Looking back @ Year 2009

Last three years have been pretty good for me.

• In particular year 2009 started with a trip to Shirdi on Jan 1st. Had a good dharsan and stayed overnight in Shirdi itself. In the next couple of days went on to visit Ajantha & Ellora as well.
• All of a sudden without much of notice my third US trip got scheduled in March.
• We arranged a family marriage in June.
• We had a great time in a get-together to introduce my sisters kid to the entire family in July.
• We started rocking in corporate football this year .. icing in the cake was silver medal in corporate olympiad in October.
• Had a great vacation in December. In particular went on a trip to Goa for 4 days :)

It would be hard to take years 2007 to 2009 out of my memory for a long-time to come :)

Good bye 2009 and am pretty sure 2010 is going to be another great year filled with lots & lots of opportunities for us to grab. LETS GO and make this New Year count for us...

Wish you all a Very Happy New Year.

Getting BLOOD has been made easy!!

Jeevan Blood Bank and AirTel has tied up to give instant information about availability of the BLOOD of your need.

Check out Jeevan Blood bank’s press information here - http://www.jeevan.org/media/press.html

1. An initiative taken as part of Airtel’s Corporate Social Responsibility
2. Special and easy number for quick access on status of available blood - 96000 97000
3. Service available for customers on all networks and toll free for Airtel mobile customers

Airtel already has a partnership with Jeevan, in which a few numbers have been provided free of cost for Jeevan to stay in touch with people wanting to donate blood and patients in need of blood. This is now being strengthened through an SMS service, which provides information about availability of blood.

All that a person needs to do is to type <Blood group + or -> and sms it to 96000 97000 (for example, Blood B+ or Blood AB+). A response will be sent back to the person within a minute, containing information on quantity of readily available tested blood components of the group required.

This facility is available for customers of all networks and is toll free for Airtel mobile customers.

If the required blood is available, one can call Jeevan Blood Bank directly on 044-28351200 or 044-43524242 for further assistance. This service will help minimise the time spent on searching for safe blood and help save more lives.

Excellence...

A German once visited a temple under construction where he saw a sculptor making an idol of God. Suddenly he noticed a similar idol lying nearby. Surprised, he asked the sculptor, "Do you need two statues of the same idol?" "No," said the sculptor without looking up, "We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage." The gentleman examined the idol and found no apparent damage. "Where is the damage?" he asked. "There is a scratch on the nose of the idol." said the sculptor, still busy with his work. "Where are you going to install the idol?"

The sculptor replied that it would be installed on a pillar twenty feet high. "If the idol is that far, who is going to know that there is a scratch on the nose?" the gentleman asked. The sculptor stopped his work, looked up at the gentleman, smiled and said, "I will know it."

The desire to excel is exclusive of the fact whether someone else appreciates it or not. "Excellence" is a drive from inside, not outside. Excellence is not for someone else to notice but for your own satisfaction and efficiency.

Source: Got it via email from my friend.

Wish me good luck!!

காரணம் கேட்காதீர்கள்!!
ஆனால் இன்று தொடங்கும் ஒர் காரியம்
எங்கள் எண்ணம் போல் நன்றாக முடியவேண்டும்
என்று வாழ்த்துங்கள்.

ஐ.டி. (தகவல் தொழில்நுட்ப) துறையில் பணி புரிபவன் நான். என்னைப் போன்றோருக்கு தாங்கள் தரும் அறிவுரை?

நீங்கள் கூடுதல் புத்திசாலிகள்- கெட்டிக்காரர்கள். எந்த ஒரு விஷயத்தையும் பளிச்சென்று பிடித்துக் கொள்ளும் கூர்மதி உங்களுடையது. வெற்றி என்பது உங்களுக்கு ஒரு விளையாட்டுப் பொருள். வாழ்க!

பணம் மட்டுமே வாழ்க்கை அல்ல! உங்களின் பெற்றோர் தங்களது பணிக் காலத்தின் இறுதியில் வாங்கும் ஊதியத் தொகையை, நீங்கள் முதல் மாதமே வாங்கி விடலாம். அதற்காக, அவர்களை விடவும் நீங்கள் அதிபுத்திசாலி என்றோ, திறமையாளர் என்றோ, பெரிய மனிதராகவோ எண்ண வேண்டாம்.

