The death of vishnu

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Bhole Baba hamar - Avinesh Chand

Geet ka bol ba Bhole baba hamar sabpe daya kare. The bhojpuri song is by Avinesh Chand in bhojpuri style

"Manoj Tiwari Mridul" on Holland dutch postage stamp

Bhojpuri super star " Manoj Tiwari Mridul" par Holland ke sarkar daak ticket jari kaiele ba Click here for the full news
Manoj tiwari on Holland's postal stamp . Humnike ei dekh ke ki ek chota se gaanv ka laika , "Purab ke B eta", inha pahuche , bahut hi garv mahsoos hola.

He is the first living person from india , whos has been been priveliged to be on a foreign country postal stamp , because of his increasing popularity there.







50 Cent Lyrics
Just A Little Bit Lyrics

Ae Raja Humke Banaras Ghumayda

A fun filled song about banaras by nirhu dinesh lal yadav

me at Tissot Dubai

Its called the resignation song

"Take this job and shove it I ain’t workin’ here no more
My woman done left and took all the reason I was working for
Ya better not try and stand in my way
Cause I’m walkin’ out the door
Take this job and shove it I ain’t workin’ here no more"

– Take This Job and Shove It, performed by Johnny Paycheck

Who hasn’t been tempted to act like the singer of this song? However, resigning from a job does involve a certain decorum, and doing it properly can only help you later.

#1: Write the resignation letter
#2: Be clear about your last day, but be flexible if necessary
#3: Confirm the handling of unused vacation days
#4: Remove important personal effects prior to your announcement
#5: Leave on the best note possible
#6: Let your important contacts know
#7: Document your current work
#8: Adjust your voicemail greeting and (if possible) disable voicemail messaging
#9: Prepare for a letdown

Daddy Yankee Gasolina

Daddy Yankee Lyrics
Gasolina Lyrics

I really like this song it makes my feet tapping . But i dont understand the lyrics except the word gasolina .What does it mean "Dame Mas Gasolina"

Game viewing at naivasha sanctuary

It is a long weeknd for us here because of "Good Friday" and the Easter holidays, and the start of the holiday was awesome by doing a horse riding and "Game-Viewing" at a wildlife sanctuary near Lake Naivasha. And even though i slept like a baby for the whole night after it , i still pain in my bum and my back is aching like anything.
I had gone there with my mates at work corky, kudzai and kudzai's friends
From Nairobi, there are two roads going to Naivasha : one going down alongside the escarpment, and one going up towards Naivasha town. The "truck" road going down the escarpment is shorter in distance but after Maai Mahiu town (first town down the hill), there are huge potholes on the road going towards Naivasha Lake. The other road, the A104 uplands, is longer in distance but in very good state as it is not used by container truck.
We took the shorter one because we were running out of time.

Lake Naivasha is the second largest and the highest lake of the
Central Rift Valley lakes. Remain of a great lake which spread through
the basins and spilling out at its southern end through the Ol Njorowa Gorge
(Hell's Gate National Park), this freshwater lake has kept much of its old colonial charm and is also the centre of a prosperous flower export business.

At only two hours drive from Nairobi, Naivasha is a great place to forget
the Nairobian urban life and do some sport activities such as hiking, walking,
biking and/or game viewing and is a popular weekend retreat for the local communities.

And we were literally at one point on the road to the lake which was 2666 mts above sea level and a stop to have a look at Mt. longonot. which i remembers from friends saying that it was once an active volcano.


The charges for horse riding and game viewing is 1000ksh for non residents. I will soon upload the pics for this trip.

Karibu

Well, it’s been about a week now since I landed here,
and here are a few general observations of Nairobi , kenya which i have in general:

As I said earlier, it’s much cooler here in Nairobi compared India , though it Summer here the temperature here is 25-27 degrees, and the nights are cooler.
I found it pretty darned cold the first couple of days, but I think I’m getting used to the weather now.
It’s cool, and it does warrant the use of warmer clothing occassionally, though.

I reckon it’s getting colder because it’s around this time when it starts to rain, and rain brings the temperatures
down further.

The traffic here seems to be faster in general, but much much more
organized than the traffic in India (obviously ).
The traffic volume and density have gone absurdly high since a couple of years here in nairobi ,
but the trafiic volume is much comparable to a small city in india. I find the traffic here much similar to Varanasi/Pune or Baroda.
There appear to be a very very diverse collection of cars on the road.
I find that quite strange, because being a small country with a small population,
and a smaller vehicle-requiring populace, I would have thought that there’d be very few car manufacturers here…
will find out more about this. One possible explanation is that most cars are imported from other countries
instead of being built here, and since cars are being imported anyway, car owners can go for any car they want.
The greenery and city beauty is still there. You see plenty of trees
and bushes dotting the roads on both sides, and on our drive to the outskirts today, we noticed what would
pass off as a small jungle on the side of the road.
The water here is hard water (compared to India, of course).
Hard water is characterized by being difficult to form a lather with soap,
and consequently leaving a soap-fimly layer on the skin when you wash your hands. The strange thing, though, is that it doesn’t bother you so much when you’re trying to get the soap to lather, but it takes a frustratingly long time to wash it all off!
My initial impression was that the cost of living here is pretty high , but it is just a quite more than that of bangalore.
to have a full lunch with a drink at a restaurant in city center you may spend around 550-600 Ksh.
However, that’s my perception based on prices in Kenyan Shillings (KHS). I will make some conversions to USD (U.S. Dollars) or INR (Indian Rupees) and then let you know some comparisons.
Photos will be delayed for a while, bcos i have'nt brought my caera and have to get the pics from my friend warick's
camera .

Karibu

Well, it’s been about a week now since I landed here,
and here are a few general observations of Nairobi , kenya which i have in general:

As I said earlier, it’s much cooler here in Nairobi compared India , though it Summer here the temperature here is 25-27 degrees, and the nights are cooler.
I found it pretty darned cold the first couple of days, but I think I’m getting used to the weather now.
It’s cool, and it does warrant the use of warmer clothing occassionally, though.

I reckon it’s getting colder because it’s around this time when it starts to rain, and rain brings the temperatures
down further.

The traffic here seems to be faster in general, but much much more
organized than the traffic in India (obviously ).
The traffic volume and density have gone absurdly high since a couple of years here in nairobi ,
but the trafiic volume is much comparable to varanasi in india.

There appear to be a very very diverse collection of cars on the road.
I find that quite strange, because being a small country with a small population,
and a smaller vehicle-requiring populace, I would have thought that there’d be very few car manufacturers here…
will find out more about this. One possible explanation is that most cars are imported from other countries
instead of being built here, and since cars are being imported anyway, car owners can go for any car they want.
The greenery and city beauty is still there. You see plenty of trees
and bushes dotting the roads on both sides, and on our drive to the outskirts today, we noticed what would
pass off as a small jungle on the side of the road.
The water here is hard water (compared to India, of course).
Hard water is characterized by being difficult to form a lather with soap,
and consequently leaving a soap-fimly layer on the skin when you wash your hands. The strange thing, though, is that it doesn’t bother you so much when you’re trying to get the soap to lather, but it takes a frustratingly long time to wash it all off!
My initial impression was that the cost of living here is pretty high , but it is just a quite more than that of bangalore.
to have a full lunch with a drink at a restaurant in city center you may spend around 550-600 Ksh.
However, that’s my perception based on prices in Kenyan Shillings (KHS). I will make some conversions to USD (U.S. Dollars) or INR (Indian Rupees) and then let you know some comparisons.
Photos will be delayed for a while, bcos i have'nt brought my caera and have to get the pics from my friend warick's
camera .

Bubbly :- Colbie Callat

this song by Colbie is awesome , first i heard it on Radio Indigo in bangalore. and then serached for it on You Tube. So simple lyrics and good melody . It really makes me feel like a child now after listening to it. Again want to go back to my Kinder gatren class. and the playschool.

Putaiyaa Maare Boti

Hum Ii Gaana auckland main ego fiji Indian night club main sunal raha , aur ka music CD lihe raha "Auckland Indian Sweets" ke shop se. gaana Gayil hain Jacky and Group , Carribean ke bhojpuriya log. click karein aur enjoy karein.

My Cold Turkeys

Cold turkey" is a slang expression describing the actions of a person who gives up a
habit or addiction all at once. That is, rather than gradually easing the process through reduction or by using replacement medication. Its supposed advantage is that by not actively using supplemental methods, the person avoids thinking about the habit and its temptation, and avoids further feeding the chemical addiction.
I have been in cold turkey situation many times , be it eating various type of foods , drinking , overspending and nail biting, and had success and failures results for my different experiments .May be i can elaborate more on this when i have time to post a blog again.

