Friday, October 09, 2009

Uncle Sam

I’m on an exchange semester at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School in Atlanta. It’s been phenomenal so far, and I finally understand why all my seniors at SMU kept going “Oh dude, you have to go on exchange!” America is everything people make it out to be. And then some. There's a lot to write about this place. Not sure I want to bore everybody with the details! And I’m lazy. I’ll just direct you to my friend Ying’s blog. She’s been documenting her life as an exchange student here, and she’s doing a great job. And she's got a better camera than mine, so she has some great pictures there!



Some highlights of my semester so far have been my trips to New York and Savannah, seeing Tiësto and U2 live, and well just living in a house with people from 14 different countries. The business school is simply great. We have this “networking session” every Thursday, which is essentially free beer and pizzas. I’m definitely recommending that for SMU on my exchange feedback form. My professors are awesome, and there is no “I am your professor, listen to everything I say” air about them. So my classes have been super so far. Except that I made the stupid scheduling mistake of taking 10am classes everyday. Waking up is hard to do!

Getting around the city is a bit of a pain, if you don’t have a car. Taxi’s are expensive, and the public transport, yeah, lesser said the better. But we’ve managed so far. Most night outs end up with nine of us squeezing into a cab (usually driven by the ubiquitous Mike, or Muhamed, who are stories for another time!).

Atlanta is a city that takes great pride in itself. The southern culture really shines through. There’s a lot on offer for the camera-slinging tourist. It takes a little more digging to find gems such as Little Five Points, a kitschy neighborhood like no other. Eddie’s Attic is another such gem. It’s the place that made John Mayer famous, and it’s where I discovered the fabulous Ten out of Tenn.

I’m here till mid-December, and so are the good times. Flying to Chicago this weekend, and the west coast for Thanksgiving. (Vegas, baby!). Can’t have too much of a good thing, right? Except the song “I Gotta Feeling”. Tonight's always gonna be a good, good night. Get over it.

Monday, July 27, 2009

In and Out

Just thought I'd share a couple of interesting things I've come across in the past few days.

Imogen Heap - Ellipse

Out on Aug. 24th, this album is definitely one to look out for. Imogen's vocals are simply stunning, and everything she touches turns to gold. Try Frou Frou on for size.

Zero 7 - Yeah Ghost

Releasing Sep. 7th, this is the much awaited fourth album from Zero 7. One of the tracks Everything Up (Zizou) is already downloadable from their official website. This band is god's gift to music. Check out Simple Things for unparalleled aural pleasure.

Moving at the speed of light into eternity


Got it from my friend Rajan. The coolest wedding entrance. Ever.

Monday, June 01, 2009

What's Happening?

When I began this blog, I had planned to post quizzes regularly. That idea got kind of lost along the way. So here's a quick set of 10 questions, based mostly on current events. Take a shot.

1. Miguel Muñoz Mozún was the first to achieve this feat in 1960. On 27th May 2009, Josep ‘Pep’ Guardiola became the 6th person to do so. What?

2. It made its debut on May 25, 1992. On April 26, 1999, it began broadcasting in HDTV, becoming the first show of its kind to be shot in high definition. It regularly featured Ross the Intern and Tom Green. Its theme music, "Kevin's Country" was composed in 1992. Recurring segments include “99 Cent Shopping Spree” and “Teenage Wasteland”. It ended on 29th May 2009. What?

3. X is the only company that supplies Y in vials having volumes of 5 ml, 7.5 ml, 20 ml, 50 ml and 80 ml. Only one man in the company knows the formula for making Y - its quality control manager. And he does it behind a secure, locked door and alone. It is estimated that over 400m people have come in contact with Y, in 2009 itself. X and Y please.

4. There have been many instances of suspect nomenclature for virus outbreaks such as the recent case with H1N1 being called Swine Flu. A similar outbreak in 1918 affected an estimated 500 million people, or one third of the world's population (approximately 1.6 billion) at the time. Also called La Grippe, it originated in continental US, BUT was named after X, a neutral country in WWI, which had no special censorship for news against the disease and its consequences. Hence the most reliable news came from X, giving the false impression that X was the most—if not the only—affected zone. Identify X.

