Some more birds..
Took these pictures yesterday..
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.
Service tax on an under construction property
In my previous post “House Hunting in Mumbai”, I had described how me and my wife have been looking out for property over the last few weeks. Recently, we came across a couple of under construction properties which we really liked and decided to do the approximate costing for those apartments. While doing the costing, we came across another term “Service Tax”, which is being levied at 3.09% of the cost of the property. I was very surprised to see that, but I didn’t pay much attention to it , thinking it is just a component of the overall cost structure of the property. While discussing this with a friend, he asked me what is this Service Tax? He mentioned he didn’t pay the same, when he got a property. So it turns out, the govt. has now decided to levy Service Tax on under construction properties as the builder is providing “us” a service by building the property. This is now applicable since July 2012.
If you are a cost conscious consumer (who isn’t in these days when the budgets are tight), this additional 3.09% is a huge cost. As it is we are paying 6% stamp duty on the flat cost, plus there is Rs. 35000 of the registration of the property, there is 1% Value Added Tax and now this 3.09% Service Tax. So if you add up, it is an increase by atleast 10% on the overall cost of the property. So if the cost of the property is say Rs. 50 lakhs, the consumers end up paying an additional Rs. 5 lakh on the property. People budgeting to buy homes should also keep this in mind, while arranging their finances.
Man of Steel
The movie Man of Steel comes out next month. Another super hero film – I think this movie is going to be one of the best super hero movies in a long time. However, Superman movies have been around since quite some time now. The comic book has been around ever longer. So what is it that attracts us to Superman? We all know he is a fictional character and things he does are something which normal people like you and me would never be able to do. However, as kids we all wanted to be Superman. Someone who will be able to achieve the impossible. When I think of this, I realize that during the times of crisis or while facing a difficult objective or while following our dreams and passion, we transform ourselves into something more than ordinary to achieve the impossible. There are times in our lives when we are faced with insurmountable odds, where everything is stacked against us – still we face those challenges and do everything possible to come out on top and win. This is what makes me believe there is a Man of Steel in all of us. This is what I feel attracts us to Superman.
My thoughts...My story 