Milk vs Cola

The Cola banning wars continue as each day some state in India gets ready to ban sale of cola.
The CSE report states that colas contain pesticide content. Why are we worried more with the cola's containing pesticide issue. Does everyone India really get potable water?. Cola does not even quench your thirst. Nimbu paani tastes even much better is really a refresher during summer.
This article in the TOI brought another point to the fore. Milk and other food vegetables contain more pesticides than in cola.
Swaminathan Iyer argues that milk and other food products which are recommended by nutritionists contain more pesticide than in cola and the as recommended are given to children who are in danger of contracting diabetes, anaemia in the future. He also points out that
" Humans are the only species to drink milk after being weaned from the breast. How do they achieve this feat? By drinking the milk of other creatures, something no other species does. Not surprisingly, drinking alien milk produces allergies and a host of other health problems."
I agree to this but India has an ancient connection with milk. Mothers have always coaxed children to drink milk due to its nutritional content.
Can milk be banned and can we resort to drink cola instead of milk?
Can the god drink cola instead of milk?
This will not happen atleast in the near future. Till then I will have my cola mixed with my favorite drink and hot milk with horlicks or drinking chocolate tastes yummy.

Seven point something(7.)

Recently finished "Five point someone" by Chetan Bhagat. I would rate it at 7.1/2/3 hence the title of this post. I found the book a good read and as it is by an Indian author and I could easily relate to the story although I am no IITian. Also it is the first book I have read by an Indian Author as far as I can remember.
The next book on the block is "The Search" about Google. The are many books though (7 to be exact) -non techie i.e fiction and biographical lying in my house to be devoured when I get time.
I found these Amazon reviews for 5.someone where the book is ranked 1,007,629 in sales as of today.
Mediocre, like a hindi potboiler,abysmal
Interesting,Fun to read (agree with these).
The writing is surely school story book style but that is why it is readable and yes there is no backtracking(going back several pages while reading a book and tracing a character or event who has been sidetracked in the plot/story-I might have coined the term myself). Backtracking has some other connotations also.
I havent read any other Indian authors and surely need to try some others like Vikram Seth/Chandra,R.K.Narayan....etc
I found this link through the kitabkhana blog which mentions a book reading and signing event by Dr. Manjiri Prabhu who has written 2 books named
The Cosmic Clues and The Astral Alibi. The books are unique in the sense that "Scientific Indian Vedic Astrology" is coupled with investigative techniques in the stories.
Should be a good read I believe

Wikimapia

Just marked my building on wikimapia a tool like google earth but was a wee bit faster.
It has some limited tools for magnification etc

Bad month July

Well July it seems is a bad month for Mumbai. Last year it was the havoc caused by 5-6 hrs of rains and this year also it rained for 5 continuous days evoking the memories of 26/7/05-cloudburst.
Then came the desecration of a politico's wife statue and a bandh call for some hours. Luckily it was a Sunday.
Then the deadly 8 bomb blasts in the local trains on the Western Railway routes.
Local trains are the lifeline of Mumbai and are also an easy target.
I completed 1 year at my current job.

Waiting for rains and a new job

Rains have not yet started. Rains came early this year i.e. on 30/5/06 and there was rain in the evening for 2 days and then its a dry spell. It is hot and humid. I have to search for a new job where i can get maximum exposure to oracle apps

Happenings-first 3 months of 2006

Updating my blog after a long time. Did not find time (an excuse) or rather did not have anything to write about that would interest anyone.
On 14/2/06 finally I received my passport. This is the major event upto today. My brother is getting married on 26/3/06 and hence major part of these 3 months have been spent in preparations and gearing up for the same. Attending functions,purchasing etc,etc...........
I have bought lot of books recently especially fiction and have started reading it. The progress is a bit slow but atleast the interest has developed in fiction.
I also decide not to buy any further books till the time I complete reading atleast 2 books bought earlier whether techinical or fiction, but this seems impossible. Whenever I see a book which is a recommended read I buy it outright never thinking of my earlier resolution.
The next few days starting from 23/3/06 to 28/3/06 I may not have access to a computer.
The current job does not have anymore implementations which I want to do and as such I have to rethink and decide for a change.
The stock markets are booming and little bit patience in holding to stocks would have reaped huge profits. But as usual when there is considerable rise and I have some notional profit I lose my patience to hold and sell the stock and thereafter the stock rises even more. Now I am stocked up with stocks whose prices have reduced and my loss would be upto Rs.5000/-.
Need to do some fundamental analysis and invest in stocks with good potential for appreciation within 6 months.