5. Recently, AT&T came under fire for offering free texting services and instructions on how to send blocks of text messages, at certain events in Arkansas. While this would seem like a good strategy normally, it is said to have skewed a recent event unfairly. What happened?

6. Started by Jack Dorsey in 2006, recent events such as “Ashton Kutcher vs. CNN” and “I Was Here Before Oprah”, have catapulted it to worldwide fame. What?

7. The first of its kind was opened in Boat Quay in 1992 by an American Investor. Current CEO Mohan Mulani persuaded the owner to let him buy into the company in 1993. Today, there are over 30 all over Singapore. Nick Leeson, of Barings Bank fame, was one of its famous patrons. Identify.

8. Ahmadabad, Kanpur, and any three out of Noida, Patna, Assam and a combination of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Khandh. What connects these places in the context of 2010?

9. A recent sale, held by in Paris the auction house Néret-Minet Tessier, featured many items that have become synonymous with this person’s performance, including his top hat (which sold for about $4,500) and a white sailor suit with a striped shirt and a too-small jacket (which fetched about $8,000). A Paris court had ordered the sale, which was expected to raise about $420,000, to pay for debts left by X when he died in 2007. Who?

10. Google's interface is available in 116 languages, but some of them are extinct, artificial or invented languages. Among the invented languages are Bork, Bork, Bork!, Elmer Fudd and X. X was conspicuous in its absence from something recent. It was first devised by James Doohan. Gilgamesh, Hamlet, Much Ado about Nothing are the three books published in this language. What’s the good language?

Monday, May 04, 2009

The Inertia of Apathy

In a recent conversation over a few beers, some friends and I were pondering over the ongoing general elections, and what it means. One thing led to another, and our conversation took some pretty strange turns, but some points of discussion stuck.

Politics in India is a messy affair. It's not as clear cut as the Congress, BJP and the Left. Mysteriously somehow, this organized mess works. Karan Johar recently made an advert for the Lead India campaign, where he roped in all the hottest bollywood stars to persuade the masses to vote. The message was that nothing can happen to this country unless we take a stand and vote. But how many of us know who we are voting for, and what it means not just to us, but the rest of the country as well?

Our country has an average voter turnout of about 60%. Out of which a majority are illiterate, or have just passed the Indian standard of literacy, which is being able to write your own name in one's mother tongue. Sure, they might still be smart enough to understand who can best address their concerns, but they are also that much easier to fool. In the state of Uttar Pradesh, over 20% of the parliamentary candidates have criminal records. I guess crime does pay.

But politicians are only half the story. Citizens have a large role to play in the problems that plague our country. The number of tax defaulters in India probably outnumbers the number who actually pay tax. Many would say that literacy is the answer to most of our problems. Sample this for illiterate literacy - close to 70% of credit card holders in India default on their bills. Many of these people are city-dwelling engineers with newly acquired purchasing power. Landing that software job that will make all your middle class woes disappear seems to be the promised land for the 1,200,000 students that write exams such as the IITJEE, AIEEE etc. But even after being through these premier educational institutions, basic common sense seems to be lacking. At the end, its sixpence none the richer. It makes me wonder, how can we complain about politicians siphoning money, when we are no better.

The situtation is not all bleak. Despite the shams, there are definitely changes happening. India is progressing, albiet not at the optimum rate. There is talk of making concrete changes such as easing FDI caps etc. Life still goes on, as it can only in India. I would continue on a rant about how there needs to be more accountability in the system, to find a solution to the aforementioned problems. But I simply don't know enough about my country's political and economic environment to make an educated point. Until recently I had never pondered over these issues.

Maybe it's high time we at least spare a thought.

Friday, April 10, 2009

The Holy Grail

Heh. Found this video online. It's made by an SMU student. With exams are few days away, I thought this would be fun to take a look at. To all my kiasu friends, hope you can relate to all the steps in this video! If only someone showed this to me when I was a freshman. Right.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Did You Know?

