Mamma Mia

National geographic magazine subscription

2010-01-18T21:16:00.000-08:00

This is a huge deal for national geographic channel/magazine lovers. 12 magazines every month for this whole year for only $15. I ordered mine through mail last month, still waiting for the first issue. I am actually checking my mail everyday for the magazine, but read somewhere that the first issue takes around 4 to 6 weeks to arrive. So just have to wait :)

Here's the link to order online.

click here

Meanwhile, enjoy this incredible video which shows that it is not always about surviving!!!

UPDATE: Finally received March's edition on Water. Took a while since they got my address wrong

The present tense existence

2009-11-23T10:34:00.000-08:00

On my way back to California after a work trip, I was reading an article in the National geographic magazine, Dec 09 edition, about a very unique tribal group in Tanzania called Hadza. According to the author, these tribes are hunter gatherers; they do not keep livestock, no agriculture, no possessions, no rituals, no ceremonies (weddings, birthdays, religious and funerals), no leader, no warfare, no emotions and no worry! They do not keep track of days and sometimes months.

I perceive them to be self satisfied with their lives. They do not know the outside world; they may have seen some other tribes and would exchange honey etc for some ornaments. Asked if they ever wanted to change their way of living, they know what’s out there, they may become maids or lead an under privileged life. They are happy here, in the forest, with all the freedom.

The best part was in spite of being hunters, they are not supposed to show off their kill, because everybody knows that it is a matter of luck sometimes, that you can hunt or not. I believe that culture does guide one’s behavior and attitude towards life. In Masai culture, even an infant is not supposed to cry. Nobody is allowed to cry.

All the while I was reading, I wonder how these people survive, what is their motivation? May be they are living primitive life and they do not know how could it be different. But we do! They live the present tense existence as the author called it. They live, they die and they move on.

It is sometimes hard and not practical to live at the present. There needs to be a plan to meet our needs in future. A rough plan not a detailed one I have to warn, if it is detailed, we will be caught in a vicious circle that will go on until our last breath. At the same time, we have to relax and get things done every day as steady as possible. No hurry, no panic! We may not have a lot of leisure time like the Hadza's, but we also do not have the risk of dying to gather everyday’s food.

Hadza's are not sentimental, they are neither happy when they make a good hunt nor sad when somebody close to them die. Ignorance is bliss! There is really no need for being emotional. We create a bond with the people we know, we know happiness and hence we know the sadness in departure!

All said above, Hadza's did teach me a lot today! Hopefully I will remember tomorrow!

Trader Joe's frozen meals

2009-11-15T10:44:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for easy, quick, almost healthy, inexpensive and ready to eat lunch ideas, this is it! Trader Joe's have good collection of frozen lunch meals. Some of my favorite items include

butter chicken (small portion of basmati rice and chicken),
channa masala,
chicken tikka masala,
spinach lasagna
Broccoli & Cheddar Cheese Quiche
etc.,

Very inexpensive and cooking time is less than 15 mins.

http://www.traderjoes.com/static/lists.html

Look for microwave icon..

list of quick meals

http://www.traderjoes.com/attachments/QuickMeal.pdf

Easy tip to drink more water

2009-11-04T14:13:00.000-08:00

Water not only helps in maintaing good health, but, it is a great beauty secret. Usually we drink water from a bottle either taking a sip/gulp or two. Instead of that, keep a plastic/foam cup handy and drink a whole cup of water everytime you are thirsty. I know this sounds very simple and obvious but I bet it will improve your intake of water.

General Motos Company new 2010 cars

2009-08-12T13:27:00.001-07:00

Couple of my friends asked me about new GM's (General Motors Company) cars and trucks launching in 2010. Below is a nice link highlighting the new products launching right now and throughout the remainder of the year.

http://www.gmnext.com/docs/WhatsNewIn2009_080309a.pdf

Personal Note: I saw this amazing car in my apartment one night and didn't know what car it was. The body design is super stylish and with sizzling paint, it looked incredible. I soon realized it is the new 2010 Camaro and the engine was so smooth. Wow! I didn't believe the new Camaro has got the head turning looks until I saw it. So check it out!!

