More food for thought...

Straight from the brochure of the CSE (Computer Science and Engineering) department at IIT Bombay, we have a quote by Henry Ford:

If money is your hope for independence,
you will never have it.
The only real security that a man will have in this world
is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability.

This is in context to exhorting people to pursue Post Graduate studies. They claim in the same brochure:

"A post-graduate degree in Computer Science and Engineering is a must if you aspire to set yourself apart from the anonymous mass of "computer professionals" and to assume a leading role in transforming the industry, be it through research, advanced development, teaching, or entrepreneurship."

Hmmm.

"Wada Paav"

No matter where you go in Mumbai, you can always find the ubiquitous "Wada Paav". Outside Mantralaya (where all the assembly sessions are held), outside railway stations or roadside stalls, one can have "Wada Paav".

From some articles that I've read, it seems that the "Wada Paav" was "invented" especially for the mill workers. In the "mill-boom days" (1950s, 1960s, 1970s?), the mill workers came out of the mills during their lunch breaks and wanted some quick bite. (Maybe they had lesser duration breaks or maybe they wanted to use the break for doing things other than eating...gambling, fighting, general loitering). The "Wada" (Batata Wada) was sandwiched into the "Paav" and some chutney added for maximum effect.
It is quite easy to visualize how the setup would have looked like: In those days, cooking on the roadside or pavements was not allowed (neither is it now, but then...) and housewives of workers used to pre-cook the wadas at their homes and "assemble" the wada paav outside the mill gates. The trend caught on and since the cost was quite low (even now it is in the range of Rs. 3 to Rs. 5) and it was quite filling, "Wada Paav" became big business.

Now, we can see "Wada Paav" vendors everywhere. The difference being that the "Wadas" are cooked fresh on the spot. Whether this is hygenic or not is a different question; but it is definitely good business.

Consider this: I one happened to ask a "Wada Paav" vendor outside Andheri railway station about his daily sales. He said it was in the range of 7000 "Wada Paavs" per day. Multiply by the rate of Rs. 4 per "Wada Paav" and you get a daily turn-over of Rs. 28,000. Of course, depending on the location, one might have lesser or more sales.

"Wada Paav" has also been called the "Indian burger".

Some of the best "Wada Paavs" that I prefer are:

• Near Apna Bazar in Andheri (West), a stall sells one of the best "Wada Paavs".
• Outside Andheri railway station (East) where all the photocopier shops abound, there is "Sangam Wada Paav" (actually, there are multiple "Sangam Wada Paav" stalls).

Most others have failed to impress me. If you have some information about some of the other good ones, do let me know.

How about a car for commuting in Mumbai?

No, thanks.

I am one of "those people" that get paid by the company to buy a car and maintain it. However, I have chosen not to opt for the vehicle, commuting instead using the public transport. When people ask me why I do not take the car, my standard reply is that "I do not feel the need for it". Some guys are more curious and this simple answer does not satisfy their curiosity. I usually finish off by saying that "if I feel the need for it later, I will take it".

Other reasons why I have not opted for the car:

• Driving a car is a pain (no pun intended) in Mumbai; it can cause severe backaches. Since the spine is a very important set of bones in the body, it is advisable not to tax it too much. (The distinguishing feature of a vertebrate is the spinal cord).
  
• If I drive the car myself, I can't catch up on reading books. Well, there is the possibility of using a driver, but then that is extra RsRsRs ($$$)
  
• Having a car changes the way you tend to look at things and act. One has to find a place to park the car, and that requires quite an effort in Mumbai. The usual tendency for people is to go to places that have car parking. So, you no longer go where you wanted to go. Instead, you end up going where your car is safe.
• Additional headache in the form of maintenance and fear of theft.
• If you are stuck in a traffic jam, you can't leave the car and walk past the jam.
  

Bought "Computer Networks" by Andrew S. Tanenbaum

As stated earlier, I need to prepare myself for admission to the M. Tech. course. This may involve giving a written test with the syllabus including Computer Networks. Among the recommended books of study is the classic "Computer Networks" by Andrew S. Tanenbaum.

