Sunday, April 06, 2008
Monday, January 14, 2008
City hopping!
Some of the places I have been to in the last 3 weeks....................
Austin
Texas has this whole image of being cowboy country with supersized buildings, roads, cars, food, heck even people. But Austin was nothing like it. Its a medium sized city which is quite modern and in a sense reminded me of Minneapolis, atleast the downtown. Bang in the middle of downtown is the state Capitol, which was Dubya's first political office. Surprisingly though, Austin apparently is part of the Bush bashing bandwagon. Just like Minneapolis, there is a big university right next to downtown. But the UT campus doesnt even begin to compare with the structural grandeur of the U of M. Honestly, the EECS building was quite appalling. The thing that strikes you the most ofcourse is that everything is wider rather than taller in Texas. Gaps, gaps, gaps! Between houses, offices, heck even airline terminal gates............everything is spread far and wide. Ofcourse, the drive to San Antonio gives you the feel that you expect from Texas, with miles and miles of open lands, home I'm sure to hundreds of ranches and farms. And ofcourse I'm told that you can get a lovely three bedroom, two garage house for under $200K. Coming from California, thats a hard pill to swallow!
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia is truly a tourist friendly place. Malaysian airlines cleverly gives its passengers a few hours in transit at KL between flights to almost all destinations. A free visa on arrival only encourages one to step out of the airport and see the sights of the city. India could try something like this to improve its tourism but heck no one in their right frame of mind would travel air India, maybe once Jet and Kingfisher start operating international flights! The KL airport is quite majestic with its glass roofs and wide hallways and neat landscaping. And ofcourse free internet!
Anyway, like any good metro, KL has a well-connected public transport system. From the lightrail transit, to monorails, to buses and cabs you can cover every inch of the city in just a few ringets. I had just under 8 hours to cover as much as I could. This is the sort of situation I enjoy the most............. an unknown city, a map in hand and the possibilities endless!
KL is a two-faced city. On the one hand, it screams of development, modernization and growth. Great roads, tons of skyscrapers, well thought out landscaping (there r just miles of coconut trees laid out neatly on the ride from the airport to the city). The Petronas towers ofcourse is the big tourist attraction. The panoramic view of the city from the KL tower is not to be missed. And ofcourse consumerism. The malls in KL compare to and outdo most malls in the US. From designer labels like Louis Vuitton to food chains like California Pizza Kitchen, the american brandwagon is rampant all over the city. And whats more its very very pricey. And yet, these malls are packed with people. Yes, a lot of them maybe tourists but the locals were the ones doing most of the shopping. Ofcourse, being predominantly Islamic, the city is punctuated at regular intervals with mosques.
The other side of the story, ofcourse, is not so rosy. Overcrowded, narrow, congested roads, noisy, dirty and waiting for all hell to break loose. I was told by a local cabbie that KL has a large immigrant population from neighboring countries who come over the Malaysia in search of a better life and are forced to survive in the lowest rung of the economic ladder. Poverty naturally also drives people to crime, which is also quite a problem. The economic divide between the rich and the poor is only widening. Sounds a lot like India doesnt it. Infact, Malaysia has a sizable Indian population, mostly Tamil. I was reminded of this quite early on in my trip, when I was greeted on board my flight at LAX by a voice which said, "Welcome aboard, this is Jagannathan, your pilot speaking!"
Hyderabad
I really didnt get a chance to explore the city. But from whatever little I saw, it was a bit of a yawn. The whole place seemed rather lifeless. Indian metros today, even Chennai, are abuzz with activity. Everyone is in a mad rush to get ahead without much care for whats happening around them. Infact the traffic situation in most cities is sort of symbolic! Anyway, Hyd was fairly laid back and for all the talk of Mr. Naidu's efforts to improve the IT infrastructure, cyber-city was a bit of a joke. Bangalore and Chennai are way ahead in the IT race. Maybe old Hyderabad is more charming than its younger cousin.
Calcutta
Kolkata, I should say, is again a city with many faces. It has quite a few firsts to its credit. The first presidency in India, the first college(appropriately - The Presidency college), the first tram service, the first metro, the first Indian museum, the first cricket club and so on. But it is also the dirtiest, most densely populated city in India home to the most number of slums, homeless people and sex workers.
Steeped in history, primarily because of its place in British India, its a must see for any Indian.
