Sunny Side Up

NHibernate: first learning

2006-04-10T23:34:00.000-07:00

Your object.hbm.xml files have to be bundled as embedded resources with your project. How do you do that?

Simple, right click on the file, in the properties set the build action of the file to embedded resource.

Starting NHibernate

2006-04-10T23:31:00.000-07:00

Just came across NHibernate yesterday! I think it is very good. Will be posting my learnings as I go along. I am trying out the first test application now!

I am a bachelor no more

2006-02-27T04:26:00.000-08:00

So the long time period, when I was not posting was when I was getting married. It was fun and very enjoyable. The wedding hall fellas ensured everything ran smoothly. I am glad it did.

Today is my first day in office after my wedding. I was curious how it would feel. Nothing has changed. My boss still says the project is hot and getting hotter and I still do nothing more than read my emails and surf the web.

Another big news is in the tow, will be in another month or so, and no I am not going to be a dad :)

Keep watching!

Insanity

2005-12-26T01:33:00.000-08:00

Hmm, so what do you do when you are bored and you have a TV with 134 channels on? You surf and surf and surf until you come to a channel called Pogo and a programme called 'Takeshi's castle' is on. What you see on this programme is total entertainment for the viewers, but total insanity on part of some japanese freaks. Check it out!
Here are some links related to the programme:-

http://www.count-takeshi.tk/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takeshi's_Castle(it also finds a mention in wikipedia)
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/kevin.kempthorne/Takeshi/which/ (what takeshi character are you? find out)

Then you are in office and bored to death. What do you do? Open your web browser and type in http://www.i-am-bored.com and wallah you get to a page, that leads you to more insanities.

Have fun!

in bangalore

2005-12-12T02:07:00.000-08:00

I reached bangalore yesterday night at 7:30pm. Had a headache, so had to sleep. Joined office today in a new company.

Its funny how lonely you feel if only the person you need is taken away from you. Me and V are not together and I do not know how I am going to cope with this for a month :(

The business of ON@TCC

2005-11-23T20:40:00.000-08:00

Read One night @ the call center. I liked it. In fact better than 5.someone. I will not go into the analysis of the book, since it seems futile to me. I believe books are facades of words to the real what the reader wants to read.

Lets get back to what I was thinking. I have often wondered, how movie writers, novel writers come up with ideas for their books. It is very amateurish to think, that a story is written in the same sequence as we read it as a final product. Often it is one spark, one idea, and some commercialization put in to make the book a success. Nothing wrong with the commercial part though.

Let me explain this with the example of One night... The author would have been searching for ideas. And then one fine day he was struck with one. What if.. Mind you a very important question to know if you are a fantasy weaver. So Chetan might have had this idea, what if I met God? hmm now thats something. What would God do to me? What would he say? The most common thing that happens to people is they want God to help them. To add the commercial part, to the book, let me put in the call center. Now with the ITES/BPO industry booming and millions working with this industry, it was safe to assume that the book would do well, if atleast 20-25% bought the book(i.e. legaly offcourse, not the pirated one). Thats how books should be made.

Could you start a company, that pays writers say blog writers who are budding literary geniuses, put in the commercial part, and make it into a success?

I amaze myself

2005-11-06T22:21:00.000-08:00

It is amazing, what your brain can do. Let me give a very personal example to support the statement.

I was at my desk doing some task. Now while I was about to be done, I got a signal, that I had to pee. An image of my office rest room flashed. I decided to pee when done and continued my task. 8-10 minutes later I was done and got up to pee and that was voluntary, I did not have to think again. Now all the way from then, till I reached the loo door, I was thinking about an interview that I had to attend, totally pre-occupied. And a couple of minutes of walk, tadaa, I was there at the loo. Amazing aint it, that the future actions that need to be done are stored and you multithread and process the task in background without even realizing that you are doing it.

Your brain is amazing!

First Fight

2005-10-27T02:38:00.000-07:00

Monday V had our first fight. It actually started on sunday when I made a really idiotic comment on phone. And like a typical girl, V put it in concrete in her head. I managed to make her smile after almost 4 hours. That was an achievement :)

Godfather (5.something stars)

2005-10-10T22:05:00.000-07:00

Watched Godfather yesterday. Marlon Brando is God. Al Pacino is not different either. When you set out to make a movie on a great novel, it becomes difficult. Why? Do you stay with the storyline in the book? Do you take any cinematic freedom? Well Godfather-The Movie answers all these question. Arguably one of the nest movies ever made. Just hear/read two of the dialogues below and you will know ..

Al Pacino (Michael Corleone)

My father made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

Diane Keaton (Kay Adams)

What was that?

