[mobilePic] First Coffee of 2011 at INRIA :-)

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[mobilePic] The Scene from my NYE Dinner :-)

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Song of the Day: A Nice re-use of a folk tune.

Thanks to the free Zing [Zee Music] channel in my French internet box, I saw this song yesterday while preparing dinner:



I especially loved the lyrics, and recommend that you watch it again to pay attention to them. Very jovial. :)

The melody, especially the hook, however, reminded me of a punjabi song I heard a long time ago, whose video had Madhuri Dixit in it. Does anyone here know which song I am talking about?

Update: Found this trailer. Movie looks interesting.

[mobilePic] Wii sensor bar not working, so we are using candles instead :-) #cheapHack #wiiParty

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[mobilePic] Seen in a vending machine at Stockholm airport. Recognize the product on the left?

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[mobilePic] The view from my guest office at Uppsala univ., Sweden

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[mobilePic] Wonder what the recipe for that is. :). Does it involve JLo and curry?

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It's been Another Year

It was two years ago [26/11/08] that the Mumbai Terror Attacks happened. A lot has been done since then, and a lot more still needs to be done. To prepare for this post, I was reading my own posts from this day in the past years:

• 2008: #Mumbai: Some Thoughts
• 2008: Mumbai Terror: Letters: #1
• 2008: Mumbai Terror: Letters: #2
• 2009: Showing Solidarity with 26/11
  

Now, I too, like a lot of fellow Indians, want to chide the government for the lack of action since then. After all, Kasab, the lone terrorist we caught alive, is still alive (though sentenced to death, but appeals are still possible), and those we believe actually planned this attack are still free in their havens in Pakistan.

But then, I find myself stopping short of doing the above, especially when I ask myself "What have I done as a reaction of this event, to prevent future occurrences of this?" [well, in addition to keeping my twitter and blogger profile pic the same for over a year now as a memory of 26/11].

Sadly, I have nothing to say for this. Never Forget, as a commenter recently pointed out on my blog, has sadly been rendered defunct, with no progress for over a year.

That said, I refuse to give up. I still believe in the core idea of NF, that being held accountable for their promises is what will get our dear leaders to actually perform their duties, which will in turn keep us safe. My dear friend B has given some new ideas during her recent visit to Paris, and I intend to put them into action.

Perhaps what scares me is something I wrote in 2008 (and still believe to be true):

Of course, our collective reactions over the next few weeks will determine whether we have learnt our lessons and will start demanding performance from our politicians, or keep up with our usual chalta-hai attitude and deserve another attack.

Yes, I said ‘deserve’. I am mad, at us :-| .

I sure hope that we, the Indian people, wake up before we get what's coming for us.

[mobilePic] Yup. It's Snowing at work :).

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[mobilePic] Thanksgiving Special in cafetaria today: Tandoori Turkey, beans and pasta.

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[mobilePic] This is the sight I saw at the end of my 12km hike today. #parisToParcDeSceaux

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[mobilePic] Guess what they had in the work cafetaria at lunch: fresh Beaujolais wine!

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[mobilePic] At a Diwali function near Paris

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[mobilePic] At a Diwali function near Paris

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[mobilePic] Rabindra Sangeet in Paris #durgaPooja

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[mobilePic] Mexican food in Paris! Chipotle style :-)

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[57 so far!] Itemizing Bollywood Songs

[Update Oct 14, 2010: 50+ songs now!:] Thanks for the wonderful response folks! Now there are 57 songs in the playlist. Click the link below to open it in a new tab and see the songs. As always, suggestions most welcome :).

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=CA07C99ED4161BC3.

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[Context: This post is driven by my quest for peppy bollywood playlists to play in the background while I think algorithms and debug code at work]

So, Dabangg (IMDB, IndiaFM, Trailer) is out, and is a bit hit. People I know, however, have had different reactions -- M hated it, A loved it, and most importantly, my mom (and dad) loved it! [wonder what VG of JH thinks :)]

Here's the trailer, for those who are as yet untouched by this movie's PR.



Anyways, mom was talking about how Malaika Arora was awesome in the "Munni" song (first in the playlist below), which got me thinking that although she was good, there have been better item songs in Bollywood. Keeping the sexual innuendo of the dance aside for the moment, I wanted to catalog the best song+dance sequences in terms of their peppiness, and the dancing skills of the performers. So, I asked some friends for help, and the result is the playlist below.

And now, my request for help. Please let me know which songs you would like added to the list.

The Rules:

1. At least one of the main dancer should have a guest appearance, so all songs of the type of "Tu cheez badi hai mast mast" and "Banke tera jogi" are out (I know, quite a shame. Will do a series about that later).
2. Please post the song title, movie name, and most importantly, a youtube link (better if HD) in the comments.
3. Needless to say, the song should be from a Bollywood movie :).

The playlist is embedded below for your listening pleasure. If you cannot see it, or want to see the whole list in one shot, please click this direct link to the playlist (opens in new tab).

So, what do you think? Any suggestions?

A Sunny Day in Paris

My wonderful friend B is visiting this weekend, and she took the time to help me choose (well, basically choose for me) some new clothes. Another reason buying new clothes became a bit more important that day was because a can of white paint toppled from a construction site and landed right behind where we were walking, causing some minor, but clearly visible, rear splattering!

We also took some goofy pictures in that wonderful weather, which I am posting here for your viewing pleasure. They also serve as before and after pictures for my makeover :).



P.S. Another acquisition that day was my new (s)watch. :)

Resignation Letter Poem Template

Note: This is not for me. I love my job (and have recently been all-but-confirmed for a lifelong position at INRIA), but thought this might be useful for some of you :).

A close friend of mine is in the process of writing a resignation letter, and my comment on the letter included a suggestion that the following poem/verse be included. My friend had the wisdom (or not) of not including it, but maybe you, dear reader, will find the words useful for your next resignation letter :).

Here goes.

For this reason, and no
ulterior motives, I am deciding to
cut all ties with [Company Name Here]. I hope the company soars like a
kite. I will
yearn for
our relationship to be remembered fondly by both of
us.

So, what say?
-A
P.S. For those who did not quite get the context, see this gem by the Governator.

To Sisters, with Love

Today is Rakhi (or Raksha Bandhan), the Indian festival when sisters tie a bracelet (can range from a simple thread to a three-storey sponge morey bhaiya rakhi :P) on the wrists of their brothers, and get lifelong protection (and gifts) in return.

Now my elder brother and I are the only two kids my parents had, by thanks to all our cousins, we never had a dearth of sisters, and indeed, I am proud of the fact that we cousins are like siblings.

So, this day, dear sisters, have a great time, and know that I have some Parisian chocolates here for you -- come and get them :).

Love,
-A
P.S. Obligatory Rakhi song :-).