Grandma..

Thank you for the gift of love,
now you're sharing it up above.
You had many things to say.
All in a caring way.
You always saw good in everyone,
No matter what they've done.
You were always the one we could all lean on.
Even though it must have felt like a ton.
You were always the strength of the family.
Now we must let you rest calmly.
As we say goodbye,
as tears roll down our eyes.
I know your place in heaven has a good view.
Because you're telling God,
I need to keep an eye on a few.
I know you will always be in our hearts and mind.
So Grandma,
I must go, but I'll never forget you're one of a kind.

The Supervisor Of Riding Politely

Got this from David Harrison....Olympics and its creations!!

At a bus stop in Beijing's Central Business District, an old man raises a red flag and waves it vigorously as the bus comes in. He turns to the people waiting and barks at them: 'Don't push! Don't forget to validate your ticket! Sit on both sides!'

His job title is on his red baseball cap: supervisor of riding politely. His role is to teach bus passengers how to behave as they wait for and board the bus. The message on the red sash he wears over his yellow jacket explains his mission: 'Welcome to the Olympics and be civilised and create a healthy atmosphere.'

This dude is one of the vast army of people mobilised by the government to ensure that the country's image will be enhanced by the Olympic Games. On domestic airlines, immaculately groomed air stewardesses tell passengers not to spit on the floor or push people when boarding the plane; in Tiananmen Square, hundreds of students scrub the flagstones; and large groups of fast-food workers, lined up in rigid formations, are trained to smile and be polite. A city agency is co-ordinating campaigns to reduce spitting, littering and swearing, presumably to avoid offending the tiny proportion of the 500,000 foreigners expected to visit Beijing for the Olympics who will understand Chinese expletives.

Cars will be banned from the city centre, building sites will be closed and huge machines used to 'blow away' Beijing's choking pollution. Critics of the Olympics and other 'subversives' will be kept under house arrest. Around the city giant posters announce the government's lofty aim: 'Safe Olympics, Harmonious Beijing. Serving Hearts Minds and Spirit'

All this is well and good, but if China keeps up its visa policies for the Olympics, how many out of the expected 500,000 foreigners will actually get into china is another matter all together!!!

Reality Check!!!

China and Cricket ?????

When you would think about China you would conjure up visions of the Great Wall, Shanghai Bund and Tsingtao, but How about China and cricket??

It seems China has taken some brisk and steady steps towards the sport of cricket...They even have a former Pakistani fast bowler as the coach for their cricket teams cutting across age groups and even the sexes...

The Chinese women’s team even reached the semifinal of the Asian women’s cricket tournament in Kuala Lumpur recently.

The current goal of the Chinese is to play well in the Asian Games at home in 2010.

Well.. Now I want to see how a HK Vs China match is played out!! hehehe

Leadership Legacy!!!

I read this in FT.. an example of amazingly powerful & moving example of leadership legacy in a well.. lets say different place...

I refer to the February concert of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, in Pyongyang, when music director Loren Maazel, himself a long-standing superstar, stepped off of the stage, at a moment of immense personal achievement, when the whole world was watching, and invited Leonard Bernstein, dead for 19 years, to "conduct" the piece. Here is how the Financial Times reported it ["Ovation in Pyongyang is music to US ears"Anna Fifield in Pyongyang, FT.com sitePublished: Feb 26, 2008] :

For the encore, the orchestra played Leonard Bernstein's Candide, after which Mr. Maazel explained the orchestra's special attachment to its former conductor. "Imagine Maestro Bernstein coming back and conducting once more," Mr. Maazel almost whispered. "Maestro, do me a favour," he said in Korean, backing off the stage to leave the orchestra to play Bizet's Farandole without him. The sight of the empty green dais was spine-tingling....

Bill Fischer sums it up perfectly.."Thinking about this moment, now, I believe it must be one of the most moving and powerful expressions of gratitude, from one leader to his/her mentor, imaginable. As leaders, we can only admire, and envy, Bernstein's legacy, for Maazel to honor him in this way. It proves, that strong and effective leaders can generate admiration and affection that lasts for decades."