உறவினர்களை அற்ப ஜந்துக்கள் போல நினைக்க வேண்டாம். தம்பி- தங்கைகளைப் படிக்க வைக்க நிறைய செலவு செய்யுங்கள். குடும்பத்தின் பந்த- பாசத்தை, இணைய தளத்தில் டௌன் லோட் செய்ய முடியாது!

வெளிநாட்டுப் பணம் வரலாம்... வெளிநாட்டுப் பண்பாடு வரலாமா? பிற மனிதர்கள் எல்லோருமே நாம் பயன்படுத்திக் கொள்ள மட்டும் அல்ல!

பத்து ரூபாய் கூடுதல் சம்பளம் என்றதும் கம்பெனியைக் கைகழுவுவது கொஞ்ச காலம் பெருமையாகத் தெரியலாம். ஆனால், ஒரு நாள்... இந்தத் துறையின் செயல்பாடே இதனால் ஸ்தம்பிக்க வாய்ப்பிருக்கிறது.

உணவு, உறக்கம், ஓய்வு, காலா காலத்தில் இல்லாதபடி உடம்பை- மனதைச் சீர்குலைத்தால், 40 வயதுக்குப் பிறகு உயிர் வாழ்வதே பிரச்னையாகி விடும். யோசியுங்கள்.

எப்போதும் ஏ.ஸி-யில் இருப்பதால், உங்களுக்கு வியர்வையே வருவதில்லை. அது, உடலுக்குக் கெடுதல். உடலை வியர்க்க விடுங்கள். தண்ணீர்த் தாகம் எடுக்காத போதும் நீர் அருந்துங்கள். கண்ட கண்ட குளிர்பானங்கள் குடிப்பதை விட்டு விட்டு, எலுமிச்சை, ஆரஞ்சு, ஆப்பிள், திராட்சை சாறு அருந்துங்கள். பார்லியும் சேர்த்துக் கொள்ளுங்கள். கண்களிலும் கவனம் வையுங்கள்.

உட்கார்ந்தே இருப்பதால் எடை கூடும்; சர்க்கரை அதிகரிக்கும். கொலஸ்ட்ராலும் பழுத்துக் கிடக்கும். மூளைக்கு வேலை என்பதால் ரத்த அழுத்தமும், சக்கைப் போடு போடும். எல்லாவற்றையும் எதிர்பார்த்து வெற்றி கொள்ளுங்கள்.

காதலிக்கும்போது அல்லது திருமணத்துக்குப் பெண் தேடும் போது... சம்பளம், வேலைவாய்ப்பு, செலவழிக்கும் இயல்பு போன்றவற்றை இரண்டாம்பட்சமாக வைத்துக் கொண்டு, ஒழுக்கம், குணம், பண்பாடான குடும்பம் ஆகிய விஷயங்களுக்கு முன்னுரிமை கொடுங்கள்.

'இன்று போலவே என்றும் சம்பளம் வரும்' என்று கனவு காணாதீர்கள். சிக்கனமாக செலவழிக்கப் பழகுங்கள். உங்களால் அதிகம் செலவழிக்க முடியும் என்பதற்காக, சிரமப்பட்டு சம்பாதிப்பவர்களது மனம் புண்படும்படி ஜம்பம் அடிக்காதீர்கள். அந்நிய நாட்டின் தயவில் அதிகம் சம்பாதிப்பவர்களாகிய பலரும் இந்த நாட்டு வெற்றிக்கு உழைப்பவரை இளக்காரமாக நினைக்காதீர்கள்.

வெளிநாடுகளில் வேலை பார்த்துவிட்டு ஊருக்குத் திரும்பும் போது, ஓட்டல்களில் தங்கிக் கொண்டு... உறவினர்களை- அம்மா- அப்பாவை, ''என்னால் வர முடியாது. இங்கு வந்து பார்... ஆட்டோவுக்கு வேண்டுமானால் காசு தருகிறேன்!'' என்று கூறி அசிங்கப்படுத்தாதீர்கள். பணத்தை விட ரத்தம் கனமானது.

வெளிநாடுகளில் பிறந்து வளரும் குழந்தைகளுக்கு எதிர்ப்புச் சக்தி குறைவு என்பது உண்மைதான். என்றாலும் சிறிது நேரமாவது தாத்தா- பாட்டி... அதாவது உங்களின் பெற்றோர், உங்கள் பிள்ளையைக் கொஞ்சுவதற்கு- உணவு ஊட்டு வதற்கு அனுமதி கொடுங்கள்.

