Going BACK on my Time-Machine

If I have a time-machine to move back in time, and if blogging exists at all times, what would I be blogging during my stay in each of the time-periods? Here it is...

10 yrs ago (Year 1996)
Just started my high school days and its so much fun already. The study load is definitely much more than before, but its not a big concern if accompanied by friends. There are mid-terms, half-yearly exams, pre-finals and the finals on each of the 8 subjects... wow! Thats sooo much~

Inspite of all that, I play cricket with my friends in the weekends. Watching television takes away some portion of evening, and I read around 2 hours per day before dinner. Every morning, I get up way too early and go for the Martial Arts class. I have my best friend to accompany me for this too. Hmmm! Its good to realize the amount of time I have in addition to daily schooling & homeworks.


6 yrs ago (Year 2000)
I'm now a sophomore at R.M.K Engg college, which is known for its campus-rules, strict attendance policy, and good food. There is very little or no scope for quiting classes or chatting with pals. Good news is that the class strength is just 32, making it easier for the teachers to concentrate on individual students. I fit into a group of 6 friends, and we usually have fun together.

My daily routine starts at 5:30 in the morning by trying to get up from bed and catch my college bus. Its a 1 hour drive to the college campus, and the breakfast is offered before the classes start. At 12:30 pm, its time for a very good lunch whose items are different everyday. I reach home at around 6:00 in the evening, giving me less time for all my other activities. I would dream how different my life was 5 years ago, with more time than I could ask for.


4 yrs ago (Year 2002)
Getting closer to the final year in college... but my daily life is all the same as my sophomore year. The only difference is that I'm preparing for the GRE exam and have started my research on which US universities to apply for my Masters degree. All my weekends and every frame of time on other days goes in preparing for the GRE (especially verbal portion). As usual, exam preparation is just 2 days prior to the exam... (1 week prior in some cases). All my friends are also taking up the GRE... and hence, a lot of competition among us to excel.


2 yrs ago (Year 2004)
Its a different story altogether... Getting used to life in US (far away from my homeland), making new friends, adapting to the new culture, self-cooking everyday and trying to excel in my courses at the same time. Its like starting a whole new independent life. I started appreciating the life style in US, and continue to blog my thoughts/experiences regularly. I end up spending most of my time on my programming assignments, and work for 20 hrs per week as a computer-lab assistant in my university.

This summer (June'05 - Sep'05), I am spending my time learning Java and preparing for Sun certifications. I opted to take certifications as I have nothing better to do at home... and also in the hope of finding an internship at the earliest.


1 yr ago (Year 2005)
Got my first exposure to the job life (an internship at Viewlocity). I'm very excited and showing a lot enthusiasm at work. In the mornings, I go to work atleast 1/2 hr before the rest of my team, get my work completed well before the given deadlines, and ask for more work. My team lead and the senior developer in my team seem to be happy with my performance. Having taken just 2 courses this semester, managing work and study is no problem. This being my first job, there is indeed a steep learning curve involved. I am absolutely enjoying my work...


1/2 hour ago (Today)
Sitting in front of my PC, writing this blog.

Action - Adverb Combos

Here is a good list of action-adverb combination to lead a better life... I found this list on the web, and thought it would be a good idea to publish in my blog.

Relish-----------Fully
Converse---------Softly
Walk-------------Humbly
Eat--------------Sensibly
Breathe----------Deeply
Sleep------------Sufficiently
Dress------------Smartly
Act--------------Fearlessly
Work-------------Patiently
Think------------Truthfully
Believe----------Correctly
Behave-----------Decently
Learn------------Practically
Plan-------------Orderly
Earn-------------Honestly
Save-------------Regularly
Spend------------Intelligently
Love-------------Passionately

Interesting Pic... Before you ask !

Testing w.bloggar interface

Hey... I am publishing this post from a newly downloaded tool called w.bloggar. Its good and flexible ... for sending, editing and deleting my entries in my blog. The best feature is it accepts multimedia content as well. Try this tool by downloading it here.

Pens for Computer Scientists

Hey, you must have read several articles about these pens on the internet... They define how well can technology serve man... and how much technology can man invent. Click here for more info on these virtual laser keyboards. In brief, this is how it works...

A virtual keyboard is where a full-size image of a QWERTY keyboard is projected onto any surface. The virtual laser keyboard (VKB) works by using both infrared and laser technology to produce an invisible circuit and project a full-size virtual QWERTY keyboard on to any surface. The virtual PC keyboard behaves exactly like a real one: direction technology based on optical recognition enables the user to tap the images of the keys, complete with realistic tapping sounds(!), which feeds into the compatible PDA, Smartphone, laptop or PC.Touching the image of a key generates a unique electronic signal corresponding to a key's image.

