the bed.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRAElMGft5QxVlchYFToPA9E6Rz27HaV6AxM3BC3U-zO6kqAe6V0k-M2dqunB0SylbBHI6wh1gDNd7xlX2LvDQ7Z-RTk6QMKEE7dr5pd2MqKycoas557GXtYBk0nvrmCrny5r/s1600/Korea+126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRAElMGft5QxVlchYFToPA9E6Rz27HaV6AxM3BC3U-zO6kqAe6V0k-M2dqunB0SylbBHI6wh1gDNd7xlX2LvDQ7Z-RTk6QMKEE7dr5pd2MqKycoas557GXtYBk0nvrmCrny5r/s320/Korea+126.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<h1>
Summary of the trip</h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was skeptical about this trip before I came to Korea
because I did not know how I would manage being a vegetarian and not knowing
any Korean. After spending my 4 days here I realized that sign language is
enough for human beings in general and language is not a barrier at all. In
general Korean people were really helpful and compassionate. I could get around
the city fairly well without knowing a bit of Korean.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would love to be back here if possible and even learn a
bit of Korean beforehand.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12736370152657848436noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35800064.post-87630174725825122432012-04-10T20:56:00.000+05:302012-04-10T20:57:52.325+05:30Look I cleared JEE: schmuck!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Contrary to popular perception, I endorse the decision to scrap the JEE and admit students into the country's top engineering schools through a single entrance exam. In all fairness there is nothing special in JEE, it is just another burden on the student entering high school. They do hand pick the best students in the country and make them brighter and world class so that they can get out of the country and drain their brains elsewhere. Whats the big deal in purifying gold from 95% to 99% ? If the IITs are so good and trust their teaching and research standards, why can't they brighten up the little duller of the lot.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I still remember the harrowing two years when I had prepared and passed JEE to get into one of those top colleges. Day after day, month after month all I did was go to coaching classes which cost a fortune and taught me the megalomania that the IITs weren't. Think about this issue from the perspective of a high school student and the burden he has to go through in preparing for 10 different entrance exams, all different format, all requiring separate set of skills. There are so many entrance exams that in the months from January-May of each year, all the Sundays are booked in all the schools across the country just so that these exams can be written by millions of students with dreams of an engineer or a doctor.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What the JEE has done over the years is give rise to entire cities whose economies thrive on the students preparing for these exams. These godforsaken children leave their homes, skip high schools and sweat it out in the coaching classes of which just one is not enough sometimes.The luckier lot gets to stay at home but is constantly reminded of the streets on which they might need to beg if they don't qualify. Parents, relatives, friends, friends of friends, even a passerby has some advise for you.There is so much free advise available all around that if it were all put together in a single person, it would humble the likes of Sri Sri Ravishankar and his Art of Living.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Please get rid of the JEE, AIEEE and all the entrance exams and make way for one single exam which tests students based on aptitude and reasoning. Why is it important to know how a pulley works or what a semiconductor is or which part of the body is used to digest sugar? Aren't the engineering and medical schools supposed to teach this stuff? All that should be required of the student should be basics of mathematics,physics and some chemistry(I would do away with this too if I could). Don't fill students with useless information that they will not need for the rest of their lives. If they do choose the devil and decide to join mechanical engineering, then it makes complete sense to teach them how a pulley works and maybe even hang them from one.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
P.S.:Kapil Sibal, you might be the most hideous person I have ever seen, but I support you on this one.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<br />
Woman is evil, period. In politics though she is also venomous, overpowering, jealous etc. Basically a recipe for disaster. Be it the case of the "dalit ki beti" Mayawati or "Ma mati manush" bullshit Mamta Banerjee.<br />
Goldman Sachs would probably want to take tips from Mayawati on how to double your money in 5yrs. Luckily for the people of UP, the cyclists were able to get their punctured tires fixed and beat the slow moving elephants. Otherwise, the multiplication would have taken an exponential slope.<br />
<br />
