On another note...

The city is still in terror over the past week's horrific events, but with the Mumbai people's confidence and courage they can overcome the trauma caused by the attacks. Hundreds of innocent people succumbed to the terrorist attacks and now the city is coming together and launching an anti-terror campaign with the hope of recovery. Not to mention the roles played by the brave Mumbai Police, NSG and ATS leaders who stepped forward risking their lives to save the people brought down the death toll within this limits.
The city had funerals everywhere and it was indeed a mournful weekend for the city. It was on this note that I happened to read the news about the inhumane and insensitive comments made by the Kerala Chief Minister towards the mourning family of the slain NSG commando Sandeep Unnikrishnan. It has been all over the news, his words literally translating to "If it had not been (Major) Sandeep’s house, not even a dog would have glanced that way." Such was the height of the callous nature shown by the CM, that made Sandeep's father turn him and the home minister away and asked them to leave his house.


Happened to see this video and thought of sharing.

The other side of the sunlight

Today's total Solar Eclipse has made most of the news headlines from the scientific perspective. Not that there was anything particular or rare about it, but its just that science has developed so much in terms of predicting and studying the solar eclipse that its accessible to more and more people around the globe. The northern hemisphere eclipse had its path starting from the Artic/ Canada, and then passing through Siberia, Mongolia and China. It had its partial eclipse path affecting India also.

Solar eclipse (aka Surya Grahanam in Sanskrit) has much relevance in Hindu Mythology. The story goes on as during the Palazhi Madanam or the churning of the milky ocean, Rahu disguised himself as God and awaited to drink the nectar. When Lord Vishnu approached Rahu, Surya and Chandra (Sun and Moon Gods respectively) identified him as the demon and warned Vishu who then severed the head of the demon. Since the nectar had already been consumed partially, the demon did not die, instead the head and the body emerged separately to form Rahu and Ketu, who take turns to take revenge on Surya and Chandra for their betrayal, and thus the Solar and Lunar Eclipse occur periodically.
Though science has overtaken myths, Hindus till date believe the story and engage themselves in prayer and holy deeds during the eclipse time after which they are supposed to take a bath, purify themselves and prepare fresh food and consume it. Since eclipse can be seen as a time when the sun or the moon is covered, it is believed inauspicious to do any activities, and hence they pray.

The picture shows thousands of devotees taking a dip in the river Yamuna, in Northern India after the eclipse. (photo courtesy- yahoo news)

Elsewhere: - In China people believed that Solar Eclipse occur when the sun was being devoured by a powerful dragon and hence they would beat drums to create loud noises or beat on the mirror to ward off the dragon. This year the occurrence of eclipse right before the Olympics this year on 08-08-08 was seen as a potential danger, but luckily feng shui experts and astrologers have predicted that there's no need to worry about it.
In Africa, ancient people had a similar belief where it was said that a snake which emerged from the ocean grew so large that it swallowed the sun, and later had to be scared off by beating on the drums.
The Japanese would cover their wells to prevent any poison from dripping on to it from the dark sun.
The Tahitians on the other hand believed that the sun and the moon were so much in love when they got to meet during the solar and the lunar eclipse, which is similar to the ancient Arctic America believers that the sun and the moon would leave their respective positions temporarily to check out the happenings of the universe.
The Egyptians depict the solar eclipse as the victory of light over darkness. Even though the beliefs might be relevant, similar or contradictory, this amazing phenomenon proving Einstein's Theory of Relativity was confirmed by Sir Arthur Eddington in 1919. Eclipse is also interesting to the scientists in studying the corona of the sun, and its surface during this time.
Wait, here's more... According to NASA, the next total eclipse will occur July 22, 2009, starting in India and moving across Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, China and over the Pacific Ocean.

A pot of gold

Just as the saying, there was indeed a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow, just that it was too big a pot, which we could live in- our home.
Observed last week, this is the beauty of Tampa; when it rains, it pours, and then later the sun tries to poke his nose through the water droplets giving rise to a beautiful rainbow like this one.

