Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Chronicles of India Trip: The Parents, Friends and Relatives
In Chennai right now for a month long vacation..........kids are having a lot a fun & so are we.......More to follow
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Life after Death.......I mean online
Online life after death.......not sure what I'm talkin about - Read this......
A bit too much? I'm not sure but it is an interesting concept
More to follow
A bit too much? I'm not sure but it is an interesting concept
More to follow
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Guru In Good Company
See here for the CBS feature on NetApp. Guru makes a cameo twice in the video:) David Hitz talked about work/life balance and spending time with family (LOL!!).
Here's to Guru and his good company!!!
Here's to Guru and his good company!!!
What does this mean to Indians?
See here
Does it mean India is a better place to live now? Of course there is always the million dollar question of "How long will this last?"
~Laks
Does it mean India is a better place to live now? Of course there is always the million dollar question of "How long will this last?"
~Laks
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Are these people barking mad?
See Here
for what I am talking about. Why do we have to keep bailing out these folks?
I really hope the US Government does something about this.
~Laks
for what I am talking about. Why do we have to keep bailing out these folks?
I really hope the US Government does something about this.
~Laks
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Karadaiyaan Nonbu & other thoughts
So,today is Karadaiyaan Nonbu, where women pray for the longevity and good health of their spouses, fast until the nonbu time etc, etc (you get the picture). It is the South Indian (SI) version of karvachauth. While I was getting everything ready for the fast, my mind wandered to all the festivals/fasts/rituals or religious ceremonies that one observes during their lifetime and it stuck me that everyone of these festivals/ceremonies etc are geared towards men (doesn't matter who - brothers, husbands, fathers etc). For example,I pray for my brother the day after pongal (its called kanu - SI version of Rakhi, then we have the nonbu. Even the ceremonies we conduct at home - shashtiabthapoorthy, bheema ratha shanti, sadabishekam are all when the man turns 60, 70 or 80.
Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to get into a feminist/women-need-equal-rights mode here but almost all Hindu festivals/ceremonies/rituals are geared towards the male counterpart. All these beliefs promote the notion that a woman cannot exist without the man. Never once have I heard something where a brother is on a fast for his sister or a husband for his wife. Of course, men can still do that by their own choice but its not a norm or a ritual. If by any chance I don't follow or forget these important rituals, then GOD FORBID something should happen!!
The Western Society is not that different from the Eastern Society, minus all the festivals/rituals. Women are always portrayed as delicate, clad in pink and always need somebody (Read MEN)to take care of them. I disagree. I love my husband and all but I don't think I really am delicate or need him around me all the time to take care of me (and I hate Pink). I am pretty self sufficient and independent and don't get weepy or teary eyed. Most of my friends are like that too.
I think it is the other way around, men have this need of getting their ego satisfied and what better way than taking care of somebody who is in need. Women are mentally and emotionally strong and they really don't care if the guy brings you flowers or chocolates or huge diamond rings.Of course they would want their guy to be a good friend and companion and if that doesn't happen, then they shift their focus to the material pleasure of the world.
So this brings me to my question: Do women really need men all the time to exist or is it the other way around? You know my answer already:)
~ Random thoughts by Laks
Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to get into a feminist/women-need-equal-rights mode here but almost all Hindu festivals/ceremonies/rituals are geared towards the male counterpart. All these beliefs promote the notion that a woman cannot exist without the man. Never once have I heard something where a brother is on a fast for his sister or a husband for his wife. Of course, men can still do that by their own choice but its not a norm or a ritual. If by any chance I don't follow or forget these important rituals, then GOD FORBID something should happen!!
The Western Society is not that different from the Eastern Society, minus all the festivals/rituals. Women are always portrayed as delicate, clad in pink and always need somebody (Read MEN)to take care of them. I disagree. I love my husband and all but I don't think I really am delicate or need him around me all the time to take care of me (and I hate Pink). I am pretty self sufficient and independent and don't get weepy or teary eyed. Most of my friends are like that too.
