::Ghar Se Door Seattle Me

Cafe with no prices...

2007-02-06T18:29:00.000-08:00

A cafe in our neighborhood where you determine the price for your latte? Now that's a fairly new thought for the city of Coffee lovers...

From Seattle Times:
With its blood-red walls and black leather sofas, Kirkland's Terra Bite Lounge looks like any other coffee shop — until you get to the menu. There are no prices listed. Terra Bite doesn't have them.

You read that right: No prices. Customers pay what and when they like, or not at all — it makes no difference to the cafe employees, who are instructed not to peek when people put money in the metal lock box.

Cafe's web site: http://www.terrabite.org/

Any 1 face this dilemma?

2006-12-14T14:00:00.000-08:00

Quote:

I want to laugh at the "I'm a PC" guy without feeling that I'm laughing at myself.

1 millions miles on a car?

2006-12-12T10:22:00.000-08:00

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16070928/?GT1=8816

Steve Balmer...

2006-11-16T18:51:00.000-08:00

This is a really funny video :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6YgZc5th6g&mode=related&search=

::Ghar Se Door Seattle Me

2006-11-13T23:28:00.000-08:00

Monday, November 13, 2006

Today marks an important day in history. I have decided to start blogging. So people beware of it. You will see multiple posts from me now onwards...I will flood all blogs with my comments and posts. However since most of the time I dont have any interesting news my posts will be lame. For now only thing I have to say is that I am bored. Anybody has anything interesting to do right here right now I am game for it :)))

"

I also need a blog

2006-11-13T23:17:00.000-08:00

I also need a blog
I wanted to write a blog finally...I happened t obe that bored. However since I had never written a blog I need to test it out first. See I am a good developer. Ithink about testing first b4 development.

Bond starts with a bang!

2006-11-09T17:46:00.000-08:00

100% rating.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/casino_royale/

I think studios have figured out how to rig the scoring on this site. Even "Crank", the absolute worst movie I had the misfortune of seeing, had a 100% rating

But this 1 looks like its going to kick some butt :D

Thank you

2006-11-05T09:19:00.000-08:00

I will cherish these beautiful memories for a long time. Thank you guys for your friendship and for your unconditional love. (And also for letting me rediscover how to connect with people through our common disposition to stupidity and ridiculousness :P)

Next on the list...

2006-11-03T00:55:00.000-08:00

Bond looks as cool as ever :D

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/casino_royale/trailers.php

this satusrday night

2006-10-26T12:51:00.000-07:00

lets rock at chopsuey!!!

Diwali weekend

2006-10-22T23:22:00.000-07:00

Only ARam qualified for this week's honors.
Paramesh managed to reach '0' points :)

Total points from last 10 weekends:
1. g3 ( 8 points)
2. arati (8 points)
3. ARam (8 points)
4. mJ ( 6 points)
5. samarth(5 points)
6. skylar (3 points)
7. Ankur(3 points))

Summer of 69

2006-10-19T17:26:00.000-07:00

Found from a friend's friend's blog :D

I had my first real six rupees,
stole it from my father's pants.
went to a madrasi hotel,
to eat the sambhar of 69.
Me and some kadke dost,had it all
and we caught bukhaar
,jimy puked, joey got ulcers,
and Bagga ne maari dakar.

Oh when I went back there now,
the food was as stale as ever,
and though it was 1999,
still the sambhar was being served over there,
that was the worst food of my life.

Therez no use in complaining,
when you got no other place to eat,
rushed in the evening to the doctors clinic,
but he too was at the toilet seat,
yeahstanding there waiting outside,
nurse told me I will wait forever,
oh and when I held my breath,I
knew that I had to use that loo there
That was the worst food of my life.

lost my sports shoes

2006-10-18T21:36:00.000-07:00

in proclub - they are asking for brand name - does anyone know?

You've got to find what you love

2006-10-18T15:11:00.000-07:00

I came across this sometime last year and I revisited this last week, as I was thinking about status quo...

Its a pretty nice speech :D and worth a read.

http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html

Shaane of the weekend

2006-10-15T23:22:00.000-07:00

As most of you know :) , this week's winner is Arati (3 points).

Total points from last 9 weekends:
1. g3 ( 8 points)
2. arati (8 points)
3. mJ ( 6 points)
4. ARam (5 points)
5. samarth(5 points)
5. skylar (3 points)
6. Ankur(3 points))

The empire strikes back...