உங்களை காயப்படுத்துவதாக இந்த பதில் அமைந்தால், என்னை மன்னியுங்கள்! உங்களை நோகடிப்பது எனது நோக்கம் அல்ல. இவை யாவும், உங்களைப் போன்றோ ரின் பெற்றோர்கள், உங்களிடம் சொல்ல முடியாமல் என்னிடம் புலம்பிய புலம்பல்கள். நான் வெறும் தபால்காரன்... அவ்வளவே! நமக்கு வரும் எந்த நோட்டீஸூக்கும் தபால்காரனை நோக முடியாது.

-- I got this as a Forwarded mail. It claimed that its an extract from Vikatan. I am not sure on that. Since the advice is nice I have posted it here.

[Tamil Poem] Hogenakkal, Cauvery issues - Tamil Nadu

புரிந்துகொள் மனிதா புரிந்துகொள்
இங்கு உள்ள காங்கிரஸ் கட்சியும், பாரதிய ஜனதா கட்சியும்
உனக்காக பலமாக ஆதரவு தரும்
அங்கே (கர்நாடக) அவர்கள் ஆட்சியில்லாத பொழுது!!!

Is this the start of LayOffs in India?

Hexaware plans to layoff 300 employees??? - http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/45131
Virtusa!! - http://www.topix.com/business/software/2008/07/virtusa-corp-lowers-revenue-guidance?threadid=QC3M661SP6SGTKRM#comments

Wedding invite from my friend

I got a wedding invite from one of my friend and I felt the wordings to be interesting. I am trying to reproduce the same as I don't have the physical copy of the invite or the content with me now.

I don't want to mention whose wedding invite is this till they open up in their blog first.

Two lives, two hearts
Joined together in friendship
United forever in Love

Rome is not built in a day
So is our relationship!

After countless glances
Days of deferred patience

Spamming E-mails
and hours of tele-voice

We have paired up!

Pre-closed my Home loan ...

I am glad to inform that I have pre-closed my home loan on 12th July 2008 (that's my 8th wedding anniversary) and have got back the house documents from ICICI Bank on 28th July 2008. Incidently 28th July 2008 happens to be the day I complete 5 years of service in Verizon :)

FYI, I bought this house on 12th July 2001 (1st Wedding anniversary).

8th Wedding anniversary ....

On my sixth wedding anniversary i wrote about my love story here - http://vadivel.blogspot.com/2006/07/my-wedding-anniversary.html

Today (12-July-2008) is my 8th wedding anniversary and it is really a good feeling which I cannot express in words!

On my first anniversary (12-July-2001) I registered a house in Ramavaram, Chennai with the help of ICICI home loan. Today I am planning to do something which would keep my family happy for a long time. Hope everything goes well!

As usual we would start with Sai Baba temple for some good prayers / dharsan and then start roaming around the city :)

A Lesson for (y)our life...

Read more comfortably by clicking on the image to enlarge it.

What does Birthday mean?

Birthday is not really our date of birth; It's our Mothers Re-Birth. Be kind to her till she lives in this earth. It makes your life worth living!

My views on Astrology...

I am surprised by how people claim that they can predict others future. Astrology may be true but 'real' astrologers are very rare to find.

Normally if we watch any TV channels or news paper on any day each of them would say different predictions for the same star/sun sign. Why aren't the astrologers able to make similar predictions? This has made me think on why are these guys telecasting such a program to start with. Do they just want to play with people's sentiments or belief?

I feel most of the astrologers or palmists does pure mind reading rather than the mathematical calculation which they are supposed to do.

If you have visited some astrologers you would have heard these statements in some form or other:

1. You should have faced a major hurdle (or) life threatening incident some time back
2. You have a major hurdle to cross soon
3. You should be having some family problems now
4. You wouldn't be having much of your relatives support
5. You are generous and people would be exploiting you!
6. You will be earning but don't know where the money goes!
7. You will be having problems in your office
8. There is a stuff which is blocking your growth. We need to do a pooja to get around it
9. etc.,

All of us are human. But the one with strong heart overcomes these statements with ease. But unfortunately world is filled with more people with weaker hearts.

Aren't most of the above points very generic and won't it fit almost for everybody :)? That being the case, is it really worth for people to start worrying about those at back of their mind?

I feel that astrologers always look for easy targets. If an astrologer says that 'your husbands life path seems to be short due to past karma!! and it can be rectified with a Rs. 10000 pooja' most of the ladies would (blindly) accept for that pooja. I am not blaming the ladies here. I can understand that it's normal tendency to try and do what ever we can to save our dear ones. Most of the astrologers exploit these sort of sentiments with ease.