10 dirty little secrets you should know about working in IT

If you are preparing for a career in IT or are new to IT, many of the “dirty little secrets” listed below may surprise you because we don’t usually talk about them out loud. If you are an IT veteran, you’ve probably encountered most of these issues and have a few of your own to add — and please, by all means, take a moment to add them to the discussion. Most of these secrets are aimed at network administrators, IT managers, and desktop support professionals. This list is not aimed at developers and programmers — they have their own set of additional dirty little secrets — but some of these will apply to them as well.

10.) The pay in IT is good compared to many other professions, but since they pay you well, they often think they own you

Although the pay for IT professionals is not as great as it was before the dot-com flameout and the IT backlash in 2001-2002, IT workers still make very good money compared to many other professions (at least the ones that require only an associate’s or bachelor’s degree). And there is every reason to believe that IT pros will continue to be in demand in the coming decades, as technology continues to play a growing role in business and society. However, because IT professionals can be so expensive, some companies treat IT pros like they own them. If you have to answer a tech call at 9:00 PM because someone is working late, you hear, “That’s just part of the job.” If you need to work six hours on a Saturday to deploy a software update to avoid downtime during business hours, you get, “There’s no comp time for that since you’re on salary. That’s why we pay you the big bucks!”

9.) It will be your fault when users make silly errors

Some users will angrily snap at you when they are frustrated. They will yell, “What’s wrong with this thing?” or “This computer is NOT working!” or (my personal favorite), “What did you do to the computers?” In fact, the problem is that they accidentally deleted the Internet Explorer icon from the desktop, or unplugged the mouse from the back of the computer with their foot, or spilled their coffee on the keyboard.

8.) You will go from goat to hero and back again multiple times within any given day

When you miraculously fix something that had been keeping multiple employees from being able to work for the past 10 minutes — and they don’t realize how simple the fix really was — you will become the hero of the moment and everyone’s favorite employee. But they will conveniently forget about your hero anointment a few hours later when they have trouble printing because of a network slowdown — you will be enemy No. 1 at that moment. But if you show users a handy little Microsoft Outlook trick before the end of the day, you’ll soon return to hero status.

7.) Certifications won’t always help you become a better technologist, but they can help you land a better job or a pay raise

Headhunters and human resources departments love IT certifications. They make it easy to match up job candidates with job openings. They also make it easy for HR to screen candidates. You’ll hear a lot of veteran IT pros whine about techies who were hired based on certifications but who don’t have the experience to effectively do the job. They are often right. That has happened in plenty of places. But the fact is that certifications open up your career options. They show that you are organized and ambitious and have a desire to educate yourself and expand your skills. If you are an experienced IT pro and have certifications to match your experience, you will find yourself to be extremely marketable. Tech certifications are simply a way to prove your baseline knowledge and to market yourself as a professional. However, most of them are not a good indicator of how good you will be at the job.

6.) Your nontechnical co-workers will use you as personal tech support for their home PCs

Your co-workers (in addition to your friends, family, and neighbors) will view you as their personal tech support department for their home PCs and home networks. They will e-mail you, call you, and/or stop by your office to talk about how to deal with the virus that took over their home PC or the wireless router that stopped working after the last power outage and to ask you how to put their photos and videos on the Web so their grandparents in Iowa can view them. Some of them might even ask you if they can bring their home PC to the office for you to fix it. The polite ones will offer to pay you, but some of them will just hope or expect you can help them for free. Helping these folks can be very rewarding, but you have to be careful about where to draw the line and know when to decline. For help, take a look at TechRepublic’s free download “Ten ways to decline a request for free tech support.”

5.) Vendors and consultants will take all the credit when things work well and will blame you when things go wrong

Working with IT consultants is an important part of the job and can be one of the more challenging things to manage. Consultants bring niche expertise to help you deploy specialized systems, and when everything works right, it’s a great partnership. But you have to be careful. When things go wrong, some consultants will try to push the blame off on you by arguing that their solution works great everywhere else so it must be a problem with the local IT infrastructure. Conversely, when a project is wildly successful, there are consultants who will try to take all of the credit and ignore the substantial work you did to customize and implement the solution for your company.

4.) You’ll spend far more time babysitting old technologies than implementing new ones

One of the most attractive things about working in IT is the idea that we’ll get to play with the latest cutting edge technologies. However, that’s not usually the case in most IT jobs. The truth is that IT professionals typically spend far more time maintaining, babysitting, and nursing established technologies than implementing new ones. Even IT consultants, who work with more of the latest and greatest technologies, still tend to work primarily with established, proven solutions rather than the real cutting edge stuff.

3.) Veteran IT professionals are often the biggest roadblock to implementing new technologies

A lot of companies could implement more cutting edge stuff than they do. There are plenty of times when upgrading or replacing software or infrastructure can potentially save money and/or increase productivity and profitability. However, it’s often the case that one of the largest roadblocks to migrating to new technologies is not budget constraints or management objections; it’s the veteran techies in the IT department. Once they have something up and running, they are reluctant to change it. This can be a good thing because their jobs depend on keeping the infrastructure stable, but they also use that as an excuse to not spend the time to learn new things or stretch themselves in new directions. They get lazy, complacent, and self-satisfied.

2.) Some IT professionals deploy technologies that do more to consolidate their own power than to help the business

Another subtle but blameworthy thing that some IT professionals do is select and implement technologies based on how well those technologies make the business dependent on the IT pros to run them, rather than which ones are truly best for the business itself. For example, IT pros might select a solution that requires specialized skills to maintain instead of a more turnkey solution. Or an IT manager might have more of a Linux/UNIX background and so chooses a Linux-based solution over a Windows solution, even though the Windows solution is a better business decision (or, vice versa, a Windows admin might bypass a Linux-based appliance, for example). There are often excuses and justifications given for this type of behavior, but most of them are disingenuous.

1.) IT pros frequently use jargon to confuse nontechnical business managers and hide the fact that they screwed up

All IT pros — even the very best — screw things up once in a while. This is a profession where a lot is at stake and the systems that are being managed are complex and often difficult to integrate. However, not all IT pros are good at admitting when they make a mistake. Many of them take advantage of the fact that business managers (and even some high-level technical managers) don’t have a good understanding of technology, and so the techies will use jargon to confuse them (and cover up the truth) when explaining why a problem or an outage occurred. For example, to tell a business manager why a financial application went down for three hours, the techie might say, “We had a blue screen of death on the SQL Server that runs that app. Damn Microsoft!” What the techie would fail to mention was that the BSOD was caused by a driver update he applied to the server without first testing it on a staging machine.

What more could you ask from a boom town ?

Vapi used to be a little town content sitting in the gentle undulations of the western coastal region in Gujarat state of India, the sky here was clear blue.
The sub burnt bright. The hills were green. And the woods were dark. Out of then flowed a generous river looking for he sea barely a few miles away. A national highway and a railway track ran parallel to the coast : Every is still the same Vapi – It has today become one of the most ambitious town in India. Everbody calls it the new boom town. Vapi has become a nerve centre of industrial and business activity using new technology, new management and new work styles. The new change has brought with it new life styles too. Today Vapi is high on the list upwardly mobile elite for starting an industry, for opening a business, for setting down.
Vapi’s people used to be gentle folk going about their calling quietly. They are still there. But there are new people in the town now – the executives, the businessmen, the technocrats, the bureaucrats.
GIDC can cape town’s the population is more than 50,000. The people are mostly engaged in business though there is a growing presence of doctors, lawyers, accountants, technicians, architects, designer, teachers, consultants, estate agents, transporters, decorators, fabricators, printers, skilled labour and other swallows of the new summer.
Vapi has English and Gujarati schools with over 7500 students. It has industrial and commercial training institutes which supply skilled manpower to factories and offices. A computer education centre has begun offering computer courses too.
Vapi has 9 hospitals including 1 for children. A public hospital is taking shape. Haria Hospital has all major facilities, well equipped ICUs, Brain Scanner, ambulance and other medicare services.
The shops have already begun to sport the gloss of glass and the gleam of chrome. All modern daily requirements – electric and electronic appliances, packaged foods, readywear clothes, house fittings, newspapers and magazines, books, car servicing household repairs and maintenance – are available in ships on main streets and in shopping centre I residential areas. Air-conditioned restaurants offer vegetarian and non-vegetarian food of South Indian, Gujarati, Punjabi, Moghlai, Chinese and Continental variety. Though Gujarat has prohibition in force, liquor permits can be obtained.
Of the three hotels in Vapi, Kamat’s Vapi Hotel is 3 starred. It is getting ready with speciality restaurants. 24-hour coffee shop, wine shop and swimming pool. It will have a health club with steam bath, sauna bath, gymnasium, card room, tennis. Also a playroom for children with crazy mirrors, slot machines, popcorn stations ad video-games – all linked with a power - run mini – train.
Vapi has nine clubs – Lions, Lioness, Leo, Rotary, Roteract, Jayacees, Jayceeratte, Inner Wheel and Interact Plus the Vapi Industrial Association. Some of the clubs offer sports facilities.
Vapi has four cinemas and two video theatre with a total capacity of over 3200. It has a public library, a Lion club library and several lending libraries. A Gujarati newspaper is published locally to serve town interest. Vapi has its share of playgrounds, gardens and places of worship.
Vapi has one of the largest industrial complexes in India. Eight more such complexes are around it within an hour’s drive. Plots and shed are easily obtained. Finances are supplied by banks and industrial development corporations on attractive terms. Research and project consultancies are readily available. Skilled and unskilled labour is plentiful and cheap. Al-time water and power supply is assured Ancillary industry is well grown. Workshops offer maintenance and repairs all over.
Almost all nationalised banks and many banks in the co-operative sector have office sin Vapi. Vapi Industrial associations has a cell offering help to new entrepreneurs.
Vapi has excellent telephone, telex and teleprinter connections with the country and the world. All-Weather national and state highways link it with Bombay, Bhavnagar and Surat. Flights operate from Daman airport, 12 kms away Luxury coaches, Rickshaws taxis and rentals cars are available at any time.
Vapi is surrounded by green forests dotted with pretty hills and criss-crossed by rivers and streams. Tribal village lend a gaiety that is intoxicating. Several gardens, lakes, riverside parks, hills stations, beach stations, old forests, religious places are within a day’s outing. Many of these places have good stay and food facilities.
A three-star riverside Ras Resort wit 5 –star facilities is already started at Silvassa 8 kms away. It has 60 rooms with air conditioning. 3- channel music and video sets. The resorts has restaurants, bar coffeeshop, banquetting and conference facilities, shopping parlour, health club and swimming pool with barbeque. On the side riverfront will be offered fishing, boating, waterscootering and other games. A mini-golf course and jogging trails will be added attractions.
Vapi has three seasons summer from March to June, monsoon from June to September, and winter from October to February. The average daily temperature in summer can be 30 degree celcius and the minimum temperature in winter can be 24 degree celcius. The average annual rainfall in 80 inches.
The air is fresh and invigorating. Pollution is non-existent. Water is abundant. Vegetable and fruits are available round the year. Various religious and cultural occasions are celebrated with enthusiasm. Communal tensions are nil. Labour scene is peaceful. Crime is much below the state average.