In line too early

Its here, the much talked about Apple 3G iPhone, launched @ 8am EST. Its in the headlines catching everybody's attention as many apple fans flock the store as early as possible to get to their fancy love- the new iPhone- Twice as Fast, Half the Price* - haha, yet another hidden asterisk, for the high price you pay just for the plan. I remember when it was launched a year back, it created so much news, and yet people were ready to pay a heavy price of close to $600 for the older iphone- wow!!!
Reported in CNN by a fan, "It's driving a Beamer as opposed to a Chevy". Thank God that this person didn't say, "as opposed to driving a Hummer" with America's increasing Gas Price. So when another person commented, "Steve Jobs knows what people want", is it Steve Jobs knowing what people want or is it Steve Jobs knowing how to make profit?
So while in Rome, live like a Roman applies to me as well, and here I'm off to the nearest Apple store, to catch a glimpse of this new cutie.

When thoughts took my time away

A long break from my blogspot, life was not that easy without it. Infact life has changed a lot over the past one year, coz its been almost a year since I've started working and it is not the same which used to be while I was in school. Not that I can blame "Time" as a cause for all this, its just that the lifestyle has changed, where I barely get time for my passions. I had mentioned in few of my blogs that nature watching, photography, reading, driving and adventurous hiking trips have been a passion for me. Of all these things, driving is not a passion anymore, or else why would I call something a passion, which takes my time, and ends up giving me tension and no relaxation.
Our trips have been continuing, but does not give the same feel of adventure and thrill to do it, rather it makes me feel, of another dreaded week ahead. Work has never caught me so busy that I failed to catch up on my personal life, but it definitely has taken some time off it. Oops !!!! I cant be a constant complainer, at this stage of life; life has just begun for me, giving me new challenges.
I have been away from this for almost 4 months, and am sure not many missed my absence, but this is something which my blog title says: - "Something to share" about my thoughts and feelings on happenings. OK looking at what all happened while I was away, there weren't many changes, just s things which caught my attention...

1. Gas Prices: Americans have always loved their cars especially big ones- SUVs, Trucks and Vans, but with the gas prices updating everyday, and getting over $4.00 a gallon, are Americans thinking of cutting their trips? At least I haven't seen a reduction in the travel and trips, with July 4th approaching, when the gas prices are predicted to be sky rocketing, doesn't seem like many changes in the driving/travel style has it? A CNN report says one in every three Americans say they'll drive closer to their home, within a 100 mile radius, since the gas is too pricey. When its time for inflation, there will always be every day new record prices for the oil per barrel; no complaints....
   
2. The Housing Market drop: While the gas prices reach the summit, there's the housing market which is hitting rock bottom prices, seeing an ever increasing concern over the fore closed home figures. News of people becoming homeless and having to give up their houses and jobs have almost been catching my attention lately, but has this changed? Its the same situation with the top states- Florida, Nevada, California except for the change in the declining figures.
3. Airlines rules: Oh here's something new, well the increase in oil prices directly influencing the air ticket prices, there are new baggage restrictions by many American Airlines, on the number and size of the baggage (yes the carry-on luggages are going to be screened for their size through special frames to check if they will fit the smaller overhead bins). So while that takes its time to come in effect, why not end up paying close to $50.00 for checked in luggages? Now thats a change.
4. Global Warming: When I say this, I might be the nth person talking about it in my blog, but since I decided to see what I missed to report in a few months, it caught in my attention today about the new "Green Cities". Now we are talking something innovative, by using clay, straw and slate as the building materials for small scale housing communities. Well, weren't those the same we used in primitive times, when construction wasn't so modern, and the times when concrete wasn't in vogue? This is an attempt to fight the global warming, by turning to more energy efficient and renewable forms of energy.
   
5. Some minor happenings: There was this big news about salmonella outbreak and the FDA is still fathoming the "root cause" of it, did it emerge from the fertilizer or from the plant itself? Looks like the answer hasn't been found yet, but life goes on the same without salsas, soups, salads, sauces which have tomatoes, or going for the pricey "FDA Approved" tomatoes, free of salmonella. Elsewhere news is either about the fatty nation, ever concerned about its citizen's increasing waist-line or its about fashion mags cover divas or about the iphone ( me being an ardent fan of fancy apple products, it does catch my attention for sure and here I am waiting for the new iph0ne 3G)

Coming to think about it, my absence from the blog world for a short time hasn't changed much in the world news scenario, just that few prices rising and few falling. I was just trying to find some "5 random things" happening around. After all, the world has to change slowly and steadily, for change is what is constant in life.

Leap with Joy

30 days have September, April, June and November,
All the rest have 31, except February Alone
And everytime when leap year comes
Thats when February has 29...
(guess thats how it goes)
That was the rhyme we used to sing to remember about the days of the year...
Hey just noticed today is leap day, or rather Feb 29 which is in a leap year. Why I am writing about this, and what's so special? Well, during the last leap year there wasnt any blogger.com and blogs introduced....
Did you know leap year is also called intercalary year; i.e. one containing extra days than the regular calendar year. Well, everybody does know the reason why it is so, and I dont have to go about explaining that...