2006-10-13T16:54:00.000-07:00

http://youtube.com/watch?v=4PDKWg9FclU

Shaane of the weekend 10/08/06

2006-10-11T11:38:00.001-07:00

Past weekend's winner: Samarth(5 pts); mJ(3 points )

Cumulative points tally:

1. g3 ( 8 points)

2. mJ ( 6 points)

3. arati (5 points)

4. ARam (5 points)

5. samarth(5 points)

5. skylar (3 points)

6. Ankur(3 points))

MAC ads

2006-10-10T14:26:00.000-07:00

http://www.apple.com/getamac/ads/

Shaane of the weekend 10/01/06

2006-10-03T15:10:00.000-07:00

Dussera weekend's winner: Ankur (only 3 points :)

Cumulative points:
1. g3 ( 8 points)
2. arati (5 points)
3.ARam (5 points)
4. skylar (3 points)
5. mJ (3 points)
6. Ankur(3 points)

Kill the demon in you

2006-10-02T15:07:00.000-07:00

Ram bas bhakton nahi shatru ki bhi chintan mein hai

Dekh tyajke paap Raavan, Ram tere man mein hai

Man se Raavan jo nikaale Ram uske man mein hai.

Happy Dussehra.

happy dussera

2006-10-02T13:44:00.000-07:00

and happy gandhi jayanti folks...

I can't wait to c this 1

2006-10-01T00:18:00.000-07:00

"Toplined by DiCaprio, Damon, and Nicholson (all in good form), this superlative crime-gangster film, loosely based on Infernal Affairs, reinvents the genre with a uniquely American saga that represents Scorsese's best movie since the 1990 GoodFellas!"

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/departed/

It has started with a 100% fresh rating..(BTW, so did Crank, I saw the movie and it totally sucked). But I think this will be 1 real good pop-corn movie :D

I had been tagged :(

2006-09-30T10:46:00.000-07:00

Ok main jab tak bore nahin ho jaata, tab tak karoonga, fir band kar doonga.

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn on page 18 and find line 4.
'Sh-h!' said the stage manager. (Guess the book :) )

2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can.
Feels like, "Chaand taare tod laoon"

3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?
Andaz Apna Apna -
ShyamGopal Bajaj - "Teja main hoon, sabke patte bichha doonga"
RamGopal Bajaj - "Teja main hoon, mark idhar hai"
Crimemaster Gogo - "Ye Teja Teja kya hai, Ye Teja Teja?"

Skipping some questions...

8. Before you started this survey, what did you look at?
Another such survey.

Skipping some more...

13. Seen anything weird lately?
Yes, people fill these surveys and ask others to do it as well.

14. What do you think of this quiz?
My mom used to say, agar khaali time ho to bhagwaan ka naam lena chahiye, now I totally believe in what she said.

15. What is the last film you saw?
Arre bolaa to Andaz Apna Apna.

16. If you became a multimillionaire overnight, what would you buy?
A world trip with India as the last halt.

17. Tell me something about you that I dunno.
Stupid question, the answer is subject to who the reader is.

23. Would you ever consider living abroad?
Yes, I would. Because the little kid wants to explore the world.

24. What do you want GOD to say to you when you reach the pearly gates?
That is like the final review and I have been told one should not discuss the conversations from the review meetings.

25... Forget it, no more victims.

i have been tagged -Arati

2006-09-29T14:36:00.000-07:00

moved it from my (non-happening blog) this (more happening blog)
The rule is that if your name is tagged you have to answer the questions...

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn on page 18 and find line 4.
- on compute servers. When bound to concrete application the num- (my thesis report)

2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can.
Hit one of the two dining tables.

3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?
Sex and the city -
Keri - "It is so good but it is so bad"
Sam - "Hon, they designed it that way"

4. Without looking, guess what time it is?
9 pm - after a while i wil have free phone minutes

5. Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?
-5 mins to nine

6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
- my fridge

7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
- I was driving to work

8. Before you started this survey, what did you look at?
- 2 dining tables in my diniing room - one not assembled, people coming to my place on sat (R and R with their kid R) and I need to clean up the mess (okay i talk too much!)

