What's On My Mind

2006: Discography

2007-02-09T20:36:00.000-08:00

These are the few songs I worked on last year and was able to bring them to a final state. If I were to make an album out of them the Tracklisting would be something like this:

1. Break It
2. Let Me Be (Video Version)
3. Hero
4. Rose (Video Version)
5. War or Peace
6. Let Me Be/If I Close My Eyes
7. Hero (A cappella)
8. Out Of My Way
9. Hero (Club Mix)
10. If I Close My Eyes (Video Version)
11. Happy Birthday Vidya

'Hero' & 'War or Peace': Lyrics by Judy A Puckett
'If I Close My Eyes': Lyrics by Denise Lingvall
'Rose': Music Composed and Played by Juan T Christopher & Pradheepa
Guest appearances on 'Break It' by Kaitki
Intro on 'Let Me Be' by Brenda
Additional Background vocals on 'Out Of My Way' & 'Hero (Club Mix)' by Sleesa

MN Times: Page 3

2007-01-09T12:47:00.000-08:00

A Comeback on the Cards!!!

The mysterious writer who stunned the world with the 'Acrostic' poem - Happy 2007 is back!!! 'Muddled in Minneapolis' who many believe is a woman in her mid-twenties has been working on her new article for quite sometime now and she's all set to take the center stage like never-before. Word has it that this time it's going to be about her many different trips she made 'to' and 'within' the US throughout last year. Interesting enough, a part of her article somehow got leaked and it is believed that this article could be her 'Biggest' ever. The tentative title is set to be 'Reality Begins', with a release date sometime next week. None of this could however be officially confirmed.

Recent success aside, 'Muddled…' has become a frequent target of the tabloids with many different fantasy stories running about her personal life. Her spokesperson, declined to comment on any of those stories. That her closely guarded personal life adds fuel to the already raging fire is an undeniable fact.

Despite having topped the ‘Minneapolis BestBlogger’ list and won millions of fans in the US, Critics have particularly been ruthless about her lack of enthusiasm to 'write' frequently. Admitting to be a narcissist, critics she feels are a setback to her, though she has vowed to prove them ‘Wrong’.

‘Will she succeed in her latest endeavor’? We’ll wait and see...

Skiing

2006-12-23T21:59:00.000-08:00

Today we went skiing in Buck Hill. The idea was from my friend Hemanth, who came here to spend the christmas weekend. It was fun and we had a great time. We were so miserable doing it that one lady exclaimed that we were the funniest moment in American history and of course, I didn't agree with her.

My Pet Dino

2006-12-22T22:09:00.000-08:00

Once, one of my friends told me about something called a 'Robopet'. I found out that it was actually some kind of an artificially intelligent robotic toy. It had a relative named 'Roboreptile' which is actually a dinosaur. Ever since I saw the Jurassic Park movie, I've always been amazed by the Giant reptiles. And so I ordered one and got it today. He really is cute and does a lot of things. He can walk on either 2 or 4 legs, wave his tail, and make a hell lot of noise. The best thing about him is that he doesn't need to be taken care of. Here's a look at this scary monster.

My Handycam

2006-12-03T21:53:00.000-08:00

Today I got my Handycam, a Sony SR100. I did some serious research before buying this one and am quite happy with it's performance. It came with a very handy wireless microphone. Today I took it out to do some casual shooting around my place. As I haven't yet shot anything worth showing, I'll put a pic of the handycam itself.

The Next Level

2006-11-24T21:34:00.000-08:00

The last two weekends I spent time going out to the Minnesota Zoo and the Science Museum. This weekend, well it's only friday yet, I've been doing all shopping. The big one, of course is the Handycam. Interstingly this was something I purchased with shooting another video in mind. But as it turns out, that is not going to happen. When I learnt of this, I felt let down and once again it appeared as if nothing was going for me. Then I realized that I needed to have a serious hobby. And this time it was not music, but dancing. I felt I have done much with music for the past 8 years and now it's time for a change. I always loved dancing... And I feel this is the right time to learn and take on the dance floors. My experience so far has been a dozen nights in Hip/Hop dance clubs and East Cost Swing for the Let Me Be video. Last wednesday I went to a dance school 'On Your Toes' and learnt my first formal Salsa lesson. I'm looking forward to more learning and fun. The shy person sitting in his room all alone, secretly working on his music is no more.