Coming to the Mamtaveri side of things, starting with closing the nano factory in Bengal to FDI in retail to price hike in railways, she has showed us that she is worse than the Communist who were way better with their Bandhs and working holidays who were like polar bears in hibernation during their rule. That is actually way better than opposing good policies for growth.<br />
She was lucky enough to get a chance to ruin the present state of Bengal.<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span class="st"></span><br />
<span class="st"><i></i></span><br />
Mamta (no I won't use Didi for her) is like that astronaut who wanted to put the spaceship on reverse gear when all the thrust(The Indian Common Man) was trying to push it forward.<br />
For her to get an insight on the condition of Railways, she should be made to sit on the tracks after a train with people having full bladders has passed through it. Sadly, this exactly describes the state of affairs our Railways is in.<br />
<br />
She has learned one thing for certain though, how to use people's votes to ruin this country. Every time a sensible policy is put forward by the UPA, which is not quite often, she shoots it down by flexing her pawns(MPs) in the Lok Sabha. This time around though one of the pawns reached the other end of the chessboard and tried to become a messiah of Railways, but she would have none of that.<br />
<br />
Pro-poor for Mamta means to impoverish every PSU,the government and the industry so that the poor don't feel alone anymore. She wants to take us back to stone age without cars, without trains, plowing our fields on a bullock cart. Thats progress for you from Mamta. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
P.S: She is not even a woman by any standards when she refused to start an investigation of a rape victim stating it as a propaganda against her. <br />
<br />
P.P.S:I do feel like Arnab Goswami when I talk about politics, going around with a lathi in my hand after the politicians. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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I dare call India, a state of many monarchies. I agree that we have elections once every 5 years which are bought on the basis of biryani and some blankets, but what happens in between those 5 years is nothing close to Democracy. We have a political party which should be better known as Gandhi pvt. ltd., another which supports radicalism and many more which are born and based on thugs and dacoits. These people rule the roost, spend national assets, try to divide people based on caste and religion and shadow it all in the name of democracy and the so called supreme parliament. The agitation for Lokpal bill is a classic example, where even though we saw the middle class and the old man, Anna Hazare sweat it out, all that the political class could come up with was a debate in the parliament which said that we(parliament) are supreme, we will do what we want, you guys can keep ranting or ridiculing us on media.<br />
<br />
A look at the political parties brings back the memories of the monarchs that ruled India pre-Independence. Congress can't dare to think beyond the Gandhis, DMK has its own monarchy with Karunanidhi who has kept up with the tradition of a king with many wives. Mulayam Singh, Late. MadhavRao Sindhia,Late Rajesh Pilot,Pratibha Patil, Late YSR Reddy all have their sons/daughters in politics. The only saving grace here is the BJP which hasn't followed this trend yet. Also, I must thank Narendra Modi, Didi(Mamta Banerjee), Amma(Jayalalitha) and Mayawati for not finding suitable matches when they were young. Regardless of the monarchy, most of them are run with the support of/by local thugs, who aspire to become MPs or MLAs one day. A resume with many murders and rapes would be perfect to become a politician.<br />
<br />
Talking about the media which is supposed to be the fourth pillar of democracy, instead acts like the fourth pillar of the parliament. All primetime shows are parliamentary type debates moderated by Darth Vaders(star wars anyone?) such as Arnab Goswami. The funny part about all these debates are that you can listen to the same tunes in all the news channels because its the same politicians that flock from one channel to the next. Since when did moderating debates become part of news reporting?<br />
<br />
The result is pretty clear, India is far behind in all kinds of indexes, be it poverty,literacy, human rights,women empowerment , infrastructure etc. The growth India has experienced is entirely due to personal efforts of the people(middle-class) who are just fed up of expecting anything from the government. Classic example is the suburb of Delhi; Gurgaon. The total lack of governance in this part of the city is made up with personal efforts like generators for electricity, personal taxis for transportation, private security guards for security etc. The reason for low voter turnouts in the urban areas can be traced to this very reason. We have created our own mini India.