My cousin vinny movie review

2009-08-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

One of the funniest movies I have ever watched is "My Cousin Vinny". When you watch the movie you will know that a movie need not be a slapstick to be funny. Every actor/actress acted so well that you can't stop smiling while watching the movie. The gist of the movie is two New Yorkers trying to save two yoots (haha!) who are charged for murder in Alabama. The movie is not like a parody of serious court room drama, but is intelligent, interesting and funny.

The leading actress Marisa Tomei has this lovely New York Italian accent and wardrobe with big hair, short dresses and high heels. The southern accent of the Judge with his lazy and serious face and fingers on his cheek while he is listening is very funny.

Every quote is my favorite in this movie, but here are some of them:

Lisa: "My biological clock is ticking"
Lisa: "Now I aks ya, would you give a f*** what kind of pants the SOB who shot you was wearing?
It is so funny how Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei keep saying aks for ask.

Vincent Gambini: "What about this pants i got on, you think they are okay, Oi?"

Judge: Uh, the two hhwhat?

Attorney: Idddentical!

The old lady: "Fry em"

I am not a movie buff but I certainly want to give this movie a 10/10.

Okavango delta

2009-07-18T15:04:00.000-07:00

Most part of the Botswana lies in the Kalahari desert. But, it is home to an amazing variety of wildlife. In such an inhospitable environment, flows "the river which never finds the sea", the Okavango river. The water comes from Angola where it receives rainfall every year and overflows into the Okavango delta travelling 1250 km nourishing the flat delta region. The Okavango river has no outlet to sea and flows into the Kalahari desert making the Okavango delta, the world's largest inland delta.

When the river overflows in winter, it attracts thousands of birds and animals at one place. The incredible thing is that the wild life travels miles with their offspring providing us the greatest predator action.

Enjoy this cool video:

Some fun signs

2009-07-06T14:20:00.000-07:00

"We irrigate with recycled water" (At a Golf course)

"We proudly state that this rest area is maintained by the people of ---- area with developmental disabilities" (not sure if I read it properly)

"Don't even THINK of parking here"

"Next gas 90miles"

"Sorry"

"Pets and glass not allowed on beach"

What we don't know about ourselves

2009-05-30T12:05:00.000-07:00

Our civilization has gone so far that we forgot what we are. We, humans, are just like any other animal. We are driven by instincts. These instincts favor survival. The instinct of survival helps us in the most unprepared circumstances.

The feeling of self importance guides us to the path of survival. This theory sounds reasonable to me, because, unless we feel we are important, we cannot fulfill our needs. But this feeling is so immensely absorbed and built in our system that we do not know.

When the number of alike living things increases immensely, survival becomes difficult. The instincts make us not accept people readily just like animals do. A stranger is always under suspicion of danger. The danger need not be life threatening. We cannot trust because of our instincts. And that is the reason why we keep fighting with each other.

In spite of this crude truth, we are gifted with the ability to learn. We understand and we grow, and, that's how we become civilized. The feeling of kindness and compassion towards each other to coexist on this beautiful earth is something we have achieved as humans unlike any other living thing.

Sometimes, the same instincts which are key to our existence can leave bitterness. The agony we created on this earth are in the form of wars, crimes, hatred and many more. Our aim should be to pacify the bad side and to utilize our good side of the instincts. This cannot be achieved in a day, its an everyday process, the more we do the easier it gets. We need to let live!

As I mentioned earlier, we are gifted with our learning process. There is something about it that we do not realize. Our learning process is largely based on motivation. Our motivation in most of the circumstances is reward. We do things that reward us. The reward can be of any kind, it can be appreciation from people, or that fulfill our needs etc.,. When there is no motivation or reward, we become depressed. The happier we are, the easier life is. If we can understand this simple process, we can make everyday a beautiful day!!!

Easy and tasty chicken 65 recipe

2009-05-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

There are so many Indian style chicken recipes, but there is one recipe that can beat all of them (may be!) in terms of juiciness, tenderness and ofcourse, taste. The recipe makes one of the famous dishes, Chicken 65. It is mostly served as an appetizer or as a side dish with drinks. This is my version of Chicken 65 recipe.