Al Pacino(Michael)

Luca Brasi, held a gun to his head, and my father assured him, that either his brain or his signature would be on the contract.

Al Pacino (Michael)

My father is no different than any powerful man, any man with power, like a president or senator.

Diane Keaton (Kay)

Do you know how naive you sound, Michael? Presidents and senators don't have men killed!

Al Pacino (Michael)

Oh. Who's being naive, Kay?

Such and many masterpeices bejewel this film/book.

Also read 5.someone. Would like to re-read it.

Viva Konkan

2005-10-03T03:01:00.000-07:00

Weekend was a bliss except for a few blips. Was in konkan over the weekend. The journey began at Pune station at 9:00 pm friday. Was pretty comformatable, since there was not a lot of rush. Though "V" did not get seats besides each other, "V" were still sitting close to each other on the aisle. The fun began at Swargate, when the crowd began to push into the bus, and by the time, "V" reached Chandni chowk, all I could see on the left hand were peoples butts. As "V" neared Mulshi, someone had to vomit, so the bus stopped and the fellow vomited to her hearts content. The some one had to get down at Mulshi, but the door would not open. So someone suggested, the fellow get out of the window and asked him whether he would fit in. The fellow scowled and was told he could get out only at the next stop in that case :).

"V" some how managed to reached mangaon, where "V"s Mama and Maushi stay at 1:30 am Saturday. Had some delicious shev bhaji at 2:00 am and then promptly went to sleep only to get up at 8:30 am. Next day after trying the options for Shivtharghal, Harihareshwar, Pali, DiveAgar, we went to DiveAgar, since that was the first bus "V" saw. "V" reached borli from where "V" took a rick to DiveAgar. The rickwala promptly looted us of Rs 20 for a 3-4 minutes ride. But DiveAgar was fun.

"V" first visited a Ganapati temple, where some old lady found a golden statue almost 2 feet in hieght in a copper chest in her backyard on chaturthi. "V" wont know if she was happy that she found a ganapati statue that she could worship and not sell to anyone. Wonder how happy she would have been if all that gold was not a Ganapati statue.

Then "V" wandered along the village to head to the beach, where "V" had some good time alone. It was all humid and hot though. "V" decided to walk back to bori but were tired before we reached the Rupnarayan and SunderNarayan temples. Finally "V" found a resto where "V" had some Fanta. Then walked back to Borli.

The return journey was as memorable as any nightmare, where "V" were stuck in traffic when a truck fell into a ditch road side and the traffic was held. Some one was worried about loosing his connecting bus. Some one was more worried about his fish getting spoilt. "V" were worried about getting home.

Reached Mangaon at about 7:45 pm. Had a bath and went for dinner at "V"s maushi's place. Had some excellent fried and rassa fish. It was a tad hot for me though.

The next day decided to visit a Ganapati temple at Mugavli, a small village near mangaon. Managed to walk more than ride and were tired before waiting for a six-seater to BATU. None of the six seaters stopped and "V" was very upset. Finally came back home. Tired.

Had to catch a Pune bus at 4:00pm so visited "V"s maushi once again and headed for the bus stand. After a tiring wait, the bus came and "V" got some excellent seats. This time "V" were together. The return journey was a memorable one though. Could talk a lot with "V", and one of the things that I need to start doing is not get lost in thoughts when "V" is talking. Sometimes I do it on purpose though, to get "V" irritated. She looks cure that way ;) , and as beautiful as the tamhini ghat we travelled through.

Viva konkan, "V" will come again!

Happy Today!

2005-09-27T07:25:00.000-07:00

My Rule Engine is ready(~40%). And guess what it works. So I named it REWorks. So once I am done typing this I am going home and practicing on my guitar.

3 years back on 26th Dec 2002, me and Amit met in Bangalore @ the Wipro Sarjapur Campus. Three years has been a really long time. Me & Amit have grown to be great friends over this time. Amit is moving forward to another great phase of his career. I wish him all the best.

A day of resignation

2005-09-20T21:08:00.000-07:00

It is a great day, when two friends come up to you and say they have decided to resign. How easy it is or rather how difficult it is to resign?

Well it is as easy or as diffucult as leaving one girlfriend for another.

Hope these guys have the best in their lives.

Iqbal ki Talaash

2005-09-18T21:56:00.000-07:00

It is most ironical that when team India is going thu the crisis, I had a chance to watch Iqbal this weekend. First about the crisis...

After almost a week, I have read what papers claim to be the true story behind ganguly vs chappel battle. Ganguly is as bad an example for any budding cricketer as any. I am no one to comment though on the situation so lets leave it at that.

Iqbal though is a fascinating story of fighters. Fighters for, against curroption, fighters against personal battles, against physical disabilities. Nagesh kukunnor is one helluva director.