Let Me Be - Music Video

2006-10-31T18:14:00.000-08:00

Today I finally finished working on my dance video 'Let Me Be'. It was my long time dream to be able to sing and dance. But for some reason I never thought about learning dance and kept concentrating only on music. But it changed when I met a girl named 'Kaitki' who happens to be great dancer. One day while on the bus, I proposed her this idea of doing a choreographed performance for one of my songs. She was very enthusiastic about that. The song I chose was 'Let Me Be'. The dancing style was 'Jive/East Coast Swing'. I modified the song on Kaitki's suggestion to make it sound latino and it worked. It was great fun learning all the dance steps in 4 weeks. Finally we shot the video with the help of her roomie 'Nuthan' and I did the mixing. While the video was only about choreography, the song was very personal to me and I'd rate it as one of my best works!

All this happened at a time when I didn't have much going for me. In fact I was thinking about doing something crazy to get people's attention. But fortunately I didn't have to.

powered by ODEO

Fall Colors

2006-10-08T22:09:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Red Wing to see the 'Fall' colors. It was a treat by my friend 'Sanjeev' who had celebrated his B'day last week. While we didn't find much fall colors, we certain had a great time trekking on the hills. At one point we almost felt that it was insane to take such huge risks as two of our friends almost slipped and fell down. But thanks to the stick I was carrying, I was safe.

Got my DL!

2006-10-04T21:46:00.000-07:00

I passed my road test this morning! There was a bit of drama though. My road test appointment disappeared sometime back and then I had to fight to get it back. And then after that came the real test. I almost messed it up in the 'Parallel Parking'. But the evaluator was kind enough to allow me another chance and I made full use of it. Apart from that everything else was pretty easy for me. But I must admit I wasn't so sure of it, until it was over. So now I'm planning to take my car to the office. I'm still looking for a carpool mate.

Pickin' Apples

2006-09-17T08:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the Apple Forest in Jordan. We had a fun ride and spent the time picking different kinds of apples. I also did some horse riding for the first time ever.

My Car

2006-09-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

After song long plans, I finally got my car, a Dodge Intrepid (Black). It was actually not a new one to me. I took it from my roomie Sanjeev after he got an SUV. Yesterday evening, he did a car wash and gave it to me formally. Actually I took my first drive some days earlier with Brenda. Though it is easier an automatic car, it's big size certainly requires some practice for steering and parking. Now I'm always looking to pull somebody to teach me driving.

Kayaking in Lake Minnetonka

2006-08-27T17:09:00.000-07:00

Last friday while returning from office by bus, something came to my mind and I just scribbled a few words. That night, I slept at 3 after finishing recording the demo for the song. The next day, we went out to Lake Minnetonka and did some boating. It was like a dream come true, and my idea of asking Kaitki to invite everybody worked. After loads of fun in the Kayak, we returned wet. The night we had fun in the club. On sunday, I was working on the new song and it seems to be coming out well.

Appartment party

2006-08-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday night, we celebrated the birthdays of Nitin, my roomate and Kaitki. We had been preparing for this for a long time and had kept the house in order for the big occasion. It started with the screening of my music videos 'Rose' and 'Hero'. Then we had the cakes cut, played 'Crazy Airways' and 'Hot' seat. After this we had Rajnikant's movie 'Chandramukhi' screened. This didn't quite work as Kaitki was too scared and didn't watch the climax. Also she was busy dealing some issues with ther JCL, courtesy my laptop. On the whole we had a great night despite my personal sadness.