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Welcome to HP-GDIC

Welcome to HP-GDIC

Social networking for all Bhojpuri people over the Globe

Bhojpuri is a popular regional language spoken in parts of north-central
and eastern India. It is spoken in the western part of state of Bihar,
the northwestern part of Jharkhand, and the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh,
as well as an adjoining area of southern plains of Nepal. Bhojpuri is also spoken
in Guyana, Suriname,Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago and Mauritius and is often said to
be the only Indian language to be spoken on all continents.The language of the Surinamese
Hindus, however, is seldom referred to as Bhojpuri but usually as Sarnami Hindi or just
Sarnami.

People's attitudes towards the Bhojpuri language have evolved over time, and there is
a general misconecption that bhojpuri is a dialect oh hindi, but most of the
linguists agree it is not a dialect of Hindi, which is a widespread belief among
speakers. Others, including the government of India while taking census, disagree,
and consider Bhojpuri to be a dialect of Hindi. But now the government of India
is preparing to grant it statutory status of as a national scheduled language.

Bhojpuri shares vocabulary with Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu and other Indo-Aryan
languages of northern India. Bhojpuri and several closely related languages,
including Maithili and Magadhi, are together known as the Bihari languages.
They are part of the Eastern Zone group of Indo-Aryan languages which includes
Bengali and Oriya.

I invite all my bhojpuri friends to join at the social network Bhojpuri Sansar!

bagalwali jaan mareli

Ego chumman Lei le Rajaji

This bhojpuri song is by Kalpana a regional singer .The lyrics carry an in depth
meaning but so does the beat, the music, the melody which brings to life the essence . It says the feeling of a a village girl
from bhojpur in Bihar , singing for his beloved who is leeaving his village and going to city in search of a better life. you can download this video and enjoy the song . People who understand the language will surely like it .

Download this video

Rich Dad Poor Dad

Book by Robert Kiyosaki about managing your finances , which i read literally when i was living hand to mouth ,
i mean when i was a student , which i think was too early as it did not make much sense to
me then. so , later i re-read it again , after i had become an employee.

What is the difference in the world view and attitude of people
who become rich compared to other people? What things do they
do differently to have such different results in their lives?

Robert T. Kiyosaki had a unique opportunity to find out. Robert's father
was an educator and public administrator. When Robert was a young boy,
he and his friend, Mike decided they wanted to learn how to become rich.
They started by trying to make (counterfeit) money.

Robert's father explained to the boys this was illegal. He also admitted he
did not know how to become rich, but suggested the boys ask Mike's father how to go
about it. So Mike's father, an independent businessperson, became a mentor to Robert,
his "Rich Dad."

This book is the fascinating story of how the Rich Dad
taught Robert the lessons he needed to learn to make himself financially
independent. Robert has learned that our educational system is pretty good at
producing employees, but not very good at producing people who are good at managing
their finances wisely. He now teaches people how to apply the principles of becoming rich.
In addition to publishing the information in this book, he has developed a game, CASHFLOW(tm) 101 to help people develop their financial intelligence.

Some of the ideas Robert presents reinforce those in other books we have reviewed.
Like The Millionaire Next Door, Robert points out the difference between having a big salary and building wealth. Like The Richest Man In Babylon, Robert emphasizes the importance of paying yourself first. In his opinion, it's more important to systematically invest a portion of your income than to pay your bills or to pay your taxes. (A controversial concept.)

Robert also has a definition of an asset versus a liability that is different from conventional accounting. Investors generally focus on accumulating assets and avoid liabilities. Simply stated, assets generate income or cash. Liabilities consume cash. Rich people accumulate assets. People who aren't rich accumulate liabilities. Some things that look like assets are actually liabilities - for example: a residence, a car, a boat. When we accumulate these things, we are not really accumulating wealth, we are consuming it. If we haven't accumulated sufficient assets and we acquire these "toy" liabilities, we are putting the cart before the horse. Instead, we should emphasize regularly acquiring stocks, bonds, tax lien certificates, rental real estate, and other investments. We also need to learn to build value and get some tax shelter by building our own business.

Robert acknowledges that it is possible to use the principle of compound interest and regular saving to achieve financial independence. The problem with this approach is it's a long, patient one. Most people get started too late for it to work.

The rest of us must develop our financial intelligence, make risk our friend, and accelerate our financial growth. Although diversification is appropriate for preserving accumulated wealth, the investor usually must take the additional risk of focused investments in order to initially accumulate wealth. Bigger returns require accepting more risk.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad is the kind of book that opens your mind to new possibilities

KABHI KISI KO MUKAMMAL JAHAN NAHIN MILTA ...

Its So true that , No One is ever completely satisfied with life whichwe often hear in the saying
"
kabhi kisi ko mukammal jahan nahin milta
kahin zameen to kahin aasman nahin milta
jisay bhi dekhiyay woh apnay aap mein goum hai
zuban mili hai magar hum zuban nahin milta
kabhi kisi ko mukammal jahan nahin milta....
bujha saka hai bhala kaun waqt kay shoulay
yeh aisi aag hai jis mein dhuaan nahin milta
kabhi kisi ko mukammal jahan nahin milta....
teray jahan mein aisa nahin kay pyar na ho
jahan umeed ho iski wahan nahin milta
kabhi kisi ko mukammal jahan nahin milta
kahin zameen to kahin aasman nahin milta..."


it's a ghazal i hope u all like it.. thnx :)

Spouse , a book i am reading myte

Frankly speaking of all other the books which i have read of Shobha De i have;nt really admired her work except
"Speed Post" . All of her works which i have read is mostly about personal lifestyles of rich people of "South Mumbai" , who
try to imitate the lifesyles of the Hippy Westerners , but eventually end up being more dirtier.
and hence , most of the times her books are filled up with dirt and sleaze in my Personal opinion , from whatver i have read in her books.
And May be she too writes that because that is what use to sells among the indian readers.

Now I am reading the book Spouse by Shobhaa De’ which I happen to purchased form a vendor near my company guest house where i am currently staying.
Usually the characters in De's books have less or no substance in their
life with no resemblance to reality but just an ostentatious diplay of thier high profile lifestyle and wealth.
They were just social objects and nothing more to that, "Speed Post" being an exception to that which is a collection of posts
by her to her son and daughters.It depicts her relationship with her children as a parent, and herself as a child to her
own parents also taking into consideration her other relations. Now here she has acted like a true and a wise indian mother
taking care of her kids and guiding them through the rights and wrongs of life, and also giving then enough space to grow and mature , independently wihtin the
indian societal limits. But as far as i have understood the Westerner too do a much mature and better pareting of their
kids , and raise them to become successful individuals when they are grown ups.