Obama Secures Democratic Nomination

Senator Barack Obama secured the Democratic presidential nomination on Tuesday evening, prevailing through an epic battle with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Gotta Love the BPO's

Actual dialogue of a former WordPerfect Customer Support employee

---

SERVICE: "Ridge Hall computer assistance, may I help you?"

CUSTOMER: "Yes, well, I'm having trouble with WordPerfect."

SERVICE: "What sort of trouble?"

CUSTOMER: "Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away."

SERVICE: "Went away?"

CUSTOMER: "They disappeared."

SERVICE: "Hmm. So what does your screen look like now?"

CUSTOMER: "Nothing."

SERVICE: "Nothing?"

CUSTOMER: "It's blank; it won't accept anything when I type."

SERVICE: "Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out?"

CUSTOMER: "How do I tell?"

SERVICE: "Can you see the C: prompt on the screen?"

CUSTOMER: "What's a sea prompt?"

SERVICE: "Never mind, can you move your cursor around the screen?"

CUSTOMER: "There isn't any cursor. I told you, it won't accept anything I type."

SERVICE: "Does your monitor have a power indicator?"

CUSTOMER: "What's a monitor?"

SERVICE: "It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like a T.V. Does it have a little light that tells you when it is on?"

CUSTOMER: "I don't know."

SERVICE: "Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord goes into it. Can you see that?"

CUSTOMER: "Yes, I think so."

SERVICE: "Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it's plugged into the wall."

CUSTOMER: "Yes, it is."

SERVICE: "When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one?"

CUSTOMER: "No."

SERVICE: "Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other cable."

CUSTOMER: "Okay, here it is."

SERVICE: "Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged securely into the back of your computer."

CUSTOMER: "I can't reach."

SERVICE: "Uh huh. Well, can you see if it is?"

CUSTOMER: "No."

SERVICE: "Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over?"

CUSTOMER: "Oh, it's not because I don't have the right angle - it's because it's dark."

SERVICE: "Dark?"

CUSTOMER: "Yes, the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window."

SERVICE: "Well, turn on the office light then."

CUSTOMER: "I can't."

SERVICE: "No? Why not?"

CUSTOMER: "Because there's a power failure."

SERVICE: "A power... A power failure? Aha, Okay, we've got it licked now. Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff your computer came in?"

CUSTOMER: "Well, yes. I keep them in the closet."

SERVICE: "Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from."

CUSTOMER: "Really? Is it that bad?"

SERVICE: "Yes, I'm afraid it is."

CUSTOMER: "Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them?"

SERVICE: "Tell them you're too fucking stupid to own a computer."

A Picture worth a thousand Words!!!

7.9 Earthquake Hits China!!

The Most powerful earthquake to hit China in 30 Years, has killed over 10,000 people with many more still trapped in buildings..

According to the news I have been reading.. almost 900 students are trapped under 2 collapsed schools in Sichuan province.. this is the region where the epicenter of the earthquake was.

I had friends in Shanghai and Beijing who were asked to evacuate from tall buildings.. Tremors were felt as far as Bangkok and Hanoi, almost 1500 Klms away from the epicenter.

A View Point on Tibet

A very interesting view point about The Tibet issue from Ke Yun..

"There is a cultural erosion going on in Tibet, there is no question about it. The railroad, for example, in the long run, is beneficial to the Tibetan economy, but detrimental to Tibetan culture. The government is encouraging Han migration into the region. Han culture has a tendency to assimilate cultures around it."

"Tibetan protesters have the justifications for being angry...... The cause of this anger, however, is ultimately the Chinese government."

"The Tibet issue does not deal with ethnic cleansing, cultural genocide, or religious oppression. In reality it deals with a failed ethnic policy. The Chinese government thought they could do the same to Tibet as they would to Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang. Evidence suggests Tibetans are not as friendly to Hans as Mongolians and Uyghurs. The Chinese government overlooked numerous issues with regards to their minority ethnic policies and ethnic conflict, as a result, has surfaced."

"Defenders of China's positions often misunderstand people who wish to further the cause of human rights as anti-Chinese. This is not true. Sometimes they come off as anti-Chinese, but their cause is against the government and not against the Chinese people. Not everything in the western media is biased."

