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Life at Ithaca College's LA Center
Monday, January 31, 2011
The following is part one of a two part installment truly explaining how awesome it is to spend a semester in Los Angeles. (Ok, the other posts have definitely done this, but these upcoming stories are totally epic).
I have a couple of quick housekeeping things before we continue with the storytelling. Well, it's more of a quick rant, but something must be said.
For 22 days we were jubilant, relaxed and thoroughly enjoying every second of the glorious California sunshine. Then the unthinkable happened. I woke up yesterday morning and looked out my window to see what might have very well been the apocalypse. The sky was grey and little drops of water were falling from the sky. Panicked, I rushed out into the living room to find my roommates having breakfast. "It's raining," they said. And that's when the memories of "real winters" started to come back to me. I had indeed seen this so-called rain before, but it had been on such a hiatus that it seemed as if it was gone for good. Ah, in a perfect world … Anyway, it obviously was a bit surprising to see a wet, overcast day on our four month vacation, but I didn't react as nearly dramatically as I said I did. Come on now. Our home campus is Ithaca. Do you think we could REALLY forget what overcast skies and rain looked like?
Ok, now for the good stuff. A few more quick stories to tell and then you will be all caught up on what was probably the most fun I've ever had in one week. On Friday, a group of us started the day off with a VIP tour of Warner Bros. Studios. IF YOU EVER COME TO LOS ANGELES, SET ASIDE TIME TO TAKE THIS TOUR. It's well worth the forty-something dollars because the groups are small, the tour guides are very knowledgeable and you just see so many cool things. To quickly recap, on some famous back lot streets, we saw crews setting up sets for tapings of the TV show Chuck and Harry's Law, we saw Jim Carrey's apartment building from The Mask, the balconies used in the famous opening scene from Rent, and an alley that our guide said was used in pretty much every crime drama episode in which a body is found in an alley. This alley is also home to a particularly famous wall from Spiderman. You know the upside down kissing scene in the rain between Toby Maguire and Kirsten Dunst? Well if you don't you've been living under a rock, or simply haven't seen the movie. Either way, we saw that wall. It's just a plain brick façade. Nothing fancy. But hey, that's most movie sets for you ... they're not the way they seem, which segues nicely into our next stop on the tour. We were standing right in the middle of a traffic circle and in front of a façade of a three story building. Back in 1962, this "town square" is where Robert Preston famously paraded around singing "Ya got trouble! Right here in River City!" Decades later, this patch of grass and building façade was completely transformed into the set of Ocean's 13. The façade actually supported the front face of the Bank's Casino and the town square was surrounded by green screens. In the middle of the screens was a large diamond statue, used in one of the film's final scenes in which Matt Damon's character goes on the roof of the casino to help a helicopter fly off with the diamonds. I'm a huge fan of the Ocean's movies, so I was pretty stoked to be there.
Later on in the tour, we stopped at the Warner Bros. museum to see movie history up close and personal. Virtually every famous prop from the Harry Potter films, including the sorting hat that can "actually" sort you into one of Hogwart's four houses, Harry's Nimbus 2000 broomstick, and a huge assortment of robes. There's even a scale model of Aragog, the giant spider from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Downstairs, we saw costumes and the dream machine from Inception, costumes and props from The Matrix and more costumes, odds and ends from countless other films. Super cool. Our next stop was a garage containing a whole bunch of famous movie vehicles, including the original Batmobile from Batman and Batman Returns and the Tumbler from Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. We learned that the Tumbler will soon be returning to Chicago, as filming is set to begin on Christopher Nolan's next Batman masterpiece. We also saw the '65 Lincoln from The Matrix, The General Lee from The Dukes of Hazzard and the Weasley's flying car from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. No big deal.
We finished up the tour actually getting to go inside a few soundstages. The first of which, Stage 7, was a special treat for some of our good friends because they are huge fans of Pretty Little Liars. Our tour guide learned that the show wasn't taping that day, so he was nice enough to take us onto the set of the show. Even for us guys in the group, who don't follow the show closely, it was really cool to be behind the scenes seeing how on one side of a wall there's a school cafeteria, and on the other side, there's a bedroom. Our last stop was on the set of Ellen, which wasn't shooting either … a plus for us! This was really cool because let's be honest, most television fans have at least seen a few clips of the show, even if you're not an avid viewer. The show's popular enough to attract attention from everywhere, so this time, even the guys in the group were pretty wide-eyed. Overall, a one sentence recap: It was absolutely awesome and I want to do it again.
That night my roommate TJ, four of our good friends and I decided to go to Hollywood. And yes, to answer your question ahead of time, we were the cliché tourists who stopped right in the middle of the Walk of Fame to take pictures of stars and who put our hands in celebrities' impressions in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Doing touristy things in Hollywood is a total given and we were more than ready to be "those people". For me, this was completely surreal. I explained in previous posts about how I have never seen LA landmarks in person, so I was taking in every single sight with my own eyes and with my camera. I don't want to get into too much detail about what handprints we touched and how cool the Hollywood and Highland complex is, but one moment stands out. On our way back to the Kodak Theatre after checking out the Roosevelt Hotel, (famous for being the death place of Marilyn Monroe), we came across a very familiar and respected name to Ithacans and specifically Parkies. Rod Serling was a professor at Ithaca College for a number of years, passing onto students his expertise that created "a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind." In Hollywood, we weren't crossing over into the Twlight Zone, but we were entering a state of humility. While it was so insane to see so many celebrities forever enshrined along the flanks of Hollywood Boulevard, we paused at Rod Serling's star to remember a great member of the families of Ithaca College and Hollywood. For me, seeing his star among the hundreds of others showed me that although IC and the Park School are thousands of miles away from Hollywood, there will always be a connection. Rod Serling, along with other professors and alumni over the years, undoubtedly helped pave the road for future students to take advantage of incredible opportunities available to them at Ithaca College and the Park School. The six of us who stood there on the Walk of Fame that night are just a fraction of those students. Now I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty freaking sweet. Thanks, Rod.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
I know for many dedicated TV viewers, Thursday night is the night to stop everything in the midst of three hours of hilarity on NBC. I mean come on, it really is comedy night done right. But, if you maybe, just maybe want to switch it up a bit, might I recommend that you head over to CBS tonight at 8:30 to watch the new episode of $#*! My Dad Says. Why? Well, there's a good chance you might hear some original and very hearty Ithaca laughter coming from the audience. Tonight. CBS. 8:30. Be there … or … err … enjoy NBC.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
So it's been about a week and-a-half since all this happened, but the experiences are too great to pass up the opportunity for some storytelling.
We left off after the hike to the Hollywood sign. And I'll say again, it officially felt like we were here, but there's still so much to explore. Cue Thursday. My roommate TJ and I were bored, so we went for a drive. I know what you're thinking: "who just goes for a joyride in LA?" Well, -usually nobody unless it's one of two occasions: you're either one, being chased by the CHP down a freeway or two, going out in the middle of the day. I mean, seriously, you would be crazy to go out for a drive in the morning or afternoon.
TJ was driving and I was navigating and taking photos. I know it seems unfair that only one of us could pay all attention to the sights, but I promised we would do this again another time this semester and switch roles. Our destination? We didn't know either. We just wanted to explore. We ended up taking the 101 south to Highland Avenue. Yes, THE Highland Avenue. The first thing we learned during our drive: if we ever got lost, just look for Highland. It's the perfect road for our purposes. It intersects all the other major boulevards (Hollywood, Sunset, etc.) and runs right into the 101. Once you're on the 101, all you have to do is get off the Barham exit and voila! You're at the Oakwoods.
Our first big sight of this drive was the Kodak Theatre, home of the Academy Awards. Granted we literally drove past it in a few seconds, but it wasn't one bit difficult to pick out it's famed entrance from among the surrounding buildings. We then hung a right and headed west down Sunset Boulevard. It was just how I pictured it: palms trees, convertibles, restaurants and stores. I know, "that's it?" Just the fact that we were driving down such a famous street was good enough for us.
We eventually found our way to Beverly Hills. And let me start out by saying all the stereotypes appear to be true. The gas is absurdly expensive, the houses are huge and have gates, and a Mercedes-Benz is definitely a nonchalant sight in the midst of Lamborghinis, Bentleys and Aston Martins. Yes, we saw about a dozen of those cars in the matter of an hour. Crazy.