Those who are still expecting free grains, free electricity to run their pumps and other incentives ,constitute the backward sections of the society. These people constitute the majority of the voter turnouts. Hunger and poverty drives them to beg/plead for the basic necessities from the government. Meanwhile, the government is busy in improving its statistics by lowering the below poverty line bracket to Rs26/day. I dare Sonia Gandhi to leave her mansions and try to live on Rs.26 for a day.<br />
<br />
PS: Why do we have a mannequin in place of a Prime Minister?</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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Makes mine sweat a bit, but that's just me.<br /><span id="fullpost"><br />But body mechanics aside, you're trying to get not only to a BPM where people are comfortable dancing and really enjoying themselves, but also there's a real energetic feeling about the night. So, if you were to dip the BPM's up and down as you mixed from tune to tune, people wouldn't be able to find their rhythm - and the night wouldn't flow as well.<br /><br />Of course, this isn't to say that there aren't BPM changes throughout a night, or that you must keep a bass beat going, no matter what. For a start, the warm up tunes I play float around the 126 bpm area when I first lay vinyl to turntable - for a nice gentle start before people arrive. Pretty soon you're up at 135 - and by the end of the night 140+.<br /><br />There's also fluctuations in BPM that help keep a night going. Ok, so I said that slowing down a tune can put people off, but that's if it always happens, and if it happens noticeably (which, if you reset the pitch to 0 after completing a mix, it would be). If you're banging away at 145bpm and there's still 2 hours to go - you're going to wear people out, mentally and physically by playing at that kinda pace. So, slow it down a little - this is where I chuck in a genre change, maybe a more break-beauty tune, to bring things down a bit. The variation of BPM should be used as a bridge or transition of the night, not just because the artist wrote the tune at 124bpm!!<br /><br />Now coming down to what actually-technically- beat matching is. The technique was developed to keep the people from leaving the dancefloor at the end of the song.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Technique</span><br /><br />The following equipment is necessary for beat matching:<br /><br /> * Two turntables (T1 and T2) with pitch controls and slipmats<br /> * At least two records (R1 and R2)<br /> * One mixer or crossfader, capable of:<br /> o Variably blending the outputs of T1 and T2<br /> o Cueing the music playing on either turntable without outputting the sound to the audience<br /> * Headphones<br /> * A Public Address System (PA) or other form of amplification and speakers<br /><br />The following skills are necessary for beat matching:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Selecting appropriate songs</span><br /><br />Although experienced DJs often show off by beat matching songs that do not follow these rules, while learning it is best to select songs with similar BPMs. You also generally want to choose a record on T1 with an instrumental outro or a record on T2 with an instrumental intro, to avoid a sound that is too cluttered during the time in which both records are playing. These instrumental parts do not need to be at the beginning or end of the song, and many DJs like to make smooth transitions at unexpected places.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Counting<br /></span><br />In order to recognize the tempo of music, you must be able to count beats. Most music designed for dancing has a strong, apparent beat, and is in the 4/4 time signature, which makes beat matching easier. To properly beat match you need to be able to recognize the first beat of the measure or bar, or the 1 in a count of 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 . . . If you were to continue this count past 4, one minute later you will have arrived at the BPM. A quicker way to calculate the BPM is to use the same method as counting to one minute, but count to 15 seconds instead then multiply by 4.<br /><br />When counting, it is also useful to think in broad terms about the sections of the song, which will usually have a length equal to some multiple of 4 bars. Most commonly, if you count the bars in a section of a song, they will be 4, 8, 16, 32, or 64 bars in length. This information helps the DJ decide at which point during T1 he must start T2 in order for the sounds of one track to fade as the other builds, or whatever effect is desired.<br /><br />While one record is played over the main speakers, you must be able to find the appropriate place to come in on the other over your headphones. This is done by physically moving the record back and forth with your hand. The beat that you select should generally be a "hit" on the bass drum near the beginning of the song. This also should be the first beat of the measure. DJs will often use a sticker in center of their record to mark where the first main beat of the record takes place, to make it easier to find. Once found, you need to physically hold the record still and prevent it from spinning, thus pausing the sound. To start it again, simply release the record. You will need to physically rewind the record and start it several times, until you are confident that you have found the first beat and can start it at the exact moment that you desire. