mjm wired

So last weekend a whirlwind of events that started in India finally came to an overwhelmingly positive finale. For anyone who doubted that such a major event could be planned in such a short time without disaster, you would be surprised. But, not really, so long as you've got friends and family that you can depend upon - nothing is impossible. So for the most part it was a big success.

Of course, this post would be meaningless if I didn't add my typical commentary. The night started off a little bad for me as the DJ butchered my name after rehearsing it several times. The bride's (rather easy to say) name was also slaughtered. My Best Man's speech sorta stuttered a bit. My mind was so much focused on delivering the Konkani I prepared, that I kept getting brain freeze. No bother, I feel most people liked it. Apologies to the non-Konkani people who were there. The venue did seem a little crowded as there wasn't much space for the bridal party to wait and the food was really so-so, but I'm pretty sure everyone ate their full.

People did a good job with the musical requests. The DJ was a bit tough to hear at times. He was a nice guy but his music system went kaput more than once. Worst during the groom's men's earth shattering rendition of Journey - Don't Stop Believin' (great photo op). Luckily (unluckily?) the air guitar session of Bon Jovi - Livin' on a Prayer will be immortalized on Sony Handicam forever.

The bar started off on a good note. I saw someone order a Rum & Coke and the bartender asked "What type of rum?". Normally I don't see selection - choice is good! As the night wore on, somehow the pouring of drinks got a little weird. When some young folk were "doing shots", I'm pretty sure I saw some glasses that looked like they had doubles or even triples. Measure people, measure. The last few for the night took their toll. I didn't see, but I know there were some incidents and accidents. Later when the alcohol hit people, I think there might have been some hints and allegations. Luckily everybody went home safe to their soon to follow hangovers. As the Maid of Honor put it: it was the fault of the bartender. I'm sure most of America agrees ;-)

In retrospect, I'm completely shocked how much fun people had and how crazy they got considering the relative simple nature of the bride and groom - not that there's anything wrong with that. As it is once again proved, weddings are NOT for the people getting married. They're for EVERYBODY else!

In conclusion, some of you might realize that this was part 3 in the Miranda Wedding Trilogy (part 1, part 2). No one wants to see a part 4 come and ruin a good story.

... and then there was one

Well it has been a few days since I returned from India. Each trip so far has been totally different. These are just some random observations that I want to record for myself.

Rains

This is the first time I ever visited India during the rainy season. There is a reason they call it the "monsoon season". It was just non-stop rain. And during the brief bouts of sunlight, the heat was unbearable. And the mosquitoes, what devils. I counted 76 visible bites on me alone. It was an itchy flight back.

Roads

I have never seen the roads in such disarray. Firstly, even without the rains there are potholes the size of cows cars. Why even call them potholes? During the rains, you really can't even detect the full size of the holes or where they are. I had the bumpiest car rides of my life.

When I went to Mangalore at the end of 2007, I could see the start of the new roads and flyover. The construction has progressed but what a mess. The roads are incomplete all over the area. Where it is complete it has totally eliminated any walking space along the side of the road. There is no room left for anything.

Main Event

We had to attend an engagement which happened to be considerable distance away. Getting there I endured the curviest roads and the scariest car ride of my life. The map shows apx 70km but it took well over 2 hours. Rounding some corners made your heart skip a beat. (route is approximate).

In my previous trip to India I was fortunate to experience what a "typical Mangalorean wedding" would be like. I thought then that the many of the formalities were really unnecessary. Well much to my surprise the engagement event we attended was identical in almost every way but without any church ceremony. It was actually pretty exciting sitting up on the stage, but I think the guest of honor found it a bit overwhelming. Those lights can be blinding you know.

Anyways, with exception of the drive there and the heat, it was actually pretty fun. I'm disappointed all my siblings couldn't be there. Maybe next time (assuming there is a next time).

People

This trip was unique that my brothers and I were all forced to speak Konkani much more than we were accustomed to. It was okay for the most part. It was odd for me near the end of the trip, there was some moments where I could almost hear myself thinking or talking Konkani in my head, as opposed to translating from English. Too bad we were there too short to really test me.