Any way the book spouse which i am reading through currently , may be i got interested to read it because of my recent
marriage, but i am not much sure if i picked it up for that one reason as i had nohting in my book shelf to read lately.
This book by De’ deals with the success, failures, setbacks and joys of married life enlisting instances
of her experiences. As the book says it about trust, companionship, affection, sharing ( one's finances, belongings ,car , gas bill, credit card bill and monthly rations to everything that can be bought on earth etc etc )
and claims to enlist how
marriages work and why they fail. Apart from suggestions and practice leaning practices what makes this book most
interesting is that it opens a window to De’s very own married life which is more real with less frills or drama
of high social life. One can easily relate to similar instances in their own life. If not called as a complete guidebook
of married life then at least it can be taken as a reference book dealing with a-to-z issues relating to marriage.
Another thing to look for in this book is its interesting tittles ,( with hindi sub-headings )given to the various chapters.

Both the above books opens up De’ in a more transparent and honest and interesting manner. When it comes to portray
her character, it is herself only emerging as the most down to earth, mature, sensitive,
emotional and strong person capable of enough respect. Well May be someone close to her can comment on it better ,
because as a reader we just come to know about her from what she writes , Whcih i think is not enough to guess about a writer's personality as they are a "pro" in the job of a writer/author myte ;)

This has got something to do with wock myte :)

Just when we all thought Oracle was done shopping (at least for now)after spending
more then $20 billion USD in the last 3 years, we got the news of yet another acquisition,
case in point Hyperion Solutions. Starting January 2005 we saw Larry implementing the then
new growth strategy which puts vertical market product acquisitions squarely in the center.
Oracle believes that for it to reach its 20% growth target for the next 5 years it has to
pursue the new strategy as it can no longer rely on just organic growth. Oracle's chief geek
executed this strategy by targeting industry segments such as retail, government, and financial
services, where key rivals like SAP and Baan have not yet found a huge audience (Baan ERP is
now owned by infor and is known as SSA ERP LN, It is basically Baan ERP project "Gemini" that
runs on Unix servers).

The only thing left to be seen now is how oracle leverages these pure play acquisitions
and makes them work with its core competencies, if Oracle is able to actually deliver on
its promise and pull it off, it will be a success story that will be taught in business schools
and told in corporate boardrooms for years to come.


Since I have long been working on Portal Infranet Billing System implementation extension and deployment,
therefore that acquisition last year was of particular interest to me, one thing that strikes me
immediately is that with Portal Infranet and Siebel, Oracle is now the only enterprise solutions
provider that can provide a truly end to end single vendor CRM solution for Telecoms and ISPs,
and if you tie in to this equation PeopleSoft, it becomes a solution that can give SAP executives
many a sleepless nights.

Just added (Saturday March 31st 2007): I saw another news release regarding Communications Billing
and Revenue Management System (CBRM, previously Portal-Infranet) being now available for the Linux
platform, I think given that linux is the one of the most deployed web hosting platform,
its a very smart move on behalf of Oracle to align themselves with the open source platform,
though I think if given the fact that MySql is maturing very nicely and is catching up with many
of the features readily available with Oracle, MySQL will be the first database choice for all
those willing to host on an open source database.

I guess Oracle's remedy for that is theInnoDB and SleepyCat (Berkeley DB) acquisition. everything
has a sale price and Larry seems to always make an offer no one can refuse.

jobs site

4 International Careers & Jobs

Divorces , higher in developed nations.

I often hear people criticize the very high rates of divorce in the west–-particularly,
in the United States–-as being an example of all that’s wrong with the culture; they claim,
it reveals the lack of familial bonds, the superficiality of love and emotions,
the selfish me-centricism, and just the general decadence of the culture.

However, when I see the alarmingly low rates of divorce in other cultures – where divorce is a societal taboo,
such as in Japan, India, and China – I see the rampant disregard for individual human rights
(especially in the case of women), I see individuals choking under societal and familial pressure to
remain in suffocating relationships, I see individuals racked with emotional guilt for having extra-marital
affairs in the dark, for entering and remaining in marriages despite being gay, I see children growing up
with psychological scars from seeing their parents quarrel and fight before their own eyes, I see teenagers
rebelling against their parents and running away with their lovers or friends to escape the nightmare of
their homes occupied with two individuals who hate each other, I see youth engaging in frivolous sex and
self-destructive relationships unconsciously mimicking the failed and forced relationships their parents had,
I see women being raped by their husbands, men being forced into alcoholism and escapist hedonism,
I see a political society that gets increasingly moralistic and paternal because it believes that
morality must be forced upon people and that people are inherently evil, immoral, unruly, or savages.

Japan has the highest rates of suicide in the world. India has the highest number of people with AIDS
than any other country in the world.

Both Japan and India have very low divorce rates; but do not presume that this low rate reflects the
strong cultural values of marriage and love and relationships in these countries. Indeed, I argue,
it is quite the opposite.

In a sense, high divorce rates are good; in fact, it is an almost reliable indicator of a healthy and
prosperous culture that respects individual rights and allows individuals the space and freedom to BREATHE!

Marriage is only valuable, good, and moral to the extent that the individuals involved in it, make it so.
In other words, two individuals could be “live-in” partners and yet have a much stronger relationship than
some average married couple. It is not the nature of a relationship that lends it a certain moral value
but the individuals involved in it. People bring in value to a relationship, not some abstract notion of marriage.
Entering into marriage – being married – by default does not mean you are in some “valuable” and “serious”
relationship and must act accordingly. Within or without marriage, a couple (or group of individuals) can
still have a very meaningful and valuable relationship. Thus, I am not necessarily arguing for the position that
divorce is good or marriage is bad. To me, they are equally meaningless without considering the nature of individuals
involved.

Show me a culture with high divorce rates and I will show you a culture that’s prosperous, healthy, and free.

Marrying is certainly not a duty or an obligation – let alone an ethical one. Marriage is entirely optional,
and should be done with focused deliberation. Whether people enter into marriages solely depends on their
personal preferences in the matter (surely also with regard to the socio-political situation in their society).

A very apt quote by Morton Hunt that I include here:

Americans, who make more of marrying for love than any other people, also break up more of their marriages,
but the figure reflects not so much the failure of love as the determination of people not to live without it.

someones dad the feminist

I had written a review on My Son The Chauvinist , an year back , and again i cam across this book and Was searching form the same book on google for buying it online .
And somehow i reached through this post titled My Dad The Feminist! on a girls blog , where she has wriiten all praises about her fathers support for her mon and reminiscing her childhood days.
It is a really interesting article to read .
.

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some good words

Know how to laugh when you are sad ...
know there is no shame in tears,
Scoff at cynics and beware of too much sweetness...
Sell ur brawn and brain to the highest bidders
Never to put a price-tag on your heart and soul.

Maximes

Francois De La Rochefoucauld (1613 - 1680)

French author & moralist


Good advice is something a man gives when he is too old to set a bad example.

[Advice]


Preserving health by too severe a rule is a worrisome malady.

[Health]


Why is it that our memory is good enough to retain the least triviality that happens to us,

and yet not good enough to recollect how often we have told it to the same person?

[Memory]


Gratitude is merely the secret hope of further favors.

[Gratitude]


We confess our little faults to persuade people that we have no large ones.


We always like those who admire us; we do not always like those whom we admire.


We all have strength enough to endure the misfortunes of others.


The height of cleverness is to be able to conceal it.


He who lives without folly isn't so wise as he thinks.


A true friend is the greatest of all blessings, and that which we take the least care of all to acquire.


When we are unable to find tranquility within ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere.


We rarely think people have good sense unless they agree with us.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld Maximes (1678)

[Agreement]


It is a great ability to be able to conceal one's ability.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld Maxims, 1665

[Ability]


The glory of great men should always be measured by the means they have used to

acquire it.

[Fame]


To establish oneself in the world, one has to do all one can to appear established.


Before we set our hearts too much upon anything, let us examine how happy those are who already possess it.

[Possessions]


We should manage our fortunes as we do our health - enjoy it when good, be patient when it is bad,

and never apply violent remedies except in an extreme necessity.


It is often merely for an excuse that we say things are impossible.


The pleasure of love is in loving.


When we are unable to find tranquility within ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere.

, quoted in O Magazine, October 2002

[Relaxation]


Few things are impracticable in themselves; and it is for want of application, rather than of means,

that men fail to succeed.



When we are unable to find tranquillity within ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere.


What seems to be generosity is often no more than disguised ambition,
which overlooks a small interest in order to secure a great one.


No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong.


Nothing is less sincere than our mode of asking and giving advice. He who asks seems to have a deference for

the opinion of his friend, while he only aims to get approval of his own and make his friend responsible for his action. And he who gives advice repays the confidence supposed to be placed in him by a seemingly disinterested zeal, while he seldom means anything by his advice but his own interest or reputation.


We should often be ashamed of our finest actions if the world understood our motives.


Small minds are much distressed by little things. Great minds see them all but are not upset by them.


To listen closely and reply well is the highest perfection we are able to attain in the art of conversation.