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Matching tempos</span><br /><br />When two records are playing simultaneously, you listen to both and note which beat is running ahead or lagging behind, and adjust the pitch control accordingly. At least initially, it is best to make all adjustments on T2, so that the tempo of the music playing to the crowd is not erratic. Another technique, if you already know the BPMs for both records (because you have measured them yourself or looked them up in a reference guide or the internet), is to "cheat" and figure out how you need to adjust the pitch control mathematically. Many DJs use a combination of both, using measured BPMs to approximately match tempos and then fine tuning their adjustment by ear.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Step by step process of beatmatching</span><br /><br />An example of one popular method of beatmatching:<br /><br /> 1. Start record playing on turntable T1<br /> 2. Set DJ mixer to send only the audio from T1 to the main speakers<br /> 3. Start record playing on turntable T2<br /> 4. Set DJ mixer to send only the audio from T2 to the headphones<br /> 5. Let T1 continue to play, and without stopping the turntable reposition the stylus on T2 so that the needle is at the start of the song<br /> 6. Employ the slip-cueing technique to identify the first beat on T2, and halt the movement of the record with your finger, allowing the turntable platter to spin underneath (this is aided by use of a slipmat)<br /> 7. Now you have T2 "cued up", begin counting along with the beatss from T1<br /> 8. When you reach the end of a phrase, release the record on T2 so that it starts at the same time as the next beat on T1<br /> 9. Use the pitch control to alter the tempo of T2 so that it approximates that of T1<br /> 10. If the percussive intro of T2 finishes before you have matched the tempos, restart T2, repeating steps 6 to 9 until the tempo of T2 matches T1 exactly<br /> 11. Both records are now beatmatched<br /><br /> <br />Once mastered, this skill allows you to layer one record over another and create smooth transitions between different songs. After you have matched beats, you can also fade in and out smoothly between songs, and cue back either song to the beginning, thus extending both songs indefinitely. The same technique can also be used to isolate breaks, using two copies of the same record to extend a short "break-down" section as long as is desired.<br /><br />Well that’s all I can help you with. Till then-keep it stylish and rock the party! <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Post By: DJ Bubly</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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Compact discs computer media files) <br />2. A minimum of two devices to play sound recordings, for alternating back and forth to create a continuous playback of music (e.g. record players, compact disc players, computer media players such as an MP3 player) <br />3. A sound system for amplification or broadcasting of the recordings (e.g. portable audio system) or a radio broadcasting system. <br />4. A DJ mixer , an electronic two-channel mixer with a cross fader used to smoothly go from one song to another (using two or more playback devices) <br />5. A microphone, so that you can introduce songs and speak to the audience, and<br />6. Head phones used to listen to one recording while the other is playing, without outputting the sound to the audience.<br /><span id="fullpost"><br />You could probably find this list on any website as the basic requirement. But as I personally have been through a disaster in a show and I think these are the life saving (DJ saving) equipments you need:<br />• Two pads of paper and a handful of pens. You’ll need one pad for a request list, and should probably keep one handy for your own notes. Needless to say, bring a handful of pens or pencils (which you never see again, so leave anything good at home. I lost my lucky Parker).<br /><br />• Masking tape. You’ll find it useful for sticking temporary labels on things, like tapes and discs which people bring for you to play.<br /><br />• A small lamp. It’s likely to be dark, and it’s really hard to read the labels on CDs and equipment when it’s dark(and you cant use the light of your mobile-as you do in a bar-to look for the menu). A nightlight on an extension cord will do the trick. Don’t bring something huge; it won’t help you that much and will only annoy people at the event.<br /><br />• A flashlight. You will find it useful when you’re looking for a particular CD which is out of reach of your small lamp (above)—and even more useful if you should happen to blow a circuit breaker.<br /><br />• Duct tape. It’s the all-purpose miracle cure for loose cables.<br /><br />• A few towels. Put them under your CD players to cushion them from vibrations picked up from the floor.<br /><br />Getting there<br />You should remember, however, the three primary rules of event DJing: <br />1. arrive early,<br />2. arrive early, and<br />3. arrive early.<br />Preparation at the site of your event takes a long time, particularly if you’re not an experienced DJ. Allow at least an hour for a simple event; you’re probably better off allowing two hours if you have a lot to do.