The Super Week

Well, it started with the "Super"bowl on Sunday with the Giants beating the Patriots. Though am not a big fan of football, this is one event I like to catch up... just for the fun of spending time with my friends. We follow the American tradition of gathering at somebody's house, with the usual starters, appetizers and food: - wings, fries, soda, beer and pizza and our own Indian junk food like bhelpuri and bajji . The rest of the events include predicting the quarter scores, deviating from the football topics, catching up with friends and such. So the weekend ended with the giant superbowl win.
Today the super continues with "Super" Tuesday for the 24 states voting and candidates vouching for last minute "deals", well last minute appeals. I really am not sure why this has the super adjective tagged though (is it coz it follows superbowl... lol )
After this I was thinking what could be the next topic on the Super week... and while I was just browsing came across this... France today unveils The AGV (Automotrice Grande Vitesse) - a train which will travel at up to 360km/h (224mph) and can be compared to the world's largest airplane, the Airbus A380.
That was just an addition to the two big Supers happening in the US of A since I found a fancy to comment on the Superbowl and the Super Tuesday... Maybe there's more to come since the week has just begun...

Too cute to leave !!!

Following the story of "Knut, the Cute" who rose to a celebrity status more than a year ago; when he and his brother were abandoned my the mom in Berlin zoo, and finally authorities rescued and reared the polar bear cub with human milk, fed him with special meals, gave him his own christmas tree to play with, played his favorite music to soothe and rock him to sleep, he now faces death sentence... Guess why, coz he was reared by human hands (supposedly against animal protection rights) and so he isn't a normal polar bear anymore, and neither can he be. Poor thing, what does he have to suffer for the authorities rearing him this way. He is indeed cuddled and pampered. Waiting for this fate to be decided; while me, an animal lover vouches for his life !!!

Another story which caught my attention today, is a female polar bear cub again being abandoned by her mom in Nuremberg zoo, Germany. Never knew animals had this sexual discrminiation, or maybe its some other reason. Another new mom in the same zoo ate/killed her cubs... and even though animals do this often when they suspect their cubs security, safety or due to their illness.... I couldn't help but copy and paste on my blog, when I saw those pictures...

What to say about this sad picture, where the mom carries the cub to keep it away from itself, and in the second picture, the new cub is being fed and nurtured by zoo keepers, to save a life.

Photo courtesy, Times of India picture gallery and The Time world report.

Toyota passes Ford as 2nd-biggest auto seller in US - Nation

Toyota passes Ford as 2nd-biggest auto seller in US - Nation

Hit the road

Introducing the all new super cute, super mini NANO the smart new car from Tata Motors, has all that you can ask for from a mini car. Someone from work asked me yesterday, is the body made of plastic, is the fuel injection system made with straws? Oh c'mon, is that what you think of on Indian Technology. Think of the traffic in US, where everybody wants to own the "BIG" Luxury car, give a break and get a small eco-friendly economical car, yeah its the world's cheapest car, priced @ $2500 (Indian Re-1 lakh)

Comes with the 33 BHP fuel injection petrol engine, 624 cc engine, and has a fully functional dashboard with all the features, all-sheet metal body, tubleless tires and other essential safety features; (in a country where the driving speed is much less) which is pretty much all that you can ask for convenience; and it is CUTE !!!

Eating Out

Started by Annie and added on by Secay here's me continuing on the restaurant listings.
The rules are:
1. Name and link to the person who tagged you.
2. Name the state and country where you reside.
3. Name your five favorite local restaurants.
4. Tag others

I love and live in Florida, the Sunshine State. Its been more than 2 yrs that I've been residing here, before which I was in Oklahoma. I still remember when my husband came to "officially see me" for the 1st time, (yeah arranged marriages still do occur in some parts of India) and I was unwilling to relocate to Florida, halfway through my Masters programs, he said, "once you come and be there, I assure you that you'll love it." And that did happen.

So here's me in Florida now, and the rest of the story which you could make out from my blogs, now its time to pick some of my fav eating out places in and around Tampa. OK but before that lemme explain that I'm a veggie, (or rather an eggetarian) so my picks would be mainly those which satiate me, coz my taste is limited.