The other movie I watched this weekend was on DD, called Talash, *ing Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor etc. I would not call it a torture, because torture has a definite objective viz. getting somthing out of the victim. But I do not know what the director of this movie had in his mind(does he have one?). Dont these guys feel ashamed when their near and dear ones watch such movies?

Anyways "V" were not together this weekend, so it was an average weekend with a good movie Iqbal, food at Southern Spice and a cosy get-to with my school chums. Looking forward to the next few weeks as my project will soon be over.

Salaam | Namaste

2005-09-15T22:18:00.000-07:00

Had an opportunity to watch Salaam namaste yesterday. Thought it was a rather cool movie. May be I did not have much expectations or may be "V" were together.

But everything apart, how many times do you hear appluase in a movie hall for a peice of acting. Well Saif Ali Khan kept getting that. Arshad warsi has always been superb. Though they still managed to get the movie cheesy for sometime after interval, but then that was not for long.

Cool and Fun movie to watch. Watch out for javed jaffery.

signature

2005-09-15T02:10:00.000-07:00

my signature now read "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?".

It means "Who will manage the managers?" or "Who will guard the guards?".
I hope my managers miss it.

ganapati bappa morya, pudhchya warshi laukar ya

2005-09-14T23:13:00.000-07:00

Ganapati is coming to and end. And I am not sure if I am happy or sad or neither.

Lets dissect this. I am happy because I can cook and eat some chicken from this sunday, till the navratri begins. Reading Tolkeins' books leaves you wanting to eat meat. After all every book has a chapter on roast mutton or rabbit stew or other.

Sad... Not really. Neither... definitely not.

So let me divulge my secret recipe for making some quick and excellent chicken curry. Bachelors lend me an ear.

Ok here it goes...
Chef(Jitesh) Special Chicken Curry - (estimated time : 20 minutes)
Ingredients
~1 kg chicken
3 inch by 3 inch piece of dry coconut
1 big onion
2 inch by 2 inch piece of ginger
6-7 garlic cloves
2 tablespoon garam masala
2 tablespoon chilli powder
small bowl of coriander
3 teaspoons salt (or according to taste)

put the coconut, onion on gas. Let them burn. Once burnt black on outside, peel, scrub the outer layer and cut to small pieces. cut ginger to small pieces. Put all the ingredients except chicken to a mixie and grind out a thick paste adding some water if necessary. Remember to add water in small quantities, lest you end up with a liquid masala.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. reduce flame. Add and cook masala till oil starts coming on top. Once done, add chicken and coat all pieces by mixing well. Add half a glass water. Add salt. Cook for three whistles. Your excellent chicken curry is ready.

5 more days to go

2005-04-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

Last 5 days here in the US. On 20th I will be returning back to India. Cant wait to do that.

Yesterday I bought the 1394 cable. Had a hard time configuring it for my laptop. But finally got it done. And so I am making my first movie. I have the footage for Anand's weightlifting tourno. I am done with most of the video editing part. I just need to add the audio bits which I will do tonight and ta-da I will have finished my first movie.

I have made it a bit cheesy and changed the sequence of events a bit. But what the heck, its my first time. :)

NY

2005-04-12T19:37:00.000-07:00

So after a long long time I had a break. Visited NY Mama and Mami. had fun with Anand and Gautam. They are still a bit infamiliar with me, but so am I. But I guess with time we should be able to reduce this gap. Met Rahul and Preeti too. Their kid Natasha is really cute.

My favourite food and drinks. Had some wonderful Bharli Vangi and Chicken curry and basundi and amrakhand. Thanks Mami. This has given me a boost to work here in these last few days.

Went sightseeing too. Wanted to shoot at WTC, but when I saw the destruction there, I could not shoot. Saw the famous Times Square. Its not as it seems in films. NY is a place where one should live to see it.

Good bye NY, I will see you again, thanks to my wonderful relatives.

Sehwag on the horizon

2005-04-07T20:45:00.000-07:00

There is this case when everyone in associated with software is trying to talk hindi, moving to India. Amdocs is not an exception to this. And when you sit in a cube that is surrounded by Usies and Desis in US, you cant help but notice how people act funny with any thing that comes out of the subcontinent.

Why my manager just came in. He possibly wrote a thesis on how these people behave. But his focal point was not the behaviour of these people, but how this behaviour is an obtrusion to get more projects to India. Its time some one comes up with a concept on how to setup an offshore center without creating friction.

10 years back a boy 5 ft 4 inch tall stormed the cricket world. He was creating histories and legends in cricket. Sachin Tendulkar. Another kid wanted to be like him. He did not even think of batting with him. Today that kid is creating histories and legends. And we still havent come to the techniques of Virender Sehwag. Even Tendulkaar admits that his role is being played by someone else.