So I've been meaning to put this video up for a while now. Saw it in my Digital Media class, and the numbers made me immediately get up and take notice. As they say, watch and learn!

Monday, March 09, 2009

Crazy Elephant

This is something I should have written about a long time ago. For those who know me well, you'll know I'm a hardcore Classic Rock/Blues fan. So when I first moved here to Singapore three years ago to study, I was kind of sad about the fact that I would miss out on the great live music scene that I was used to in Bangalore.

So imagine my surprise when I'm walking down Clarke Quay one day and suddenly I hear a blistering rendition of One Way Out by the Allman Brothers. Following my ear leads me to this loud bar filled with a motley crew of beer drinkers. And what's better, it's called Crazy Elephant! Nestled in the hustle and bustle of Clarke Quay, by the Reverse Bungee, Crazy Elephant is what I'd consider to be the best live music venue I've been to. And they play exactly my kind of music. I'm talking Allman Brothers, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, Muddy Waters, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and even some gems of Delta Blues like Mississippi Fred McDowell.


Mean Jean and the Blues Machine is the in-house band that plays there on most nights, and they are fabulous. Jeanne French, the vocalist, is just mind-blowing. She can do Janis Joplin as well as Janis did! And I'm not exaggerating about this. Hear her go crazy on You Gotta Move or Pride & Joy, and you'll know what I mean. She's even performed with some really big names in the business like Bonnie Raitt and Susan Tedeschi. Dr. John Chee, the lead guitarist, is one of those performers who just leave you wondering 'WTF how does he do that?'. Dr. Kamal is the fabulous Bassist who can play just about anything, and Mark Boatman on drums keeps the band so tight, you wont know what hit you.

Some other great performers who I've seen at Crazy Elephant include Dave Shafran, John Hanson, and Dom Turner of the Backsliders.


Of course, Crazy Elephant is not the only place for live music in Singapore. You do have Timbre, Roomful of Blues etc. But if you are into Classic Rock and Blues, this is definitely the place to be. And even if you aren't, you're still assured a great time, with a fun crowd, reasonably priced drinks, and a pool table. And heh, don't miss the Joke screen above the bar.

Get together and let the good times roll.

Friday, February 06, 2009

World Wide Rave

Hey you. Yes, you with your eyes on the computer screen. You’re witnessing a World Wide Rave as you read this. What’s that you ask? It’s something that people from all corners of the globe are currently a part of. It’s nothing and yet everything at the same time. In the strictly literal sense, it is the phenomenon that is the subject of an upcoming book by Marketing and PR guru David Meerman Scott. He defines a World Wide Rave as follows –

“A World Wide Rave is when people around the world are talking about you, your company, and your products. Whether you’re located in San Francisco, Dubai, or Reykjavík, it’s when global communities eagerly link to your stuff on the Web. It’s when online buzz drives buyers to your virtual doorstep. And it’s when tons of fans visit your Web site and your blog because they genuinely want to be there.”

I heard about the World Wide Rave book and project from my Digital Media professor Michael Netzley at the Singapore Management University. He wanted some of us in class to utilize the tools we’re learning in class, and become involved in spreading the word about the World Wide Rave. So, to do the same, my friend Radhika and I went down to Palawan Beach on Sentosa Island in Singapore.


What’s so special about this place? It’s the southern-most point in continental Asia. And now, it’s a part of the World Wide Rave project.


Watch out for more posts on the World Wide Rave from Singapore this week. For some awesome posts from Singapore visit Ephraim, Dorothy and Andrew Peters.


Prof. Netzley gave us a choice regarding the assignments we needed to do. But many of us voluntarily chose to do this project. We read up about the concept of World Wide Rave and discussed it with each other. Not because we thought it would get us better grades; but because we genuinely found this assignment very cool. And now we’re blogging about it and linking to it. And I’m sure many of us are also going to grab a copy of World Wide Rave when it is released in Singapore.

That, right there, is a World Wide Rave.

