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Look at the picture, do you think that India needs a Nano or more cheaper bikes? I bet the bike can seat 5 comfortably without the air-conditioner switched on and look no one is wearing a helmet (additional cost savings). They seem to be bonding very well and that's why they are sticking together without falling off from the bike. Do let me have your comments.

Climate change challenge will reshape the way we live Anthony Giddens Climate change and how to respond to it are everywhere in the news at the moment. So, of course, is economic recession, just as global in scope and itself deeply worrying. But what is the relationship between them likely to turn out to be? Every crisis, Sigmund Freud said, is potentially a stimulus to the positive side of the personality — it is an opportunity to start afresh. The point has not gone unnoticed by political leaders. Following the example of President Barack Obama in the US, many have signed up to the idea of a climate change New Deal. Investment in low-carbon technologies, the insulation of buildings and public transport, it is reasoned, can make a key contribution to getting the economy moving again. Nick Stern, the author of the celebrated Stern Review of the economics of climate change, argues that such measures should make up at least 20 per cent of the funding provided for recovery plans. ...

H 2 O In an irony worthy a Greek tragedian, the first act in the drama of water crisis is going to be a global flooding. Global warming will result in a rise in sea levels as the glaciers and ice caps melt, thereby depleting the earth's crucial reservoir of clean, non-saline water Nilakshi Sharma Frogs are being wedded to frogs in elaborate; ritually correct weddings in Assam in an effort to appease Varun, the rain god, because there has been no rain in Assam in the past few months and the ground water is drying up. Quillagua, a Chilean city that holds the distinction of being the driest place on this earth, is dying a parched death. Their lifeline, the river is dying. What the water companies have not taken away, far in excess of what they were supposed to take, the mining companies have polluted to unsustainable levels. In Chamoli, Uttarakhand, the smaller glaciers have disappeared and the largest one has retreated by many miles. United Nations Development reports are warning...

I was in a discussion with my colleague and he wanted to know why GOD makes us suffer. He said that if GOD is ever loving, why then do you find people born with deformities, why can't GOD make all of equal and good. I told him that we have to reap what we sow and also the Law of Karma. So what do you think on why we suffer and why some are born with the silver spoon. Please do help me out so that I can answer him.

"If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul." --Rabbi Harold Kushner "Much of the stress that people feel doesn't come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they've started." --David Allen "Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." --Herman Cain

Flew in from Mumbai yesterday evening, was in the Mumbai Airport reading a book titled "Jesus" by Deepak Chopra. Didn't do much last night as I checked by dinner time, had some RC whisky at the Cocktail hour at the Hotel F.O.C. Woke up pretty early as my body was still following Malaysian time and after that it was a busy schedule with the Auditor and then the Lawyer. Bought some more books at Walden first thing in the morning. Picked the following books: 1. The Associate by John Grisham 2. Outliers by Malcom Gladwell 3. What Got You here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith 4. It's not how Good you are, It's how Good you want to be by Paul Arden 5. The Rules of Management by Richard Templar Looks like I have a lot to read when I get back. And guess what I had for lunch, the famous Hyderabati Dum Briyani and for breakfast I had super soft idly with chutney. It's been awhile since I had all these goodies. Well tomorrow is going to be equally hectic as...

Yes all of a sudden my boss had informed me that I have to make a trip to Mumbai tomorrow and I would be with him for day there and then fly to Hyderabad for some work with my Auditor and Lawyer. I hardly had any time to prepare for the trip and I have a presentation to make to my company board of directors on my objective for the trip tomorrow afternoon before flying off. It's like jumping from the frying pan to fire as I have no answers as regards to my objective but I know I have a lot of work to do when I am there with regards to tidying up the company accounts and other matters. Besides the work, I should be able to do some shopping with regards to stocking my medicines, get a few books namely the best sellers, Indian sweets for my wife and finally get to bring back some of the things like my DVD, books etc, that I had left in Hyderabad. I hope to meet up with friends too and finally get to relish the famous "Hyderabad Dum Briyani" and the kebabs.

I guess it is one of those days where I won't forget as I had the pleasure of meeting up with a car repossessor. It was a cool affair, he was waiting beside my car Nissan X-Trail (Company Car) and informed me that I haven't paid 3 months instalment, I told him that my company must have forgotten as there are some new guys in the accounts department. But he was polite and I told him that I want to drive the car to my office which was close to the site and then talk to my accountant. He told me to sit down next to him as he had the keys and he drove me to my office. At my office I informed them about the car being repossessed and so I was told to negotiate with them and finally we agreed to a certain sum, for them not to take the car and I assured them that the company would pay up the amount owed to the Bank. In the evening, my accountant got the cheque prepared and had to look for my Director for his signature and tomorrow after another signature on the cheque and he will be i...

Taken from Robin Sharma's blog and please pass this around...... 1. You be the change you dream of seeing (Thanks Mahatma Gandhi). "If everyone of us would sweep their own doorstep, the whole world would be clean," observed Mother Teresa. She was right. 2. Make time every day to reconnect to your highest ideals and boldest dreams. Without hope, people perish.  3. Leave every person you meet better than you found them. Life's too short to withhold encouragement and kindness.  4. As I wrote in 'The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari", see every setback as a stepping stone and every problem as a blessing in disguise. Contrary to what critics might say, these are NOT corny aphorisms. They are timeless truths of humanity. (And critics are just people too scared to grow their dreams anyway - pay no attention to them. The world needs more people lifting people up rather than putting people down). 5. Go the extra mile in everything you do - you don't need a title to be a ...