What you need:
Boneless Chicken breasts- 1 lb- cut into 1 inch pieces
1 egg white
Ginger garlic paste - 1tsp
Corn flour- 1 tsp
All purpose flour- 1 tsp (optional)
yogurt- 1tsp
garam masala- 1tsp
chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt
ajinomoto or tasting salt- optional but good- 1/2 tsp, tasting salt is really salty, so adjust regular salt accordingly, available in Indian grocery store.

Chillies- 3 or 4 (cut into vertical halves)
Curry leaves - adds great flavor
Cashews- optional

Mix chicken with egg white, ginger garlic paste, corn flour, all purpose flour, yogurt, garam masala, salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder, tasting salt and leave it for 30 mins (if the chicken is frozen, you need to marinate for longer time). Then, in a pan, add some oil (may be 3 to 5 big tsp), fry the chillies, cashews and curry leaves, add the chicken mixture, and stir fry on medium heat until chicken is cooked (cooks fast). Add cilantro for garnish.

Very quick with less pre-cook preparation time. This is a great Chicken 65 recipe if you are looking for something that is easy to make and the best if you are craving for tasty chicken and can't wait for it!!

Revisit the past

2009-05-13T13:32:00.001-07:00

Why do we keep doing things? I mean, all the non essential things for living. Like, travel, sports, friends, shop, etc etc., and we do it every day. Time to time, we do big things like reunions, weddings, parties etc.,. I think by doing these stuff, we are trying to achieve two things.

The first one, to avoid the thought of why we are living and what are we doing in this world, in short, we are keeping ourselves busy.

The second, indirectly we are creating a record or memories. Memories are good, and that's why we live: to create memories. If we forget the past, there is no point. I agree, sometimes past is painful, but it is the past, which is already over and is long gone. We need to forgive ourselves and forgive others. The more easy we are, the better we feel. Past should help in giving us more clarity. It should give us strength and happiness.

Especially, for those living far from their home countries, I guess these blues may have occurred at least once. So, revisit the past. Dust the personal journals out, or talk to old buddies.

Well said, Man is not made to understand life, but to live it.

I hope you had fun reading this!

Train trips in USA

2009-05-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

The total land area of contiguous United States is around 1.9 billion acres. And when there is absolutely fantastic road system, it is agreeable why railway system is comparatively weak. But, there are few train routes which have to be taken atleast once in a lifetime. I always wanted to go on one. And I finally took a trip last year from Chicago to Los Angeles by the Southwest Chief.

The Southwest Chief runs between Chicago and Los Angeles daily. The travel time is around 45 hrs. Yeah, it is a long journey, around 2000 miles. But, there are only few long distance trips worldwide at such affordable prices. If you buy sleeper class, food is included in the price. The food is of good quality and we were actually tired of eating so much, and had to skip a dinner. The bed is really comfortable and the cabin attendant makes sure that we have sufficient blankets, pillows and fresh towels. I wasn't expecting any kind of service and was pleasantly surprised by the service we received. The bartender comes in few hours before dinner and lunch and schedules our prefered time for food. The only downside I can think of is, each cabin can accomadate two people, and it is quite small when we sit, but the space is more than sufficient when we sleep. Apart from the comforts, the chief crosses eight states along the old Sante Fe trail. Below is the map of the route.

The rocking of the rails and ample time to relax, we crossed great plains of the midwest, colorado rockies and swimming through Chihuahuan desert, we reached Albuquerque. By the time we woke up in the morning, we were in California.
The amtrak station at Albuquerque is quite a big one and there are native americans selling various kinds of jewellery. Long trips are fun, we can meet lot of people and talk about all random things. And especially at dinner, it is nice to have a little chat with the co-travellers.

We initially took Pacific Surfliner from LA to San Diego and that inspired us to go on a long trip. The Surfliner is so scenic that after Irvine, the tracks are right next to the beach, in some places, right next to the ocean. I should say this is one of the top things to do in Southern California.