The highlight of the trip was the aimless route we took up and down the hills. We were on the lookout for celebrities and just wanted to admire the kinds of houses we wish to live in one day. Honestly, for us middle class Americans, this was pretty fun. Our last big landmark sight of the trip was Rodeo Drive, in all its ritzy and uncomfortably expensive glory. The stereotypes are true about this road, too (from what I could see from the car at least). I promise, once I get the chance to actually walk around and take some good mental notes, I'll be sure to pass them on.
TJ and I were having a lot of fun, but the setting sun persuaded us to begin our journey back before rush hour. On the way back, TJ spotted Oscar Martinez, who plays Oscar Nunez on The Office, one of his favorite shows and the home of one of his internships this semester. Don't worry, I successfully drew his eyes back to the road ahead.
Later that night, we got our first taste of In-N-Out Burger and Menchie's Frozen Yogurt. Yes, In-N-Out is as good as they say it is. For us first-timers we fell in love. But, we're being smart about this. You can only have a Double Double Animal Style with cheese fries every month or so … but we'll see if we stick to that. Menchie's was also fantastic. There's tons of flavors and toppings to choose from, which are just calling for us to return.
I apologize for being behind, but we seriously have been up to so much! There's still a few more days to recap until we're back up to date, but I'm pushing through, and I appreciate you hanging with me. For all Ithaca College students starting classes tomorrow, ::pause for anxiety attack/fit of anger and/or crying:: good luck. And enjoy the single-digit weather. It's 75 degrees here.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Thanks for waiting. Now, where were we? Right, the sitcom. What impressed me most about the taping was how many changes were made to the script right on the spot. Although we saw a few scenes that were wrapped after only one take, there were a few that were shot three or four times. As an audience member, the laughter wasn't as genuine because we had already heard the punch lines. But here's the beauty of television writing. With all of the show's writers present at the taping, if something didn't work, they would all converse in between scenes and talk about what to fix. William Shatner explained that in changing lines around, the writers either one, used their own discretion or two, used the audience's reaction. If the audience didn't laugh at a new joke as much as they did to an old one, the original would probably be kept in the script. Overall, it was a great experience and something I would love to do again. Also, in addition to the regular cast, we got to see Jean Smart and Tila Tequila. I know, you're probably just as shocked as we were to picture Tila Tequila on the set of a sitcom.
On Wednesday my roommate TJ and I picked up our rental car: a 2010 Hyundai Accent, a small car perfect for navigating this SoCal traffic. Plus, we've found that is has AWESOME mileage. We're out here and on a budget, so we'll definitely take it. After our first driving experience that brought us down Ventura Boulevard and back to the Oakwoods, we walked over to Pendleton to finish up orientation. The RAs worked with Jon to put together "name games" to help us learn about other students attending the program this semester. It brought me back to my public school days, but hey, it was all in good fun.
Later that afternoon, we caravanned down the freeway en route to hike up to the Hollywood sign. Oddly enough, the sign revealed itself in the same fashion as the Warner Bros. water tower. After getting off the freeway, I found myself driving a non discrete residential street and then out of the blue … BAM! The big, bold, white letters were looming right in front of us. I can't tell you how hard it was to keep my eyes on the road and not on the sign. It was quite the sight and another indicator of "we're definitely not in Ithaca anymore."
The hike provided amazing views all the way to the top of the mountain. For the first part of the hike, we trekked the trail along the south face, often pausing for pictures of LA's sprawling cityscape. We could literally see for miles, all the way from downtown, to Century City and even to the Pacific Ocean. As we went higher, the view became even more incredible and just when you thought that was it for the picture taking until we got to the top, we rounded a corner and came face to face with the San Fernando Valley … all of it: Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Bob Hope Airport and all the studios. Being on this mountain that literally divides metropolitan Los Angeles was a really crazy experience. It showed me and many others just how much this city has to offer … actually no. A better way to phrase it: just how many opportunities we have to take advantage of through this program. Television taping and hike to the Hollywood sign? Check. Now on to the next one.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Ok, I'm back and ready to go. Boy, do I have a lot to share. So let's get started.
I left off two posts ago talking about my first day out here, which already feels like ages ago! After checking in to the Oakwoods, my friend and I were in desperate need for some dinner. The fact that we were jet lagged and that I was running on three hours of sleep certainly wasn't helping the situation. After utilizing some handy apps on my iPhone, my friend and I decided to take a walk down the street to a Taco Bell. I know it's not healthy, but it's cheap and filling, aka, a done deal for weary travelers. It turns out that Taco Bell was farther than we expected, so we backtracked to the Smoke House Restaurant, right down the road from the Pendleton Center and across the street from Warner Bros. We had a really nice meal that didn't put a huge dent in our wallets. I didn't know it at the time, but apparently the restaurant has had quite the guest list, with patrons ranging from Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and more recently, George Clooney who even named his business "Smokehouse Productions." First night in LA and I already experienced a little bit of Hollywood history — definitely a win.
Monday was very low key. My roommate Topher took me down to Vaughn's so I could get groceries. The store reminded me of a mini Wegmans, so I felt right at home … until I stepped outside and saw palm trees, not snow. Monday also brought about the arrival of some more friends and our fourth roommate, T.J. Everybody was here and we were ready to get started, but not until we were oriented. Cue Tuesday.
Members of the Pendleton Center staff joined all the students at the Oakwoods Tuesday morning and gave us the low down on everything we needed to know about the semester, including some very valued information: how to navigate Los Angeles.
LA Fun Fact Number Two: the LA metropolitan area is separated into two areas: the City of Los Angeles (downtown, Hollwood, Beverly Hills, etc.) and the San Fernando Valley. The Oakwoods, Pendleton Center and City of Burbank are all located in the valley.
The LA Program Director, Steve Tropiano, even went into detail about freeways, shortcuts and different communities in the metro area. Honestly, having somebody actually explain it helped a lot because I was having no success looking at a map of LA, which surprised me. I'm usually great with directions. I guess it comes naturally having mostly driven on Long Island and in Ithaca, two very different but very challenging areas. But LA is a complete different animal, as I would find out the next day. But before we get to that, it's time for my first "Crazy Awesome Experience That You Can Only Have In Los Angeles".
A TV taping. You have to do it if you're out here. Thanks to Jon, the ICLA Prorgrams and Services Coordinator, we had the great opportunity to go to a taping of $#*! My Dad Says, a new CBS sitcom starring William Shatner. I, along with many others, was really excited for this because one, we would get to go on a lot and inside a sound stage and two, we would get to see some celebrities. We were ushered in through some really tight security (since the show hasn't aired yet, no cell phones or camera are allowed) and took our seats, ready to provide the laugh track. Since most tapings last anywhere from four to five hours, the studio has an emcee, usually a comedian, to get the crowd going and to inform them what's going on with the cast, crew, cameras, etc. We had a cool guy names Randy who paid extra special attention to the Ithaca crew, so we'll send a shout out to him! Over the course of the taping, William Shatner was nice enough to come up to the microphone and talk to the audience about stuff that was going on to help keep us entertained. Believe me, staying entertained and focused was well needed towards the end. I mean don't get me wrong, it was really exciting for 90% of the taping, but after sitting inside for five hours, you reach a point where you need some fresh air and a stretch. However, the cast and Randy did a great job keeping our energy focused on the plot developing on stage.
This post has gone on for quite a while and I still have more to say about the sitcom and of course, the MANY other things we've done this week. So in the interest of keeping YOU focused, I'll end here for now. I know the anticipation to hear all these great stories is building, but hey, patience is a virtue.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
The first post from the James B. Pendleton Center! Woo hoo!
So we're kind of in limbo right now. It was our first busy day of the semester, between orientation this morning at the Oakwoods and finishing up this afternoon here at the Pendleton Center. We learned a lot and got plenty to read and talk about with friends -- trips to Disneyland, Universal Studios Six Flags Magic Mountain, the beach and all the other coolness out here in SoCal.
We're literally walking out the door to head to a taping of $#*! My Dad Says right next store at Warner Bros. Studios, but I just wanted to drop by for a quick hello. More details and stories to come in future posts.
If you're back in the Northeast, stay safe and warm inside and away from the blizzard!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Del Taco, Panda Express, In-N-Out Burger, palm trees, a familiar-looking water tower, movie promotions – yeah, I'm in LA.
Hello from the West Coast! I guess it's official now that I've changed my "current city" on Facebook, right? It's 60 degrees, sunny and an all around great day, which is well needed after a stressful day of traveling yesterday.
