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History Lessons

My only and crazy little nephew Sanat, eight years old, is in school and up to a lot of things like being an admirer of Himesh Reshammiya and superman and fighting evil forces. In his academic life, he was recently working an assignment on Gandhi. It so happens that he thinks Gandhiji preached atyagraha (ahem, greed) instead of satyagraha (seeking truth). Now how did he manage to skip the first letter? I can understand how he interpreted the little rhyme here as an encouragement to litter the floor.

Bits of paper, Bits of paper
Lying on the ground, Lying on the ground
Make the place untidy, Make the place untidy
Pick them up, Pick them up

But I sincerely hope he grows up to be less indignant and more understanding of Gandhiji who had wanted only the British to leave when he said 'Quit India' !

Trick or treat?

The pub next door was bustling with grown ups and noisy little children. It was a bit too busy for a Tuesday evening. I certainly didn't expect to hear a knock at the door. Surely not after all members of my family (i.e. Ashok) had got back home. So I opened the door and didn't find anyone in the eye level.

I looked down and there was a little girl in a skeleton costume and an even snaller sack in her hand saying to me trick or treat?. I gaped in unpreparedness. Ashok came through in time and spoke with unprecedented ease and familiarity and the girl stayed standing with her bag. So it came to my information that on Halloween's day, chocolate or any form of sweet is to be given to such twilight visitors. That done, the girl thanked us happily and shot off.

The second knock followed soon enough and I leaped up to open the door. This time there were two girls . Both dressed in red frocks with some red and blue ears, blue paint over the eyes and better looking bags. However, they hadn't said anything. I smiled and then leaned forward and downward smilingly. They stared back at me, quiet and smileless. Now, I could not say Treat! to them. So following their example, I cheerlessly handed the chocolate. They scraped it from my hand and walked away without thanking or wishing me happiness on Halloween.

The third knock came from a little witch in a pointed orange hat and flowing white gown. She had her face covered in green , but I am sure she was smiling when she peeped through the eye hole in her mask. She eagerly greeted me and yelled Trick or Treat. And for my part, I festively handed her the chocolate.

Wonder what the spooky little people would do had I said Trick!

Proof to Sibling

This is for the benefit of Sreesh some day to convince him that the beach in Poole didn't have many waves and one of the reasons why it didn't irritate me very much. It is so unlike a sand and wave infested beach that it is even called something else, a quay (say kee to get it right, or qway to rhyme with sway and be individual). This is my view of what they call Durdle Door arch.

Artist At Work

The corner of the eye saw another one working on photoshop of something large and fuzzy. The eye may have ignored it, but from where it was, the eye soon discerned the image as that of the very person working on it. The head that lodged the eye looked up, in idle curiousity.

The person, a surly and very senior technical person, was the doer of the deed. The picture was zoomed in fully. Unmindful that the actions were based in the office and very near the corridor on a really large screen visible to the near and far, the person remained absorbed in the task with the eagerness usually attributed to the female. It was as if he was looking in a mirror. Now staring into his own eyes, now scratcing his cheeks, now admiring his large ears.

The eye that watched, narrowed in an errupting smile. The eyebrows, they rose in surprise and amusement. The chiselling was segmented. Slow and careful. Perhaps the blemishes are now gone? Are there not as many wrinkles any more? Is this good enough? One final look. The long needle must have crawled through a half circle. The final nod and click. The intrigue wore off and eye rested!

Extreme Technology

We are now in a stage in the project where we do a lot of Browser related testing, Mostly to do with look and feel. So the styling experts like us to take screenshots of problems and mail them. This morning, none of us could figure out how to do a Print Screen on the Apple Mac. So, Olawale resourcefully used his camera phone, so much easier!

Time !

Cannot believe it is 10 years that Desadanam was released. I used to try and learn all the songs in it. Maya Haridas gave me the cassette after much reminding. Memories rushing back. I was doing BSc Maths first year !

Tectonic Shift

I work with the IT people for the Travel Desk of a well known publishing house and I heard this conversation between two developers at lunch:

developer 1: Where is Salzburg ?
developer 2: Austria, why do you ask?
developer 1: It may not be there anymore!
developer 2: And why not ?
developer 1: Because I added it as a child class of Germany