weekend dilemma

what do on weekend?

This seems to be a question to many energetic, fun loving people..

Being in Bangalore provides you with tricky options.. Some of them are..

1. Sit at home. Relax. Catch all the action on the tv. Order pizza. Don’t move an inch out of the house. Read a book or two. Tweet about thousand things. Play games on nintendo. Catch reality shows. Watch music concerts on tv. Watch IPL/Cricket/Tennis/Football/Olympics/some world cup.. Clean your room whatever ..

2. Go to a trekking spot.. There are many of them.. skandagiri, nandi hills, savandurga, maribetta, siddara betta, sakaleshpura, wayanad, gopalaswamybetta, bheemeshwari etc.,

3. Go to wonderla, international film city 

4. Go to lalbagh

5. Go to Isckon, Shiva temple, Ganesha temple, RajaRajeshwari Temple, Raghavendra swamy mathas, Basavangudi,  and south Bangalore provides you with so many options.. if you could stretch you could go to srirangapatna, mysore, mandya, andhra and karanatka border, kolar, tumkur temples!

6. Go and play cricket in so many grounds.. Go and swim in so many BBMP pools.. Go and play leather ball cricket in nets., play tennis in st.johns grounds, play football in the night in madhwan park… play basket ball in mes grounds…

7. Go to all the plethora of malls: forum, garuda, centra, mantri etc., etc. and do window shopping.. basically bcoz your intention is not to shop but to kill time!

8. Go catch a movie in one of the thousand movie theatres.. pvr, inox, local theater and catch up any .. literally any new movie released.. and watch the movie feverishly.. and discuss about it .. just to justify that you watched it and you paid for it!

9. Join a bike interest club.. say Royal Enfield, Rajdooth, Yezdi etc., and go biking with them over the weekend to BR hills, nagarahole etc.,

10. Join a runners club.. and do a marathon once in a month.. and go to interesting places like nandi hills and make friends…

11. Join a cycle club.. interesting even it is called bikers club.. you could go with that gang to some 60-70km long rides.. and it seems to be the IN THING now a days..

12. Go and spend 2,000 rupees in any restaurant based on reviews from friends and depending on your tastes.. and kick yourself for finding the food to be not upto the mark… and talk about it to your friends/colleagues as if you had an elixir over the weekend for 2,000 rupees

13. if you are into photography. you can literally combine that with any of the above twelve points.. 

14. Go near market and get electronic commodities at a cheaper rate.. for that .. the trend has been to compare the costs with flipkart, infibeam etc.,

15. Go surf on the internet over the AWESOME DEALS.. and get yourself one reasonable deal and brag about that endlessly on social media aka facebook, twitter, linkedin… etc.,

16. Go and attend a hackathon if you are a GEEK.. so called.. and spend the weekend coding an app and either release it to the market or kick yourself for not making it to the finals of the next big entrepreneurship meet..

17. Go give mock exams of GATE, CAT, GRE over the weekends.. just for the heck of it..

18. prepare for interviews.. give interviews.. take interviews.. and never quit the job..

19. Endlessly gossip on facebook by going through literally 500 odd friends profiles and check their updates and rue about yourself as to how you could have been to what you are now!!

 

if you are doing anything beyond this in bangalore.. trust me.. you are a path breaker!!!

Cheers

transition from singular to plural

There is one point of your time when you start hearing people start to call each other in plural or respectable(or just for the sake for it) way..
It is good.. Not bad definitely… but it starts to hurt when even your peers.. peers in this “plural” context are people who are your age little older to you by an year or two..! When these peers initiate the protocol of calling each other in plural form. The entire eco system changes. It suddenly becomes a professional environment. It’s like being with elders. People with whom we don’t have fun or be ourselves. Just lip tight and talk whatever is required. That exactly scares me. It’s like being in a meeting with your customers or say you are in meeting with your dean/principal/ whoever is at the helm..

The situation boils down to that.. This situation reduces you to not to be friends with your peers but forces you to maintain or return the courtesy or demands of being a fellow elder.. !

Now what is the other life.. calling each other in singular and of course in a respectable way. It’s better to lead a professional life with your colleagues rather than ruing about the fact that you are an elder.. !

whatever.. the transition sucks!

space-Time travel!

HitchHikers guide to galaxy by Douglas Adams has been an awesome read.. over the last weekend, I read the first three books of HitchHikers. After a very very long time I found a book which dealt with topics which we all always dream of discussing.. i.e. Time Travel…

How would it be to actually time travel back in the past and hey wait.. future also comes into picture.! Just amazing!! Douglas Adams narrates the book in such a way you would start wondering…”hey this could be REAL”.. it will have an amazing effect on you.