I flew out here with a good friend of mine, but happened to see some other familiar faces on our flight, so that was pretty cool. Our trip: JFK to Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. For anybody coming from New York, New Jersey or Connecticut, definitely consider looking into this route provided by JetBlue. It's a direct flight and it brings you within a few miles of the Oakwoods. Plus, JetBlue is low-cost and you don't have to worry about the hustle and bustle of major airports such as LAX. It's just a lot more relaxing. Believe me, future ICLAers, you're going to be really excited and ready to see the sights, but there are nerves that go along with this, so you need to try and make the transition as relaxing as possible. I related coming out here when I first got to IC's campus in August, 2008. I just didn't know what to expect. But, the staff at the Pendleton Center has done a great job in recent weeks sending us e-mails about orientation, internships and a lot of other things to help us prepare for the semester. Also, the orientation packet helped A LOT.
We took the Super Shuttle from the airport straight to the Oakwoods. It was a quintessential LA ride. Hollywood Way is lined with palm trees, houses and a bunch of stores, but at the end is a crowned jewel of sorts. Looming in the distance I could make out the outline of the very famous Warner Bros. water tower. That's when it hit me. Wow, I'm actually here. Growing up on Long Island, in the suburbs of New York City, I frequently got to visit Broadway, Times Square and other landmarks such as the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center and Central Park. I even had the great opportunity to march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade seven times. Needless to say, New York City felt like a second home, so whenever I would see one of these landmarks on TV on in a movie, it wouldn't really phase me. It's a different story for LA. With the entertainment industry having a very obvious foothold out here, I grew up seeing the Hollywood sign, studio lots, Santa Monica Boulevard and tons and tons of the other sights out here. However, all these places were on a screen and I never seen them with my own eyes. So seeing that water tower was a pretty big deal for me.
The Oakwoods are great. The apartments are comfortable, the staff is friendly and the grounds are very well maintained. BUT, even for an Ithaca College student, someone who is well trained in navigating a very confusing and hilly environment, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE HECK I'M GOING! I'm sure I'm in the same boat as everybody else and granted it is only my first full day, so it's only a matter of time until I can find my way from my building to a friend's building without becoming totally lost. That's actually a good stopping point for now. I have a few things to finalize regarding my rental car and interview, but for the next post expect a good story about navigating Burbank … in the dark … on our first day. What a start, huh?
Friday, January 7, 2011
Another great question.
Talk about being alive with activity. That's the Park School. Walk through the lobby during the heart of the day and you're bound to see someone you know. They might be grabbing their coffee, shooting some b-roll, or working at one of the tables. So what do you do? Right. Stop and chat. Constant conversation is only fit for communications students. The usual chatter can all be overheard: classes, parties, more parties, you know the deal. But this past semester, it seemed as if a different, more rousing tone could be felt among a particular group of students. The usual topics were traded in for talks Hollywood, Universal Studios, and the beach, which were usually accompanied by smiles, laughter and the occasional scream of excitement. For those of us heading out to Los Angeles in the spring, needless to say, it's been the talk of the town.
But the time has come for us to stop talking and start doing. With some students having already settled into the Oakwoods, it's time to focus on our internships, classes and final preparations. Plus, we have places to go and people to see. And from what we hear, some of those people may very well be celebrities. But you'll hear about those star sightings as they occur. You'll also hear about everything, well, almost everything we do, which brings us to the role of this blog.
Even before being accepted into the Los Angeles Program, I had questions. Anybody who knows me will wholeheartedly agree that I always ask questions. For the purposes of preparing for the LA Program, that attribute proved me well. But the whole experience encompasses so many opportunities that it's impossible to get every question answered before you arrive. For those of you without answers, hopefully, this blog will change that. For those of you looking for a good story, hopefully this blog will provide that. For those of you reading for the heck of it, well, thanks for reading.
Whoever you are, it's my hope that this blog opens up a new conversation and a new story. I mean, come on. Parkies and La La Land? We're more than capable of writing a novel. So let's do it.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Great Question.
I'm Andrew Buraczenski and I'm a junior integrated marketing communications major with a minor in journalism. I hail to Ithaca (or in this case, Los Angeles) from Long Island, New York. Ahh, Long Island - where the beaches are plentiful, the traffic is intense and the accents are heavy. Bam. Right off the bat LI and LA have two things in common. Of course, the accent always stands out ... especially in my case. Just ask anybody who's seen me order a certain caffeinated beverage from the Park Cart. Apparently, it's pronounced "cah-fee" not "caw-fee". Who knew?
So, with all the generic "about me" information behind us, what else is there to know? Well, as you can probably assume, I'm one of thousands, and thousands ... and thousands ... and thousands of students looking for a job within the next two years. So if you like what you read, don't hesitate to pass my name on to that important person you know through your brother's uncle's friend's second cousin's girlfriend. See, if you really take the time to think about it, we all know somebody in Hollywood. Oh, right. That reminds me why I'm qualified to write this blog. Aside from being a job hunter, I'm one of 67 lucky students who will be attending the Ithaca College Los Angeles Program during the Spring 2011 semester. Now, if you happen to be reading this blog where it's cold, windy, rainy, snowy and all-around miserable for a good part of the spring (yes, look outside Ithacans. I'm talking about you), expect to become jealous over a great number of references to the sun, sand, ocean, palm trees, boardwalks, star sightings, flip flops, sunglasses, bathing suits, shorts and practically anything else found in Southern California or sold at Hollister.
Aside from seeing some incredible new sights, we also have new experiences to face through our internships. This semester, I'm a Social Marketing Intern with Live Nation Entertainment, doing a lot of work with social media, promotions, and graphic design. So, I'm really excited for that. I'm also in the process of interviewing for another internship in Beverly Hills, but more word on that as the story develops.
Speaking of internships, it's time for fun fact number one about the LA Program. Every student is guaranteed an internship. It might not be your top choice, but assuming you apply early and to a decent number of companies, you're bound to get something you like. Also, a lot of students even do two internships, which can be tough to manage in the vast expanse of civilization that is Los Angeles. One of your internships can be on the coast in Santa Monica, while the other can be located in a skyscraper downtown. But hey, it's all about planning. Anything can be done out here as long as you think ahead, but more talk of that in future posts. I'm fortunate enough to have landed one internship and tracked down another that are located just a few blocks away from each other in Beverly Hills. So I guess it's safe to say that even though my fashion sense is a little whack, I'll still be rolling like a celebrity. Oh, that reminds me - expect a lot of music, references, too.


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Tuesday, November 28, 2006
India International Trade Fair
IITF is an annual event that is held at the Pragati Maidan, New Delhi every year between Nov 14 and Nov 27. This is the 5th fifth time I had visited the IITF in nine years. The experience has been going down from bad to worse with each visit. But this is certainly the last time. I swear not to go their again. Despite the heavy ticket price, it was so crowded that one could hardly walk on the streets. Any visit to a state pavilion would be agonizing and one would long to get out of it as soon as possible. God forbids, if some incidents like fire occur, it will be a disaster.
Ticket price on a normal working day is Rs.25/- and on weekends Rs.50/-. And yet at least 30 lakhs people have visited the fair this year. The Friday I went had at least one lakh people inside. I had the misadventure of visiting the fair on a Sunday 2 years back. Later I came to know, there were lakh people inside that day. To discourage people from using their private vehicles, parking charges are as high as Rs.75/-. And yet the whole Delhi seems to head there, as if not visiting this will be a disgrace.
One of the major problems I observed is that of the composition in the crowd. Young boys in the age group of 12-18 years were a nuisance. Most of them were school kids in uniforms. The subsidized ticket price for them at Rs.15/- ensured that they come in large numbers. Often in small groups holding their hands together in the fear of getting lost in the crowd, they would crowd out the stalls. They neither buy anything nor allow others to buy. This helps neither the sellers nor the buyers. The IITF authorities should discourage this practice of subsidized tickets for kids in school uniforms or keep a different slot for them. May be a special day for school children can be thought of.
Labels: Delhi
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Friday, November 24, 2006
Learning Photography in Delhi
After scouting the market, I found out several institutes, but all of them have full time courses. My full time government job is my bread earner and I can afford to indulge in a costly hobby like photography because of the job. This meant that a full time course is out of question. Moreover, the cheapest I found was offered by Delhi Film Institute at a price of Rs.27,500/-. The three month course by Asian Academy of Film and Television (AAFT) costs a whopping Rs.45,000/-. That's a lot of money, specially when you are learning something for hobby. My idea of learning was to get attached with some established photographer and learn from the experience of working with him. And that again should suit my timings. It was a tough call.
