Sharma Family Journal

A few observations from a visiting NRI:

• Indian TV: There is a lot of content that’s interesting, which I miss in the US. But on the negative side:

  Repetition: many many channels just sound like 24×7 headline news channels. They pick up on one or two “larger than life” stories (eg: Sanjay Dutt’s verdict) and keep repeating the thing over and over again. Even panel discussions (MBA salaries) get repeated.

• Vulgarity: No, its not just the Kingfisher ads in airports or not just about general skin show, but everything from religion in politics (the winning party goes to a temple and claims the triumph of good over evil) to how people flaunt their money, muscle or whatever it is they have to show.
• Inefficiency: While there are things which are extremely cheap and efficient, in general the level of inefficiency in everything (primarily a result of overpopulation and the resulting competition) is apalling. Nowhere does it hurt as badly as the traffic and road conditions. And the showers that don’t work, 220V outlets that give you mild shocks and the amount of time people spend protecting their valuable real estate from squatters (instead of building sidewalks).
• God: This is the other side of the coin - you have channel V on one side repeating the hip thrusting remix item number and next to that is Astha and several other religiously oriented channels. It’s amazing how much time and energy is spent on spirituality in every walk of life.

Everytime I visit Bangalore, one of the pleasures I make sure I don’t miss is visiting a local barber. For someone who’s been getting hair cuts from a barber in the US for many years now, the difference in skills is apparent the moment I slip into the chair. I can only hear the snips, but not feel them. And how much does it cost? 0.80 USD.

Due to the increased awareness of HIV, they seem to be more conscious about using an antiseptic solution and a brand new blade to trim the edges.

Another thing they’re good at is the upper body massage (mostly focussed on the head and neck). No, you don’t have to take your shirt off. A key ingredient is a special oil called “Navaratna”. It’s red in color and makes your skin tingle. They use all the usual massage techniques - the most interesting (and scary to some!) technique is the neck twist until it literally “clicks”. He would be giving you a massage and waits until you’re relaxed enough to attempt the click. You know it’s coming, but he somehow gets the timing right i.e. he does it when you’re expecting it the least. And all of this will set you back by a grand total of $1.60

So don’t miss it the next time you’re in Bangalore or the vicinity. These places usually have a funny name such as “S.V. Gents Beauty Parlor”.

I realized that my mom hasn’t been updating my blog since quite some time. You know I was going through terrible twos….. I heard it affects parents a lot. My poor mom and dad…they really suffered. When they are at home I control them completely. Life is all about me..me..and me…feeding me, bathing me, playing with me,reading me stories, taking me to park, putting me to bed..etc. My mom says when she is at work she is much more relaxed.

Now I can communicate better. My mom encourages me to talk than screaming and kicking. She says I am a big boy and I am 3 years old. But I occasionally lose control, usually it is when I have to share or wait for turn.

Not many people know the origin of the term “gentoo” or how it is related to India. I was messing around with a linux distro called Gentoo Linux and bumped into a description on wikipedia.

There are many descriptions of the word on the internet (such as the term used by the portuguese to describe Telugu speaking people). But this one coming from what looks like a Hindu nationalist website, looks interesting:

An Arab geographical term “Hindu” was mutated by the British into a fictional religious category “Gentoo”. The tribals — the Kols, the Bhils, the Hos, the Nagas, the Mizos — had all disappeared. The Sikhs, the Buddhists, the Jains, the Zorastrians had all disappeared. The British had fought against and displaced the Muslim rulers — so they recognized the Muslim category — the rest of Indian diversity was lumped into one unreliable category of “Gentoo”, and a fiction of a “Code of Gentoo laws” was created in a land in which religion arose from Dharma, not texts and written laws.

Although the name Gentoo Linux comes from the penguins , its connection to India is fascinating. I suspect many Indians wouldn’t be flattered by the above description.

Hmm, the above wikipedia page blames the French for the derogatory term first used to describe Egyptians.

While Mocking MIT’s $100 laptop project, Bill Gates said

Hardware is a small part of the cost” of providing computing capabilities, he said, adding that the big costs come from network connectivity, applications and support.

Someone at MS seems to be feeding him misinformation about BRIC. Here are some stats from India:

Whether the commodity OS is a Linux/BSD or pirated Windows depends on the seller and the buyer.

I always thought Times of India was a respected newspaper. But having been a regular reader of the website for a while now, I think there are some monkeys who’re running the site.

Take for example the 3 pop ups that hit you as soon as you visit the site or reports such as this headline that immediately accept the hypothesis that the guy who was shot dead was a terrorist (although the body adds the “suspected” adjective later).

And then there is the semi-porno stuff that is usually accessible by clicking on the front page.

When men visit temples in kerala, they’re required to take shirts off and wear a mundu. So I was surprised to see that most men in Veega Land (a themepark in Kerala) were in the pool with a T-shirt on.

It’s also fun to see women in saris and churidaars walking around in pools and getting wet.

The supreme court of India says so

Cheaper Windows for the Rs 10000 PC. The cost of windows is projected to be 10% and “piracy” rates at 73%.

Like I guessed, it turned out to be fake. Here is what the real Tarrannum looks like.

The pictures show an actress called Tamanna Bhatia.