Pain of separation

2006-08-18T21:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the last day for Usha in my project. She is leaving to Rhode Island to join CVS. I was heartbroken from the day she told me that she was going to leave and yesterday had to be one of my saddest days. But I did my best to show how grateful I was for all her care. I shared with her my fear about my career and took her opinion on how I should proceed from here. We had lunch with Badri at Shangai WOK (I tasted chicken after a long time) and took some pictures. The final goodbye came in the evening when she came home to give me her computer table. I couldn't help crying after losing a friend. It was reminiscent of the pain I had suffered on the last of college. Thought it wasn't new to me, it made me realize that change is inevitable and that one day I will lose all my loved ones. Despite a few clashes, I was always felt safe as long as she was there to offer me support. Though I will keep in touch with her, Monday will definitely be a different day. Even the evening bus ride was nostalgic.

Rose - Music Video

2006-08-14T20:44:00.000-07:00

Today I released a music video for the song 'Rose'. It was based on our trip to Duluth. While this video didn't enjoy the same success as the earlier one, it was still way ahead in terms of content. I did a few bold things like 'Performing' and 'Dancing'. The video also plays 'You Are Not Alone' in the end credits live from Duluth.

A Trip to Duluth

2006-08-01T18:11:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we went on a trip to Duluth. It was the same as the Vegas gang except for two. We had loads of fun out there despite some rain, especially in the Gooseberry falls.

A Moment to Savor

2006-07-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, WE (the Vegas group) had a sort of a get together to celebrate my friend Ramamoorthy's B'day. We went to the Minnetonka lake and had a treat at Applebee's. While it was good, it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for and I had mixed feelings. But I did have my time. Looking back at the week that went by, it was hugely occupied by the success of my new song 'Hero'. It was my first big success since 'Rose'. Since the audience don't get to come here, I'm publishing their comments:

Sanjeev - Part of the team, not the audience, turned him into a Hero
Nitin - Felt that he didn't get into many pics
Vamsi - Erm, didn't say much
Brenda - Bowled her over
Komal - My vocals were really good
Kaitki - Cool Video, some parts of the songs were too mushy, bowled her over
Prashanti - Nice work
Ramamoorthy - Well done

Respected People:

Rajkumar - Very good
Usha - I really don't believe it was YOU! [This was a little disappointing]

This is the first time that I have released a song before my mom could hear it. I burnt a CD single and here are the rips

1. Hero
2. Hero - Instrumental
3. Hero - Acappella

Also check out

1. Hero - Music Video

Hero - The Music Video

2006-07-10T18:31:00.000-07:00

It was all fun today. I finally released the music video for the song 'Hero'.

I had been working on it since the trip to 'Vegas'. It was not very easy because I didn't have enough time on hand. I compiled the video, re-recorded my vocals, and played around with the sound. I went to bed only at 2:00 AM today.

But it was all worth it. The marketing blitz worked completely and the result was just overwhelming. The target audience were all praises for my song. This was a little surprising to me because when I heard the final mix, I knew it was not right up there. It needed some more effort. But at the same time the timing of the release is just as important the quality. So I had to contend with it. Sanjeev, who I called the real HERO did the rest.

For a couple of hours I was walking in the air as the emails flooded in. I'm waiting anxiously for the reaction of my more respected people.

The Glorious Gand Canyon & Vegas

2006-07-07T17:28:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went the trip to Vegas finally happened. I remember how close it was not to have made it especially with talks to me going to offshore. But my PL gave the go ahead and I was all set.

There were 12 of us. All four of my roomies and other friends. We spent Saturday in Grand Canyon and the rest of the time in Vegas. The trip was actually too good. We had too much fun, some fighting, quarelling, mischieves, disappointments and excitements.

I almost thought those good old college days had returned. We only left Canyon after we were fed up with the rocks. While returning, I did the stunt I usally do. I sang 'Carousel'.

If Grand Canyon was breathtaking then Vegas was simply stunning. The interiors were excellent and we spent most of time clicking my new Digital Camera. We covered most part of the strip and saw and did some unforgettable things.

This has pumped up my 'Creative' side and I'm currently working on a music video based on the trip. The soundtrack is a song 'Hero' that I recorded recently.