They are not just pens with hidden cams... Seems like, they were once designed for James Bond. These virtual laser keyboards are already on sale... but their price prevents them from being ubiquitous. You may want to buy one of those ~ Check out the online stores. Though slightly old, here is a review of iTech's bluetooth-enabled virtual laser keyboard.

Category: [My Findings]

Owner of a Jetta - Its me.

Yesterday, I became a proud owner of the new Volkswagen Jetta 2006. It was a much awaited purchase ... and the biggest one of my life as of now. The car has metallic silver color on its exteriors and black leatherette finished interiors. It indeed has a touch of luxury and comfort. The ride is smooth and splendid. The Best part is that I purchased this car on an auspicious day of the year - Its Vaikunta Ekadasi. I am very glad and excited about my new purchase.

Exploring California

Had a trip to the most expensive state in USA (California) on Dec 24, 2005 to Jan 2, 2006. BTW, Charan lives in Irvine... and this place happened to be the center-spot for all the cities we wished to visit. So, I along with my friends Charan and Pradeep shuttled between Irvine and all the other cities once in 2 days. The places include SanFransisco, LosAngeles, SanDiego and SanJose. We spent the NewYear Eve at LasVegas. The celebrations were grand... and the fireworks were worth watching.

My itenerary included:

San Diego
A visit to the beaches on Coronado Peninsula
Balboa Park – museums, park and zoo
Main shopping district in downtown centers around the architecturally unique Horton Plaza Shopping Center and the Gas Lamp Quarter

Los Angeles
Santa Monica beach
Hollywood Wax Museum
Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Walk of Fame
Kodak Theater
Universal Studios
Mystery spot
Beverly Hills
Rodeo Drive
Mulholland Drive: the best view of Los Angeles.
Hollywood Sign
Sunset Strip

San Fransisco
Golden Gate Bridge
Chinatown
Coit Tower & Lombard Street – world’s most crocked street
Golden Gate Park & Japanese Tea Garden
A boat excursion around the harbor & under the bridge

Las Vegas
All Casinos on LasVegas Blvd.

Irvine
Charan's office
Indian Restaurants
Culver Plaza near Charan's house

Thats it... and this gave me a nice break from my routine.

VW Jetta - My final Choice

Finally, I decided to buy a V0lkswagen Jetta 2.5L (Reflex silver). This is more expensive and has more feature-set than the value-edition trim that I once intended to buy. Hmmm! I'm feeling excited abt it. If everything goes fine as expected... I will buy this car today.

Cars test driven

Test driven 3 cars today... They include Honda Civic, Accord and VW Jetta... all 2006 models. Huh... I am crazily driven towards buying a car, but am having difficulty in deciding between Jetta and Accord. The only drawback with each of them is that... Jetta has reliability issues, and Accord is too common a car to be proud of. Well ~ It seems like I prefer being a proud owner of a Jetta and tolerate small annoyances that might arise (or might not if lucky) due to build quality.

Short & crisp list of qualities

I found this here while browsing blogs... Its short and crisp.

THE 21 INDESPENSIBLE QUALITIES OF A LEADER -By John C Maxwell

1. Character: Be a Piece of the Rock
2. Charisma: The First Impression Can Seal The Deal
3. Commitment: It Separates Doers From Dreamers
4. Communication: Without it You Travel Alone
5. Competence: If You Build It, They Will Come
6. Courage: One Person With Courage Is A Majority
7. Discernment: Put An End To Unsolved Mysteries
8. Focus: The Sharper It Is, The Sharper You Are
9. Generosity: Your Candle Loses Nothing When It Lights Another
10. Initiative: You Won’t Leave Home Without It
11. Listening: To Connect With Their Hearts, Use Your Ears
12. Passion: Take This Life And Love It
13. Positive Attitude: If You Believe You Can, You Can
14. Problem Solving: You Can’t Let Your Problems Be A Problem
15. Relationships: If You Get Along, They’ll Go Along
16. Responsibility: If You Won't Carry the Ball, You Can’t Lead The Team
17. Security: Competence Never Compensates for Insecurity
18. Self-Discipline: The First Person You Lead Is You
19. Servanthood: To Get Ahead, Put Others First
20. Teachability: To Keep Leading, Keep Learning
21. Vision: You Can Seize Only What You Can See