But one morning I read about ace photographer Munish Khanna in the Times Education supplement. I was thrilled. What Munish was offering through his Photography Academy was exactly I was looking for. I searched the net and found out more about Munish and his photography course. Then I fixed up an appointment with him.
It eventually took 3 months for me to meet Munish as I could not find time. Finally, on last Sunday, I had an interaction with Munish at his studio. He was busy shooting a portfolio assignment of a model. As asked by Munish, I carried my hurriedly prepared portfolio of 3 albums. He appreciated some of the shots and told me 'So you want to learn beyond it'. I told him about my aspirations and reasons for joining his course.
I was impressed with his attitude and facilities. Moreover, this is exactly what I wanted. Munish is into professional photography since 1993. He has converted the first floor of his duplex house at Uday Park (opposite Ansal Plaza near Khel Gaon in Hauz Khas, South Delhi) into a full fledged studio. My training will start from the first week of December.
Munish's Photography Course:
His basic course has a 64 session curriculum. It includes lectures, presentations and practical. There is no hard and fast class schedule. It is upto the student how fast he can complete. A weekly schedule is sent to the students who can choose which class he wants to attend. For this course he charges a lifetime fee of Rs.12000/-. The fee entitles to many lifetime services from Munish like critical review of your shots, etc.
He even has short time and crash courses for those who are from outside Delhi. This is basically an abridged version of full course. This has 32 sessions and covers most important topics. It costs about Rs.7500/-. But if you are interested in real photography, you should go for the full one.
Munish teaches in his own style with his own curriculum. The course will not give you a certificate (if you are looking for job). But it promises to make you a successful photographer. So if you are in Delhi and wants to learn photography, then probably this is worth giving a try. I will be updating my experiences from time to time.
Labels: Photography
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Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Delhi - UP bus impasse
Most buses to UP plies from the Anand Vihar ISBT and some from the Kashmere Gate ISBT. The road across the traffic junction at Anand Vihar falls in UP. To catch a bus to UP one needs to walk down the road instead of waiting in the ISBT. It is practical chaos there. Busses are creating traffic jams on the road leading to the Pacific Mall. Even school children have suffered as DTC school buses are not allowed into NOIDA areas. The height of political rivalry is that the impasse continues at the insistence of our leaders. UP is under SP rule of Mulayam Singh Yadav while Delhi is under Congress rule of Shiela Dixit. Once ally, Congress and SP are now sworn foes. It is one of those examples of our elected leaders holding public to ransom at their whims. Delhi government is now talking about stopping progress of Metro line to NOIDA.
As a traveler, one is advised to explore traveling by train to UP rather than trying to travel by those dilapidated UP Roadway buses.
Labels: Delhi
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Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Bypass Websense
Ever since Websense was adopted in my office as firewall, it became a headache. Though it effectively kept out those who used the net only for voyeuristic pleasures, but to us it blocked almost everything. It is lovingly called Nonesense. After searching in the net, I had learned that Websense is one of the most effective firewall. It even blocks access to proxy sites. We had found out different ways, but all of them got blocked. I had tried to find a solution in the net, but without much luck. Probably my search criteria were oriented more towards 'Bypassing Websense' then finding a proxy site. Websense effectively blocks most common proxy sites. However I stuck a goldmine yesterday. A site threw me 3 pages of proxy sites. To my delight, only 3 of the sites could be detected by Websense. So guys, if you are facing such firewall problem, try this site Top 20 Free which has a long list of proxy sites. And ENJOY and uncensored world.
Labels: Internet
posted by Rupankar Mahanta at 5:01 PM | 0 comments
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Friday, November 17, 2006
FSE : Filmy Stock Exchange
This is an online game where stocks of Bollywood stars are being traded. Stars are assigned certain values which keeps changing depending on their box office performances. On registration you are given Rs.1000/- to buy star stocks. If you make money in the process, you can redeem them for limited no. of prizes. The grand prize is an Indica V2. So try out the site if you have enough spare time to kill.
Labels: Fun
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Thursday, November 16, 2006
Lakshadweep-VII : The Epilogue
Types of trips to Lakshadweep:
There are two types of trips to Lakshadweep. Type -I is offered by SPORTS (of Lakshadweep Tourism) and type -II is offered directly by two private resorts, one at Agatti (AIBER) and other at Bangaram. Both TYPES will provide the opportunity to spend a few days in one of those secluded sun baked islands. All of them are coral islands with beautiful lagoons. So it is immaterial where you go. But what kind of vacation you are looking at may decide which TYPE of trip you take. And of course the load you want to put on your purse.
The cost:
My experience is limited to Agatti ISland Beach Resort only. The AIBER has around 20 cottages of different category. All the 4 groups in this trip however had chosen the lighter package of non AC cottages. The cost per night inclusive of meals was Rs.6,500/-. Thus I paid Rs.19,500/- for the 3N/4D packages. Upto 2 Child below 5 years is complementary. This rates are applicable upto 30 Nov, 2006 and also between 21 Jan, 07 to 15 May, 07. For the period 1st Dec, 06 to 20 Jan, 07 the rates will be Rs.9,000/-.
Standard AC cottages cost Rs.9,200/- upto Nov, 07 and between 21 Jan – 15 May, 07. They will be enhanced to Rs.11,750/- for the Dec, 06 – Jan, 07 period. There are Deluxe AC rooms as well which cost Rs.11000/- even for the Sept- Nov period. The resort at Bangaram islands is much more costly. You need to be filthy rich to go there. People say there is nothing special about Bangaram except the price. You can spend 2 extra nights at Agatti at the price you pay for a 3N package to Bangaram.
@Rs.6500/- even AIBER is pretty expensive by Indian standard. But I feel that every one can afford such a luxury once in a lifetime. It is worth spending the money, for these beautiful islands may not exist 10 years down the line. Further, going to places like Maldives or Mauritius would cost you much more. This entire trip for 3 of us from Delhi cost me roughly Rs.40,000/- that included one night stay at Cochin. Going to Maldives would have cost me 40000 per person. The cheapest all inclusive offer for Maldives I got from makemytrip.com was Rs.48000/- per person. Further, these islands are geographical extension of Maldives group. Travel restrictions by Govt. of India had kept these islands pristine and beautiful. Here nothing will come between you and the sun, sea and white beaches.
(You can obtain the latest rates of AIBER by sending an enquiry in their website. SPORTS rates are given in their site)
My trip cost:
Delhi – Cochin – Delhi (By II AC) : Rs.9000/-
In Train expense : Rs.1200
One Day / Night stay at Cochin : Rs.1200/-
Cochin to port : @Rs.100/- one way by auto
Cochin – Agatti – Cochin : @ Rs.2000/- one way per adult, @Rs.1250/- one way per child
Agatti Resort : @ Rs.6500/- per night per non AC cottage = Rs.19500/-
Amount spent at the resort : Rs.500/-
Additional expenses :
A 3N/4D package includes the following –
One time glass bottom boat ride to see corals and marine life underneath
One time fishing trip in the deep lagoon water
One time trip to 4 islands in the Bangaram group
You will not get more time than that in 3 days. Honestly speaking 2 ½ days. In addition to these there is a water sports center where you can try your hand in snorkeling and scuba diving. You need to pay in cash for them directly to the guy running the center. Snorkeling packages starts ranges between Rs.250 – 500/- per person for about 30-40 minutes trip. Diving is bit costlier. Introductory diving for novices cost Rs.1000/- per person for about 30 minutes trip. They provide all equipment for diving. For experts, there are various packages that may lighten up your purse upto Rs.5000/- or more. If you are a couple, double the estimate and carry that much cash as there are no banks or ATMs, neither cards in vogue. If you decide to go for diving buy a one time use under water camera at the resort shop that cost Rs.500/-.
If one wants mineral water then it can be bought at the resort. I felt that the desalinated water is good enough to drink. Bottles of 500ml soft drinks were kept in refrigerators in the rooms, but they are not free. However, they will tell you well in advance about these possible billable items. I later found out that each bottle of soft drinks (priced Rs.20/-) were billed @Rs.50/-.