I think it is the other way around, men have this need of getting their ego satisfied and what better way than taking care of somebody who is in need. Women are mentally and emotionally strong and they really don't care if the guy brings you flowers or chocolates or huge diamond rings.Of course they would want their guy to be a good friend and companion and if that doesn't happen, then they shift their focus to the material pleasure of the world.
So this brings me to my question: Do women really need men all the time to exist or is it the other way around? You know my answer already:)
~ Random thoughts by Laks
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Happy Birthday Lakshmi
Today is my wife's birthday. Here's wishing her a very happy birthday and a wonderful year ahead
Monday, March 2, 2009
Slumdog brings out the Indians in US
Slumdog has brought India and Indian artists a whole new viewpoint from the Western Society. While A.R.Rahman and Resul Pookutty walked off with kudos and aplombs, India is now being viewed by everybody as a Country with slums, mud roads, gutters, poor living conditions.
I am the only desi at my workplace. My colleagues are predominantly from the U.S and most of them have not even ventured beyond their City, let alone their State. Time and again, I have been asked questions about the concept of arranged marriages, extended families and the supposedly (LOL!!!) conservative nature of Indians. Now that Slumdog is out, a colleague of mine mentioned to me that he would never dream of visiting India as it is so horrid. I immediately retorted to his comment by saying that Stereotyping a Country based on a small area shown in a movie is stupid (and the guy is a City Planner for heaven's sake).
This comment brought out my thinking horse and how the Western Society views the Eastern Society. I had a colleague thinking that everybody has an arranged marriage and everybody wears a bindi/kumkum on their forehead,all of us know how to read horoscopes, that Indians never hug anybody esp. the opposite sex and all of us listen to Hindustani Classical, are trained in dance/music etc etc....you get the idea. The best part is I don't even listen to Hindustani Classical, I don't even like it. When I mentioned this and the fact that I don't read horoscopes, her jaw dropped. I am not sure how she/others would react if I were to stereotype the entire Western society based on their crime rates, teenage pregnancy rates, views and attitude towards pre marital sex. What's so wrong if one does not have sex or date before getting married? Hey, we just didn't meet the one before we got married. That's all that's there to it.
I am looking at other fellow bloggers and see that they share the same views. With all the advancement in technology and information sharing, I just hope people come out of their warped bubbles that is based entirely on myths, TV shows, films and news articles. Please do take the time to do your research before stereotyping an entire nation.
~
Thoughts by Laks
I am the only desi at my workplace. My colleagues are predominantly from the U.S and most of them have not even ventured beyond their City, let alone their State. Time and again, I have been asked questions about the concept of arranged marriages, extended families and the supposedly (LOL!!!) conservative nature of Indians. Now that Slumdog is out, a colleague of mine mentioned to me that he would never dream of visiting India as it is so horrid. I immediately retorted to his comment by saying that Stereotyping a Country based on a small area shown in a movie is stupid (and the guy is a City Planner for heaven's sake).
This comment brought out my thinking horse and how the Western Society views the Eastern Society. I had a colleague thinking that everybody has an arranged marriage and everybody wears a bindi/kumkum on their forehead,all of us know how to read horoscopes, that Indians never hug anybody esp. the opposite sex and all of us listen to Hindustani Classical, are trained in dance/music etc etc....you get the idea. The best part is I don't even listen to Hindustani Classical, I don't even like it. When I mentioned this and the fact that I don't read horoscopes, her jaw dropped. I am not sure how she/others would react if I were to stereotype the entire Western society based on their crime rates, teenage pregnancy rates, views and attitude towards pre marital sex. What's so wrong if one does not have sex or date before getting married? Hey, we just didn't meet the one before we got married. That's all that's there to it.
I am looking at other fellow bloggers and see that they share the same views. With all the advancement in technology and information sharing, I just hope people come out of their warped bubbles that is based entirely on myths, TV shows, films and news articles. Please do take the time to do your research before stereotyping an entire nation.