The effect of which was I started remembering lot of things from the past. This time I didn’t feel like.. “OK.. what if I had done this but that…” but just remembering the past gave me a unique feeling.. not great or not bad.. but time had its effect.

just some random thoughts after a long time.. which I wanted to record…

Cheers

Collective Evil working in tandem!

~nandana yugadhiya shubhashayagalu!

By the way.. today is a monday.. Writing this blog from a new place and after a 3 day break from everything back to work.. It’s close to lunch time.. Not hungry.. it’s quite hot out.. not sure if I would go out and eat.. will stay in and finish..

new things I found was..flipkart.com selling music at 47/- and as low as 9/-! That’s something which I would like to follow if Indians would adopt it quite well..

over time.. I found that going to a new environment would pose lot of challenges.. Alas.. This world is a Multi-Agent System! I see this world as a P2P system.. Nobody/Anybody won’t allow you just like into their network. There are many instances when you want to be feel taken into their network and more times you would rather be left alone. In college esp in IIITB.. in first sem.. people tend to form clusters.. and move forward in facing the course.. but in further course of time.. the cluster will becoming stronger/dense and interaction with other people(nodes) increases and it becomes a multi-layer cluster which are both strong and dense! My question often is.. in workplace where salary is involved and each person is assessed against each other.. you are a white blood and others are also white blood to you! It’s a threat network instead of a co-operative network.. The entire system discourages the clustering which is inherently healthy.. but instead it encourages people to work/think in a forlorn, destitute way! Will it breed good-will?

I have thought about this situation many times.. it baffles me.. people at work treat every other person in a paranoid way.. It is like a feedback mechanism.. You interact with somebody and you are left with a dry/horrible/demented feeling .. it almost leaves you feel nauseated.. “Why the fuk did I give my opinion!”

There is nothing like open communication.. it’s all pure Hierarchy in the name.. the organization is cleverly built take it an org, Govt, edu places..
There’s no one point of authority.. it’s a collective evil working in tandem.. so even if an individual wants to fight there’s no one thing to fight against.. just like in hotel California.. “there’s no way out from here”!

PS: These are my personal thought nothing to do with the place i work.. It’s an awesome place.. and I am enjoying every moment of it

vague/wage thoughts on a Friday night

Everybody will have 100 odd things in there wish list. 

There is no right and wrong but there’s always a conventional way and winners don’t care for conventional way.

Between spending time on preparing road maps and just going for it is the difference between just planners and winners.

It’s not the talent that matters but consistent hammering and pushing oneself.

Hypocrites call it poor jokes and rest enjoy the creativity in the random wilderness of thoughts.

if you don’t keep quiet you run the risk of solving the problem.

If one is always afraid to try challenging things it’s better to master ‘ShavaSana’ than see others do other ‘Asanas’

How to punish oneself in one simple step? Hope to get a call from FM channels for a goodie. 

There’s nothing wrong in being a technical person as long as you are not a treason.

It’s Ok to aspire but one should not forget that there will be people who will take a superior stand to curb your aspirations. 

lastly, life is long to enjoy so don’t worry if you are not enjoying currently.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Design Patterns – Introduction

Of late.. I am discovering that I love teaching.. the preparation I put into teach others makes me understand the topics in a much better and cleaner way.

For starters, if you know design patterns its like .. you could be sure that you don’t design your system in a wrong way. If you want an efficient and a scalable system.. you need to factor in lot of things..

In fact,  I understood one thing. The best way to learn any new language is to first start with Design patterns. As a beginner to programming/coding one should not get enamored by the Syntax of that language(as they call it).

The best way to learn Java according to my experience is pick up Head first design patterns book and read it. Blindly, type all the code. You will learn how to use interfaces, inheritances etc etc., If you learn Java directly, no matter how much one explains the use of interfaces and inheritances one would not understand/appreciate it.

Learning Design patterns is a  continuous experience. The more you discuss with others the better your concepts would become.

I would encourage people who haven’t tried Design patterns to pick up the following:

1. Head First Design Patterns – java

Available on Flipkart: Price: 406/-

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

2. Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software - C++ (Gang of four)

Available on Flipkart: Price: at 356/-

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

3. .Net Patterns: Architecture,  Design and Process

Available on Flipkart: Price at 428/-

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction

“The book creates a new language, what the authors call a  ‘pattern language’ derived from timeless entities called patterns. As they write on page xxxv of the introduction, “All 253 patterns together form a language.” Patterns describe a problem and then offer a solution. In doing so the authors intend to give ordinary people, not only professionals, a way to work with their neighbors to improve a town or neighborhood, design a house for themselves or work with colleagues to design an office, workshop or public building such as a school.“

Available on Flipkart: Price: at 2847/-
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

As I write the series of articles on Design patterns I would like to read the above books as my reference
To be continued..

what is growing up?

growing up..is not only growing taller.. it is becoming “Acceptive”!!!

i started to write this on July 20 2010!!!