PUMA Vehicle

2009-04-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

One of the pleasant and fun trips I went on was in Chicago. It is a 3 hr Segway tour in Chicago downtown. It takes a little while to get comfortable with the segway. We just have to lean forward to make it move forward and lean back with the handle to slow down or stop. I almost fell when going on a downward slope inspite of our guide warning us. But after that, it was lot of fun, we did so many twists and turns, up and downs etc etc.,. I always wondered why this technology is not well used, but when I heard of PUMA (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessebility), I thought, well, you will see.

For the segway lovers, GM and Segway are developing an electrically powered, two seat prototype vehicle similar to the segway with only two wheels. It solves all the problems that urban traffic has imposed since years: Quick, safe, quite, clean and at a lower cost. I think this is really cool and innovative. This was introduced in the recent 2009 New York International Auto Show. Below is a picture and a video from GM website.

Organize home

2009-04-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

We spend half of our life time at home. Clean home, nice food, comfortable bed.... But the challenge is to maintain it clean and organized. This is a tough job and moreover, keeping it exciting is way too far to think about. I have few tips to share.

A small riddle: It is soft, comfy, almost a bed, almost a dining table and makes tv lot more fun. Yes, lovely couch! Most of us who live with roomates generally buy second sale couches. One way to make it look like new is to use slip covers. A slip cover is a large piece of material stiched for sofa. They come in different materials like cotton, sateen, denim etc.,. I know kohl's, jcpenney has them or buy it online.

For small mechanical tweaks at home, a basic mechanics tool set will be lot more handy than we think. The one we have at home is Team Mechanix 122 pc mechanics tool set which is just 20$, from Walmart.

Double sided tape: Always useful! Instead of leaving the spike lying next to tv or bed, just stick it on to the wall with the tape and it is easy to remove.

For low budget home decoration, there are lot of stores like Utopia (everything under $10, in Southern California though) or cost plus. For organizing kitchen, I would say walmart is the best.

What makes us hungry

2009-04-02T22:08:00.000-07:00

I am pretty sure you will agree with me if I say that food makes us happy. But, what is happiness? A neurotransmitter called dopamine is released by naturally rewarding experiences such as food, neutral stimuli that become associated with them. Dopamine is commonly associated with the pleasure system of the brain, providing feelings of enjoyment and reinforcement to motivate a person proactively to perform certain activities (wikipedia). So, whenever we have food, our brain releases dopamine which gives us happiness. We keep training our brain to release dopamine whenever we have food and guess what happens if we don't eat food for a day, we feel depressed.

It happened to me a lot of times and you may have experienced the same. "I get headache when I am hungry". Hhhmm, that's wierd. I should have stomach ache or something. So my point is, when we think we are hungry, it does not actually mean our body needs food. So next time when there is breakfast,lunch, munch, coffees, snacks, dinner, late night shakes etc., etc., waiting for us,remember we are trianing our brain to ask for more. My intention is not to stop everyone eating but to understand how our system works and don't you think it is funny!

GM's total confidence plan

2009-04-02T00:09:00.000-07:00

I just moved to a new city and let me tell you, moving is NOT fun. But, things can be lot different if you have friends. You know what I mean!

And especially in this difficult times, everything seems to be lot more expensive than it was before, like buying a car. I came across this interesting article from GM. It is the new GM confidence plan and these are the highlights.

Protects your Investment: 'Vehicle Value Protection' with up to $5,000 trade in assistance to protect customers halfway through their finance contract against uncertainty in the future used car market, providing peace-of-mind for customers. This is an unique feature offered only by GM.

Protects your Paycheck: 'Automatic Payment Protection' provides up to nine months of payments if you lose your job due to economic reasons (up to $500 per month), helping you get back on your feet.

Protects your Vehicle: GM's 5 year/100,000 mile limited powertrain warranty with roadside assistance and courtesy transportation.

Protects your Family: One Year free OnStar 'Safety and Security' Package. With advanced crash notification, OnStar is cutting-edge technology that protects every time you travel.

And in addition to all these benefits, GM is also offering 0% financing for 60 months on most models for qualified buyers. Current incentives can be found by clicking here

Benefits like these always give us comfort and assistance during hardships and keeps our investment safe specially when warranty and insurance etc., are expensive.