The resort also had a small gift shop for you to buy memorabilia. I bought a T-Shirt with Lakshadweep print for Rs.150/-. It is quite reasonable for a resort outlet. Other things like chocolates, sewing gums, sun screen lotions and (also) condoms are available in the shop. The shop also had a STD booth. Only BSNL / MTNL mobile will work there. Thanks to my MTNL connection, I was the only fellow who had his mobile working there (also in the deep sea for many hours).
How to travel:
Your start point is Cochin (also called Kochi and Ernakulum). You can travel by flight or by ship from Cochin. The aerial distance between Cochin and Agatti is 459 Km. Agatti has the only airport in the Lakshadweep. The airport was just next door to the resort, hardly 100 meter away. Only smaller aircrafts like Dorniers ply to Agatti. I am told that the flight may get cancelled without notice leaving you high and dry.
So the best way to travel is by ship. This will also add novelty to your trip. The resort will arrange for your ship ticket on payment of advance. They will also send you ship schedule to help you plan. Your trip is dictated by ship schedule. The resort will charge a premium for ship ticket as you will be required to be transferred from the ship to the resort. The current charges is Rs.2000/- one way for adult and Rs.1250/- one way for a child upto 12 years.
1) Entry permit: One is required to obtain entry permit for visiting Lakshadweep. The AIBER office will arrange them for you.
2) Liquor is prohibited. But you will get toddy. Get them in the morning and let it ferment till evening. It will work as local beer.
More information on Lakshadweep:
This post features in Holiday IQ.com, a leading Indian travel portal. I have found the site quite useful and innovative. You may be interested in some other travel stories on Lakshadweep and also on many other Indian holiday destinations on Holiday IQ.com.
Labels: Agatti Island, Lakshadweep, Travel
posted by Rupankar Mahanta at 4:08 PM | 36 comments
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Monday, November 13, 2006
Lakshadweep-VI : Day 4 at Agatti
A local fellow collecting coconuts came running to me. He shook my hand and wanted me to take a photograph of him. Obligingly I readied my camera. But he then turned into a statue. I tried to loose him up and yet he hardly bulged. He was happy to see his photo on my digital camera and wanted a copy. So I took one more shot on my SLR and told him that I will send them to the resort office. He was so happy.
On the way, I got the opportunity to take some pleasing shots. It was just one of those opportunities when you are there at the right place at the right time. Look at the shots of clouds through the coconut trees. Finally, we reached the leaning coconut trees. I shoot several frames there in those early morning light. Some of the best photos in the trip were shot on that final morning. We then walked back to the resort for breakfast. We were told over breakfast that the time of departure will be announced whenever they receive any news. But the tentative time was 10 am.
We got ready well before time and waited in the jetty for departure. Finally, we said goodbye to the resort at around 11:30 am. As we moved away from the jetty, the resort started to disappear in the horizon. But every moment of those 60 odd hours spent in this paradise will remain etched in our mind and heart for ever. May be some day, when my daughter will grow up and will see these photos, she will get dragged into it. But only if these endangered islands still exist in the map of the world.
Labels: Agatti Island, Lakshadweep, Travel
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Friday, November 10, 2006
Lakshadweep-V : Day 3 at Agatti
After a brief walk I met some fisherman. My effort to speak to them in Hindi and English did not yield much result. But the guys fishing were young and so they showed me the fishes with great interest. My endeavor for the morning ended there. Back in the resort for breakfast, we were told about the planned activity for that day – a day long trip to the 4 islands in the Bangaram group. All these are unmanned islands. Bangaram Island has a super costly resort and the resort staff are the only occupant of that island. We were to leave at around 8:30 am. The resort advised us carry soft drinks from the resort if we want, as they are very costly at the Bangaram Island Resort. A 500 ml bottle cost Rs.50/- at Agatti and at Bangaram it would cost more!
We got ready for the adventure. But God almighty had other plans for the day. The harmless looking clouds I saw in the morning engulfing the rising sun had turned into dangerous rain clouds in the horizon. The boatmen were experienced enough and so they were waiting. Soon the weather took a turn for the worse and heavy rain with high speed wind lashed us. The waves from the deep sea got carried with some force into the lagoon as well. Standing in the jetty we felt like being in mid sea rather than in a lagoon. The boatmen ran helter-skelter trying to take the boats away from the jetty so that they do not hit and damage the jetty. Visibility was reduced to just few meters. Amidst the rain we saw a motor boat moving in very slowly. We first thought that it as an astray boat that was not anchored properly. But we were told that it is the boat from Bangaram Island Resort bringing passengers to the airport at Agatti. The storm stuck them in the middle of the sea. We wondered about the mental state of the tourist who had this misfortune while coming back. We all probably said a silent thank to God that we were not out there.
The rain went away after about an hour and weather started to got clear. But then the boatmen brooke the news that it would not be possible to go to Bangaram as the entrance for going out into the deep sea is still very rough. Though skeptic, we had no other option but buy their version. So we were offered an alternative package of a speed boat ride and visit to the uninhabited island of Kalpitti located nearby.
After lunch we were taken out into the sea in speed boat in groups. The ride lasted for about half an hour. Once we crossed the lagoon and entered the deep sea, we could feel what the boatmen had told earlier. It was really rough at the entrance even several hours after the storm. The big waves appeared to be hungry to swallow our small speed boat.
The trip to Kalpitti started at around 3 pm. It is located about half km off the southern tip of Agatti. While travelling thorugh the lagoon we saw at least 2 needle fishes. This 1 foot or so long fish suddenly pops out of water and propels itself parallel to the water in a vertcal position with high speed. It appeared like a small stick moving parallel to the water surface. The boat dropped us at one of the island. Being low tide hours, we could see few people including children crossing the half kilometer stretch between Agatti and Kalpitti on foot. It needs practice and experience to cross on foot. With very few bipeds visitng this small island, it was full of beautiful corals and sea shells. We picked as many as we can as memorabilia. Some of them were so beautiful and we had seen them only in markets till now. And now, they are all lying in front of us to be picked up.
The walk continued into a coconut forest and grassland. Finally we popped out somewhere on the other side of the island. Though the main area of the island is very small, it had a pretty long coral reef, may be kilometers long on the western side. The boat was waiting on the other side in shallow lagoon water. We could walk into the boat. We all assumed that Bangaram islands would have been no different from this one.
Back in the resort, we all were in water soon to enjoy the sea for a last time. After a brief bath, the 3 of us did some kayaking. My little daughter was sitting in my lap and she was overjoyed to go into the lagoon in the kayak. The sunset brought us back into cottages. A few crackers went up in the adjoining colony of Airport Authority of India that reminded us that it is Diwali. Indeed a unique Diwali for all of us.
The resort people had also arranged for some local dance for our entertainment. The group stared off with a war dance holding wooden swords. They then did a local form of Dandia. Yes it was Dandia in Lakshadivi style. The final item was even more surprising. It was a form of the Bamboo dance which we thought is unique to Nagaland. Now where is Nagaland and where is Lakshadweep. And how this dances unique to Nagaland and Gujarat landed there!
A delicious dinner and a walk ended the day for us. We wanted to savour the moments for the last time. Only God knows whether we will be able to come to such a place again. Whether these beautiful islands will exist next time we think of such a trip!
Labels: Agatti Island, Lakshadweep, Travel
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Thursday, November 09, 2006
Lakshadweep-IV : Day 2 at Agatti
The sun rose slowly in the distant horizon, as if coming out of the sea. The horizon changed colours from pale orange to yellow as the sun continued its upward journey. Soon it went behind the small pieces of clouds to play hide and seek. We were drawn into water for the first time. Walking along the beach a small crab drew our attention. We could not make whether it was trying to get into water or was trying to run away from it. But its indecision let me shoot some close up shots.
Several fishermen were out in the beach for that early morning catch. Some were fishing with nets and some with hooks. Some went past us, as we were taking photographs, flashing a greeting smile. I tried to speak to one or two. Unfortunately, they neither speak Hindi not English, thereby cutting short my attempts to communicate.
Back into the resort, morning tea was awaiting us. The Chaudhories and Bharatis from Mumbai also woke up by now and has managed to mingle with a local fisherman who was fishing on the resort side of the beach. We had joined them to see the catch. Abdul chacha, the fisherman had a good 2 kg catch for that morning. In order to shoot an action shot of him throwing the net, I kept following him for some time. With the net ready for throwing on his arms and his eyes intensely grazing the water for any sign of fish, Abdul chacha walked unmindful of me following him. But the fishes have gone away by then and so I did not get that shot.