1. I love Thai food, and there's never a time when I wouldn't want to have that. Our local fav hangout place, by the Channelside Tampa, where you get beautiful waterside view and restaurants, music, movies, shopping and everything a city like Tampa can ask for. There's this traditionally decorated Thai restaurant, Thai Thani, which is open late, and has the best soups I've ever had in Thai restaurant, not to mention the panang curry, green curry and the special basil and eggplant fry there.... Then there's my husband's anytime fav Thai Ruby in North Tampa, (closer to our home, now so we can go there more frequently).
2. The best Gobi Manchurian I've had in a long long time, reminds me of the authentic Indo-Chinese dish, the ever fav Gobi Manchurian that I used to adore when I were in Trivandrum, India. Though this special Indian style food still tastes best in Trivandrum- Hotel Horizon, you get very similar taste in Cilantro Indian Restaurant, in Tampa. Cilantro originally started in Jacksonville as an upscale Indian restaurant to satisfy the American palate, they maintain a clean environment, good service, and awesome food there. A must visit for Indian food lovers.
3. Thinking about Masala dosas filled with potato-onion curry, and a special hot n' spicy powder mixture, nothing comes to my mind other than the Hindu Temple of Florida, temple canteen food. I am a big food junkie, and loveee Indian food. Ofcourse I can make super crispy thin dosas and also the fav uttappams, there are times when I need break from my own cooking, (and unless my husband cooks) we need to eat out. So saturday/sunday calls for a sure Temple visit, for 2 main reasons....you got it.
4. Come a lazy friday night, and you are too lazy to go bowling or movie (one of our most common friday night activities) and no friends to come over to play 28, carroms too... thats when you go to CDB pizza, a local pizza place, kinda a family owned local place near the USF, they have the most filling dinners not too heavily priced. The freshly baked garlic bread starters with soup and salad and the main course, a lasagna or a veggie parmesian, is all that you want to start a happy friday night with, coz they close early, so you can finish dinner soon and come home and relax with a good movie.
5. How can I forget California Pizza Kitchen, where we can order (yes just specially for us) the tropical style tandoori pizza with ripe mangoes and special veggies to match the tandoori chicken taste. Yeah, just substitute the chicken with your fav grilled veggie, topped with just the right amount of Indian style garam masala powder, and zip-zip-zoom, get reminded of Ambrosia(again one of the local favs in my hometown, famous for pizzas).

Annie had mentioned only 5, but there are many more in my favourite list, and many more places on our list to explore,... The Spagetti Warehouse, located in the famous party hangout place of Tampa, Centro Ybor, in the heart of Tampa downtown...Then there's a Middle eastern place yet on the list, Zaeem Palace, where they have live belly dance all night long... Oh just waiting for some special occasion to explore special places...

Now to mention the not so local ones, mainly Indian, coz thats what we explore on our trips.

1. Saravana Bhavan, in Sunnyvale, CA, the heart of Indian software hub, where they have the best Indian restaurant
2. Madras Palace in Gaithesburg, MD, the best way to spend a Sunday morning, with the most variety of dosas and other southy junkies.
3. Madras Saravan Bhavan in Atlanta, GA, go there well in advance, and prepare to wait for a couple of hours, or else you better reserve your place there.
4. Had heard about this place from my friends a couple of times, and really got convinced that it was simply delicious, the Ganesh Bhavan, dosa place in Detroit, (psst book a night flight, from Detroit back to your hometown, and go to the restaurant early enough to have special dosas dinner and pack some for your breakfast the next day; yup thats what we did.
5. Disneyworld, EPCOT world showcase, where there's no need to specifically mention what its famous for, world food... Go there, get into the rides, spend the whole day exploring countries and their exotic food and culture.

Now its time for me to tag Thas along for this fun blog.

Where was ME?

Anybody wondered where the Blogger Girl went all this while.. I am surprised to see that I havent blogged in about 4 months now. Even though I wasnt a very frequent blogger, I used to do occassionally, for my own happiness, whenever I had thoughts to jot down.
So here's what happened in the mean time. We bought a new house, moved in... see there's the excuse, so there was this packing, moving, unpacking, sorting, arranging phase and now we r kinda in the settled phase with more things to add, and to keep on adding to make our abode even more beautiful. Then there was this job of mine, designing roads, and solving the traffic problems in Florida.... seems like I need to be there to solve issues.... which constantly keeps me busy and drains all the enthu and energy out of me.
Now, here I come back with all the passion and zest once again...