We are young only once

2009-03-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

I take this moment to realize and never forget that we are young only once. This is the age where we look best and do best.

The problem comes when we crave for what we don't have? Why do we crave btw? The answer is simple, we forget what we have. Well said, No man knows he is young while he is young- G.K.Chesterton. So, lets keep refreshing our memory every now and then.

One advice that is put so well in words and beautifully sang is Wear Sunscreen by Baz Luhrmann. "Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded".

So good luck with that!

One and one quarter year with Mini Cooper S

2009-03-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been 1 yr 4 months already since I bought my Mini Cooper S. When I was looking for a car to buy, the ones that I had in my mind were Saturn sky, Pontiac G6 convertible or VW Jetta. I test drove Pontiac G6 convertible, I was impressed and I loved it. A new car was always my choice but may be within $24k. But then one day, a random search led me to Mini cooper. It is within my price range, got absolutely fantastic looks, engine power and is unique.

I want to consolidate a long time review about the mini. Can I say long time? may be, it is more than a year and it is a first hand experience. To start with, my Mini Cooper S is a 2007 model, sparkling silver metallic paint and premium package (multi-function steering wheel, sports leather steering wheel, moon roof, automatic A/C) with fuel economy of 26/33 mph.

Turbo charged, direct injected 1.6 liter, 16-valve inline 4-cylinder engine (172hp)

MacPherson front suspension,

electronic throttle, automatic transmission with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters (this made the semi automatic transmission so easy to play with),

sport button with increased throttle and power steering (sport button significantly increases the pick up and power- I am totally astonished by this capability)

Anti lock braking system (ABS), Corner Brake Control (CBC), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)- the brakes are awesome, you can come to a halt while driving in 70mph in a flash without making the passengers lean forward (unless you hit the brakes insanely)

Run flat tires- mini uses them because it cannot provide space for a spare tire, the positive side is, it can run on flat tires up to 100 miles at reduced speed, but, they are costly to replace

centered twin pipe exhaust (Had to take it to dealer after mini recalled to reduce the length of exhuast pipe by an inch or so

remote keyless entry- I never have to take my keys out of my bag, it is very convenient, enter, start and lock the car without key

all season traction control, check control vehicle monitor system, convenience package (auto diminishing rearview mirror, rain sensor and bluetooth), birds eye vents for A/C. I have black bonnet stripes with white edges, checkered flag dashboard and mini cooper S emblem.

The only time I had to take it to the dealer was when there was an engine indicator lamp. The dealer said it was repeating during cold start and was fixed.

I will soon update with some pictures and more info.

Flat Abs

2009-03-22T22:58:00.000-07:00

Yeah I know, have a good laugh. But don't you wish for it? It is hard to lose belly fat. I recommend you to search for all the health problems that can be caused by the belly fat.

I found something that really works and want to share with you. Chinese exercise hula hoop!

It works absolutely great. Just take your time if you have never done hula hoop before and little effort will help you a lot. Do it just for 10 mins everyday and watch TV meanwhile. Guys can do it secretly when no one is around (just kidding..)

You can buy it from amazon or any Chinese medical centers, if you have any in your city. It comes in different weights and choose it according to your body weight. Click here to buy it on amazon.

I hope this is helpful. Be fit and Have fun!

Review of the movie Seven Samurai

2009-03-22T03:46:00.000-07:00

I recently watched a movie called Seven Samurai, a 1950's japanese movie with english subtitles. The story is about a small village trying to fight local bandits with the help of seven samurai. The villagers come to know that the bandits are planning to rob the town once they get the crop the year later. Three villagers set their journey to a town to find samurai to help them defend their village.

Some things are really interesting in the village like, when the whole village, men, women and children, gather at the center of the tiny village and start crying with their heads down and body crumpled when they find out that the bandits are going to steal everything they have, very soon. And also, when they don't have the money to hire samurai, they go on, to find a hungry and strong samurai with a bag of rice to offer him. Even though they are hungry, they cannot eat the rice. They face a lot of humiliation in their quest to find the samurai when the villagers have nothing to offer except a bowl of rice.