The metro (which is almost as crowded as a Mumbai local at most times), has just one line and runs the entire length of the city and is great for covering long distances. Buses, which resemble jail cells, and share autos are best for shorter trips. Givent that almost all the sights are in Central and South Kolkata, Park Street is a great place to stay. Its also supposedly the ritzier part of town. That actually is true of only one stretch from the metro station till about St. Xavier's College, which contains The Park hotel and numerous fine restaurants including Flurry's, the bakery! The rest of the road (where we stayed) is contrastingly ordinary and quite filthy. Although it is still much better than most other localities in town.
The two biggest tourist attractions are ofcourse the Victoria Memorial and the Howrah Bridge. The memorial is a majestic marble structure surrounded by vast gardens and ponds on all sides. Honestly it deserves to be spoken of in the same breath as the Taj Mahal. The museum inside gives one a nice insight into the history of British rule in India. Right beside the memorial is a huge maidan which, refreshingly, has an equal number of kids playing football as cricket. comes into view. A short cab ride past the unmistakeably gigantic Eden Gardens takes you right next to the modern Vidyasagar sethu, which honestly is far prettier than the Howrah bridge. A ferry ride from there gives you a nice view of the city from the Hoogly river. Getting down at Howrah brings both the bridge and the railway station into view. A short walk across the bridge through the vegetable markets on the side, the sheer volume of the crowds remind you that you are well and truly entering the heart of the city. From the financial district to the shopping areas of New market, Chowringhee and esplanade, this part of town was just overflowing with activity. Its also a great place to pause for some tasty roadside gol-gappas! And if that doesnt satisfy you, there is always K.C.Das and Haldiram's.
In sharp contrast to the utter chaos of Calcutta, is the wonderfully planned and still under development Salt Lake City. Just a few kilometers northeast of the city, you are greeted by a quiet almost pollution free environment. Wide roads, tall modern buildings, heck even nice parks, this is how every city in India ought to be. Its difficult to imagine how the two co-exist and one can only hope that Salt Lake remains free of the filth and mess that pervades the rest of the city.
Austin
Texas has this whole image of being cowboy country with supersized buildings, roads, cars, food, heck even people. But Austin was nothing like it. Its a medium sized city which is quite modern and in a sense reminded me of Minneapolis, atleast the downtown. Bang in the middle of downtown is the state Capitol, which was Dubya's first political office. Surprisingly though, Austin apparently is part of the Bush bashing bandwagon. Just like Minneapolis, there is a big university right next to downtown. But the UT campus doesnt even begin to compare with the structural grandeur of the U of M. Honestly, the EECS building was quite appalling. The thing that strikes you the most ofcourse is that everything is wider rather than taller in Texas. Gaps, gaps, gaps! Between houses, offices, heck even airline terminal gates............everything is spread far and wide. Ofcourse, the drive to San Antonio gives you the feel that you expect from Texas, with miles and miles of open lands, home I'm sure to hundreds of ranches and farms. And ofcourse I'm told that you can get a lovely three bedroom, two garage house for under $200K. Coming from California, thats a hard pill to swallow!
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia is truly a tourist friendly place. Malaysian airlines cleverly gives its passengers a few hours in transit at KL between flights to almost all destinations. A free visa on arrival only encourages one to step out of the airport and see the sights of the city. India could try something like this to improve its tourism but heck no one in their right frame of mind would travel air India, maybe once Jet and Kingfisher start operating international flights! The KL airport is quite majestic with its glass roofs and wide hallways and neat landscaping. And ofcourse free internet!
Anyway, like any good metro, KL has a well-connected public transport system. From the lightrail transit, to monorails, to buses and cabs you can cover every inch of the city in just a few ringets. I had just under 8 hours to cover as much as I could. This is the sort of situation I enjoy the most............. an unknown city, a map in hand and the possibilities endless!
KL is a two-faced city. On the one hand, it screams of development, modernization and growth. Great roads, tons of skyscrapers, well thought out landscaping (there r just miles of coconut trees laid out neatly on the ride from the airport to the city). The Petronas towers ofcourse is the big tourist attraction. The panoramic view of the city from the KL tower is not to be missed. And ofcourse consumerism. The malls in KL compare to and outdo most malls in the US. From designer labels like Louis Vuitton to food chains like California Pizza Kitchen, the american brandwagon is rampant all over the city. And whats more its very very pricey. And yet, these malls are packed with people. Yes, a lot of them maybe tourists but the locals were the ones doing most of the shopping. Ofcourse, being predominantly Islamic, the city is punctuated at regular intervals with mosques.
