Google wave

checkout Google wave. There is a 1 hour 20 minute video on wave and its cool features.
http://wave.google.com/

I am too excited with this .....

I am too excited since I have read this ....

Sailing in Goa

YHAI is organizing a 6 day Sailing program in Goa
Read more about it at http://www.scribd.com/full/14653438?access_key=key-qerpw0exlgn4vz5uers

Finally my iphone is unlocked

After long hibernation of 7 months, my iphone got unlocked. I am very happy abut it now
Also, my external Hard disk got repaired, I had to replace the USB casing to get it working.
Read my other post Sakkappa September

what a victory

Superb semifinal victory for Royal Challengers Bangalore over Chennai Super Kings in the semi final of IPL2.
Good luck to RCB for the finals against Deccan Challengers

Back from the Himalayan trek

I finished my trek successfully to Saukundi Pass and came back to Bangalore on 6th May. I will write a trip report and upload the photos soon.

After a long gap of 2 years, I have packed my rucksack again. I am going on a Himalayan trek with YHAI. This time to Saurkundi Pass.
The details of the trek are at http://www.yhaindia.org/files/adv_programs/description/saurkundipass.htm
My previous trek was during April 2007 to Kedarkantha

No time to blog

There was a time when people used to ask me how I get time for blogging. I used to tell them, 'if you are interested in something, then you will find time for doing it'. Today, I am finding it very difficult to get time out of my hectic day. Damn Bangalore traffic, which eats away 3 hours of my precious time.
Some people tell me that they wished there was a couple of more hours in a day than just 24. I think, the way my day goes (between office, home and traffic), even the 2 extra hours will get eaten up without doing what I want to do.
Hope I can get some time for myself from May, so that I can get back to writing more.

Changes noticed in Pizza Hut

After I wrote to Pizza Hut, about their Anti kannada Policy, I was wondering if they have taken any action. Last week, I had been to the same Pizza Hut again and spoke to the staff. There was a change in the staff's approach. They replied to me in Kannada when I spoke to them in Kannada. I called the same waiter, with whom, I had interacted the previous time. I asked him if anything had changed. He told me that the one of the senior guy from the management team had come down to the outlet and had instructed all the staff to talk to the customers in Kannada if they preferred. He told me that the manager mentioned about the complaint they had received about the outlet's Anti kannada policy.
I was happy about their change. I was more happy that I had influenced a Pizza Hut to adopt and honor the local language.

Indian railways - Ticket availability info made easy

Their UI is amazing. By far the best for train ticketing online in India.

Cleartrip Train Calendar provides an indication of availability for a range of dates across trains, so you can find the best date and train to travel. The availability you see here may have changed at the time you try and book.



http://www.cleartrip.com/trains/calendar

Wingsuit base jumping - Awesome stuff

wingsuit base jumping from Ali on Vimeo.

Pizza Hut's response

After posting Pizza Hut's Anti Kannada policy blog, I even left a feedback at their website. One day later, I received a call from Pizza Hut. The representative apologized for their actions. However, he denied that they had any policy, which says that the staff cannot speak in Kannada. When I told him the whole story, about how the staff was afraid to speak in Kannada, he kept repeating that there was some confusion and mistake from the staff, but never admitted the fact that they have a Anti Kannada Policy. He also told me that he will talk to the staff to clear the confusion (if they have any) regarding their policy towards speaking in Kannada.
Some of the people whom I have to spoken to and some people who have read my blog have told me that they have had similar bad experiences with Pizza Hut.
All I can do is probably go to one of Pizza Hut outlets some time and verify.

Pizza hut's Anti Kannada Policy

Recently I had been to Pizza Hut in Ring road near Kamakya theater in Bangalore. As we were placing our orders, I noticed that the waiter replied to everything that I asked in English. When I asked him if he was not familiar with the language, he told me that he was a Kannadiga, but he was not allowed to talk in Kannada. When I inquired more he told me that, it was the Pizza Hut policy that the staff was strictly instructed not to speak in Kannada. I was furious at their racial policy. How can Pizza Hut not respect the the local language. They want to do business in Karnataka and make money, but don't want to encourage the local language. Forget encouragement, they were discouraging it. This is a highly racial attitude. I condemn their policy.
I even left a feed back about this at their drop box.

As I was in the middle of voicing my opinion with the staff, I noticed two elderly ladies in their sixties, enter the outlet. I could hear them speak as they were quite loud. They called the waiter and told them that they were coming to their 'Hotel' for the first time and wanted some help in ordering the food. It was very evident, that both the ladies were not able to talk in English. The waiter helped them smilingly with their questions - All in Kannada. If the waiter had strictly followed their anti Kannada policy, then Pizza Hut would have lost the business and would have left 2 more unhappy customers (apart from me).
Later, my wife told me that she and her cousin too have voiced their opinion at a different outlet about the policy.
I would request every reader to go the pizza hut website http://www.crm.pizzahut.co.in/index.php and give a feedback about their policy

avarekai mela

I had been to the 'Avarekai Mela' last Sunday. I heard about it from my sister and went there with my family to feast on various snacks made out of Avarekai (lilva beans).
Out of the many dishes available, I tasted the Avarekai Dosa, Avarekai Obbattu, Avarekai Masala Vade and Avarekai Churumuri and Avarekai Uppit. I was tempted to taste the Avarekai Paayasa and Avarekai Chitranna, but didn't have any space left in my tummy.



Avarekai mela happens every winter at 'Vasavi condiments' at Sajjan Rao circle in Bangalore. This is at the beginning of the eat street (a.k.a Shettara Paalya or Tindi Beedi) opposite VB Bakery. Go there to try some mouthwatering authentic Karnataka food.

Movie time

I spent a lot of time watching movies in December. I watched around 40 movies in one month.
I crazy saturday, I watched 7 movies back to back

The list of movies that I watched were pending for several years. I was watching a few movies for the second time. I also finished watching 8 seasons of 'Thats 70s show' and 2 seasons of 'Mind your language'. Here goes the list.

Movie list
wide awake
Hotel Rwanda
Pretty woman
Training day
Bone collector
The peace maker
Untouchables
Schindler's List
The departed
[2006] Apocalypto
Good will hunting
rush hour 1,2 and 3
spy game
The wedding crashers
The green mile
The usual suspects
L.A. Confidential
Amelie
madagascar
The Motorcycle Diaries
Flavours
Tokyo drift
Runaway Jury
Love Guru
Munich
The Silence of the Lambs
Great Expectations
Gangs Of New York
men of honour
Traffic
Fight club
click
You've got mail
Wednesday

Standup comedy
Russel peters
Comedy - Pablo Francisco -

TV series
All 8 seasons of That 70's show
2 seasons of Mind your language
Few episodes of Dilbert

Except for a couple of movies, most of them were good.

Macbook Wheel

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard









http://www.theonion.com/content/video/apple_introduces_revolutionary