When it rains... it pours

Today started of like just another day.
I had come into nyc to meet my doctor. And everything seemed to be going as per plan.
I had parted my car this morning at the shopping complex. Gone into town met my doctor l got to work on time & had an otherwise fruitful day
I wrapped up work and left for home & wrote a B log about my uneventful day.
But when I went to pickup my car I realised the day had just started!
My car, You see, Was not there.I then learnt that parking in the shopping complex was not permitted for outsiders and that I will have to cough up a hefty $180 for towing! Ouch!

Anyway, after fretting about it long enough, I slept- I had my toefl exam the next day.
Sure enough I missed the toefl the next day cos I couldn't locate the centre (gps dependency?)
So that was an award winning $350 loss in 12 hrs! Wow.

the day after the bad hair day

So yesterday went off in sulking!!
My roommates wondered ( as did I) why I was making such a big deal of such minor errors.
Well that's just me I guess. And I don't believe in suppressing my feelings - so be it an overreaction- its ok.
Today I walked into office with a bit of a sulk still on- but determined to do a good job.
My managers found another couple of issues! But I was quick to find out what was there was as per spec.
So while I didn't point it out- I did keep my head up high.
By the end of the day, I had solved several key issues & brought 2 projects to completion.
"thanks a lot" said two managers - "your'e most welcome" said I - with a smile.
There's another chance, I suppose, that comes along, to help you get out of a ditch you put yourself into.

But here's a thought- if happiness relies on outside successes, there's no guarantee how much one's going to get!

the techy's bad hair day

ouch.

a bug found in my code.
actually it was a change done long back, & there's no way to prove it really is my doing (& i'm ofcourse pretty sure it isn't!!)

well & so I graciously apologize for the minor bug. my fault or not.

but inside my stomach knots up. oh I hate a bug - & so starts a bad hair day.

next another manager asks me to re validate a task. oh gee- I find a difference between my previous validation.

sigh- a techies worst nightmare.
we live in a world of absolutes. either its a bug - or its not. either you goofed up, or not.

so I head home nœw. shamefaced. sitting in the bus & blogging my misery away.

oh well.
here comes my stop.

Providence Water Fire

Having lived in Providence for a couple of months now, I had my first bunch of friends from the Big Apple drop in.
They had heard of the Providence Water Fire, and came down to check it out. The water fire is a festival where they light fires on the Moshassuck river flowing through Providence, and downtown Providence suddenly springs to life - with aromatic food stalls, throngs of tourists and locals, artist performances and a gala time for all.

We first did some salsa dancing under the Turk's Head Building (Yes, there's a Turk who's looking at all from atop this structure). It was nice to see about a hundred people surround a single salsa instructor, everyone full of enthusiasm and practicing the basic steps away.

After some salsa practice, we went on to see the water fire being lit.
Boats with the Water Fire crew lit the fires one after another, and artists performed with fire, musical instruments and in fancy costumes.
We walked by the river and paused every now and then for a photo, some food or to see an artist perform.
If you're looking for the right time to come down to Providence, the Water Fire is the right time to do that. There's one more water fire festival that will take place this year, before winter sets in.
You may like to check this festival out -

Exim Screen Protection - 2 Thumbs up

Okay - so my blog is not about technical reviews.
Lets get that straight.

But there is a geek and a gadget freak hidden in me somewhere, and, I have read, it is not good to suppress your emotions (and so, alternate personalities too, I suppose).

To give you a background - I have been a handheld computer fan ever since I first saw a Palm III. I have owned, and extensively used Ipaqs and Palms ever since. I have found them to be great entertainment and utility value. I've used them for finances, time management, project management, communication and fun!

Now - the one thing that would hurt any lover of gadgets - is if it starts to show its age. Given that PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) use a touchscreen - they are quick to show scratches.
I've used several 'Screen Protectors' (transparent stickers that go on the screen), and they would get scratched really quick too. In fact, I sometimes wondered if better than putting protectors that scratch easier than the screen - would it just make sense to leave the screen to itself?

Enter Exim Screen Protectors.
I found these on ebay - and they cost a whole lot more than regular screen protectors.
On reading a positive review about their longevity, I decided to go ahead and order.

Yes - this is a great buy - worth the $10-$15 they would cost you (mind you - you only get 1 protector where others would sell you a pack of 10 or more).

I just replaced my old screen protector with the exim, and it looks beautiful. The feel is decent to the stylus, when it comes to writing; but my pda looks smart and beautiful once again. Applying this protector is a breeze, and it fits perfectly.
Though I can't yet vouch for its longevity - it certainly looks robust and has excellent clarity.