We also had this book as a reference for the Bachelor of Engineering course and it seemed to me that I could use the same book (which I had bought about 13 years ago). That was the second edition of the book.

I was at Matunga today and happened to pass by the place where there are a lot of book stores that sell text-books for all sorts of courses ("Shanti Book Depot", "Vimal Book Center", "Madhu Book Depot", etc.). I decided to check out the new edition of the book. To my surprise, the fourth edition of the book covered a host of different topics than we had in the second edition. This is also stated in the "Introduction" by Tanenbaum. There is a lot of coverage of "modern-day" topics like WLL, wireless networks, 2G and 3G, ADSL, Internet on Cable, etc.

I bought the book hoping that I could use it to prepare for the written test.

Welcome Wafers and Farsan

It is one of the least places in Mumbai where you would expect to get good and crispy potato chips (aka "wafers" in India). Off Govandi Station Road in the East (in the West, there is the Deonar abbatoir), opp. Satyam Industrial Estate, surrounded on all sides by noisy industrial "galas", there is a factory that prepares potato chips and other "farsan". The name is "Welcome Wafers and Farsan". They claim to be the first "automatic line snack plant" in Mumbai, but whatever that is, the "wafers" are not only good, they are also cheaper (almost wholesale rate).

The difference in prices between buying from this factory as opposed to buying from a retailer could be as high as Rs. 40 / kg. If you factor in the freshness of the stuff, it is worth the trip to Govandi and back.

There are a lot of other products (variations of the common chips and farsan). The original factory happened to be in Mahim (West) until a few years ago after which it got shifted to Govandi.

Incidentally, the "wafers" have an importance of their own in the Mumbai/Indian diet. It is considered to be good to snack. Also, any birthday party or kiddie celebration will definitely have "wafers" on the menu.

So, if you are planning to have a party, you now know where to head.

New blog for Mumbai

A new blog for Mumbai just got created. See the "Mee Mumbaikar" blog..

The better samosas in Mumbai

I had the opportunity to eat at "Laxmi Dairy Farm" opposite IIT Powai. It seems that the only snacks they serve are samosas. These were supposed to be good (quite a few recommendations) and when I tasted the samosas myself, they were definitely among the better ones in Mumbai.

There are other places I know of that serve good samosas:

• Sind Hindu Hotel - outside Kurla station (West) in a lane where the theatre is located
• Sri Krishna - at Dadar (Western Railway west) on Chabildas Road (They are supposed to be popular for their "Batata Wadas", but I would prefer their Punjabi Samosas anytime).

On a related note, Panshikar under the flyover outside Dadar station (Western Railway west) has the best "Farali Misal" (a "mixture of sabudana kichdi, gravy and potato crisps (salli)), whereas the best "Kothimbir Wadi" award should go to "Sapre Brothers" near Goregaon station (west).

The best low-cost coffee comes at Rs. 8 at "Cafe Mysore". I visit this one quite frequently for the rasam and the coffee. Also, their lunch is not heavy and is priced econmoically at Rs. 30.

Note: None of these "eateries" have any kind of ambience that white-collared people would want; these are places where you would go for a "quick bite" and not to sit and enjoy an evening.

Stuck in a suburban local train

Yesterday, I had a first-hand taste of being stuck in a suburban local train between Ghatkopar and Vikhroli stations on the Central Railway "slow line". It seems that there was a problem with "motor bush" and the train refused to move.

After waiting in the local for about 20 minutes, I clambered down and walked till I came across an opening in the boundary wall (courtesy of some slums) and then took an autorickshaw to my destination. A few trains had to line up behind the stalled train and there was a lot of confusion. However, when I went back from Kanjurmarg to Kurla in the late afternoon, there did not seem to be any problem (delays, etc.). So, I guess they might have fixed up the problem very soon.

Shivaji Jayanti

Its "Shivaji Jayanti" (birthday of Shivaji Maharaj, a Maratha king) today as per the Hindu calendar. Many celebrations were held in different parts of Mumbai including poojas and processions.