Reflections -2005

This is the first post for 2006. Happy New Year!!!
It is just a synopsis of the year gone by and to do things for 2006
2005-A synopsis(personally)
All in all a good year.

• A job and also career change is the major event. Its almost 6 months that I am working as a Oracle Apps Functional Consultant and of course am enjoying it.
• Applied for a passport (after many days of just thinking to do it) a direct result of the change in job, although havent received it yet and hopefully will receive it in 2006.
• Travelled more than in 2004 officially as well as personally (Bglore,Nagpur,Raipur,Ganpatipule)
• Oracle, Oracle and only Oracle that is what I am doing for the last 5 months.
• Started reading and developing interest for fiction/non-fiction and sci-fi which was something different form the usual computer books that I have been accumulating and partly reading for the last 6 years.
• Spent Rs.4000/-approx on computer books only during the year mostly new. Havent read a single book fully.
• Blogged reasonably frequently. Did not let my blog die.
• Opened a gmail account and also a del.icio.us account and now cannot even work without del.icio.us.

2006-To do

• Renovate house
• Open a bank account and make investments in my sons name
• Complete lot of personal work (filing returns,personal investments,etc)
• Concentrate on one programming language and learn it for the whole year.
• Do some worthy course (OCA/OCP/ISA/CISA)
• Read as many non-techie books as possible
• Buy a new house(at least start the process)
• Buy and digital camera,new mobile,DVD player)
• Try to make full use of both the pcs (old pc is lying idle accumulating dust)
• Reduce my tummy and become fit, maybe join the Gym, do yoga etc
• learn to Meditate
• Keep accumulating and learning Oracle Applications.
• apply passports for spouse and son.

Well these are some of the to do's which I can remember now.
Cheers and starting the new year with a happy note.
-:)

• 
  

Visit to Raipur and Bhilai

I visited Raipur and Bhilai from 24/11/05 to 28/11/05. The idea was to attend a wedding of Mrudulas cousin and also in turn get the chance to visit a new place. Otherwise we would never have planned to visit these places.
Started from Mumbai at 20.35 by boarding the Samrasta Express at Kurla terminus.
We were 6 (3 of us and my sister in laws family). It was Anish's first long distance train journey.
Earlier whenever we have travelled long distance it was in a Sumo.
As expected Anish troubled us a lot. We reached Raipur on 24/11/05 at 16. Myself,Mrudula and Anish stayed in Hotel J.K. Raj. The hotel was very good for the price we paid.
There was the wedding reception on the same day(24/11) and we attended it. We reached for the next days wedding at 11.30am and stayed in the hall upto 20.30pm all tired especially Anish.
Next days plan was to reach Bhilai which is just 30-40Km from Raipur by 12.00pm, but we got delayed due to the post wedding ceremonies and also delay in getting transport.
Raipur the way I saw it is a quiet but dusty place. Surprisingly the 2 days we stayed in Raipur it was not cold and felt almost like Mumbai, maybe a shade cooler. We had expected bitter cold with temperatures below 14 degrees.
Bhilai is quaint little town and much cleaner and well planned than Raipur maybe due to the influence of the Bhilai Steel Plant. I was also very cold with climate remaining cool throughou the day.
The relatives whom we visited in Bhilai had a well furnished bungalow very much like the ones they show in TV serials and hindi movies. We reached there house on 26/11/05 at 14.00pm.
I had to go to the railway station to cancell my tickets for 28/11 as I was supposed to return 1 day earlier. Mrudula and others told me to stay on but I told them that it was crucial for me to reach Office on 28/11(Monday). I had to board the train at 11.40am from Raipur and would have to leave home at least by 10.15am. So there was not enough time to stay in this beautiful house. I offered to change my plans by cancelling all tickets and booking a ticket from Durg to Nagpur by bus and Nagpur to Mumbai by flight. Everyone agreed and I reached Chembur at 11.00am on 28/11/05. I travelled by Alliance Air. I landed at Nagpur at 4.30am and it was very very cold. I spent 3 hours at the airport.
Mrudula and Anish came back on the next day morning and both fell ill.
I am not getting much time to pursue my interests.