[Listening]


Our repentance is not so much regret for the ill we have done as fear of the ill that may happen to us in consequence.


Jealousy feeds upon suspicion, and it turns into fury or it ends as soon as we pass from suspicion to certainty.



If we had no faults of our own, we would not take so much pleasure in noticing those of others.


Few are agreeable in conversation, because each thinks of what he intends to say than of what others are saying, and
listens no more when he himself has a chance to speak.


Hypocrisy is the homage which vice pays to virtue.


However brilliant an action, it should not be esteemed great unless the result of a great motive.

, Maxims, 1665





Results from Cole's Quotables:

Quarrels would not last long if the fault were only on one side.


Confidence contributes more to conversation than wit.


The mind cannot long act the role of the heart.


Results from Rand Lindsly's Quotations:




We often forgive those who bore us, but we cannot forgive those whom we bore.


Results from Poor Man's College:


Vanity makes us do more things against inclination than reason.


The defects of the understanding, like those of the face, grow worse as we grow old.



The confidence which we have in ourselves gives birth to much of that which we have in others.


To be deceived by our enemies or betrayed by our friends in insupportable; yet by ourselves we are often content to be so treated.


Pride does not wish to owe and vanity does not wish to pay.


Philosophy triumphs easily over past evils and future evils; but present evils triumph over it.


We think very few people sensible, except those who are of our opinion.


We would frequently be ashamed of our good deeds if people saw all of the motives that produced them.


Not all those who know their minds know their hearts as well.


Minds of moderate caliber ordinarily condemn everything which is beyond their range.


In jealousy there is more of self-love, than of love to another.


Hope is the last thing that dies in man; and though it be exceedingly deceitful, yet it is of this good use to us, that while we are traveling through life it conducts us in an easier and more pleasant way to our journey's end.


We are more interested in making others believe we are happy than in trying to be happy ourselves.


He who lives without folly is not so wise as he imagines.


The truest mark of being born with great qualities, is being born without envy.


We often do good in order that we may do evil with impunity.

B.C. Suttah

BC Sutta song is composed by The Zeest band,
an underground Karachi(Pakistan) based band lead by Skip.

Composed by Skip(lead of Zeest), BC Sutta is his 4-5 year old raw composition which
probably reflects his own life. He says:

“I was in college and used to live hand-to-mouth. It’s a situation almost every boy faces when he wants to
change his life, though it might be a quick, ridiculous, rebellious change. At that time, I used to smoke
with my friends, and when my father came to know that I had been smoking, he often used to say BC sutta peeta
hai in lafango (wastrels) ke saath. BC sutta - a catchy phrase that struck my mind and quickly became a joke
among my friends. So in the end, I got something to write about, which could portray my own life, though in
a satirical manner.”


Lyrics of the song -

COUGHHSSS....OK THIS SONG IS DEDICATED TO ALL THE SMOKERS AND DOPERS BY ZEEST THE BAND...SO LETS HIT IT....BC SUTTA!

Dosto Mai BaiTha Mai Soutta Pee Raha
Abba Nay Mujhay SouTTa Peetay Daikh Liya
Ghar JuBB mai Phoncha Mujhay DunDa HoGaYa
B***C**** Soutaa Soutta Na Milla .......
----CHORUS----
B***C**** Soutaa MujhaY Soutta Na Milla
B***C**** Soutaa Soutta Na Milla
B***C**** Soutaa MujhaY Soutta Na Milla
B***C**** Soutaa Soutta Na Milla

ColleGe Mai GaYa MujhaY piYar Ho GaYa
OsnaY Bhi Mujh seY MeRa Soutta Cheen liya
SaRko PaY GhooMa Mai TanHa ReH GaYa
B***C**** Soutaa Soutta Na Milla .......
----CHORUS----
B***C**** Soutaa MujhaY Soutta Na Milla
B***C**** Soutaa Soutta Na Milla
B***C**** Soutaa MujhaY Soutta Na Milla
B***C**** Soutaa Soutta Na Milla

ShaaDi Howi Mai HusBanD Bunn GaYa
Raat Bhurr Thooka Mai Thukk K GiRR GaYa
KhosHiYo Ki KhaTiR MeRa SouTTa Chinn Gaya
B***C**** Soutaa Soutta Na Milla .......
----CHORUS----
B***C**** Soutaa MujhaY Soutta Na Milla
B***C**** Soutaa Soutta Na Milla
B***C**** Soutaa MujhaY Soutta Na Milla
B***C**** Soutaa Soutta Na Milla

B***C**** M**C**** B***C**** M**C****
B***C**** M**C**** B***C**** M**C****
B***C**** M**C**** B***C**** M**C****
B***C**** M**C**** B***C**** M**C****
B***C**** M**C****...................


About the Band: Its an underground band in Karachi, it is a MISCONCEPTION that it is an Indian
Band situated in one of the IIT's. This misconeption occured because of the IIT Students' post about the song

Checking for a page break tag

A Line one
B Line two

smiley

every right handed software engineer uses his right hand more on the keyboard and the mouse .
Now but, my right hand was in a cast since 28th May 06 , i have arranged my work in such a way that i
could work by using my left hand on the keyboard and mouse , i have arranged it in such a way that i have to type less and most of the things i can do by copy+paste ,
yes it is that simple !!! A couple of days were a little arduous when i was making this arrangement , but since then life has become quite easy.

Hmmm... intially for some days working turned out to be practically impossibly for me
because i was psychologically so right handed. Even after i started working with my left hand i had this tendency of lifting with my right hand.

At the beginning , i was confined to bed for three weeks and I was told that for three weeks i would'nt be able to move my right hand and would go throuh hell , and I did. and yes i have typed most of this post with my right hand , and i am too happy about it.

Currently reading SHANTARAM
This is a test post for Hyper links

The moment one opens his mouth I know whether one is educated,
competent and successful--or just the opposite ( ot that is how i think). The words one uses and
how well he uses them tips me off instantly.

Studies show that how far you advance in your career, how much money you earn,
and even how successful you are socially are linked to your vocabulary.


Knowing what what a word means and how it is to be used correctly a lot of power and prestige.
Moreover, when you know the meaning of a word, you never have to feel left out or stupid
if someone else uses it in a conversation.

I remember a day in office when my boss said me that " Hey , when did u sneak in?" .
Well actually then i did not know what sneaking meant, but i answered
him "Yes , i did walk into the office very silently " guessing thats what he meant by
sneaking as per the circumstances then. But bro!! the next thing i did was use
the clause "define: sneak" in google search and to see what he meant and found
that i did not make stupid of myself in front of my boss.

Just so that you know, I do not believe in heroes. During the course of my life, given my well known ambitions,
I have often been asked (or in some cases told):

"Oh, you must really look up to xxxxx, right?"

The answer to this question and to other similar ones is a resounding "NO!"
In fact, I dismiss the entire concept of a "hero."

he-ro n. - In mythology and legend, a man, often of divine ancestry, who is endowed with great
courage and strength, celebrated for his bold exploits, and favored by the gods.
The reason I try not to admire anyone is because deep down inside I believe that all human beings
are fundamentally flawed and will never live up to your expectations for them (especially if you are
foolish enough to choose a hero who is a sports star or some other type of celebrity). I have preferred
instead to believe in myself as a sort of anti-hero because I know that I will never let myself down and
if I do then I can curse myself all I want. This doesn't mean that I possess delusions of grandeur but
rather that I believe in living an honest life and trying to set a good example by my actions.


wasn't always this cynical. Years ago someone that I admired greatly let me down and sent me on my path toward anti-herodom.

my nerdiness

Yahoo Mail
After the test i took to measure my nerdiness, this is the message i got:

Overall, you scored as follows:



23% scored higher (more nerdy), and
77% scored lower (less nerdy).

What does this mean? Your nerdiness is:

Mid-Level Nerd. Wow, it takes a lot of hard nerdy practice to reach this level.

A Praise sals

It was my second appraisal which i have faced at my work place , though the second looked better then the first one. but i dont know how is it going to affect my salary hike

Below is the letter which i got from my boss this year (it looks good aye...)

Dear Dharmesh Tripathi,

I recognize your contribution during the performance year 2005 and we look forward for your continued success at IBM.

Based on your self evaluation, customer’s assessment and overall results, I recognize you with rating of 2 (solid contributor).

You have demonstrated strengths in the following areas and I commend you for the same and wish you to capitalize on these for mutual benefit of yourself and IBM:

Quick learner
Good customer focus
Adopting to new changes
Working beyond the call of duty
Good knowledge on Portal billing application

Specific areas for improvement are:

Improve on presentation and communication skills.
Contribution to project and organizational initiatives.

In 2006, I foresee you taking more responsibilities and focusing on your areas for improvement.
Your skills and the experience that you have acquired are of utmost importance to IBM.


I am just waititng for the material benefits , which i shall get from this appraisal.