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">CAUTION-DON’T FORGET THIS:</span><br /><br />•If you don’t like people looking through your CDs-which they always want to do, checking out your equipment, and the like, make it difficult for them to get to your things. Set up an obstacle course of chairs and/or closely-spaced tables to make it difficult to get to your equipment. Don’t be bashful about herding people out of your way. You are in charge, at least where music is concerned, and there’s no need to put up with something which disrupts your concentration.<br /> <br />•Consider not stacking CD players; put them side-by-side instead. This will make it easier if you have more than one person DJing--and will also reduce the possibility of jarring the active CD player or accidentally pressing buttons on the wrong disc player.<br /><br />• Music should be placed where it’s easy for you to reach, but more difficult for partygoers to reach. You’re likely to lose discs otherwise.<br /> <br />•No matter how hard you try, some people are going to set drinks on the front edge of your work table (particularly if the room is small). There’s the obvious threat that some moron will actually spill one of these drinks, so try to keep your equipment as close to the rear of the table as possible.<br /><br />• Check all of your speaker connections for stray strands of wire which might cause the wires to short together. Use a flashlight to look for these; they can be hard to spot if the light isn’t good. Check for same thing where the speakers connect to the amplifier. If you’re handy with a soldering iron, and if your speakers support such connectors, you may want to make yourself a set of "banana plug" connectors to make the speaker connection job easier.<br /><br />• If you can, place things on top of your speakers so that people won’t put their drinks on them. Better yet, put your speakers where they’re hard to reach. If you can put the speakers above the crowd safely (or anywhere at or above eye level), your sound will carry better, so you’ll be able to cover the party with a little less power.<br /><br />•Unless you’re fond of headaches, don’t put speakers right in front of you<br /><br />•If you know the capacity of your speakers, consider getting some fuses and fuse holders for your speaker wires. Attach them at the amplifier end of the cable, where they’ll do you some good if the far end is shorted. .<br /> <br />• Playing rock music for a party can be a real challenge. For many (if not most) parties, loud music is good music, so you’ll want to make sure that you have the power you need to do the job well.<br /><br />Well before getting down to the techniques of DJing its better to know a little about the musical content that is required.<br /><br />Remember that popular songs are not always good dance songs. A song that is extremely popular but undanceable may work well depending on the group you’re playing for, but be aware that you’re taking a pretty big risk if you decide to do so; it’s hard to recover from a floor-emptying tune.<br /><br />If you have a microphone around, restrain your urge to apologize for requests which you can’t honor. It’s well-understood that this happens (for a variety of reasons); there’s no reason to call attention to the problem. Similarly, there’s little reason to apologize for minor goofs. Chances are pretty good that most people didn’t notice anyway, and even if they did, you don’t need to remind them.<br />Dead air is poison. Gaps between songs are irritating when you’re dancing, so try to keep things moving. Don’t hesitate to cut lengthy fade-outs short; get the next disc playing as soon as the sound from the previous song begins to fade. Obviously, it helps to know how each song ends--does it fade out, or end cold? In the case of songs which end cold, be aware that most CD players take a small fraction of a second to start. This matters because it is very jarring to listen to a loud song end, have a fraction of a second of complete silence, then the beginning of another loud song. You may want to follow a song which ends cold with one which fades up; start the second one before the first ends.<br /><br />If someone brings you a "loaner" CD or tape of a song you’re not familiar with, listen to the first and last thirty seconds before deciding to play it. If you’re not able to do this, and you’re not able to audition it, you should turn down the request.<br /><br />Have a CD at hand "in case of emergency;" if a song ends too early and you’re stuck with dead air, your damage control will be considerably simpler if you have a song you can slap in the CD player without looking around for something to play. If you have the luxury of a third CD player, you may want to keep this disc loaded, paused, and ready to go on short notice.<br /><br />As you gain experience, you may wish to consider cueing songs to start at locations other than the beginning. There are many very danceable songs which don’t have danceable intros. With patience and skill, you can often trim these songs and eliminate the part which is hard to dance to.<br />The one occasion where some dead air is permissible: around a slow song played in a set of faster songs. A second or so is all you need, though. You will also want to drop the volume a bit; people expect slow songs to be quieter than fast dance music, and it’s amazingly unnerving to them if it’s not.