My First Real Experience With a Laptop
Dec 30, 2004
Since yesterday evening, I've been working on a laptop as my primary computer. I've used laptops before but never had one which was dedicated to me. The fun thing is that its also my first real Windows XP experience. Its now configured for email, both official and personal [runs both Outlook and Thunderbird] and my elaborate development tools is also setup and running.At first I found it annoying [described later] but soon got used to it. The upside with this [and indeed most] laptop is the display: its flat and is not CRT based [Cathode Ray Tube, the kind we have in most TVs today]. Rather its based on what I believe to be some sort of LCD technology [Liquid Crystal Display, the kind we have in calculators]. Also, the brightness and contrast is very smooth on the eyes. With ClearType feature enabled, the text is really easy to read and looks nice.
The downside is the performance and compactness [the keys on the keyboard are laid out differently, making it difficult to type fast [I have to keep looking at the keyboard now, but I am getting better :-)]. I am used to having a few nifty utilities like WordWeb etc. open all the time, but I can't afford that now. Oh, and before I forget, the surface of the laptop is hot [no pun intended]. Especially on the left bottom edge of the keyboard. That area is in direct contact with the 'under-side' of my left wrist and its not pleasant at all.
Thus far I have only this much to report [there is more, but I would then be completely twisting this personal blog entry around a technical axle. Its bent enough already :-)]
Funny Chinglish
Dec 27, 2004
Following is an extract from "The Young Explorer" by Horatio Alger :-
In this part, a group of american gold miners are bullying and questioning a Mongolian [generalised by the author as a Chinaman]. The funny part is about the way a Mongolian [and indeed a Chinese] speaks english.
Irish-American : "...Where do you come from?"
Mongolian [named Ki Sing] : "Me come from 'Flisco." [Its suppose to be 'frisco', short for San Francisco]
It is well known that a Chinaman cannot pronounce the letter r,
which in his mouth softens to l, in some cases producing a ludicrous effect.
"What have you come here for, Cy King, or whatever your name is."
"My name Ki Sing."
"Well, it's a haythen name; anyhow," remarked Mr. Patrick O'Reilly.
"Before I'd have such a name, I'd go widout one intirely. Did you
hear the gintleman ask you what you came here for?"
"You bling me," answered Ki Sing shrewdly.
There was another laugh.
"That Chinee ain't no fool!" said Dick Roberts.
"What made you leave China?" he asked.
"Me come to Amelica fol gold."
"Hi, ho! That's it, is it? What are you going to do with your gold
when you find it?"
"Cally it back to China."
"And when you've callied it back, what'll you do then?"
"Me mally wife, have good time and plenty money to buy lice."
:-)
I Am a Vagabond
Dec 22, 2004
Was in Kolkata yesterday, am in Chennai today, sort of stranded as I am headed for Kochi, but, again its Holiday season, so tickets are extremely difficult to get. No buses running till after Christmas, have asked an agent to try for a train ticket, if I am lucky, I'll hopping on the train at around 2am [a few hours from now].In short, have been travelling way too much lately, not sure where I will be. Everything has been very uncertain since June this year. I hate to pack and unpack and watch people say 'bye'. Don't like it at all. Yet, I have opted for it.
Hope I have better options next year. Oh Santa!! You know what will be written in the little piece of paper under my pillow on Christmas eve.
6 Digits
Dec 07, 2004
6 digits weigh heavily on me. never imagined that i would have six digits on the left column. although irrelevant now, i still find myself wondering if its all worth it ? things like this touch on the core and base of our thinking, our reasons, of course the reason still stands, so i continue on this unknown path, its almost a gamble, yet i find myself optimistic. God only knows what mental torment i go through at times, knowing that i have worked very hard for what i have today, the opportunities, recognition, reputation, all of which i am trading for an unknown, extremely expensive venture.there is a word in Hindi - "Aukaat", i am trying things way beyond my "Aukaat", this is something i have never done before, all my life, its always been about staying true to my standing. Yet, now i have 6 digits. My staying still since my birthday this year has only added to the weight. Its like burning a candle from one side and not adding wax at the other side, worse now and then, i do burn it from the other side as well!!
I pray to God to keep me smiling whatever happens. :-)
In the Autumn of Life
Dec 01, 2004
My gradmother is old. She is ~80 years of age and have been completely bed ridden for the last few years. For me, my grandma has played the typical grand mother's role. She would buy things for me, feed me, beat me, make me do chores, helped me get my first computer and paid for my Microsoft certification course. In short, a lot of what I am today is because of her. It would be dishonest to say that she is all nice but i don't want to remember her for the 'not-nice' things.There was a time that I totally distanced myself from her and became cold to her. She could speak properly then, she could sit up and was much better than the state she is in now. But I ignored her and also hated her at times [my reasons are irrelevant now]. Now, I regret and want that time to come back so I could spend more time with her. It pains me to see her in her current state, she is begging me to bite her vein so she could die. She refuses to take medicine or food and my mum has to force it down her throat so she could be 'alive'. She had a minor stroke and as a result her left eye doesn't open now. Its always shut. Her right eye opens but due to the tears and contant lying down, its watery all the time. Everytime I look at her and hear her moan, it tells me one thing, she doesn't want to be 'alive' anymore, she wants to be relieved of the physical and mental pain. Its just a matter of time before she'll finally decide not to fight anymore and give up. She repeatedly expresses her desire to die as if someone in thirst is asking for water. There are many other very disturbing things that she does in desparation, things which any [normally] hyper active person would do in the state that she is in.
All her life, she has always been in control of things, to a certain extent been in control of things in every family members life. She is a self dependent, hard working type and for a person like that to be completely bed ridden, weak from a recent surgery is hell.
It has been a truly humbling experience [i was away from home for the last few months]. Looking at her, the meaning of life and living takes on an altogether different meaning. We shouldn't take health or life for granted. Certainly we should not take the people around us for granted, be it spouse, parents, brothers, sisters or relatives and friends [no particular order intened]. So now i always think of each moment as being special and precious and automatically things look better, happier. I am happy and thank God for giving me a chance to be nice to my Grandma but at the same time I can't help but pray to God to relieve her of her pain and suffering.