Rules for would-be winners of wars and life in general

This aint any S*** bro !!

I am writing these rules to win after doing a lot of analysis.


Rules for would-be winners of wars and life in general


1.)Know Thy Enemy, Know Thyself (Then Pick Your Spots)

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."

2.) Lie and Spy (or You're Sure to Die)
"There are no areas in which one does not employ spies."

3.) Consider the Ocean (or Even the River)
"A military force has no constant formation, as water has no constant shape."
Translation: be flexible, be creative, and take whatever advantage or opportunity your enemy gives you.
"Changing and adapting according to the opponent, is called a genius"

4.) Take Care of #1 (and the Rest Takes Care of Itself)
"Being unconquerable lies with yourself; being conquerable lies with the enemy."

5.)Win Fast (or Don't Fight)
"It is never beneficial to a nation to have a military operation continue for a long time."

Why does the Filipinos dislike India?

Yahoo Mail
One of the most inportant factors to get correct Polling Resiults is the selection of the sample , ( an what i personally feel is there is nno polling result in this wolrd can be 100 % accurate ) . You can never get the Correct analysis , because you don't know mindset, ethinicity,cultural background, their knowledge on the subject in question being polled , hence no one can assure True results.
A new BBC World poll says that people in the Philippines, South Korea, France, Finland and Brazil think India is a negative influence on the world (via Style Station).
Pakistan was not polled( Any way it is known what the polling result would be if it voted). On the other hand, Iran, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, the UK and Russia rate India highly. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the African countries polled are most neutral about India, while Sri Lanka and India are most neutral about the U.S.

Though India’s global profile has grown significantly over the last year, it fails to elicit strong feelings…
The exceptions are two Muslim countries with positive views: Iran (71% positive) and Afghanistan (59% positive).
The only country with widespread negative views is the Philippines (57% negative). Notably, India’s small neighbor Sri Lanka has a
mere 4 percent reporting negative views and a robust 49 percent expressing a positive one.

Europeans are divided about India. At the positive end of the spectrum is Great Britain (49% positive, 30% negative)
and Russia (47% positive, 10% negative), while at the other end are France and Finland—both being 27 percent positive and 44 percent negative.
The US leans slightly positively (39% positive, 35% negative).

India has the strange distinction of being most loved by the most hated, Iran. Forty-three percent of the Indians polled seemed only lukewarm about their own country:

Interestingly, Indians themselves are the most tepid or modest in their self-estimates. While in most countries a large majority
give their country a positive rating, among Indians only 47 percent give India a positive rating, but only 10 percent give it a negative rating. [Link]

The Philippines and Brazil are economic competitors of India. The others are more puzzling: South Korea is an economic partner,
France has long-standing cultural ties to India, and the Finns might enjoy the weather

Globally, the most disliked countries are Iran, the U.S. and Russia. The African countries polled and some where the U.S. assisted against political repression
(Poland, Afghanistan) are the most appreciative of the U.S.

Hinduism , how differently it developed in other parts of the world.

Hinduism , how differently it developed in other parts of the world.

I was surprised to meet to meet Hindu people here in New Zealand , who have migrated in here from the neighbouring country of FIJI in recent years. Hindus in FIJI , were brought into the country from Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Western Bihar , the Bjoj Puri Belt in India , to work here as sugar plantation workers in and around late 19th century. Similarly , they were also taken to Suriname and Guyana.

The Indian subcontinent has not been the only source of major Hindu migrations in the last 50 yeah. Hundreds of thousands of Hindus have emigrated from the former British colonies of Trinidad and Guyana to America and England and from the former Dutch colony of Suriname to Holland. These communities, whose forefathers left India 150 years ago, have unique elements today, some the result of colonial policies, others customs preserved intact from the mid-19th century India of their ancestors. Hinduism Today Trinidad correspondent Anil Mahabir visited the region, meeting with religious leaders and lay Hindus. Here is his engaging report on the countries similarities and differences.

The day I arrived in Guyana, I traveled 45 miles by speedboat from one bank of the Essequibo River to the next. For the first time in my fife, I was standing on one side of a river unable to see the other side.

My whole country of Trinidad, in fact, would fit inside this river, only slightly overlapping the banks. We don’t have rivers back home, just streams, canals and ditches. Rivers aside, there was much that was similar to Trinidad-every Hindu home flies the jhandi flags in front, the Ramayana is the main text, the Deities and festivals are the same, the food is the same. The similarities are, in part, because of common origins in India, but also seemed to have been shaped by a shared Caribbean experience.

I was most struck by the temple culture of both countries. Wherever I went, I found simply-built temples that exhibited a most compelling beauty. I had not felt this way about the temples in my own homeland. Obviously the Guyanese and Surinamese take great pride in’ their temple buildings.

Despite the fact that Guyana and Suriname sit side-by-side, their histories are vastly different. Guyana was colonized by the British, Suriname by the Dutch. The obvious result of this was that Guyanese learned to speak English, while Surinamese learned Dutch. The colonial policy of each country was also very different with regard to religion. The Dutch pursued a “hands off’ attitude as far as the culture of the Hindus was concerned. In Guyana, explained Swami Aksharananda of the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh and Vishwa Hindu Parishad of Guyana, “The British sought to interfere, control and convert the Hindus and Muslims. Many missionaries were brought to Guyana to evangelize the Indian population and to destroy their language and culture. That is why Hindi has persisted in Suriname and not in Guyana.” This is the same tactic the British used in India. “During the colonial period,” Pundit Reepu Daman Persaud, head of the Dharmic Sabha and Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture (ministeragric@sdnp.org.gy), told me, “the Hindus were forced to convert to get jobs in the public service, even if they did not want to. Many who converted continued to be Hindus within the private confines of their homes.”

Devanand Jokhoe (jofanick@sr.net), an economist in Suriname, explained, “Conversion was not an official policy of the Dutch as it was of the British in Guyana. Hindus were not forced to convert as a prerequisite to get jobs. That is why less than five percent of all Indians living in Suriname are Christians. Some non-Indians can also speak Hindi, for example, the Javanese and Blacks who live in Indian villages.”

Suriname, who’s 121,500 Hindus comprise 27% of the population, is the only country in the Western Hemisphere where all the Indians speak Hindi. That this is so after so many years away from India-is amazing. In neighboring Guyana, where 238,000 Hindus form 34% of the population, it is the opposite. Almost no one speaks Hindi. Everyone speaks English. This is a perfect example of the differences in colonial rule between the British and the Dutch. The British sought to destroy everything Indian and Hindu, while the Dutch allowed it to flourish. So, from the youngest toddler to the oldest nani, the Suriname Hindus all speak Hindi.

I was struck by the divisions among Hindus in Guyana. There were people whom I met who did not want me to speak to others, and even went out of their way to prevent me from doing so. Perhaps this is related to the overall pessimism of the Guyanese. Even the very wealthy talk of migrating. Even so, paradoxically, most seem quite happy and go about their daily routines with smiles on their faces. They were also very hospitable to me. The country’s president himself, Bharrat Jagdeo, loaned me a car and driver to tour the capital. Where else would that happen?

In Suriname, my lack of any fluency in Hindi hindered a smooth rapport with several in the country, especially among those who spoke little English. Unfortunately, this included most of the pundits, and I found myself relying upon intellectuals, businessmen and others for information.

The first Hindus: It is generally agreed in both countries that it was India’s poorest who emigrated to the West. They were inclined to leave the India of the mid-19th century because of famine, drought and poverty. The first Indians arrived in Guyana on May 5, 1838. Pundit Reepu Persaud pointed out that these were the first to bring Hinduism to the Americas, not Swami Vivekananda. The first shipload of Indians to Suriname arrived June 5, 1873. Trinidad’s first group came in 1845. Slavery was abolished in Suriname in 1863 and in Guyana in 1834. Freed slaves refused to continue working the sugar plantations. Several nationalities were brought as indentured servants to replace them, but only the Indians adapted well to the harsh tropical climate.

The Indians came from Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Western Bihar, an area known as Bhojpuri’s Belt-Bhojpuri being a regional dialect of Hindi. Most were farmers, though a few Brahmins also came, even though this was against the policy of the British, who considered the more educated Brahmins as potential trouble makers. Perhaps ten percent returned to India from Guyana after their contracts were fulfilled, but later almost none did so. Pundit Persaud said his parents went back to India in 1930 and then returned to Trinidad. He said, “The West Indies was generally recognized as a place better to live than India.”

Between 1873 and 1916, 34,000 Indians came to Suriname. Nearly 23,000 stayed. As in Guyana, after an initial group which returned to India, hardly anyone left. If they did it was to go to Holland, as is the case today, according to historians Hassan Khan and Sandew Hira.

It is believed the ratio of migrants was 100 men to 20 women, creating enormous social problems. According to Swami Aksharananda, “Indian men forged unions with black women, not marriages.” I could not find out what became of the descendants of those unions, whether they were in the Black or the Indian communities of today.