9. What are you wearing?
red and yellow shirt + blue jeans (that my parents parceled from india and it fitted well too!)

10. Did you dream last night?
Not last night. But did some day dreaming in the afternoon before having my coffee :).

11. When did you last laugh?
In the afternoon while having coffee ...

12. What is on the walls of the room you are in?
Behind me is a old, rare jain poster - universal man by ajit mukherjee (courtesy abhishek) in front of me is a puerto rico water pipe (courtesy abhishek :)

13. Seen anything weird lately?
my kitchen

14. What do you think of this quiz?
If you are reading till this far then go get a life

15. What is the last film you saw?
film from abhishek's analog camera

16. If you became a multimillionaire overnight, what would you buy?
A beetel (car)

17. Tell me something about you that I dunno.
I am strong (as kamra wrote in a mail today - "someone once told me that you are actually mentally a lot tougher than the impression u give")

18. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
Make travel to india faster and easier.

19. Do you like to dance?
Yes I dance like there is nobody watching (and even if someone is watching they look away)

20. George Bush.
Duh!

21. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
Oye ladki

22. Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?
Oye ladke

23. Would you ever consider living abroad?
Define abroad.

24. What do you want GOD to say to you when you reach the pearly gates?
I can tell you what I am gonna say to Him.

25. 5 people who must also do this in their blog.
Skylar, dami, ankur, abhishek, g3, VC, alistair, sumit (get original dude), kamra, mary (if possible), saurabh (will make an interesting read)

I am happy today

2006-09-28T23:49:00.000-07:00

Yes I am, bade dinon ke baad :)
But kahaan gaayab ho gaye sab log???
Mr. India ban gaye ho kya? Laal chashma nahin hai mere paas :(

Only in...

2006-09-25T18:02:00.000-07:00

There is a whole bunch in this series, I just picked the 1s I haven't seen b4

AUSTRALIA

guess which movie

2006-09-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

this was said first

"Tere dil mein meri sanson ko panah mil jaaye
Tere ishq mein meri jaan fanaa ho jaye"

Which movie

2006-09-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

is the below shayari from:

Ye Dil Naa Mere Kaam Ka
Ye Dil Naa Dilbar ke Kaam Ka
Kuhda Diya Na Hota
Dil Na Ye Kisee Kaam Ka

"Raid my house" party

2006-09-21T22:46:00.000-07:00

Dudes and duddets,

I barely have a week more to empty my condo. Most of the furniture is already sold but there are still a lot of things remaining. Things right from wood art, paints, old prints, (cheap) pictures, crockery set and kitchen appliances. They all are in good condition and have been looked after with love and affection.
I can throw them away but would rather find a nice home for them. Why don't you guys stop by this weekend and see if you like anything. I think Saturday evening will be the best day. While you are up to it, we can also check out some neighborhood bars/restaurant or drive up to Alki later in the night.

What say?

Some riddles

2006-09-20T00:35:00.000-07:00

that I remember from my bachpan. Of course, they were in telugu.
I'll start with easiest ones for today(will carry some points for week's shaane):

1. A ghost near-by, appears wherever I go.

2. Sixty rooms in sky, one guard per room.

3. I am not foliage, but I am green
I didn't have meetha -paan but my mouth is red

4. Only rags as clothes, but lots of pearls as ornaments.

5. I have form but no heart

6. I don't close eyes even in Sleep.

7. It is born but does not have life.

Life comes at you fast...

2006-09-19T11:23:00.000-07:00

Its a bit cheesy :D

http://www.lifecomesatyoufast.com/main.htm

Quote for the Day.

2006-09-18T11:23:00.000-07:00

The person who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from the shore.

Shaane of the weekend

2006-09-18T00:57:00.000-07:00

I am glad there is already a nice prize for the shaane :)
This weekend's winner/runner-up: g3(6 points-friday evening)/mJ(3 points-friday night).
S/A/A- 2 points.

Gross points tally:
1. g3 ( 8 points)
2. arati (5 points)
3.ARam (5 points)
4. skylar (3 points)
5. mJ (3 points)

This weekend's Shaana of the Weekend

2006-09-16T13:29:00.000-07:00

gets a free ticket to my play.
In the rare case of me becoming Shaana of the weekend, the ticket would go to Dami, the judge. :)

All-rite, Dhandiyaa Schedule..