~
Thoughts by Laks
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Every Slumdog has its day
So glad that A.R.Rahman got what he deserved....finally!! I was moved by what he said in his acceptance speech...specifically "All my life I had a choice between hate and love. I chose love and I am here". Jai Ho Rahman!!
Ella Pugazhum Iraivanukke
Our hearty wishes to A.R.Rahman and the Slumdog Millionaire Team for their awesome win!!!
~Laks
~Laks
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Life's purpose
I am sure we have all heard a lot about death and what awaits us once we walk through the gates of heaven, of course, this is assuming all of us are good and do good deeds etc etc that grant us a position in the highly coveted place. Again, what we have heard are only stories, myths as there is no way to get a thorough account of the real proceedings.
I recently read a book called "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom. It is a story about a veteran who is bitter and blames something or the other for the way he is now, including the place he lives, works etc, etc.......you get the point. Anyways, the story begins after his death and his life in the eyes of five people who wait for him in heaven. They all have a link to him through his/their actions and help him understand his purpose in life. The book talks about the connectedness of life, "That there are no random acts. That we are all connected. That you can no more separate one life from another than you can separate a breeze from the wind."
This novel set my thinking into motion about what my purpose in life is, my concept of Heaven and how my actions/reactions would affect another person's life, for better or for worse, how one's victory is another person's loss and how life is all about give and take.
Perhaps Heaven is not an Utopian paradise, but it is more of a place where you can gain insight into your life after you have died through people you have loved, encountered, or even never met, in your life.
Hopefully I will figure my purpose soon enough but I know this for sure, all our lives are connected to each other, directly or indirectly, whether we realize it or not and even when we think that a person and their love has been taken away from us, love can never go away,- it just takes a different shape. The endless combination of events that repeats from person to person, originating from the slightest nuance of one’s actions, has an intense effect on the fabric of life.
~ Random thoughts by Laks
I recently read a book called "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom. It is a story about a veteran who is bitter and blames something or the other for the way he is now, including the place he lives, works etc, etc.......you get the point. Anyways, the story begins after his death and his life in the eyes of five people who wait for him in heaven. They all have a link to him through his/their actions and help him understand his purpose in life. The book talks about the connectedness of life, "That there are no random acts. That we are all connected. That you can no more separate one life from another than you can separate a breeze from the wind."
This novel set my thinking into motion about what my purpose in life is, my concept of Heaven and how my actions/reactions would affect another person's life, for better or for worse, how one's victory is another person's loss and how life is all about give and take.
Perhaps Heaven is not an Utopian paradise, but it is more of a place where you can gain insight into your life after you have died through people you have loved, encountered, or even never met, in your life.
Hopefully I will figure my purpose soon enough but I know this for sure, all our lives are connected to each other, directly or indirectly, whether we realize it or not and even when we think that a person and their love has been taken away from us, love can never go away,- it just takes a different shape. The endless combination of events that repeats from person to person, originating from the slightest nuance of one’s actions, has an intense effect on the fabric of life.
~ Random thoughts by Laks
Monday, January 26, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
NetApp - #1 place to work in US
Way to go!!. Don't know if this means anything to the better half who has given up on me :-)
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Here's to a bright day
Congratulations to our President........you have rekindled our hope & faith in the system.
Enjoy your day, this first new day of the new and improved US!
Enjoy your day, this first new day of the new and improved US!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
What a feat!!!
Rahman wins the Golden Globe for his scintillating score for Slumdog Millionaire
Extremely well deserved recognition!!
Extremely well deserved recognition!!
Friday, January 9, 2009
Im(porn)tant bailout
You've got to be kidding!!. Are people trying to piggy back on
government bailout plans? Why should the innocent taxpayer be burdened with this crap?
government bailout plans? Why should the innocent taxpayer be burdened with this crap?
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Happy Birthday Rahman
I'm no Rahmaniac, but I certainly listen to good music. Here is a warm birthday card for a genius who has been striking the right chord
Thursday, January 1, 2009
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