The early years: The plantation system had a dramatic effect on Hinduism. People were not allowed to move from one plantation to another. They were sequestered and had to get passes to leave in any event, plantation work left very little time for anything else. According to Swami Aksharananda, “Only Sunday was left to the Hindus to practice Hinduism. Indeed, Hinduism became a kind of Sunday thing in the early days in Guyana.” The legacy of this is the popularity of Sunday morning temple worship in this part of the world.

During indentureship, there were tremendous efforts by the Hindus to assert themselves as Hindus. This was so even though the colonial policy of the British in Guyana was to crush Hinduism at all costs and Christianize “the heathens.”

“The policy of the Dutch in Suriname was more relaxed.” says Anoop Ramadhin. “Hindus were more at liberty there to practice there religion. There were no forced conversions,” he continued. “The Dutch separated the various groups from one another and allowed them to live in their own villages. That is why today you have Black, Indian and Javanese villages. Even the Bush Negroes are set apart.”

HVP Bronkhurst, a Euro-Asian missionary and writer says, “Hindu pundits in Guyana would go from home to home getting people to gather and sing the Ramayana.” The Gita became a major text. People would gather at nights. This was how they were able to maintain their religion. The only thing which kept them going was the memory of Rama and Hanuman. Similarly, in Suriname the Ramayana reigned supreme.

Later, Guyanese-born Hindus took up the cause of Hinduism. One of those early pioneers was Dr. J.B. Singh, who is credited with heightening Hindu consciousness, setting up Hindu organizations and fighting for the cremation rights of Hindus. In fact, he was the first Hindu to be cremated in Guyana, in 1956. Prior to that, Hindus had to be buried, even though this was very contrary to the Hindu faith.

Swami Purnananda came directly from Bengal in India in the mid-20th century. He established Bharat Sevashram Sangha, which is today called the Guyana Sevashram Sangha and run by Guyanese-born Swami Vidyanand. Swami Purnananda popularized the “Hare Rama, Hare Krishna” mantra. He printed a small book called Aum Hindutvam, which was the first catechism or question-and-answer booklet for Hindus in Guyana. He developed mantras for different occasions and popularized havan service (the fire ceremony). The present-day Guyana Sevashram Sangha is unique among organizations here. It is the only institution in the Caribbean which has produced its own swami. It is the only institution which trains young men to become bramacharis. It offers free medical services to all groups in society

The Surinamese I met did not seem to have quite the same keen sense of history as the Guyanese. In general they said it was the elders and the pundits who kept Hinduism alive in the early days. More recently, the name of Nanan Panday, leader of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha of Suriname, is mentioned as the key personality. “He has been at the helm of Hindu leadership for 40 years,” says Anoop Ramadhin. The names of Pundit Haldhar Mathuraprasad and T Soerdjbaille, leader of the Gayatri Mandir, have also been mentioned as playing key roles in the Hindu community of Suriname.

Conversion: Swami aksharananda is firm on this question: “Conversion is very high. In fact, conversion in Guyana is defined as ‘conversion from Hinduism to Christianity,’ nothing else. The Muslims hardly ever convert. The Christians do not convert. It is only the Hindus who are coaxed into dispensing with their religion.” At the beginning of the 2oth century, he says, “about one percent of the Indian population was Christians, now it is about 15%-a 15-fold increase in one century. The Pentecostals are doing the most conversions.”

Pundit Reepu Daman Persaud agreed, “The Pentecostals are studying the demography of the country. They attack rural areas where they believe the Hindus are more vulnerable, illiterate or weak. Since we have found out the strategy, the Dharmic Sabha is going into the same areas and combating their anti-Hindu propaganda.”

I met Parmanand Samlal, who visits the homes of converted Hindus and gets them to reconvert to Hinduism. I had never heard of such a program before. He said he has achieved four re-converts for the year 2000 so far. He is a member of the Dharmic Sabha and a “worshiper,” as he put it, of Pundit Reepu. Pundit Reepu is highly respected in Guyana as one who has always stood for the Indians and Hindus, even in difficult political times, whenever abandoned Guyana for better circumstances, though easily available to him in another country.

Dirgopal Mangal, says conversion is on the decrease. He told me of Blacks in Guyana who attend Hindu temples, giving the example of “Minister Collymore, who attends the temple every Sunday morning in Parika.”

Suriname is different. Radjen Koemar-singh of Suriname (radjenk@hotmail.com) told me there is some conversion from Hinduism but not much, due to the binding factor of Hindi. Accountant Anoop Ramadhin agreed, “Conversion from Hinduism in Suriname is less than one percent. Some Javanese are also Hindus.”

Schoolteacher Algoe Harrynarain said, “The Christian churches in Suriname pay poor Hindus to convert. They have funding from abroad. They are well organized. The Hindus do not have such funding.” He said the Jehovah Witnesses pay a salary to Hindus to convert to Christianity.

While conversion exists in both countries, it is not on a large scale, and meets active resistance from Hindus, even with their limited resources. In my entire visit, I did not meet a single Christian Indian, and I think this says a lot about the situation.

Intermarriage: As in Trinidad and Tobago, intermarriage between Hindu and Muslim Indians is very common in Guyana, constituting perhaps eight percent of all weddings. Black/Indian marriages are rare. Hindu activist Bharat Kissoon estimates that in six out of every ten Guyanese Hindu/Muslim marriages, the wedding follows the Islamic line. The result of the unions are combined names such as Kishore Mohammed (a Hindu), Salisha Singh (a Muslim) and Anil Khan- Such names are also common in Trinidad. Suriname is much different, and while I could not find any official statistics, intermarriage was obviously rare.

Hindu activists in Guyana say that intermarriage has been on the increase over the past ten years. Normally both parties are allowed to keep and practice their faiths, though some Hindu girls convert to Islam. It is very rare to see a Muslim in such a union convert to Hinduism. Hindu and Muslim leaders are silent on these unions for fear of possibly rocking the boat or destroying whatever Indian unity exists. Politicians dare not speak of it either.

Country politics: The prevailing view is that, culturally, Guyana is at it lowest ebb since Independence was granted in 1966. The “oppressive” reign of the Peoples’ National Congress PNC, the party of the Blacks, and what one person called its ethnic “insensitivity to Indian culture” is seen by most Hindus as one of the principal reasons why the Indian culture is undeveloped.

Another reason is the constant stream of emigration from Guyana to other parts of the world. “Migration took our best people,” says Pundit Persaud. “Our best artists, dancers, singers, musicians left for greener pastures because they simply could not make a living producing Indian culture in a country where the political directorate was hostile to Indian culture,” says one activist who declined to give his name.

Swami Aksharananda said, “The national culture in Guyana is often portrayed as a Black and Creole culture which neglects or deliberately shuns the Indian output. The present majority Indian government is often accused of being an ‘Indian government.’ [That is, partial to Indians.] They are afraid to develop Indian culture, afraid of being called racist. This is not my perception, but that of most Guyanese. Indian culture gets little funding. The National Dance School is a Black dance school, for example.” I was told that Guyana does not have a single all Indian radio or TV station.

There is more optimism and enthusiasm for things Hindu in Suriname. Indian musician Radjen Koemarsingh noted, “There is an Indian cultural center, seven radio stations with an all-Indian format and four television stations exclusively devoted to Indian programming.” Hindi is taught in some schools as an official language.

Schoolteacher Algoe Harrynarain commented, “Yes, emigration has hurt us, but there is a cultural revival right now. In any case because we all speak Hindi here, the situation is different to that of Guyana. It is difficult for the culture to be lost.”

Emigration is even more a factor here. Some 250,000 Surinamese now live in Holland, compared to just 450,000 in Suriname itself-making this country one of the most sparsely populated in the world. A dismal economic situation continues to motivate people to leave. I even met teachers and businessmen with stable jobs who were still anxious to migrate if they got the chance.

Hindu home life: Most Hindu homes in both countries have a small shrine or prayer house located at the front of the home. Like the houses, these will vary in nature and appearance, depending on the wealth of the owner. There is also a jhandi or flag hoisted on bamboo next to the shrine or by itself, as with one I saw in a rice field.

The main daily observance in both countries is the pouring of water early in the morning. Water from a brass pot is used to bathe a Siva Lingam located at the base of the jhandi. Some Hindus also chant bhajans and meditate afterwards. Those who are free from employment may go to the temple on a daily basis. One day a week is set aside for haven, or fire worship ceremony, and fasting from salt and meat. At least once a year, most Hindus will try to have a grand puja or Ramayana Yagna, an event where the entire community is invited to participate. The biggest festivals of the year are Diwali and Phagwa (Holi) in both countries. Lesser festivals include Ram Navami, Sivaratri and Karthik Nahan.

The main Deity in both countries is Hanuman, because of the conquering role he played in the Ramayana and His popularity in the Bhojpuri Belt, whence came most of the original Hindu immigrants. Other Deities include Siva, Durga, Kali and Ganesha.