"Both sides have a skewed view of what "China" represents..........Chinese troops don't roam the streets and monks don't get beaten up for practicing their religion. China is not a military state. Life in China for an ordinary citizen is actually fairly good. You try to make ends meet, just like everywhere else in the world, but at the end of the day you come home from work, cook dinner, watch some TV, and look after your kid and try to help him/her finish math homework. Most people are very apathetic about politics in China, and also unaware of perceptions of China abroad. If you speak against the government in a manner that is outrightly questioning their legitimacy to rule, then you are deemed a political opponent and probably will be jailed. However, it is a very common occurrence if you trash talk former Premier Li Peng at the dinner table, or bitch about your local party secretary on the streets."

"China's government is not a vicious dictatorship who wishes to extend their claws and crush people like bugs. China's government is composed of a group of technocratic, scientific-minded engineers who are trying to craft and maintain a macroeconomic policy and political framework that will suit both popular demand and party legitimacy without the constraints of a traditional democracy. It knows that if it lacks either, it will be toppled. A country of 1.3 billion people is hard to rule. The CCP is afraid."

India Trip

I was in India last week.. Got to spend the weekend in Bangalore.. It was great to catch up with family and hog on home food...

Bangalore traffic is the same.. I was just relieved that the new airport had not opened yet and so would not have to travel 2 hrs, just to reach home. No flight I caught in India was on time. No real surprise there :)

It was Bambi's birthday too.. So some cake cutting and cake on face ceremony took place...

I was in Chennai, Bangalore and Delhi in this trip.. Pretty hectic, but fun as always..

A spellbinding display of Rhetorical Brilliance

"Im here because of Ashley.? By itself, that single moment of recognition between that young white girl and that old black man is not enough. It is not enough to give health care to the sick, or jobs to the jobless, or education to our children.

But it is where we start. It is where our union grows stronger. And as so many generations have come to realize over the course of the two-hundred and twenty one years since a band of patriots signed that document in Philadelphia, that is where the perfection begins." Obama's race speech

Choices

Life isn't about keeping score. It's not about how many people call you and it's not about who you've dated, are dating, or haven't dated at all. It isn't about who you've kissed, what sport you play, or which guy or girl likes you. It's not about your shoes or your hair or the color of your skin or where you live or go to school. In fact, it's not about grades, money, clothes, or colleges that accept you or not. Life isn't about if you have lots of friends, or if you are alone, and it's not about how accepted or unaccepted you are. Life just isn't about that. But life is about who you love and who you hurt. It's about how you feel about yourself. It's about trust, happiness, and compassion. It's about sticking up for your friends and replacing inner hate with love. Life is about avoiding jealousy, overcoming ignorance, and building confidence. It's about what you say and what you mean. It's about seeing people for who they are and not what they have. Most of all, it is about choosing to use your life to touch someone else's in a way that could never have been achieved otherwise. These choices are what life's about.

Suzhou Trip

Suzhou is an old city filled with gardens and lakes.. Very Pretty place.. Was there last weekend.. Holiday with some friends.. Interesting Crowd.. 8 People... 6 Nationalities!!!!

..Suzhou By Night..

..Chinese Tea by the river..

What u see below is Meat on a Stick.. Get it on the road side.. Dirt cheap.. The catch.. U never know what the meat is.... (Chicken/pork/cat/dog/rat) Choose one!!! :)

Scarlet: Inside Hip Hop.. Outside Meat Stand

At the Hotel.. Singing Group!!

Another beautiful picture of Suzhou

Hot Pot: A Large bowl in the centre of the table.. Its constantly heated to keep the liquids inside boiling hot.. The waiter keeps brining in meat and vegetables.. u add to the liqueds.. Once is spicy.. the other has some oriental taste.. u leave the meat in there for 10 mins.. and eat it then.. Yum

This garden is over 500 Years old

Hole in the wall!!!

According to ancient traditions.. these small places in the palace were for the prince to take a leak if he so desired.... Funky!!!

Singapore..

Was in Singapore last weekend.. Good trip.. loads of fun.. Boca for all those who know.. loves to walk and for all those who know me... I prefer the the 4 wheel kind of transportation..

So got some excersise too.. The weather was nice.. Almost felt like bangalore..

Met up with Parthiv.. Sat night was all about Margaritas!! Good times..