Book mania

One fine day (precisely 4 days before writing this) I got suddenly interested in reading fiction/non-fiction books rather than the usual computer stuff which I am more interested nowadays.
This interest was aroused when going through the books in the office library which although predominantly is stacked up with techno software books also has some management/leadership stuff. I was with a colleague who is exactly opposite and is only interested in general books (more of non-fiction). I am a good reader of books and have read many fiction books in my college days.
To list-Agatha Christie, Sidney Sheldon, Frederick Forsyth,Robert Ludlum,Jeffery Archer, Arthur Hailey etc... This list also included some stray authors of whom I have read only 1/2 books.
This is all total fiction. This was during 1985-91 my college days. Slowly lack of time and also loss of interest took its toll and I did not read much fiction from 92-present. Infact I shunned biographies/autobiographies/management etc. My interest was in software from 99. I have a good collection of some 45-50 books(I havent counted) on software and computers.

These days it is possible to get a book from the local bookseller(raddi) for Rs.150-200/-. This is the deposit and you get back Rs.120-180 on return. The return has no time limit. I have already read "Da Vinci Code", "Are you afraid of the dark", 2 popular novels through the above method. There was some little interest which had already aroused but it was just a spark and 4 days back it turned into fire.
Now the question was which are the really good books which should be read. I vaguely remembered that I had visited a site called pagalguy a premier MBA resource site. I had come across the url in the newspaper when the CAT results were leaked. It was a good site and I found a link on quizzing very interesting. I decided to visit this same site and find whether they have something realted to books. Yes, my hunch was correct I found a long discussion on books recommendations. It runs into 75 pages and I have gone through only 30 of them. I also started making a list of the books recommended even though I had not heard of the title nor the author.
From the 30 pages I read the following can be summarized

Ayn Rand-Fountainhead,Atlas Shrugged------------------Highly recommended read
also rated high by everyone-I had read Ayn Rand in college and everything went above my head as I found it boring. I read Anthem, We the living etc. Should try again especially Fountainhead
John Grisham-Partner,Juror etc--------------------------Highly recommended read
but many people complained about his latest novels being boring.
Akio Morita-Made in Japan-------------------------------Recommended
Paolo Coelho-The Alchemist,Veronika dies...--------------Recommended. I just Alchemist today and found it boring. The initial part was good then it really needed my will to finish the book.
Catch-22-------------------------------------------------Recommended
Sidney Sheldon-------------------------------------------Good read but new titles have lost the old charm

Above mentioned summary is solely of the pagalguy list posters.
I will refine it yet further as i go through other pages.
I read The Alchemist in the last 4 days when the book mania caught me.
Lets see now much I am able to read

Harrowing experience obtaining a passport

Finally I applied for a passport. This should have been done a lot earlier but I was lazy enough not to even think about it. I should have though "I am a professional and would need a passport sometime in my life"
The rules in India for obtaining a passport seem to be evolving but at a snails pace. Obtaining a passport being a prerogative of the government it runs according to the whims and fancies of the babus at the helm.There seem to be different rules at different places and nobody is well versed with these.India is a global economy or rather is fast becoming a globalised economy but the bureaucracy still persists. Yes, I have seen some changes in this bureaucratic state of affairs which is a whiff of fresh air,but these changes are really to a certain part of the monolith and it appears spreading in the govt wee bit slowly. I am not aware what procedure is followed for obtaining a passport in other countries but it should be somewhat similar less the bureaucracy.
So why is obtaining a passport so difficult. Here is an account of the same which includes my own application for a pasport (still waiting as of this writing).

First stand in a long queue and apply for the passport. This is just the first step. You are given a date on which you are required to submit/verify the originals. There is only one office where all the applications for Mumbai are accepted. Considering Mumbai is the financial capital there should be multiple cells for passport clearances. Here your graduation counts and not your professional degrees. I am a CA myself and this has no worth in the passport application.
Then comes the Police verification.

Firstly keep in your mind that you are a fraud/criminal. Yes this is the way the Police looks at you even though you may be the most honest citizen of India. So before going for the Police verification consider yourself as the most dreaded criminal or fraud and then go to the Police station. (Agreed the Police are doing their duty and they have every right to suspect you, but you could suspect one and still be helpful enough and not arrogant)

The trouble for me started here. A hawaldar came to my house verified my ration card/birth certificate and purposefully found some error on my ration card (which is not an error at all)
after almost 15 minutes he gave me a letter which stated that I was to report to the police station on 25/9/05 a Sunday. This document is barely readable. In this document is mentioned the timings when police verification is carried out. In this also it is mentioned that Monday is a holiday for passport police verification. This is not readable at all. I was happy till this moment. I could not make it to the Police station on Sunday and so I went on monday where I was told that it was closed on Monday and that my application was sent back as I had not reported on Sunday.