Back into the resort we went for breakfast. Over the breakfast we were told about the first planned activity for the day – Glass Bottomed Boat trip into the lagoon for watching fishes and corals. The boat had capacity of 4 ans so we were to proceed in groups. We were in the first group alongwith Murli and his wife Parineeta from Bangalore. We were taken few hundreds meter deep into the lagoon. Once the covers of the glasses were removed, a virtual live aquarium unfolded in front of us. Beautiful corals of different shapes, colourful fishes and also an eel – we were simply left awestruck. Even though one can see the corals from atop water, the glass bottom boats provides a clearer view, may be by cutting down the refraction. Even though I tried, photography was virtually impossible as everything was under water and the boat was moving all the time. The half an hour trip took us to 3 bushes of corals. Then started the turtle chase. It was difficult to take the boat above a turtle as they moves very fast. Yet the boatman used all their experiences to give us clear view of some massive turtles.
Trip by other groups continued till about noon. We decided to cool off in the lagoon. My daughter was itching to get into water. It was around 10 am. Without much thought we all were in water soon. Because of high tides in the morning, water level was relatively higher and waves were mild. We splashed, jumped and bathed in the lagoon for at least 2 hours, while sun had literally baked us. Back in the room, we started to feel the pinch of the sun burns. We all became tanned by the sun. I was bare back and it got burned so badly that I was finding it difficult to carry my cameras later in the day. Wiser from this experience, we lavishly used the sun control cream in our all future outings.
During the lunch, we were told about the next programme of Lagoon Fishing Trip. The time they gave of 2:30 pm sound very awkward. We all tried for a delayed trip. Eventually, we were out for the trip at around 3:30 pm. We were taken to the same spot where we went for the glass bottom boat trip. The boat was anchored over the corals. It was full of colorful fishes. One of the boatmen handed over hooks to us. Only fish that swallows the fish was the Yellow coloured Snapper fish. This is the same tasty fish that was served to us in the lunch. The young kids from Mumbai could catch about 5 fishes. I was not that lucky. In my entire botched attempts, the bait was eaten by some green coloured fish which attacked the bait in groups. The fun of it was that you can see what was happening down under.
Meanwhile Murli and his wife decided to try their hands at introductory diving. Mr. Hindol Basu from Chennai also joined them. Mrs. Basu tried but opted out. Introductory Diving takes you into about 3 mtrs of water guided by the instructor. The charges for the 30 min trip is Rs.1000/- per person. Murli was determined to try it out here as in his previous trip to Pattaya he found that the rate there was very high, something in the range of Rs.8000/- for Introductory Diving. I was told that for diving one need not know swimming. I thought of going for snorkeling, but dropped the idea later. The instructor also appeared to be more interested in diving then snorkeling as the return is more in diving. I asked Murli as to how it was. He told that you can touch and feel those live corals under water. That's all and it was worth a thousand bucks.
Back from the fishing trip, it was again sun watching in the beach. Some went for Kayaking. I was not sure whether it can be tried without knowing how to swim. But I was assured that it is absolutely safe and so I tried kayaking and learned the tricks of the trade. That evening the sun threw another spectacle of light. The small pieces of clouds added dimension to this riot of colour. It was the best sunset over the three days we had stayed there. Some of photos were able to capture those magical moments. But what we saw and felt can never be described in photos.
The evening was nothing special. The customary walk down the beach was undertaken. But by now I was really feeling the pinch of the sun burns over my back and shoulders. After a long time, I had applied some cream over my body. There has been no power cuts, though it may sound strange. The activities of the day ensured that we get a sound sleep.
Labels: Agatti Island, Lakshadweep, Travel
posted by Rupankar Mahanta at 12:12 PM | 3 comments
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Wednesday, November 08, 2006
BIGG BOSS on Sony India
The show, a kind of Reality Show, was the brain child of Dutchman John de Mol and developed by his production company, Endemol. The first series of Big Brother was aired in the Netherlands in September 1999, and the show was subsequently adapted to virtually every other part of the world. It has been a prime-time hit in almost 70 different countries, earning Endemol large sums of money. 32 of these are original versions and others are near clones. The show's name comes from George Orwell's 1949 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, in which Big Brother is the all-seeing leader of the dystopian Oceania.
The Indian vesrion called the BIGG BOSS is produced by Endemol India. So, it is not a plagiarised version, but a genuine one. The original programme Big Brother had broken many televion records. It was quite surprising that it took so long for it to enter the Indian televion scene.
The show timimg is 10 pm to 11 pm as of now. Once the ratings pick up, it will probably get a prime slot between 8 to 10 pm. The 13 celebraties inckuded people like Salil Ankola, Rakhi Swant, Rohit Roy, Anupama Verma, etc. Cut off from the rest of the world, nearly 30 cameras keep a watch on them round the clock What you get to see is a totally uncensored version of these celebrities daily life. Slangs are used generously. Obviously you can not hold you back for the sake of camera for too long. What amused me till now is the totally unexpected personality of Rakhi Sawant. She is very frank in her attitude and actions. So do is Ravi Kissen. There is very little secret about them and they appear as what they are. Others still appear to try to hide something in their personaility. May be this will change as time progresses.
Labels: Internet
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Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Uneasy calm in Delhi
Schools are closed today. We also had decided to have a watch and decide policy. Nothing unusual reported till about . So we had started late for office and avoided the problematic Vikas Marg. Buses were plying till then. The protests normally peak during time. Yet it appears that it is under control till now. Or, it is just the uneasy calm before a violent expression of protest. The same uneasy calm prevailed on the first two days of that bandh. It finally exploded on the final day.
It was the involvement of political leaders and inaction of police, again at the behest of administration, that lead to violence last time. Had they tackled it tough, it could have been kept under control. This time SC has talked tough and has asked administration to get additional forces if required. With additional companies of paramilitary forces, it appeared that the protest is heading for bloodshed this time. But there is difference between making bloated comments like 'Hum Jaan Deneko Taiyaar Hai' and actually face the bullet. While the local Delhi Police might not shoot at the rioters, but the paramilitary forces would.
The resistance from trader community is quite apparent and widespread, covering almost all corners of
Labels: Delhi
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Monday, November 06, 2006
Lakshadweep-III : Day 1 at Agatti
We were lead into the respective cottages after the brief welcome ceremony at the jetty of Agatti Island BEach Resort (AIBER). I wanted a bath badly after nearly 24 hrs of traveling. However, a warm salted water bath was not what I wanted. The resort had an in-house desalination plant. This water is used for drinking and cooking only, not for bathing. Starved from the horrible food in the ship, we devoured the sumptuous buffet lunch was served at the restaurant of the resort. Fish served deserves special mention. We were told that deep sea fishes are big but not tasty. However, lagoon fishes are small but tasty. Only lagoon fishes are served in the resort. So we were assured some delicious fish treats.
There was no planned activity for day 1. So we were on our own to relax, enjoy or explore the surroundings. After a brief siesta, we decided to have a look around the resort complex. Set amidst swaying palms, the resort is located on the southern end of the island facing the western shores. The only airport of Lakshadweep Islands is hardly 100 mtr from the resort. Agatti has the only airport of Lakshadweep Islands where only small aircrafts lands. A narrow concrete road laid end to end concrete stands in the middle of the island like its backbone. The island is roughly 7 km long and the total area is just 2.7 sq. km. Around 5800 denizens lives in this small piece of land. The main village is about 2 km upwards in the north from the resort. From the balcony of my cottage, I could see both sides of the sea. This stretch of the island would be at the most 200 mtr. wide. That meant we were able to enjoy both the sunrise and sunset. The lagoon is on the western side. While relatively big surfs could be seen on the eastern side, the lagoon water on the western side was almost placid. Only vegetation seen in the entire island is coconut trees and small bushes.
The rest of the afternoon was spent watching turtles from the jetty of the resort. The water was so clear that you can easily see turtles and fishes swimming underneath. The water there is understood to have been at least 10 feet deep and yet you could easily see the bottom. The sun started to go down in the distant horizon. I had my cameras hanged from my neck all the while I was out of my room. The colours of the lagoon kept changing with the setting sun. Those moments got etched in our minds for ever. I also had captured that moments mechanically for others to see and think. Each of the sunsets over the 3 days spent at Agatti had thrown different colours and each of them was beautiful in their own way.