2006-09-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

If any of u is going, ping me. But give me a heads-up, so that I can press my clothes :D

It’s that time again, Navratri. For the next 3 weekends, there is Garba & Dandia Raas.

CRY [Child Releif & You]
Date: Sat. 9/16
Time: 8:00 PM – 1 AM
Location: Inglewood Junior High, 24120 NE 8th Street, Sammamish, WA 98074
http://www.cryseattle.org/dandia

SGCS [Seattle Gujarati Cultural Society]
Date: Fri. 9/22, Sat. 9/23, Fri 9/29, Sat 9/30
Time: 8:00PM- Midnight
Location: Sammamish High School, 100 140th Ave. SE, Bellevue
www.seattlegujarati.org

Munnabhai Lage Raho

2006-09-14T00:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, Yes, the tape is with me now!

I'll be happy to watch with some people (Shaankar's working too hard to take MSFT stock to 30s :):)

Thursday evening (if I reach early enough) or Saturday is good.

Rainy season

2006-09-13T12:12:00.000-07:00

seems to have started...

I will make some pakode (non-restaurant version).

Offer open till Saturday evening...

Whatever evening suits most number of people is the muhurt...

Best day of your life

2006-09-13T10:37:00.000-07:00

... when you got to meet me. (Dami, How many shaane points do I get for this?)

Mary: You are the most fortunate of the bunch. I think I saw you for the first time in the 1st year engineering class in the August of 1996. Gosh! It’s been more than 10 years. I suddenly feel old today.

Arati: I don’t remember when I first met you, but I do remember talking to you on the phone sometime in the July of 1998. That was the first time I played counselor in my life. See I completely changed your life :P. (Thik hai! Thik hai! ... you don’t have to thank me so much)

Abhishek Ram: This was in the 2nd week of August in 2000. Poor guy was put up in my apartment. (What a shock he much have received; first time in US and first time meeting me. Don’t know which one was worse)

Dami: Tech city bowl - (Usi din samaz gaya tha ki Dami Don se kam nahi hai)

Ankur Gupta: Dude! You are just right about the date. (Us din to bohot shareef lag raha tha! Unfortunately I didnt know better)

Vaishali, Gayatri: I think I was with Mary and Arati when I picked both of you for dinner.

Shankar: Couple of weeks after Mt. Rainier climb (end of July '06). I think it was at Mary's place.

Meri baari :)

2006-09-12T15:19:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you the most unfortunate day in life of these people (when they met me :P)

1. Arati (Oct 12, 2005) - Rohit told me that a girl called Arati would be joining and I am supposed to help this girl since it would be her first time when she would be leaving India. (Note, this used to be a major headache for the search team then, ki ek akeli, bechaari ladki ko bulaa to liyaa India se, but how would she manage in this country :D )

2. Mary ( Jan 27, 2006 ) - Rang De Basanti.

3. Abhishek Agrawal (Feb 12, 2006) - Went to his place with Mary and Arati from where we all went to pike place market.

4. Dami (Feb 25, 2006) - Saw him at RDB as well but met later at Arati didi's place about a month later.

5. Abhishek Ram (May 19, 2006) - At other Abhishek's place, then we all went for dinner to some mediterranean place and then later to some bar.

6. Vaishali, G3, Vandana,... (June 23, 2006) - Fanaa at dami's place. (Why was Shankar not present there?)

7. Prachi (June 25, 2006) - Me, Prachi and Dami went to a hike to ... (I forgot the name of the trail, someone can add it as a comment) followed by some nicely cooked chapatis at her place. They were really good. :)

8. Shankar(June 25, 2006) - Shankar also I met the same day at Dami's place.

First Impressions

2006-09-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

Where I met people in Seattle and the first thing that struck me about them!!

Vaishali ... at Parks, when i came to see the apmt. In fact, I saw her shoe collection before seeing her.

Dami ... Met him the day i came to see the Parks apmt. The thing I still remember about him is that he was introduced to me as 'Dami' and not Damodar!

Mary ... I just cannot recollect when !!!!??? Mary, can you?

Skylar ... I met him in my office, when he came to ask me about interview details and my team's info. The thing i remember about him is he knew my management better than I did.
Skylar, you forgot, v. bad! che! che!

Abhishek Ram, Abhishek, Arati ... the day we saw the Rajinikanth movie in ARam's house. This is a 'Hindi' crowd, I thought.