One of the new recruits we took with us happened to be American born (like my youngest brother). I was worried how she might adjust. The following story sums it up. If you are a Muslim please skip the next paragraph.

Traditionally pork ("dukra maas") in Mangalorean cuisine leaves a sizable portion of the fat to be cooked along side the meat. If you've never had this before, you might be surprised when you find yourself chewing on a rubbery blob of non-meaty strangeness. Well our newcomer just ate it all up without any complaint (sometimes that's even a little tough for me). When asked, she revealed: "I thought, mmmmm, that must be some different type of mushroom". She ate pretty much everything and didn't get sick, that's pretty impressive.

Sadly I didn't get to see as much family as I had hoped. What was very annoying was the commute between different relatives homes. What would have taken 30 minutes or so previously was taking us almost an hour. Even where the roads weren't too bad, the traffic has just exploded. There were so many new cars on the roads. Traveling a few miles seemed like a journey on its own.

Conclusion

I conclude, at great cost, that India is still there and is still haphazardly growing at seemingly unsustainable rates. Sad to see.

Anyways I think this may be the last trip I will go to India in big group of people. I think I might go solo next time or with perhaps only one other person. I think I want to see more and do more instead of being caught in traffic or rain.

In spite of some of the nuisances in traveling, I think this was one of the more comfortable trips I've taken. But I don't measure a trip in how comfortable I was, rather, was the experience worthwhile? Yeah, I would definitely say: yes.

Well "quick" means a little less planned than my usual excursions, and of course, a bit shorter than the past few trips.

This should be quite the interesting experience with many "firsts" for a few different people, and I hope they all manage, seeing as they're not a seasoned desi like me (jk).

I will be intentionally disconnecting from the internets for the whole duration (unlike some BlackBerry toting brethren). So email replies will be a few weeks delayed. Hopefully I won't have any 3G withdrawal symptoms.

Anyways, will report when I get back. Happy start of summer!

From reading Fear of philanthropy, the following question is presented in regards to donations and charity: "how much is enough?". A good read with some interesting points.

My adopted philosophy is quite simple: Give out of need, not out of abundance. What I share comes out of my pocket, so I will decide how much based on the gravity of the need. Sticking to some percentage seems far less ... considerate.

My brother bought a Dyson DC24 off of Amazon for my parents as a Christmas present last year. My initial thought was "Did they need another vacuum cleaner?". Then when my dad assembled it, I was a little taken aback. The thing is tiny and looks almost like a toy. It seems a little flimsy and even a little mechanically quirky. And the dirt tray is so small you would have to empty it frequently. When I looked up the item on Amazon, I was a little shocked how much the thing costs.

I assumed it might eventually get shoved into some closet given how gadgets accumulate. That is until I heard stories. ... Apparently my dad uses it all the time. In odd places and at unusual times he would be found vacuuming or cleaning up. What didn't occur to me is that since it is so light, relatively quiet and so incredibly easy to use, the job of vacuuming became less like a chore. Even though you might empty the dirt frequently, its still so simple that it doesn't interfere with your task.

I have a Dirt Devil with a 12 amp jet engine motor that is so loud and difficult to move around, that just the thought of using that thing gives me palpitations. So I might not vacuum as regularly as I should - at the cost of my health! I think the dust bunnies are getting ready to unionize.

Anytime you have a burdensome repetitive job that must be completed, you need to stop and look at your methodology, and in this case: your tools. When I think about my daily tasks, I am aware of the tools I lack, which on my part is just laziness. (I'll fix this over time) When I think about the deficiency in tools for my day-job, it's downright depressing! (A story for another day) ... How much is my time worth? Or my peace of mind? or arm strain?

Don't go out and buy yourself an expensive lightweight vacuum cleaner (like I most likely will). But do take the time to examine how much self-inflicted torture you endure every day just because you might think you're saving yourself a few dollars. Trust me, you're really not.

Thoughts to ponder for anyone - especially those who might call themselves an engineer. (Hope you had a Happy Engineers Week).