A Trip to Kentucky/Atlanta

2006-06-13T16:19:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I set out for my first real trip to Kentucky to visit my brother's on a 4 day trip. It was a nice experience meeting relatives after a long time especially my nephew Harsha who is just 2 years old.

Friday evening we set out to Atlanta. The places we visited include the 'CNN', 'Stone Mountain' and the Coke Factory. Surprisingly I met Tamizh in the Stone Mountain and we watched the Lazer show together.

The Cowboys

2006-05-24T15:56:00.000-07:00

While in the MOA, we guys had an Antiques photoshoot. While not all, most were in Cowboy style. It was fun selecting the costumes and pointing guns at each other.

Minneapolis Meet

2006-05-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, ahead of my regular team meeting, I received a call from Andrew. He told me that he and Tamizhanban were planning to come here for the weekend. I was pleasantly suprised. It was also difficult to believe that they were going to ride all the way from Texas to Minnesota. The plan was to spend one day in Minnesota. Then, I left office and spent the evening playing cricket.

On saturday they reached my house as planned. Tamizhanban and Andrew brought along Pratheep and his roomie Iqbal from Arkansas. Tamizh looked as usual but I must say I was surprised with Andrew's new hairstyle.

After lunch, we were all set for a Minneapolis tour. The places we visited were Falls of St. Anthony, Canhoun Lake and the Mall of America. We had loads of fun particularly in MOA during an Antiques photoshoot. When that got over, we had dinner and spent the night in a notorious club. Photos from this club will be posted shortly!

The next day we woke up late, had breakfast in Udupi hotel and parted. With a heavy heart, I must add. It all started and ended suddenly. I had a wonderful time with my college mates after a long time.

Happy Birthday Vidya

2006-04-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

I'm finished with the song 'Happy Birthday Vidya'. I sent out a copy to Mom and she was the first to listen to it.

I've started working on the next one. And judging by my excitement, it shouldn't be long.

Wake up call !

2006-04-01T13:07:00.000-08:00

One of the difficult parts of a working day is getting up early. And the sound that wakes me up is often the most feared and painful one. I tried to change all that by putting in some music. Something that would so please me that it'd be like some body wakes me up with all the love in the world. First I tried some of my favorite MJ tunes like 'Fall Again'. Now its my 'Birthday Song'. The pleasant opening chords are the ones I'd want to hear everyday morning, before anything else.

A Memorable Weekend

2006-03-13T18:00:00.000-08:00

I always felt that time was running too fast over here. So I decided to do something I'd remember for some time every weekend.

Friday evening & the most of saturday : In the studio recording 'Birthday Song'. It was noice going back to what I enjoy doing the most. The only thing I lacked was a studio mic and I'm still looking to pick the right one. I wished I had brought the one from home.

Saturday evening & the most of sunday : I was busy preparing the potluck for sunday's party. Govind (senior colleague) & Doris (Manager) were leaving. I agreed to make potato curry. It was a little unsure as I had never made that before. I did a trail on saturday evening. On sunday I made the real one. It wasn't too good. But it turned to be Ok with the other dishes. And the party was fun. I actually didn't do much but just meeting colleagues with their families was a nice expirience.

In the evening I back in the studio mixing things and it seems to be coming out well.

Walking in the Snow

2006-03-13T17:55:00.000-08:00

I got ready and was all set to walk over to the bus stop. Today I wore a blazer, so didn't mind the jacket and the gloves. As I opened the gate and looked out I was shocked! It was all white. So it had been snowing heavily the day before.

I didn't know if I could walk. I put my foot and it sunk. Slowly I managed to move (slipping would be embarassing). The buses were late. Visibility was down to zero. Fortunately I met Badri and he took me to the office. The office had a gloomy look as none of the BUCs were present.

FL Studio 6

2006-03-10T08:50:00.000-08:00

The new Fruity Loops FL Studio 6 competes with the big, established recording packages.