India common. Make hay while the sun shines. Coz tommorow theres going to be another Sehwag in Sachins place.

Change

2005-04-07T20:36:00.000-07:00

There is this case when everyone in associated with software is trying to talk hindi, moving to India. Amdocs is not an exception to this. And when you sit in a cube that is surrounded by Usies and Desis in US, you cant help but notice how people act funny with any thing that comes out of the subcontinent.

Why my manager just came in. He possibly wrote a thesis on how these people behave. But his focal point was not the behaviour of these people, but how this behaviour is an obtrusion to get more projects to India. Its time some one comes up with a concept on how to setup an offshore center without creating friction.

10 years back a boy 5 ft 4 inch tall stormed the cricket world. He was creating histories and legends in cricket. Sachin Tendulkar. Another kid wanted to be like him. He did not even think of batting with him. Today that kid is creating histories and legends. And we still havent come to the techniques of Virender Sehwag. Even Tendulkar admits that his role is being played by someone else.

India common. Make hay while the sun shines. Coz tommorow theres going to be another Sehwag in Sachins place.

Agile

2005-04-07T00:36:00.000-07:00

Agile techniques are bound to give a lot of edge to small teams who are intent on creating a mark for themselves. Such teams are mostly found in small entreprenual companies. Agile methods with their buddy XP can create the finest of software adaptable to ever changing needs.

A lot of interest has been seen in this area recently. One of my favourite sites when surfing for new stuff is fowlers website. (www.martinfowler.com/articles)

I think the companies that could benefit from these will be hose who are not adaptive to change just on paper. Organizations like Wipro Technologies which give birth to tens of entreprenual ventures every year can use this method to their benefits.

Only thing that needs to be remembered here is not shoe size fits all.

Of Dead HR and Thinking and Movies

2005-03-30T10:09:00.000-08:00

It has been 3 months now, since a team of 10 are consistently clocking above 80 hours a week. Is the HR sleeping or simply dead?

I had another though yesterday night. If humans could think even without languages in the past, why then do we think in some particular language? Is it just to artculate, or have become plain lazy?

"The Making" has started to take shape again. I wrote some wonderful first few shots today. yes in the office. Haha. I am wicked.

Hee-HAW

2005-03-22T19:55:00.000-08:00

It finally looks like its time to cheer up. Our client has accepted the bills and will mail them. So you say the tragedy is over. not one bit. All the fixes have still to go in and I still have my plate full. Lets hope we will be relieved some day.

I havent had a god nights sleeps since so many days. May be tonight is the night. Hopefull we have some good things coming in future, till then enjoy..

Current Music: Sound of Silence, S&G.

what is your limit?

2005-03-17T22:01:00.000-08:00

For the last 3 months I have been working like crazy. It has been like a minimun of 12 hours a day. Some times it has even been 24 hours at the office. It has started to get to me lately.

No, dont get me wrong. Its not as if I dont like working. The issue is the inefficiency of the people around me. Though I am 24 hours at the office, there are times when I am doing nothing, just sitting like I am doing now and thinking why did I get myself into such a mess. These idiots make mistakes and then I have to find what the problem is. Common guys, atleast do what I tell you to. All you have to do is copy from my email and run the commands in the shell. If you cant do just that, I am sorry to say, but go home.

Look at the mail I just recieved. The managers are jokers. Now I am really frustrated. God bless the world.

Music Mood: Simon and Garfunkel

Horrors of the American night.

2005-03-15T00:25:00.000-08:00

Its 2:30 am in the office and I am sitting here like a stupid waiting for a DB to do his job, in which he invariably fails everyday. Atleast he is consistent. Well that gibes me a chance to jot down something thats been inside me for a long long while.

Why is this question " Who is John Galt?" so ... questioning? I am a software engineer by profession, which I have come to believe in my present company as not a white collared job. You have to slug throughout like a low rung factory worker. He is atleast at an advantage of finishing his day off at the end of his shift. Time & again I hear my co-worker asking me the same question - When will this end? It does not look very likely in the near future.

I got a mail from a close friend, he was shifting his jobs to Pune from Banglore. He was happy about it. So was I. I am planning to improve upon the quality of my living once I go back to India, which I am dying to. My TV is broken. My bike's handle is to heavy & life seems to be making another software engineer of me. I dont want that to happen. I wont let that happen. First of all I am going to take a 1 week vacation. It does not matter.

Ok once and for the final time, what are the things that I want to do?

Finish that rule based engine I started coding back in India. (Deadline - 31st May 2005)
Buy that gibson guitar and start learning it. (Deadline - 31st May 2005)
Start studying 1 hour every day.