<br /><br />Plan your music in blocks of about an hour. You should have a slow song (or perhaps two if the dance is relatively formal) in the block. Your mix will sound much smoother if you plan the remainder of your set around transitions between songs; think in terms of the speed and general style of the two songs, as well as the crossfades between songs (would the end of this song sound good with the intro of the next?). This is not to say that you can’t, for instance, put a slow reggae tune in the same set as a fast techno track--but it will sound better if you out a song or two of gradually changing tempo between the two songs.<br />If the dance is formal, put several slow songs in the last block, but never end on a slow song. End instead with a classic energetic-sounding dance tune that everyone will like.<br /><br />If you’re doing voiceovers with a microphone, don’t get carried away. It’s painful to realize that you’re talking into an open microphone to a hundred people, but really don’t have anything to say. Spare yourself the experience(I have been through this-and its painfully embarrassing). When you do need to do a voiceover, feel free to talk over the intro of a song or its fadeout. It’s also permissible to fade a song down midway, make a brief announcement (of a presumably urgent nature), then fade it back up. <br /><br />Crowd reaction is generally easy to judge; it’s usually more visible than audible: people will dance to the music you’re playing if you’re doing your job well. You will encounter occasional strident whiners who aren’t pleased with anything you’re doing. Listen with an open mind, but don’t feel an automatic obligation to do anything for them other than listen politely. If the dance floor empties, you’re probably doing something wrong; time to trot out one of the warhorses of dance music to get the crowd moving again.<br />As a general rule, people who have had too much to drink will dance to pretty much anything. So go ahead and DJ.All the Best..<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Post By<br />DJ Bubly</span><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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Total Reservation went up to 49.5%.<br /><br />This is how the caste scenario of today looks like...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9b/Caste_and_Community_of_Profile_People_below_povertyline_in_India.PNG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9b/Caste_and_Community_of_Profile_People_below_povertyline_in_India.PNG" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /> <br />There are many arguments available for and against this reservation.We saw lots of news channels recently calling leading analysts and politicians to have a debate on this topic.Here I present both sides of the coin..<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Arguments offered by supporters of reservation </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1.</span>Affirmative Action schemes are in place in many countries including USA, South Africa, Malaysia, Brazil etc. It was researched in Harvard University that Affirmative Action programmes are beneficial to the under-privileged. The studies said that Blacks who enter elite institutions with lower test scores and grades than those of whites achieve notable success after graduation. They earn advanced degrees at rates identical to those of their white classmates. They are even slightly more likely than whites from the same institutions to obtain professional degrees in law, business and medicine. They become more active than their white classmates in civic and community activities. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2.</span>Affirmative Action has helped many - if not everyone from under-privileged and/or under-represented communities to grow and occupy top positions in the world's leading industries.Reservation in education is not THE solution, it is just one of the many solutions. Reservations is a means to increase representation of hitherto under-represented caste groups and thereby improve diversity on campus.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">3.</span>To provide social justice to the most marginalized and underprivilaged is our duty and their human right. Reservation will really help these marginalized people to lead successful lives, thus eliminating caste-based discrimination which is still widely prevalent in India especially in the rural areas. (about 60% of Indian population stays in Villages)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">4.</span>Reservations in Tamil Nadu over 30 years have worked to such a level that OBCs are able to outshine the Forward Castes (See Tamil Nadu Figure Below) and hence the overall performance of the students have increased validating the argument that reservation brings out the best from the weaker sections of the society.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">5.</span>Casteism is the root cause of the suffering of more than half (according to the disputed Mandal Commission) of India's population. To eliminate casteism we need to help underprivileged people to do well in their education and share the same social status as the upper caste people. There are Reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs in all the southern states of India and the quality of education has only increased. The fact that most of the software, Information Technology and other advanced industries are found in the southern states prove that the persons getting seats through reservations after graduation are competent.