The developers of Image-Line software were quite busy. It is obvious that they don't want to stop at having programmed the most popular software for Hip Hop and Dance music on the Internet.

They now seem to go for the top of music production software. You actually can do almost anything now with FL Studio 6, but just a little different than with other programs.

Of course it's not as easy to handle than at it's beginning. If you want to use all of its functions, it takes quite a while and some persistence to learn this now pretty complex program.

The main difference, what sets it apart from other recording programs, is the unique structure. It is the ideal sequencer/recording program for all the people that liked the old pattern oriented sequencers, like "Notator" on the Atari.

Nobody has ever written a program for them after the boom of tape oriented software like Cubase started. With this programs you could easily build up a song structure while adapting it or changing it in detail was tedious work.

If you want, you can work strictly pattern oriented like in the old days, but with a lot of additional power.

But Fl Studio 6 brings you the best of both worlds. It is definitely the program for those who want to mix a pattern style with a straight tape-like approach.

Read the complete review here

And to answer VK's question: I think it is...

Guess who !

2006-03-02T21:37:00.000-08:00

Starting from where I had left in my earlier post...

I have settled down well over here. A luxurious appartment, wonderful roomates, cool weather, beautiful girls, polite people, strict yet caring co-workers are all there. But somehow life has become more of a worry. My inability to share my emotions has transformed me into a different person on the outside.

My last encounter with emotions was on Feb 23rd, my sister's birthday. A thought occured to me of surprising her with something new. While I left from the office and on the bus, I started writing a few lines. Within two hours, I called her and sang the 'Happy Birthday' song that I wrote specially for her. When I finished I knew that I had done something memorable.

The first thing she told me after that was 'Record it'. To do that I had to get a computer. I've already done that. One of the faces on that wallpaper is ME, the other is on your right!

To Bloomington and back

2006-01-14T17:36:00.000-08:00

There were some difficult times initially when I came over here. We were adviced to get the SSN (Social security number) as soon as possible. But it was only after I went there that I found that a portion of my I94 was torn. I knew that before but didn't care as it was not my mistake. But this was a serious problem now. A number was not clearly visible hence, the SSN officer asked me to get it fixed. He gave me the address of the immigration office. It was in Bloomington.

My senior colleague Badri helped me find the route through the MetroTransit website. I had the all the information of the buses, timings to go there. But unfortunately I had to go alone. This was when I had only spent a couple of weeks here.

But I managed to get to bus stop, catch the bus and get down at that stop ('Mall of America'). I took a transfer and finally managed to find the immigration office. A surprise was in store for me. The security officer told me they won't entertain without appointment. So I came back a little disappointed.

The next day I fixed an appointment and got there just the same way. There the immigration officer told me to meet the officer in the airport. And this time I had no help to get to the airport. I enquried the security and he told me to go to MOA and take a train from there to the St Paul airport. I got to MOA. I didn't know if I needed to buy a ticket (or the bus ticket would work). I didn't buy one, got into the train and got down at the airport. Meanwhile, I asked Badri to talk to the officer and ask if he could be met at this time.

So I got the airport. I met the officer and got my I94 fixed, finally. It was hassle-free. And I came to office by the train. This time I did buy the ticket, fortunately as there was a cop who checked the tickets.

In the United States of America

2005-12-26T12:17:00.000-08:00

It's been a week since I've landed in the US. A lot has happened. First the drama in Chicago where we missed the flight to Minneapolis (We = Myself + Vishwanathan). That meant that we had to spend the 17th night in Chicago itself before taking the next flight next morning.

The flight was scheduled at 7 AM and we had to be there by 5. It was freezing cold outside and we struggled to get the airport. Then we were caught at the Security and I had to pay $50 for the baggages.

The flight was eventually late by an hour and by 9:30 AM I was there in Minneapolis. My Project Manager Sangeetha had promised to pickup but did not turn up. And I took a taxi to Ramsgate appartment ,where most TCSers reside. There I met her and she arranged for temporary accomodation. It's a bad time to arrive here. The average temperature is around -20 C. Snow is everywhere around you.