But now, it is end of 2011.. what do i feel about growing up!!

I feel the same still but growing up is making new mistakes and try to mitigate old ones.. and also growing up means becoming SMART..

then.. what is growing Old?

growing old according to me is growing to tolerate others and accepting others thoughts and feelings and accommodating them!

Just completed an old draft…

Fire in the equations – Kitty Ferguson

I was wondering where I can pick up this book from India..
Flipkart: 1013/-

Infibeam ebook: 473/-

Infibeam: 1021/-

IndiaPlazawhooping: 680/-!!!!

Is IndiaPlaza better than Flipkart and Infibeam when it comes to imported books!!??

Very interesting..

Preparing yourself for the next big thing.. Marathon it is

My next big assignment.. to run a marathon….

some of the tips I got for running long..

1. keep chocolates with you…
2. don’t go and run in open grounds..
3. run on roads.. preferably from 8 to 9..
4. wear cotton undies..and put plasters on nipples when running long distances..
5. Put vaseline .. u know where..
6. best of all.. the last point.. SIGN UP FOR A MARATHON three months before the marathon.. and start preparing!!!!

Yay!!!!

Day 1 efforts:
5.8KM -> 40 minutes..

Hmmm.. end of the year 2011

I want to sit back lot of stories of 2011.

it all started with jari, simha in Pizza hut on the last day of 2010.
Rich rich memories of MH2, iiitb, SR’s meetings, TA corrections, monitoring the sessions, taking attendance, TT, hacks, websites, conferences..
The awesome Hyderabad trip with Bodhi, Rashmi VH, Rashmi Rao, Sudha Mani, Karthikeyan, Vamsi, Naveen, suji!!!
The awesome leather ball matches with Tarun, Adithya P, Sid, Sangarsh, Ather, CP, Shivam, prateek, amitesh, abhishek, sanket, chitresh..
The bestest bestest Spandan 2011.. where mtech2009 batch were both runners up and winners.. and I was part of the runners up:D
What a moment it was to reach the semis and finals of mixed badminton finals with she kp in spandan 2011.. playing at 3.30 am and 5.30 am semis and finals against yet another 2009 batch mates.. prateek and shwetha!!! another silver medal…!!!!!
Travelling trips to dinner with almost no energy to walk with bodhi and avinash!!!
Seeing abhaey, CP, bodhi and Tarun win the football in spandan 2011!!!
Then came the weekly meetings of thesis and corrections spree.. when I took only programming questions and automated the corrections:D.. the meetins with shrisha rao sir and Jaya ma’am!!!
the anxiety of getting a 4/4 gpa in third sem.. only to have a sigh of relief to compensate for a dismal 2.5/4 in first sem..
going to college and coming down home from college with Sushma!!!! Getting up early.. and running to pick her up..eating oats and carrying and sharing carrier with her!!!
constant taunts on bodhi’s negligence and interest towards hacking of college’s network..
awesome time with Amit Paul and bodhi in his room.. with dhwanit and abhishek joining after class hours.. and neelesh and gaurav calling me bhaiya bhaiya whenever they saw us!!!
The day when our parents met sushma’s parents and decided that we have to get engaged..
the hurry to paint the house when sushma’s parents came to visit our place for the first time!
the hurry in which our engagement got fixed…
how my thesis got completed during the day of spandan itself… i.e. good 4 months before the actual completeion of Mtech..
then the hunt to get into a job before engagement..
failing to get thro in schneider… tata infotech..
narrowly missing out on deloitte for god knows why reason..
for the call of the year from Archan to come for the interview to SAP labs.. and how I had the time of my life with a class of an interview with jayanth and netra…and how i got thro SAP labs!!
How awesome it was to develop a php website for Hci 2011 and becoming the volunteering co chair for that.. and how awesome it was to interact with Murali sir..
the vistis ot DRDO and talking about my work and abhinandan’s constant awesomeness with his progress in his thesis.. ather, nisha, karthikeyan, nabi added the great time in thesis meetings with prof. shrisha rao..
then coming to the engagement day.. how me and sushma shopped endlessly for our engagement.. how for the first in two years to earn a salary.. and how happy I was to earn money for the first time..
the shoppping for cricket bats. leather balls… wowow wow.. wish tarun stayed back in bangalore…
How awesome it was to see nitin,uff, phani, adi, rahil,shivdeep, pommi, katru, harsha, vikram on my engagment.. heartiest sorry for rajanna for missing out on that.. how awesome and how happy to see tarun, abahey, avinash, bodhi, mala, sandeepa, kp, cp, abhinandan, anupa, sunaga..
Mn of course missed out on his brother’s wedding also…
then came the bachelor’s party.. wow wow.. it was truly a thing to remember for my life.. but dearly missed tarun, phani and nitin….
whattta anaweome day it was.. continuously played for the whole day.. tirelessly!!!!!!!! wish i could it more.. with gulabi also around..
then came the graduation day.. the submission of my thesis .. thesis defense.. hwo prof. dinesha and prof. das were tehre in the panel.. whom I personally invited..
How bad I felt when i last drove out of college for the last time.. with abhaey and tarun still around in the campus.. (
how bad i felt when I paid the fine in the library.. met everybody in the college after joining sap…
it was very bad to see .. chitresh break his leg.. especially when placements were happening..
the last day when sushma took our pictures while coming back home.. the movie we watched after the last day.. is still fresh in my memory..