The other side of the story, ofcourse, is not so rosy. Overcrowded, narrow, congested roads, noisy, dirty and waiting for all hell to break loose. I was told by a local cabbie that KL has a large immigrant population from neighboring countries who come over the Malaysia in search of a better life and are forced to survive in the lowest rung of the economic ladder. Poverty naturally also drives people to crime, which is also quite a problem. The economic divide between the rich and the poor is only widening. Sounds a lot like India doesnt it. Infact, Malaysia has a sizable Indian population, mostly Tamil. I was reminded of this quite early on in my trip, when I was greeted on board my flight at LAX by a voice which said, "Welcome aboard, this is Jagannathan, your pilot speaking!"
Hyderabad
I really didnt get a chance to explore the city. But from whatever little I saw, it was a bit of a yawn. The whole place seemed rather lifeless. Indian metros today, even Chennai, are abuzz with activity. Everyone is in a mad rush to get ahead without much care for whats happening around them. Infact the traffic situation in most cities is sort of symbolic! Anyway, Hyd was fairly laid back and for all the talk of Mr. Naidu's efforts to improve the IT infrastructure, cyber-city was a bit of a joke. Bangalore and Chennai are way ahead in the IT race. Maybe old Hyderabad is more charming than its younger cousin.
Calcutta
Kolkata, I should say, is again a city with many faces. It has quite a few firsts to its credit. The first presidency in India, the first college(appropriately - The Presidency college), the first tram service, the first metro, the first Indian museum, the first cricket club and so on. But it is also the dirtiest, most densely populated city in India home to the most number of slums, homeless people and sex workers.
Steeped in history, primarily because of its place in British India, its a must see for any Indian.
The metro (which is almost as crowded as a Mumbai local at most times), has just one line and runs the entire length of the city and is great for covering long distances. Buses, which resemble jail cells, and share autos are best for shorter trips. Givent that almost all the sights are in Central and South Kolkata, Park Street is a great place to stay. Its also supposedly the ritzier part of town. That actually is true of only one stretch from the metro station till about St. Xavier's College, which contains The Park hotel and numerous fine restaurants including Flurry's, the bakery! The rest of the road (where we stayed) is contrastingly ordinary and quite filthy. Although it is still much better than most other localities in town.
The two biggest tourist attractions are ofcourse the Victoria Memorial and the Howrah Bridge. The memorial is a majestic marble structure surrounded by vast gardens and ponds on all sides. Honestly it deserves to be spoken of in the same breath as the Taj Mahal. The museum inside gives one a nice insight into the history of British rule in India. Right beside the memorial is a huge maidan which, refreshingly, has an equal number of kids playing football as cricket. comes into view. A short cab ride past the unmistakeably gigantic Eden Gardens takes you right next to the modern Vidyasagar sethu, which honestly is far prettier than the Howrah bridge. A ferry ride from there gives you a nice view of the city from the Hoogly river. Getting down at Howrah brings both the bridge and the railway station into view. A short walk across the bridge through the vegetable markets on the side, the sheer volume of the crowds remind you that you are well and truly entering the heart of the city. From the financial district to the shopping areas of New market, Chowringhee and esplanade, this part of town was just overflowing with activity. Its also a great place to pause for some tasty roadside gol-gappas! And if that doesnt satisfy you, there is always K.C.Das and Haldiram's.
In sharp contrast to the utter chaos of Calcutta, is the wonderfully planned and still under development Salt Lake City. Just a few kilometers northeast of the city, you are greeted by a quiet almost pollution free environment. Wide roads, tall modern buildings, heck even nice parks, this is how every city in India ought to be. Its difficult to imagine how the two co-exist and one can only hope that Salt Lake remains free of the filth and mess that pervades the rest of the city.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Old as a quarter!
So another year older! I think turning 25 is a lot more peaceful for a guy than a girl. The sirens don't start going off around you, no peer or parental pressure (yet, although at least 3 people have already said nows the time to find someone). This, in my opinion, is going to be the year of weddings, with a handful of friends tying the knot. Strangely I haven't attended a wedding in over three years and I sort of miss it. Hopefully I'll do something about that and a lot of other things I miss, during my India trip in less than three weeks.