I'm still here and have not found permanent accomodation. The office is in City Center, Downtown. It's more like a shopping complex than an office depot. But it's nice. I met people with whom I had spoken before (Govind, Kate, Barbara and Doris).

Tomorrow I'm going to Bloomington for the second time to get my I94 fixed. That should enable me to get my SSN.

Karthikeyan 'LIVE'

2005-12-13T02:58:00.000-08:00

Saturday - 10th December - 9:30 PM - Anandha Wedding Hall - Pondicherry

I did my first stage performance.

The Song - Oru Malai Ilaveyil Neram (from Gajini)

The Orchestra - 'Sharan Sharini'

The Audience - The Wedding crowd, my classmates and the wedding couple (Saravana & Reshma)

It all started when the groom asked me casually if I'd sing something. I agreed. Gani, heard that and took me to the stage. At that time the programme got over. But still he pushed them and set the stage for my debut performance. I was confident because I had earlier performed the same song in 'Ripples 05'. But this time the encouragement was there from my friends. That set the tone for the song. I sung confidently and finally when I finished, I got a few blows from my friends (This is our tradition of greeting people on their birthdays).

The response from the crowd was just as expected. And that made me still wonder of the reasons of my non selection in Ripples. It could be 'Jealousy' as pointed out by Praveen. But this performance itself was like an award, the award of 'Recognition'. Satish has taken the video and I'm looking forward to seeing that.

Relive the Moments: Here is one version of the video.

Jet Set Go...

2005-12-13T02:46:00.000-08:00

On 7th December 05, I received an unexpected email about my VISA. After a miserable performance in my PA and an agonizing wait, I finally received my passport with VISA to the US. There was a sense of disbelief as I had almost given up any hope of going to onsite. But luck was on my way.

The Euphoria was everywhere around me. But the surprising news was that I had to travel the very next week. So the preparations are on full swing. I'll be leaving on 16th midnight to Minneapolis.

Ripples of Music

2005-11-16T04:46:00.000-08:00

Ripples 2005, the TCS cultural event will be held this Friday. I had participated in only two events. The first one of course was 'Solo Singing'.

It was an interesting set of events that led me to this one. I had almost made up my mind to give it up and do some office work. But somehow at the last minute I decided to go ahead and I was the last participant to enter the auditorium. By this time the prelims had almost neared its end. The judges were hostile even though I showed the spirit to participate. I heard 3 or 4 singers and I thought all of them could sing well. I had earlier thought that 'participation' and not 'winning' was the issue: Winning was there for the taking. But after listening to this I was under pressure. My friend Purushothaman had already finished his turn and he thought he did well.

Then came my turn... I was somewhat nervous. I introduced myself and said that I was going to sing a song from 'Gajini'. Immediately I could hear a cheer. Then I decided to close my eyes and begin singing the song 'Oru Malai Ilaveyil Neram'. Actually I knew only part of the lyrics. But while coming in the bus the song was played on 'Radio Mirchi' and I managed to note down most of the lyrics. I was shivering but my voice wasn't and I knew I was singing well. My singing just kept improving and at one point there was clapping to appreciate my accent. I went on and sung the whole song. When I finished there was a loud roar from the audience. I thought I had done it. Everybody around me was congratulating and I was walking in the air.

While leaving for home, I noticed that I had left my umbrella in the auditorium itself. When I went there to get it, a light boy noticed me and said: 'You sung very well; How is it that you have so many fans?'. I thought that it was a testimony to my successfull performance. In the bus, I sung the same song and received the same kind of applause. But the result of the prelims was not know at that time...

The next day I attended the prelims for 'Anthakshari'. My team mates were 'Purushothaman' and 'SitaRam'. Somehow we made it to finals. There was more luck than talent involved.

A couple of days later I met the HR and learnt that I was not selected for the finals of 'Solo Singing'. I couldn't believe it and just kept on saying to myself that this could only be a mistake. I event went a quarrel with SitaRam when he suggested that my performance might not have actually been as good as I had imagined. This result was very difficult to take. Even my friend Purushothaman said that I should have qualified even if he had been rejected. But somehow nobody seemed to bothered about this except me. That still puzzles me. Those who had listened to my singing should have complained at my exclusion. But that didn't happen...