Monday, February 02, 2009

Tennis Elbow


Roger Federer is one of my favorite athletes ever. I've watched all of his big matches, and I've supported him despite him being kicked around by Rafael Nadal in the recent past. Fedex has always been a true champion - grace, humility, elegance, dominance et al. But not tonight. Not after what ensued once he was called to address the Rod Laver Arena after his loss to Rafa in tonight's epic final at the Australian Open.

Being emotional is one thing. Breaking down completely, is another. I honestly don't know what to make of Federer right now. Not because he cried. That's fine. But rather, what his crying clearly showed. Rafa is in Federer's head. He's frying him slowly and painfully. The 13-time grand slam winner cannot figure out what he must do to beat the sheer audacity of Nadal. And that pisses me off. A true champion has the character to keep his emotions in check, and learn from past defeat. Roger did none of those tonight. What he did do, was take away from a ceremony that Nadal truly deserved.

Maybe I'm being too harsh on Federer. It was one of the best matches ever. But breaking down in front of Laver, Rosewall, Roche, and Newcombe? No man. That should have been Rafa's moment among the legends.

Or maybe that was the problem.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Obituary

80-year old died last night
At 1:17 a.m., of natural causes
Strange that no vice
Got him first. He was wise!

He believed in a god above
But for religion, he had no patience
Or, in the spirit of Tennyson
Faith unfaithful kept him falsely true

Race, sex, religion, creed
Love, hate, kindness, greed
To him it was all the same
Difference

In the face of adversity he was cool
Like red-hot Ice
He stopped many a civil war, what
Was civil about war anyway?

He was a great orator
When he spoke, the crowd
Would erupt in deafening
Silence

He was a great writer
Poet in residence in absentia
His body of work was
An organized mess

He did many things
And saw many places
His experimental nature was
An open secret

He was one of a
Kind
He is survived
By everyone

The words above will fill
Every page, you know the drill
When I’m gone, scary!
This will be my obituary.

Paris Is Burning

Picture this
The Eiffel Tower
Is standing tall
In all its glory

There is a group
A few steps to the left
Dancing with fire
It’s a thing of beauty

There are people
Cameras in hand
Looking only at the Eiffel
Fire dancing? No, thanks!

The Eiffel Tower
Is too big, too majestic
It’s a must see
Everybody says so!

Skill and grace
Are crying out loud
But fire dancers?
They might get burnt!

We’d rather be safe
Why bother for the unknown?
The funny thing is
We are the ones getting burnt

The cushy job
The flashy cars
The big house
The fancy clothes
The money
The money
The money
With no time to enjoy any of it

Play with fire
And you get burnt
Paris is burning

The Game

The wickets were all set
Street cricket was the name
Armed with just bat and ball
All that mattered was the game

Broken windows revealed angry neighbors
Of course, I was to blame!
While the road dogs kept watch
All that mattered was the game

Cheating was an accepted no-no!
Mr. Umpire was so lame!
Whether it was a six or a four
All that mattered was the game

If one got clean bowled
They experienced the walk of shame
But a duck out or a century,
All that mattered was the game

Cars, bikes, houses, kids
Every obstacle we overcame
Cuts and bruises were proudly worn
All that mattered was the game

Friendships forged through fights
Winning and losing? Never the same!
What I learnt there is who I am
All that mattered was the game

It was a simpler time
With no delusions of fame
On that street of my past
All that mattered was the game

We grew older and busier
But the street we did reclaim
At the end of the day
All that mattered was the game

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Viva la Vida

Been a while. A lot has happened since. No point trying to capture any of it, as none of it will be done any justice.

Doing a course on Digital Media Across Asia under Prof. Michael Netzley. A discussion on Web 2.0 the other day kind of re-emphasized the importance of blogging in my mind.

This video is kind of cool. If only the music was cooler. Anyway, watch this -



Will resume blogging by sharing a few poems I came up with for a recent Poetry Slam at SMU. Themes for the 3 rounds were Past, Present and Future. Think it was a decent effort for my first encounter with performance poetry.