this ends the part 1..

part 2 starts now..

sap started.. tarun left to delhi..:( felt bad.. ( but what to do.. graduation day .. woooowwww whattta day it was.. all of us.. me and sunag.. came together and dressed up in black robes.. threw the hats.. photos.. when the moment arrived to take the degree from none other than NRN!! i felt proud.. in front of family friends and my fiance!!! and ya Rashmi had flown down to blr… and she witnessed a graduation day in iiitb!! wow .. a very special day.. the day before graduation day.. juniors gave me … a sporty award on our send off day:D:D::D.. it was very sweet of them.. and how we enacted mad-ads.. with preparation of just one hour.. with special appearance from none other than.. Bharath.. that day was our rehearsal day..

then came the italy thingy.. how I got my VISA in the last moment.. how nervous I was before flying.. I had to present reehan and arun’s paper also.. it was a very very nervous moment.. getting upgraded to business class to visiting trieste.. venice.. and on the way back flying past paris and wishing i want to come here!!!!

then came the big big big big moment of my life.. that is wedding day:D::D:D.. wow.. what a special moment it is for everyone!!! we got married.. !!!
our house got expanded to accmodate the newly wed!!!!
how tarun flew in just for my wedding.. how jari flew in from malaysia just for the wedding.. my special friends.. how awesome it was to see so many iiitbians on stage and all the speical people in the world .. coming and wishing us.. wow wow.. still gives me an adrenaline flow..
I don’t know how i treated anyone.. sorries if I didn’t take care of you all..

then came the malaysia trip.. wow what a great place Langkawi is!!! Kaulalumpur with sushma.. and having jari around in KLL made life so easy.. the night feelings walk with jari on our honeymoon.. was aweomse fun.. buying a tv and getting a flat 50% off made us even more awesome..

then after coming back from wedding.. things started to become serious at work.. on Xs.. then one fine day.. how jayanth and bharath asked me to travel to walldorf!!! that day still gives me goosebumps .. what an awesome awesome day it was!!!

walldorf trip with sam, sudha, shilpa, and rakshit.. and then to paris trip with sam and shilpa.. it was a very special trip.. learnt and interacted with some German colleagues. and learnt a lot from them…

bought so many gadgets this year.. beetel, nokia phone, slr, cannon point and shoot.. ::DD:D

read some amazing books.. namely rashmi bansals.. paul grahams. douglas crockfords.. etc, etc.,

what a sooper trek it was to Maaribetta and saavandurga…

took some awesome photos.. wrote no exams.. !!!

learnt a great deal of javascript.. spring, struts!!!
HANA, in memory, php, REST, Open APIs on Zomato..

Last but not the least.. watched India win the world cup 2011.. watched Sehwag beat Tendulkar’s record.. 219 against west indies..

saw another close friends getting engaged in 2011 itself.. !!! it’s year with lot of great people passing away.. the likes of steve jobs, dennis ritchie and many many lives were lost due to careless mishaps.. in wars and protests and terrorism..!

year full of inflation.. rising petrol prices..

Will 2012 be the same??!?!?! I am sure… It will be even more awesome.. with lots of sweet memories and a big thanks to all my best buddies..

love you 2011!!!
will misss u.. and you will always be special!!!

Cheers
vasanth