Looking back, 24 has been quite routine and peaceful. My dad calling it shapely 24 turned out to be quite prophetic, as I'm fitter now than I have ever been. Running is now a habit I enjoy. Work itself has been quite steady over the last few months. Summer was quite hectic but it has eased off of late. The highpoint was probably having my parents visit me here for my commencement.
Strangely, Vancouver and DC were the only new cities I visited this year. In fact, I haven't traveled at all since Labor day. That of course will change over the coming weeks. After a point I think every city in the US feels the same. All the more reason to travel further out, like Europe!
Hopefully, this year will turn out to be more adventurous than the last!
Looking back, 24 has been quite routine and peaceful. My dad calling it shapely 24 turned out to be quite prophetic, as I'm fitter now than I have ever been. Running is now a habit I enjoy. Work itself has been quite steady over the last few months. Summer was quite hectic but it has eased off of late. The highpoint was probably having my parents visit me here for my commencement.
Strangely, Vancouver and DC were the only new cities I visited this year. In fact, I haven't traveled at all since Labor day. That of course will change over the coming weeks. After a point I think every city in the US feels the same. All the more reason to travel further out, like Europe!
Hopefully, this year will turn out to be more adventurous than the last!
Monday, November 05, 2007
The Santa Barbara Half!
Running is the most popular activity in Santa Barbara. On any given day of the year, if you walk along the beach you are bound to cross paths with atleast a handful of runners. That is mostly due to the fact that the weather here lends itself to outdoorsy things all year round. Biking is the next favored recreation. And whats more, its really neat running along the coast with the ocean breeze in your face. The whole stretch from the bird refuge to Shoreline through Stearns Wharf is ideal for a weekend run. That was the venue for the annual half marathon held last Saturday.
Over the last week, there has been a cloud of dense fog over the city in the mornings and given the fact that DST didnt switch back till this Sunday, the sun was rising pretty late. So we started in thick fog at around 8.30 in the morning. Although it cleared up as the race progressed, the cooler conditions made it all the more ideal for a run. Apparently, almost 2500 people took part. They had come from all over the country. Didnt seem like that many at the starting line though. Races here are organized really well. They take care of every detail. From timing chips on your shoes to measure time accurately, to providing refreshments at regular checkpoints during the race and after, to creating an encouraging atmosphere all around, you feel great about the whole thing. And whats more the registration fees goes to local charities.
The half marathon(13.1 miles) is in my opinion the perfect distance to run unless you're a running junkie. Its not as bad as the full 26.2 where you need a few months of preparation and at the end of it, you will be sore for about a week not being able to do much else. The half, on the other hand, is short enough that you can be back at work in a day's time and yet is challenging enough for you to take it seriously. And at the end of it, you feel like you've done something worthy. And ofcourse, its all the more fun running with thousands of others in your own backyard. The chap who won it was just far superior to everyone else. He finished nearly six minutes in front of the second placed man. I caught a glimpse of him around mile 8 when he was on mile 12 I think. He was being coached and guided throughout by another guy on a bike. He was completely focussed.
As for me, I placed, hold your breath....................., 333rd :). But who cares, what matters is that I had fun taking part.
Over the last week, there has been a cloud of dense fog over the city in the mornings and given the fact that DST didnt switch back till this Sunday, the sun was rising pretty late. So we started in thick fog at around 8.30 in the morning. Although it cleared up as the race progressed, the cooler conditions made it all the more ideal for a run. Apparently, almost 2500 people took part. They had come from all over the country. Didnt seem like that many at the starting line though. Races here are organized really well. They take care of every detail. From timing chips on your shoes to measure time accurately, to providing refreshments at regular checkpoints during the race and after, to creating an encouraging atmosphere all around, you feel great about the whole thing. And whats more the registration fees goes to local charities.
The half marathon(13.1 miles) is in my opinion the perfect distance to run unless you're a running junkie. Its not as bad as the full 26.2 where you need a few months of preparation and at the end of it, you will be sore for about a week not being able to do much else. The half, on the other hand, is short enough that you can be back at work in a day's time and yet is challenging enough for you to take it seriously. And at the end of it, you feel like you've done something worthy. And ofcourse, its all the more fun running with thousands of others in your own backyard. The chap who won it was just far superior to everyone else. He finished nearly six minutes in front of the second placed man. I caught a glimpse of him around mile 8 when he was on mile 12 I think. He was being coached and guided throughout by another guy on a bike. He was completely focussed.