Oh - Happiness!

Another pet project - Why not?

Fresh out of my GMAT exam, I chat with my roommate. Oh well, we're both sulking. He, cos he's in his mid-thirties and feel he hasn't gotten anywhere. I, cos I wanted way more in my exam!

So - I think - why not give him a shot in the arm? I know he has contacts in India for producing hand crafted ethnic Indian wear - real cheap. And I, with my tech background can help him turn this into a business for clients in the USA.

We get talking, and its exciting allright. The url deals2wear is available - it has a tangy sound and is easy to remember (for reasons I'd rather not state!).
"Ebay Stores is offering 30 days free premium accounts". $10 buys us the domain at bluehost.com. Email accounts at deals2wear are setup.
We decide to put in $100 each - that's a measly $200 in all! Get a professional photographer in India to take some snaps of Sarees (yeah - there are no measurement hassles as far as we know - hmm, but maybe the blouse would need some measurements... ah well). And we'll be ready to run a pilot.
The initial days in any idea are exciting and give an adrenaline rush - I feel great that my roommate will benefit from this, and I too can get some pocket money for further studies.

GMAT jitters to GMAT blues

Oh..kay. So I gave my GMAT Today.

Well all my recent mock tests seemed to promise a 750+ score- but the reality was a grim 710.

Yeah a 710 is not such a bad score. So they tell me.

But here's the low-down. the essays went well, in math I missed on some questions cos the proctor didn't allow me to take extra paper( sure enough I ran out of space), & she cut my break to 5 min cos I signed back before time.

I am surprised I never heard of either of these rules before.
Sigh.

So much of prep lost to a couple of weird rules.

Sometimes i wonder: does life have a launchpad waiting for you- or will it just make you jump around?

One nation controlled by the media...

As I came home from work last night, a friend mentioned that Georgia has been attacked by Russia.

I was shocked to hear that, and more so, since I had read the news earlier that day. must have just happened, I figured.

I flipped to CNN, Fox & some of the other news channels, & they were all providing detailed coverage of ... you got it- john edward's affair!
it was only bloomberg (of all the channels ) that had an interview with the Georgian Ambassador in progress.

it is disappointing how insular the news here tends to be. I suppose the media is more interested in showcasing provocative stories of lesser significance but more mass appeal rather than news events of global implications.

2nd Life Anyone

I was trying to figure what to do with my time... I'd already blogged earlier today... done my daily visits to Facebook and Gmail. Heck, I'd even had two baths.
(Add to that a great GMAT mock test score of 770)... seen an episode of Sopranos, had dinner and dessert... hmm... what next.
So I came across second life on the internet.
Yeah, I'd tried this out long back, but didn't give this site a fair chance.

I'm downloading SecondLife as I write... I'm thinking I'll take a little tour - especially since they say membership is free.

For those of you who don't know, second life is a virtual world where you can go, meet people, participate in activities etc of interest to you. I'm thinking this could be an interesting scape to go and meet other interesting people and widen ones' horizons... hmm!

Anyone out there who's used second life? How have you used it?

roomy dilemma

Last night- after guzzling a 6 pack of beer, my roommate started talking.

So he was married. has 2 little girls.
His ex-wife, he said, had a series of boyfriends ( reminds me of my own ex!) during their marriage. As he spoke about his life, I realized, he is depressed. He had hid it well - considering that we live under the same roof, and talk to each other every day.
In fact, I got a hint earlier that day itself - he had bagged a high paying job offer earlier that day; but there was no celebratory spirit. Instead there was just a wallowing in sorrow in the evening.

"I told her not to go once" he said. "but she said her boyfriend is waiting".
"I was drunk - she thought I won't even remember. But I know she was gone for 3 hours while I was alone at home."

Its the first time I heard my friend speak straight from the heart. Though this was heart rending to hear, I am happy he mentioned what was on his mind.

I believe that the first step to resolving depression is to talk to someone. This simple step is often the toughest one to take. I am glad my roomy started talking. Now I can understand him better and at least try to help.

GMAT jitters

GMAT next monday.

was doing well in mock gmats- but got a (what I consider) crappy 690 in my last exam.

so now I'm left wondering if I'm qoing to have the same poor performance in the finale!

oh well-strategy now is to look at weak spots. practice. look at weak spots, & practice some more!

anyone out there w/last week gmat advice?