I have a great respect for Shivaji Maharaj. A lot of what Maharashtra is today, I feel, can be attributed to him. One comparison of Maharashtra's cultural state of affairs (barring Mumbai - which is a mix anyways) can tell you about the history.

Shivaji Maharaj actively sought help and advice from Swami Ramdas (one of the saints of Maharshtra) as well encouraged and patronised many other saints and temples. These saints were, in turn, part of starting a spiritual movement that soon gripped most of Maharashtra and the people became very God-fearing as well as spiritually devout.

Even today, most Maharashtrians (original residents of Maharashtra) start their day listening to songs (abhangs) composed by these saints. Of course, the credit for popularising the abhangs in the 70s and 80s should be given to Pt. Bhimsen Joshi (and the music composers) as well as to All India Radio for broadcasting these songs on radio.

"Maida"-conscious

It seems that India is becoming "Maida-consicous". Maggi (Nestle India) has started a new Maggi variant with the noodles made from "whole wheat" instead of refined flour (maida).

I got a chance to taste it today. Tastewise its not too bad...in fact, its quite good (at least the Masala flavored-one). One look at the ingredients still reveal certain aspects: "Hydrogenated Oil", "Acid".

Some time in the recent past, I came to know of an incidence where a girl had to be operated for stomach ailments and the doctors found a "big ball" of "maida" collected. The girl (being what she thought was diet conscious), it seems, used to have only biscuits (that contain maida) for lunch.

With "whole wheat bread" also being now sold in quite a large number of stores, has the time to stop using maida come?

Mee Mumbaikar and a "Senami"

There's a very fine interview over here with Balasaheb Thackeray. The one thing that I absolutely admire is Balasaheb's unflinching stand on key issues. Whatever he has pointed out is absolutely true.

The other politicians, even though they consider themselves "more secular", often change their stand and policies just to get votes. They do anything to please their vote banks.

Sri Sri to the rescue again...

At the same convention that Narendra Modi, Gujarat CM was supposed to speak and for which he was denied a US visa, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was also a speaker. He was quizzed about his opinion on Modi and the response is typical saintly.
However, very surprisingly Sri Sri pointed out to the developments in Gujarat, where, as stated in the article he said that many dams have been constructed during his tenure in the government and that the people have enough water.

Time for a D70 ?

Over the past few months, I have been following up on the reports as well as on the prices of the Nikon D70. Its been 2 years since I got my Nikon Coolpix 4300. The falling price of the D70 and the quality definitely suggest that the time is ripe enough to upgrade to a D70.

Where will that leave my Canon EOS 30 and its lenses (all incompatible with the Nikon range)? We'll see. Only time will tell.

Why I love my religion

Some twelve years ago my classmate and co-worker was fond of getting me into a "debate" on religious issues. He was, of course, a very devout follower of another religion and would frequently ask me questions about my own religion. His intention, I thought, was always to "demean" the religion that I followed. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he wanted to get me engaged in some intellectual and very healthy debate...

The ignorant idiot that I was in these matters, I would hardly be able to defend any questions against my religion. Well, that is now the past. After having studied very superficially (like "scratching the surface"), I think I would, if I get a chance, be able to defend better. In these few years, I have been studying or thinking about various issues, have read a couple of religious books (even those from other religions) and am now proud to be able to understand and follow my own religion better.

Since religious issues have always been the basis of large-scale violence in India in the recent past, I will not reveal my religion explicitly nor will I discuss it here, but most people would be able to guess it.

Again, the aim here is not to "demean" other religions, but then we expect the same in return...:). Like they say, "to each, his own". Do as you wish, nobody trying to force one religion or the other on anybody. But, if there are questions, I now have the answers.

This post was actually prompted by some guys who still made fun of what they could not understand. Maybe some day they actually would (just like me).

Russian Circus in Mumbai

I had thought I would get to see the Russian Circus (in Mumbai currently) and the only circus in Mumbai that has a ice rink. But that was not to be. Read on.