Ironically, no one ventured into water that afternoon. There was a foreign tourist couple who was the only one out in the lagoon to enjoy some water sport and a leisurely swim. It was low tide in the evening and that made the water calm and almost placid. The peacefulness of surroundings was so powerful. There was no intrusion by anyone. The main village is several kilometers up on the northern end and locals barely come to this southern end of the island. Even if they come they takes the eastern beach and do not intrude into the privacy of tourists on the western beach.
Every couple seemed to have wanted to be left alone and enjoy the solitude. As the sun went into the sea, we were magnetically dragged into leisurely walks on the beaches. Walking on the secluded beach had its own charm, though it needed some effort to walk on the soft wet sand. It burned a lot of energy and we all found to have lost inches after 3 days. The world of small crabs holed up in the sands got perturbed by our intrusion into their world and they all went helter-skelter trying to rush back to their holes.
We were all back to the resort jetty after darkness engulfed everything. The street lights in the resort beach came to life burning the energy saved by its solar panels. Back on the beach benches, we were again back into our own private fiefdoms. My little daughter was so excited and overjoyed to find herself in sands. She wanted to build houses, forts and everything else she could. We had understood that growing up in a city, she had missed all these we had enjoyed in our childhood. This was her first real opportunity to get dirty. We let her free to do whatever she likes.
Dinner was ready around 8 pm. It was another feast of delicious sea fish. The fish we were served was Snapper. There were chicken dishes as well. But not many were interested. We can have chicken here in Delhi, but not those delicious lagoon fishes.
We were again out on the beach after dinner. No one seemed to be in a hurry to go back to rooms. There were no TVs in the rooms. Anyway, we have come this far not to watch TV, but to enjoy the sea and the sand. But we had to call it a day at some point of time. Sand granules were all over our legs. However hard you try, it was difficult to get rid of all of them. (Some of them even accompanied back my slippers to Delhi). Inside the rooms were not very hot, but a little humid. One do not feel this humidity on the beach, may be because of breeze. Anyway, we were tired enough to think much and were soon went into deep sleep.
Labels: Agatti Island, Lakshadweep, Travel
posted by Rupankar Mahanta at 2:57 PM | 1 comments
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Friday, November 03, 2006
Lakshadweep-II: Agatti to Cochin by MV Bharat Seema
The boat headed for the local jetty first. The boatman needs to know as to where the ship will come. The information is known only to the jetty people. The news from the jetty was that ship will come on the western side of the island, i.e., roughly the same side as the resort is. The ship by which came arrived on the eastern side of the island.
The boat turned to the west and started moving slowly. How about trying to find a ship in the sea! The boat staff did exactly that and tried to find the ship in the horizon. Nothing was visible to me or any one of us. After some discussion among them, they moved further out into the deep sea. But still there was no sign of the ship. It was another funny experience for us. We were floating in the sea searching for our ship. After about 20 min. of wandering, the ship was sighted in far horizon. To me it appeared stationary. I asked one of the staff whether the ship is standstill or moving. He said that it is moving, but very slowly. Now the boatman had a direction to move and so he increased the speed. Yet it took another 20 min or so for us to reach the ship.
As we came closer and closer, the size of the ship grew. There it is- the MV Bharat Seema, the big white ship majestically waiting against a backdrop of deep blue water. It was a real big ship, almost twice the size of MV Minicoy. We all have heaved a sigh relief when we saw people disembarking through a big door on its lower hold. This meant that we could almost walk into the ship from our boat. No ladder, no rope. By the time we had arrived, major action of embarkation and disembarkation was already over. So we hardly had to wait to get into the ship. The AIBER staff helped us in getting the luggage up to the first floor deck where our cabins were located. They also brought packed lunch for us thus saving us from the agony of a meal in the ship. After seeing us off into the rooms, the AIBER staff bade good bye to us. All of them were quite nice and well mannered. There was no inbound tourist that day as next ship would be coming only after 7 days. Though we were told a group of German tourists would be arriving next week.
The ship is now on its penultimate stop of this voyage. It had set sail from Cochin 2 days back and already had been to 5 islands. Kavaratti will be its last stop before proceeding to Cochin. So there was no introduction on safety tips this time. I decided to have a look around the ship. From the drawings hanged on walls, I found that this ship originally belonged to the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) and is now given to LDCL. It was built at Arhus, Denmark in the year 1973. That meant it is almost as old as me. I am told that the normal life of a ship is about 40 years. All that it got in the name of maintenance is probably coating after coatings of paints on it to make it look new. The ship was 85 feet long and could carry almost 500 people on board plus large amount of cargo. Six large life boats (3 on each side) were hanging on the sides and each had a capacity to carry 60 people. There were two more levels of deck where one can go up and enjoy the sea breeze. Even the big halls with bench like seats at the bottom hold were quite spacious. There were TVs in them, but not in our cabins. There are two restaurants – one ordinary and the other executive class. We were entitled for food in the executive class one. One need not pay for meals as price is included in the ticket. Further we did not have to pay here even for the evening tea. (We had to buy that in MV Minicoy).There was very little difference between the two restaurants, but the executive one opens only on specified hours. The ordinary restaurant remains open for most of the time and also had a counter for buying snacks and cold drinks. The food was much better than in MV Minicoy. This is what you call a ship. MV Minicoy will appear to be a ferry in its comparison.
This time we had cabin accommodation. There are 4 berth and 2 berth cabins. We got a 2 berth cabin. Ticket price for cabins were cheaper than what we paid while coming. It was only Rs.980/- for 2 berth cabins in MV Bharat Seema as compared to Rs.1250/- for chair car in the MV Minicoy. My cabin had two bunk beds and a long enough sofa-cum seat. There are two small cabinets for luggage and a wash basin with a mirror. Overall, it was spacious for two of us plus my kid. But the worst part of it was that it had no window. Most cabins do not have windows. And the AC was not working. Probably the ship is so old that most AC vents had got choked. And so it was hot inside and humidity ensured that we had tough time. The saving grace was a small wall fan. But its speed was not high and also it was not throwing air to the upper bed. So we all ended up sleeping on the lower bed and the sofa. The big thing is that we could sleep as there were beds. (I could not sleep in the onward journey by MV Minicoy). Some were lucky to have a side cabin which has two small windows. But cabins having window are very few, may be 4 or 5 out of the 20 odd cabins. Some of the tourist wanted to lodge complain with the welfare officer regarding the AC. But honestly speaking, it hardly mattered for them and nobody cares. For the locals, AC or no ACs, it probably is the same and they constitute 99% regular passengers on the ship. So who will listen to these occasional 1% travelers!
Other worry for us was the dirty bed sheets and pillow covers. The ship had been traveling for last 3 days. We had no idea whether they would be changed. Fortunately, they were changed.
The ship started off for Kavaratti at around 1 pm. Soon we had realized that a big ship sways more and importantly, it sways very slowly. That makes one more prone to sea sickness. Four tourists from the group from Mumbai had fallen victim this time. My wife had decided to bide her time sleeping, under the influence of Avomin, to avoid trouble. By 4:30 pm, the ship had reached the shores of Kavaratti. It had to unload a lot of cargo there and so the halt took almost 2 ½ hors. In between came the sunset – the final sunset of this trip. As usual, I had captured those magical moments in my cameras.
A ship journey becomes boring after sunset as all that you could see is darkness, like a night time flight. So the sooner you can go to the bed, the better it is. The restaurant opened for dinner at 7 pm. We had the early dinner and then went for sleep even before it was 8 pm. It was hopelessly hot inside though we had kept the door opened a little bit. The heat and sewat woke me up after an hour. I decided to head for the deck outside for cooling off. I was back for sleep around midnight and thereafter I do not remember anything.
We got up late next morning. On asking the crew we came to know that the ship will not reach Cochin before 1 pm. This made the group from Mumbai and the couple from Chennai a bit restless as they had to catch 3:30 pm flights. The airport is at least 30 km from the port. In fact, the AIBER office advised me against booking flight around 3 pm as one can not be sure as to when a ship will dock. Sometime a ship gets stucked for hours in wait for a berth in the port. The ship finally docked at around 1:30 pm. As we had spoken to the Welfare Officer, they had agreed to allow us disembark first ahead of regular passengers.
This time the ship had docked at the South Coal Berth Werf. As the ship moved in closer to the werf, autos and taxis kept pouring in to that area. In fact while leaving for Agatti, the autos and taxis that brought in passengers left as quickly as they come. The werf had a deserted look then. I was worried whether I will be able to get something on arrival from Agatti. I was happy to see this altogether different scene on arrival. May be there is some system in place by which the taxis came to know about arrival of a passenger ship and comes to your rescue. I took an auto to the Ernakulum junction. The fare was same Rs.100/- which I paid for coming. As I had told earlier, one need not bargain in Cochin.