Bottomline, I am not against 'Astrology' as a whole. All I am saying is the place is flooded with petty astrologers who just do it for business and nothing else.

My principle is, if the astrologer has said something good then enjoy it and go ahead. If he has told something bad/negative just ignore those points and move on in life. If not, your mind will be occupied by those negative points which would indirectly lead to our own downfall -- be it health or career etc.,

Sameway its sad to know that there are still people who don't even search for a job just because their astrologer have told him that he won't get a stable job till 30 yrs??? This is what I call it as 'negative influence'.

Influencing others is one of the biggest gift and one should not misuse it. Astrologers have that influencing power so they should actually not let out any negative points to the people. Informations should be shared in such a way that we don't demotivate someone and screw their life!

I don't want to get into whether 'Astrology is science or arts', 'Astrology is real or fake' etc., all i want to convey is lets believe in ourself and move on in life.

Let's not spend our hard earned money on people who claim to predict our future. Be truthful and lead a honest life that should be more than enough. Also knowing your future is kind of losing the thrill in life :) If at all one knows when he is going to get married, when he is going to die etc., then what's the thrill in life. Let's take life as it comes and enjoy each and every moment of it. Rather than taking a fast track to know the future from fake astrologers :)

To me,
if we aren't confident on ourself;
if we are feeling insecure in life
then we believe in astrology too much :)

Once you are in trouble, Instead of blindly believing the astrologer think about this:

When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in his ablities.
But if GOD does not solve your problems, it means he has faith in your ablities.

So just believe in your abilities, try hard and decide your own future instead of trusting a third person (read it as, astrologer) to predict your future.

I was born on the same day 32 yrs ago :)

Today is my birthday and I was born on the same day 32 years ago (23-Mar-1976).

This is the second consecutive birthday I am all alone here in Dallas and missing the fun I used to have with Sai :( Incidently today is Sai's 'Nakshatra' birthday as well :)

I have no major plans today. I wanted to go to a temple and then have some good meal :)

Update:

Went to Shridi Sai Baba Temple in Plano. It was a very nice feeling and I was there for approx 20 minutes.

WWW is not dependable ...

"In US, WWW is not dependable" -- this is the statement I heard from my friend today. I was thinking that he is pissed off with his internet connection :) but I was wrong.

According to him WWW stands for,

W - Weather [for ex: it rains in the morning, sunny in the afternoon, thunderstorm in the evening :)]

W - Wife [doesn't need an explanation]

W - Work [any time one can be laid-off here :(]

Heights of Customer Service!

Location: Irani Cafe, Hydrebad
Source: RajatGupta

Official Gmail Blog: Russian Gmail art

Check out this interesting movie on Official Gmail Blog: Russian Gmail art. Thanks Ramani for sending me this link :)

Indian of the Year ...

NDTV is conducting a poll to find out the 'Indian of the year' in 5 different categories. They are:

1. Leader -- My choice was 'Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam'

2. Sports -- Out of the lot I always like the achievements of 'Viswanathan Anand' so I voted for him.

In my view, when Sehwag was in his peak form was compared with Sachin tendulakar. But he didn't last for long in international circuit with the same consistency! Now people has started to promote Dhoni .. only time can say whether Dhoni would meet people's demand consistantly!

3. Cinema - My obvious choice was 'Rajinikanth - the Boss'

4. Global Indian -- I left out this section as I am not too sure.

5. Business -- I left out this section as I am not too sure.

6. Music -- I went for A.R. Rehman

7. UnSung Heroes -- I went for 'Indian Soldiers - Super heroes'

Don't be left out, go and cast your vote here

Yoga::measure for a long life!

I read an article titled 'Yoga fights chronic diseases' on 23rd Sep 2007 in Deccan Chronicle. It was a good read. Yoga instructor Suneel Sigh has said the following in that:

A study conducted in early India showed that a tortoise breathes three times in one minute and lives for 300 years. An elephant takes 5 breathes in one minute and lives for 120 years. A dog breathes 42 times while a human being takes 15 breathes in one minute. Both live for 14 and 65 years respectively. Kapalbhati pranayama teaches one to control one's breathing and prolong life

Hello World {Once again}

I would keep this blog majorly as non-technical and talk on almost all topics to the best of my ability :)