Then came the finals of Anthakshari. There were 16 teams. The first round was supposed to eliminate 10 teams. But all teams scored equally. So I think they randomly eliminated 8 of them. That we were selected came to me as a surprise. After this there was another round which again saw teams scoring equally. Then came the Dumb C. The first song that came to us was 'Venilave Venilave'. Purush acted and I found it after a long time. In the next round we got 'Azhagiya Theevae' and this was found out quickly. So we came out victorious or atleast we thought we were victorious. But the results came and we ended up with just the participation certificates.

Since the event coincided with my sister's marriage, I did not attend it. That is why I had given up participating in 'Skit' and 'Dramatics'.

Who owns God?

2005-11-15T04:38:00.000-08:00

Just think of the great personalities born in India over the centuries. One person who will strike in your mind is 'Gautam Buddha'. This God like person originally named Siddhartha is believed to born in Kapilavastu to a hindu ruler. But where is this Kapilavastu? The surprising answer is 'We don't know'. For many years India and Nepal having fighting each other to 'own' the birthplace of Buddha. In 1996 it got established that the place was 'Lumbini' near Katmandu in Nepal. But very recently some Indian researchers are claiming that the place is 'Kapileeshwar' near Bhuwaneshwar in Orissa.

But the sad turth is that we will never be sure of this. And it is not right to attach a nationality to God (to the Buddhists). Anyway Buddhism is practised only in Ladakh and some small pockets in India.

The Paradise on Earth

2005-11-15T04:06:00.000-08:00

Of late, I've developed some kind of interest in history, disputes, wars etc. Every since I was a kid I loved the geography of India, a truly amazing country with so many diverse landscapes, mountains, cultures and languages. The one state that truly stands out from the rest is Jammu & Kashmir. Despite being a place with exceptional natural beauty it hits the headlines every other day for all the wrong reasons. The state that should have been the secular symbol of India is unfortunately being shared with Pakistan and China.

It was disturbing when I first learnt that India currently hold only 46% of the whole state. Aren't we supposed to push back the foreigners and get back the land that should rightfully be ours? The real culprit behind this is none other than Nehru.

Though I still admire him for his personal values, her was single handedly responsible for taking the Kashmir issue to UN in 1948 and thereby giving up more than 35% of Kashmir to Pakistan. Also by refusing to negotiate with the Chinese on the border issue he ended up humiliating India in 1962. Not only did India suffer a heavy defeat but ended up losing nearly 20% of Ladakh to China. At least the Chinese were magnanimous to vacate Arunachal Pradesh, which they occupied for more than 2 months during the war.

And what's more there is violence and people get killed almost everyday. The sad part is that the Kashmiri people don't consider themselves as Indians. It is a paradise that was lost partly in 1947 and fully somehwere in the late 80s.

The Keys to the world of Music

2005-05-25T06:53:00.000-07:00

I finally got a keyboard from my sister who had just returned from the US. The 49-key MIDI instrument has enough in it to incite me and put me back into my way of making music. Things look exciting. But my computer seems to be with its problems. The UPS is gone and the system just won't start without that. Waiting to get things right... On the line...

Shopping on the Net

2005-02-23T07:43:00.000-08:00

I always felt how nice it would be to shop on the net. No need to get out of your room. Just pick what you want and you'll have it at your doorstep. I wanted to try it out and I finally did it on www.indiatimes.com which happens to be the most popular online store in India. I ordered an audio CD ( which was even priced cheaper ) and had the delivery done in three days. I used my credit card on the net for the first time. It looked pretty dangerous because no authentication was required. All the infomation it asked was completedly visible on the credit card. Anybody could memorize that info and bankrupt me. Even the card no. is only 16 digits. Add to it the 3 digit verification no. and the expiry date 23 digits that's all.