This was the most frustrating moment I had faced in my life. This is totally unacceptable. It is always possible that due to unavoidable circumstances one may not report for verification and a period of 3-4 days grace should be given. This is mentioned on the unreadable document given to me but this rule is not followed due to increasing volume of work.
Now I have to apply again and the whole thing will take another month. I have reapplied again on 11/10 and am still waiting for a call from the police station. Wonder of wonders you do not get an acknowledgement for the reapplication so I do not have any proof.
Another wonder if any documents are misplaced by passport office they are not at fault you are the one who are unlucky and at fault as you want to travel abroad

One really good experience I had was with the Police helpline. Well, i could not imagine such a service can exist in this bureaucratic jungle. They answered all my queries and that too in Marathi? Great stuff Police

One thing I was surprised was that every person (friend/relative etc) whom I inquired with about the passport process and what had happened with me told me a different story. So the rules are as per the whims and fancies of each police station at each locality. I stay in a suburb in Mumbai. In my locality it takes at least 35-40min to for a police verification as they agin check your originals.
Also there is another rule that you have to sign before the saaheb i.e the inspector. So if the saaheb is not there it is further delayed.

Why do we need such a cumbersome and lengthy process.
Some suggestions.

1. Establish a set of standard rules and guidelines to be followed by each one of the persons involved in the passport application process. In framing these take help of experts.
2. Reduce the amount of paperwork involved.
3. Set timeframes for completion of each process.
4. Establish independent cells preferably manned by Police at various locations in the suburbs to ease the rush
5. Ensure transperancy of the full passport issuing process.
6. Establish set rules and regulations to be followed for non availability of documents to be submitted.
   

With the above in place I would not mind if my passport got delayed and I am given reasons for the delay.
Maybe I will get the passport in 2006 or never at all...................
Maybe someday somebody will read this and change will take place..........

Maybe, Maybe ...................................................................................

Still more rains

After the down pour on 26/7/05 it has been raining off and on and sometimes heavily enough to bring back the memories of 26/7/05.
Life has become a little better than what it was earlier, as I am getting some time to meet my personal and family obligations.
I have started making a list of work to be done on Monday for the week. I could achieve atleast 50% of what I had listed. From this week I have decided that 1/2hr of exercise to reduce my tummy and 1/2hr of pooja would be a standard activity daily. I have to arrange all other activities keeping in mind these 2.

Tsunami from heaven!!!!!!!!

On 26/7/2005 it started on 1.00pm in the afternoon. Well it was torrential rain with such speed and continued till the next morning upto 4.00am(26/7/05) with the same speed

It was like the end of the world prophecy and yes it felt like the world will come to an end.
This was first time in the history of Mumbai for 100 years that it had rained so heavily.

We ar alive and Mumbai itself is limping back to normal

July 26 2005 and July 27 2005 Days to remember

Blogging from my new job

It is surprising how things have turned out. After my last post I got the offer letter on 1/7/05.
I already had informed my boss on 20/6/05 but I informed all my colleagues on 2/7/05.
Sometimes I feel I have left a lot of things unfinished. But on the other side this work will always keep on increasing and something will always remain unfinished taking into consideration the number of people and calibre.
I am always in the fear that they will call me back for some mistakes which they will find.
This is really because of systems problems.

I havent recd any serious calls for doubts from my previous company.
Any way it is the 7th day in the new company(excluding sat and sun). I joined on 11/7/05 with a career change. I am into Oracle apps now. Hope to continue for atleast 1 year.
Thinking of taking broad band internet connection.

Clicked?!!?!!?.Still keeping fingers crossed

The interview scheduled on Friday was good. I was caught off guard as it turned out to be a technical interview. I had a feeling that it was slipping out of my hands. Well I got selected and the offer verbally on phone was made then and there itself.

After this call there was even a call from the Indian liasion person. He told me that I should go ahead in putiing my papers in my current job. Now the control is transferred to Cap Gemini and I would get a call in the coming week for a physical copy of the letter and also a medical.