I was at the station well in time, but the train arrived 15 min late. We got into the train and bade good bye to Lakshadweep, Cochin and Kerala. Two visits in 3 years and it will be long before another visit to this God's own country. It's time now to see and explore some other part of India. May be this time it would be MP which I never have been.
Labels: Agatti Island, Lakshadweep, Travel
posted by Rupankar Mahanta at 1:52 PM | 4 comments
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Thursday, November 02, 2006
Photos from Lakshadweep
Labels: Agatti Island, Lakshadweep, Personal, Photography, Sports
posted by Rupankar Mahanta at 5:01 PM | 1 comments
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Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Delhi Traders' strike turned violent again
Schools have also called up the parents to take back the children as buses would not be plying. It was practical chaos during noon time. As vehicles tried to reach NH-24 in order to avoid the Vikas Marg, they created jams in residential areas like ours. The relative calm of last two days had made most school open today. But it turned out to be wrong decision.
Looking from the top of my office building during lunch hours, which is slightly off the main Vikas Marg, we could see a burning dustbin. These hooligans (so called traders) appeared to have gone on mindless rampage. Smoke was seen bellowing from other areas as well. We did not go down to check. Such wanton damage of public properties should be severely punished. From tomorrow garbage will be dumped on the roads where they existed.
The update as of 05:30 pm is that buses are still not plying on the Vikas Marg. This probably has thrown the system out of gear. How will people return home? Small vehicles are however seen plying. People who had come from places like Noida and Mayur Vihar are worried as to which route they take for going back.
Labels: Delhi
posted by Rupankar Mahanta at 5:34 PM | 0 comments

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Contour Next Blood Glucose Test Strip
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For use with all Bayer's Contour Next meters. No coding. Reagents: 21% w/w FAD glucose Dehydrogenase (Aspergillus sp, 4.0 U/test strip); 54% w/w mediator; 25% w/w nonreactive ingredients. Bayer HealthCare LLC does not warrant use of Bayer's Contour Next blood glucose meter with any test strip other than Bayer's Contour Next blood glucose test strips. For complete warranty information, refer to Users Guide. www.bayercontour.com. For sale in the USA only. Test strips made in Japan.
This item is FSA (Flexible Spending Account) eligible.
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Important: For in vitro diagnostic use. Before using this product, read the package insert carefully. Store between 41-86 degrees F. Do not use after expiration date.


text:
Silent Signs of Clogged Arteries and What to Do to Unclog Them
It is important to familiarize yourself with the symptoms of clogged arteries, which are a common cause of heart attack. Prevention of heart disease becomes the primary goal of world health organizations and every human on this planet. Prevention of heart disease actually prevents having a heart attack or any other serious heart illness. Studies have shown that up to 80% of heart attacks can be prevented by adopting a


text:
Add the Joburg Shopping Festival to your spring to-do list
One of the reasons why Gauteng is such an amazing shopping destination is because this province has one of the best climates in the world. – Joburg Shopping Festival
The Joburg Shopping Festival is a partnership between Visa and Gauteng Tourism, and takes place at two diverse shopping hubs – Sandton City and the Oriental Plaza – from 30 October to 02 November 2014.
It is hoped that the festival, which is inspired by the world-famous Dubai Shopping Festival, will catch on and become an annual event.
Participating retailers, restaurants and travel and leisure providers will bring you a weekend of great specials and deals, consumer discounts and other promotional offers.
'One of the reasons why Gauteng is such an amazing shopping destination is because this province has one of the best climates in the world. Gauteng is a prime destination all year round,' says the Joburg Shopping Festival Facebook page.
'Come summer or winter, the province generally experiences sunny, windless days that are the perfect springboard for showcasing the pulse of South Africa's economic hub.'
Sandton City boasts 300 local and international retailers. It's located in northern Johannesburg and easily accessible from the Sandton Gautrain station, highways and main roads within the Sandton CBD.
The Oriental Plaza, right in the heart of Johannesburg's CBD, has attracted shoppers for more than 30 years.
In close proximity to the Oriental Plaza are a number of theatres, restaurants and iconic destinations such as the Market Theatre, Mary Fitzgerald Square, Gandhi Square and the Nelson Mandela Bridge.
Keep tabs on the following platforms for news and more information on the Joburg Shopping Festival:
- Website: www.joburgshoppingfestival.co.za
- Twitter: @JSF_SA


text:
|From: Matthias Felleisen (matthias at ccs.neu.edu)
Date: Mon Jun 23 16:35:51 EDT 2008
On Jun 23, 2008, at 4:28 PM, Anton Tayanovskyy wrote: > So not all Schemes print 'a instead of (quote a). I consider those two identical as far as semantics is concerned. Of course, you realize that when Scheme is printing 'a, the value that is being printed responds with #f to symbol?
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text:
News Wrap: Biden visits China amid tension over air defense zone
[Sorry, the video for this story has expired, but you can still read the transcript below. ]
JUDY WOODRUFF: Tensions in the East China Sea hovered over Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Beijing today. U.S. officials say he and Chinese President Xi Jinping traded arguments over China's new air defense zone around islands that Japan also claims.
Later, in a subdued session with reporters, neither man mentioned the issue. Instead, Xi emphasized that diplomacy is needed from both the U.S. and China to maintain regional peace.
PRESIDENT XI JINPING, China (through interpreter): Both the international situation and the regional landscape are undergoing profound and complex changes. Regional hot spot issues keep popping up. China and the United States shoulder important responsibilities for upholding world peace and stability and promoting human development and progress.
JUDY WOODRUFF: The state-run English newspaper China Daily was far less diplomatic. In a bluntly worded editorial, it accused the U.S. of casting a blind eye to Japanese provocations. The editorial went on to say — quote — "Despite trying to present the image of being an impartial mediator, Washington has obviously taken Japan's side."
The European Commission has imposed fines of $2.3 billion on major U.S. and European banks over rigging interest rates. Today's announcement named J.P. Morgan, Citigroup and HSBC, among others. They were accused of manipulating European and Japanese benchmark rates between 2005 and 2010. The rates affect everything from mortgages to credit card bills.
Here in the U.S., a bitter cold and snow front pushed across the Rocky Mountains today. Extremely low temperatures dotted the landscape and, with wind chills, could reach 30 degrees below zero in parts of Montana. The storm has spread snow across the region, causing treacherous driving conditions that were blamed for at least six deaths. Another storm is close on the heels of this one, expected later in the week.
The pace of enrollment on the healthcare.gov website is improving some. It was widely reported today that 29,000 people signed up Sunday and Monday, the first two days after the mistake-prone site was relaunched. That tops the total for the entire month of October.
President Obama talked up the law's benefits in Washington today, and brushed aside rising disapproval in public polls.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: More people without insurance have gained insurance, more than three million young Americans who've been able to stay on their parents' plan, the more than half-a-million Americans and counting who are poised to get coverage starting on January 1, some for the very first time.
And it is these numbers, not the ones in any poll, that will ultimately determine the fate of this law.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Republicans said the new numbers on enrollment are cold comfort to millions who've had their coverage canceled or who face higher premiums.
Nine-one-one phone calls from Sandy Hook Elementary School during last year's mass shooting were made public today. The seven recordings revealed police dispatchers in Newtown, Connecticut, urging callers to take cover, even as gunfire echoed. Twenty children and six educators were shot to death by 20-year-old Adam Lanza. A judge ordered the audio material released under the state's freedom of information law.
The suspected gunman in the deadly shooting at Los Angeles International Airport has made his first court appearance. Paul Ciancia entered no plea today to charges he killed an airport security officer and wounded three other people last month. He was denied bail. The 23-year-old suspect was wounded by police during the attack.
In economic news, a survey of leading corporate chief executives found they're more optimistic and plan to increase hiring. At the same time, growth at service sector companies last month was the weakest since June. The conflicting data left Wall Street looking for direction. The Dow Jones industrial average lost almost 25 points to close at 15,889. The Nasdaq rose a fraction of a point to close at 4,038.
There's word today that the great majority of American silent films are now gone forever. The Library of Congress reported that 70 percent of the 11,000 feature-length movies have been lost or destroyed. Only 14 percent still exist in their original format. That's due in part to the nitrate film stock, which was especially vulnerable to decay and fire.