As for me, I placed, hold your breath....................., 333rd :). But who cares, what matters is that I had fun taking part.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Friday, September 07, 2007
Juju - the greatest David of all time!
I"ve watched women's tennis since Gabriela Sabatini beat Steffi Graf to win the 1990 US Open, and Justine "juju" Henin is the best player I've ever seen. Here is why. Ever since the Williams sisters arrived on the scene, women's tennis has become a physical sport. For over 3 years no one had an answer for the power and physicality of these two women. Then came the brigade of Russians - tall (most of them are six footers), well-built and ready to match the Williams' power game. All through this, Henin, the petite Belgian all of 5 ft 5" and 125 lbs, has consistently been at the top of the game. Imagine a lightweight boxer competing in the heavyweight category and coming out on top. The classic David vs Goliath.
So how does she do it? Naturally, the first thing that she realized that she needed to do was build strength. She worked so hard on doing so that she ended up beating up her body pretty bad in the process. That resulted in a series of injuries after which she eased off. Secondly, she has constantly been perfecting her technique. It is safe to say that she has the best technique, footwork and timing of any player in the game currently. She is probably the only one with an all-court game to go along with the greatest backhand in the history of the game. And whats more, she has improved her serve tremendously. These are the traits that Martina Hingis failed to improve on and found herself being blown away time and again. With all due respect to Graf and Seles, women's tennis is played at a far higher level today than a decade ago. Graf would not have been able to bully her opponents with her forehand had she played in this decade. I would infact say that Juju is a better ball striker than either of those two greats.
Juj has always said that she loves facing up to challenges, part of the reason why she loves skydiving so much. And there is no greater challenge in her sport than to face the Williams sisters back to back on a fast hard court at Flushing Meadows! And she rose to the occasion quite beautifully. For the first time, someone outhit and overpowered Serena. The sore loser that she is irreverently blamed luck for her loss instead of giving Juju her due. Make no mistake about it, nobody has dominated Serena Williams and actually overpowered her before the second set of the quarter-final of this year's US open.
If that wasn't enough, she then came up against Venus playing the best tennis of her life in the semi. The standard of tennis by the end of the first set had reached dizzy heights. And it stayed there, despite the swirling winds out on court. Both players were trading winners like there was no tomorrow. Venus threw everything at her. But Juj had an answer for everything. It is one of the better tennis matches I've seen in a very long time. When it was over, Henin had come through in straight sets.
John McEnroe calls her the female Roger Federer. That's mighty high praise. But if you've watched her play at this year's US open you'll see why.
So how does she do it? Naturally, the first thing that she realized that she needed to do was build strength. She worked so hard on doing so that she ended up beating up her body pretty bad in the process. That resulted in a series of injuries after which she eased off. Secondly, she has constantly been perfecting her technique. It is safe to say that she has the best technique, footwork and timing of any player in the game currently. She is probably the only one with an all-court game to go along with the greatest backhand in the history of the game. And whats more, she has improved her serve tremendously. These are the traits that Martina Hingis failed to improve on and found herself being blown away time and again. With all due respect to Graf and Seles, women's tennis is played at a far higher level today than a decade ago. Graf would not have been able to bully her opponents with her forehand had she played in this decade. I would infact say that Juju is a better ball striker than either of those two greats.
Juj has always said that she loves facing up to challenges, part of the reason why she loves skydiving so much. And there is no greater challenge in her sport than to face the Williams sisters back to back on a fast hard court at Flushing Meadows! And she rose to the occasion quite beautifully. For the first time, someone outhit and overpowered Serena. The sore loser that she is irreverently blamed luck for her loss instead of giving Juju her due. Make no mistake about it, nobody has dominated Serena Williams and actually overpowered her before the second set of the quarter-final of this year's US open.
If that wasn't enough, she then came up against Venus playing the best tennis of her life in the semi. The standard of tennis by the end of the first set had reached dizzy heights. And it stayed there, despite the swirling winds out on court. Both players were trading winners like there was no tomorrow. Venus threw everything at her. But Juj had an answer for everything. It is one of the better tennis matches I've seen in a very long time. When it was over, Henin had come through in straight sets.
John McEnroe calls her the female Roger Federer. That's mighty high praise. But if you've watched her play at this year's US open you'll see why.
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