I dont know this has happened for the first time. Everything on the phone I have not seen anyone. I am tensed about this as without anything in hand it is difficult to go further.
I dont expect any technical snags further but still am keeping my fingers crossed till I get a letter in my hand.
I have already informed my boss abt it but officially have not put in papers

Will update further.
#$%%&&.................. hope everything goes smoothly!

Something is clicking!!!!!!!!

Well for a surprise the interview scheduled on last thursday as mentioned in my last post has clicked. This means after 2 rounds of interviews today the final interview is scheduled today night.
The company is Sogeti which is a subsididary of Cap Gemini.
If selected I will be employed with Cap gemini and work for Sogeti in their internal Oracle Apps implementation.
I have a reputation of getting shortlisted and in the final stage being rejected (due to some other factors). This has happened in 2 cases only till now and I am afraid about that.

Let this happen. Let god help me.

Yes it will happen. Yes I am going to be selected.

Will keep this blog updated
All the best/ goodluck

It worked!!! But has not clicked?

I finally prepared a revised resume highlighting my Oracle Financials exposure to try for a Functional Consultant job. I think i started applying from 6/5/05. I had prepared my revised resume 2/3 days before this.

Initially I applied for Mumbai based openings and realised that the maximum openings where in Bangalore and Hyderabad. I then started to apply irrespective of location except North India

This surely worked and within a week I was flooded with calls from placements.
There was a opening at HP in Mumbai and almost all placements asked me about the same
It was like almost 20 calls in 3 to 4 days.

Well from 6/5/05 to 9/6/05(today) I have given 4 telephonic interviews 3 of them averaging to upto 26minutes and my confidence has increased.
There is a telephonic interview scheduled today @10.30pm from USA
Infact on Sunday(5/6/05) there was a interview at 2.00in the afternoon. After the interview the inteviewer asked me to ask questions about his company and in the end said HR will contact.
These words itself increased my confidence level.
There has been a draught of calls this week and the calls which were expected have not materialise till now.
This is regular in my case when I am almost there bu still no there(due to other circumstances)
Even my horoscopes in the daily sunday newspapers mentioned a change and positive happenings. I never read these but this Sunday I read them.
4 interviews
Datamatics
Oracle
Tecumseh(not suitable for me)
Caritor

I even dreamt of going to Chennai and joining acompany called Maya Dal. I dont remember much but this was on the night when the Oracle Interview took place.

Waiting for something to happen............... and let it happen fast.

Another weekend outing

As i wrote earlier about Ganpati Pule were I visited last month, This month I went to Marve beach just on the outskirts of Mumbai(actually in mumbai itself).
Stayed at the guest house and completely relaxed for the 2 days (Sat and Sun).
Great place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well I have started applying for Oracle Financials jobs from 6/3/05 onwards. No luck as yet only some stray calls here an there. I found out that maximum jobs are in Bangalore/hyderabad and Gurgaon for Oracle Apps. Well then have decided that I would relocate. I dont know whether this is the correct decision but somehow I have to quit and earn more money.
Some progress atleast.
Today I was surprised to hear that persons I never thought would do this are really experts in this field (Stock trading).
Day after day I sum up all my enthu and work harder with only one objective that someday the almighty will grant me the much coveted job. It is always good to do things that u like and computers and especially Linux are the most of which I like.
Nobody will take me as a software programmer or a IT person but to get into IT there is only one alternative enter through Oracle Financials.
Again at the moment havent lost confidence and will work with renewed vigour tomorrow.

GanpatiPule

I went for an outing to Ganpati Pule and some adjoining areas. Great place but we had a hectic time as we had to return back on Sunday.
Desperately need to change the job. Maybe into Oracle Apps.
Atleast I finished revising my CV. Now it has to be just fine tuned and I can start applying.
According to many friends there is a shortage of these consultants and I should get a job.
But "apply apply and no reply" has been the case with me always.

Hope for the best.

Month end,year end etc no time.......

It was month end time and hence did not have time to update.
Monthe end has ended and have to prepare for audit and of course a job in which I am interested nd get job staisfaction
Planning to go on leave from 8 to 12 outof station.

Donated blood for the first time today.

Long time no post so this

I started a Linux/open source/ general computer info blog. Will post all linux and opensource info happennings there and not here.

Working hard to avoid the later finalization hassle. Still havent tried for a Oracle Financials job even though I am more knowledgeable than a year back. Still need to learn a lot. The demand for apps is high.
Sitting late every day trying to finish work
Will be working on Sunday.
next week is goin to be more hectic.