Paulo Coelho I AM someone who believes in the judicial system. Despite all the drawbacks, we see — for example — the US Supreme Court disqualifying torture as a method of interrogation, even when the President and his vice have, through legal artifices, tried to justify it. Nonetheless, my belief is not shared by many people. A lawyer friend said to me, “The law is not made to solve problems, but to prolong them indefinitely”. Just to exercise my imagination, I decided to use his theory analysing Genesis, first book of the Bible. If God were alive today, we would all still be in Paradise, while He would still be replying to pleas, appeals, letters rogatory, court injunctions or writs — and would have to explain at countless hearings his decision to expel Adam and Eve from Paradise — just for breaking an arbitrary law, without any legal grounds: not to eat the fruit of good and evil. If he hadn’t wanted that to happen, why did he put that tree in the middle of the Gard...

Taken from Times of India Hyderabad Edition dated 05.02.2009. Patna: A court here sentenced a 75-year-old doctor to jail for accepting 25 rupees (USD 0.50) as bribe nearly a quarter of a century ago, officials said on Wednesday. The police had arrested Balgovind Prasad for accepting 25 rupees (USD 0.50) from a sweeper in 1985 for issuing a fake medical certificate. The case dragged on for years and Prasad was convicted in 1992 and given a one-year jail term. However, he was freed after he appealed against the sentence. On Tuesday, a higher court in Bihar reduced the one-year term to three months, saying the bribe amount was too small, but directed the police to take Prasad into custody as he was guilty of the crime. “The case was dragging and the bribe money was too small, so Prasad thought he would get a reprieve from the court,” prosecution lawyer Vipin Kumar Sinha told reporters after the verdict. “But all the charges has been proved against him.” REUTERS I bet the lawyers ...

A British man has been fined 185 pounds (approximately 13,000 rupees) for riding a horse while drunk. Godfrey Blacklin pleaded guilty for being drunk while riding the animal bareback,through the streets of Newcastle, England.      The Newcastle magistrates heard that cops found that Blacklin was slurring his words, and was unsteady on his feet. The large horse, called Bart, was held by a police officer for more than an hour near Wellbeck Road, while Blacklin was taken to a police station. “It is not a charge you see everyday. The police had concerns about him and, in the process of speaking to him, became aware of his intoxication,” a daily quoted constable David Thompson as saying. “The concern was that he was in control of a large animal where there were other road users. It was clear that he was drunk and that is definitely an offense,” he added.      Defending the charges, Blacklin said that he rode the horse as he knew it needed some exercise. “It is ridiculous. No one seems to ha...

Yes I started the New Year with some resolution but I can see now that it is like a distant past. I have broken all my resolution. One of the things that I want to do is cut down on snacking, my passion for fried peanuts. I know I am putting on weight around my waist and that has to stop (I mean the munching of peanuts) and also my passion for beer....  As they say as you get older it is that difficult to lose weight and I know how true the statement is. What else I have to do....I told myself I have to look for another job....and I am slipping away... I just got a call from my friend on a job opening in East Malaysia...and I am going to send my resume afterwards...and hopefully attend the interview within the next couple of days. So I guess I have to tackle my resolution one at a time....

The shopping mall was empty as the crowd is still away on a long extended holiday until 01.02.2009. Anyway I managed to get the snap shot of the stage for the cultural show and also a man dressed up in ancient Chinese attire like one of those opera actors or singers. If I had got any closer to him, I should control myself from pulling his beard.

"I believe each individual is naturally entitled to do as he pleases with himself and the fruits of his labor, so far as it in no way interferes with any other man's rights."  --Abraham Lincoln "The cave you most fear to enter contains the greatest treasure."  --Joseph Campbell "Life is not measured by its length, but by its depth"  --Ralph Waldo Emerson

Nice Tasty Prawns and it was succulent. Shark's fin soup and it was yummy... "Yee Sang" or Raw Fish Salad in celebration of the upcoming Chinese New Year at our office dinner. Yee Sang is made from thin slices of raw fish, shredded vegetables, herbs, spices and oil. In Malaysian Chinese culture, Yee Sang is believed to bring good fortune and wealth in the upcoming year to those who toss and mix it while shouting"Low Hei," which symbolizes liveliness, prosperity and longevity. Anyway this was the first dish served and oops....I forgot to shout....there goes my luck...BTW I was busy with the camera...

It's been awhile since I had written anything on my blog and since today is Chinese New Year, I am on leave today until Wednesday. So before I forget I would like to wish all the Chinese readers "Happy and Prosperous New Year" on this year of the Ox. On Saturday I watched "Slumdog Millionaire" on DVD, don't ask me how I got the the copy of the DVD. My take on the movie is that I liked it and the soundtrack was good. What I liked about the story line was that it was based on the experience of Jamal who is from the slum and how he learnt everything that one has to know through the harsh reality of his existence. Whenever I was flying into Mumbai, I can see the slums (Asia's largest) which shares the common boundary wall of the Mumbai Airport. I have also seen beggars in Hyderabad carrying babies in order to beg for more money based on the sympathy from the public. And I knew that these babies were actually for hire and the beggars are part of a syndicate ...

"The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." --Michelangelo Buonarroti "The outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to reflect their inner beliefs." --James Allen "Your perception is your reality." --Matt Dunlop