And finally when they find the samurai, some of the local villagers are worried that their daughters may fall in love with the samurai. It is surprising that they are worried about the pain caused by a small prick when their head is under the axe.

Later, it is revealed , that the villagers once killed many samurai who came to their village and now the same samurai are sacrificing their lives to help these villagers. And there comes the difference when the wise men forgive the ignorant and help them. Through out the movie the seven samurai always remain cheerful and in good spirits and support the village.

Some of my favorite quotes in the movie

"Haven't you seen anyone cut wood before?
Not with such enthusiasm,
Thats my nature! "

"I've got nothing out of fighting
I'm alone in the world"

"If you treat him as an adult, he'll grow into an adult"

"The one that gets away always looks good"

I felt like the director took his time in showing every detail which makes the movie so interesting and touching. Finally, the movie remains on my top list with extraordinary ratings.

Here is a clip from the movie and remember it is 1950's movie.

FICA taxes during OPT

2009-03-22T03:12:00.000-07:00

This is good news! I am not sure how many F1 students file refund for FICA taxes during OPT, but it is interesting to know that, social security and medicare taxes should not be withheld unless the student is considered a resident alien. But are we considered prospective resident alien? the answer is No. Unless your stay of period is not more than 5 yrs, you are still a nonresident alien. And did you forget to file for the FICA taxes for the past years, no worries, just file a seperate form for each year and you will get your refund. Isnt it great?

And btw, why can't employers include the exemption in our pay checks? The answer is, it is always easy for them to give a pay check equivalent to all other employees and there is a clearly laid out procedure for us to claim the refund.

Here are some of the websites that has all the info abt how to file for the refund. The most important thing we have to do before filing the FICA taxes with IRS is, to ask the employer to give the refund. But if the employer cannot refund, we have to obtain a letter from them stating that they are unable to refund X amount of FICA taxes.

http://taxipay.blogspot.com/2008/03/non-resident-exempt-individual-social.html

http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/international/article/0,,id=129427,00.html

I heard from some of my friends that employers don't like to give these kind of statements, but it is a matter of making them understand the exemption F1 students have in paying these taxes. You can always show them the IRS link and try your luck. If the employer is still not convinced, you can say in the application that you are unable to get the letter from your employer and include reasons why.

The application has to be filed seperately from tax returns and you can find where to send the application below

http://www.irs.gov/file/content/0,,id=105693,00.html

Most of us tend to file taxes online as a resident by using form 1040 but that makes you not eligble to claim for FICA taxes since IRS treats you as a resident alien. Please click comments for more information.

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I filed for FICA taxes refund for my opt period from Oct 2007 to Sept 2008. I used seperate forms for each year but posted together with the letter from employer and refund amount calculated (used my pay checks to show the total). This is the timeline of the process.

March 22, 2008: Mailed to the nearest IRS service center which is Fresno, CA.

April 15: Called IRS to confirm that they received the application and to update my address

April 24: got a letter that they haven't completed all the research necessary for a complete response

May 22: got another letter saying that they are forwarding my application to IRS Philadelphia

June 20: got a package with a copy of my application (stamped Received) and contact info if i have any questions. (pleasantly surprised of how they have been in touch with me all through the process)

July 06: Confirmed my 2007 claim is processed and denied 2008 claim. This is expected because I have filed Form 1040 for 2008 (did this intentionally). Also they have sent my 2008 information back and suggested I can file amended 1040r and refile. A contact person info if I have any questions.

Aug 11: Called IRS Philadelphia to find out the estimate time to receive the refund. I was told it takes 46 weeks to get the refund. Unbelievable!!! I have couple of questions still need to find answers for:
1. Is the 46 weeks the maximum time and doesn't mean it takes that long?
2. How soon others got their refunds?

Aug 31: Got the check from the US dept of Treasury!!!!! Awesome!

P.S: I highly appreciate any comments or if you have got the refund or got rejected or any kind of input.

2009-03-21T15:44:00.000-07:00

Hey ppl, this blog has all kinds of random stuff we see everyday. Here we go...!