First, this circus was in trouble from animal activists. Some newspaper reports suggested that they found some legal loophole to get their circus started again. However, when I went to see it yesterday (luckily I had gone all alone), I found the gates of the circus to be not only closed, but heavily guarded by some private security guards from "TRIG Security". It seems that the guards were not allowing people to enter into the circus entrance since the circus organisers had not paid them their dues.

Many people were inconvenienced: Some people had come all the way in a taxi from Grant Road (to Andheri where the circus was being held). A few people even told me that they had called up the number provided in the advert and they had been asked to come for the 19:30 show. All had to return back dejected.

The costs of the tickets were Rs. 150, Rs. 300, Rs. 500, Rs. 700 and Rs. 900. Some guys assured us that the circus would begin in about 2 days, but who would now want to drive all the way again...

A couple of cops doing the rounds on their bike happened to drop by at the gate. They were heard telling the security guards not to create any "trouble". It seemed to me from their conversation that the security guys had engaged in a scuffle with the performers who had arrived earlier in the evening.

IRFCA...railway stuff

As a child, I always used to be fascinated not so much by planes or ships as by trains. A few years ago I discovered a treasure trove of information related to Indian Railways.. This was in the form of the "Indian Railways Fan Club Association (IRFCA)".

This has some very interesting stuff including videos and photographs of various railway locomotives and other railway stuff. They even have a section that includes the various technical documents. Some of my favorite links from this site are:

• Railway Jargon
  
• "How-to"s for starting some locomotives (WDM-2, WDP-2, WAM-4)
• The "dead zone" at Virar (that indicates how the WCAM dual-power (AC/DC) locomotive shifts from the AC mode to the DC mode on reaching Virar) - quite cool, although it may be only for a few more years
  
• A beauty of a steam locomotive

All in all, a very good site and complete dedication by the rail fans.

GATE 2005 results declared

Yesterday (15th March 2005), the results for the GATE 2005 exam were declared. I had appeared for the exam and I could score 99.59 percentile with an All India Rank of 32.

I do not know how good this score is. It would seem that it is a good score at this point, but we shall know only when I am able to secure admission to the MTech course at IIT Bombay, Mumbai.

One of the funny things that happened was that after I had seen the result, I called up home to inform my father and told him the result. Instead of congratulating me, he wished me good luck. I was confused and then my father clarified that there may be only a limited number of seats for the MTech course and whatever the score only after securing an admission to the MTech course can we consider it to be a successful attempt.

Made sense to me...

Sri Sri's views on "Halo or Hoax" conclave...

Came across this wonderful "response" by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to a discussion at the "Halo or Hoax" conclave organised by India Today to debate if today's spiritual gurus are hoaxes. In his own trademark "calm and collected" style, he says that "An intelligent man would look into all the avenues before he makes a comment or accusation."
and how some speakers at the conclave branded all present-day spiritual leaders as hoaxes or godmen.

Quite an interesting read and how he finally "chose silence over conflict".

A revelation...

One of the things that has impressed me the most is the following gem from Swami Chinmayananda's well-compiled proverbs:

Comfort comes as a guest,
Lingers on to become host
And stays forever to enslave us.

Can't believe how true it is, but it is really a classic. Think about it and you will realize that it is a fact that most of us "mere mortals" experience.

Lets take an example:
We have a very hot and humid climate here in Mumbai. Nowadays it is easy for the working class to afford to have air condintioners in their houses. So, many get an air conditioner installed. However, they become so used to it that if it doesn't work (say because there is no electric power), they almost always get agitated and seemingly can't live without it.
An article in a newspaper once stated how during a power outage some residents in Mulund came out of their flats and "slept" in their cars just because their cars had air conditioners.
The "comfort" of the air conditioner soon "enslaved" them.

What do you think?

Hi...first post...

This is my first Internet blog. While I've mostly dabbled with blogs on the intranets, this is my first step to the "big bad world of Internet".

Hopefully, I will have a lot of things to say here that others may find interesting...stay tuned.