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">6.</span>Reservation is everywhere in India - The head of a big firm is always the son of the company's chair, irrespective of the fact that there is another meritious person. The post of Temple priest in some temples is reserved only for a man from the Brahmin Caste, even if there is another person who knows the mantras. There exists practices of having separate temples with Gods like Ayyanar, Mariammal etc , which are situated outside the village and the priests in these temples are not brahmins. Janitor jobs are mostly done by people from the lowest caste, with very few exceptions, which are rare enough to make headlines There is no opposition to these kind of reservations, since these are for the benefits of "upper castes". The only opposition is the reservations in education, since those would benefit people from the "lower castes" to climb the social ladder.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Arguments offered by anti-reservationists</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1.</span>Caste Based Reservation only perpetuate the notion of caste in society, rather than weakening it as a factor of social consideration, as envisaged by the constitution. Reservation is a tool to meet narrow political ends.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2.</span>Affirmative Action can be provided at a more comprehensive level taking into account various factors of exclusion such as caste, economic conditions, gender, kind of schooling received etc. A comprehensive scheme of Affirmative Action would be more beneficial than reservations in addressing concerns of social justice. Such a system was in place in the Jawaharlal Nehru University till 1983 [called the "Deprivation Points" system] and is used by both Universities and the industry in the USA.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">3.</span>Political parties & central government paint false picture of inequality between Forward Castes and Other Backward classes without referring its own survey results . <a href="http://mospi.nic.in/mospi_nsso_rept_pubn.htm">National surveys</a> results indicate that Other backward classes are comparable to Forward Castes in many parameters. http://mospi.nic.in/mospi_nsso_rept_pubn.htm.This was pointed out by many analysts who analysed survey results and by Oversight committee in its final report.Backward classes outshine Forward Castes in important parameters like business ownership, rural employement, health indicators in many states etc. Other Backward Classes are comparable to Forward Castes in landholding pattern which is used by national surveys to understand the wealthiness of various social groups.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a5/RuralLandholding.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a5/RuralLandholding.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">4.</span>Allocating quotas is a form of discrimination which is contrary to the right to equality.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">5.</span>The policy of reservation has never been subject to a widespread social or political audit. Before extending reservation to more groups, the entire policy needs to be properly examined, and its benefits over a span of nearly 60 years have to be gauged.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">6.</span>Poor people from "forward castes" do not have any social or economical advantage over rich people from backward caste.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">7.</span>Combination of factors like Wealth, Income, Occupation etc will help to identify real needy people. Most often, only the economically sound people make use of most of the seats reserved for "backward" castes, thus making the aim a total failure.<br /><br />After you have read this you might want to know what I want to say about the issue.The main problem with this reservation issue is the government itself.Even after 60 years of independence if the government says that there is still a section of society that is backward it directly reflects as to how much we have developed as a nation.Also after 60 years,instead of decreasing reservation it has increased it to accommodate more castes and sections.Anyway,we need to be optimistic and suggest some steps so that the reservation really helps the ones who need it the most.I came across a <a href="http://dreamofanindian.blogspot.com/2007/04/reservation.html">blog</a> which has many workable suggestions.<br /><br />What I want to say about the reservation thing is that reservation is absolutely necessary in view of the country's current situation.But we need to apply this reservation in an effective manner so that maybe in 20 years or so every Indian becomes equal in the educational,political and economical aspect and finally we can put an end to this reservation.At that point of time all will be treated as equal and we can put our full workforce for the development of our nation.<br /><br />Source:<a href="http://www.answers.com/topic/reservation-in-india">Answers.com</a><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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