There would seem to be more vegetarians in Suriname than in Guyana. Estimates are that about 10% of Hindus in Suriname are vegetarians. Less than five percent of Hindus in Guyana are vegetarians. They are mainly the pundits and the swamis and the spiritual leaders. However, Dr Satish Prakash of the Araya Samaj says that vegetarians among his group in Guyana are as much as 35%. Bi4t overall it is not popular. One activist told me, “When Lord Rama was in exile in the jungle with Sita, according to the Ramayana, were they not eating meat to survive 14 years? And if Lord Rama could eat meat, why can’t I?” I conducted a brief poll out of curiosity and I found that most Hindus I talked to in both countries do not know what ahimsa is, or that it is an integral part of Hinduism. Nonviolence remains an esoteric, opaque, Gandhian concept, not taught by the leaders or drummed in by the pundits. Little or no reference is made by anyone to the Vedas as the source of Hinduism, or the Upanishads or even the Mahabharata, except for the Bhagavad Gita. The Ramayana, as in Trinidad, is the main text.

As is unfortunately the case among too many Hindus, priest-bashing is common in both Suriname and Guyana. Many I met said the priests were “not up with the times,” “too concerned with ritual” and other complaints similar to what is heard in Trinidad. There are some legitimate concerns because of the emigration of some of the best pundits to other countries. This has broken up the traditional father-to-son training system, and now some become pundits without being properly trained.

Suicide in Guyana: Many people I talked to in Guyana expressed concern about the high rate of suicide among the Hindu community and the fact that virtually no one is doing anything to address the problem from a Hindu angle. Suicide is not a major problem, among Surinamese Hindus. Dr. Vivekanand Brijmohan, a forensic pathologist in the Berbice district, said the suicide rate among Hindus in Guyana is “alarming.” In one three-year period in Berbice, there were 197 suicides, 160 of them Indian males, mainly Hindus. Brijmohan said, “It is a cultural thing. Hindus are more strict in the household than the blacks. Certain Indians have a longing for freedom, to go out at night, etc. Some of them do not get that freedom due to their strict Hindu upbringing. If makes them dissatisfied with life, depressed. Alcoholism and marijuana addiction is another cause of suicide.”

Swami Aksharananda runs AYUPSA: a National Centre for Suicide Prevention. He sponsors a national health program which attempts to eradicate the prevalence of suicide among the Hindu community. He does this by holding seminars, making press releases and going into the villages for direct contact with the Hindu people, particularly the youths.

Jailhouse preacher: Bharat Kissoon is a Hindu activist and retired economist who ministers to the Hindu inmates in the Georgetown prison every Sunday. He told me, “I was drawn to this work because of the particular case of a Hindu prisoner in Trinidad, Dole Chadee, who was hanged last year. The day before he was hanged he longed for a pundit to do his final rites. He could not find any Hindu who was willing to go. to the prison and, therefore, he had no choice but to resort to a Christian pastor.”

There is a famous story here, that of Salim Yaseen, a condemned prisoner who was about to he hanged on the 12th of September 1999. He allegedly told Bharat that before leaving he wanted to hear the Hanuman Chalesa, a traditional scripture in praise of Lord Hanuman. He got his wish, and he was not hanged due to a legal loophole. Now, according to Bharat, “all prisoners want to hear the Hanuman Chalesa.”

Connections with India: The Surinamese I spoke with said they don’t think that Hindus ‘in India even know there are Hindus living in Suriname. They could not recall any visit by a major Hindu leader, nor recount any significant assistance received from India in any way.

A few swamis have come to Guyana. Early ones, such as Swami Chinmayananda and Rishi Ram, came in the 1960s and helped develop Hinduism. But those coming today, said Pundit Persaud, “do not stay and assist us in developing Hinduism. They come to talk about yoga and meditation only.” In Trinidad, travel agencies often advertise “journey back to your roots” programs to India. In Guyana and Suriname there are greater economic restraints, and those who, have the money to travel use it to emigrate.

The future: Both countries have suffered from the chronic brain drain and seem to be perpetually entangled in the politics of racial and religious division. Both countries are relatively poor, but the people do not want to be labeled as such. They feel ashamed when people from the outside boldly come to, visit, analyze and recommend solutions for their assumedly insufficient social and economic existence. They are content with living very simple lives, not caring whether or not they have a cell phone or a computer. Dharma dictates daily how they should act. The jhandis flying proudly before every Hindu home, rich or poor, are their own statement of identity. From cower roaming the roads freely in Guyana, to pundits walking miles to puja service, I believe Hinduism, though simple, will never die in this part of South America

Singapore changi

I happened to be spend one day at the Singapore Changi Airport on 27th august 2005, after i was returning to india from my first international trip.

The planning behind Changi is exceptional by airport standards, nothing is really very far from anywhere, there are electric people carriers
(walkways) scattered everywhere and in each direction. The shopping facilities are better than some shopping malls, the toilets clean,
and accommodating, and many different food and beverage outlets ensure that you never go hungry. If there is one airport in the world
where you do not mind being stranded for a few hours than Changi would be many peoples first option.

Changi is presently split into two terminals (1 and 2), with arrivals and departures on two separate levels, arrivals being the lower
and departures the upper level. The terminals are connected by people carriers so you can walk between them if you so desired,
this would take approximately 25 minutes, or you can use the miniature train service that runs from 6 am to midnight every day.

The real enjoyment of Changi comes after you have passed through immigration, before immigration however there
are also numerous food and beverage outlets, such as Burger King, Delifrance, and a few restaurants serving Asian and International dishes.
After immigration though you have an amazing assortment of Duty Free shops, high quality airport lounges, some food and beverage outlets
from fast food to food court style cuisine, some nice pubs, and in Terminal two even some entertaining amusement style parks themed
along Science and such.

Terminal 1 is the older of the two terminals, but still offers you almost identical 'activities' as the newer terminal 2.
There are computer slots, where you can plug in your laptop and connect to the internet using your own account
free of charge for as long as you like. Two book shops with an excellent assortment of books, four electronic shops selling everything from televisions,
digital cameras to your basic battery, jewellery shops, watch shops, a post office, a silver shop, exchange counters,
and of course the standard perfume, alcohol and tobacco shops, and even a small supermarket. This may surprise many people but the Duty Free prices for tobacco are one of the cheapest in the world here, for example a carton of 400 Dunhill International Reds will cost you roughly 29 Singapore Dollars which is just over 10 pounds sterling, compared to 13 pounds sterling at London Heathrow for only 200 !! The alcohol is also very well priced, especially compared to other Asian airports, so make sure that you check your Duty Free allowance of the country that you are travelling to and make the most of it. You cannot buy cigarettes on the way into Singapore though, only on the way out, in fact it is officially illegal to bring cigarettes into Singapore that were bought anywhere. If caught you may well be fined.

The airport lounges at Terminal 1 are all on the second level, and are all of pretty good quality. For smokers though there is only one place
to puff away (by law) and believe me the Singapore airport police do not fall for the 'Oh I didn't know sir' routine so don't even risk it.
The smoking rooms are both internal and external, allowing you to breathe in airplane fuel, instead of just nicotine. There is only one smoking room,
although it is very large in each terminal, and they are situated pretty much straight in the middle and against the airport side wall.
As mentioned you can sit and smoke outside and inside, but there is always pretty much enough room, either way.
One tip about the Thai Airways lounge, if you have difficulties connecting to the internet while you are in the lounge, and the computer
says that you do not have a dial tone, then just before you click the 'connect' button on your computer lift up the telephone handset,
and put it on the desk. This should work.

If you are arriving at Singapore Airport, the procedure is the same as at any other airport, immigration, baggage claim and customs.
The only major difference from most airports and something that I personally believe to be a big mistake is that when you arrive at
he baggage reclaim/customs area the screens between you and the waiting crowds of friends and relatives,
waiting to greet the incoming are transparent. This means that you can see your friends and loved ones,
as you wait for the baggage so the excitement of turning the corner and seeing them is all but lost as you tend to get all excited waving and smiling,
and then 10 minutes later when your baggage still has not come out, the smiling and waving is a lot less enthusiastic.
It also means that if customs do want to search your bags then they do it pretty much in front of the awaiting crowd ! Make sure you pack clean underwear !

Once you are through, you have the choice of buses, taxis, and private limousines.
Taxis are very regular, and well organised. The taxi queue at terminal one however has TWO ends to it,
well in actual fact there are two queues that face each other. It is often worth remembering this, as more often than not one queue will be very busy,
and the other relatively quiet, it is always worth checking which of the queues is the longest, before standing in line.
A taxi from the airport will charge you a 3$ surcharge, and if you take the taxi between midnight and 6 in the morning there will be the 3$ plus a 50% surcharge
on the fare. Taxis also charge extra for peak hours, CBD, and ERP, but all these charges are outlined on an official form in the taxi that explains the charges.