Ankur ... were you there at ARam's house too?

Prachi ... when she came to meet Imti. Her hair style struck me most :)

did I miss anyone?

First encounters..

2006-09-12T02:55:00.000-07:00

1. Vaishu: thru Zaps, Holi Celebrations (March, 2005)

2. Dammy, thru Supreeth @ udupi palace dinner.

3. Mary, Prachi @ Supreeth's birthday.

4. Arati, thru Dammy @ Lakes.

5. Ankur, G3: @ Dammy's birthday

When, how and where Dami met others

2006-09-12T00:10:00.000-07:00

In chronological order, only people appearing somewhere in the blog:

First I met VC in August of 2001 in CS building in WSU, Pullman. ( she was with WSU Tamil group :)

Imti met in WSU on walk fm my apartment towards Engineering building , Aug 2001.

Prachi- In Sep 2003, she came to see my apartment with her old roomie, to see parks apartment. Maybe she was talking too much Hindi. She even asked for water formally: "can I get some water?" :)

Mary- I met in front of my parks apartment, in early summer 2004. She just then got out of Prachi's car and I saw her outside.

Shankar- I met when Supreeth & he were moving to lakes; helped him move a bit too; after moving for couple of hours, I was hungry, had milk (stolen from office) from shankar's fridge :).

G3- Met in parks parking lot, along with VC and Srivi in November 2005 - went to Udipi for dinner.

Arati- in late January, 2006 at Totel Lake Cinemas, when we all watched 'RDB' movie. She was sitting in a row or two behind me. Others at theater with me: g3, mj, ramk. I remeber the UTV banner starting on screen, a girl's hand spearding colors, and ramk saying 'rang de basanti' :)

Abhishek (&ARam)- went with mj and arati to tech city bowling, in Feb 2006, a day before super bowl.

Ankur- in Feb,2005, at arati's place. First time, I went to arati's place for dinner I guess. Don't remember what exaclty but he cracked a PJ for sure :)

So when did we meet first in seattle (arati)

2006-09-11T23:27:00.000-07:00

Meeting before seattle not counted ...
Mary - Cafeteria near starbucks counter
Ankur - Rohit introduced me to him and then i forgot about him and then we met again
Dami, Gayatri - Rand De basanti movie
Abhishek Ram and Vaishali - Dinner with aram ,abhishek, muttu etc. This was followed by a rajnikant movie :)
Shankar - Dami's apartment
Abhishek - He picked me up for leavenworth trip from below my apartment

What about rest of you guys ?

sob sob ..boohoohoo sob sob

2006-09-11T13:29:00.000-07:00

how could i be shaane of the week..look at my "masoom" face in the adjoining photo...

Shaane of the week (ending 09/10/2006)

2006-09-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

For ease of everybody, shaane of the weekend has been moved to group blog :)

Past weekend winner/runner-up: arati(7 points)/g3(2 points). Sadly, difference between 1st and 2nd position was huge. Uncur(Ankur) still mananges to get negative points.

Gross points tally:

1. ARam (5 points)

2. arati (5 points)

3. skylar (3 points)

4. g3 ( 3 points)

what's the plan for the friday night ?

2006-09-08T18:02:00.000-07:00

I am going for party at my manager's house ..:P

Title

2006-09-06T18:51:00.000-07:00

No no, the title should be a little less nostalgic. It should be:

Seattle: Home away from Home. :)

Reagarding title again

2006-09-06T17:48:00.000-07:00

WE should have something on the lines of "sleepless in seattle"
My current idea is : "Ghar se door in seattle"- lol - any better ideas ?

movie

2006-09-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

seems to be a good idea ...other thing i want to do is goto alkai beach ..no one ever took me there :(

Ghar Se Door in Seattle

2006-09-05T21:54:00.000-07:00

Okay, as usual I dont have much to say now... I'll start with something

Movies I want to see in next few days/weeks/months...

1. Lage Raho Munnabhai: After hearing good comments from several people in India and US, it feels maybe I should watch this one.
If I see in next 2 weeks, thats good :)
And if I don't see in next 2 weeks, I'll be happy to see the movie on tape for just $1. :)

2. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Well.. I have been wanting to the second part of Pirates fun journey.... Seems to be postponed till DVD comes out.