Took these pictures yesterday..
Some more birds..
Month: June 2013
Windows 8 and me
My association with Windows 8 began when I bought myself a Lumia 620 phone. While the interface on the phone works really great, I would not say that it is really the case with using Windows 8 on a PC. I recently got myself with laptop with Windows 8 operating system and now I am seriously thinking of re-installing the OS. First of all, there is no Start button. So people who are used to the button on the bottom left corner of the screen are definitely going to miss it. The entire front screen is cluttered with various apps. The look and feel of the screen comes out as if you are using a phone. There is a separate app/ window for the desktop, which you need to click to take you to the desktop. On the desktop, there are no buttons called My Computer etc and these need to be created as short cuts to create some of sort of look and feel like the previous versions of Windows.
It is also very difficult to actually shut down the machine. The easiest way to do is use Windows key + L. This will lock the PC and then you can choose a small icon on the right of the screen to shut down the system. The other way to shut the system down is to take the mouse all the way to the right and wait for menu to open up. When I did that for the first time, I was very surprised to find the Control Panel over there. Since there is no Start/Menu button, the entire OS is very difficult to operate (I feel). While I am still discovering new ways to use this system, within one week of use I have a feeling that I need to change the OS and go back to Windows 7 which was a much much better OS.
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani
I wanted to go for this movie for a very long time and was finally able to watch it today with Geeta. I am writing this post assuming most of my readers have already watched this movie and they would be able to related to what I am saying. In case readers who are yet to see this movie: Beware spoilers ahead.
While the first half of the movie was very good, the second half of the movie became extremely predictable. I would have loved if the movie had ended when Kalki’s vidaai is over and Ranbir is shown leaving the wedding with his camera and bag. The reason I felt the movie should have ended earlier is because there is no harm in two people acknowledging the love they have for each other and yet mature enough to realize that they are both different and want different things in life. And because of the respect they have for each other and their individual dreams, they decide to not be together. I felt the movie post that was very much stretched and it seemed that the director really wanted Ranbir and Deepika to meet in the end.
The music of the movie is good and can be listened to over and over again. This movie is only about Ranbir and he is simply brilliant. The rest of the characters are good in their parts. Aditya Roy Kapur needs to play something other than a drunkard or he will probably end up getting Drunkard of the Year award.
Overall a decent movie and can be watched once. Die hard Ranbir fans will love this movie.
Countdown to trek
Next month me, my wife (hopefully) and my friend Saurav, will embarking a trek from Manali to Baralach la via Chandrataal lake. This trek will require us to walk for approx. 100 kms for 6 days to reach Baralach La after which we would be taking the local transport and reach Leh. We would be joined by our other friends in Leh and we would then be doing local sight seeing over there. I have been wanting to go to Leh and this trek is going to be once in a life time event for me. We would be reaching Manali a couple of days early to get ourselves accustomed to the higher altitude. Then preparation for the trek has already begun and most of the equipment is already in place. The best part about the entire trip is going to be walking through the valley with mountains on both the sides. Since we are not going to be a part of any trekking group, it is going to give us plenty of time to reflect on a lot of things. I am hoping that the journey would not only make us physically and mentally stronger but also enrich us spiritually.
Clicks from my window
Taken these pics from the window in room. They look amazing.
Twitter mind
I have been blogging for quite a few years now and never before I have felt this feeling where I don’t have enough words to describe what I feel. Earlier my posts used to be long, detailed, expressing how I used to feel exactly about things, but now I feel my blog posts have become shorter. The frequency of my posts was pretty regular, but now that has reduced due to lack of thoughts. Earlier the posts were more about what I feel and why I feel and I was able to write things in detail because, unlike now, those feelings/ thoughts used to remain with me for some time. I was able to think over those things and describe those thoughts in details. Now, with the advent of Facebook and Twitter, whatever I feel gets posted in less than 140 characters on these forums – thus depriving me of my ability of retain those thoughts and think more of them. I am not sure if I am only one feeling like this or whether it is a global phenomenon.
Some people have proclaimed these social forums have made them better writers. I don’t know how it is possible since you are restricting your thoughts to a certain character limit. May be they are able to put those thoughts in a more concise manner. But for me, I feel it is not helping me. It could be my own procrastination because of which I am posting fewer posts than usual and just blaming these forums for it. Or I have become a Twitter mind – thinking only of restricting my thoughts to 140 characters at a time. I simply do not know. I am waiting to find out for myself.
Evening skies before the rains
Captured this today in the evening. The skies filled with monsoon clouds. The fresh smell of the mud. The street vendors busy making onion pakodas and bhajji’s. The kids in the ground welcoming the rain with joyous screams. The excited chirping of the birds, awaiting the first drops of rain from the sky. The hot Earth awaiting for the first drops of rain to cool it down. The season of monsoon and grey skies is here.
Mumbai looks beautiful in the rains.
My thoughts...My story 